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Bio

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I'm Ed (DotEd) Follow DotEd on Twitter and I make Beam Katanas and History. I also tell good stories.
I'm a Quantum Strategist at Opera Software USA.

Follow DotEd on Twitter
View Ed Palumbo's profile on LinkedIn

What is in my work bag...

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Not a lot of people know exactly what I do, which requires quite a bit of travel and socializing. I never really know where I'll be going next, so I bring a little of everything to make it memorable.

Sometimes though, I look at my bag and laugh. Growing up around briefcases, I never figured this would be my gear, but I'm not that normal. I asked my friends across a bunch of social networks (mostly got Twitter replies) what they thought was in my work bag.


Here's the photo of what I carry most days. I made a scoring system to reward risk and accuracy (correct/guesses x 100 x correct). Some people know me really well!

Read more...

Achievement Unlocked

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Use IE to download Opera

(Alternative Get: Mac users can get/rate Opera in the Mac App Store)

SXSW 2011 Album

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I gathered together some images from my time in Austin for SXSW 2011 so far. I've still got 2 more days here, so I may have more to share afterward.

Swarm Experiment Happen

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Having a little fun with a guy who posted a spur of the moment review about OperaFollow Opera on Twitter today. We want to completely surprise him with a deluge of views and comments.

Check out the experiment on Choose Opera!

Mind Crisp

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I've been thinking about this off and on for nearly a week and it's screwing with my head!

At Opera, lunch is served every day for employees. It's a really nice perk. BUT in my office in San Mateo, there is always chips and salsa/guacamole as part of whatever there is for lunch (so far, at least). I started to think about what I like more: the free lunch, or the chips and salsa/guac. Since the chips and salsa/guac are part of the free lunch, then the free lunch should be my answer.

However, the chips and salsa doesn't HAVE to be there for there to be a free lunch, so since I really like that part specifically, then the chips and salsa should be my answer. BUT it's part of lunch.

Things could be worse.

An Easy Win

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Opera's got a contest going until the end of the month related to the new Opera 11 Extensions.

The Basics
Write a blog post about your favorite new Opera 11 Extension in one of the languages shown in the image to the right. Submit your story.

Prizes
The top winners in each of 7 languages will win:
  • A gift certificate worth USD 200 from an online retailer of his/her choice.
  • A signed award certificate by Opera's co-founder Jon S. von Tetzchner.
  • An interview on My Opera which is viewed by millions of Opera users.
  • An Opera goodie bag filled with Opera merchandise!
  • Second and third place winners will receive Opera goodie bags each.

Check the full post for all of the details and how to submit your entry.

I work for Opera now. What should I do first?!

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Let me know in the comments!

Walking Around in Norway

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It may have taken a while, and I can explain why soon, but here is a taste of what it's like to head to Norway on an unexpected trip and just look around. If you want to know more about something leave a comment on the photo and I'll be sure to elaborate when I sit down for a day of writing.
Walking Around Norway: Photos

#UpNorthWeb

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I had wifi issues earlier but wanted to quickly let everyone know that you can follow #UpNorthWeb for updates as they happen. I'll be summarizing each day when I have more time later.

Edit: Link fixed a bunch of times!

So, I'm going to Norway...

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Next week I leave for a brief trip to Norway. While I'm there I'll be visiting with some old and some new friends who work at Opera. I don't like to waste an opportunity to have a uniquely good time.

Before I put together a more complete post on the trip, I figured I'd put this out there to get input from anyone interested. Something I should do? Places I should take photos of? Friends I should visit or photograph in awkward situations? Let me know, and I'll not disappoint.

Much more soon.

Ed

Top Ten Things Found in Opera's Dumpster

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As part of Opera's Marketing Position Competition, you can favorite this post with the star at the top if you are signed in to MyOpera.



10. Old Recipes for Lutefisk and New Boxes from Frozen Pizza
It's time to put the past behind and look to the future - a technology driven future with new software, new looks, new ideas, and refrigerators.

9. Fan Fiction for Opera Man
Opera has it's fans, and chances are if you're reading this you are one. But Opera's got a a fanbase so strong that they've started writing fan fiction based on a fictional fictional character dubbed Opera Man. Certain fanatical employees are even involved in the movement and translation into multiple languages. Sadly, it's all terribly predictable: Fastest hero ever, saves everyone from bad situations, really good looking, etc.

8. Useless Code
Ever wonder why other web browsers have 90+MB install files and take up so much space when Opera packs in more features in a smaller footprint? Even the download and install is faster.

7. Coffee Cups
It's no secret that software companies like caffeine. But when your work day spans 24 time zones, you always have employees awake somewhere - even if they should be sleeping.

6. Doors
Not satisfied with speeding up web browsing and information accessibility on the Internets, Opera Software has thrown away all of the doors within their headquarters to make getting around in the real world faster as well (with the exception of the front doors, because security is important, too). Further, they get around using dirt bikes in the office halls and use jumps liberally from floor to floor.

5. Smiley Stat Tracking
Only secretly tested internally and in the MyOpera beta section online, the sad story of Smiley Stats ends here. Originally planned to be the metadata goldmine of the information age, the Smiley Stats program was going to track everyone's usage of Smilies in comments to then sell that data to advertisers - that is, until the exact same usage pattern emerged week after week after week:
  • Monday - cry was the general feeling
  • Tuesday - rolleyes
  • Wednesday - coffee
  • Thursday - up
  • Friday - cheers curiously shows up with not only 70% from the community, but also 99% from Opera employees.
  • Saturday - a mix of yes from the community and faint from Opera employees
  • Sunday - happy
All they found was that Friday = Beers. Opera decided ultimately not to subject their community members to advertisements. yes


4. Opera Brand Laxatives
Opera loves to spread the swag thick, but this failed attempt had recipients running. The obvious choice as a medium to convey the 'Fast & Safe' angle of their web browsing platform, the Opera Branded Laxatives worked too fast - leading to the now infamous "Opera, So Fast You'll Crap In Your Pants" stickers.

3. Jon S. von Tetzchner's Speedo
Known for crossing bodies of water to launch new versions of web browsers, Opera's CEO has to toss the old Speedo in lieu of a wet suit in the winter months. Even vikings need protection from Norwegian winter seas.

2. Mail intended for Oprah Winfrey
Like letters to Santa Claus, Opera has the sad job of throwing away millions of letters intended for Oprah, shattering the dreams of household moms all over the world. Tweets, too!

1. Microsoft or Apple Employees
You will often find these curious creatures rummaging around in the Opera dumpster looking for useful bits of information as to what Opera will bestow on the web browser industry next since Opera is always beating them to the punch.

Anyone find anything else in Opera's dumpster?

Good Packing

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This was actually a reactionary response mid video. Once I realized what I was doing I thought "oh hey this is good packing." Thanks to Odd & Even for the influence.

How Many Clicks Does it Take?

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How many clicks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of good usability?

Growing parallel to the video game industry, Internet users are aware of the incremental innovations that have become defining characteristics of gaming platforms, most notably in controllers, the interface by which you manipulate the on screen action. Initially more buttons meant more control. Atari gave us one, then we got D-pads, shoulder buttons, auto-fire, triggers, etc.. At some point between Playstation's 16 buttons w/ dual joysticks, and Jaguar's 18-26 buttons (depending on how you Do The Math), people got confused. Parents stopped playing with kids and casual gamers fell off the map; innovation turned into isolation.

Nintendo led a return to basics with Gamecube's large A button and colorful/ergonomic style; but there was another idea lurking on the drawing board. Back in the NES days, it wasn't uncommon to see people swing controllers in a boss fight, tilt their body as they drive, or jerk the pad up when they made Mario jump, particularly parents and casual players long forgotten. It was Nintendo's innovative concept of allowing what came naturally to be a form of control that helped springboard them from third place to first with the introduction of Wii's simple 10 [action] button controller. Removing complexity lowered barriers to entry and the market grew.

Opera has done similar things for browsing. No, I'm not talking about Mouse Gestures. About two years ago Opera introduced a feature that got my parents to switch browsers: Opera 9.2 added support for automatic searching from the address bar when users enter more than one word. How many times in the past have people opened a tab, clicked that address bar and started typing only to get a 404 error?

"Oops, ...error?"
"You gotta search from the Google box, Dad."
"The what?"


By capturing the actions that came naturally to users, Opera decreased confusion and the time it takes to get to the information you seek by a few more clicks. You see, there are more ways to make browsing faster than refining the way pages render. The fewer clicks needed to find what you seek, the better the experience, and if you can minimize confusion along the way, even better. Opera makes browsing as simple as one, two, three.

To save a few more clicks and answer the age old question: It's approximately 400.

Hurry Up!

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Originally posted by Seaempty in N+.
Yes, time is running out. If you didn't know, or haven't done so already, the incredible Opera Browser for the Wii is available for download via the Wii Shop Channel. For free. Free for the entire life of the system!

From 1st of July, however, the free grace period ends, and anyone who downloads the browser after this date will have to use their Wii Points to get it (but only a very reasonable 500 Wii Points).

So that gives you until Saturday to get on your Wii and download the browser for free, while you still can!

If you haven't already had the chance to experience the browser in action, go and try it out now! To see what you're missing, check out some nifty screenshots, a list of the features, and these two videos:

IdleRPG Profile

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I've added a link to my IdleRPG profile for my character DotEd, the Office Ninja, to my links page and blog sidebar.
You can find me idling in #IdleRPG on OperaNet and of course, in N+ Chat.
knight knight ninja knight

EvWiiwhere!

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Nintendo Plus Wii Challenge

500 Weeks Early

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[/IMG]If you're a member of N+ (it seems 71% are from the poll to the right) then you know about the Challenge I issued to get 200 additional members in about amonth and a half to bring the total to 500 by the time Opera launches the Final Version of the Opera Wii Browser.

Well, we did it. With weeks to spare I might add. I'm so happy right now, from the additional Moderator support (via Beeks), the addition of chat (suggested by Ramunas), and a wealth of support from many others, it's no wonder we did it so fast.

Read More...

Googl.ed

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So, I like information.

I search a lot.

And I like it when I find out that others searching for similar things end up finding me.

Today I found that when you do a Google Image Seach for Nintendo Wii, Images from my Opera Wii Album are on the first page, specifically the image of Wii and Gamecube disc sizes.

The album itself has about 25,000 views and only a dozens or so images yes

I am also the number 1 and 2 results for 30" rims... however, I can't possibly understand why

.ed ache

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I hope this doesn't turn out to be one of those things people reference after I'm dead. Citing it as a sign of impending doom that no one paid much attention to.

I've been getting terrible headaches. Every day I work. The headaches do not respond to Tylenol, Advil, Excedrin, or passive-aggressiveness. They typically start aroun 10am and are the reason I leave each day when I do, some days worse than others.

If I had to point to it, it stems from the top of my spine, the center of the back of my neck and goes up into my core, where my cerebellum lies. Some days, like today, there is a second headache that localizes in the front center of my forehead, about 1 inch deep. My head hurts so bad I hold it, and throbbing pains cause me to wince.

A few weeks ago, when they started, they were so bad I nearly fell over while walking, several times in one day even. I don't know if i've come to deal with it or if the severity has dropped. I really don't know.

I haven't changed a single aspect of my life with the exception of my increased stress level. I am absolutely governed by the stress of some things on my mind right now. Work, future work, money, my involvement with Opera, and Signature Visions.

I think I'm at a point in my life where I am once again doing much more for other people who are benefitting off of it, while I don't.

Do I stop? ...will the headaches?

I work alone and do my own research because I've found other's do not do more than face value work when asked to assist. Now I feel I have the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to really succeed at what I want to do but I am being held back by the work I am doing for others. Like a Triple Crown race horse walking up to the gate with the others. But my gate is not going to open, because someone else is holding it.

Do I break it down? ...will that work?