Light Point Security Advances to Final 10 in Wall Street Journal’s Startup of the Year

As we mentioned before, the Wall Street Journal selected Light Point Security as a contender for their inaugural Startup of the Year competition. When the WSJ Startup of the Year series launched in June Light Point Security was one of only 24 startups, chosen from more than 500 companies across the country. We are excited to announce that Light Point Security has advanced to the final 10 remaining companies!

The first round of eliminations went from 24 companies down to 20. In the second round of eliminations, the WSJ editors narrowed the field down from 20 companies to 10. Here is a short video from the Wall Street Journal announcing the final 10 companies.

We are honored and very excited to have made it this far in the competition. Take a look at our profile page on the WSJ site to see our behind the scenes videos. And be sure to take a second to vote for us!

Friends of Type is the side project of designers Aaron Carambula, Erik Marinovich, Dennis Payongayong and Jason Wong. The project is an ever growing archive of original typographic design and lettering primarily created by the aforementioned.

It came to be in the September of 2009 after Erik sent Aaron a sketch but neither of them had any idea where Erik could post the design online. After the two discussed some ideas, Aaron bought a domain, designed and built a site, and the rest is history.

The four friends say that the purpose of their posts is to log ideas, express themselves, and inspire each other as well as their readers. I think it’s safe to say that they certainly do a good job of the latter, as proven by this collection of some of our favourite pieces from the project:

Which of these designs is your favorite? Have you started your own side project recently? Let us know in the comments.

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Recently I went on a four-day sailing trip along the coast of Connecticut and Rhode Island. We chartered a 46’ boat from Mystic, Connecticut and sailed to Block Island, Newport, and back to Point Judith before returning the boat on the end of the fourth day. We left our slip with no preset course. All we packed was four days of clothing that none of us really ended up changing into – good thing the ocean breeze was strong.

I let my parents and girlfriend know that they probably wouldn’t hear from me much while I was away, but not to worry: none of us really knew how to sail other than one guy, but how hard could it be? My Uncover coworkers covered for me by handling emails and any new orders that came in. Everything was set up for me to disconnect from the Internet for a few days. My days would be filled with sailing and conversation rather than emails, instant messages and text messages.

The first day went as planned. There were seven of us on the boat and I only knew two of the people before we set off. I checked into foursquare at the Mystic Seaport Marina before we left and from there on out my intention was to only use my iPhone to snap photographs, take videos and to check in to places we visited. We sailed to Block Island that day – saw a 50+ pod of dolphins – and I was successfully able to restrain myself from pulling out my iPhone for anything else. In fact, I didn’t find that first day difficult at all.

The following day would become much more difficult. We set out to Newport, RI from Block Island. It was raining lightly when we pulled off our mooring for the six-hour sail. We were getting along wonderfully, chatting about lots of topics, and having a relaxing time. We’d lie out on the front of the boat when the sun peeked out from the clouds, but mainly we’d gather around the back of the boat where we could all sit comfortably together. This was my first time sailing and something I didn’t know beforehand was that being below deck while moving is very conducive to seasickness and definitely not advised, so we were almost always above deck.

As the second day progressed, there began to be some lulls in conversation, as there always are when there’s extended conversation, and instead of staring out into the ocean and having meditative thoughts, people started reaching in their pockets for their phones. I’m not sure who made the first move, but it seemed to progress like dominos as soon as it was silently okayed by someone. What was the rest of the world up to? Is there any breaking news? What’s on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds? Who should I text? Who should I send photographs to?

The disconnect we were all looking for as seven techies (entrepreneurs, developers and designers) tumbled to an end about twenty-four hours after setting sail. We felt the pull of the Internet as if it was a drug. It was too strong to resist, and once you give in to it, you’re done.

For the remainder of the trip, whenever there was a break in conversation, we’d all reach for our phones and check in on things. The only time you could get a respite from your phone was when it was charging in the hold of the ship. The rest of the time your phone would be in your pocket, buzzing to let you know there was something new to distract you. By the way, phone signal strength is far stronger out in the open ocean than in the heart of New York City.

That’s not to say that I don’t feel very relaxed after four days of sailing around and not having done any real work, but I’m disappointed that I didn’t do a better job of shutting the rest of the world out. I know writers have experimented with turning off all technology for weeks, months, and even a year at a time, but I don’t think the experience of turning it off for an extended period of time will ever be feasible again, and that worries me. You’d have thought that being on a boat would be the ideal place to find out, but the draw proved to be too great. Are we addicted to technology and is there anything we can or should do about it?

One obvious possibility: Head to a remote mountain where there are no signals and stay there for a long time.

But you know, we’re social beings. Maybe we don’t need to be cross-checking the social media all the time, and maybe we should do our best to take vacations from that, but we still do need to communicate with the people who matter to us.

The post Disconnecting from the Internet is Impossible appeared first on Treehouse Blog.

Back when I first started to use Git for version control, I wasn’t sure if all the learning I invested into it would pay off. Branching, staging, stashing — these Git terms were all foreign to me.

Today, I can’t imagine life without Git. Git not only gave me a much-needed ability to version-control my work, it also made me a better programmer.

Here’s a series of simple tips that will help you make Git an important part of your web development workflow.

Tip 1: Spend Some Time Learning Git Basics

Learning the basics doesn’t mean you have to read the entire Git documentation from start to finish (although if that’s your thing, I wouldn’t discourage you from doing it).

There’s so much educational content on Git that I’m sure there’s something out there that fits your personal preferences and optimal learning style.

Here are a few Git learning resources to check out:

• How to Quickly Get Started with Git
• Try Git is a 15-minute interactive Git tutorial
• Tips and Tricks (Ry’s Git Tutorial) is a hands-on tutorial on common Git features
• Git The Simple Guide
• Git Ready is a website that has a collection of simple and short Git tips
• Git Cheat Sheet
• Git Tower’s Learn section is a list of Git learning resources at my website
• Official Git Tutorial
• Training: Git Basics (videos) is a YouTube video playlist
• Pro Git is an online book to read if you want a deep understanding of Git

Tip 2: Start with a Simple Git Workflow

Less is more.

Often, Git is associated with complex workflows. Let me say this though: You don’t have to completely master Git in order to instantly reap its benefits.

Git workflows can be extremely simple — and in a lot of cases "simple" is exactly all you need. Sure, you can use multiple remote repositories, issue pull requests, rebase your changes, etc. but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.

Starting with a simple workflow also makes it easier to add more complexity later on when you need Git’s more advanced features. The advanced features will be there for you when you need them.

Here are some examples of various Git workflows that you can take ideas and inspiration from:

• Git workflow for designers
• Git workflow of Markus Prinz
• Common Git workflow of Yehuda Katz
• Git workflow for Agile teams

The overarching point is this: Don’t stress out about needing to learn everything about Git. You can start using Git today.

Tip 3: Stop Being Afraid of Making Mistakes

A great thing about Git is that it’s almost 100% foolproof.

Keeping the following things in mind should let you sleep easy at night:

1. Git hardly ever deletes data. Even actions that seem to delete items in reality actually add data to the system that will let you quickly undo deletions.
2. You can undo almost everything in Git. I encourage you to experiment and explore Git and try out your ideas because this is one of the major benefits of using a version control system.
3. Every member of your team has a repository cloned on his/her computer. Essentially, this is sort of like a redundant backup of the whole version-controlled project (including the full history) in the very unlikely event you do mess things up big time and can’t recover your mistake.

Tip 4: Understand the Concept of Branching

The concept of branching in Git is one of the most useful things you can learn at the start. Branching allows you to keep separate developments of one project possible and is a key component of being an effective Git user.

It may not sound like a big deal at first, but once you fully understand the concept of branching, you’ll wonder how you could have possibly lived without this ability.

Although other version control systems use the branching concept too, Git is the first system that really makes it easy and useful.

Here are some resources to read that will help you understand the Git branching concept:

• LearnGitBranching! is an interactive tutorial on Git branching
• Git Basic Branching and Merging
• Branch Wizardry is a short guide on Git branching and merging
• Git Branches is a simple tutorial with plenty of illustrations
• A successful Git branching model

Tip 5: Learn About the Staging Area

Version control is most useful when you wrap up only related changes in a commit. This guarantees the commit can be rolled back easily without side-effects. The habit of making frequent commits also helps your coworkers more easily understand the progression of your changes.

Git makes granular commits easier than any other version control system (VCS) because you can determine which changes exactly shall be in the next commit.

A Git feature called staging area makes this possible.

Learn to use and love the staging area because it’s one of the most essential and unique components of Git.

Here are some resources about Git’s staging area:

• Why the staging area is so useful
• What is the benefit of Git’s staging? – a discussion thread about the value of Git’s staging area
• Aha! Moments When Learning Git – a blog post that highlights the enlightening experience you’ll get after you realize how the staging area works
• The staging area is a short guide on Git’s staging area

Tip 6: Use a Git GUI

Although using a GUI is definitely not a requirement, I highly recommend it.

Using a GUI makes a lot of tasks easier and gives you a head start.

After all, using Git is not about learning commands and parameters by heart, it’s about using Git to improve your coding workflow. If a GUI enhances your coding workflow, there’s no reason to make things harder on yourself.

Here are some Git GUIs to check out:

• Tortoise Git – open source Git GUI for Windows
• GitX (L) – open source Mac OS X Git client
• SourceTree – free Git (and Mercurial) GUI for Mac and Windows
• git-cola – an open source Git GUI
• Tower – My company’s Git GUI for Mac users

Using a GUI will not relieve you from having to learn the basics, but once you’re happy with the level of Git mastery you have, investigate the tools that will make your life easier.

Tip 7: Commit Yourself to Using Git

Using a new tool can cause a bit of a headache in the first few days. The only way to get through this learning curve is to keep going.

Don’t look back; make a full commitment. Introducing Git into your normal coding workflow will soon prove to be one of the biggest and most significant things you’ve done in a while.

Avoid making exceptions like "I’ll use Git for these projects, but not for these other projects." At least at first.

The mindset of fully committing to Git gives you more opportunities to practice, makes things simpler because you know that the current project you’re working on is using a version control system, and most importantly makes Git a part of your coding habits.

In the future, you’ll see that there are just some situations where you don’t need to use Git. You won’t know what those situations are until you use Git in all the situations you can.

At the start of your journey towards Git mastery, make a 100% commitment to it.

Related Content

• Top 10 Git Tutorials for Beginners
• Introductory Guide to Git Version Control System
• Offbeat Tips for Being More Productive and Efficient at Work
• Tips for Building Your First Web App
• 7 Crazy Tips That Will Help You Become a Better Coder

About the Author

Tobias Günther is CEO and founder of fournova. In 2010, he set out to make Git easier to use: Together with his team, he develops the Git desktop client, Tower for Mac.

The post 7 Useful Git Tips for Beginners appeared first on Six Revisions.

The excitement of scrolling has really evolved since we could use colored scrollbars in Internet Explorer years ago.

Today, we are finding new ways to reinvent the process of scrolling with gestures, parallax scrolling features and more. We’re creating excitement and telling stories. We’re creating great user experiences and making content functional. Problem is, most of these sites use vertical scrolling.

And how can you blame them? It’s normal. It’s what’s expected. And it’s often the easiest thing to implement.

But where’s the love for horizontal scrolling sites? Not many people create them, mainly because of the difficulties in development and the idea that horizontal websites are less functional. The argument against horizontal scrolling is along the lines of: “Why reinvent the wheel?” But, should we be giving horizontal scrolling a chance?

When and why?

Horizontal scrolling should be given a chance for two main reasons: (1) The infatuation we currently have with responsive design and (2) Horizontal sites have a place and purpose, much like scrolling sites do.

To quickly go over the reason why it works responsively, let’s think about how we use our phones and tables when pull up a site on them. Most times, we end up flipping the phone so that it shows our content in landscape orientation. Meaning we flip our phones to see the most in width that we can. Why not utilize this by creating sites that can be viewed and navigated this way? Think about how we look at videos online and how we develop and design sites along the width anyway. Why are we shunning horizontal scrolling?

Now, for my second point, I can show you much better than I can tell you. So, let’s jump right in and see how these next few sites do a great job of using horizontal scrolling to be functional and interesting.

Reverse Buro 

This portfolio site uses a combo of both vertical and horizontal scrolling to show off their work. It’s becoming more and more popular to feature pieces of work on their own screens with no distractions because it just makes sense. This navigational method is not only intuitive but creates a wonderful feel of innovation for this designer.

Gavin Castleton

Nowadays, it’s imperative that musical artists find a way to make themselves standout. In such an inundated industry, artists have to create the complete package that’s going to get them attention, from the music to the web design. Gavin has created a wonderful website that’s interesting and perfect for housing all his information.

Bartle Bogle Hegarty

BBH is obviously one of the more well known creative agencies in the world. When you’ve reached the success they have, they start to create different branches and offices in different areas of the world. Instead of creating different sites for each location, they’ve got a way for you to check out what each one is doing across the globe. I like the horizontal navigation because it’s like you’re traveling to and from each different location. 

Jens Lehmann

Jens is obviously a guy that holds many titles and wears many hats. He doesn’t want to mash them all together, so instead he’s created a home on the web that allows him to individually showcase the things he does. The horizontal navigation of this site makes transformation from each title easy to understand and see.

James Joyce

Unlike the Reverse Buro site, we don’t get to see each piece of work individually per screen. However, I think it works for James Joyce and his designs because they’re all so similar. We get a chance to really see and enjoy his style.

Here Design

Much like the above web site, we are getting a horizontal site to show off the work. This one creates a great example how to keep your horizontal justification but also add in the other information necessary in this site. 

C. L. Holloway

This is one of the most obvious uses of horizontal scrolling I’ve seen. It’s rather clever as this person is an artist and painter who has probably been in various museum exhibits. Why not make that online? Doing this actually gives one a better idea of what Holloway does and how he wants to be seen. I really like this site.

WWF

This site was created last year to raise awareness for the WWF’s Earth Hour. Instead of just making a site with some graphics and some content, they decided to create a story. This story line scrolls through horizontally and is very reminiscent of turning the pages in a book. Meanwhile, this is a very amusing and interactive site.

Blocklevel

No, this site isn’t explicitly scrolling from left to right. However, there is a strip that allows us to see content from left to right. It’s much like a hyperactive slider, that just makes sense, especially on one of beloved single page sites.

Hot Dot

Hot Dot is a web production company that claims it is extremely innovative. With such bold claims, you’d better hope they have a website that backs that up. Fortunately, they do. Now, we’re accustomed to the parallax scrolling sites that scroll down, but this time we get a parallax site that scrolls left to right. It’s as exciting, if not moreso, than its predecessor and makes for a very innovative look.

Rezo Zero Interactive

A huge part of web design and development is the user experience. It’s about creating an interesting place on the web that’s easy and fun for the visitor to utilize. Rezo Zero is one of those sites that has great effects, pays attention to details, has wonderful layout and so much more. Not to mention they do a great job of creating page navigation that moves linearly. 

Quest for the Perfect Pop

If you love black and white photography and story lines in web design, this is the site for you.  The Quest for the Perfect Pop is dedicated largely to the sound your beer makes when you pop it open. This site is an ode to that, creating a very interesting story line that will be available soon.

Nerval

Much like the site above, you get the opportunity to scroll through this work as if you are walking in a museum. Without the obvious graphics, this is a very clean and classy way to create this feel. You have absolutely nothing in your way to distract your view from the work besides the necessary. This is a great way to show how minimalism blends in with this technique.

Myspace

Some of us are old enough to remember “Myspace Tom” and the arguments we had with our friends about not having them in our top 8 or 16. Myspace has decided to make a comeback, but has decided to trash the pages with glitter and teddy bears falling from it and instead, we have a super clean and responsive design that scrolls from left to right. While other social networks are going up and down, Myspace is doing something different by creating a horizontal navigation.

Giellesse

Giellesse is a furniture design company with some super modern designs. Aside from their stunning collection of pieces, they’ve created a really beautiful web design that allows you to scroll from page to page horizontally. This feels a lot like swiping a page on a phone and would obviously translate well on mobile devices. This blends the old vertical page with a new navigational method.

Conclusion

Obviously, we are taught to keep things simple, but we are also told to create solutions to problems. As you can see, there is obviously a place on the web for horizontal sites. Whether you want to show something off or create a neat and fresh concept, moving from right to left, rather than up to down can be beneficial. How will you utilize this technique? 

Have you built a horizontal scrolling site? Do you prefer horizontal scrolling, vertical, or none at all? Let us know in the comments.

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