Open positions

By Ben Blanquera, TechLife OhioNovember 30, 2010 at 06:31AM

Member News

Director of Information Technology Commercialization 

The TechColumbus Director of Information Technology Commercialization is responsible for the business development of TechColumbus client companies, including assessment, evaluation and organized assistance to Information Technology/Computer Science client companies, with emphasis on proactive advising and guidance resulting in company success and wealth creation. [Read More] 

Microsoft .Net Developer 

The Microsoft .NET Developer is responsible for the design, development and implementation of enterprise-class software applications within a dynamic team environment. The ideal candidate for this position will have a strong work ethic and the ability to take an active role in managing the time and delivery of assigned tasks and projects. Core Competencies: Analysis and Troubleshooting Ability to write complex query scripts against business and transactional databases [Read More] 

Web Engineer 

Rooty Hollow is seeking a skilled, self-motivated, innovative developer to work on projects of all sizes and complexity, for clients spanning the United States.  We have clients in New York and Los Angeles and everywhere in between, of international renown to the pride of the neighborhood. [Read More] 

Sales Representatives 

DataCenter.BZ, a Tier IV, carrier-neutral data center and regional provider of dark fiber is expanding its team of Sales Representatives in conjunction with the ground-breaking of a 35,000-square foot data center expansion. [Read More] 

Director of Marketing, Sales and Business Developmen 

DataCenter.BZ, a Tier IV, carrier-neutral data center and regional provider of dark fiber is hiring a Director of Marketing, Sales and Business Development in conjunction with the ground-breaking of a 35,000-square foot data center expansion. [Read More] 

Web Developer 

Manta is looking for a highly motivated Developer who wants to be a part of innovated, professional and dynamic application development team. The Web Developer will be responsible for maintaining production system, developing applications and adapting open source technologies. Manta is one the largest company information sites and the fastest growing business site on the Web, with more than 23 million visitors a month. [Read More]

Search Engineer (Algorithm Developer) 

Manta is looking for the motivated and smart people to customize Solr/Lucene based search engine. The Search Engineer will be responsible for building and maintaining of Search Engine and customizing of Tockenizer, TokenFilter, Analyzer, Query and implementation of recommendation engine (Collective Intelligence). Manta is one the largest company information sites and the fastest growing business site on the Web, with more than 13 million visitors a month. [Read More] 

Senior IT Recruiter 

Optimum Technology primarily serves the public sector industry by providing pre-built software solutions that solve the many challenges and problems government agencies face. We are looking for an additional senior staff member to help grow our company. The person selected must already have a network of resources to draw upon such as business contacts to find high quality, highly motivated candidates. We value the personal network over the job boards to find the best candidates. No contractors or H1B applicants please. This is a full-time position. [Read More] 

Senior .Net Developer 

Optimum Technology, Inc. an IT Consulting and Software development organization is looking to add an additional Senior .Net Developer to the internal team. This is NOT a contract or consulting position. But rather a full-time salaried internal development position working on our software product development teams. Technical aptitude and your knowledge of the various .Net Frameworks and your work ethic will be valued here. We are looking for those interested in making Optimum your home. We reward longevity with a stable and highly compensated pay structure based upon performance. [Read More] 

Team Lead — .Net Development 

Optimum Technology’s internal development team is looking to add an additional Team Lead to the staff. This person will work at the direction of the Director of Delivery and/or Director of IT Services to scope, quote, manage and deliver small software projects. Typical project durations will be from 90 to 180 days long. This person will lead and mentor junior staff and provide hands-on development expertise to each engagement he/she is responsible. This is an internal regular full-time job, salary plus performance bonuses and benefits. No contractors. [Read More] 

.Net Developer 

Requirements: Experience developing applications with .NET 3.0 framework or later Knowledge of object oriented concepts, patterns, and practices [Read More] 

Inside Technical Sales Manager 

INSIDE TECHNICAL SALES MANAGER Electronics Manufacturer Located in Westerville, OH (just north of Columbus), Lake Shore Cryotronics, Inc. is a global leader in the design and manufacture of: high performance sensors, instruments, probe stations and systems used for the measurement of cryogenic temperatures magnetic measurements and characterization tools to characterize electrical properties of materials [Read More] 

Java Architect 

Highly motivated, technically driven individual with 5+ years of development with the Java platform, and 2+ years’ experience designing applications on the Java platform. This individual must have sound programming background with a firm grasp of object oriented concepts and techniques. Also, expertise in designing and architecting large scale applications on the JEE platform using industry standard design patterns and best practices. [Read More] 

Technical Project Manager 

Job Functions include: Defines, drives and manages scope and objectives for highly complex technical projects Manages the analysis, design, development, testing, implementation and documentation of one or more projects in coordination with cross-functionality team members Establishes priorities and assigns tasks or deliverables as needed Manages project risks and issues and tracks action items to ensure projects are on track [Read More] 

.Net Architect 

A highly successful, fast growing company in the Columbus, OH area seeks a well versed .NET Architect resource to join their team. Individual must have experience leading teams of developers, working with business stake holders to define business requirements, and troubleshooting complex applications. This individual must be able to effectively apply technology solutions to business problems. To be immediately considered for this exceptional opportunity send your resume directly to this email.[Read More] 

Java Developer 

A highly successful, fast growing company in the Columbus, OH area seeks a well versed Java resource to join their team. This individual must have sound programming background with a firm grasp of object oriented concepts and techniques. An understanding of industry standard design patterns and best practices with the Java platform is desirable. To be immediately considered for this exceptional opportunity send your resume directly to this email. Your response will be held in strictest confidence. [Read More] 

Pay-Per-Click Analyst 

The PPC analyst will be primarily responsible for the success of client paid search campaigns.  The analyst will perform keyword research, competitive intelligence, and ongoing campaign management.  Members of the PPC team are also expected to collaborate with colleagues from the SEO/customer service departments to ensure client’s resources are intelligently allocated.[Read More] 

Senior JAVA Developer 

This position is responsible for gathering system requirements, developing accurate and efficient computer components, designing and testing component logic, coding components, and preparing them for computer operation. Please visit our website for more information. [Read More] 

Darth Spatula

By Jason Kottke, kottke.orgNovember 29, 2010 at 03:56PM

It’s real and it’s spectacular.

Darth Spatula

Whether the mission is baking cookies or flipping pancakes, young Padawan cooks will love using our official Star Wars spatula featuring the fearsome Darth Vader.

And that’s not all! Williams Sonoma sells all sorts of Star Wars-themed cooking gear:

Galactic Empire™ Cupcake Decorating Kit – “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, the Jedi Kitchen Council devised a powerful new way to spread fun through the galaxy. Jedi Master pastry chefs created this extraordinary collection of tools…”

Sandwich Cutters with Vintage-Style Tin – “Transform your Jedi’s favorite sandwiches into high-energy fuel for lunches, snacks and parties with Millennium Falcon™ and Darth Vader’s TIE fighter™ sandwich cutters. Created by the Jedi Kitchen Council to celebrate the Rebel Alliance’s victory over the evil Empire, these cutters are fun and easy to use — just press and cut.” [The “Vintage-Style Tin” is actually, how you say, a metal lunchbox.]

Pancake Molds – “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a Jedi Kitchen Master used the Force to create three pancake molds in honor of his favorite galactic hero and villains: Yoda, Darth Vader and a stormtrooper. Use these molds to add whimsy and fun to your next pancake breakfast.” [The Vader pancake looks a lot like Hannibal Lector in his mask.]

What, no Jar-Jar Binks Home Preserves Kit? (thx, meg)

Tags: cooking   food   Star Wars

Get Real, Useful Photography Critiques at 1x.com

By Nancy Messieh, MakeUseOfNovember 29, 2010 at 02:30PM

photography critiqueThere are a lot of photography communities that allow you to share your photographs, with a variety of interactions including comments, ratings and favourites. What many of these communities lack is any sort of serious critique. If you’re just looking for a place to share your snaps with your family and friends, that’s not a big deal. But what if you’re a budding, amateur or even professional photographer who is looking for a bit of feedback?

1x.com is a photography community meant only for those with a slightly thicker skin than the average hobbyist. The standard of photography shared on 1x.com is of a higher than average quality, and the best part is that you are critiqued by your peers who are there for the same reason as you – they want feedback on their work as well.


The basic membership allows you to upload one photo per week, which is just one of the reasons to be highly selective when it comes to uploading photos. You can also add photos to your favourites, and add other photographers to your watchlist.

photography critique

To sign up for a free account, provide your name, email, username and password, and you’ll get instant access to some of the most frank photography critiques in an online community.

photography critique questions

Before posting a photograph to receive a critique, you need to give a few critiques yourself. Click on the Critique tab at the top of the page, and you will find a series of photos that have received little or no critique at all. In order to submit your own photography, you have to have critiqued at least 3 pictures in the past 7 days. Only then can you submit your work to be critiqued.

Scrolling further down, you can see all photos that have been published to the critique panel.

photography criticism

Once you have completed your critiques, you can submit your own phtoographs. When submitting, you can provide additional information such as the date, location, and tags, and any comments or questions you want to share with the community.

photography criticism

What sets 1x.com apart from other photography communities is not only the extent of the critique alone. Another way in which it is different is that not all of your work will automatically be published. All of your photos go through a screening process where an editor will approve or reject the photo. Depending on the photograph itself the screening process can be very elaborate.

It will first go through screening by 1x.com assigned screeners, and they can approve or reject it, or if they are undecided, pass it on to member screening – where all 1x.com members get a say in what is published. An image has to receive 100 votes before member screening comes to an end, and then the final decision can be made to publish the image or not. The screening process may seem a little heavy handed to some, but at the same time, it really goes far to ensure the quality of photography on the site.

photography criticism

The critique section of photos is not to be confused with another section of the site. Clicking on the Photos tab at the top of the page will take you to the latest additions published by paying members. These photographs do not have to go through a screening process and you will find that the photographers are not expecting a critique, but rather 1x.com can serve as an online portfolio. These photos can be added to your favourites, whereas photos in the critique panel cannot.

photography critique

One of our least favourite features at 1x.com is the fact that photographers cannot delete their own individual photos that are submitted for critique, but rather have to ask a moderator to do so for you. On the other hand, you can delete your entire account, deleting with it your photos if you want, provided you have no intention of returning to the site.

That said, because 1x.com is a community of photographers, for photographers, there is a sensitivity in the way that critiques are approached, but that does not make them any less honest. So unless you want to hear what people really think of your photography, 1x.com is not the place for you.

If you’re interested in improving your photography skills and learn how to fully utilise your camera, check out Bakari’s PDF manual, The Essential Guide to Digital Photography.

Where do you go for honest critiques of your photography? Let us know in the comments.


Hey Facebookers, make sure to check out MakeUseOf page on Facebook. Over 24,000 fans already!


 

 

Similar MakeUseOf Articles

7 Online Magazines for Kids That Are Worth a Read

By Saikat Basu, MakeUseOfNovember 29, 2010 at 12:30PM

magazines for kidsOne would think that websites and blogs with their free for all and universal access are forcing traditional magazines to shut shop. But a look at the newsstand at the corner belies this belief. The doomsday for magazines is still distant.

That’s a relief because many of us started our world exploration with children’s magazines that introduced us to many of our sports and pop heroes. Not to mention, it did wonders for general knowledge.

Children’s magazines like their adult counterparts also have accompanying websites. A visitor who drops by won’t be able to distinguish between an online magazine and a website (or blog). Most of the online versions of the children’s magazines also publish the same content; partly if not all.


The online face of a children’s magazine might include interactive graphical content that’s not possible in print. So, it really helps if you can go over to the online magazine while flipping the pages of a printed one.

What’s your favorite online magazine for kids? Here are five that are worth a look and a read.

National Geographic Kids

magazines for kids

Parents, students, and teachers can take the help of this quality resource to learn about people, places, science, space, history, nature, and assorted fun activities. The children’s online magazine targets them in the age group of 8-14. Interactive content includes videos, games, photos, blogs, etc. This is one online magazine that parents and teachers will always recommend without hesitation.

TIME For Kids

online magazines for kids

TIME magazine for adults might be too serious a read. The version for kids isn’t but it does go deep with a lot of educational content and teaching resources that’s helpfully arranged around grades. The weekly classroom news magazine covers world affairs and aims to develop the reading and analyzing habit in kids. It’s not somber stuff as you can see what Harry Potter is doing in New York or download quizzes, worksheets and other learning resources.

Sports Illustrated for Kids

online magazines for kids

Reading up on sports is why most kids gravitate to magazines around the world. There’s something about those glossy images and center-spread posters. SIKids.com is updated daily with news, games, and interactive features. Not only photos, as an online magazine for kids, you get sports videos also. What’s cooler is the entire section titled – Build. Here you can make some of your dreams come true virtually, like design your own car or have a NBA matchup.

Discover Girls

on-line magazines for kids

Pre-teen girls need all the advice they can get on friendship and lifestyle. Discovery Girls covers it with advice, tips, little quizzes, There’s a regular section on Health & Beauty, a blog, and an advice section. There’s also fun stuff with downloads, giveaways, games, quizzes, and contests.

Weekly Reader

on-line magazines for kids

An offline and online magazine for elementary school students that features a lot of educational tools for teachers and students alike. The About Us page of the site that’s Weekly Reader is one of the oldest classroom magazines in the United States and its complete range of magazines are arranged around grades from Pre-K to grade 12. The online version also reflects some of the content (and more) that can be found in the print publication. You have news, articles, and downloadable classroom kits. Lot of the tools are interactive and based around nicely designed stories that makes learning fun. Some sections are open to only subscribers tough.

Highlights

on-line magazines for kids

Highlights.com brings out magazines for kids of ages 2-12. The publication group’s credo is to help children become their best selves. The online homepage of the magazine is more for merchandizing but it also gives you further websites to explore like Puzzlemaniakids.com and Highlightskids.com. Play free online puzzles, solve riddles, go creative with fun activities, and even learn a little about nature and science at these two sites. For instance, you can go into a story adventure (Goofus and Gallant) or create your own stories at The Timbertoes. Highlightsparents.com is another site for parents and parenting tips that worth a browse.

Popular Science

magazines for kids

One of the most ‘popular’ websites on science and invention doesn’t have a separate website dedicated to kids, but you can get to the articles that are tagged for the younger lot. And you can also search 138 years of Popular Science by using keywords like kids or children. It’s not as in-your-face as the other kids only magazine websites, but the sheer richness of the content is worth a hard search.

The online versions of children’s magazines may not be as rich in content as the real world versions, but they do bring a greater degree of interactivity. Also, you can easily get an idea of the content of past and present issues and use the hint to go and buy the printed magazine if you think your kid could do with it. More importantly, online children’s magazine gives you another valuable kid’s resource to mine for learning and fun.

What do you think of online children’s magazines? Do name your favorite.

Image credit: Shutterstock


Follow MakeUseOf on Twitter. Includes cool extras.


 

 

Similar MakeUseOf Articles

Change Two Settings to Speed Up Photoshop [Photoshop Tip]

By Kevin Purdy, LifehackerNovember 29, 2010 at 11:05AM

Change Two Settings to Speed Up PhotoshopJust because a setting is tucked away doesn’t mean it can’t make a big difference. Many Photoshop veterans, for instance, are discovering that cutting out Cache Levels and Image Previews can make the photo editing beast a bit more agile.

The tips, and illustrations, come from Make Photoshop Faster, one of those web sites that seems to have grabbed a great URL early on. The steps are simple and involve turning things down or off in Photoshop, and if you like the pretty background of the page, you can download that, too. Those with very specific Photoshop needs might actually need some of the functionality of multiple Cache Levels and having Image Previews enabled, but most people can just cull a bit more speed from their exclusion. Thanks for the tip, Nathan!

Bullet Photography At Home

By udijw, DIYPhotography.net -DIY Photography and Studio LightingNovember 29, 2010 at 09:31AM

Bullet Photography At HomeMost photographers have seen some of Dr. Harold Edgerton’s work like a bullet shooting through an apple or a bullet splitting a playing card. Back in the 1960’s when Edgerton was taking these types of photos it was quite revolutionary. To take these kinds of photographs Dr. Edgerton had to first invent the modern camera flash. Today duplicating these photos is feasible for just about any amateur photographer who is willing to spend a little time understanding some common high speed photography techniques and some money to buy some specialized equipment. However, the really exciting idea isn’t reproducing his iconic photographs, but having people take creative new high speed photos.

Bullet Photography At HomeBullet Photography At Home
© MIT 2010. Courtesyof MIT Museum

This article is going to show you how to use the Camera Axe and it’s projectile sensor to take some of your own amazing high speed photographs of objects being hit by bullets. At first it may seem that there are only a few objects to shoot, but once you start getting into this field of photography it seems like every trip to the grocery store, farmers market, dollar store, or yard sale becomes an expedition to find new targets.

read more

Pole-climbing bike lock hoists bikes beyond the reach of would-be thieves

By (author unknown), Gizmag Emerging Technology MagazineNovember 29, 2010 at 12:27AM

Pole-climbing bike lock

Bikes are an all-too-easy target for thieves and protecting your two-wheeled conveyance from their pilfering mitts is almost impossible. While chains and cables are the traditional choice for cyclists looking to make life just a little bit more difficult for would-be thieves, they are usually easily handled with a pair of bolt cutters – even if that results in a nice blast of permanent dye. The latest hard-core solution we’ve encountered is this innovative bike lock created by a group of German designers that literally puts your bike beyond the reach of thieves by carting it up a light pole…
Continue Reading Pole-climbing bike lock hoists bikes beyond the reach of would-be thieves

Tags:

Related Articles:

7 Free Useful eBooks That Every Blogger Should Read

By Nancy Messieh, MakeUseOfNovember 28, 2010 at 05:30PM

blogging ebooksI have never been one to read books or PDFs on my computer screen. Give me a paperback book, or a printed page, and I can get through it quickly, but sit me in front of a screen and I just can’t make myself read it. Now with the advent of eReaders like the Kindle, and tablets like the iPad, reading a book off a screen isn’t as hard as it used to be.

There is no end to the wealth of free eBooks available online today, from literature to books on social media, to teaching yourself how to use Linux. There is one topic, blogging, with countless eBooks available, both paid and free, and it just takes a little bit of digging to find some of the best ones out there. This list of 7 books is a good place to start, with advice for both beginners and advanced bloggers alike.

Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging

blogging ebooks

It may be a few years old, but the wealth of information contained in Chitika’s Deep Secrets of Successful Blogging makes it just as relevant a book today as when it was first posted on their site.

Featuring the words of wisdom of 30 prominent bloggers including Chris Pirillo and Darren Rowse amongst others, the free eBook contains encouragement, advice and guidelines for the aspiring blogger.

Get the free eBook here.

279 Days to Overnight Success

free blogging ebook

279 Days to Overnight Success by Chris Guillebeau is available for free download in PDF format from his website. Not only useful for bloggers, the free eBook is a must-read for any writer, artist or modern entrepreuner who wants to create an online presence for themselves.

Guillebeau uses his own journey to becoming a full-time writer as a guideline for others to follow.

The free PDF is available for download here.

If his style appeals to you, be sure to check out his earlier tile, A Brief Guide to World Domination available for download here.

Viral Copy

free blogging ebook

Viral Copy by Brian Clark of Copyblogger takes on a very straightforward approach and can truly be seen as an essential guidebook for any blogger to read.

From the art of writing headlines to link baiting to how to use humour in your writing, Clark leaves no stone unturned, on how to drive traffic to your blog. In fact, you can see him put his own advice to good use with the links used in the eBook, making it hard to read the book offline.

Viral Copy is available for downlaod here.

Make Money Online With John Chow dot Com

free blogging ebook

At first glance, Make Money Online by John Chow book probably sounds like one of those get-rich-quick scams but don’t be fooled. There is no hidden secret that will make you reach instantaneously. Instead, John Chow gives you an outline on how to drive traffic to your site, as well as giving specific recommendations on ad networks, and most importantly, how to monetize your blog. The book is best suited for beginners who are just getting started and don’t know much about how to make money in the blogging world.

While the book is available in paperback from Amazon, John Chow offers it as a free download on his site here.

Traffic Roots

blogging ebook

You’ll find that a lot eBooks about blogging focus on one specific topic – traffic. And rightly so, because without an audience to read what you’re writing – it all starts to feel futile. Traffic Roots by Jens Berget covers important topics like Search Engine Optimization, Email Marketing, Keyword Search and much more in over 130 pages of advice, tips and tricks.

Traffic roots is another ideal title for beginners, and may also contain some interesting tips for the slightly more advanced blogger. Download the PDF here.

Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization

blogging ebook

If your focus is to learn more about Search Engine Optimization, and need an introductory explanation, the Beginners Guide to Search Engine Optimization is a great place to start.

The guide covers the basic terms, explains how it all works, and tells you what you need to do to make use of these concepts on your own website.

There is no direct link to download the book, but rather can have it emailed to you by submitting your email here.

Viral Marketing

blogging ebooks

Getting people to your blog is not just about SEO and link building. You also have to know how to market yourself. Viral Marketing by David Meerman Scott has been available for a couple of years but is a good place to start to understand what viral marketing is and what it takes to get in on the game.

The title is available for download here, along with a few other interesting titles by Scott.

What eBooks for bloggers are on your virtual shelf? Let us know in the comments.

Image credit: Shutterstock


Do you like MakeUseOf articles? Don’t forget to share our articles with others! It’s really important to us.


 

 

Similar MakeUseOf Articles