Thursday, June 28, 2007

Crowd Control: Stores Ramp Up Security for iPhone Release


Friday, thousands of people are expected to gather outside the nation's Apple stores, AT&T storefronts and shopping malls, waiting patiently for hours to buy an iPhone -- no more than two at a time.

At 6 p.m., after chatting with their neighbors on the snaking lines, customers will quietly, gratefully hand over their credit cards to pay for this year's most-anticipated gadget.

Yeah, right.

As the iPhone's release date nears, one thing is certain: Images of the new phone and the frenzy surrounding it are everywhere. So what will all that marketing, buzz and pent-up desire produce? If appropriate precautions aren't taken, experts said, a crowd control disaster.

"We hear about the nightmares," said Lou Palumbo, president and director of the Elite Agency LTD, a firm that handles security for ABC News in New York and the Golden Globe Awards. "Most of them are avoidable."

One such nightmare occurred when PlayStation3 was released to the nation in November 2006. People who camped outside of stores were mugged, at least one person was shot and some customers reportedly were trampled by crowds lunging for the gaming system.

According to Palumbo, the key to avoiding a similar situation with first-day iPhone-buyers is having a plan that exerts crowd control and prevents "bad behavior."

Unfortunately, when those plans aren't put into place, things can go wrong quickly, he said.

"It's not that complicated," Palumbo said. "Most people do these things by the seat of their pants and the end result is people get hurt, crimes are committed."

With all its stores carrying the iPhone, AT&T isn't taking any chances.

In addition to staffing an additional 2,000 sales employees to cope with crowds, the company has also taken security precautions.

"We have 1,800 retail stores around the country," Mark Siegel, AT&T's director of public relations said. "We have planned in great detail how to handle the influx of customers, including the need to work on security."

...see more detailed information here>


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Wednesday, June 27, 2007

WWE Superstar wrestler Chris Benoit and family found dead


Pro wrestler Chris Benoit strangled his wife and smothered his son before hanging himself in his weight room, a law enforcement official close to the investigation told The Associated Press Tuesday.

Authorities also said they are investigating whether steroids may have been a factor in the deaths of Benoit, his wife and their 7-year-old son who were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard said test results may not be back for weeks or even months.

Autopsies were scheduled Tuesday by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation in DeKalb County.

Benoit, 40, was discovered dead in his home in suburban Atlanta by Fayetville police yesterday – a day after he no-showed two scheduled matches in Texas over the weekend, including at World Wrestling Entertainment's Vengeance pay per view event in Houston Sunday night. He cited a family emergency as the reason for skipping the shows.

After friends in WWE received several "curious text messages" from Benoit, and WWE officials were unable to reach him, the sheriff's department in Peachtree City, GA went to Benoit's home to check on his family about 2:30 p.m.

After maneuvering through two German shepherds that guarded the home, police found Benoit, his wife and child dead in three separate rooms in the home, according to WAGA-TV. The Wrestling Observer newsletter reported that Fayette County police are operating under the theory that Benoit killed his wife on Saturday, son Daniel on Sunday, and then killed himself yesterday.

ABC News reported that authorities had found "the instruments of death" at Benoit's home – a mansion surrounded by stone walls with a gravel road leading to double iron gates.

MSNBC has reported that a police press conference disclosing preliminary autopsy results is expected to take place this afternoon.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the details of the incident may "prove a little bizarre" when they come out.

WWE.com reported that, "The three bodies have been received by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's crime lab, in Decatur, Ga., where autopsies will be performed Tuesday morning. Toxicology reports will not become available for at least two weeks."

WWE scrapped their schedule live, sold-out Monday Night RAW program in Corpus Cristy last night and sent fans home. In the show's place, WWE chairman Vince McMahon and the WWE announce team introduced a three-hour career retrospective that included several highlight's from Benoit's 22-year career, as well as emotional testimonials from fellow pro wrestlers.

McMahon reportedly broke the news around 4:30 p.m. yesterday to a locker room overcome with shock and grief. As news of authorities' suspicion that Benoit killed his wife and son came out, WWE scaled back their tribute to the former world champion on the WWE web site. The company is scheduled to hold its regular television tapings tonight.

Benoit, an Edmonton, Canada native, trained in Calgary and made his pro debut in 1985. He plied his trade in Japan for years before become a fixture on the American wrestling circuit in the mid-1990s. He joined WWE in 1999 and won the company's world heavyweight championship at Madison Square Garden at WrestleMania XX in 2004. He was widely expected to win the Extreme Championship Wrestling world title at Sunday's pay per view event.

Benoit became romantically involved with the then Nancy Sullivan, who worked as a pro wresting valet under the name "Woman," in the mid-1990's while she was married to another wrestler, Kevin Sullivan. The Pro Wrestling Torch newsletter said the marriage was known among wrestling circles to be volatile.

Benoit had two children from another relationship that were not in the home during the deaths.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.



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Tuesday, June 26, 2007

100 Blogs We Love


Chip Taylor - How big is the blogosphere? In April the blog search engine Technorati reported that it was tracking 70 million blogs, with 120,000 new ones arriving every day. In such a huge universe, the signal-to-noise ratio is bound to be daunting, but we'll share with you the ones we've found worthy.

In compiling our list, we realized that reasonable men and women may disagree on the definition of a blog. For example, we quickly discarded the notion that a blog must be the work of an individual: Some of the best, including--and we hope you'll agree--our own Today @ PC World, are the work of many people. But we all agreed that a good blog has at least some element of voice: The people who write it express an opinion in the words they write and the images they include.

Of course, lots of the blogs we read deal with technology. But hey, we have personal lives, too. We like the recipes at Slashfood, the animation at Cartoon Brew, even the adorably over-the-top photos at Cute Overload.

Know a gem of a blog that we missed? Let us know in the comments below. We're always ready to expand our reading.

Technology News

If you have the time to follow only a few technology blogs a day, these will generally give you the most bang for your click.

Slashdot: The granddaddy of the tech news blogs, and the virtual water cooler of the geek cognoscenti. To be "slashdotted"--that is, to be noticed by CmdrTaco, ScuttleMonkey, or one of the other regulars--is in some circles the Net equivalent of above-the-fold placement on the front page of the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.

Engadget and Gizmodo: The Bobbsey Twins of the techie gadget universe. If there's a cool new phone, PDA, game console, DVR, or other device brewing, you'll hear about it first from these guys. We only wish we had their inside sources.

TechCrunch: Founder Michael Arrington worked as a lawyer to tech startups and has started a few Web entities of his own. Thanks to those contacts, he often has news of an interesting new Web service before the rest of the world does.

Ars Journals: The blog arm of the venerable geek site Ars Technica offers an intriguing mix of news, opinion, and hands-on trials.

ReadWriteWeb: This site may not have TechCrunch's buzz, but it's at least as good a source for news on the latest Web 2.0 developments.

Scobleizer: Robert Scoble was Microsoft's most prominent blogger, putting a chubby, friendly face on the software giant, until he left a year ago. He remains relentlessly upbeat and personal as he covers technology happenings.


More Tech News

Epicenter: The new-and-improved Wired News produces this worthy blog with quick hits on tech-industry developments from Silicon Valley and elsewhere.

...see more detailed information here>


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Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Dell Hell: Computer Giant Faces Consumer Lawsuit

Consumers Allege They Didn't Get the Tech Support They Paid For

Dell is the No. 2 computer seller in the United States, but now some say the technology giant is ripping off its customers.

New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has filed a lawsuit against Dell, accusing the company of deceptive, fraudulent and illegal business practices.

"You can have aggressive marketing, and if you go too far it's consumer fraud," Cuomo said Tuesday. "In our opinion they went too far, and this is consumer fraud. They offered a product, a service that they didn't deliver."

Part of the suit claims that though Dell gave the impression of an "award-winning service" available to consumers "24 hours a day, seven days a week," consumers faced "nightmarish obstacles" to get help and technical service for their computers. Cuomo said New York had received 700 complaints about Dell -- more than the number of complaints for any other related subject.


Consumers in Dell Hell

Some Dell owners say when they sought help for their PCs, they endured a kind of Dell Hell.

Barbara Williams, a 67-year-old retiree who runs a crochet club from her computer, paid Dell for an "in-home" service plan that can cost up to $300. When her computer broke down, she called Dell thinking a technician would come to her home to fix it. Instead, the technician at the other end of the line told her to dissect her computer on her own.

"The guy told me to open my computer. And I said, 'For what?' He said, 'Well, you have to find the memory. I think it's a memory problem.' And I said, 'I don't know what memory looks like!,'" Williams said.

"He says, 'Well you have to troubleshoot.' I said, 'No I don't. I said I don't know what I'm looking at. I don't know what's wrong with this thing. I paid for in-home service.'"

Williams said she waited six weeks before a technician came to her home.

The suit also says Dell Financial Services enticed consumers with offers of "no interest" financing when in fact very few shoppers -- even those with good credit history -- actually qualified. And the suit says some people who thought they were getting zero percent financing ended up paying more than 20 percent. Over time, that can more than double the cost of a computer.

...see more detailed information here>

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Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Logo Design - 9 Keys to an Effective Logo



by Erin Ferree

The right logo, with the right characteristics, will boost your visibility, credibility and memorablity – which means more business for you!

These characteristics include:

1. Consistency in use of your logo, tagline, materials. Repetition of similar elements, used in the same or similar ways, helps people to remember who you are and what you do.

2. Memorability, so that your logo stays at the forefront of your potential clients' minds. That way, they'll think of you next time they have a need.

3. Meaningfulness, so that your logo can spread the message about the distinguishing characteristics of your business.

4. Uniqueness, which helps you stand out from the crowd. For example, if everyone in your industry uses a particular symbol (i.e., travel agencies often use globes in their logos), try to use something else – that way, your logo doesn't just look like everyone else's.

5. Professionalism, in the quality of the graphics, the printing and the paper on which your materials are printed.

6. Timelessness in your logo will ensure that you don't have to redesign your logo in just a few years and that your investment and equity in your design will be lasting.

7. Differentiation between the colors in your logo – and not just in terms of hue, but in terms of value as well, so that it translates well either to black and white or greyscale and colorblind people are able to see it.

8. Unity among the different elements in the logo. The logo must fit together as a single unit, and not just appear as a jumble of elements pasted together.

9. Scalability, so that your logo looks equally good on both a business card and on a sign for your business (or a billboard!), and at every size in between. Your business's name should be legible at different logo sizes – be sure that your designer chooses a font that is easily readable.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Apple's Tiger OS vs. Windows Vista OS - The Battle Begins...



When Windows Vista ships in late 2006, Windows will mimic many features of Apple's Tiger and go beyond it. But while Microsoft introduces the world to Vista, Apple is keeping mum about its next version of Mac OS X, which Steve Jobs has said will ship at about the same time as Vista. It is the Intel-ready Leopard, not Tiger, that will be Apple's answer to Windows Vista.

User Interface

With the first Vista beta, Microsoft seems to have taken many cues from Mac OS X with the user interface and features, right down to some of the terminology. Even some of Vista's icons are amazingly similar to those in Tiger. For instance, there's the interface names, Apple's Aqua and Microsoft's Aero. In Vista, "My Documents" and "My Computer" are now "Computer" and "Documents," as they are in Mac OS X. The search icon in the Vista beta is almost identical to Tiger's Spotlight icon, except that the magnifying glass turns the other way. Vista buttons and other interface details have a shiny bulbous look similar to those in Mac OS X.

The more-advanced Aero Glass option uses translucent window title bars, a handy feature of Mac OS X that Apple dropped with Panther, but is still used in the Dock. Vista does, however, have some nice touches that Tiger doesn't. Vista places previews of documents right on file icons. These are more sophisticated than the thumbnails that Photoshop creates, as they update as the file is changed. Tiger can display previews of graphic files, but not text-based files. Vista's folders display a representation of the type of files inside. Dialog boxes for saving files and other tasks use these thumbnails. Tiger does not have the ability to automatically display thumbnails on folder icons. The Vista icons and previews are scalable to different sizes and can scale up to 128 by 128 pixels.

File Management and Searching

Many of Vista's file management features will be familiar to Tiger users, but Vista goes further in file management techniques. Vista folder windows have a search-as-you-type search field, a feature that Mac OS X has had since Jaguar in 2002, but which became dramatically faster in Tiger with the Spotlight search engine. Spotlight also added the searching of the contents of various types of files and e-mail messages, as well as searching on metadata. Vista's search engine can do all of this as well, and lets you add metadata in Windows Explorer.

You can add metadata in Tiger, using the Spotlight field in the Get Info window, but Vista offers multiple fields for keywords, rating, project and others. Vista also borrows Tiger's Smart folders, calling them Virtual Folders. This feature automatically creates shortcut files based on criteria set by the user and places them in a folder. (Tiger's Smart Folder does this with aliases.) Vista adds the idea of stacks, where files that use a certain keyword are listed. When you add a file to the stack, the keyword is automatically added to the stack.

Vista will also have file management features that neither Tiger nor Windows XP has. A new backup system will record incremental changes to a file and copy them to a protected area. One of the useful features that Mac OS X has always had is that PDF is built into its core. PDF is used for displaying and printing files, and Mac OS X has the ability to turn any document created by any application into a PDF file. With Windows Vista, Microsoft will attempt to do the same, but not with PDF.

Vista will use a new universal format called Metro, based on XML, for viewing and printing files. The aim is consistency of documents on screen and in print.
This is something that Mac OS has always been superior to Windows, even before Mac OS X. It remains to be seen how successful Metro will be.

...see more detailed information here>

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Friday, May 11, 2007

Computer Spyware 101 , what's about it and what can we do?


What is spyware?

There is an ongoing debate and confusion about the definition of spyware. The term spyware has been used broadly and narrowly.

In its broader sense, spyware refers to a variety of potentially unwanted technologies. These technologies can be defined as,

Technologies implemented in ways that impair users' control over:

  • collection, use, and distribution of their personal information.
  • material changes that affect their desktop experience, privacy, or system security; or
  • use of their system resources

These are items that users will want to be informed about, and which they should be able to easily remove or disable.

In its narrower sense, spyware is a term for executable applications, deployed without adequate notice, consent, or control for the user that track and report the user's computer or the user's activities, including collecting and disclosing personal information.

What are the kinds of technologies that spyware might use, and what do these technologies do?

Technologies that spyware might use include:

  1. Tracking Technologies that monitor user behaviour or gather personal information about the user.
  2. Advertising Display Technologies that display advertising content.
  3. Remote Control Technologies that allow remote access or control of computer systems.
  4. Dialing Technologies that make calls or access services through a modem or Internet connection.
  5. System Modifying Technologies that modify system and change user's browser and desktop experience.
  6. Security Analysis Technologies used by a computer user to analyze or circumvent security protections.
  7. Automatic Download Technologies that download and install software without user interaction.

These technologies are valid and not considered spyware if all of the following three requirements are met: adequate notice, consent, and control. Currently, there is a debate as to what these three elements should entail. However, at the minimum, adequate notice should include notice written in a clear language that describes all the software that will be installed and their functions. Consent means that the user has assented to the notice, by clicking "I agree" to the notice or through some other affirmative action. Control means that the user can start, stop, or uninstall the software when the user pleases.

How does spyware typically get on my personal computer?

Different types of spyware get into your computer in different ways. These ways include,

  • Hackers placing spyware on your computer;
  • Drive-by downloads whereby you simply visit a website and spyware is downloaded without your consent and knowledge. The spyware is written into the site's code and thus, exploits known security holes.
  • Installing freeware/shareware, such as screen savers or games, that bundles spyware applications during installation of the main program.
  • Emails where there is an attachment to an email message, a hyperlink in an email message, or in the email communication itself if it is in HTML format; and
  • Clicking on a popup ad.

How can I tell if there is spyware on my computer?

...see more detailed information here>


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Wednesday, May 9, 2007

The True Beauty of CSS Design (cascading style sheet) in a Website

The Road to Enlightenment

Littering a dark and dreary road lay the past relics of browser-specific tags, incompatible DOMs, and broken CSS support.

Today, we must clear the mind of past practices. Web enlightenment has been achieved thanks to the tireless efforts of folk like the W3C, WaSP and the major browser creators.

The css Zen Garden invites you to relax and meditate on the important lessons of the masters. Begin to see with clarity. Learn to use the (yet to be) time-honored techniques in new and invigorating fashion. Become one with the web.


So What is This About?

There is clearly a need for CSS to be taken seriously by graphic artists. The Zen Garden aims to excite, inspire, and encourage participation. To begin, view some of the existing designs in the list. Clicking on any one will load the style sheet into this very page. The code remains the same, the only thing that has changed is the external .css file. Yes, really.

CSS allows complete and total control over the style of a hypertext document. The only way this can be illustrated in a way that gets people excited is by demonstrating what it can truly be, once the reins are placed in the hands of those able to create beauty from structure. To date, most examples of neat tricks and hacks have been demonstrated by structurists and coders. Designers have yet to make their mark. This needs to change.


Participation

Graphic artists only please. You are modifying this page, so strong CSS skills are necessary, but the example files are commented well enough that even CSS novices can use them as starting points. Please see the CSS Resource Guide for advanced tutorials and tips on working with CSS.

You may modify the style sheet in any way you wish, but not the HTML. This may seem daunting at first if you’ve never worked this way before, but follow the listed links to learn more, and use the sample files as a guide.

... find out more about it here>



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An Interview with Eric Jordan (www.2advanced.com - creator and founder): Courtesy of Digital Abstracts


This guy is my best idol in graphic design, heheh! , this link is kinda old but i wanna share to you guys this one that i have dig before. enjoy reading...


Interview with Eric Jordan (http://www.2advanced.com/)

Hello Eric. Just a short biography, please.
As president, founding partner and creative visionary behind the company, Eric Jordan utilizes his extensive background in motion graphics and cutting-edge new media technologies to give life to every engagement produced at 2Advanced Studios. Over the past four years, Eric has achieved significant acclaim for his studio's online presence and work portfolio which presently receives in excess of 40 million hits each month. Eric leads his team to build enriching solutions, both online and offline, using a wide range tools available: Macromedia Flash, Director, 3D Studio Max, After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sound Forge and a host of other products.

What is the current status of 2advanced? What are the current projects and goals? How many people there are?
Actively we have about 20 different client projects and 3-4 internal projects that we are currently working on. We'd love to name names, but our confidentiality practices are pretty tight here at the studio. We always want to be on the edge of interactivity, as we believe the convergence of new media technology is only going to continue. As such, we are rigorously exploring the areas of Video and 3D. As broadband continues to proliferate and high-speed access becomes the standard, we want to be right there with it offering solutions that leverage a full range of technology. We will always be focused on Design and Functional Back-ends, but have so many ideas and visions surrounding the creation of virtual worlds, complex interfaces, interactive applications and media enriched experiences.

The 2Advanced team of today is comprised of experts in a wide range of endeavors, including: Internet design, broadcast quality motion graphics, 3D design and illustration, sophisticated backend solutions, e-commerce and complex content managed systems. We currently stand 22 employees strong: 2 creative directors, 2 art directors, 5 dedicated Flash designers with HTML capabilities, 2 dedicated HTML builders, one 3D designer, 4 developers, 3 in business development and 3 in marketing and sales.

I think a lot of people would love to be in the 2advanced crew. Are you still hiring for new people?
We constantly keep our eyes open for people who fit our vision, for people taking risks and doing new things. We very rarely hire someone based on their resume. If someone has the talent, we can see it. It doesn’t take a college degree to get into 2Advanced, it takes desire and passion for what you do, and a good personality that will fit the team we are building.
Our designers are typically skilled in multiple areas. We look for an understanding of design principles, along with a versatility of approaches that can satisfy the various clientele we service. Also, we tend to look for individuals who have mastered Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and Dreamweaver, and who have specialized experience in either After Effects, Cinema 4D, 3D Studio Max, or Combustion.

Eric, what would you suggest to a newbie, who just start his career as a designer?
...see more of his interview here>


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Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Tips for Website Visibility

IS IT MONEY DOWN THE DRAIN?

You're done. The content is informative and presented logically. The design is oustanding and the user interface is truly functional. But you are getting no response from your web site. Perhaps you invested thousands of dollars into it; Is it money down the drain?

It could be if no one can find it, and with the search engines the way they are today, it's no wonder. You see, like everything else, greed has made its way into the web and with it came unscrupulous web designers who discovered ways to trick search engines into placing their sites on the top of specific searches. To combat those deceptive practices, search engines developed complex algorithms that filter out sites that don't match certain defined criteria. Unfortunately, they also filter out the good with the bad. And to add to the problem, every search engine has a different algorithm. Your site may place high on the list with Lycos but not even appear at all in AltaVista.


WHAT ARE YOU TO DO?

Give up and take what you get? You could do that. But there are ways around the problems. There are web sites devoted to revealing search engine secrets, as well as companies who claim to have mastered the search engine game and are in business solely to help you rate high. They even guarantee at least a top 100 listing. Some even claim they will get you into the top 20. Those services cost between $500 and $1000 but many times are worth the cost. In fact, we highly recommend that our clients employ a search engine optimization firm, and we have our favorite that we will point you to. If the cost of their services is prohibitive, you can try optimizing your site yourself. Here are a few tricks.


A FEW TRICKS TO TRY

1. Do a search on your key words in every search engine. Take note of which sites come on top and design your site accordingly.

2. Search engines return results based on the percentage of your keyword usage. Make sure the home page is weighted with your keywords and don't cram it with too much other text that will only dilute it, but do try to use 250 words on each page. Search engines like that. Make sure the title of your page contains the keywords.

3. Create different pages that are weighted with different keywords - not the same pages written slightly differently because that could get you banned - but different pages that will attract different keyword searches. For example, if you sell bath products, create one page weighted with keywords that you think your visitors will use to find your products. And if you sell hair care, create another page weighted with hair care keywords.

4. ... see more tricks here>



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Sunday, May 6, 2007

Creating and Putting Favicon.ico in your Website Address

Making your Icon - You have 2 options when drawing your icon. Either draw it in your normal image editor and then import it into an icon editor and save it as an icon; or you can create it from scratch in the icon editor. 16 pixels squared is a small area, so be sure to use the full space as efficiently as possible. Our favicon looks like this: . Would you remember that as being HTMLSource's icon?

The icon is also limited to a palette of 16 colours, all of which are web-safe. Take a look at the table on the right, that's what you have to work with. By design it can contain more, but to be safe stick with these.

You can add in bigger icons that will be used if a reader places a link to your site on their desktop, but just make sure that your 16x16 icon is the first in the file. Once you have your icons drawn, make sure you save the file as favicon.ico (lowercase).


Placing your Favicon - If you have your own domain name, www.myname.com, just put the favicon in the root directory of your site. That means the lowest level, not in any folder, in the same place as your homepage. Internet Explorer looks in that location by default, so no extra code is needed. If you have your site hosted by another company in one of their subdomains, like www.tripod.com/mysite, you should put it in your root directory anyway, but oftentimes that isn't enough. You need to add a line to your section on every page that might be bookmarked. It goes a little something like this:



That's the code I use to link to my favicon. The entire URL is not necessary, but it is foolproof in case something messes up. Using this code enables you to call the icon something other than favicon, although I really can't see a need to do that.



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Friday, May 4, 2007

Rammstein Band

Words About It - This is one of the greatest band i liked, eventhough their songs are in German Language, the rhythm and good music that they bring to the public and the whole world is the one that makes them stand out to the rest of the other bands that i have heard. Their music is one of my inspiration while i am designing, heheh! :) Hope you guys will like them as well.





Thursday, May 3, 2007

Ninjai: The Little Ninja

Words About It - Awesome work!!!, Ninjai is the story of young Ninjai who doesn't remember his own identity. It's a graphic and spiritual tale that keeps you on edge waiting for what will happen next in its storyboard.

The storyline is definitely amazing, what I find interesting on it is how you can watch the creativity and maturing of the artists behind it. The artwork is definitely superb :)


Check It Out Right Here.