Embrace Inclusivity and Expand Your Market Reach

It’s vital to recognize that approximately one billion people globally live with disabilities. By prioritizing website accessibility, you tap into a substantial market segment that is often overlooked. Implementing WCAG 2.1 guidelines on your website allows individuals with disabilities to navigate and engage with your content effortlessly. Not only does this demonstrate your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility, but it also opens doors to new audiences and potential customers. By offering an accessible online environment, you attract loyal customers who appreciate businesses that prioritize accessibility.

Improve User Experience and Boost Engagement

Website accessibility is not just about accommodating people with disabilities; it enhances the user experience for all visitors. Implementing accessibility features, such as clear navigation, descriptive headings, and alternative text for images, benefits everyone, including mobile users, individuals with slower internet connections, and non-native speakers. By optimizing your website for diverse users, you create a positive user experience that encourages engagement, drives conversions, and enhances customer satisfaction. This, in turn, leads to increased sales and revenue.

“We’re just about at the point where we’re going to be automatically including accessibility coding on all our quoted projects,” says Tom Hanberg, CEO of Skyhound Internet.  “Just like we did with a website becoming mobile friendly — a complete necessity now —  accessibility standards are the next logical step for a better user experience.”

Mitigate Legal Risks and Claim Potential Tax Refunds

Ensuring your website complies with accessibility standards protects your business from potential lawsuits and legal actions. Various countries, including the United States, have established regulations requiring businesses to make their websites accessible.  And companies are starting to face legal challenges in certain markets. The good news is that by investing in WCAG 2.1 compliance, you can potentially claim tax refunds. In some jurisdictions, expenses related to accessibility improvements may qualify for tax deductions or credits of up to $5,000 for coding fees.  By consulting with a tax professional or researching local regulations, you can uncover opportunities to recoup a portion of your accessibility investment through these tax refunds.

Enhance Search Engine Visibility and Increase Traffic 

Search engines, such as Google, value website accessibility when determining search rankings. WCAG 2.1 compliance closely aligns with search engine optimization (SEO) best practices, emphasizing clear content structure, logical headings, and descriptive link text. By implementing accessibility features, you improve the readability and crawlability of your website, making it easier for search engines to index your content accurately. This increased visibility in search results drives organic traffic to your website, amplifies your online presence, and boosts your chances of converting visitors into customers.

Strengthen Brand Reputation and Social Impact 

In an era of conscious consumerism, customers actively seek businesses that align with their values. By prioritizing website accessibility and meeting WCAG 2.1 standards, you showcase your brand’s commitment to social responsibility and inclusivity. This resonates with customers, builds trust, and enhances your brand reputation. Positive online reviews and word-of-mouth marketing from satisfied customers further amplify your image, attracting more customers who value businesses that prioritize accessibility.

How To Get Started

If you’re website is already built, Skyhound has tools that can help determine how accessible the content currently is through an audit process.  This audit is provided free of charge to all clients.   Once the audit is completed, our team will determine just what’s needed to make your site WCAG 2.1 compliant. While there are some companies offering shortcut widgets to “do the job in minutes”, many of these cases are not being held up in legal proceedings. Skyhound typically tackles the issues straight from the coding side.  We fix the problems in HTML code to bring you up to compliance.  This practice is the best way to handle website code, and is not just a ‘band-aid’ on top of non-compliant code.  After passing an audit, accessibility widgets can be added for free or little cost to complete the process and for peace of mind moving forward.  Typically your website should be checked annually to monitor any issues that may have come up with your site or WCAG standards.

Conclusion

Website accessibility, WCAG 2.1 compliance, and the opportunity for tax refunds should be at the forefront of every business owner’s mind. By prioritizing inclusivity, you unlock new market potential, improve user experience, mitigate legal risks, enhance search engine visibility, and strengthen your brand reputation. Additionally, exploring tax refund opportunities allows you to recoup a portion of your accessibility investment. Embrace website accessibility today and position your business as a leader in your field.

For a no cost consultation, call us at 562-308-1483 or submit a contact request here.

The post Harness the Power of Website Accessibility for Business Growth appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

Trying to learn how to create a website isn’t easy. It takes a lot of planning,  skills, and problem-solving abilities to craft a stunning website that can bring a client results.  Skyhound is committed to offering our expertise to your company so that you can grow your online presence. 

At Skyhound Internet, we create stellar websites that meet the challenge of your business or industry. We believe that your website is important in establishing a great first impression to your prospective customers. We strive to create websites that don’t just look great, they perform. Because it’s all about results.   Since 1998, Skyhound has been leading in California’s web development space, while also building a great reputation nationally.

You don’t have to take our word for it though.  Skyhound participates in case studies through Clutch.  Clutch is highly respected within the B2B space for connecting small, mid-market, and enterprise businesses with service providers that fit their needs.

An analyst from Clutch personally interviewed a Skyhound client, the IT director of a Los Angeles based acting organization. The review was published in September of last year and it discusses the custom website project in detail. 

Our team incorporated several features that helped the client boost their productivity and improve their operation’s efficiency. The project allowed the client to focus on their business by streamlining their busy work into web based features their customers loved. 

When the Clutch analyst asked what was the most impressive aspect of the Skyhound team the client responded:

“I would say their responsiveness is their most impressive trait. They stay on top of things and get back to you extremely quickly. Our deadlines have always been met, and they’ve been great about explaining things to us as well.” 

— IT Director, Acting Organization

You’ll find similar comments from the wealth of other reviews and case studies on Clutch.  Skyhound Internet strives to deliver the best website projects to help our clients achieve success. We can’t wait to add additional reviews from our past and current client base. If you’ve worked with Skyhound Internet, we’d love to have your review featured on our Clutch profile.

Los Angeles’ Best

Aside from our reviews from Clutch, we also have other ways to show how effective we are as a service provider. Just recently, Skyhound Internet was recognized by the Manifest as one of the top 70 WordPress development companies in Los Angeles.

The Manifest is a B2B news website that aims to provide comprehensive business wisdom through their agency shortlists, how-to-guides, and data-driven content.

The Manifest’s recognition means a lot to us. We are thankful to the platform for highlighting our work and our projects. Our team is grateful for both Clutch and The Manifest in helping spread the word of our dedication to quality and responsiveness to our clients. 

Want to bring your dream website to a reality? Get in touch with us. We’d love to hear from you.

The post Web Development 101 with Skyhound Internet appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

LA PALMA, CA—May 11, 2020 – Skyhound Internet, experts in problem solving website development tools, today announced the launch of their new service to help animal hospitals using curbside services.

My Vet Services solves real-world problems where animal hospitals are using the parking lot as the waiting room due to the public health crisis. “Animal hospitals weren’t designed for clients waiting in their cars,” said Tom Hanberg, CEO at Skyhound Internet. “We’ve used technology to help an industry facilitate client visits without having to change any existing software.”

My Vet Services lets clients that arrive at an animal hospital scan a QR code or simply type in a web address and perform a mobile check-in.   Currently clinics are relying on clients to check-in via phone, which leads to busy phone lines, unanswered calls, and staff busywork.

Clinics have a dashboard with a simple listing of who’s waiting and what they’re waiting for. Built-in messaging allows the clinic and client to communicate during the visit. Clients can even keep track of their place in line while waiting. “These services are essential during COVID-19 and will be loved by pet parents when the world gets back to normal,” said Sally Frankel, Customer Service Director for Skyhound.

My Vet Services requires no app to download and offers:

• Mobile Check-in
• Client – Clinic messaging
• Send online estimate and payment links
• Online prescription refill requests
• Clients can monitor their place in line

The service is uniquely valuable for veterinary clinics during coronavirus, but has a host of essential features post-pandemic including the ability to check-in from home for clinics offering walk-in services. New features will be rolled out in the coming months. Interested animal hospitals can sign up and get relief in just a few days.

For more information, visit https://www.myvetservices.com/clinic.

About Skyhound Internet

Skyhound Internet has been providing clients with creative and innovative website design, custom web development, and e-commerce solutions since 1998. As huge animal lovers, creating a service to help our dog and cat protectors was a no brainer.

Media Contact

Tom Hanberg

webservices@skyhound.net

562.308.1483

The post Skyhound launches new service to help animal hospitals during COVID-19 appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

Please see our video statement from Tom Hanberg on the current public health crisis.

Skyhound Internet COVID-19 Statement from Tom Hanberg on Vimeo.

Text of statement:

Hi it’s Tom with Skyhound Internet. I wanted to reach out to our clients and colleagues and friends in wish them good health and safety during this public health crisis.   To our clients, I just wanted you to know we’ve now transitioned over to a full work from home situation, so our team is here and ready to work.

Now none of us knows ho long this COVID-19 situation is going to last, but one thing I do know–we’ll come out stronger on the other side.  I know this just from history and through my own personal faith.  I also want to invite our existing clients or any new businesses looking for website design and development to contact us, to learn more about how we can help you take your business to the next level.

We’re happy to work with you and setup online meetings and calls to discuss your marketing needs, provide you with estimates and start developing e-commerce or other website development sites.  Now, there are some perks from working from home.  I get to spend more time with these guys.

Give us a call at 562-308-1483 or visit us online at skyhoundinternet.com.

Thank you, and be safe out there.

The post Skyhound Internet COVID-19 Statement appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

It’s routine for me. Fall ushers in the holidays. It starts with Thanksgiving. Then Christmas. And then the New Year. And then comes CES. Yeah, CES is like a holiday all of its own to this tech geek. I’ve always been an early adopter of new tech so it’s no surprise I ended up in a technology field or that I holiday-ize (my word) the Consumer Electronics Show.

For those not familiar, CES is arguably the world’s largest technology show, boasting over 4400 exhibitors spread across almost 3 million net square feet of exhibit space. With about 175,000 attendees (Las Vegas only has roughly 150,000 hotel rooms) from all over the globe it’s fair to say CES takes over Vegas for nearly a week every January.

Over the 10 years I’ve been attending the show, I’ve seen successes like the birth of Alexa to the failure of 3D TV’s. Fresh with a new pair of Nike Air walking shoes, I headed out in search of what was new and noteworthy in the decade of 2020. 

DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY       

To be honest, not much has changed in the last year for TV tech. But the show had no shortage of absolutely incredible displays. Bigger, brighter, and more pixels from companies like Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio and others. While most of America hasn’t even purchased their first 4K TV yet, the show’s vendors were primarily highlighting their 8K lineups. For the mathematically challenged, that’s double the number of pixels that those pesky old 4K TV’s have.

If you’re not familiar, just think the higher the “k”, the more pixels, hence, a clearer picture. As always with new technology, finding 8K content is rare, so you can hold off on any expensive 8K TV purchase right now.   I’m going to go out on a limb here and say CES 2021 will likely start showcasing 16k TV’s too.   So what does all this mean? Can you ever buy a TV and not feel like it’s outdated as soon as you hang it on the wall?  Last year I made a somewhat controversial claim that to the human eye you really can’t tell much difference between 4K and 8K for general TV viewing. I stand by this, but I’ll add one footnote. The only exception to this seems to be the larger you make the screen. But since most average households probably max out at 55″ or maybe even 65 inch TV, you would have a hard time telling the difference.  In short, if you just bought or plan to buy a 4K TV don’t worry, you’re still good.

LG Electronics always shines as the first booth you immerse yourself in entering central hall. And I truly mean immerse. For 2020 LG had an incredible OLED TV wave display. It’s made up of 200 TV’s, a mixture of concave, convex and flat screens with some of the most stunning visuals you’ll see. Their display was 20 feet high and 82 feet across with a couple mirrors thrown in for good measure. This is nothing you’ll be seeing in stores, it’s clearly for the WOW factor that it certainly achieves. 

Another trend gaining more traction this year are televisions designed to blend in.  That is, when you’re not watching them they look like a fancy painting .  When in art mode you can barely tell it’s a TV because it’s so miraculously thin like this LG GX Gallery Series 4K TV set. 

 

 

 

Samsung also created a new TV that no one really asked for. Well, maybe if you want to watch those iPhone videos of your pets or kids when you forgot to turn the camera to landscape mode.   You see, the Samsung Sero can actually rotate itself into portrait mode for those annoying videos where you usually see black bars on the side.

There are far too many worthy displays at CES to mention in this post, including improvements to LG’s rollable TV I featured last year, and the mammoth Samsung 292 inch micro LED bevel free  TV aptly called The Wall.  It’s modular so you can make all kinds of sizes. 

You can actually buy a version of it today online for $20,000.  Check out the video below and don’t be fooled– the whole thing you’re seeing is the TV!

VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY

The North Hall of the Las Vegas convention center is filled with all the automotive tech.  Just like last year, there’s a big push from automotive and electronics companies to make connected self driving cars we’ll all take in the future.  This LG car offers a truly unique experience for any destination.   Even Sony had their own car this year.  It’s just a one off prototype vehicle that demonstrates all the different technologies Sony is involved in, which is a lot, but regardless it’s surreal to see a vehicle branded as the same as my stereo receiver.  

Other companies focused on the simpler things. Like improving age old ideas like a sun visor.  Bosch’s Virtual Sun Visor only blocks the light focused at your eyes and offers transparency for the rest of the visor.  I love this idea, and it’s nice to see something like a car visor which has been around since the 1920’s get a technology upgrade. 

Mercedes made a big splash this year with their Avatar movie car tie in.  It’s pretty insane and interesting at the same time.  The Mercedes Vision AVTR is, of course, a concept car so don’t expect it at your dealer anytime soon. The car has spherical wheels that can allow the car to move sideways–yes– sideways, and even diagonal.    It also has scales. 

So a lot of the cars at CES are so prototype that you’ll likely never see them in production.  So let’s talk about two that you will. The Mustang and the Byton — two vehicles I’m interested in.

Ford did an impressive job with their booth showcasing the upcoming Ford Mustang Mach E.  Yes, there’s loads of controversy over an SUV with the name Mustang, but this 2021 all electric ‘stang has a model that can go from 0-60 in 3 seconds and will have over the air updates for future self driving options. It also boasts the latest version of Ford Sync version 4A.  Check out the impressive booth display with the sideways mounted Mach E , or if you want to learn more about the Mustang I’ve linked the LA Auto Show presentation I recorded here.     

I would be remiss to not mention the Byton M-BYTE, the electric SUV which I have had my eye on  every year since they debuted at CES 2018.  This electric SUV features a massive 48″ high resolution shared experience display along with high tech enhancements like facial recognition and gesture control.   

This Chinese startup company has some big names behind them and they hope to have the M-BYTE available in the states in 2021. They’re  planning some unique retail marketing plans, including a LA showroom in the near future.  I’ve already reserved mine (no charge or obligation) on the Byton website.  If you want to see a glimpse at the near future of vehicle technology that really will happen (as opposed to something as cool as the sidewinding Avatar vehicle), check out this SUV. 

And lastly I want to mention that vehicle technology was not limited to asphalt again this year.  Hyundai and Uber showed off their flying taxi that’s supposedly ready to hit the skies in 2023. Bell Nexus once again featured their air taxi which is set to carry passengers around the skies in 2025.  Not sure what these future vehicles remind you of, but all I have to say is: “Jane! Stop this crazy thing!”

5G UPDATE

I covered a lot about the incoming 5G domination last year.  Things are chugging along for 5G with some mobile phones capable of the faster data rates available today. 5G Internet is starting to be marketed nationwide.  Companies like AT&T are already adding misleading “5G” labels on their phones.  But if you remember, 5G is much more than faster downloads.  It’s the technology that will usher in self-driving vehicles and power our smart or connected cities.  The best demonstration I received of how 5G will impact our lives this year was at the Samsung booth. They called it 5G and Vehicle to Everything and my colleague Russ participated in a demonstration that I recorded below. 

With 5G technology, everything is tracked and reported. Vehicle to vehicle.  Vehicle to pedestrian. Vehicle to infrastructure, etc. Picture the example that you are in your car stopped at a cross walk.  The countdown timer for walking pedestrians counts down from 30 seconds.  One of the people crossing the street drops their phone in the crosswalk.  This event is sent to vehicles and the traffic signal, which maintains the red light and restarts the crosswalk timer.  That’s right–a dropped phone is controlling a crosswalk timer! That’s how hyper local 5G can be.  It’s going to be millions of devices all talking to each other at high speeds with low latency connections that will allow for this massive coordination for safety and convenience. I feel that 5G will change our future.

ROBOTICS

Here’s a field that is constantly evolving.  I don’t know how many science fiction movies have warned us about the future of robot overloads but we keep building them anyway.  There was a high presence of both companion robots and workplace robots this year. 

LG is betting big on their robot line called “CLOi”.  The CLOi CoBot Barista robot makes coffee. The LG CLOi GuideBot brings food to your table.  And yes, the waiter is also essentially eliminated in this scenario as you have a tiny CLOi bot at your table to take your order.  In the below demo you see a server handing you your food but how long will it be until the robots just tell you to take your food from the tray? 

And finally, I guess I have to talk about the Ball. Samsung’s BB8 inspired robot ball that rolls around your house and makes your life better. Check out their promotional video below. 

OTHER TECH

ARTIFICIAL HUMANS?

From the minds of Star Labs (gotta love the Flash reference) NEON debuted their artificial humans at CES 2020.  These avatars can converse and sympathize like real human beings. Their  presentations were so packed it was difficult to figure out just exactly what these things were.  But after some research I’ve determined they’re a grown up version of the Microsoft paperclip assistant.   Only you get these virtual beings as life-sized avatars in your home or business that can truly interact.

Star Labs says these NEONS can be your next financial advisor, a hotel receptionist, or just your friend.  The company has only been working on these for around four months, so many of their demos were littered with bugs.  They next hope to introduce AI and machine learning, emotions, and memory abilities to NEON.  But it’s important to know they’re not going for the all-knowing Siri or Alexa assistants where you can ask them virtually anything.  They’re reportedly being designed to “converse and sympathize like real people in order to act as hyper lifelike companions.”  They have no body– yet.  But they live in a life sized screen in your wall.  I didn’t try it, but I assumed they would probably get upset if I tapped on the glass. 

HIGHEST TECH SECURITY SYSTEM

One of the things I like to see in technology is when creative people take existing technology and piece it together with other technology to make a viable product. 

I found a real winner in that respect which is a security product by Sunflower Labs.  Their Autonomous Security Drones are meant to protect your property. Basically it works like this — your yard has 1 or more AI-powered activity sensors which sense motion.  If it’s out of the ordinary, out pops a fully autonomous drone that navigates safely to observe activity on your property and report back to you via their app.  It makes RING video doorbells seem like the  door knocker. 

I joked with the representative and asked them if they were equipped to shoot lasers at any suspicious targets.  It appears adding lasers has been a joke at the company since inception.  But for now the off the record talk was just about using laser pointers. 

Come to think of it, that just might do the fright trick itself. 

“FROM THE MOST DISTURBING” FILE…

A startup company called VIVOKEY had a tiny quiet table amongst neighboring tech.  But what was on their table caught my eye. 

A syringe looking device designed to add an implant under the skin.  Not for your dog or cat.  For you! Vivokey’s marketing offers you to replace keys, cards, badges, and passwords with a secure chip implant and they say it can give you easy access with just a wave of your hand.  

The representative at the table saw my wide-eyed expression as I learned we’re literally chipping humans now.  He proudly showed me his implant marking on his hand.  Now don’t get me wrong, I hate remembering passwords, PIN codes, door lock codes, etc., but there’s something a little disconcerting about actually having a cryptobionic implant under my skin.  Health, security issues and end of days just to name a few.

These NFC implant chips are said to be able to allow you access to doors, log you into Netflix, give you access to public transit, and would at some point authenticate you at an ATM. That all sounds good.  Until I look and see a chip under my skin. Maybe I’m just too old (and wise) for this.  I’m sure there’s a long list of Gen Z’ers that will line up for this.   I applaud their effort, but I’m going to pass. 

RIDICULIST

In CES holiday tradition, I feel obligated to once again end my coverage with the ridiculist.  There were quite a few contenders for the list this year.  And surprisingly two on the list come from Proctor and Gamble’s entry into technology.  

SmellSense is a sensor that sits in your bathroom and notifies you when the bathroom smells like, well, poop.  There’s some sophisticated science behind this I’m sure but I’m uncomfortable even typing about this much as less having that app on my phone.

Their second product on the list is called GOLAB, and it’s for all those times you’re on the toilet and you realize you have no toilet paper.  Yep, summon the Charmin bear looking robot with a roll of toilet paper on its head to the rescue.  If there’s no stairs involved, and your dog doesn’t attack the rolling misfit toy, maybe it will deliver you from this awkward situation we’ve probably all experienced at one time or another. 

Note to Charmin and Proctor and Gamble. Stick with what you know. Laundry detergent, diapers, and shampoo. You’re great at these things. But please leave the TP robots and smell detectors to…well, no one. 

 CES Coverage by Tom Hanberg  | Skyhound Internet www.skyhoundinternet.com

View CES coverage from 2019

View CES coverage from 2018

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The post Technology Update 2020: The CES Show Highlights appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

Congratulations to Sydney Shingle of Lindenhurst, IL who won our first scholarship after submitting her application and 1000-word essay on the importance and benefits of including professional videos on websites.

Sydney is a 19-year old student who is attending Columbia College in Chicago, IL as a junior studying Filmmaking and Video Production.

An excerpt from Sydney’s Essay below indicates her understanding of the importance of including video on a website.

   Video in The Modern Media Environment
In the current age of the internet, technological capabilities as significant as the inclusion of video are vital to attracting and engaging viewers in the exponentially fast progression of online activity. With the accelerating rise in popularity of video use across platforms, it is clear to see that this trend is not likely to slow down. There are countless advantages of incorporating this medium into any user’s online activity, and businesses and companies would especially benefit from taking advantage of this technology. Whether to advertise its products and services on a website, to inform the customer about a company’s background and goals, or to present consumers with helpful ideas, using video media on any website will undoubtedly boost the overall image of the company as well as pique interest in any type of consumer.

 

While having a well constructed website could do wonders for any company, including a variety of media such as video on the site could dramatically add to polished construction. Embedding this different type of medium shows the user that the business is able to diversify the way it presents information and that it cares about how the customer interacts with its website — this displays thoughtfulness and professionalism in favor of the company, and would contribute to a well-polished appearance on any website. This also shows the customer that the business cares about the user interface by making the information as comprehensive as possible. This professionalism and careful thought are often noticed by customers, as the use of video displays that the company is up-to-date on modern media trends and that it seeks to maximize the user’s experience.

 

In addition to displaying the company’s capabilities and professionalism, the use of video in a website allows information to be relayed in a way unlike any other form of medium. Rather than having a customer or user scroll through paragraphs of plain text, integrating other media such as video significantly piques their interest and allows a more enjoyable experience overall. Video is such a unique medium because when compared to photographs, illustrations, and text, it is by far the most immersive experience. Reading written text can feel distant to the user. However by using video, the company can most directly communicate with the viewer through a unique combination of both visual and auditory information….

With the high cost of education today, we’re hoping the $500 scholarship can help Sydney pay for a few books and late night pizza cravings.

Skyhound received nearly 100 entries for the 2019-2020 school year. We wish the best to Sydney in her pursuit of her degree in Filmmaking and Video production.

Scholarship information for the 2020-2021 year will be posted as soon as it’s available. Details on the 2019 scholarship can be found here.

The post Skyhound Announces 2019 Scholarship Award Winner appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

Websites are often a customer’s first impression for your business, so yours needs to be top-notch. Skyhound specializes not only in web development & design, but also in crafting a lasting first impression for our client’s brand. We create websites that not only looks good— it performs. Add to this our experience in video production, and you have a team of professionals ready to assist you with all of your online marketing.   Recently our work has lead to online review website Clutch listing us as one of the top web designers in Los Angeles.

Nestled in the heart of Washington, D.C., Clutch is a B2B ratings and review firm which connects tech companies to clients to create the perfect match. Clutch does this by ranking and scoring each company based on market performance, work experience, client reviews, and accomplishments. The scores come from personalized interviews between Clutch analysts and tech company’s previous customers. These personal interviews are vital to create genuine and unbiased client reviews. After speaking with our clients, Clutch has given us a score of 4.9 stars. Below are some client comments taken from some reviews that prove our quality of service:

“After meeting with Skyhound, we knew we had found our vendor. Not only were they very approachable and communicative, but they also didn’t hesitate to go out of their way to extend great ideas for consideration.” – Owner, Parent Information Website

 

“They were committed to bringing our ideas to life. They provided their feedback and made recommendations, but they didn’t push us for a design that was different from what we wanted.” – Senior Editor, Business Journal Publication

Tom Hanberg, CEO of Skyhound recognizes the power of review websites. “Our clients really appreciate the in-depth honest reviews offered by Clutch. These reviews give them a sense of our business ethics and our client satisfaction,” Hanberg stated.

Moreover, Clutch has two sister sites which have honored our accomplishments as a web design & development firm. The Manifest specializes in business tips, summaries, and news with a more quantitative results approach; Visual Objects stores and displays portfolios of creative and visual design firm to showcase real results for viewing. The Manifest has posted our hard earned results and listed Skyhound Internet as one of the top 15 web developers in Los Angeles. Visual Objects has also posted our previous projects and portfolio items.

You can read the Skyhound Internet Clutch profile here. At Skyhound Internet we’re excited to continue working on new projects and meeting great clients. Stop by our website today to learn what we can design next for you.

The post Skyhound Internet Recognized as Top Web Designer appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

We love repeat clients.  Loyal companies that continue to use the services of Skyhound Internet over the years are truly the ultimate compliment.

Back in 2003 Skyhound created our first website for the Long Beach Business Journal, a biweekly newsmagazine serving the Long Beach area.  Through the years the business journal has remained a client of ours for web hosting and design services, but around 2014 they were lured over to a “free website” platform called Wix.

When discussions about bringing back our team came to fruition the end of 2018, we once again were reminded of the limitations that free website builders impose on clients.   The Business Journal had outgrown what their current website was offering.

“Limited free and low cost web builders often look attractive to clients at first, but once implemented, these cookie-cutter solutions really limit your potential,” says Tom Hanberg, CEO of Skyhound Internet.  “These companies have limiting features you’d never expect, such as how many searches can be performed on your site on a monthly basis.”

Skyhound was very pleased to update the look and functionality of the popular business journal publication. “They were committed to bringing our ideas to life,” Samantha Mehlinger, Editor of the Journal explained.  “They provided their feedback and made recommendations, but they didn’t push us for a design that was different from what we wanted.”

The website offers a look at the top stories and includes their popular features like Millennial Pulse and Portside, a feature devoted to the port of Long Beach. The mobile friendly website recently launched and not only features news stories and social media tie-ins, but is also being used as a platform to launch the business journals new Podcast feature.

BUSINESS JOURNAL ARCHIVES

“Preserving past editions and archives of previous business journal articles was a big part of our task,” recalls Hanberg.  “There was a lot of good reporting we wanted to still make available.”  The website has archives going back to 2015 and uses powerful keyword searching technology for easy recall of past articles.  In addition, the new site has no limitations on searches found on their old site or by free website builders.

Google indexing was also improved over their previous platform, and the Journal is on their way to better search positioning.  “The new website looks more attractive and professional than our old site.  All the feedback has been very positive,” says Mehlinger.

Check out the Long Beach Business Journal online at https://www.lbbj.com

About Skyhound Internet

Skyhound Internet has been offering high quality, creative and innovative website design and web development solutions since 1998. Located in Orange County, California, their team includes experts in web design, web application programming and video production.  Skyhound creates website projects that do more than just look good. They perform. On the web at http://www.skyhoundinternet.com.

The post Skyhound Completes New Client Website for Long Beach Business Journal appeared first on Skyhound Internet.

In 1986,  pop music group Timbuk3 released a song The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades.  The message behind the bouncy pop tune was widely misinterpreted from the songwriter’s intention of the fear of a nuclear holocaust, to a positive perspective on our up and coming future.

As I walked throughout the halls of the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas last week I too had that positive outlook and couldn’t help to rid my mind of the catchy tune.

For me, CES is a happy place.  It reminds every attendee of the positive innovations that lie ahead. Some are here now.   It gives us hope that the idealized view of humanity Gene Roddenberry created just might happen one day.

This year’s massive technology show showcased more than 4,500 exhibitors, took up more than 2.9 million net square feet, and was attended by more than 188,000 industry professionals.  These numbers alone are staggering, but it’s what’s found in the crowded halls and rows throughout the shows 3 locations that’s really worth discussing.

Let’s take a look at some of the highlights from this year’s show.

TELEVISION TECH      

Every year at the show TV’s just keep getting better, thinner, and bigger. 

Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Hisense, and LG all were showcasing 8K TV’s at CES. That refers to the resolution of the picture (8000 pixels).  Currently most people haven’t even bought into “last years advancement”, 4K.  

While I’m a big fan of technological advancements in display technology, I had a hard time distinguishing an 8K picture from a 4K picture.  Samsung had two of them side by side just so I could decide.

TV’s are getting to be like iPhone cameras. Do we really need a greater resolution? It’s great that display technology is evolving but there’s a point where the human eye can’t even tell a difference anymore.

Going from standard definition TV to HD was huge. HD to 4K/UHD was a noticeable improvement.  But for now, and maybe I’m biased because in 2018 I bought my first 4K TV, I’m not rushing out to buy a 8K TV because quite frankly, my eyes don’t care.

Sure, in a few years we’ll all want 8K. But then you’ll find 16K TV’s coming out.  Don’t get me wrong, I love our ability to improve, it’s just there’s a point where we just might not be able to tell anymore. 

LUCKY GOLDSTAR

You may have thought that LG stood for Life’s Good, part of their earlier marketing. But this South Korean company formerly known as Lucky-Goldstar always makes a splash at CES. For the longest time they have had the added benefit of being the very first booth you walk into when you enter Central Hall, and this year they did not disappoint with their massive curved OLED screen display.

Just several feet past this ominous display I was introduced to one of the most talked about products of the year.  The LG 65” 4K TV’s that roll up like wrapping paper. It’s a TV when you want it, and it disappears when you don’t. While it’s amazing at 65”, it also features what LG dubs as “Line Mode” where you can have the display drop down to show just about ¼ of the panel.  You can use this mini display to show things like music controls , time, temperature or weather data. Watching this TV roll up and down had people mesmerized, myself included.  Surprisingly, this TV is not just a concept and it should be available in stores this year probably only for those that don’t need to ask how much it costs.  Check out the front and side views of this remarkable TV below.  More information can be found here. 

TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN’T TOUCH

CES has its fill of flashy items.  Dramatic new televisions, self-driving cars, and the latest wearable tech. These items are great because you can grasp them in your hands and marvel in their technical greatness. But some of the biggest buzz this year was created from things you can’t see or even touch.

5G

5G is the latest generation of wireless technology.  Five stands for the 5th evolution of wireless Internet and data you can receive through mobile devices.  The “G’s” didn’t become household names until probably 3 and 4G were advertised heavily.  But what is it? In short, it’s faster speed, lower latency, and greater capacity. So far this probably doesn’t sound that exciting to you, just a faster smartphone, right?

But 5G technology will usher in a new era in mobile communications. It’s what will allow the massive amount of Internet connected devices being developed to all connect and talk with each other. 5G will be necessary for self-driving and even you-driven “connected cars” to communicate with each other.

In our future, everything on the road (and the home, too) will be connected.  It’s estimated that by 2022 there will be 105 million connected cars. When your car changes lanes, every car around you will be notified of your maneuver.  If any cars are involved in accidents, every car in the vicinity will be notified of the event, or routed around the slowdown. This has enormous potential for keeping us safe.  Consider this: The phone in your pocket will track you as you are crossing a crosswalk and will alert any cars that might be approaching that you’re there.

Here’s where it gets exciting.  Because of the low latency of 5G connections (1 millisecond as opposed to current 4G’s 150 milliseconds), if you were crossing the street and the car approaching was notified you were in the crosswalk, that car could brake so quickly it would stop within 1 inch.  On our current 4G system, it would take that car 4 ½ feet to stop. Could be the difference between life and death especially if you’re stumbling out of a bar one night.

Another nice feature of 5G is it doesn’t always have to rely on cellular communication.  This means if your car goes out of range from a cellular connection, connected car data will allow connection to nearby cars without a cellular connection.  That’s huge.

Look for 5G to also be involved in virtual reality, smart cities, and don’t forget you’ll be able to download a full-length movie in about 6 seconds.  5G is currently being rolled out for in home Internet solutions from Verizon. All the major wireless carriers are racing to get this technology out and handsets ready as the future of Internet and communications will never be the same.  

AI (ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE ) & MACHINE LEARNING

You couldn’t walk too far at this year’s show without seeing some product boasting Artificial Intelligence.  AI’s been around awhile, but at CES 2019 regular consumer products are starting to include some form of AI technology designed to offer a better experience.

Artificial Intelligence is basically a series of algorithms which cause a behavior to mimic intelligence. Machine Learning is a subsection of AI that causes those algorithms to adapt, or basically learn. 

You’ve probably heard of, or maybe even own a smart speaker such as Amazon’s Alexa, a Google Home device, or even use Siri on your iPhone.  These are all examples of AI.  What the 2019 show began to demonstrate was you just can’t get enough AI.  It’s sort of become a marketing buzzword, similar to how everything used to be “HD”.  Look for AI and machine learning algorithms to be found in cameras, mattresses, pianos, and anything else you’d want to be smarter.

Take the OBSOBOT Tail, touted as the “World’s First Auto-Director AI Camera” that follows the subject as they move.  A set of advanced algorithms allows the camera to track, record and capture 4K video without the needs of a pesky camera operator. It seemed to have a few bugs during the demo, but the possibilities are real. 

The devices showcased at CES this year show real promise for artificial intelligence making our lives better. And we’re still at least a decade or two away from Skynet fears.

ROBOTICS

Last year at the show I was introduced to Rosie the Robot, which would vacuum your floors and bring you a cold brew.  I was disappointed to not see this company, Aeolus , at the show this year so the fate of Rosie is unknown. I was waiting for their next gen model to be able to at least microwave up a frozen dinner for me. 

Most of the robot tech that I saw still remains the rollable helping aides to be purchased by airports or hotels.  These funny looking devices will carry your luggage through the airport or deliver an extra set of towels to your hotel room.  LG had several helper robots on display. 

I didn’t see Boston Dynamics at the show, probably because their backflipping robots are more meant for the military. 

But robot tech isn’t all business.   There’s smaller robots designed for human companionship.  Enter Japanese startup Groove’s X Lovot robot designed to be a human companion — almost like a pet.   It’s no tri-colored beagle, but you also won’t have veterinarian bills or premium dog food to buy.

VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY 

The North Hall of CES is almost totally devoted to vehicle technology.   Plus the parking lots are filled with vehicle demos. As always, this year there were some standouts. On the electric side, Nissan introduced the 2019 Leaf E+, boasting 226 miles on a single charge, yet I found it still doesn’t have thermal battery management like the now discontinued Chevy Volt. 

There was also a concept BMW Self Riding Motorcycle which rode itself around the convention center lot without falling over. 

One company I’ve had my eye on for a couple years now, Byton, once again had their M-Byte electric SUV on display again.   This vehicle just might move me towards purchasing an SUV again with its slick styling and a production cockpit that has a huge 48” screen.   The car even monitors the health of the driver. This SUV reportedly will be available later this year. The all electric SUV will offer 250 to 325 miles of electric range, depending on the chosen battery option.  And it will fast charge to 80% in 30 minutes.

Another hot topic at the show this year was the auto cockpit.  When we’re not driving anymore, just what are we going to be doing in the car?  Media and Entertainment folk are betting on us watching loads of digital content. Some manufacturers like Panasonic were displaying their concepts of these automobile cabins such as the  SPACe_L Autonomous Cabin.  This cabin displays video and entertainment all across the windows and can even launch star effects on the ceiling for night time viewing. 

Autonomous driving cabins will offer all types of entertainment options to the non driving passengers.

FLYING CARS

Earlier I mentioned Rosie The Robot.   When you think of Rosie, you probably think of the Jetsons.  When you think of the Jetsons, you undoubtedly think of Flying Cars.   Cartoon fans, we are just about there!  

It would be hard to cover vehicle technology without mentioning the Bell Nexus Air Taxi.  It was as much of a spectacle on the show floor as it probably was getting it into the convention center.

The hybrid electric air taxi is basically a drone with  six ducted fans and carries four passengers and a safety pilot. The taxi boasts it will carry people up to 150 miles at speeds up to 150 miles per hour. 

It’s doubtful these vehicles are going to be marketed to consumers. Bell is partnering with Uber however, so you might just get an air taxi option as soon as 2023 for your next rideshare.

SELF DRIVING CAR UPDATE

Last year I covered more on autonomous vehicles with my video documentation of the Vegas self driving shuttle.  Suffice it to say, technology is advancing in this arena as well. Google’s WAYMO is currently running one of the largest beta testing platforms in the Phoenix metropolitan area.  Waymo’s autonomous vehicles have driven over 8 million miles on public roads.  Lyft was also running a self driving beta test during CES.  I wasn’t lucky enough to get the option when I called for my rideshare. 

A seminar I attended which included a Waymo professional told us that all those miles are not without turmoil.  Apparently technology haters are attacking the vehicles.  People are throwing rocks at them, trying to run them off the road, and slashing their tires.  There have been reports of people yelling at the vehicles telling them to get out of their neighborhood.  

HEALTH FRONT

Lastly, I have to mention the extreme amount of health and fitness tech from the show.  I saw more wearables and health related devices than ever before.  Numerous devices to track a users brain patterns, heart rate, and even a device you breathe into to measure your metabolism. 

A new device called Pillo integrates AI technology and voice control into an assistant that loads 28 days worth of medication and dispenses it on schedule. 

Panasonic was demonstrating a device that has you perform tasks and then analyzes all the data and stress points on the human body. The result is a graphical display of fatigue and physical stress points.  This device is meant for businesses that may want to stress test their employee assembly line to lessen injuries and fatigue.

At the HiiGa One booth, you could try electronic weight lifting with their robot gym machine that coaches you.  The fitness device gives you results on your weight lifting progress, all without the use of real weights.  The company spokesperson claims that it will “erase fat without weights”.  Of course, it’s powered by an artificial intelligence system that will select resistance levels based on your performance and your own strength levels.  Still, there’s something really cool about making a dumb dumbell weight machine so high tech. 

RIDICULIST

Each year I like to end my coverage with the silly, ridiculous gems found amongst the innovative tech in the halls of CES. Last year I featured a rocking bed and in 2017 it was a suitcase that drives you through the airport while sitting on it. 

This year there were some new contenders to these silly products.   The Numi Intelligent Toilet from Kohler is an $8,000 toilet that comes complete with LED lighting, wireless Bluetooth music sync capability and a heated seat and foot warmer.   It even has an SD card slot and a remote. Toilet overkill. 

J&S Innovations offers windows for your home that you can control from anywhere in the world with their app. That’s right, your windows connect to the Internet. In the unlikely event that you want to open your window from 2,000 miles away, sure.  But this begs the question, “does everything have to be smart?”.

The Big Clapper is a robot designed by Japanese startup Bye Bye World and its sole purpose is to “cheer up and spread happiness to anyone, anytime, anywhere.”  It claps. Over and Over.   It’s pretty darn silly.  But I did stop and take a video of it because, well, it made me smile.  Mission accomplished Big Clapper. 

CES Coverage by Tom Hanberg  | Skyhound Internet
www.skyhoundinternet.com

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2018 Gold MARCOM –Digital Media/Overall Nonprofit Website Development (Gold) 
2018 Gold MARCOM –Digital Media/Web Design (Gold)

The MARCOM Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communications professionals.

The new Crittenton Website was a project for our Orange County based client. The website was recognized in the nonprofit website category for achievement in overall website architecture, usability, mobile responsiveness, copywriting, web content, video, graphics, digital marketing and overall branding and design.

We are honored to be recognized by a group of industry peers for this International creative competition.  Entries come from corporations, advertising agencies, government agencies, universities, PR firms, design agencies, non profits, and freelancers.

Skyhound is proud to be in league with these other distinguished recipients of this award including agencies and designers who have created award winning projects for nonprofits such as AARP, Lutheran World Relief, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Heart Association, World Vision of Canada, and the Pasadena Symphony & POPS.

The 6-month development period for the Crittenton project was at times challenging, but all of us at Skyhound Internet enjoyed working with the child advocacy and mental health organization in transforming their vision into a user-friendly digital home.

To view the Crittenton website, click here. Original Press Release.

For more information on the MARCOM awards, click here.

To view the list of 2018 Award Winners, click here.

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