How To Use Rich Snippets, Structured Markup For High Powered SEO

I recently received a question from a reader asking about the way search engines were using microformats and other forms of structured markup.

Today, I am going to address that topic from the perspective of its impact on SEO. What is particularly interesting about this topic is that structured markup provides publishers a way to provide the search engines information about their website(s).

One of the original ways of doing that was with metatags. Unfortunately, these were so badly abused by spammers that Google stopped using it as a ranking signal. Google finally stated this publicly in this post in 2009, which notes that “Google has ignored the keywords meta tag for years and currently we see no need to change that policy.”

Google continues to indicate that markup is not used as a ranking signal: “Google doesn’t use markup for ranking purposes at this time.” However, there are important SEO benefits to using markup, and I will explore these in today’s column.

Video

This is a 4x5 sized camera made out of lego.The only parts that are not lego are the "viewfinder" (which is made of ground glass) and the lens (127mm ƒ4.7)I wonder if it would be possible to make one that was 100% lego? I've got to say, this really makes me want to buy some film and get an old camera to try this out with! To see more images of the camera and other pictures go HERE[via]

chasejarvisLIVE: Photo / Video Workflow & Backup Redux

Chase and his team [Scott, Dartanyon & Erik] answer questions from twitter about the workflow and backup systems they use in the studio and in their homes.

Google WebP?

	What is WebP? WebP is a method of lossy compression that can be used on photographic images. WebP offers compression that has shown 39.8% more byte-size efficiency than JPEG for the same quality in a large scale study of 900,000 images on the Web. The degree of compression is adjustable so a user can choose the trade-off between file size and image quality. A WebP file consists of VP8 image data, and a container based on RIFF. Webmasters, web developers and browser developers can use the WebP format to create smaller, better looking images that can help make the web faster. Did you know? WebP is pronounced "weppy". /(wĕpˈē)/
	How does WebP work? WebP uses predictive coding to encode an image, the same methodology used by the VP8 video codec to compress keyframes in videos. Predictive coding uses the values in neighboring blocks of pixels to predict the values in a block, and then encodes only the difference (residual) between the actual values and the prediction. The residuals typically contain many zero values, which can be compressed much more effectively. The residuals are then transformed, quantized and entropy-coded as usual. WebP also uses variable block sizes.
	What's in this release? This release provides a lightweight decoder for WebP files (libvpx) and a command line tool (webpconv) for converting images to and from the WebP format. The WebP team is developing a patch to WebKit to provide native support for WebP in an upcoming release of Google Chrome.
	Why should you use WebP? By using WebP, you can: Provide a faster user experience on your site. Reduce your bandwidth and hosting costs. Improve the web!

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Preview

Preview based on a Nikon Coolpix P7000 with firmware v1.0

It wasn't all that long ago that the so-called 'luxury' compact camera market was one of the most important (and lucrative) for the major camera manufacturers. Before DSLRs were affordable, high-end compacts, with DSLR-inspired ergonomics and full manual control were extremely popular amongst enthusiast photographers.

Inevitably, as soon as DSLRs started dropping in price to below $1000, demand for high-end compacts dropped as well. In recent years, only two manufacturers - Canon and Panasonic - have maintained a convincing presence in this segment of the market, with the venerable Powershot G-series and Lumix LX-series respectively - the latter especially gaining a deserved reputation for high-end ergonomics, as well as image quality. The latest cameras in these two ranges - Canon's Powershot G11 and Panasonic's LX5, are cast in the same mold as their predecessors, and both offer a range of advanced features in tough, metal bodies with plenty of external controls.

It has been a while since Nikon seriously threatened the 'luxury' compact camera market, but the Coolpix P7000 is Nikon's latest attempt to grab a slice of the action, and follows two rather disappointing models - the P5100 and P6000 - which, despite their high build quality and RAW capture modes, offered (amongst other problems) relatively poor image quality compared to their competitors.

With the P7000, Nikon has made a very clear break from the industrial design of previous P-series compacts. So much so that from every angle, the new camera much more closely resembles the Canon Powershot G11 than anything which has ever carried the 'Nikon' badge on its front plate. Like the G11, the P7000 is a fairly large, square camera, with plenty of external controls. Like the G11 it features a 3in LCD on its rear (albeit not an articulated one) and chunky, 'old fashioned' mode dials on its top plate. A flash hotshoe and optical viewfinder complete the impression of a camera that is a near-clone of its closest competitor. Even their sensors have almost identical specifications - 10MP CCDs with a similar 'standard' ISO range from ISO 80 (Canon) and 100 (Nikon) to 3200 at full resolution.

So what are we to make of the P7000? Nikon's enthusiast DSLR users have been crying out for a G11-type compact camera as a more portable alternative to their DSLRs for some time, and it looks like they've got exactly that. Is the P7000 the answer to their prayers? Read on to find out. We've had a working sample for just long enough to produce a hands-on preview, including a gallery of images.

Nikon Coolpix P7000 Key Features

• 10MP CCD sensor
• 720p HD video recording with mic jack for external microphone
• ISO 100-3200
• RAW capture option (.NRW format) and NRW+JPEG (fine)
• 7x zoom (28-200mm equivalent) f/2.8-5.6 with 2 ED elements and built-in ND filter
• 720p (1280x720) movie mode with AF and lens zoom during recording
• 3.0 inch 921k dot LCD screen
• 4 Picture Control preset modes + custom mode
• EXPEED C2 processor
• Active D-Lighting
• Electronic virtual horizon
• HDMI output
• Zoom memory function
• i-TTL compatibility with Speedlight SB-400/600/800/900 flashguns
• Dual IR receivers (front and rear) for wireless remote control ML-L3.

Panasonic DMC-GH2 Preview

Preview based on a pre-production GH2

When Panasonic first launched the GH1, its second Micro Four Thirds camera, it was widely seen as simply being a G1 with video shooting and a considerably more expensive kit lens. And, if your primary concern was stills photography then this wasn't an entirely unreasonable assessment. However, its real appeal was not that it had video, but that it offered what was, at the time, some of the most flexible, high quality video available. Again, the 14-140mm F4.0-5.8 kit zoom may not have been cheap but it had been specifically designed and built with fast, quiet autofocus and stepless aperture control to allow AF during movie shooting and exposure changes without sudden changes in brightness.

Now that the G2 (along with the majority of contemporary cameras) is able to capture HD video, the distinctions between just being able to shoot HD and to really control it become more apparent. Stills shooters may get some advantage from the new, higher resolution sensor but the main differences between the GH2 and G2 are the ability to control the movie shooting process (both in terms of frame rate and shutter speed).

In the twenty five months since Olympus and Panasonic jointly announced the Micro Four Thirds standard there have been eight models launched to date, seven of which share the same 12MP sensor. The only exception was the GH1 which, despite its 12MP output actually featured a 14MP sensor. The sensor was slightly larger than the format's imaging circle, which allowed it to deliver images in different aspect ratios while retaining the same image diagonal. And now the GH2 follows the same pattern, shooting 16MP images using its brand-new, similarly over-sized 18MP sensor.

This sensor is capable of much greater output speed than its predecessor, bringing a host of benefits. Videographers will see an improvement in the quality of the highest quality output - the 1080i output is derived from 60p or 50p capture, rather than doubled-up from 24p or 25p on the GH1. However, the faster readout also means the AF system can more frequently check the accuracy of its focus, meaning faster autofocus (on lenses that can respond quickly enough). Finally, the faster readout means the live view is updated 60 times a second (rather than 24fps displayed at 60hz), giving a smoother viewing experience with less tearing.

The viewfinder has also been slightly widened - it now shows 852 x 600 pixels (rather than 800 across) to allow it to show 16:9 and 3:2 previews without the need for such extensive cropping as before.

Lensbaby Fisheye

Any hobby or pastime can get stale after a while without new challenges or ideas to excite you. The folks at Lensbaby have built their company around providing equipment to help photographers get out of a rut. They have continued to expand their optic-swap system and now have a fisheye optic to go along with the rest of the line. It’s wide, it’s distorted, it’s fuzzy and sharp at the same time and might be just what you need to create some images to help get you excited about your photography again.

How it Works

For an overall primer on the Lensbaby system, please read this Photo.net review here.

The quickest way to explain what exactly a Lensbaby is to read about what the company itself says about the lenses:

The Lensbaby is a unique SLR lens that has a sweet spot of focus with blur all around the sweet spot. Unlike a tilt-shift lens, which has a flat field of focus and a slice of of focus from end to end, the Lensbaby field of focus is curved, producing a circle of focus.

The Lensbaby Optic Swap system is a series of 6 different optic inserts that you can use with the Lensbaby body to achieve different effects and image styles. Think of it as taking the engine out of a car and being able to swap in one engine for good gas mileage and another the next day for trailer towing power. The optic choices are double glass, single glass, plastic, pinhole/zone-plate, soft focus, and fisheye.

The Lensbaby Fisheye Optic has a 12mm focal length and a 160 degree field of view. It can focus as close as one half inch and has an f/4 maximum aperture with aperture plates from f/5 to f/22. While Lensbaby does a great job of trying to keep their newer products compatible with their older products, but some designs make that more difficult and the Fisheye Optic is one of them. The Fisheye’s aperture plates aren’t compatible with the other optics and the Muse and Control Freak Lensbaby “lenses” will require adapters (purchased separately) to mount the Fisheye.