• We successfully completed the TechStars seed incubator program with Highlighter
• Matt, Josh and I moved to Belltown in February to be closer to booming tech scene that is Seattle
• We raised $300,000 as part of our seed round for Highlighter (more on that here)

All of this would not have been possible without TechStars, a program that provides funding and mentorship for startups. Though we had nearly four years of previous business experience and a handful of connections from Unique Blog Designs, it was through our work with TechStars that allowed us to build enough momentum to raise the seed round required to get this new (and much more exciting!) business off the ground.

That said, a lot of hard work, dedication and persistence were also required. Even though the Seattle TechStars program started out with ten (10) companies, only eight (8) of those companies are still in operation – proving that even with great mentorship, hard work, and guidance, there are many difficulties that need to be overcome when starting a new business in the technology space.

Finally, I would like to give a shoutout to the Seattle TechStars companies still in operation, including:

• Deal Co-Op, the best white label software for group buying
• GoMiles, the best way to manage your frequent flyer miles
• ThinkFuse, a startup that is simplifying weekly status reports
• Kinizi, an apartment deal finder
• Giant ThinkWell, a social gaming company focusing on celebrities
• RewardsForce, a startup disrupting the customer loyalty arena
• The Shared Web, a site that allows you to discover the best content based on your friends and interests
• And of course, us – Highlighter

Even though I haven’t had too much time for blogging over the past few months, it is something I definitely want to get back into as it is a good way to keep track of all of the changes and happenings. I’ve found myself reading over old posts just to see what I was up to a few years ago…If anything, a blog is simply a great personal journal for keeping track of one’s life!

Also, does anyone believe the human brain can actually hold 1-10 terabytes? That would seem immeasurable.

What do you think is the weirdest or most hard to believe fact?

Via: Medical Coding Certification ]]> http://natewhitehill.com/interesting-and-weird-facts-about-the-internet-infographic/feed/ 4 http://natewhitehill.com/ending-the-ecommerce-nightmare-storesuite/ http://natewhitehill.com/ending-the-ecommerce-nightmare-storesuite/#comments Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:00:41 +0000 Nate Whitehill http://natewhitehill.com/powerful-e-commerce-software/ Continue reading →]]>

My web design business used to deal exclusively with setting up shopping cart/e-commerce software for small businesses. The great thing about offering e-commerce solutions is that they provide a tremendous amount of value to the client. As a result, setting up shopping cart software for small businesses can be very lucrative.

My Experience with Shopping Cart Software

We have tried many different e-commerce products, including osCommerce and Zen Cart. That being said, e-commerce setup, installation, and customization can be one of the most frustrating things to do. In my opinion, there is seriously not any good out-of-the-box e-commerce software available. Fortunately, it appears that a much more powerful and easy-to-use e-commerce solution is on the way…

My good buddy and entrepreneur-extraordinaire, Mitchell Harper, is currently working on what looks like will be the best shopping cart software available. It is called StoreSuite and it has many features that I have longed for in e-commerce software.

What’s So Great About StoreSuite?

StoreSuite is a complete PHP and MySQL e-Commerce platform that’s currently being developed by Interspire. It includes everything necessary to sell physical and/or digital products (eBooks, etc) online. It will integrate with all major payment gateways, is 100% HTML template driven, includes a powerful control panel as well as too many other features to list.

Other awesome features of StoreSuite include:

• Drag & drop design mode.
• Extensive use of “AJAX” technology.
• Sell physical and/or downloadable products.
• 100% template driven layout.
• Integrates with all major shipping providers.

If you have ever thought about setting up an online store, I highly recommend you check out StoreSuite. Judging from the product interface videos that Mitch has been posting so far, this software looks ALMOST too good to be true…

Have you guys ever played around with other shopping cart products? If so, what did you think of them? As I mentioned, I used to use osCommerce and wow… customizing that was a nightmare!

I primarily work from home and I have a decent setup. I have a MacBook Pro Intel Core Duo 2.16 GHz with 2GB of RAM feeding my Apple Cinema Display 30″ LCD. My resolution? 2560×1600. I also have a wireless keyboard and mouse. My computer is connected to my JVC home stereo.

The winner of the contest will receive a Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headset.

Apple has always been great at marketing by keeping it simple. I believe simplicity is the best way to get your message across to an audience and I always design with simplicity in mind.

BTW, if anyone is interested in buying TheiPhone.net from me, make me an offer.

On another note, I am working on a redesign for my web development company, infinFX. We are planning to integrate a blog into the site containing useful articles about web development, design, marketing, and reaching your target audience. It is taking up a ton of time, but look out for that soon.

I will also have a special guest blogger on the infinFX blog. Some of you know him around the blogosphere but I will keep his identity secret for now.

There have been rumors for years now that Toyota has been prepping a replacement for its flagship Supra sportscar.

The Supra was one of the most popular tuner cars of the ’90′s and continues to be regarded as one of the ultimate Japanese rockets.

At the recent Detroit Auto Show, Toyota shocked the world with what may be the actual Supra replacement. Currently dubbed the FT-HS concept, this super-Toyota is actually a hybrid! It is powered by both an electric motor and a 3.5 liter V6 motor, good for over 400 horsepower. You know this is car is coming close to supercar territory when it promises to propel you to 60 mph in around 4 seconds!

This sports car is a 2+2, meaning that it seats four. These photos don’t show us how big the back seat actually is, but I’m assuming that it’s painfully small. Rather than call the FT-HS a 2+2, Toyota should just say that the FT-HS has a deep package tray behind the front seats.

Many modern sportscars have engines in the 300-400 horsepower range, but the acceleration isn’t always there as today’s rides are heavier than ever. The FT-HS, on the other hand, is designed to be as light as possible. Given that, it is impressive that the FT-HS contains an automatically retractable hard-top!

Personally, I think this car is an amazing achievement in engineering. It will get excellent gas mileage being a hybrid and promises to be a true enthusiast’s sports car. Now you can impress your environmentally-conscious mom and wow your girlfriend at the same time!

Before getting too excited about this wonderful offering, remember, it is still a concept, meaning it has not gotten the final word to go to production just yet. Toyota should be revealing more details about the FT-HS concept within the next 6 months, including its planned release date.

A few people have asked what the estimated price point might be. I have read several places that Toyota is looking to price this car in the mid 30′s. Seems a lot more reasonable than the last car I wrote about — the 8 Million Dollar Mercedes-Maybach!

Click on a picture for a larger (1400×1050) desktop-size view.

From the CNet Review of Vista:

Compared with Mac OS X 10.4, Windows Vista feels clunky and not very intuitive, almost as though it’s still based on DOS (or at least the internal logic that made up DOS).

For more information about Vista, read this CNet review of Windows Vista Ultimate. The average user’s rating of Vista so far is 5.4 out of 10. For those of you who are sick of the never-ending viruses, spyware, and dysfunctional computing, now is the perfect time to Get a Mac.

After years of rumors and speculation, Apple finally announced it’s entry into the mobile phone market. Dubbed the “iPhone,” it is a cellular phone, full-screen video iPod, and Internet communications device all in one. Many people, among Apple, have heralded the iPhone as “reinventing the phone.” The iPhone certainly contains a long list of innovative features and Apple’s renowned ease-of-use, but, the question remains, is the iPhone really all its cracked up to be? Will it truly revolutionize the phone market?

Just liked the iPod changed the music industry, Apple is banking on the iPhone forever changing how we use mobile phones. The iPhone is unique, in that is has a fully touch-screen interface, a gorgeous 3.5″ LCD display, a full-sized (not just a slimmed-down) web browser, and a truly innovative feature called Visual Voicemail. Visual Voicemail will allow you to see and select any of your voicemail messages instead of having to listen to them one-by-one.

There are a few downsides to the phone, however. One is that Apple has an exclusive contract with Cingular through 2009. I’ve heard many report being unhappy with Cingular and that their coverage is mediocre, at best. Another downside is the phone’s hefty $499 price tag for the 4GB model, and $599 for the 8GB model. This price point means that Apple will not be able to initially penetrate the market like it has done so with the iPod. Apple is also not letting any developers produce third-party software for the phone. This means that you will not be able to download special programs like you can for other smartphones.

Perhaps the biggest drawback to the iPhone is that it requires your full attention to operate because of its touch interface. It has only one button, so for people attempting to drive and dial, it will require them to look down at their phone for moments on end. Many tech-savvy phone users have said that this no button design is why they will never buy the iPhone. The feedback of buttons is what allows people to dial while driving.

Apple is not officially releasing the iPhone until June. However, only time will tell whether Apple’s phone will change the market like the iPod has done. In conclusion, even though the iPhone lacks in some areas, it will be a major hit among Apple’s Mac-faithful, and I plan to purchase one as soon as they’re available. Learn more about the iPhone on Apple’s web site…