Welcome to the New Design of iSquint!

In grand tradition with LDI, there is big news with iSquint.net. For the past six months, we have been working on a re-design of the site. Today, the first day of LDI, we are proud to launch the 4th version and new, cleaner design of iSquint! Why the new design? As technologies grows so must a site design. We have designed the site for easier navigation, cleaner layout and more photos!

One major change has been the comment section. We have revamped the comments to use Facebook integration for easier commenting. So all you need is your Facebook login, (which is secure, we do not have access to it) and you can leave comments till your heart is content. Speaking of comments, leave one here and let us know how we are doing and what you think of the new design. If you have troubles or notice something wrong, hit us up via email at info@isquint.net.

Since it is LDI, we will be on the show floor checking things out and reporting back here. After the show, we have one more big announcement to make so tune back in on Monday to see the last surprise we have in store for you. Enjoy the weekend and all of what LDI has to offer!

iSquint Grows and Celebrates Two Years Online

This is an exciting week for me and iSquint.net. Not only is LDI 2010 right around the corner, iSquint is celebrating it’s second year online! Last year at LDI in Orlando there was exciting news about a new design of the site and who exactly was behind iSquint. This year I am proud to say that iSquint.net is growing. Leading up to LDI I will be introducing some new staff members of the website that will cover LDI.

From the beginning, I have always said that iSquint.net is more then just one person, it is a community of like minded professionals sharing their views and opinions about the industry we so deeply care about. Over the pass year you have seen new columns and features written by industry insiders here on iSquint. On the eve of the second anniversary of iSquint, the iSquint family grows and will begin to offer more insight, coverage and views from different levels and backgrounds of people within the industry.

I am extremely excited to have all of the new writers on iSquint and look forward to their coverage of LDI and and beyond. Please join me in welcoming them to the iSquint family! If you are interested in writing for iSquint, please send me a note through the contact us page or email me directly at info@isquint.net.

Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank each and everyone of you. Thank you for reading iSquint.net and making it your home for industry news. You are an amazing group of people with immense passion and charisma about our industry!

You Asked For it: Dates Added to Post

Ever since I re-launched the site at LDI last year, I have received emails about the missing date stamp on post. I have finally had time to play with the code of the site and update the design with the date stamp on each any every post. Yes, it was an easy fix, it was just finding some time to actually get it added.

I apologize that it has taken me this long to get it corrected. Things have just been a little crazy. My original idea for not putting the date stamp on post was to keep the post “timeless”. What does that mean, at this point, I have no idea. It was a crazy idea and you guys are correct, a date does need to be there!

Thanks everyone for your suggestions! Keep them up! My inbox is always open and ready for new ideas and suggestions.

2009, A Year In Review

Congratulations! You made it through 2009! What a hellava year huh? As the world prepares for the Ball to drop of 2010, I want to step back and take a look at how far iSquint and the lighting industry has come in just one year. With iSquint, there have been some major changes, upgrades and announcements. I think the most important was finally announcing that I, Justin Lang and the person behind iSquint. But before that big announcement came the one year anniversary of iSquint.net being on line with a week long celebration right before LDI 2009. With that celebration, came a new site design. I put in a lot of time to re-organize and re-designing the site and from what I hear, it is getting a positive response.

At the time of the re-launch, I added some more features to the site such as the iSquint Podcast, the iSquint YouTube Channel and the Friday Flickr Lighting Porn. These are just a few ways to bring you more exciting and closer look at things happening with in the industry. There are still a couple of things that are still in the works, but I will save that for 2010.

During 2009, I personally was exposed to some new and exciting products and have loved sharing them with you here. One thing I am most proud and honored by, was being published in the December 2009 issue of PLSN for my show report on LDI this year in Orlando. This is just the beginning and hopefully more to come.

2009 was one hellava year for not only me, but for iSquint as well! Take a look at some of the top read articles for 2009 as well as some of the top key word searches.

Happy Holidays From iSquint

Happy Holidays from iSquint.net

It is that time of the year when we look back and reflect on what a year 2009 has been and all of the wonderful memories we had. It is also a time to be thankful for the loved ones and friends we have. So on this, the 2009 Holiday Season, I want to wish each and everyone of you a Happy Holiday Season, A wonderful and prosperous New Year and thank you. Thank you for all of your support, kind words, and of course for reading iSquint.net.

If you did not receive a copy of the iSquint Holiday Mailer, sign up for the newest feature of iSquint, the monthly newsletter by filling out the simple sign up form below.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FELLOW SQUINTERS!

The 2010 iSquint and Jimonlight FAT-OFF Begins

Over the last couple of months you may have noticed that Jimonlight and iSquint have become close allies in bringing you reliable lighting information, coverage of trade shows and all around camaraderie. Along the way Jim and I have become close friends and supporter of each others adventures.

With our first meeting at LDI 2009, we quickly relied on each other for support. The support now continues with a new contest between us. Both Jim and I have come to the realization that we are over weight. With the “gentle suggestions” from each of our wives, we have decided to take the wives suggestions and lose some weight. To make it interesting, we have started a friendly competition, the 2010 FAT OFF.

The goal, LOSE WEIGHT! The reward, LOSING WEIGHT and feeling better about each other. We have our starting weight and who ever loses the most weight based on percentage wins. It’s that simple! Want to join us in our Fat Off? Jim and I will be using a free iPhone app called Lose It! What is nice about the app is, first, it is FREE, second we can easily track each others progress. You can add Jim and I as friends through their website, www.loseit.com. You can track me, Justin Lang by using my email address, info@isquint.net and Jim’s email at jim@jimonlight.com.

The FAT OFF begins today and ends on July 1, 2010. Join us in becoming our own Biggest Losers!

#LDI2009 and Week Long Celebration Comes to an End

Justin Lang - Editor in Chief The week of LDI, I re-launched iSquint with a totally new site design with more features and content as well as a week long celebration to thank you the readers. All week long, I was giving announcing noon time winners starting Monday through Friday and then a grand prize winner on Saturday. As things got a little busy covering the show floor Saturday,and then recovering from the weekend on Sunday, I did not have time to announce the grand prize winner from Saturday till now. The grand Prize winner from the week long celebration is David Henry!

David wins a Lee Master Edition Swatch book and an Apollo Design Designer Gel Book and other goodies from our Re-launch Sponsors.

A special thanks to everyone that left a note on the re-launch article as well as all of the re-launch sponsors. iSquint.net wouldn’t be here with out you!

I mentioned back in the re-launch article that there was a special surprise for everyone. This coincides with the big announcement at the #LDI09tweetup. If you listened to the first edition of the iSquint Podcast, then you got a preview of the big surprise and announcement. Jimonlight introduced the person behind iSquint.net at the #LDI09tweetup, Justin Lang.

Why reveal who is behind iSquint.net? It just felt like the time to do it. After a year or more of writing iSquint in the blind, it was time for everyone to know who is behind the site. Want to learn more about myself, read my bio here.

Thanks for reading iSquint.net!

Re-Launch Celebration – Last Chance to Enter to Win

Re-Launch Celebration It Saturday morning, the second day of LDI and the last day of the week long celebration of the re-launch and re-design of iSquint. All week long I have announced noon time winners that will be getting a nice prize pack with something form almost all of our sponsors. There is still time to enter your name for the grand prize that I am giving away this afternoon. Apollo Design and Lee Filters were kind enough to give me their FULL SIZE swatch books as a grand prize. These HUGE swatch books are an LD’s dream come true!

If you have not entered, it is easy enough, visit the Re-Launch Article and add a comment to it, it is that simple. I’ll be announcing the Grand Prize Winner today at noon from from the LDI Show Floor.

This Just In – The First Episode of the iSquint Podcast

iSquint Podcast This just in, iSquint.net is proud to release our first podcast, The iSquint.net Podcast. Pretty easy name right?
So what is in this first episode of our podcast?

We talk about the re-launch and redesign of iSquint.net.
The Road to LDI 2009, I take a quick look at some of the new things that were announce this morning and go over some of the product announce from before LDI.
Jimonlight joints me and we talk about the LDI09tweetup happening tomorrow night at the Peabody Hotel.
I also talk to Jimonlight about the post show podcast that we are doing together.
And finally, we reveal the worst kept secret in the lighting industry.

Download and listen to our first episode of the iSquint Podcast, you’ll be happy you did!

[podcast]http://isquint.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/iSquint.net-Podcast-Episode-1.mp3[/podcast]

The Calm Before the Storm, the #LDI2009 Storm That Is!

Florida Flyin Map This is the big clam before the storm. Almost all of the exhibitors have been in Orlando all week setting up for the Show Floor to open tomorrow. They are finishing up their booths and putting the final touches on all the bright shinny new things we are going to see tomorrow.

We don’t expect to hear much from the front lines about product announcements or any more details on rumors and speculation as the LDI Show Floor opens in just 24 hours from now. If things do pop up, I’ll be sure to get it up on the site.

Today is a travel day for me, I head down to MCO, (Orlando International Airport) with wheels down about 1530 and then it is off to the races with no stopping till Sunday.

While down in Orlando, I’ll be adding new things to not only the site, but the twitter feed, @iSquint, the YouTube Channel and the LDI 2009 Flickr Set. Be sure to follow all of the LDI fun here on iSquint by following the #LDI2009 RSS feed.

Re-Launch Celebration Quick Winners Announced Here

light_beams Continuing the Week Long celebration we are randomly pulling names from the listing of comments on the Re-Launch Article. We have 5 prize packs to give away during the week with a grand prize to be announced on Saturday.

Also during the week, at random times, we are giving away smaller prizes from our Re-Launch sponsors. Yesterday was the first “quick” winner at 5pm. Rather then creating a post for each Noon time winner and the quick winners, I am adding the noon time winners names to the original article and then the quick winners names here on the article.

Here is a listing of the quick winners randomly selected from the Re-launch Celebration article.

And the winners are:

Tuesday 5pM: Victoria Hendeix
Wednesday 10am: Ryan Wilkinson
Wednesday 5pm: Jon Griffin
Thursday 5:30AM: Keenan Molner

If you haven’t won, there is still time not only for the Noon time prize packs, but also a quick win and the grand prize! All you have to do is leave a comment on the Re-launch Celebration article. And once again, thank you for reading, iSquint.net!

Re-Launch of iSquint.net – A Week Long Celebration

Week Long Celebration!!! That’s right, after months of planning, coding, skyping and sleepless nights, I am proud to announce the re-launch and one year celebration of iSquint.net. While we have certainly been online for over a year now, I felt it appropriate to celebrate our first year online during the week of LDI. It was this time last year that iSquint really broke out on to the scene and started to make a splash on your monitor with coverage of the LDI show.

This year, we are going to be covering the LDI Show Live, on the show floor. Not only from here on the NEW iSquint, but also from our twitter feed, @iSquint and our LDI 2009 Flickr Set. Bringing you more in depth coverage.

So, what is this week long celebration thing all about? First, thank you! iSquint is written for you, the lighting squint. Things are constantly changing in the lighting industry so you can always find the latest information here. So, with the plug out of the way, let’s begin the celebration!

We have contracted just a couple of lighting manufacturers about sponsoring our re-launch and celebration. In return, they have generously donated prizes for iSquint to hand out. How does it work? Easy, add a comment to this article with your name, email address, (which is not public) and a comment, I love comments. Write anything you like, the important part is your name and email address. That way I can contact you!

Everyday this week, I will be randomly picking a name from the comments at noon, EST each day starting Monday and ending Friday. The noon time winners will receiving a nice little prize pack with almost each of our sponsors represented. Also, during the week, I will be randomly drawing a name from the comments for smaller prizes from one of our sponsors. Then, finally on Saturday at noon, we will draw our finial and last winner for the grand prize. What is it? Guess you’ll just have to enter won’t you!

The fun does not stop there, we have one last surprise for everyone on Saturday night at the #LDI09tweetup.

Last, but certainly not least, I would like to thank all of our re-launch sponsors for donating all of these great prizes. I hope you enjoy the new layout. If you notice anything strange or not right, please let me know through the What Do You Think form. Thank you once again and let’s get the party started!