Lake Arrowhead software start-up, Softimeline LLC, just opened its website for business. The software product, Softimeline® has been under development for over two years, with all of the development having been handled by the group above, all partners in the venture. From the left, Chris Lee, CEO of Rikter Corporation; Paul Smietan owner of conceiveTECH; Ron Kloss who envisioned and designed the product; and Dave Stevenson, an independent software engineer who wrote most of the code. Dave is from Orange County, but the other three are all Lake Arrowhead residents.
Softimeline lets the user create an interactive visual history of any organization, person, or event... on their PC, so that anyone may browse a finished project interactively. The software organizes information by categories, chosen by the author. The headings stay on screen at all times, while scrolling vertically reveals additional thumbnail photos, which are interactive links to “Event Pages”. The viewer may now move forward or back in time, in that category, through more Event pages ...or return to the Home page. The multiple timelines on the main screen create a visual table of contents, and enable the user to see events in context. Dozens of supplied templates, with text placeholders and picture boxes, simplify authoring.
Softimeline runs on Windows XP and Vista, and Intel based Macs running Windows. The price is $79 at www.softimeline.com where you may see a demonstration of how it works.
Interactive software product offers a new place
to put those billions of digital photos.
“Slideshows are so 20th century”, is the mantra of Softimeline, a southern California software startup which lets the average computer user create interactive presentations, enabling the browser or presenter to choose the visual content to be viewed. Multiple
pictorial timelines, filled with thumbnail photos, create a visual table of contents, where each small photo links to more information about that event.
Headquartered in Lake Arrowhead, the product has been under development since March, 2006, when Softimeline LLC was formed by Ron Kloss.
Digital cameras have made it a easier to take more pictures, and the number of
digital images saved by consumer photographers is now estimated to be over 180 billion. So this product targets those who own both a digital camera and a computer. Some will create biographies, family and team histories, and resumes, while the business world will build corporate profiles, and interactive presentations. The website suggests 101 ways to use Softimeline, worth a visit to www.softimeline.com.
Ron Kloss
The concept, design and graphics encompassed in Softimeline are the vision of Ron Kloss, a veteran of over 40 years in advertising, marketing, and public relations. As a hands-on Art Director, Creative Director, Account Supervisor, Illustrator, and Copywriter, he creates ad campaigns, writes marketing and media plans, and implements public relations programs for the Agency's clients. His advertising agency in Southern California was one of the very first to embrace computer technology, having purchased their first 512k Mac in 1985.
Dave Stevenson
Dave is the co-founder and Director of Software Engineering at KSD Diversified, a consulting firm that provides software development, technical training and support services to companies in a variety of industries. Significant collaboration with pioneering companies has included: America Online, Microsoft, Netscape, Intel and Research In Motion. Dave lends his background in commercial software development and years of technical experience to Softimeline as Chief Software Architect.
Paul Smietan
Paul heads up conceiveTECH, an Enterprise Consulting Software Development firm. The company is a recognized Independent Software Vendor for Microsoft and Sun Microsystems. With deep roots in UNIX® and Windows®.NET, the firm specializes in the migration, creation and cross-platform interoperability of software. Smietan is uniquely qualified to head up the development of Softimeline, having played a major role in developing Microsoft's Encarta history timeline, when he was employed by the software giant. He functions as Chief Technology Officer.
Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee is the current President and Chief Technology Officer of Rikter Corporation, a web design and software development provider headquartered in Lake Arrowhead, California. The company utilizes a myriad of web application technologies to provide its customers with high quality, dependable, and fast-loading web and software applications.
Christopher is a specialist in the use of CSS for web portal applications and corporate intranets, as well as ensuring compliancy with a variety of web browsers and internet devices. Christopher regularly conducts lectures at seminars and advises businesses on adopting a standards-based architecture for their web applications.