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Oct
20
2009
Sir Tim Berners-Lee has said at a symposium on the future of technology that the two forward slashes after http: were not really needed.
“Really, if you think about it, it doesn’t need the //. I could have designed it not to have the //”, he said.
That is a lot of wasted finger energy over the years.
“There you go, it seemed like a good idea at the time.” he said.
Full story here.
Sep
25
2009
This week, Google announced an early version of a plugin for Internet Explorer, which allows it to use modern web technologies such as HTML5, CSS3, SVG, Canvas, and more.
More and more web applications (including many from Google, such as Google Docs, Gmail, and MobileMe from Apple), either require these technologies, or make extensive use of JavaScript. As such, fast JavaScript support has recently become something of a game of cat and mouse between the top browser vendors, constantly leapfrogging one another to be ‘the fastest’. Internet Explorer, whilst receiving a big upgrade with version 8, is still some way behind Firefox, Safari, Opera, and Google Chrome when it comes to these features.
Google are soon to be launching their much-touted Google Wave service: a combination between e-mail, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. Wave’s interface is very JavaScript-heavy, and requires features of HTML5. At present, this means that Internet Explorer users will be unable to use Wave. And even if Microsoft implemented the necessary features in the next version of IE, there are still around 40% of internet users on versions 6 and 7 of IE with no clear intention to upgrade any time soon (or, for many corporate users, they’re not even allowed to upgrade). It’s a big problem for Google if their ‘next generation of email’ isn’t able to be used by 60% of internet users.
Enter Google Chrome Frame.
Chrome Frame is a plugin for Internet Explorer versions 6, 7, and 8 – much like Flash or a PDF reader – which seamlessly allows Internet Explorer to use Google Chrome’s web technology support and fast JavaScript engine. Web developers simply need to add an HTML tag to their webpages, which will tell Internet Explorer to switch to using Chrome’s rendering engine for that site.
This is a fantastic solution to the issues outlined above for a number of reasons:
Initial tests by Computerworld have shown IE8 using Chrome Frame to be nearly 10 times faster than usual when processing JavaScript.
For more on Google Chrome Frame, take a look at this brilliant article from Jim Ray: http://jimray.tumblr.com/post/194793633/more-technical-details-about-google-chrome-frame
- James
Jul
13
2009
The world’s first web server – Tim Berners Lee’s NeXT Cube. Photo by sbission.
The web was born 20 years ago, and…
Two decades on, there are over 200 million websites and over one trillion unique URLs. An astounding 1.6 billion people use the web worldwide, and here in the UK the figure stands at over 70 per cent of the population.
Good article from TechRadar including 20 websites that changed the world.
Jul
2
2009
We have been itching to tell you about this, but it’s been under wraps.
The Audit Commission will give delegates at this week’s Local Government Association (LGA) conference their first look at the new ‘oneplace’ website we have been working on. To be launched in December this year, Oneplace replaces the working title of Comprehensive Area Assessment (CAA), giving independent information on the performance of local public services throughout England.
Visitors to the site will be able to access jargon-free, easy-to-read summaries of how local public services are doing in their area and around the country. There will also be links to detailed information from the independent inspectorates behind CAA – the Audit Commission, Ofsted, Care Quality Commission and Her Majesty’s Inspectorates of Constabulary, Prisons and Probation.
You can read more here and try out the prototype of the site. We’ll be able to show you more once the site is live.
Jan
16
2009
Instapaper is a really simple way to save web pages for reading later. They give you a little bookmarklet which you can stick in your browser’s bookmarks bar. Then, if you get to an article/page online that you don’t have to time to read just now, click the bookmark and the page will be added to your Instapaper list. Instapaper stores a link to the web page and also creates an easy-to-read text-only version of the page. This is especially handy for reading on the go, with the help of their iPhone application.
I’d certainly recommend it, and it seems everyone else loves it too.
From a web usability point of view, the site is incredibly easy to use. In particular, I really like the signup form:
You don’t even have to set a password! (Although you can later, once you’ve made the account). The barrier-to-entry here is so low, and it’s so easy to get started. It’s a refreshing change from pages-long signup forms that want your name, address, phone number, height, shoe size, favourite flavour of crisps… and something I think more sites should try and aspire to. As Luke Wroblewski says: Signup Forms Must Die!
- James
Dec
21
2008
YouTube has added the option to watch videos in HD.
Any uploaded movies that are wider than 720px will give you the option to watch in High Definition.
Take a look at this…
…and then watch it again making sure you click on the ‘watch in HD’ link.
Be warned, you need a pretty fast connection. If it’s too slow, YouTube won’t even show you the ‘watch in HD’ link.
Bring it on.
