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Book review: CMS Design Using PHP and JQuery |
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I was recently approached by Packt Publishing to review one of their new books, CMS Design using PHP and JQuery. They mentioned that I'm always talking about JQuery so thought I'd be an ideal test subject.
I've dabbled in some PHP, and JQuery is an everyday tool in my arsenal so I was more than happy to give it a read.
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The mathematics of solving the UK snow problem |
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So I got to thinking, what do I do when it snows? I get out there and I clear it off. I grab the shove/broom and I clear it out of the way. What would happen if the able bodied population of the country did the same, instead of sitting around complaining? Manpower is free, and its readily available.
This article examines the theoretical maths involved in that idea.
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Sensationalist mobile usage claims - is mobile usage changing? |
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http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/1932583/offers-unlimited-smartphones
Its all about data plans from '3' and how they have gone from a 1 gig limit to an unlimited tariff.
The problem with the article is this quote, from Marc Allera, Three's sales and marketing director.
"We expect to see more people using mobiles than PCs to access the internet by 2015."
It's the sort of sensationalist statement that is supposed to create a band-wagon, let alone entice people to jump on it.
My point is that the mobile revolution is already here. It is taking place already. People are subtly integrating smart mobile devices into heir everyday life, without really realising it. The statement above is supposed to make you think, "Hey why aren't I using my phone for all my surfing! I need to do that too!".
The reality is far different. Your home pc (or Mac) is a multi functioning beast. It plays the role of several different appliances, all happily bundled into one. You surf, play games, do your banking, watch TV and a whole host of other activities, because it is an adaptable technology platform.
Your smart mobile device is not a replacement product. It's not even in competition.
To quote a recent argument I was involved in, if a PC/Mac is a 'Car' then a smart mobile device is a 'motorbike'. They both fulfil similar roles, but in totally different ways. Just as you would use each type of transport for specific journeys, you would use your pc/phone for different tasks. To suggest that the functionality of the two is totally interchangeable is wrong.
Suggesting that more people are going to use a mobile to browse the internet on does not signify an increase in mobile browsing, it signifies a fundamental shift in how people use the internet. And that sort of social change is never driven by technology.
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Why develop cross browser designs - why not code to specific browser strengths? |
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I've been working for a marketing Agency for the best part of a year now, and one of the things that always rear's its head in a digital project is the compatibility of designs in multiple browsers.
We have all encountered differences in design compatibility and functionality due to the browser vendor and version number, but the usual course of action is try and code solutions that address the differences in browsers in an effort to make them look and work in the same way.
This article examines why that is the case, and I put forward the argument that by doing this you are spending valuable project time trying to ensure the same user experience on different browsers, when it may be a much better idea to use that same development time coding to the strengths of each of those browsers, to create a more rich user experience instead of a more generic one.
