Guide to Internet Cookies
Posted by Dave Wiltshire on August, 8th 2011If you are new to the internet then you could be forgiven for thinking that cookies are a type of delicious biscuit. If you’re not new to the internet then you will be aware that on 26 May 2011, the rules and regulations regarding cookies changed and that website owners have had to become more proactive in explaining to users how their details are used and stored.
We have put together a quick guide to cookies that will explain everything that you need to know about the regulation changes and what you can do to stay on the right side of the ICO.
What is a cookie?
A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that are downloaded to a device e.g. a computer or mobile phone when the user accesses certain websites. These cookies allow the website to recognise the user’s device.
There is usually nothing sinister at all [...]
Google to target China
Posted by Dave Wiltshire on February, 3rd 2011Google seems to be going from strength to strength with regards to its ever-increasing online portfolio; however, it doesn’t intend to stop where it is. No instead ex chief executive and new executive chairman of Google; Eric Schmidt claims that the web giant’s next move is to once again target the country of China.
In an interview with the BBC, Schmidt reluctantly expressed his and the company Google’s interests in China. He stated that although the company pulled out of communication with China in March last year, he hopes to re-conciliate the censorship differences and once again merge Google back into the country.
Schmidt believes that with careful website design taking in to consideration different cultural sensitivities, he does not see why countries such as China cannot benefit from Google. This along with the specific governments playing a role in watching what Google does with reference to policy concerns and anti-trust [...]
Facebook deals
Posted by Dave Wiltshire on February, 1st 2011The social networking site that is Facebook was originally launched as a, well social networking website, used as a means of communication. However, six years and 600 million fans on and this social networking site plays host to millions of pounds worth of advertising revenue.
Not only do companies advertise down the right hand side of the site, but now you can get specialised ‘Facebook deals’ just for ‘checking in’ via Facebook place apps to shops, cafes and other businesses. In return for using this app on your Smartphone, you can get deals on a number of products including 50% off a cup of coffee, extra dishes at your favourite restaurant or even free gifts. Wow!
The whole point of this venture is to get businesses involved with their customers. This may be due to the fact that many big-brand websites now have more fans on Facebook than they [...]
Amazon: Kindle Ebooks Outsell Paperbacks Online
Posted by Dave Wiltshire on January, 28th 2011Now this one came as a big surprise to me. If history has taught us anything it’s that paperback books really are priceless. I mean there are the original Shakespeare that are worth a staggering amount of money, the collectables that are the Peter Rabbit Chronicles and of course every other great novel out there that is somewhat of a classic.
Books really are treasured items that live on; they are read by one person, then passed on to another and so on, their trails often lasting a lifetime. So you can imagine my surprise and confusion when I read the headline ‘E-book downloads outsell paperbacks’, could the oldest classic alive ‘the book’ really be on its way to the recycling plant?
Over recent weeks Amazon has announced that in the United States the the Amazon website that more E-books for Amazon’s Kindle devices have been purchased than [...]
God vs the Devil, who gets more hits?
Posted by Dave Wiltshire on March, 25th 2010The eternal battle is still waging… but who gets more hits?
Phew, we are ok! God has payed a blinder there… just pipping Jesus to first place.
[...]Cloud Computing, Part III
Posted by Beth Still on November, 9th 2009As discussed in my previous articles, cloud computing is a system in which software programs and storage space can be accessed via the Internet. It can be used for hosting, thus eliminating the need for personal hosting services which can bog down. If you put your web design on a cloud server, you have instant access to computing power. As your needs grow, you can ramp up; as it ebbs, you release the servers back to the cloud.
There are several advantages to cloud computing:
• Scalability – easy to grow or shrink with demand
• Instantly available
• Save money – pay only for what you use
• No hardware to deal with
How it works:
Cloud computing involves surrendering control, which some people find liberating while it makes others very nervous. For instance, users of a site like Salesforce.com don’t know or care how the site is executed, how [...]
Cloud Computing – Concerns and Issues
Posted by Beth Still on November, 3rd 2009As I discussed in my last article on cloud computing, it is being called the Next Big Thing in web design, and it is steadily gaining ground in the business world. There is a lot of enthusiasm for this new frontier, but naturally there are many concerns among the “experts”.
The main concerns about cloud computing are security and privacy. The thought of handing your important data over to something called a “cloud” can be daunting. Nervous corporate executives might hesitate to take advantage of a cloud computing system because they feel like they’re surrendering control of their company’s information. Data inside the ‘cloud’ is outside a company’s firewall and that brings with it an intrinsic threat of risk, because services that companies outsource evade the physical, logical and personnel controls that I.T. shops wield over data maintained in-house. Other fears include:
• Risk of [...]
Cloud Computing – Usage and Advantages
Posted by Beth Still on November, 3rd 2009Cloud Computing has been called the Next Big Thing in web design, but just what is cloud computing? Very simply, it is a system whereby software programs and storage space can be accessed via the Internet. This allows companies to outsource the ownership and management of certain areas of its IT functionality (storage, mail room, fleet services, etc.) to a “black box” within the cloud. They probably don’t know what software or hardware is being used or what operating system it is running on, nor do they need to. This article discusses the usage and advantages of cloud computing.
Cloud computing evolved from the knowledge and experience of managed services, Internet services, application service providers, etc. Its technology is the result of a paradigm shift and is improving business computing because: (1) it is modular, compartmentalizing software applications and associated hardware and infrastructure; [...]
BuddyPress Camp!
Posted by Beth Still on October, 29th 2009Hey, all you WordPress/BuddyPress lovers: There is a camp just for you next month in New York, and word on the street says the camp t-shirts are nothing short of awesome. Not a WordPress–ario? Never heard of BuddyPress? Then this article will answer some of your burning question–about BuddyPress, specifically.
WordPress (WP) is an open source application that web developers use to publish blogs and basic content management. BuddyPress (BP) is an open source package built on top of WordPress that converts WP into a social network (think Facebook). Both are written in PHP scripting language.
BuddyPress does not enjoy the status, widespread use, or intricacies that Facebook and MySpace do; rather, it operates on a much smaller scale, and only in combination with WP. It inherits and extends upon the basic functions of the WordPress engine including plug-ins, themes, and [...]
Google Android 2.0 Debuts
Posted by Beth Still on October, 28th 2009Today Google rolled out its new operating system called “Android” (aka “Éclair”) to the web design community, and first reviews are very enthusiastic.
Some of the upgrades included in Android 2.0 are:
• an overhauled browser with a better user interface and HTML5 support
• the ability to search all saved SMS and MMS messages and automatically delete the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached
• support for multiple email accounts
• more comprehensive camera controls that support built-in flash, digital zoom, and scene mode
• improved keyboard layout makes it easier to hit the correct characters and increases typing speed
• “smarter” dictionary “learns” from and expands with word usage
• Bluetooth 2.1 support
• an upgraded version of Google Maps with layer support
And there’s more. Android’s voice control has its own dedicated dashboard and is embedded throughout the whole system. There is a new setup for contacts that [...]