Smush website design

The iPad: first reactions

James — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Yesterday about 6pm GMT time Steve Jobs took to the stage to announce what was probably the worst kept secret in recent industry times. The Apple tablet, now known to be called the iPad. Rumours have been rife for months now about what it will look like, what performance specs it will have and what features it will have. Well here is a brief rundown of the confirmed facts.

Dimensions – 9.5 inches x 7.5 inches x 0.5 inches
Weight – 1.5 pounds (1.6 pounds for 3G)
Chip – 1 GHz Apple A4
Screen size – 9.7inches
Resolution – 1024×768px
Memory – 16Gb, 32Gb or 64Gb solid state drive
Battery life – 10 hours use. On standby it will last over a month.
Other – Accelerometer, Microphone, 30-pin connector, Compass, full capacitive multi-touch, Bluetooth 2.1, 802.11n Wi-Fi, 3G access on higher-end models

In summary its fast, light and basically a giant version of the iPod Touch with a few extra’s. Apple have stuck with the familiar iPod Touch & iPhone style interface with a home button and all the icons laid on on screens so familiar to users of those devices and easy to pick up for novice users.
Apple have introduced a new SDK for the iPad which will enable developers to build apps specifically for the iPad however all apps in the AppStore at the moment will also be able to run on the device. Apps already released will have the option of running in their standard resolutions or a “double pixel” mode which will enable them to run in full screen on the iPad. If you imagine the iPad to be a large version of the iPhone or iPod Touch then you wont be far off. The keyboard has also been enlarged but it will be a matter of personal choice as to whether you type using thumbs or all 10 digits like a standard desktop or laptop keyboard.
Included in the standard set of apps is pretty much the norm. Email, Safari, Maps etc. Safari still doesn’t have Flash capabilities however which is bad news for some web developers. Maps has a similar interface to the iPhone as does Email, however some new features such as message previews have been added. The photo app did get a big update to make it look more like the desktop version of iPhoto. Some new multi-touch inputs were added to make viewing and managing pictures easier.
In terms of connectivity all models come with 802.11n WiFi as should be expected but for about £80 more you can have a 3G enabled device. The bonus is you do not need to sign a contract with AT&T, the official launch partner. You pay for the 3G access you require on a monthly basis, currently priced at £9.23 for 250mb per month. This however is based on the US version and details of the UK pricing is yet to be fully worked out so expect it to change. The iPad uses a microGSM connection so it is not specifically bound to one carrier however not all 3G networks support this technology so options could be limited initially.
With the recent release of Amazon’s Kindle device eBooks have become more popular but Apple weren’t far behind in that department either. The new iBooks application is a direct stab at the competition offering an easy way to purchase and download books from Penguin, Simon and Schuster, HarperCollins and Macmillian and Hachette. These 5 are the confirmed publishers at the launch but expect more to be added later. Whether or not Apple has managed to steal the glory from Amazon remains to be seen but with the competitive price of the iPad being just £6 more than the Kindle its more likely to be when not if Apple sales overtake the Kindle.
The iPad also does movies. Purchasing a movie from the iTunes store will save it onto the pad and allow you to choose chapters or play the whole movie just like most DVD players. The other bonus is HD viewing but not through an external screen. The one downside to films is that this screen is not widescreen so there is a lot of black space top and bottom when viewing in widescreen mode. This may be resolved in future releases but nothing has been confirmed. In essence its good for watching films but nothing new or exciting.
As far as games go the iPad already has an impressive library inherited from the iPod Touch and iPhone market. All of these games will be compatible with the new device and new ones are predicted as well. At the launch event two games, N.O.V.A and Need for Speed were demonstrated. As you would expect, they were much like their smaller brothers but shown on a larger HD screen looked impressive. The first-person shooter N.O.V.A showed off some new gestures such as sliding two fingers to throw a grenade and using three fingers to open doors. Need for Speed used the accelerometer to steer and the touch pad to accelerate and brake as well as gestures to change the view. All in all developers will be able to use more input options to provide better and more immersive games. The iPad is certainly not up to the standard of a PC or console when it comes to gaming but it is not far off and catching up.
Aside from all the fun and leisure aspects of the iPad there are also arguments that it could replace the laptop as a main device. In terms of work and productivity a version of iWork developed specifically for the touch screen interface has been released and will be available from the iTunes App Store. Included in the package are Keynote, Apples standard presentation making software with the ability to easily add slides, make changes and browse the slides in a project. Pages will allow documents to be written and saved. The multi-touch interface allows pictures to be dragged and dropped into the text using auto-wrap as well as other standard formatting options. Spreadsheets and data-cells are all handled by Numbers. As well as creating various documents these apps will allow you to open and edit Microsoft Office documents from Word, Excel and Powerpoint.
Now the important part. Price. While some thought the iPad would retail as high as the £600+ mark the actual price was a pleasant shock. The cheapest model (16Gb + WiFi) comes in at around £307. The full list of prices is:

£307 – 16Gb + WiFi
£368 – 32Gb + WiFi
£387 – 16Gb + WiFi + 3G
£430 – 64Gb + WiFi
£448 – 32Gb + WiFi + 3G
£510 – 64Gb + WiFi + 3G

This is a pleasant surprise of the whole deal however this does not factor in the price of your WiFi or 3G connection although even that will work out cheap.
The iPad is found to be lacking though. There is no camera which would have been useful for video conferencing or taking pictures. There is still no support for running multiple apps at the same time. This is essential for any sort of productivity, even for simple things like checking working on a Pages document while referring to figures in a Numbers document. Hopefully this will be fixed in a future Apple update. There is also no HDMI output or USB connection. You won’t be able to watch movies or work on a larger screen and you are stuck with the default keyboard.
There is a list of features which would have been nice to see such as flash support and USB connectivity but for a first generation device its is a good start. We can expect updates in future editions.
Available from late March but if you want an iPad with 3G you will have to wait a little longer. No matter if you plan on using the device as a peripheral or instead of your laptop the iPad is sure to make waves in the industry as a first generation device. Will you be getting one? Have a vote in our sidebar poll.

The end of Internet Explorer as we know it?

James — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:08:59 +0000

First the German, now French and Australian governments have all joined in urging their citizens to stop using Microsoft Internet Explorer after it discovered major security leaks which may have helped exploit Google’s GMail system in China recently.
For years IE has become a bain in a web developers life, IE6 in particular has caused many headaches by seemingly randomly choosing which W3C standards to implement. In recent years this has begun to change with Firefox becoming more widespread and Google’s Chrome being heavily advertised not just on the Internet but on roadside billboards, but with Microsoft bundling IE with every version of Windows many users are unaware of the choices or unsure of how to switch browser.
Worse still are the users who are unable to change because IE is forced upon them by their school or business IT system. Are these systems opening themselves up to more attacks or do they boost their security in other places?
Microsoft released information regarding the problem which affects all versions of the browser with the exception of version 5.01 on Windows 2000. Microsoft’s German offices reacted to the Governments statement by saying "These were not attacks against general users or consumers. There is no threat to the general user, consequently we do not support this warning.", they also advised users to install the latest browser and use a high security zone.
Microsoft have been facing accusations of creating a monopoly on the browser market by including Internet Explorer with every release of Windows but could these various governments calling for users to try other browsers really swing the balance?

Book Review: Website Owners Manual

James — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:17:47 +0000

I recently purchased a copy of the Website Owners Manual by Paul Boag (@boagworld). This book is anything but the normal "How to write a website" book. It is aimed at those who manage the whole process of website development, deployment and day to day upkeep of websites.
Paul himself is the host of the popular podcast on Boagworld and co-founder of Headscape, a UK based web design agency. His main goal in the industry is helping to acheive better communication between website developers / owners and their clients and stakeholders and this is the whole point of this book. It explains every aspect of a site only leaving out the technical side.
What is covered?
The book takes you on the complete journey of a website from initial concept through to testing, promotion and engaging your users.

Secrets to a successful website (Download chapter as PDF)
Stress-free planning
The perfect team
Differences over design
Creating killer content
User centric design
Ensuring access for all
Taking control
Decoding technobabble
Driving traffic
Engaging your visitors
Planning for the future

In each chapter, Paul uses his vast experience to guide the website owner through each section using proven strategies from start to finish.
The chapters tackle common problems that all those involved will tackle on one project or another e.g. design by committee, how to give good feedback and creating user persona’s. Each chapter concludes with a set of action points which can be used as a summary of each chapter and also to build an action plan for your site and the steps you should take. This is a welcome break from other more technical books which miss the little details like this and is what makes this book stand out from the crowd.

If you have any part in a website project either as a manager or developer then this book is for you. There is a huge amount of information packed into the 259 pages of content and every single bit is invaluable.

If you want to get your hands on a copy then try:

Life through a lens

James — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 10:31:56 +0000

There is a growing danger that we are experiencing less these days. Ok, bear with me on this one. With the invention and growing popularity of digital cameras, internet enabled phones and other gadgetry, how many of us are guilty of spending ages fiddling with settings for the perfect shot or looking up a holiday destination on our iPhone and sticking to all the well documented tourist spots which have turned more English than parts of England for example.

This desire for instant and excellent results seems to be taking us away from the actual sights, sounds and smells of life that we miss through distraction. Gone are the days when you come home from holiday with a bunch of blurry photos and tell everyone exactly what you saw because the picture really doesn’t quite capture the full scene. Quite often people get home, download their photos onto a disc and forget about them, they rarely come out for months after to be shown off to friends and family.

Life in digital has its benefits, that is not being doubted but would it not be better to leave the camera on auto, take one shot and then really experience what you are there to see, whether it be local culture, a party or the zoo. Next time you are searching for a good restaurant, don’t search the internet for a 5 star review, take yourselves off on a drive or walk and see what you find, or speak to the locals, avoid the tourist hotspots and you find the real gems of local cuisine.

Digital is good but it can’t capture feelings.

The illusion of Web 2.0

Smush — Wed, 20 May 2009 10:35:13 +0000

Here are Smush HQ we like to keep up with the latest and greatest in technology but one thing has been bugging us about the last few developments, namely Web 2.0. For those of you still with Web 1.0, Web 2.0 is the perceived change from static web pages to online communities. Content created by the people for the people, sharing all aspects of our lives with the world.
This is a natural progression for the Web without a doubt. From the days of tacky animated gif’s and javascript mouse effects, people started adding user logins and therefore it seemed natural that the member or user should contribute to the site as well. The term Web 2.0 however has, in our opinion been over used and over rated. We have read a few design briefs recently which ask for a logo with a ‘Web 2.0 feel’. How can a logo convey the Web 2.0 feel of a brand when Web 2.0 is merely a concept of phrase for people sharing. We still fail to see how the Twitter of Facebook logos have a Web 2.0 ‘feel’. Don’t get us wrong however, we love the concept of Web 2.0, user generated content is great and we regularly use Twitter and Facebook but use the term wisely and you will go far in the internet world.

New Services

Smush — Mon, 11 May 2009 10:39:58 +0000

We have launched some new services here at Smush. The keen eyed among you will no doubt have noticed a few changes to our site. In addition to our web design and development we are also offering a Kent based photography service. This is open to anyone in the world but we will try to source and snap the pictures from the Kent area. We work to spec so let us know what you are after.

Opportunities

Smush — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 11:04:43 +0000

A few days ago we were approached by a home baking business to design and build their site to boost their online profile. Not so exciting you may think but it has given me time to get in touch with another of my passions. Photography. There is nothing better than grabbing a camera on when you have some free time and going out and about snapping the local area or further out of town. It is amazing at what you can find so close to home yet never knew about. Expect some further Smush photos soon, watch this space.
At smush we have also recently re-discovered Fail Blog. Check it out because the sheer amount of fails is huge ranging from sublime to ridiculous.
In other projects we are ahead of time and on target so bonus! Also trying to find some free time to attend Kent 2020, will keep you posted and maybe see you there.

Apologies

James — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:06:58 +0000

For the moment we have had to disable comments on our blog posts due to continued mis-use. We are looking into the problem and will endeavour to get blogs back up and running as soon as possible.
On a lighter note, the re-design is almost ready to enter beta testing so hopefully it shouldn’t be too long now. That is assuming Internet Explorer plays ball. As we have mentioned several times before. We won’t discount IE from our extensive testing regimes but as a plea to Microsoft – “Please sort it out!”

Oh the irony

James — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 11:09:45 +0000

There is a certain irony that the post about spam has prompted us to take measures against robots and the like from posting random and totally pointless comments on our blog. To all of our genuine readers, we apologise for having to type a meaningless string in order to submit a comment. To all of the robots out there, give up!! Its pointless and us developers can guard against you quicker than you can try to attack us.
In other news, work on our client area is progressing steadily, we have started a new project for the East Kent School of Life Saving. They are after a re-design of their current site so we are able to stretch our designing minds and have some fun with new designs.
You can also now follow us on Facebook!! We have our own page here where you can join in discussions with others, and see our work.

Spam! and all it’s delights.

James — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:12:52 +0000

Each and every day everyone with an email address receives huge waves of junk mail offering all sorts of goodies ranging from viagra (and other pills) to free accident compensation, from loans to delectable offers of earning thousands of dollars for holding some money for a rich Nigerian bank who don’t seem to have their own account.
Some people block spam so never see it, some have become wise to such scams, some only wise to the blindingly obvious ones. Just the other day I saw an email supposedly from PayPal saying that my PayPal account access had been limited due to the fact that someone had tried to access my account which wasn’t me. They then proceeded to ask me if I could scan in my Passport and a recent utility bill or bank statement and email them to security@paypalfraudcheck.co.uk. Maybe being ‘tech-savvy’ helps a bit but who would do such a thing and give ‘PayPal’ details which they don’t even have in the first place?
Have these scams ever worked? On the one hand probably yes as you hear stories of people giving out details to others they have never met and subsequently complaining when they get ripped off. If you are approached in the street and asked to hand over money you would assume you were being robbed and given half the chance you would most likely not hand over your money so why do the same over the internet? This is just one side of the solution to spam however.
The flip side is to prevent scammers getting your address in the first place. This responsibility lies in part with the internet public but also with the sites that we use. If these sites did not make our email addresses available then the scammers would have fewer addresses. Yes scripts can be written to randomly (or systematically) generate email addresses and written well then all addresses can be found but the amount of computing power that would take would probably not be worth the return as the script would run indefinitely.
The simple short term answer to spam? Change your email address and don’t give it out to anyone.