Google has offered its protocol for map information, KML, as an open standard, Google announced today. Geospatial information is getting ever more accessible thanks to bodies like Google and geonames. Their efforts mean that it's easier than ever to extract a list of locations and turn them into an online map - and better still- without paying someone! This further opening up can only be good news
New viruses can often get around anti-virus software because anti-virus software just doesn't know about them. Here are our top tips for avoiding viruses:
We use two main languages for developing software - PHP and C#. Because of the way the internet is maturing, these two languages are converging in terms of the number of features they offer, and in terms of syntax. If you consider that C# started out (essentially) as Visual Basic, and PHP started out with very little support for Object Oriented Programming, you'll understand what I mean about converging - although they are still far enough apart for techies to splutter into their Red Bull at the sentence above.
Traditionally, PHP has been the open source option and C# the commercial option with all the whizz-bang features and tools. But there's an amazing new piece of software on the block - the mono project - which is an open source version of C#. Well, I say new - it's now into version 1.9, but it has had little exposure.
We're fans of the mono project, although there are technical reasons why we don't use it for commercial projects at the moment - and I guess until they're solved, the lack of exposure will go on. One problem is that there is no development tool for mono aimed at Windows users.
So come on Miguel de Icaza, help us out!
Internet Explorer 8 (Beta version) is now available for download from www.microsoft.com. But beware! If your job involves testing websites against Internet Explorer 7, make sure you download 8 onto a spare machine. IE8 wipes out IE7 rather than installing alongside. What it does offer is an 'IE7 emulation mode' which you can get just by pressing a button. However, we've already found a flaw, in that IE7 used to make you click Flash components to 'activate' them befor eyou could use them, whereas IE8/IE7 emulator doesn't. Not not quite an IE7 emulator then, Bill.
There's no sharper reminder that testing is crucial than the recent BA/BAA baggage handling fiasco.
Systems can be perfectly specified, schedules can be finely honed, bosses can be ready, but if they haven't made sure that testing is going to happen (and made time for it, no matter what) then things will go wrong.
Proper testing reproduces the 'live' situation as closely as possible, thus making sure that, as far as can be known, the reproducible parts of the system will almost certainly work.
Social networking is finding new applications in localised recommendations, reports the BBC, at the same time slightly surpised that social networking is still going on.
Social networking, like the internet itself, is here to stay, and I reckon people are going to be finding new applications for it for at least the next 5 years.... not that local recommendations are new of course... multimap did this many years ago, although it seems to have dropped that particular feature now.
If you're selling things online - from toys to ties, courses to memberships, it's likely that you'll want to take payment for some or all of those purchases. For that, you'll usually need a 'payment provider' - such as your bank, or a 3rd party system like Worldpay or Paypal.
We've worked with a few commercial payment systems, and there are a few factors you need to take into consideration when choosing a provider.
If your volume is low to start with, it's worth choosing a system that offers a very low annual fee - but may add a bit more onto each payment. Worldpay offers such a system , and we've found them very reliable.
If your volume is high, you may be better off using your bank's proprietary system or another provider geared to high volume. HSBC offers a great system and we've integrated with them successfully in the past.
Paypal is a 'love it or loathe it' system which some of our customers have implemented. It stores your card details for future use, which can be a benefit, but it does mean remembering a paypal password when you want to use the same card again.
It's certainly worth researching the choices and asking your web developer if they're able to develop your website with a particular payment provider in mind.
Arthur C Clarke has died, at 90. He was one of my childhood heroes, writing great science fiction and seeing what was possible many years before it could be made real, including forseeing communications satellites and many aspects of the internet. BBC article here.
If you've browsed the BBC Technology column any time in the last few months, you could be forgiven for thinking that the virtual world 'Second Life' was the future of online interaction.
'Second Life' has certainly made an impact in the real world, with people earning real money, and not just through buiding Second Life 'stuff' for other people - for example there is a lawyer whose main office is located in the virtual world - and he finds clients this way. But I don't see living in 3d as the ultimate evolution of the web. Rather, I think a fusion of worlds will happen - where more websites make use of 3d, audio, and video, and indeed our concept of browsers and websites may shift - but we won't have to immerse ourselves in a pretend world in order to interact with people and businesses online.
Yahoo have made some statements about support of the 'semantic web':
http://www.ysearchblog.com/archives/000527.html
The semantic web is about web pages that are structured to give search engines more specific information about what is being said. Instead of just matching words to your search terms, search engines will start to understand which web pages directly address your search, and how.
This is good news for everyone, as websites will be able to include features that bring them to the attention of users who are doing revelant searches, and users are more likely to find what they are looking for.
We look forward to hearing more in the coming months.
As we put our new website live, after months of hard work on our company branding and on the website itself, it's time to stand back and look at why we thought we needed a re-brand.
Our logo blends together symbols of water and the ox: representing the dynamic, forward-thinking and strong trustworthy nature of the company, while at the same time linking us to our home city of Oxford, UK.
Although we're all about making websites work, we're also proud to be in this beautiful city and to contribute to the booming business economy here.
We hope that you enjoy the new branding and website.
