Archive for July, 2008

Wordpress 2.6 is out

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

Wordpress 2.6 hit the streets Tuesday.

Download it

Please pass the Sharpie

Wednesday, July 16th, 2008

One important rule we try to follow @ Pemaquid is to always have 3-4 Sharpies and tall stacks of blank paper when meeting w/a Client to review design comps.

It’s the easiest way to sketch out your design thoughts visually. It’s faster than using a whiteboard, and it’s much easier to sketch out ajax or design interactions with Clients - especially those who aren’t particularly Web-savvy - than it is to try to explain it to them verbally.

Always Google a problem

Monday, July 14th, 2008

Google

The other day I had a problem - a big problem. My Photoshop locked up and wouldn’t run. It’s an old copy that runs on the Windows side of my Mac through Parallels.

Why am I running my Photoshop on Windows?? That’s a long story in and of itself and for another day.

I tried reinstalling. No luck. I figured maybe it was finally time to invest in CS3.

Before I pulled the trigger our Creative Services Coordinator, Sarah Hines, and I tried one last thing, something we occassionally do when we run into a programming conundrum: we Googled the arcane error message.

After sampling three suggested solutions Photoshop was back up and running. Amazing! On the other hand, I shouldn’t be too surprised.

The moral of the story? If you’re hamstrung by a problem, whether it’s a design issue or even a home repair issue, you might do well to at least give Google a shot.

iPhone 3G: it’s here

Thursday, July 10th, 2008

iphone 3G

Ah, yes! The moment you’ve all been waiting for - iPhone 3G is hitting the streets Friday. For me, it’s about time to get one. The other day it finally happened - a potential customer said to me: “My Web site doesn’t look quite right on my iPhone”.

Time to experience the ins and outs first hand.

Mobile and location-based computing is becoming ever more popular, and with Apple’s App Store throwing open its doors this morning I’m sure we’ll see an explosion of creativity as third-party developers rush to build cool applications for iPhone users.

On the other hand, those of us in Portland, Maine have to remember not to get too worked up about 3G - because we won’t have it. AT&T’s 3G network doesn’t extend into our neck of the woods (AT&T coverage map). The new iPhone also supposedly drinks battery juice more quickly.

Still, at half the price of the original iPhone ($199 vs. $399), and with all the possibilities for mobile application development, it’s time to dive into the pool.

Firefox 3 getting slurped up at a record pace

Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008

Firefox 3

More than 8 million people downloaded Firefox 3 in a 24-hour period, setting a world record, and more than 28 million download have taken place since the browser was released June 17.

BBC News »