Local Server Installation
Local Server Installation on Mac and Windows Hi folks. As promised, here's the first in a series of tips and tricks. This one is about how to go about a local server installation. On Mac or Windows. Why would you want to do this? Here are some scenarios: You're creating a brand new website and want to make sure it works properly before you commit to uploading to a live server. You're about to do an upgrade to an existing website but want to make sure all the core systems, content-management-system, plugins etc play nice together. You want to make [...]
Tips and Tricks
Tips and Tricks - Strategy, Print, Web, Coding, E-Learning, E-Commerce A happy new year to everyone! I hope that you all had a good holiday and are keen to get back to work! With that purpose in mind, I'm finally about to deliver on a promise I made some time ago. I'm going to create an area on this website purely devoted to helping people get good advice on a number of topics, particularly in the area of design, development and maintenance of websites, mobile applications, e-commerce and e-learning. This will take the form of a Blog, and it'll be a [...]
AshleyMadison Dating Site Hacked
The news that the ashleymadison.com dating site has been hacked probably raises more questions than can easily be answered in a single post. But what it really illustrates is that any company that gets on the wrong side of faceless digi-terrorists with intent, technical knowhow and persistence can be held to ransom. Whether you believe that a dating site like AshleyMadison has a legitimate place in our society or not is irrelevant. What's more important here is the way that the data was siphoned, the way that the company dealt with the threat, and the ramifications for all users of the site. [...]
Five-star review – can you trust it ?
Five-star review : Artificial Intelligence and Astroturfing. Imagine this. You're surfing the web, trying to find a particular product or service. You're reasonably well informed - you've checked out specifications, fitness for purpose and perhaps even canvassed friends for opinions. Before you part with your hard-earned cash, you'll probably check out some reviews online about the product or service. At this point you've almost come to a decision, but you want to confirm your logic. So you look at a bunch of reviews from a host of complete strangers. And make your final decision based on potentially questionable facts and star ratings. [...]
No iOS Zone WiFi attack
No iOS Zone WiFi attack. Imagine this - crossing the street or sitting in a moving taxi and suddenly your phone or iPad reboots. You're puzzled and annoyed, particularly since you may have been on the phone to a client or friend, perhaps in the middle of writing a long text message. So you wait for the phone (or iPad) to finish the reboot process. And then it does it again. And again. Right now, you're beyond annoyed. Almost in throw-the-phone-at-the-wall territory. The guy standing next to you is chatting away happily, but ten feet away, there's another person looking [...]
Mobile-Friendly Websites
Is your website Google Mobile-Friendly? Here's what Google say about their Mobile-Friendly rollout: Starting April 21, we will be expanding our use of mobile-friendliness as a ranking signal. This change will affect mobile searches in all languages worldwide and will have a significant impact in our search results. Consequently, users will find it easier to get relevant, high quality search results that are optimised for their devices. They have also published a testing tool, usability reports and other avenues to encourage webmasters convince clients to go mobile-friendly. You can test whether your site is mobile-friendly by using the Google Webmaster Tools Mobile-Friendly Test. If your [...]
DSLR Camera simulator
Photography - DSLR Camera simulator. Want to improve your digital photography and camera skills? Heres a couple of camera simulators that will help you make sense of aperture, focal length, depth of field, ISO, shutter speed, and the effect that changing these can have on your photographs. If you think that this will suddenly propel you to the great heights of artistic acceptance, then you might be a little disappointed. But if you use a camera simulator to give you an idea of what might happen when you have the courage to switch off the 'auto' button, you might actually find [...]
My website has been hacked!
My website has been hacked - A drama in 4 acts. The plot analysis and author's comment: Perhaps you might think that it's not such a great idea for a web developer to admit that his website has been hacked. We're supposed to be fully conversant with all the strange, weird and nasty ways that people with far too much time on their hands decide to use it. We should be above it, immune, savvy and untouchable. There's the first mistake. The reality is that even the most secure websites can eventually be broken. Just like the unsinkable Titanic, a website can [...]
Web Development Tips : Chrome Extensions
There are hundreds of Chrome Extensions available to make your browsing and development experience easier. I'm not going to concentrate on the end user experience here - instead I'll point out the kind of tools that make my life easier as a developer. Tools that allow me to get information faster, to diagnose problems and to deliver better product to my clients. In this post I've split the Chrome Extensions up into the following categories: Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) Accessibility Design Tools Developer Tools SEO: SEO & Website Analysis by woorank An easy-to-use Chrome Extension that quickly analyses a page and provides an [...]
It’s Time
This isn't about politics, or even time itself . It's about how our insatiable need for technology supersedes practicality. Before I dive into it, I'll remind you that I would class myself as a geek - I love technology, software, and all things that go beep. I've always wanted to own a time machine. But I've learned to be more pragmatic as my life has progressed and watched Dr Who instead. Some people may remember watching the Dick Tracy Show on television (an animated cartoon created a long time ago in 1961). The lead character, Dick Tracy had this amazing watch which completely captured [...]
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