World Web News

Inspiration: Awesome Book-Related Website Designs

If you’re a book lover, you may have noticed that the vast majority of book-related websites out there leave a bit to be desired when it comes to design and information architecture. In fact, some author and publisher websites make me feel like my eyes might bleed! But there are some gems out there, and we’ve [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 11 Mar 2010 | 5:20 am GMT

Sony shows off motion controller

Sony unveils its new motion controller the PlayStation Move, as a contender to market leader Nintendo Wii.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 11 Mar 2010 | 3:57 am GMT

Quick Tip: The Difference Between Live() and Delegate()

In jQuery 1.3, the team introduced the live() method, which allows us to bind event handlers to elements on the page, as well as any that might be created in the future dynamically. Though not perfect, it definitely proved to be helpful. Most notably, live() bubbles all the way up, and attaches the handler to [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 10 Mar 2010 | 6:03 pm GMT

Internet up for Nobel Peace Prize

The internet is among a record 237 individuals and organisations nominated for this year's Nobel Peace Prize.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 4:57 pm GMT

Uncovering Toy Cameras and Polaroid Vintage Effects (With Photoshop Tutorials)

Since its emergence, the digital photography market has gradually supplanted the traditional one. APN and digital SLR cameras entered our lives, and some people announced the death of silver-based images. This is not all lie, and yet old-fashioned images have been particularly popular in the past few years. All we do seem to do now is try to recreate the atmosphere of those bygone times anyway. Blurry, distorted and over-saturated images are not just a fad anymore. People have became familiar with the style and even consider it a full-fledged photographic genre.

And this is where toy cameras play a role. These devices, made entirely of plastic, including often the lens itself, are not only toys. Sure, they cost next to nothing and have no controls to speak of, but this is what people like about them: they create unpredictable pictures, with equally unpredictable vintage effects. Once you understand this, the rest is a beautiful game. Take them anywhere, anytime, and photograph whatever you like.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 10 Mar 2010 | 2:23 pm GMT

Mobile phone allows boss to snoop

Mobile technology that could allow prying bosses to monitor every movement of their staff is developed in Japan.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 12:53 pm GMT

Facebook calls for 'iconic games'

Facebook calls on game designers to make an iconic title, such as Mario or Halo, specifically for the social network.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 11:19 am GMT

File-sharing sanctions 'unfair'

Illegal file-sharers should be fined, rather than have their internet connection cut off, says the boss of BT.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 10:39 am GMT

dot.Rory

BT's boss comes out fighting on file-sharing rules

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 10:20 am GMT

Final Fantasy

Costumed fans queue for launch

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 10:16 am GMT

Banking fraud 'moves to internet'

Fraudsters are continuing their switch from traditional card fraud to raiding online bank accounts, research suggests.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 10 Mar 2010 | 10:12 am GMT

Dotcom Crash

10 years on from when the Nasdaq bubble burst

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:27 pm GMT

Nanotech 'fuse' for novel battery

A never-before-seen reaction in nanotubes could make for batteries that pack a mighty punch, say researchers.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 5:17 pm GMT

Sony eyeing June launch of 3D TV

Electronics giant Sony says its new 3D television will be on sale in Japan from June, with a cost of £2,600 for a 46-inch screen model.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 4:42 pm GMT

Save Time and Money by Systematizing your Photoshop Workflow

Repetitive tasks can quickly become tedious. As a designer, you probably often find yourself designing the same elements over and over from scratch. STOP! Wasting time is so old-fashioned. It also means you’re wasting money! So, let’s review some ways that you can automate and systematize your Photoshop workflow. And be sure to download the project [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 9 Mar 2010 | 3:29 pm GMT

Games migrate to the social side

The merging of social networks and games is set to dominate this year's Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 2:25 pm GMT

Facebook death 'lessons to learn'

The home secretary says internet safety lessons must be learned after a convicted sex offender contacts and kills a teenager.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 1:48 pm GMT

Porn net domain name plan revived

A plan to create a .xxx net domain for adult content will be revisited three years after it was rejected by internet regulators.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:51 am GMT

Hard drive evolution could hit XP

Hard drives are about to undergo one of the biggest format shifts in 30 years but it could cause problems for Windows XP users.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:29 am GMT

dot.Maggie

Dotcom crash: Where were you on 10 March 2000?

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 11:23 am GMT

Skynet satellite system extended

Skynet 5, the UK's single biggest space project, is to get a fourth satellite to up the bandwidth available to British forces.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 9 Mar 2010 | 10:17 am GMT

Web Standards for E-books

E-books aren’t going to replace books. E-books are books, merely with a different form. More and more often, that form is ePub, a format powered by standard XHTML. As such, ePub can benefit from our nearly ten years’ experience building standards-compliant websites. That's great news for publishers and standards-aware web designers. Great news for readers, too. Our favorite genius, Joe Clark, explains the simple why and how.

Source: A List Apart | 9 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

Flash and Standards: The Cold War of the Web

You’ve probably heard that Apple recently released the iPad. The absence of Flash Player on the device seems to have awakened the HTML5 vs. Flash debate. Apparently, it’s the final nail in the coffin for Flash. Either that, or the HTML5 community is overhyping its still nascent markup language update. The arguments run wide, strong, and legitimate on both sides. Yet both sides might also be wrong. Designer/developer Dan Mall is equally adept at web standards and Flash; what matters, he says, isn't technology, but people.

Source: A List Apart | 9 Mar 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

Entering The Wonderful World of Geo Location

I thought I could not be out-geeked. With a background in radio, and having dabbled in the demo scene on the Commodore 64 and hung out on BBSes and IRC for a long time and all the other things normal kids don't quite get, I thought I was safe in this area.

Then I went to my first WhereCamp, an unconference dealing with geographical issues and how they relate to the world of Web development. Even my A-Levels in Astronomy did not help me there. I was out-geeked by the people who drive and tweak the things that we now consider normal about geo-location on the Web.

Pulling out your phone, find your location and getting directions to the nearest bar is easy, but a lot of work has gone into making that possible. The good news is that because of that effort, mere geo-mortals like you and me can now create geographically aware products using a few lines of code. So, let's give the geo-community a big hand.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 8 Mar 2010 | 11:56 pm GMT

US eases sanctions for freer web

The US eases sanctions on Iran, Cuba and Sudan to help further the use of internet services and support opposition groups.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 8 Mar 2010 | 6:25 pm GMT

Quick Tip: My Favorite New IDE: WebStorm

Over the weekend, Elijah Manor tweeted about a new IDE, called WebStorm, that is currently being offered as a public preview, from JetBrains. After spending a few hours with it, I’m extremely impressed! In this video quick tip, I thought I’d show you some of my favorite features that you, frankly, just don’t see much [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 8 Mar 2010 | 5:28 pm GMT

Uncovering jQuery’s Hidden Features

jQuery is not always as it appears. There's a lot of cool stuff going on under the surface, and there are many methods just waiting to be discovered, and many potential usages of jQuery's API that you may not have considered before. In this article I'll be taking you through a few of the not-so-obvious [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 8 Mar 2010 | 4:15 pm GMT

Weak questions put e-mail at risk

Questions used as security checks on websites need to be replaced by better tests to see who someone is, say researchers.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 8 Mar 2010 | 12:02 pm GMT

Vital statistics

Explore the inner workings of the web and its growth

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 8 Mar 2010 | 10:24 am GMT

Common Questions About Design Professionalism

The design profession is full of happy folks, and understanding why so many designers enjoy their work is not hard. But not all are so happy. If you’re not careful, the joy of getting paid to pursue your passion can be tainted by the less joyous realities of the professional world. You see, no matter how skilled you are as a designer, unless you are equally prepared in professional matters, your prospects will be limited and your circumstances compromised. This is true whether you work freelance, for an agency or in-house with a company.

Every week I hear from designers who are struggling to come to terms with these realities. Unhappy with their current circumstances, they write to ask for advice on improving their lot. Usually, they either claim not to understand how things got so bad, or they lay the blame somewhere other than at their own feet. In every case, however, the sole cause is their poor choices and lack of professional acumen. It needn’t be so.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 8 Mar 2010 | 9:48 am GMT

Internet access 'a human right'

Almost four in five people worldwide see internet access as a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 8 Mar 2010 | 8:52 am GMT

Well-rounded

Indian computer graduates get etiquette classes

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 7 Mar 2010 | 6:41 am GMT

Handy Tools and Tips for E-Commerce Websites

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 6 Mar 2010 | 10:47 am GMT

How to Create a Simple iTunes-like Slider

When space is at a premium, making use of sliders is the optimal way to present information. Today, we’ll take a look at how to create a slider similar to the one used in the iTunes store. Developers often seek the functionality provided by sliders in order to fit lots of information in [...]

Source: Nettuts+ | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:40 pm GMT

Sun spotters protect the Earth

Your help is needed to watch the surface of the Sun

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 5:33 pm GMT

Print Magazines for Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers

Although much valuable information for all sorts of web and print professionals can be found online, it is often difficult to weed through all the noise and find good quality content. I believe it's vital that professionals in different creative fields supplement their online learning and research through well-edited and high-quality print publications.

Print magazines, more often than not, are well-researched and are headed by top-notch editorial staff, usually containing information and resources on the cutting edge of their respective industries' trends and happenings. To that end, to help you fulfill part of your offline research needs, I've compiled a list of print magazines that are of interest to professionals in three different categories: Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers. And be sure to comment so you can tell us your personal favourite print magazine, if you don't see it listed here.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 5 Mar 2010 | 1:32 pm GMT

Drug scam hijacks college sites

UK university websites are targeted by criminals peddling counterfeit drugs from fake online pharmacies.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 5 Mar 2010 | 11:00 am GMT

Redesign and Other Tuts News

Source: Nettuts+ | 5 Mar 2010 | 6:48 am GMT

Quick Tip: The HTML 5 Audio Element

Source: Nettuts+ | 4 Mar 2010 | 9:43 pm GMT

12 Steps to MooTools Mastery

Source: Nettuts+ | 4 Mar 2010 | 4:35 pm GMT

Beautiful Illustrator Artworks By Artists Around The World

Adobe Illustrator is a powerful software for illustrating that allows users to produce beautiful artwork, technical illustrations, and even graphics for both print and the web. Adobe Illustrator is a multipurpose vector illustration tool and its versatility makes it the most preferred choice among many professional artists and designers.

In the past, we've published a collection of Beautiful Photoshop Illustrations By Artists Around The World, and this is the latest post that will showcase the power of Adobe Illustrator. We present here hundreds of brilliant illustrations by artists from around the world that will surely mesmerize you and stir your imagination. Have a look, and feel the power of Illustrator!

We recognize that there are many more highly-talented illustrators that may not be mentioned here. We can't cover them all, but with your help we can try to showcase them in future posts. Please feel free to comment on this article and mention the name of your favorite artist.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 4 Mar 2010 | 11:10 am GMT

Coding a Complex Design into CSS and HTML: New Plus Tutorial

Source: Nettuts+ | 3 Mar 2010 | 10:07 pm GMT

How To Market Your Mobile Application

App Store is a competitive environment. Against more than 140,000 apps, all screaming for attention, how do you make sure your app gets its time in the spotlight? What does it take to get good media coverage? How do you get people to talk about your app—and, ideally, how do you get them to buy it and show it to their friends?

Following the simple rules laid out below, you will increase your chances in the battle for fame and glory. These tips might seem rudimentary or in-your-face obvious, but they are so often neglected in the heat of the moment.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 3 Mar 2010 | 11:59 am GMT

Web Design Criticism: A How-To

Web design is a relatively young field. It's youthful, growing and made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds, many of whom lack formal design training. We have learned, and still are learning, as we go. I came into my first job as a Web designer for Boeing back in the mid-1990s, with no formal design training. I was lucky to get some training on the job, and I would guess that my experience there was similar to that of many who are reading this article.

I had the opportunity to work with some very talented and highly experienced designers who all had made the jump from other design fields to the Web. It was there, as part of that training, that I learned about critiquing, both giving and receiving, through regular design reviews.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 2 Mar 2010 | 1:56 pm GMT

Has copyright gone too far?

Has copyright gone too far? asks Bill Thompson.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 2 Mar 2010 | 12:14 pm GMT

Naples' online 'ethical' city

The web community founded on morals and manners

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 1 Mar 2010 | 12:33 pm GMT

The Future Of CSS Typography

There has been an increasing and sincere interest in typography on the web over the last few years. Most websites rely on text to convey their messages, so it's not a surprise that text is treated with utmost care. In this article, we'll look at some useful techniques and clever effects that use the power of style sheets and some features of the upcoming CSS Text Level 3 specification, which should give Web designers finer control over text.

Keep in mind that these new properties and techniques are either new or still in the works, and some of the most popular browsers do not yet support them. But we feel it's important that you, as an informed and curious Web designer, know what's around the corner and be able to experiment in your projects.

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 1 Mar 2010 | 10:20 am GMT

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: March 2010

Desktop wallpapers can serve as an excellent source of inspiration. However, if you use some specific wallpaper for a long period of time, it becomes harder to draw inspiration out of it. That’s why we have decided to supply you with smashing wallpapers over 12 months. And to make them a little bit more distinctive from the usual crowd, we’ve decided to embed calendars for the upcoming month. So if you need to look up some date, isn’t it better to show off a nice wallpaper with a nice calendar instead of launching some default time application?

This post features 50 free desktop wallpapers, created by designers across the globe. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free.

Please notice:

• all images can be clicked and lead to the preview of the wallpaper;
• you can feature your work in our magazine by taking part in our desktop wallpaper calendar series. We are regularly looking for creative designers and artists to be featured on Smashing Magazine. Are you one of them?

So what wallpapers have we received for March 2010?

Source: Smashing Magazine Feed | 28 Feb 2010 | 10:43 am GMT

Will people pay for net news?

Can newspapers charge online and survive?

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 26 Feb 2010 | 6:02 pm GMT

Accent Folding for Auto-Complete

Another generation of technology has passed and Unicode support is almost everywhere. The next step is to write software that is not just “internationalized” but truly multilingual. In this article we will skip through a bit of history and theory, then illustrate a neat hack called accent-folding. Accent-folding has its limitations but it can help make some important yet overlooked user interactions work better.

Source: A List Apart | 23 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am GMT

Training the Butterflies: Interview with Scott Berkun

Whether it’s in front of a huge audience or a handful of executives, smooth public speaking is essential to a successful web design career. Yet most of us are more afraid of speaking in public than we are of death. In a lively give-and-take, Liz Danzico interviews Scott Berkun, author of Confessions of a Public Speaker, for tips on how to prepare for public speaking, how to perfect your timing, and what to do when bad things happen.

Source: A List Apart | 23 Feb 2010 | 10:00 am GMT

Are all bits created equal?

The US struggles with the battle over net neutrality

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 12 Feb 2010 | 3:42 pm GMT

Words that Zing

When someone consults a website, there is a precious opportunity not only to provide useful information but also to influence their decision. To make the most of this opportune moment, we must ensure that the site says or does precisely the right thing at precisely the right time. Understanding the rhetorical concept of kairos can help us craft a context for the opportune moment and hit the mark with appropriately zingy text.

Source: A List Apart | 9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

The Problem with Passwords

Abandoning password masking as Jakob Nielsen suggests could present serious problems, including undermining a user’s trust by failing to meet a basic expectation. But with design patterns gleaned from offline applications, plus a dash of JavaScript, we can provide feedback and reduce password errors without compromising the basic user experience or losing our visitors’ trust.

Source: A List Apart | 9 Feb 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

Open society and open systems

Openness must be defended, says Bill Thompson.

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 2 Feb 2010 | 12:06 pm GMT

Using SVG for Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part II

In Part II, dig deeper into the technology behind using SVG for your site design. Explore how to incorporate SVG in a cross-browser friendly manner, including using SVGWeb to ensure that the SVG shows in Internet Explorer. And discover the unique characteristic that makes SVG ideal for page backgrounds: scalability.

Source: A List Apart | 26 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

Using SVG For Flexible, Scalable, and Fun Backgrounds, Part I

Many of us think of Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) as an also-ran: fine for charts and tables, but not much else. Yet SVG can actually enhance a site’s overall design, and can be made to work in even the most stubborn browser. In Part I of a two-part series, Shelley Powers covers important basics of working with SVG, including browser support and accessibility.

Source: A List Apart | 26 Jan 2010 | 9:00 am GMT

The past is the future for tech

Bill Thompson keeps an eye on the future

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 31 Dec 2009 | 2:00 pm GMT

The media and the message

Innovation is the key for papers says Bill Thompson

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 16 Dec 2009 | 11:51 am GMT

The Survey, 2009

For the third year in a row, good citizens of the web, we ask that you take a few minutes to tell us about your professional skills, educational background, career prospects, job benefits, and more.

Source: A List Apart | 15 Dec 2009 | 10:00 am GMT

Letting Go of John Hancock

Because clients expect everything to be faster, better, and simpler, web professionals must take an instant, foolproof, paperless, modern approach to how clients approve proposals and sign contracts. Implementing an instantaneous contract agreement helps to get projects off the ground, attract clients on tight timelines, and prevent potential delays. All it takes is a little PHP and some PDF magic.

Source: A List Apart | 8 Dec 2009 | 9:00 am GMT

Internet Blog

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 3 Sep 2009 | 1:26 pm BST

Digital Revolution

Source: BBC News | Technology | UK Edition | 3 Sep 2009 | 1:23 pm BST