Web Design & Development Blog

With recent concerns of site “history sniffing,” as it’s being called, the Federal Trade Commission has proposed a Do-Not-Track list in order to protect users’ information. With all that’s going on right now as far as privacy rights, Microsoft announced that, with the release of its Internet Explorer 9, a new tracking protection setting will be added to the features so that recent sites that have been tracking users’ browsing histories can no longer obtain such information.

With the imminent release of IE9, this new feature will give users the option of whether or not to share information with sites that are not known or trusted. This feature includes a tracking protection list of all websites that the browser will block from your information upon entering a specified URL into the address bar. Until the Federal Trade Commission decides whether or not to pass a law barring sites from being able to acquire this sort of information, the best way for a user to protect themselves is to add those sites to the tracking protection list. The concept of the list is best thought of as similar to the “Do Not Call” list for telephones, but instead for web browsers.

For the tracking protection list, Microsoft makes it easy for you to add different websites. They won’t add any in for you automatically, so if you want protection from a site you’ll need to add it, yourself. This list is the best way to provide users with a way to control the data being collected about them on sites they don’t visit directly. This feature doesn’t determine how the information being taken will be used, but it provides users a way to opt out of the release of their information in the first place.

Just as there is a tracking protection list, there is also a so-called “white-list,” meaning that these websites are trusted and are allowed to access users’ browser data. This feature grants the user ultimate control of their privacy and the information they wish to share, as it gives him/her the ability to trust or not trust websites simply by adding them to the lists.

This new feature added for the upcoming release of Internet Explorer 9 could be a smart business tactic for Microsoft in their hopes to gain back some of the market-share that Internet Explorer 6 has lost them. With IE9 beta version getting positive feedback on all of its new features, could the “No -Track” feature be the icing on the cake for Internet Explorer to return to the top in the browser war?

Twitter has started inviting a select group of users to test their new Twitter Analytics product. This product has been a rumor for quite some time, and a Twitter executive said earlier this year that Analytics would debut by the end of 2010.

With Twitter Analytics, users will be able to check out a plethora of data about their accounts. For example they can check information about which tweets get more views or are more successful than others, which tweets caused people to unfollow, and who the most influential users are that reply and retweet their messages.

The release of Twitter Analytics will also hurt some third-party vendors that are already providing similar tools. In addition, we heard that this product will be free and Twitter has no immediate plans to charge, which will come as a big blow to those third-party vendors who charge for their products.

Twitter Analytics will be very convenient to users, and it will allow the users to track the popularity of their tweets, their own popularity on the service, and the number of retweets, replies and faves each tweet received. This is going to be an advantage for businesses, such as Chico Web Design, to be able to see which tweets are popular with our followers and see what kind of tweets people are more interested in. This will permit businesses to focus more on what’s “in” with their followers, making their tweets more efficient.

Ge.tt is a brilliant, real-time file sharing service that doesn’t require you to install or make an account in order to utilize their service. There is no need to download a plugin or program before its use, making it very convenient and straightforward. Quite simply, Ge.tt is a browser-based file sharing system, no extra installs needed. (Additionally, you can sign up if you so choose, which can provide some extra benefits, too.)

Ge.tt makes it easy to file-share – all you have to do is click once on select files, then choose the files you want to upload, and Ge.tt will generate a unique URL. One of the best attributes of this file sharing is that you are able to share as soon as a URL has been generated; You don’t even have to wait for your documents to upload to share. Instead, the files will update on the download page in real-time, and, as they are uploaded, any users can start downloading a file. (Yes, even while you’re still uploading!) It further allows adding files even after you have shared a link, so that those files will show up on the link without having to reload the page.

Ge.tt also offers their real-time statistics based off of the files you are sharing. If you had shared something on Twitter or Facebook, you are able to check the popularity of your post. It gives you statistics of how many people have seen the post and who has chosen to download. So, if you’re a blogger or just concerned about how well-liked you are, this allows you keep track of your own popularity.

Currently, Ge.tt is working hard on making API available, since the demand for API is increasing.

Recently, Microsoft launched a public beta of their upcoming Internet Explorer 9 for everybody to test. Internet Explorer has had a long and bumpy history, and although it initially had the market on lock, stock and barrel, newcomers such as Firefox, Safari, and Chrome have since increasingly marginalized it.

Internet Explorer has been well publicized for having flaws: lackluster performance, security issues, second-rate features, and more. When Microsoft launched Internet Explorer 7, it showed that the company was serious again about the web. Then Internet Explorer 9 followed, which showed an improvement that definitely put them back into the browser war.

But still the browser suffered from a lack of quality. The performance side of the browser fell behind other browsers such as Google Chrome, especially when executing JavaScript – a major shortcoming when many of us now spend more time on JavaScript intensive websites such as Facebook. Also, the browser failed to meet web standards such as CSS3 and HTML5, which made it easier for competitors to get an upper hand.

But now Microsoft is getting ready to release Internet Explorer 9, making it available as a public beta for testing. So far, I really like what I see.

When you first load up IE9, the first thing you notice is that there is far less of it, as the browser has been simplified. Microsoft has clearly taken notes from Google Chrome and their success, where the desire was to remove as much of the “browser chrome” as possible, such as menus, toolbars, etc. IE9 changes have made it sleek, stylish and minimalist. They have simplified it so much that there are no menus and only three icons: home, favorites and settings. The minimalist browser lets you get right to the point of browsing the web, nothing else. The only thing that popped out while I was using the browser is the back button; does it have to be that big?

IE9 default search engine is Bing, which works really well and a lot of people may stick with it. Just as Google Chrome, IE9 also has a single address bar/ search bar and, when you start to type, auto complete will give a list of suggestions for you.

When you’re typing into the address/search bar, Bing can find images relevant to the search term and include those in its suggestions. This is a quicker way to get what you want than having to go hunt down and use a search engine.

We all have a site that we visit frequently – it might even be your own site. So, with that in mind, IE9 has made it easy for you to drag the tab for the site onto the task-bar, giving you one-click access at anytime. It’s features like these that are going to bring back users to IE9. This feature allows anyone to access their favorite site by simply clicking on it, making it as simple as launching a program.

The new interface has some well thought-out little touches, too. For example, clicking on a site within your history, which is now kept with favorites, not only takes you to that site but also closes the history sidebar automatically, saving you the extra click.

The performance doesn’t even compare to the IE in the past, which makes it radically better. Internet Explorer used to be at the bottom of my list as far as rating browsers, but now I would put it close to the top. IE9 is quick, whether it’s rendering flat pages or JavaScript applications. The speed increase is definitely noticeable, and if you have the appropriate hardware, IE9 can be faster still, as it uses hardware acceleration features whenever they’re available.

Finally, IE now has support for HTML5 and CSS3, an area where they had really lagged behind the other browsers, much to the annoyance of the world’s website developers who’ve been waiting to see these standards across all browsers. Here at Chico Web Design, we know what a pain it was to develop for IE in the past, having to hack and spend more time on making it look the same throughout browsers. But Microsoft’s support for both HTML5 and CSS3 has been a big jump from non-existent to very good, although in some areas it still lags behind other browsers, such as Safari. Regardless, it is a really good start for being the beta version, and it leaves room for improvement.

Although we’ve only scratched the surface of the changes that were made to IE9, it’s clear that this a substantially better browser than all of its predecessors. IE6 may have secured the market, but it was technically poor. IE7 and IE8 were basically Microsoft working to catch up, and so, finally, with IE9 beta they are close to getting there. This new browser is unquestionably a good, solid, fast, standards-compliant browser. If IE is your browser of choice, upgrading to IE9 should be a no-brainer. And if you used to use Internet Explorer, and have switched to another browser, this would be the time to give Internet Explorer a second chance.

As technology progresses and smart phones become the norm, having a web presence that is optimized for Android, iPhone, or Blackberry is becoming more important. The word is still out on how much commerce will be done via smart phones, but at the very least, making sure your website works with the most common mobile devices is crucial.

Most smart phones, by default, will display your website in a fairly usable and understandable manner. However, having the information optimized, precise, and easier to find, may help a potential client or customer find your phone number or address more easily while in the car, or walking around.  Keep in mind that with an optimized mobile website for iPhone or Android, you get the flexibility of quicker load times which works well over a standard 3G network.

Chico Web Design’s Mobile Website

We recently launched our optimized iPhone, Android, and Blackberry mobile website.  We kept the design and functionality to a minimum because we feel that most people visiting our website on their phones, will be looking for basic information like phone number, and address.  If they want a full experience, and are looking to hire our firm to create a web presence, I would only presume that they would be using a desktop or laptop computer to do so.  Therefore, we took the most relevant content, created a few new design templates, and created a mobile website.

Why a Mobile Website and not a APP?

This is a relevant question that I, as a business owner, debated before going down the mobile website path and here is why.

1. Cost
2. Multiple device compliant
3. No eCommerce
4. Content value

Cost
The cost to develop a mobile website is far cheaper then developing an application for a specific device. Our mobile.chicowebdesign.com took about 15 hours total.

Multiple device compliant
This was probably one of largest factors in my decision to go the mobile website route.  Do you make an app for iPhone, Android, or Blackberry?  Or do you make one for all? Since we opted to not create a specific application for each operating system, we are essentially providing the same value no matter what phone or device that you are on.  Therefore, like your Mac or PC, we are suited to handle any request by any device.  Not to mention, if someone wants to visit your site, they do not have to download, enter passwords or go to any app stores to get it. Therefore, our exposure is higher.

No eCommerce
Since there is no shopping done on our website, we decided again, to not go the app route.  If there were transactions taking place, I.E. bill payment, or product purchasing, we may have considered it.

Content Value
Since our mobile website is purely informational and content driven, this lead to the fourth and final check mark as to what to design.  We aren’t releasing a game, and we’re not providing any entertainment value other then information, phone numbers, and addresses.

If you or your company is interested in optimizing your website for mobile browsing on an iPhone, Android, or Blackberry, contact us today for a quote.

November 9th marked the sixth birthday of the popular web browser Firefox. In 2004 it was launched as a lightweight and more secure option to Internet Explorer, which at the time was the dominant browser.

Now, six years after there start, Firefox is the second most immensely used browser, which has had a steady growth and 31.5% of market share according to StatCounter.

The next major version of Firefox you should be looking out for is, Firefox 4, which was originally presumed to launched by end of 2010 but was pushed back into early 2011, precautions to make sure that the browser has all the tools to compete to for the best browser spot. The new version has several important improvements that you should be aware of: HTML5 support, redesigned user interface, multi-touch functionality, hardware-accelerated HD video and improved support for add-ons through Jetpack.

At a press conference in San Francisco, CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook is set to launch a new “modern messaging system.”

Zuckerberg says more than four billion messages are currently sent through Facebook every day. He stated that Facebook believes that modern messaging is seamless, informal, immediate, personal, simple and minimal. “It’s not e-mail,” says Zuckerberg.

Yet, it might be strange but, Facebook is handing out Facebook.com email addresses to all users. This modern messaging system intends to integrate e-mail, instant messaging (IM), and texting in a unified inbox.

The system is composed of three parts: seamless messaging, cross platform conversation history, and the social inbox. But really, there are two inboxes -– one for filtering messages you want and organizing the people you care about, and the second, called “Others,” is mostly meant for messages sent to you by specific events or Facebook pages. It’s designed to highlight conversations with your real friends and be spam free.

The messaging system is also designed to be platform-agnostic, so users can send and receive messages from mobile, IM or Facebook. It’s developed to make it easier to communicate in real-time with friends, whenever or wherever they might be. According to Zuckerberg, the system is currently being tested and will be unveiled slowly over the next few months in an invite-only process.

Zuckerberg discussed how people use messaging systems today, and recounted conversations with high school students who told him e-mail is “too slow,” and that they prefer SMS and Facebook to sending e-mails. These conversations helped prompt Facebook’s decision to create this new development.

This “modern messaging system” can be great for businesses that require teamwork on projects, or even for just communicating with a co-worker or friend. This could certainly benefit a company like us here at Chico Web Design – the IM and email it offers would allow us an all-in-one messaging system, instead of using the two separately with two different logins. Facebook’s new system can save time in switching between e-mail and IM by seamlessly combining the two.

After Facebook announced the launch of its new messaging system, speculations ran high that Facebook would be overhauling its entire system and releasing its own e-mail service to compete with the likes of Gmail. However, so far e-mail seems to be secondary to Facebook’s primary aspirations of being the communication platform for tomorrow’s youth.

The Mozilla Messaging group recently launched a new way to share links called “F1″ – a Firefox extension that intends to make sharing content with others on social media sites almost effortless. We see many websites now that use the “share this” buttons above or below every piece of web content, which can be visually distracting and confusing to web surfers.

Mozilla is the first of many companies who are building work-arounds for this common interaction-design problem of the digital age.

F1 gives users an all-in-one frame above the content they’re viewing. Once you connect your accounts, all you have to do is click the F1 icon in the toolbar to share the page you’re viewing with friends on Facebook, Twitter and Gmail. (Those three services were chosen as the first three supported sharing mechanisms for F1 due to their popularity and OAuth implementation.)

In an ideal world-wide-web, if every user was a Firefox F1 user, publishers wouldn’t have waste time putting up share buttons, and users wouldn’t have to connect their social accounts and login credentials to websites around the internet. This would make sharing more secure, simple, and lot easier on the eyes than it is now with all the share buttons everywhere.

Check out this demo:

Mozilla Labs F1 from Mozilla Messaging on Vimeo.

Mozilla F1 is still in the fine-tuning process and is still being expanded. Mozilla designer Bryan Clark wrote on the company blog saying, “ [Eventually], the system should know which sharing service you use, and offer to use those. That will require sharing services to advertise to the browser that they are offer a sharing API and the browser to see which services you use.

“Furthermore, sharing is not a standardized activity, so some protocol is likely needed for user agents to offer the service they want without having to know about all of them.”

On top of that, he emphasized that publishers can also experiment with this feature; if you’re interested, check out the F1 Wiki for details.

Mozilla F1 is very well designed compared to similar cross-browser and all-in-one sharing frames and toolbars that you’ve seen in the past. It’s too bad there isn’t a cross-browser standard for social sharing, because all of these extra “share this” buttons need to go.

Google announced that it is launching a new module for the Apache Web Server called “mod_pagespeed” that can perform numerous speed optimizations automatically. What this new module does is, rather than having to tune up your server configuration for every site you setup, you can install the new module to automatically optimize. While using the module, Google claims that it has seen mod_pagespeed minimize page load times by up to 50%.

Some of what mod_pagespeed does:

• Make changes to pages built by a CMS without having to change the CMS itself.
• Compress and combine your CSS and Javascript files.
• Optimize cache settings by extending cache-lifetime for elements like logos and images up to a year, while letting you update those files.
• Remove comments and whitespace from files.
• Optimize images by re-scaling, re-compressing, and stripping the metadata from images loaded via img tags.

Google will be working with Go Daddy to get mod_pagespeed running on many of its servers. It is also working with Contendo to integrate mod_pagespeed into its CDN.

Anything Else?

mod_pagespeed also comes with a way to track statistics with regard to page performance, such as a page’s load time. All you have to do is inject a tiny Javascript snippet into the top and very bottom of your pages, and it uses those to report back to the server on load time. This lets you measure the effects of the different filters, after which you can decide which ones to keep using.

How this Relates to CWD

When it comes to page optimization, Chico Web Design goes to great lengths to verify that your website is the fastest it can possibly be. From co-lo facilities with the fasted bandwidth, to quad core processors in our servers, and simplified code that lets the browser move freely through the code. This will only help Chico Web Design optimize and present websites faster.

As a well known law firm In California, McCarthy & Rubright needed a website that would match the professionalism of their reputation.

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