Soup of the Day

Topped out!

Our new neighbour, The Beetham Tower, celebrated in style during the ‘topping out’ ceremony last night. This was the best shot from the bunch.

27.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comment (1)

Death to the king! Long live the king!

Over the last ten years the internet has gone from strength to strength. Those that remember the early days during the 1990’s will know how unfriendly and proprietary the World Wide Web was.

The first popular internet browser was Netscape. When released in 1994, Netscape was pretty much the only graphical based browser available for most platforms (Operating Systems). This didn’t last forever.

In 1995 Microsoft released Microsoft Internet Explorer (MSIE) as part of their Microsoft Plus! pack for Windows 95. In the tradition of most software companies, Microsoft purchased Spyglass Mosiac to base their browser on. MSIE 1.0 wasn’t included as part of Windows until later the following year, probably in part due to the fact it was very poor when compared to Netscape’s offering at the time.

But Microsoft aren’t the sort of company to worry about that. Just as Windows 1.0 was poor and Windows 2.0 was only a little better, MSIE 2.0 came and went completely unnoticed by the community.

However, in August 1996, Microsoft released MSIE 3.0 with Mail and News, plus an Address Book. MSIE 3.0 was the most standards compliant browser of its day and the world took notice. It had taken three versions to get there, but Microsoft had produced a browser that was better than Netscape and the public were getting it free with every copy of Windows they purchased.

This is when the tides turned for Netscape. They were purchased by AOL and each new version of the browser was getting more cluttered and unfriendly. Both Microsoft and Netscape tried to launch proprietary content channels systems, best described today as an early attempt at RSS, but both failed. As Netscape began to slip from users Start buttons, Microsoft was beginning to rule the web. In 1999, MSIE became the most used browser in the world.

This I refer to as the dark ages, because while Microsoft were busy destroying any competitor in this emerging market, and new group were emerging. The Mozilla Foundation were a bunch of former Netscape developers who didn’t (or couldn’t) work for AOL. For a few years the Mozilla group were very quiet. But silence is deadly. AOL weren’t interested in developing browsers, they just wanted a good one that wasn’t MSIE to use in their own online toolchest.

So AOL commissioned Mozilla to write the web core that would power future versions of Netscape, which gave Mozilla enough money to survive. Mozilla took it upon themselves to write the most open and standards compliant browser they could, reading and implementing every line of the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) guidelines regarding HTML, CSS, DOM and XML with open technologies like JavaScript.

During this time Microsoft were sitting comfortably with over 70% of web surfers using their browser. Microsoft even did the unthinkable and developed MSIE for Mac OS and Unix. Needless to say, neither of these projects survive today. But dogged with security flaws and bugs, Microsoft spent more time patching and fixing MSIE with each revision that they took their eye off what the W3C were doing. Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in particular were developing and becoming the only way to style web pages.

When Mozilla released Mozilla 1.0 and Netscape Communicator in 1998, the Mozilla engine was better than Microsoft’s Mosiac. But at this point Microsoft had too much momentum and Mozilla could do nothing but watch every last Windows user switch from Netscape to MSIE.

Like Microsoft, Mozilla had one goal - be the only platform that people would want to use. The name ‘Mozilla’ was chosen because it stood for the goal, Mosiac Killer, with a pinch of Godzilla for good measure. So Mozilla went away and continued working on their core, now called Gecko. It must have been during this time that engineers realised that if Gecko was coupled with a clean, fast and friendly interface would make a much better browser than Netscape, Mozilla and MSIE. This scaled down version would be quick, secure and fully W3C compliant. It would still be cross platform, at the time supporting a dwindling Mac community as well as Linux and Unix. It’s name was Pheonix - no! It’s name was Firebird - no! Ah, it’s name IS Firefox.

Pheonix appeared in 2002 as a small insiginificant project being developed by two members of the Mozilla team. It basically demonstrated that the Gecko engine could be embedded in any application (on any platform) unlike MSIE. It had back/forward and stop buttons, plus a URL field. It didn’t set the world on fire, but then it was only a test of concept in reality.

In 2003, Pheonix became Firebird after a dispute with Pheonix Technologies, a creator of BIOS systems. Firebird didn’t add much to Pheonix and it wasn’t until 2004 that after another dispute with a database engine, Firebird became Firefox.

During this time, another new engine was brought to the forefront by Apple. Safari was announced in 2003, adopting for Mac OS X the well-established KHTML engine from the KDE Linux project. Like Firefox, the engine behind Safari is open source and available to all. Safari became the default browser in Mac OS X in June 2003 killing the Mac MSIE immediately.

Unphased by this and taking note of the sudden death of MSIE on the Mac platform, development on Firefox continued. With each release of their Alpha’s and Beta’s, Firefox was starting to turn into a small, but very powerful web browser. Unlike MSIE, it was very secure. There were flaws in the security, but mainly due to the Windows operating system that Firefox ran on. The speed of page loads and rendering was astounding. As broadband took hold of the world, people noticed how much faster Gecko was compared with Mosiac.

In 2004, Mozilla released Firefox 1.0 and the response was amazing. In the space of two years, Firefox has reclaimed 25% of web surfers across every platform (I am writing this in another Mozilla applications, Camino). Firefox is fully compliant to W3C guides regarding almost every standard their is, including CSS 3 which isn’t fully ratified yet.

This year Microsoft are fighting back with the release of Windows Internet Explorer 7 (IE7). IE7 represents a typical Microsoft knee-jerk reaction to Firefox. They have made a real effort to release a browser that is secure, but they are also making in-roads into being W3C compliant. But this is the problem, although Microsoft have tried to support as many areas of W3C documentation as possible, why didn’t they just support it all. It is hard to believe that Microsoft with all their money and developers, still can’t beat Firefox on standard compliance.

Why does this matter. Well if like me, you develop for the web, then you quickly come to realise that MSIE (particularly 5.5 and 6.0) are the worst piles of junk for viewing web sites. You can design a site that looks beautiful in almost every browser out there, from Opera to Safari, but open it in MSIE and it looks nothing like the intended design viewed in other browsers. This is because Microsoft seem to have a selective approach to adopting standards, only adopting the ones that suit them.

Now, a group in America have launched a new campaign to encourage MSIE users to switch to Firefox. I am fully supporting this campaign, mainly for selfish ‘this will make my life easier’ reasons, but because I feel there should be no one company (or country) controlling the most powerful information platform out there. If Firefox gains 50% of the worlds web surfers, I’ll be happy - although I feel they’re going to do much better than that.

Go to http://www.killbillsbrowser.com and http://www.explorerdestroyer.com to follow the campaign to kill MSIE, and earn some money while you do it. (Sponsored by Google no less)

Below I have compiled my list of browsers I use for general web browsing, Camino and Safari are my main surfing browsers. Camino doesn’t support RSS though, which is a shame for an otherwise excellent full-featured browser. Safari is also a very compact and pleasant browser. Firefox is the best all rounder and is the backbone of my development for the web due to the large amount of extensions for web development freely available.

Mozilla Firefox [Highly recommended]
Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, Unix

Mozilla Camino [Highly recommended]
Mac OS X

Apple Safari
Mac OS X

26.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

A new leplop.com

So okay, this isn’t exactly breaking news, but as not much else is going on around here this week it is worthy of a mention.

Once upon a time, in a town far far away… I was at the University of Teesside in Middlesbrough. During my time there I met a lot of people, as one does. During my renaissance period as I like to call it, I met Pip (as I knew him then).

Pip was tinkering with Flash and PHP when I met him. I had just come back from a year in industry tinkering with Flash, HTML and some 3D. Needless to say we had a lot in common, but it was very clear he was doing some interesting stuff in PHP.

I was always aware of PHP having used Perl, PHP’s mothers tongue, during my time at British Telecom Labs. Server side languages were a novalty to me at the time, since I had spent the first six years of my web life just creating static HTML pages. Pip had his own site that was server-side processed and dynamic, it was amazing - well not that amazing really, but amazing to me that one guy in his bedroom was doing stuff that the companies I had just finished working for had paid a lot money for.

So what did I do! Nothing! I didn’t learn PHP and I didn’t watch what the web was doing. Instead I got busy re-doing my second year, which involved a lot of animation and not much else - then I made a short film that won an award

Fast forward to last December. I had just been thrown out of my former employers company (well, I resigned technically) and I was in need of some inspiration. Luckily for me I had been playing with PHP whilst at my previous job and knew enough to delve straight in. Now I am developing web sites with it, plus developing my own software that uses PHP with other languages to create visually rich, but accessible content.

Unlike a lot of ’so-called’ web design companies, which my former employer tried to fashion itself as (believe me they aren’t), Pip and I have an understanding of how you can create sites that are visually rich, but still accessible. It is a shame that we individually have companies providing these services and would technically be competitors, although I think we’re far enough away from each other not to be fighting over territory.

Anyway, the point of this whole post is to say that last month Pip launched his new ‘personal’ site, Leplop. I am adding it because Pip wrote a special PHP script that allows you to wrap text around images properly, as one would expect in InDesign or Quark. His site demonstrates this script beautifully, plus its a nice jumping point for many other sites.

http://www.leplop.com - Pip’s newly redesigned site

20.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comment (1)

PDnH Server and PDnH Business Server

As you’ll be aware, PDnH Server has been in development for six months now, and the first BETA version is almost ready for release and testing by any interested parties. I am currently beginning to write the supporting documentation, using MediaWiki, enabling developers and users to access a vast function and file reference.

PDnH has now become PDnH Server because I am releasing any styling control from the CMS system. After much deliberation I have decided that the CMS should concentrate on Content, not style. PDnH Server now outputs pure content, which can be styled using page templates and CSS. I am currently also looking into PDnH Server streaming content as XML, styled inline by XSLT.
This encourages users to design W3C compliant pages with external style sheets, rather than relying on the system to do this. Most existing large commercial CMS systems produce pages that for the most part are not 100% W3C compliant.

PDnH Server now has a sister project called PDnH Business Server. PDnH Business Server is designed to extend PDnH Server for operations who want to run an online Business Management System that can interact with their existing online web presence, if powered by PDnH Server. There will be more on this soon, but unlike PDnH Server, PDnH Business Server will not be free - sorry folks, got to make my money somehow.

PDnH Server is OpenSource, free and standalone with no prerequisites to operate, other than the system requirements. PDnH Business Server requires PDnH Server as a prerequisite requirement. PDnH Business Server is not free.

http://pdnh.polaris-digital.com - PDnH information page

18.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

Polaris Digital Ltd. is go

Today, Polaris Digital became Polaris Digital Ltd. We are currently in the process of VAT registering ourselves ensuring that all future services supplied by Polaris Digital will include VAT.

Additional phone number

Polaris Digital also has a new phone additional phone number; 05600 726 767. This number is supplied by BT Broadband Talk using their 21st centry network VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocal) technology. Unlike Skype, this VoIP system doesn’t require the computer to be on, as it uses the broadband router as the interface. The phone is then plugged directly into the broadband router, enabling the phone to ring if the standard line rings, or the BT Broadband Talk line.

Super broadband

Additionally to our new BT Broadband Talk service, today our internet connection was boosted from 2Mbit/s to 8Mbit/s. Needless to say I haven’t noticed the difference really, except Google Earth runs a lot better.

13.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

appartement partié announced

So it is official, our flat warming party will be on Saturday 6th May, 2006. All reading this are welcome to come and bring friends. Sleeping is tight, so if you can make alternate arrangements that would be good, but no problem if not.

There will be food, and depending on the weather we will attempt to get our BBQ going, hot snacks in the early evening. Bring drink to drink and share, and don’t forget your toothbrush (and sleeping bag).

Contact details are on the flyer. Hope to see you soon!

11.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

A new dawn awaits

There has been a lot of movement in the industry over the last month. Apple’s BootCamp software announcement coupled with Microsoft’s announcement that Windows Vista is delayed by three months, putting its release to January/February 2007, has certainly attracted attention. Parallels also announced that they could now run Windows in a Mac OS X window with little performance penalties. So in a year we’ll be able to run S.U.s.e. Linux in a window in Windows Vista, running in a window on a Mac OS X 10.5 desktop? Well, maybe not.

Firstly, it has been commented on that Microsoft are worried about BootCamp? Why would they be, it simply means that Microsoft now have another platform they can sell their software too. I am sure that Microsoft probably helped Apple develop BootCamp and for the time being will quietly encourage its development. The people who should be worried about BootCamp are Dell and HP, as Apple could potentially now be stealing sales from them. They are probably the reason why Microsoft hasn’t publically endorsed BootCamp, making sure they keep their biggest customers happy.

What seemed so predictable is now beginning to become a little harder to predict though. Apple are keeping their cards so close to their chest with regards to Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard that very few of us really know what to expect. Obviously this has been done to ensure that Microsoft can’t quickly implement (poor) copies of new Apple technology in 10.5 before they release Vista.

Virtualisation technology is what is really interesting personally for me. The fact that in a years time, almost every mainstream operating system will be able to run along side each other makes all the lines blurred. Rather than Microsoft’s slogan of ‘What do you want to do today?‘, the mantra becomes ‘which OS shall I use now?‘

Meanwhile, if Google have their way we’ll do away with our operating systems and all use thin-client networked machines, running Google OS which will allow us to do everything we enjoy doing today, except no data will be stored locally. Instead, files, music, applications and games would all be stored on Google servers and piped to us across broadband connections just-in-time. This vision might be a few years off yet, but everyone seems to be subscribing to it. Microsoft in particular have already started looking at getting Office online with their new Office Live initiative.

But maybe before we all throw our PC’s out the window and embrace thin-clients, they’ll be at least one more revolution. Just imagine for a second that it is February 2007. Apple are finally releasing Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard for general consumption, including a 64-bit version for 64-bit PPC and Intel Mac’s… but what’s this? Out of nowhere is another version of Mac OS X 10.5, a 32-bit version for everyone else running an Intel or AMD processor. As Bob Cringely suggested, this is when Microsoft and Apple’s relationship turns sour once more. Microsoft, you have been warned.

07.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

Virtualisation hot on the heels of BootCamp

No sooner have Apple got their new BootCamp dual-OS boot software out of the door, a couple of weeks after two developers provided the solution, they have been trumped again. This time by software developer Parallels with their new Workstation 2.1 Virtualisation software.

This is the solution all die hard Mac users have been waiting for. As I mentioned yesterday, Virtualisation technology allows a CPU to run two (or more) operating systems (or processes) simultaneously. What this means is, in Mac OS X you can run Windows, Linux, Solaris or any other OS in a window on your Mac OS X desktop. Even better is that there is almost no performance hit, Windows will run pretty much just as it would if you’d booted it normally.

This is the first commercial offering of Virtualisation software for Mac OS X. The Beta is a free download, although the full applicaiton will be $49, which is a reasonable price. Remember once again that you have to purchase a legal copy of your choosen additional OS.

But with this announcement, I would put my money on Apple releasing another Beta piece of software in response to this announcement. BootCamp was good for the 24-hours it lasted, but we want true OS integration please Apple.

Parallels
Parallels Workstation 2.1

06.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

Cadets, welcome to BootCamp

After a solution to boot Mac OS X along side Windows XP on Apple’s new Intel based hardware was announced last month, scooping a publically funded $13,000 for the developers, Apple have decided that there is a market for Apple Mac’s that do Windows natively.

So Apple have announced a Beta release of BootCamp, a new application that allows Intel Mac’s boot into Mac OS X (by default) or Windows XP. Of course, you will need a purchased version of Windows XP in addition to this free application.

The BootCamp software provides a utility for partitioning your Mac hard disk to allow a Windows XP partition. The software also provides drivers (not included in the public solution) for Graphics, Networking (inc. AirPort), Audio, Bluetooth, Mac Eject Key and Display brigtness.

BootCamp will be released fully in Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard, announced in August this year at the World Wide Developers Conference in San Fransisco. There are rumours that Apple will support Virtualisation technology in Mac OS X 10.5, allowing Intel based Macintosh’s to run OS X and Windows, Linux or whichever other OS natively within a window in Mac OS X, which if true would superceed this solution. Obviously everyone would prefer to run Windows XP on their Mac OS X desktop, with Virtualisation technology not only will this be possible, but there will be no performance hit like with the current MS Virtual PC software.

BootCamp
Apple
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Virtual PC

05.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)

Spring is in the air

Whatever ‘they’ may say about it always raining in Manchester, for the past five days we have been bathed in glorious sun shine. There are buds on the trees and for the first time in its short life, my Cactus is visibly growing - which is a good thing as its lost two arms in the last nine months.

Moving over

But enough of that. As we fly into April, sailing past the first quarter of 2006 I thought I would spend the time devoted to this post to update on a number of things going on around here. Firstly, for those still in the dark ages, Siân and I finally moved into our new flat on March 9th (you can get the contact details off polaris-digital.com). We successfully handed back our old flat on March 18th, so if you hadn’t seen no. 12, you missed it

Birthdays

In the three months that have passed, big birthday love goes out to everyone we know who was celebrating, my sister Jo, Sarah Thorpe, Andy Dobson, Manchester Andy and of course, Siân.

No smoking

The less said about this the better… Needless to say this hasn’t gone as well as expected. But what doesn’t kill ya only makes you stronger. I have been making a concerted effort to keep this to a minimum at the moment, and I survived a respectable 2 months with no smoking upon first attempt. The next one will be better and is coming right up.

appartment partie

Yes yes! New apartment? New party! So when is it? Well, coming very soon now is… the announcement for when the party actually is. This time we thought we’d give everyone at least one months notice so diaries could be cleared and saving accounts raided in time for a great weekend. Everyone who we deem worthy of gracing us with your presence will receive invites in the coming days. If your name is on this list, then you’re IN!

Manchester Andy Martyn Will Buckman Zöe Hannah Pip Dan Pacey Helen Vix Little Jen Luke Gorg Nick Jen Tom Will Steve Kenny Joe & Jo Phil Ali Jo Kay Chloë Sarah Andy D Pudd Belles Alex Ben Phil Gavin Karl Steve Askey

That list is not by any means exclusive.

04.Apr.06 Uncategorized Comments (0)