Tech News
In tech news, I have been doing some development for an online shop, making their website more search engine friendly, and at the same time making it stick to standards (XHTML, CSS and Unobtrusive Javascript). I have had to create a little Ruby script which extracts data from all of the existing files (as its a static/non-database online shop created in dreamweaver, and is plain html), my script uses regexps as all of the product files have the same structure… if it was proper XHTML I could have used XPath, but hey-ho. Once the website is up then I’ll let ya know.
In other tech news I have needed to experiment with rounded corners, and every tutorial I follow involves making images of rounded corners and then img linking them. However, I was looking through the WSG digest today, and someone mentioned Spiffy Corners:
Spiffy Corners - Making anti-aliased rounded corners with CSS
How fantastic is Spiffy Corners! No javascript, no images just pure CSS using a combination of border, margin and padding prefs with a neat little display and array trick.
Eventually when all the browsers upgrade to full CSS3, we’ll be able to make rounded edges (and other things like drop-shadows) really really easily.
Other News
I had to buy a new AC Adapter for my iBook G4 again on Monday, grrr… its such a poor design, everything else on the iBook is such a wonderful design, its the power plug that lets it down. Apple have seen this problem and completely changed the design of the plug for the new intel based laptops.
We are moving on Saturday (actually I pick up the keys on Friday), I am really looking forward to it… its such a nice flat. Need to sort out the broadband in there as soon as possible otherwise I won’t be able to do much work unless I go to the Uni computer room, but unfortunately the broadband providers can’t sign us up until after the BT line has been activated, which is Friday (and then the broadband providers will probably have to have a few days to switch it on - lazy gits). We are considering Toucan or Bulldog, we would prefer an uncapped service but we need to save our money… two companies we probably wont go with are NTL because of their pants customer services (and yes I know Bulldog is a service by Cable & Wireless which is now owned by NTL, but they should be better) and Pipex because they messed about with our current service cancellation by taking random bits of money out of the bank account - not good! If you know of any good, cheap and preferably uncapped broadband providers (in the UK) then give me a comment. Unfortunately we are not allowed to change the services, in other words we can’t move away from BT for the phone line.
technorati tags:xhtml, css, webdesign, broadband, ibook
