contrabrand / the Works of Brandon Todd Wilson

Unique design is very minimal nowadays but Brandon Todd Wilson has designed his personal site with some fantastic header and footer graphics.

Papervision3D

The potential of what can be done with this 3D framework for Flash is phenomenal. It’s been a long time coming but there now seems to be a viable solution for a 3D internet interface.

TwitAPI: A Twitter API Extension at Aral Balkan

Aral has put together some additional API features for public use with the Twitter web service, focussing particularly on the Friends and Follower service.

Planet Microformats

Bringing together all Microformat related content and churning it out in Microformats. All compliments of Microformat veteran, Brian Suda. Kudos, sire!

(via del.icio.us)

I’ve just been watching the final episode of Fortune: Million Pound Giveaway on ITV. To be honest, its the first time I’ve watched the series - coincidentally it will also be the last. I’m not a huge fan of ITV productions - they stink of Sun reader mentality - but the concept of British millionaires (allegedly) giving away their own money to the general public grabs my attention.

At the end of the show, everyone’s favourite Richard Madeley signed the programme off with the panelist’s names, one in particular I didn’t recognise. When he mentioned her name, I was straight on Google to find out how she made her money. It was Jacqueline Gold - the lady who established the huge sex-shop franchise, Ann Summers.

Intrigued by the people behind Jacqueline’s website, I noticed in the footer a link off to Fawthrop McLanders IT Consultancy & Development. Clicking the link, however, presented me with this not so friendly screen…

It shocked me to think that this web design consultancy couldn’t even ensure that their own website was up and running when one of their highest profile clients (if not the highest profile) was on prime time television, playing the nice friendly business lady on the last programme of the series. Fair enough - her website was running. But think of all that potential business FM could have gained if they had made sure their website was running (which it should have been anyway).

It just goes to show that you can’t buy good publicity - you can just throw it away like those millionaires.

Any self-respecting web developer or designer would not miss out on this one. It’s not just any conference about Web Standards, hosted by some of the biggest names in the industry - this time, we’re going North of the Border showing that not all conferences have to reside in Brighton or London. It’s time for the Scots to shine now with their first big Web conference. It’s The Highland Fling.

• Jeremy Keith promoting his HIJAX theory in”What is progressive enhancement?”
• Fellow Clear:Left colleague, Andy Budd discusses “The future of CSS”
• Yahoo!’s Mark Norman Francis approaches “Graded Browser Support”
• More Yahoo! shenanigans come from Christian Heilmann with “Progressive enhancement using JavaScript / AJAX”
• Drew McLellan talks more about Microformats (most likely plugging his awesome Microformatic Tools)
• Wise words are bound to be said from James Edwards in “What has AJAX done for us anyway?”
• Last (but my no means least) the ever-so-entertaining Andy Clarke will be looking “Beyond progressive enhancement”

To finish the whole package up, the seminar is located at Edinburgh’s gorgeous Symposium Hall, part of the Royal College of Surgeons (just off the Royal Mile apparently). Alan was really keen from the start to promote the not-so-popular web development scene in Scotland so by putting it in the capital, he should get a good crowd travelling to Scotland for the Easter break, maybe securing a sequel to the event next year. The Royal Mile is the renowned road full of stuff to do so you also have the option to bring partners and families along and leave them to their own devices if need be.

The icing on the cake is the price. I’ve been told that if you sign up now you will get an Early Bird discount but even the full price has been designed for those on a tight budget. Prices will be exposed very soon but you’re looking around the same price as d.Construct.

So what are you waiting for? Go register now and I’ll see you there in April. Just don’t forget your kilt and sporrans.

Tags: highlandfling07, webconference, scotland

I may be pushing it with it being the last day of the month but at least I’m sticking to that New Year’s Resolution Goal.

January is that time of the year when we’re all bummed out having “enjoyed” the holiday period with a little over indulgence, put on a few extra pounds and running low on funds so there’s not much left to do than try to lose those pounds with some free exercise. Well, I felt I could help here and put together a great work out mix for all you fitness freaks to exercise to. I’m sure many of you have already given up after a few weeks but there’s nothing stopping you from just putting the mix on and enjoying some of the latest funky house.

So here it is - it’s time to Lose That Phat.

Read the rest of this entry »