It’s time for humor

IE8 is the last version of the Internet Explorer Web browser. At least, that’s what I’m hearing through the grapevine. It seems that Microsoft is preparing to throw in the towel on its Internet Explorer engine once and for all.

And just what will be its replacement? I’m getting conflicting stories on that one. Some are still claiming that Microsoft will go with WebKit, which, thanks to the popularity of Apple’s Safari browser and also Google’s Chrome, is rapidly becoming a de facto standard for all non-IE and non-Firefox implementations.
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I’ve received a number of very kind emails regarding my last digital design column, but I have to admit that a couple made me feel slightly uncomfortable.

These were the emails from designers thanking me for pointing them in the direction of Dreamweaver when they were making the transition from print to web design. It was a decision that they had come to appreciate greatly over the years, providing them with the best possible platform for their web design careers

The problem is that Dreamweaver is dying…

To be fair it’s not Dreamweaver’s fault. Nor is the problem Adobe and its development team - the last Dreamweaver CS4 version was the most impressive release in years. Moreover, although Microsoft Expression Web poses a far more credible threat than FrontPage could muster, Dreamweaver remains the best HTML/CSS page-based editor available.

The real problem for Dreamweaver and for its users is that the nature of the web is changing dramatically. Dynamically-generated web applications, from Amazon right down to the humble blog, all offer much more – in-built commenting, voting, RSS feeds, etc - than the best sites built on static HTML can ever hope to provide.
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Your iPhone can make calls, access the internet, send and receive emails, and even tell you what the weather is like in Kuala Lumpur, but, thanks to the App store, it can do so much more besides.

And so we decided to put together this list, highlighting those apps that can transform your iPhone into a television, a plumb line, an atomic clock and more - showing you the fun and possibly unknown uses for this, the most innovative product in Apple’s line-up.

Most will work with the iPod Touch as well - though the lack of camera and always-on internet may mean they become less useful or less convenient – and all are available, either free or for a small fee, from the App Store. You can buy them through iTunes on your Mac (or PC), or download them direct to your iPhone via the App Store application that appears (so long as you’re running the 2.0 firmware or later).

So, let’s get started. Who knows what your iPhone will become next?
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We wouldn’t expect any of you to have noticed, but there are recurring elements in many role-playing games. They’re cleverly disguised from game to game; often, similar characters may wear different outfits or you’ll use a gunblade instead of a sword, but once you learn to identify similarities, you can usually predict what’s going to happen in about any RPG you want.

Using our cutting-edge criticism, we’ve been able to find the most powerful of these trends and create an outline for the Ultimate RPG, which all future games will imitate. No need to thank us, just be warned: if you read the following article, no plot twist will ever surprise you and no revelation will seem important. After seeing the outline for the Ultimate RPG, your life may lose its sweet flavor. On the other hand, read it anyway.
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Microsoft could have Windows 7 on shipping PCs by September, Compal president Ray Chen said today at an investor’s conference. The PC contractor executive understands from plans that the software should be available in either late September or early October. The news would corroborate word of an April release candidate that would let Microsoft finish, manufacture and deliver Windows 7 well ahead of the holidays.

Compal builds systems on behalf of Acer, HP and other major PC makers.

Amelia Agrawal, a spokeswoman for Microsoft, maintains the official company position that Windows 7 will be available within three years of when Vista shipped. However, the company’s upgrade program plans and other leaks have increasingly suggested that the public goal, which would put the release in early 2010, is deliberately conservative and meant to avoid embarrassment in the event of an unexpected delay. Microsoft has acknowledged a shortened development track that includes just one public beta and one readily available release candidate before the ship date.
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