PHP Simple HTML DOM Parser

A HTML DOM parser written in PHP5+ let you manipulate HTML in a very easy way!
Requires PHP 5+.
Supports invalid HTML.
Find tags on an HTML page with selectors just like jQuery.
Extract contents from HTML in a single line.

http://simplehtmldom.sourceforge.net/

Designer Toolbox

This is a great little website for budding designers... Including web safe sizes for different browsers and resolutions. Check out the Designer Toolbox website.

Need to find a corporate logo?

Look no further than... Brands of The World.
You have to register and sign in now, but it's a great resource!

Want to know what HTML5 features work in what browsers?

This is a great little tool... Really shows IE is behind the other popular browsers!
Does Canvas work in Firefox 3? Will CSS3 work in IE9?

Check it out here: When Can I Use?

To wireframe or not to wireframe... there is no question.

OK, any web developer worth their salt will be producing site maps and wire frames. But the tools we use have changed since the early days. Here is a site that lists the top five from CMS Wire. At Milk we use Axure!

Cool Branding Website

Need some inspiration or just intrigued at the result of re-branding international products?
Checkout Brand New from the team at Under Consideration.

Web Font Preview with "Font Tester"

OK, so you want to know how a font will look in your website build?
Use this great tool!

jQuery UI is awesome!

"jQuery UI provides abstractions for low-level interaction and animation, advanced effects and high-level, themeable widgets, built on top of the jQuery JavaScript Library, that you can use to build highly interactive web applications." Check out jQuery UI here.

We particularly love the Theme Roller. Quickly and easily create styles that you can see change instantly and paste into your code!

Port Flash to iPhone App... Apple caves in!

OK... Flash is back on the menu at iTunes.
Apple has caved in and decided to allow Flash built apps to be ported and distributed on App Store.

Tutorial here.

You Tube to your tube...

OK, here is a snappy little link to convert You Tube clips to local files. VIXY

Enjoy!

The Prons & Cons Of Working From Home

This is a classic: http://theoatmeal.com/comics/working_home

Tablet Battle Heats Up!

Google Android and Windows-based tablets begin a battle for tablet supremacy!

AsusTek Computer has unveiled a portable tablet computer that runs on Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system and is among several Taiwanese computer makers to display tablet PCs at the five-day show in Taipei held earlier this year.

MSI also announced a Windows-based tablet PC at the show. The Wind Pad device will feature a 10-inch screen, built-in 3G and Wi-Fi, GPS and HDMI high-definition video output.

I wonder how long before Apple releases a proper iPad?

Android is King!

It appears that Android phones are coming out on top! According to NPD, sales in the US have overtaken Blackberry and iPhone! In Australia, page views on Android have grown over 672%!!!


Read more on NPD Research

Google Wave is dead... shame!

We were all excited about the potential of Google Wave... but the dream is over! :-(
Apparently people just didn't know how to use it?? Guess we just don't like change.
Microsoft must be happy.

AS2 blues?

Handy little class converter for AS2 to AS3... 5etdemi

Google Map generator thingy...

http://www.map-generator.net/

Is Flash dead?

Since Apple refused to allow the Flash plug-in on their Safari browser for the iPhone and now iPad, suddenly everyone is questioning what Flash is good for. For the most part, these people are programmers who don't currently use Flash anyway. Their message is that Flash will die soon and everyone will be using HTML5 cause it is the new standard and it can do everything Flash can do.

At Milk Digital we have already been replacing Flash with jQuery for some elements that two years ago we would have built in Flash. However, these are simple things like an image carousel or a navigation device. (Example: Sydney Town Hall)

That said, whatever the future may bring when these HTML5 standards finally get sorted out (video in particular), it's irrelevant really for user in the here and now. Right now there are stacks of cool websites still using Flash video, tools and animation... and they are not just ad agencies or Nike websites. So thank goodness for all the tablets coming out that are sensibly using an Android OS. These products allow the use of Flash and other 3rd party plugins. Most have great hardware features as well, that are not restrictive and limiting.

Flash still has a place on the web today and it's future may well be more inclined toward offline applications - but in my humble opinion, as long as Adobe keep developing it, nothing beats the 'immersive' qualities for promotional or product driven websites of Flash, or the highly interactive games, applications and tools that have fast, cost effective development time.

>>>

For the skeptics, why not just checkout the Webby Award Winners. If you look at the list, over 70% of the award winning websites use Flash. The rest are essentially blogs! Or for some of the more arty farty amazing Flash websites, check out The FWA.

Here is my top 10 list of cool sites for Australian users (Not suitable for iPad's or iPhone's)

1. iView *
http://www.abc.net.au/iview/

2. Foxtel Programming Guide
http://www.foxtel.com.au/whats-on/tv-guide

3. Channel 10
http://ten.com.au/watch-tv-episodes-online.htm

 4. Sony Pictures
http://www.sonypictures.com/

5. Yahoo TV
http://au.tv.yahoo.com/plus7

6. Evony
http://www.evony.com

7. Wallace & Grommit
http://www.wallaceandgromit.com/

8. TED
http://www.ted.com/

9. SMH - Video Stories
http://www.smh.com.au

10. Rolex Sydney - Hobart Yacht Tracker
http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/yacht_tracker.asp


> What are your top Flash websites?


* I believe ABC are launching or have launched a non Flash version of streaming content.

UPDATE: Apple caves in and allows Flash developed games to be ported as apps to be sold via iTunes App store.

Way Back When?

I kept forgetting this link... so, this is for my bad memory. :-)
Check out how bad your clients websites looked in 2003!
> http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

iPad... not so good Al?

OK, so Nick in our office got an iPad today. It has potential... but not for me personally. After 5 minutes it stopped getting data from our wireless network? Perhaps fix needed there.

So anyway,  I jumped on the Apple website to check out the iPad specs and costs. Then noticed they were promoting the "New York Times" newspaper on the screen. Funny thing is, that paper uses Flash video! Oh!

But seriously, it does have some great business uses. It's just a shame a device with a screen this big does not allow the use of Flash!

Cool CSS Menu Examples

It is what it says... thanks to NOUPE!

Multilevel drop down menus
13 Javascript examples
7 advanced menus

Not all of these are that great... use for inspiration!

CS5 and iPhone... we knew it was too good to be true!

I had a few older posts about CS5 and the iPhone publish feature...

But it seems this is all off!

Very sad indeed! For as much as Flash may be able to be replaced in most websites with jQuery or HTML5... Flash will always have it uses. The fact that it can instantly publish a standalone exe for PC or MAC so easily makes touchscreens for events a dream. And there is some animation you just can't do with HTML5. We were really hoping we could easily port existing Flash jobs for the iPhone or iPad. Ah well... now do we really want to learn C?

Latest rumour is a court case between Adobe and Apple. Is Apple the new Microsoft??

Cool 3D Flash keyboard

Cool 3D Flash keyboard... thanks Mathieu Badimon of FIVe3D.
Check out his other stuff too...

Asynchronous Tracking?

According to Google...

"Asynchronous tracking is an improved way to track website visitors with Google Analytics. Unlike a traditional installation, asynchronous tracking optimizes how browsers load ga.js so its impact on user experience is minimized. It also allows you to put your Analytics snippet higher in the page without delaying subsequent content from rendering.

Although asynchronous tracking uses a different Analytics snippet and a different syntax for tracking calls, it supports the exact same tracking customizations as the traditional snippet. In fact, the asynchronous tracking syntax is also more flexible than the traditional snippet. See the Usage Guide for information."

Sharing Code Online??

Then use Pastie!
Drop down of languages.
Paste away then send link!

Slow Leopard?

OK, we have quiet a few PC's and Mac's here... but the two new Mac's running Snow Leopard were woefully slow viewing and accessing shared folders and files across the network.

If you are in this boat, this will make your day:

In "System Preferences", click on "Network Preferences" and select "Ethernet". Now click on "Advanced" and in the first tab 'TCP/Ip' change "Configure IPv6 from 'Automatic' to 'Off'.

Do the same with "Airport" if you are having trouble with slow wireless connections.

Mac Shortcuts

OK... no matter what people say, Mac's are not perfect. You WILL get the odd moment of booting issues, network connection problems, programs hanging etc. After all, it's just a computer!

This is a good reference for system boot up short cuts:
http://www.jacsoft.co.nz/Tech_Notes/Mac_Keys.htm

Top 25 iPhone Games

Top 25 List - thanks to IGN...

Develop iPhone and iPod apps with Flash?

The light is at the end of the tunnel! iPhone apps with Flash? Yes, apparently Flash CS5 will be able to do this! But how? When Apple seems to still shun Flash?

Well, it's all thanks for the iPhone Packager, but you will have to wait until "later in the year". I have registered for the BETA release, so will see how smooth this all is.

I'm guessing Apple will have a flood of apps to review when this happens. There are already 30,000 games for the iPhone and iPod. No disrespect to Flash developers, but there will surely be a lot of crappy apps and games developed. Hopefully there will also be an increase in the fun and useful apps too!

Read about the Adobe iPhone Packager here.
Watch Adobe demo at CS5.org here.

Beautiful site...

Full of great artwork, design and photo posts! www.beautifullife.info

Cufon or sIFR?

sIFR is very popular and a great way of using great looking fonts in websites... but a new (ish) kid on the block for using whatever font you like on your website if Cufon!

Down sides? It is not selectable like sIFR and underline rollover only seems to work in Firefox on a Mac. Upsides? It is a lot faster than sIFR and does not need Flash.

Basically you send them the fonts you want to use and you get back a funky little bit of Javascript... Read more about it here.

Enjoy!

Tiny your URL...

OK, if you have ever posted on Twitter, you have probably used this already... Yes, it is "old as the hills"... but not as old as that saying! Check it out: Tiny URL