Rapid Web News

Another point is that IE9 will only be available to people with Windows 7 or Windows Vista service pack two. The larger user base of Windows XP machines will be left with IE8 which has hardly any HTML5 capability so for the people who want to enjoy HTML5 sites will just download a third party browser like Google Chrome or Firefox rather than upgrade their setup.

Perhaps I am being too harsh on IE9 it runs smoothly loads pages quickly and has at last adopted a lot of the functionality that other browsers have had for a long time, but maybe that is the point other browsers have the same if not better functionality while allowing for full HTML5 compliancy and no need to have to upgrade your computer to use.

So in conclusion is it any good? There is better…

Valentine’s Day is coming around once again.

Last time this year we mentioned how many people were taking their Valentine’s shopping online. This year seems no different, with many of our e-commerce websites featuring new Valentine’s Day sections in preparation for the big day, this coming Monday.

Saint Valentine’s Day, commonly shortened to Valentine’s Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions.

The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 500 AD. It was deleted from the Roman calendar of saints in 1969 by Pope Paul VI, but its religious observance is still permitted.

It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as “valentines”). The day first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Wikipedia

Best wishes go out to all couples who will be celebrating Valentine’s Day on the 14th.

Rapid Web is pleased to announce the recent redesign of a long term client’s website, Body Sculpt UK.

The new web design of Body Sculpt UK features an entirely custom web design, templating and integration into both existing and brand new textual content. The new website design also features the use of a dynamic blog system to go alongside the static content of the main site. Links also exist to various social networking and social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter allowing easy promotion of the the Body Sculpt brand.

Body Sculpt UK have been working with us at Rapid Web for several years now, and we are delighted to see them continue to work with us into the new development of their brand and website.

If you’re interested in getting a new web design for your website, feel free to give us a call on 01785 250222 or contact us directly.

Facebook, one of the largest and most well known PHP powered social networking websites has made significant changes to its web design. Facebook have taken a more minimalistic web design approach in many respects, removing most of the bottom application and instant messaging bar, and moving to a left hand side bar. From a technical perspective, Facebook have increased their use of many web technologies such as JavaScript and AJAX in an effort to increase the speed of website loading and make improve the overall user experience. This certainly increases speed but can cause issues on intermittent or unreliable Internet connections, or on browsers with no or poor JavaScript support. However, Facebook has full support for Internet Explorer 7, 8, Firefox 3, Google Chrome, Safari and Opera.

The left sidebar of the new web design now features links to the news feed, friends, messages, friends and Facebook applications. These applications include both built-in Facebook applications such as Photos and custom made applications such as Rapid Wish List (in the Facebook screenshot above). The sidebar also includes direct links to the top online friends in your Facebook instant messaging, providing you are signed into Facebook’s chat system, which is not the case in the screenshot shown above.

Hopefully you enjoy the new web design Facebook has adopted, but as always there are many Facebook groups which heavily dislike the new changes to the Facebook web design. This is always the case with Facebook design changes it seems. What do you think? Do you like the changes or find that they make the website more difficult to use?

If you’re interested in a new web design for your website, whether minimalist like Facebook’s new design, or much bigger and bolder, please feel free to contact us. We do web design, web development, the creation of dynamic PHP-powered web applications and search engine optimisation and much more. Take a look at some of our other work.

Another one of Rapid Web’s projects bore fruit today with the launch of Craig Jones’s visually stunning Photography site. Craig has always had a fascination with the natural world, since he was a boy in fact and in turn a love of capturing all things wild from his own unique perspective;

“…My images are simplified visions of this seen through my eyes, with the emphasis on composition, lighting and colour at the very heart of each picture, capturing their beauty, fascination and graceful expression with each image…” – and looking at some of his stunning pictures you can almost feel the passion.

Craig is also an active contributor to Arkive – a huge collection of all things wildlife, videos, stills and facts often focussing on endangered species.

“…I also give my time and expertise for free to registered charities, nature projects and developing young talent, giving something back in aid of helping others and the natural world. I am also available for worldwide commissions…”

Rapid Web has felt proud to work with a professional such as Craig; he first came to us in September with an idea for a platform for his superb photography. Less than 2 months later and that platform is realised in the form of a shiny new website. Take a look at some of his pictures; I know you’ll be impressed.