First off let me say I am not a CSS guru. I work creating CSS sites on a daily basis, however I will be the first to admit that I do not know 1/5th of everything that can an can’t be done through CSS. With that begin said if you see an easier or better method, then post a comment below or email me. I will do my best to include and update on this post.

PNG Image Transparency - Cross Browser Problem

Having PNG images in CSS designers arsenal very beneficial as it can cut down on the amount of images used as well and some of the code that its use. PNG images can also open up design possibilities that you never knew were possible. See example below.

http://www.levelopacity.com/
Check out the use of the PNG image in the footer.

http://www.alexbuga.com/
Alex uses transparency throughout his page.

http://silverbackapp.com/
When you resize your browser the PNG background images give a sense of depth of field.

PNG’s are awesome, however, if you are designing your sites to work correctly in IE6 (as you should be) then you know that PNG’s don’t work correctly. There are several ways of getting your PNG images to work in IE, however depending where and how you want to display your images will depend on what fix you will put in place.

If you have an image much like my logo in which uses an image tag, then you can go with the AlphaImageLoader fix. Target IE using *html. It is best to include you IE hacks fixes in a separate style sheet. Be aware, if you decide to use this method on repeating backgrounds, it will make any text un-selectable and any links un-clickable in the target element.

* html img#swoop {
background: none;
filter: progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.AlphaImageLoader(src='navCorner.png', sizingMethod='scale');

The next methods are great for deploying fixes site-wide if you have lots of PNG’s. First Twin Helix iepngfix.htc. This one is considered a hack, and will un-validate your css. However it works great and if you place it in a second stylesheet for IT your valid code will not be affected. There are some limitations though. For 100% dependability, your elements should not have any auto-widths or heights. Sometimes you’ll get flickering. It’ll display the broken png for a second before the script kicks in. Can’t be used on repeating background images. You can get the script here: http://www.twinhelix.com

img{
behavior: url(iepngfix.htc);
}
/* or you can target specific elements and their backgrounds /*

#header{
width: 800px;
height: 200px;
background: url(path/to/image.png);
behavior: url(iepngfix.htc);
}

The last is a Jquery method. With the jquery.ifixpng plugin you can replace all the images on the page or you can target certain elements on the page. For this fix you will need a blank or one pixel gif, Jquery and of course the ifixpng plugin. This fix also has its limitations. Always defaults to “background-position:top left” and you cannot reposition it. Also doesn’t work on repeated backgrounds.

Example - applying filters to .png for correct ie6 display

// apply to target elements
$(’img[@src$=.png], div#header’).ifixpng();
});

If you still have questions, here is a good resource to start with.

min-width Property and IE

Always something with IE, huh? Say you wanted to have your page be scalable, but once the user rescaled the page to a certain width, the page would stop scaling. This property s called min-width and is used by most of the current browsers today. Again, min-width wont work in IE6. Thanks again Microsoft. You can make it work by using an IE Dynamic Expression to set the width.

div.something {
width: 100%;
min-width: 900px;

/* IE Dynamic Expression to set the width */
width: expression(document.body.clientWidth < 910 ? "900px" : "100%" );
}

IE6 Double Margin Bug & Clearing Floats

First lets get the easy one out of the way. If you have a floated element such as a div and you place margin-right or margin-left on that element, our most beloved IE6 will double that margin value. To fix this simply add display:inline; to your floating element. Thanks Jamye

Clearing floats is a whole other issue in itself. There are some many do’s and don’t of clearing floats. I remember when I used to clear floats by adding an empty div and add a clear element to it. Don’t try that by they way. Most of the time the problem with a float is the containing div. The containing div does not cover the floated element, thus resulting in pages that look so jacked up you want to go back to table design (j/k). When ever you float an element add an overflow:hidden property to it. Suddenly that div is now seeing the floating div. Also adding a hard width and height can fix this as well, but who works in absolutes (pun intended).

I know some people who just stay away from floats because they can’t get them to work. If you uses this simple method you will get your floats to work like you want them. After you have implemented both of these methods you will have some code kinda like this:

div.right-well-container {
overflow:hidden;
}

div.right-well {
margin: 10px 4px 0px 4px;
float: left;
display: inline;
}

Background Images on Empty Elements

From time to time I will be in the need to add a extra element or rounded corners on to existing code. Sometimes it is just easier to add an empty div to accommodate this change rather than recoding the bulk of your already finished code. However you may run into another IE6 bug that will add margin around the element. After multiple tests to see what is exactly causing the problem I found that it was the font size. My workaround has been to change the font size to 1px. This seems to get rid of the problem. I am sure there is a better explanation for what is going on, but I don’t have it. Feel free to comment below.

div#profile-top {
font-size: 1px;
height: 3px;
background: url(details_top.gif) no-repeat;
}

CSS links for beginners and experts

if you are getting into CSS it can be dawning at first, however once it clicks with you,you’ll have no problem tackling the hardest projects. I found out that the best program for a beginner to learn on is CSSEdit. While it is not a program for beginners, it helps you understand code and view items that cane be styled. Everybody has his or her own method to try to solve things and we all have our favorite tools. CSSEdit’s Preview feature in combination with the XRay can allow you to pull any site and look at the CSS and see how they set it up. When you are in XRay mode you simply select an element, and you’ll see its margins and padding (if any) and the space this element takes. At the top of the Preview page you see the all the parent elements with classes and id naming etc. Very kool stuff. Below are some links for you to get started.

http://veerle.duoh.com
She knows her CSS and has tons of links to CSS tutorials, examples, and more.

http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
A great site for anything design related. Here is a free CSS menu for you to dissect and understand.

For those experts out there check out the links below. See what other creative people like your self are doing with CSS.

50 Creative CSS Examples

http://www.cssartillery.com/
Is becoming one of my favorite CSS gallery sites

I just listened to episode 49 of net@night with Amber MacArthur and Leo Laporte. This week they had Brad Jefferson on the show. Brad is the co-founder of Animoto. I really got excited when I heard what Animoto is and how easy it is to use the service.

I have been creating video slide shows for years now. I used to build the entire slide show in Final Cut Pro and manually set the ken burns effect by hand. Over the years it is getting easier and easier to build high quality slide shows that look amazing with little effort.

I am currently making a slide show using iPhoto for my father in laws 60th birthday. I found it really easy to quickly create awesome slide shows in minutes with little effort. However, these slide shows look a lot like some of my first slide shows I ever created. They look good, but do not have very much depth and emphasis to match the music, and highlight certain photos. To do this I would need to go into Motion and spend an afternoon using 3D effects, transitions, and motion effects to make the slide show look truly amazing. Who has that kind of time though, and we are just talking about a photo slide show here.

Enter Animoto. Animoto allows me to create the types of videos I mentioned with roughly no effort on my part. Simply upload your photos to Animoto, or choose existing photos online (Flickr). Select a song from their music library, or upload your own. Animoto will analyze the song’s tempo and emotion, and add motion effects to match the beat. It is truly amazing. But don’t take my word for it, try it out yourself. Also check out what I quickly made in 5 minutes.

I really would like to use this for my photography business, however Animoto is really not set up for commercial use at the moment. Brad mentioned they are looking at a commercial version for professional use in the near future. When that comes out I will adopt Animoto for all of my slide show projects.

I’ve got to say, living in an iPhone world is great. I have an awesome phone, an even better iPod, and web browsing in Safari is the best on any mobile phone. Everything I mentioned is the default on all iPhone’s. These services are great, but I really want a phone that can do it all, and do it well. There is so much power packed into this tiny device, and I want to use all of it to its full extent. Jailbreak, is the answer to unlocking this power.

I really don’t want to talk to much about the process of Jail-breaking your iPhone. There are so many different ways of unlocking your iPhone its really just a matter of which option to choose. However for those of you who are missing out, one word, “ziPhone“.

Now that we got the housekeeping out of the way, lets talk about all of the great applications you can get from jailbreaking your iPhone. This list is in no particular order, nor is it a definitive list. This is simply a list of the applications I have fell in love with and keep using on a daily basis. I test drive a lot of applications. To be quite honest, most of the applications are stinkers. However, every now and then you will find an application that works perfectly, and makes you wonder it if was build by a developer working for Apple. These apps listed below are those types of applications. They are, the cream of the crop. So lets get down to business, shall we? Oh, and one last thing, everything here is FREE!

MobileScrobbler

Even though these are not in a particular order I must say that Mobile Scrobbler is probably my favorite application. If you are a heavy LastFM user (like me) and can’t stand that your tracks do not get recorded on the go, then this app is for you. You can also use it to discover new music based on the music you listen to. Basically you can stream recommended high quality music from LastFM. This is great if you are starting to get board with your current music collection.

1) Blu-Ray won the Format War.

PS3 Fanboy

With Blu-Ray having won the format war, the PS3 is looking more and more tempting for AV-philes. Not only is it one of the cheapest Blu-Ray players on the market today, it’s completely future proof with future Blu-Ray profiles…

What I Think

They are right on. The reason I bought the PS3 is because of the Blu-Ray capabilities. Of course I am an avid gamer, but right now I see the PS3 as a Blu-Ray player only. Now that Blu-Ray won the format war more PS3’s will be sold as Blu-Ray only players. Lets face it, it is definitely the best valued Blu-Ray player.

2) High Quality PSN Games

PS3 Fanboy

The quality of games on the PlayStation Network speaks for itself. Sony seeks out the most innovative and experimental content for its downloadable game service such as flOw and Everyday Shooter… Finally, Super Stardust HD remains one of the system’s best titles - not bad for less than 10 dollars.

What I Think

This is where I dissagree. First off the playstation store (PSN) is a joke. It is basically a web page you have to navigate awkwardly with a controller. It is not intuitive nor is it user friendly. That aside lets chat about games. PSN does not have the amount or quality of games that its main competitor has in Xbox Live Arcade. Sure there are come good ones like Calling All Cars, and Everyday Shooter, but the majority of the games can be found on other networks where there are many more game offerings. What I care about is exclusives, and so far the exclusives on Xbox 360 far outweigh those on PS3.

3) Great DLC support for first party titles

PS3 Fanboy

First party PS3 games receive excellent downloadable content. Motorstorm, even a year after its release, still continues to receive updates in the form of new tracks and vehicles. Both Warhawk and Resistance receive free updates and improvements as well as purchasable map packs…

What I Think

Blah Blah Blah. Sounds like company PR to me. Downloadable content, to me, has been a way for publishers/developers to squeeze every last drop of money they can from you. I don’t think any company can really brag about their downloadable content unless it was free. I mean lets look at horse armor. Yeah that went over well. The best downloadable content I think have been the map packs and the additional songs you can download for Rock Band and Guitar Hero. Although I really don’t think these are good reasons why the PS3 is now relevant.

4) DualShock 3

PS3 Fanboy

The DualShock 3 reintroduces rumble to the PlayStation brand. SIXAXIS motion sensing is implemented into most new releases, with developers like Rockstar and Kojima Productions discovering that less is more…

What I Think

The DualShock 3 reintroduces rumble to the PS3, something it should have had from the beginning. Despite the new old rumble, the SIXAXIS control is very cool if it is used sparingly. I recently played through Uncharted, and Heavenly Sword and I thought the use of the SIXAXIS control was used very well. Still I don’t think this technology merits that much acclaim. Until there is a game that is revolutionary enough to take full advantage of the SIXAXIS I don’t it is that credible.

5) Value for money

PS3 Fanboy

Sony lowered the price during 2007 from the ludicrous $600 starting price tag to a much better value $400. The PS3 is one of the cheapest Blu-Ray players on the market and is guaranteed to contain a HDD, built in wifi and a free online service…

What I Think

I agree totally. The PS3 is a great value for any video lover. For the hardcore gamer, the jury is still out for me.

6) Regular firmware updates

PS3 Fanboy

Sony continually updates the system to improve the user experience. Over the last twelve months we’ve been given DivX support, backwards downloading, Remote Start, Folding@Home, themes, Blu-Ray profile 1.1, DVD upscaling and more…

What I Think

I think firmware updates are great, especially when they bring new features. However, PS3 has a long way to go in improving their system update process. When you first start up the system there is no indication that a firmware update is available unless you visit the system update or the Playstation Store. After you manually search and find an update you start the download, which in my experience has taken a very long time. When downloading an update you cannot do anything else on the machine until the download has completed. After the download has completed next the system starts the actual update (remember kids don’t turn off your system). the whole process is cumbersome and time consuming. Also don’t even get me started on the whole cross media bar (it should be scrapped).

7) Remote Play

PS3 Fanboy

PSP owners can interact with their PS3s even when they’re in a different room (or country) thanks to Remote Play. Once your PSP is synced up to your PS3 you can turn it on and off from anywhere with wifi access…

What I Think

Unfortunately I do not own a PSP so I cannot comment on that. However I do think that if you are a PSP fan, the PS3 ties in very nicely with that lifestyle. For me, my portable gaming device will be the iPhone.

8 ) Metal Gear Solid 4

PS3 Fanboy

The final chapter in the Metal Gear Solid saga is arguably the most anticipated PlayStation 3 title this year. Sony recently announced a worldwide June 12 release date for the game…

What I Think

While I am totally stoked for Metel Gear Solid 4, and even more excited for Killzone, I think that Sony need to secure more exclusives to make it relevant. Don’t get me wrong, those games are system sellers, however so are the dozens of blockbuster exclusive titles that have already been released on Xbox 360. Anyone ever heard of Halo 3? Just look at my list of top games, there is only one PS3 exclusive game. Most of the top games are on 360. Bottom line exclusives sell systems.

9) LittleBigPlanet

PS3 Fanboy

Originally shown off at GDC 2006, LittleBigPlanet captured gamers’ imaginations with its adorable characters and innovative gameplay. The biggest draw of the game, which sees its release later this year…

What I Think

I am not that excited about LittleBigPlanet. I think it looks like a fun game, but it is certainly not a system seller. I cannot imagine anyone going into BestBuy and saying ,”I’m gonna buy a PS3 to play LittleBigPlanet.” Seems to me LittleBigPlanet is more suited for the Wii audience. However I’ll reserve my final judgements until it comes out.

10) Home

PS3 Fanboy

Sony’s ambitious answer to Xbox Live is coming on in leaps and bounds recently. With news that first party titles will receive their own Home spaces, complete with mini games…

What I Think

If I wanted to play the Sims, I’d play the Sims. Home is a poor excuse for an Xbox Live competitor. I want to quickly jump online see if my friends are on and jump into a game. I am busy with work and home life, and I barely have enough time to jump into a long online game. I don’t need to waist any time. Here is what Sony should have done do have a decent competitor; re think your cross media bar , look at what Xbox has done, copy it, and make it better.

The bottom line is that Sony needs to secure more exclusive titles for it to become relevant. Right now I just see mine as a Blu-Ray player, that may one day will become a great gaming system. If a game is released for both systems I snatch up the Xbox version for the gamer points (I know mine is low but I still like them). Sony first party needs to step it up and produce some blockbuster games in a hurry.

If your an Apple fanboy/girl, you are aware that tomorrow Apple is holding a press conference. They are supposedly going to reveal (not release) the long awaited iPhone SDK (software development kit for you n00bs). Most iPhone users have been waiting for this since the iPhone was first released. This will allow third party developers to create applications specifically made for the iPhone. There is already a method for getting an application on the iPhone, but it requires the user to jailbreak the iPhone. However with a jailbroken iPhone, you already have access to some great apps that are extremely useful in your day to day life. Now with the SDK in hand developers can make these apps and many more available to all users of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

The announcement also brings speculation regarding gaming finally coming to the iPhone. Thus far gaming has only been allowed by Apple on the iPod classic and older models of the iPod. Needless to say the users are ready for Games on their iPhone. I have played several games on my once jailbroken iPhone. Many of these jailbroken games were sub par on graphics, but were extremely addicting and functional. Now that the SDK will be released it also allows the big studios to jump into the game. This could fix the problems with some of the sub par games as well has create a higher standard for independent developers to strive for. EA and id Games have been strong supporters of the Mac. You know they are anxious to get their games on the iPhone and iPod Touch. There have also been rumors around and announcement from EA. This is all speculation at the moment.

What possibilities lie in the iPhone? It has a gorgeous multi touch sensitive screen. The iPhone has several sensors in it, one to recognize when you have the phone next to your face, and the other is an accelerometer. The accelerometer can sense motion, and which way the device is begin held. The iPhone has a camera, speakers and a microphone. You add all of these together are you have the ability to have a highly interactive game in a small hand held device. Look at what the Nintendo DS is doing with their touch sensitive hand held.

I recently read a post highlighting an independent games developer that has made an iPhone game that uses some of the iPhone’s features. The game is called Trism. It’s a Bejeweled-like gem matching puzzle game. Pretty straight forward right? Take a closer look. This game uses the iPhone’s accelerometer to tell the gems which direction to fall.

This game is working on a Jailbroken iPhone. He mentions he wants to put it on the iPhone through the SDK.The game is still a work in progress, but shows you some of the capabilities for the iPhone in terms of gaming. Check out the video below, you will be amazed.

I was recently reading Chris Pirillo’s 50 Reasons to Switch to a Mac blog post. It really seems like everyone is moving to a mac these days. Avid Mac hater John C. Dvorak is now a happy Mac owner and user. Mac market share is higher that it has ever been. So what is causing people make the switch?

I pondered this question as I read Chris’s post. My Wife, a lifetime Windows user, just got Her first Macbook. I kept Her old PC on her desk in case she needed it, but to my surprise She has been using the Mac 100% ever since She got it. Now I just need to add Parallels to Her Macbook for those 1 or 2 Windows applications She needs. She won’t admit it to me, because I was right, but She secretly loves it.

So again, what is causing people make the switch? Here are some of my personal favorite reasons Chris gave for making the switch.

• Excellent power management in OS X. When I close the lid to my MacBook Pro, it falls asleep. When I open the lid to my MacBook Pro, it wakes up. Imagine that! Seems to be the case 99% of the time, and it happens quickly.
• I’m ready to experience different frustrations. OS X isn’t perfect, certainly - but I already see its noticeably more stable than Windows Vista has been. Kernel Panics at least look prettier than BSODs. Seriously, I just find OS X’s update schedule to be more to my liking - instead of waiting for gigantic service packs, I get minor point releases along the way to major revisions to the OS. Bugs are going to happen, but knowing that showstopping / security bugs are likely to be squished quicker gives me amazing peace of mind.
• There’s more interesting, useful, beautiful, and affordable software being developed for OS X. If you still believe that there’s no software for "the Mac," you’re simply a fool who hasn’t done his or her research.
• I love the fact that most programs and their associated libraries are self-contained (apps). There’s no stress in installing / uninstalling most programs, and for true cleanup jobs there’s always AppZapper.
• I’m not a huge fan of the Dock for task management, but Quicksilver has virtually no Windows equivalent (in terms of elegance and scriptability, although it’s still completely overwhelming to me right now). The dock isn’t a shining example of where OS X is "better," but I do appreciate the context menu options for each of the Dock’s icons for "Open at Login" management.
• The spyware / malware / virus threat is diminished by an extreme degree. Not to say that one should avoid running protective layers of software or hardware, but… I’m just not as nervous when I try a new app on OS X.
• Time Machine. Wow. Can it really be this simple? "Simply select your AirPort Disk as the backup disk for each computer and the whole family can enjoy the benefits of Time Machine." Do you understand what that means? And no, Windows Volume Shadow Copy is not the SAME thing.
• You never need to defrag a Mac’s hard disk.
• Joining wireless networks in OS X is easier and more refined, easily accessible. The tools for networking don’t seem overly complex, either.
• Erasing deleted files placed in your trash (also known as a Recycle Bin in Windows) can be securely erased in OS X. No need to mess with third-party software.
• Microsoft doesn’t have an iLife. Not even close. It has a set of multimedia applications, but they don’t seem to be cohesive in the slightest. Maybe things will get better as Live continues to evolve?
• The Preview tool ain’t no joke - with annotations, basic image editing, Core Animation zooming and scrolling, GPS Metadata support, batch operations, etc. It’s all at your fingertips.
• Expose works. ‘Nuff said. The only thing that surpasses OS X’s open window management is Compiz Fusion. None of this Flip3D nonsense.

I love the Universal Access zoom feature - and have used it so many times for countless reasons. Really comes in handy when you’re trying to show something to someone from across the room. Never found anything close to its simplicity anywhere else.

Chris put together a great list. I agree with everything that Chris said and I think you can grasp an overall theme apparent in everything he said. The Mac just works. For example I did not purchase Microsoft Office for my Wife’s Macbook. I instead told my Wife to give iWork a try and if you don’t like it I will set you up with Office. After a week of using it She hasn’t looked back. The Mac also comes with so many applications just like iWork, and they all just work. Programs like the ones included in ilife that allow users to easily design, edit, create anything they want without becoming an expert. It puts the power in the hands normal people, not avid experts.

Everything about the system just works. We had printer sharing issues back when my Wife was on XP. Also, sharing files was a chore. It seemed to be easy to share files one way but harder to share them both ways. Now that we are a 100% Mac home everything works perfectly. We can print from any computer, perform backups easily, stream, and share files like a breeze.

Speaking of applications, OSX has more than just the applications that come with your system. There is a slew of excellent Mac developers out there making smart, clean, and easy to use applications. Quicksilver alone could be a reason to switch. All of Adobe’s applications run smoothly on the Mac. There are some great open source applications on the mac that are more than excellent. More than likely you can find your Windows comparable application running on a Mac. However, if you can’t find your program, there is Parallels, VMWare, and Boot Camp to assist you.

I’m not saying that Apple is the perfect solution for everybody, however it does seem to be causing quite the switch-a-rama lately, especially since Vista. My last advise to those of you who still think that Windows is better (which it may be in your case), just take a look at a Mac. Go into an Apple Store, or borrow a friends. Once you really sit down and play with it, you too may be switchin’ too.

Strong title for my strong feelings. The watch it now feature has been festering inside me for a long time, but it has just finally reached boiling point.

Before I get into my rant let me first sing the praises of Netflix so you can see my perspective. I have been a Netflix subscriber for almost 2 years now. Not once in my 2 year history have I even thought about switching to Blockbuster or other movies by mail offerings. Now that I get Blu-Ray movies for no additional charge makes me even more happy. I typically ask my wife as soon as I get home, “did my Netflix movie arrive yet”? It really is the best service out there for online movie rentals.

With that begin said, I have had a huge problem with Netflix’s watch it now feature ever since it came out. First off let me say that if this feature was available for an extra charge (and it worked for me) I would be more than willing to pay. It is not a matter of me complaining about a free service. My complaint is strictly about Netflix’s apparent “screw you” attitude when it comes to Mac users.

Netflix’s watch it now feature only works with computers that are running Windows. It must be watched in Internet Explorer (the absolute worst browser on the planet). Watch it now, won’t even worn on Firefox on the windows side. It is highly DRM’d so you need all the latest firmware, and the DRM ridden Windows Media Player 11.

Netflix, for some time now, has mentioned that it is working on support for Apple users. However, It has been over a year and we haven’t still seen any progress regarding Mac support. Last week Netflix announced “MyNetflix (beta) Vista Media Center plug in with Watch Now streaming”. There is also rumors that Netflix will be adding watch it now to Xbox 360 and PS3.

This infuriates me, as an avid Mac user. while I will finally be able to use this feature on ether my 360 or my PS3, I still won’t be able to watch it on my Macs. Why would Netflix go out of their way to screw over Mac users. Instead of working on a Mac solution they decide to focus on a fragmented video game market, (most the users probably won’t even have a Netflix account) and also focus on the even smaller market of Window Media Center users.

I am not saying we need an a full blown solution or media center functionality, just get it working in the browsers. The Mac developers will take whatever you put out and make it more feature robust, and or write plug ins to additional applications. Apple may be closed to putting this feature on the AppleTV or in front row, but it doesn’t mean you can’t develop a watch it now application. Netflix, don’t abandon your mac users. Look at your site numbers, I’m sure you have many users of your site who use other browsers, are on the Mac, and an even greater number of users who would love this feature on the iPhone.

While I mention it, the iPhone would be perfect for this feature. I could watch a movie at work with ease. Studies just showed that 50% of all smart phone searches are done from an iPhone. Basically people using iPhones are using the web. Netflix’s watch it now feature would fit in great with the iPhone. Netflix, be the company I want to love. Make your watch it now feature available to everyone!

11:57 AM - The FEDEX guy arrives with two boxes. Jason furiously signs for the order.

11:59 AM - Jason rips into the packaging starting with the MacBook, as it is the daintiest of the two.

12:01 PM - Jason carefully takes the MacBook out of it’s packaging. He’s starting to get goose bumps.

12:03 PM - He speeds through the setup process. “It now time for the big boy”.

12:07 PM - “This one requires a little more muscle,” He exclaims and grunts as he pulls the Quad Core MacPro from its lonely box.

12:11 PM - He pulls open the computer to reveal the insides. He is checking out the drive bays now. I think he will fill these up quickly.

12:13 PM - He violently removes his old Mac from its normal spot. Looks like it has been replaced indefinitely. “Perhaps I will use it as a media center.”

12:18 PM - The computer starts up. Jason exclaims, “life is good.”

Cheers

-JC

Now that I’ve given them a glorious praise. Let me break down the links that I felt were important to me and bookmarked. Trust me there is lots more on the full list, if you see one that is important to you that I didn’t include, comment and share it with everybody.

UI Patterns
UI Patterns is basically a library of commonly used UI solutions that most of us have run across. Personally this is great if you are adding a section to your site, and are wondering, “what should be the best way to present my information.”

WP Candy - WP Help Sheet
You know I love Wordpress. I now have 4 sites running it. This is a Wordpress help or cheat sheet. You can get Wordpress information, as well as download working PHP files.

CSS Globe - CSS Text Gradients
I saw this done recently with a grunge effect, but this is the first time I’ve seen it with gradients. Same principle, but very nicely implemented.

Poolie Studios - Iconize Textlinks with CSS
Icons in web design are a great was to visually speak to your audience in a very quick and easy way. I would love to roll this out on my sites.

CSS Globe - SearchField
A very pretty search field. I will probably pick it apart and reassemble something more fitting to my sites. Still very nice.

James Whittaker - Em based layouts - Vertical rhythm calculator
If you have ever dealt with EM’s in CSS you know that they can be difficult to use. I find myself quickly switching back to pixels. However EM’s are very important for a flexible expandable CSS design. James made a EM calculator that helps you convert your PX to EM’s.

Wake Up Later - sIFR Tutorial
I never have personally used this method, but you never know when you may be faced with a project where it is absolutely necessary. Use your own fonts on a web page. I am also a big fan of not using images for text as much as possible. This solves that problem.

DeDestruct - Cross Browser Transparency with .PNG
As a designer I love begin able to use PNG images when possible. However all web developers know that PNG’s do not work correctly in all browsers. There are many methods for using PNG images, this is another one.

Button collection
I am always looking for inspiration. At my new job we use call to action buttons all the time. It is always good to see what other designers are doing.

Creative Logos
What more can I say. These are some really great looking logo designs.

25 Beautiful, Minimalistic Website Designs
Sometimes you can say more with less. These websites definitely achieve minimalism in a big way.

Logo Templater
Ever needed to through a logo on a comp on the fly. I have. This is a great site for free great looking logos.

Dry Icons - Free Icons
Same as the last one. a good resource to throwing icons on a site in a hurry.

I have had some great times at Hilton. I met so many great people, many of whom I now consider great friends. These people are what make Hilton a great company to work for. I gained some great knowledge about the corporate environment, and I fell I have have grown up a great deal while I was there. I took on several new rolls and responsibilities while I was at Hilton. Each task I encountered help grow my knowledge base of programs, design, and web accessibility and standards. I also brushed up on my flash, video, photoshop, css, and php skills while I was at Hilton. So this is a big thank you to all of the people who had an influence in my time there. You will all be greatly missed.

I have almost completed my first week with Metric Interactive. I am the new Webmaster for the creative team. Basically I will assist in the coding of new site functionality and CSS, flash action scripting, and possibly some design work here and there. The thing I love most about this company is the future opportunities. They shoot video and photography in house, which you know is my cup of tea. You never know when I may be asked to help edit or shoot something here at Metric. Also building flash ads and getting back into flash as a whole is very exciting as well. I look froward to a long working relationship with Metric Interactive.