wordpress 3.0
With all the cool things that surround Javascript (especially with jQuery) its easy to forget that it’s possible to push pure CSS (with a touch of HTML) into an all singing and all dancing interactive site, with absolutely no scripting at all.
The pure CSS techniques, outlined in this article, are neither new nor are they ground-breaking. What they do offer is CSS solutions to what would typically and traditionally be associated with Javascript, and as a demonstration that they do exist and could be quite easily used.
Having said all that, we are in no way saying that these techniques are in anyway better than there Javscript equivalent, just an optional alternative and as a proof of concept.
In this article we have concentrated on showing as many varied CSS techniques that cover the full spectrum of web site interactivity, thus we have intentionally minimized the number of pure CSS navigation methods, of which there are literally hundreds.
from speckboy
Hey guys. Hopefully if you’re reading this you’ve discovered some of the true power jQuery has to offer and you’re now looking for ways to improve your JavaScript skills even further.
There was such a huge response to my last post on jQuery Snippets that I thought it only right to follow up with a fresh list that focuses on some of the more recent features introduced in jQuery 1.4.x. Because it’s always useful to have a second pair of eyes look over your code, I asked Paul Irish from the jQuery Team to take a look at all of today’s snippets and he’s included some useful optimizations to a few of the snippets which I’ve intregated.
Now, if I only we could fit Paul into a useful Browser plugin, all my articles would be just as sensible 
The snippets from today can be applied to a wide range of projects so remember to bookmark the post if you find it useful so you can easily come back to it anytime you want. So without further adieu, I give you today’s 31 Snippets that will help make you a JavaScript Pro.
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via addyosmani
I’m a firm believer in dividing work smartly. So when someone else has a product, at the right price, that can give you more time to focus on the important stuff, it’s a win-win. When it’s cheap or free, the decision is even easier — you can try it and discard if it’s not useful!
Luckily in the context of building a web startup there are a plethora of tools available, but just staying aware of what’s out there can help you make better decisions about what to tackle yourself, and what to try to grab off the shelf.
Here are some tools that I have used personally (not in rank order, btw) in the last year:
Brainstorming / Mindmaps
1. mindmeister.com – great when you’re rambling off lots of ideas in lots of directions and you want to write them down and group them somewhere for later reference
Checking Names (yes, a decent, memorable, spellable, and pronounceable name can be helpful!)
2. nxdom.com – search recently expired domain name lists for names that start with or end with certain words
3. ud.com – checks domain names and popular social networks for reserved name availability all at once
Prototyping user interfaces
4. balsamiq.com – throw together screen concepts to help communicate your idea to others
Screen sharing, conferencing, feedback
5. vyew.com – great for getting feedback remotely . . vyew even lets you mark up a screen shot collaboratively
Project Planning and Story/Task tracking
6. Pivotal Tracker – Prioritize, Prioritize, Prioritize. Drag-and-drop prioritization and automatic velocity calculations to help you improve your estimates.
Usability testing
7. usertesting.com – cheap independent feedback on your web site which includes video-capture of user using the site and talking out-loud about their reactions.
Cross-browser,email testing
8. litmusapp.com – screenshots of a url in a laundry list of browsers, cross-email client testing too!
Build and keep in contact with your following
9. madmimi – build that initial e-mail list and keep in contact with a newsletter, or announcements
Price-scalable hosting
10. appengine – pay for what you use, for most apps it’s free until traction
Gathering feedback / mkt. research
11. survey.io – broad swath feedback on what people think of your product/value.
12. ask500people.com – poll general web population for opinion – i.e. – find out which logo people like better, etc
If there’s something you feel should be on the list and particularly if you have used it personally, please chime in!
via flexvite
“With the several websites emerging in the net, it is often a struggle to find high quality resources that will make your websites stand out and be completely unique. Although, it pays to create your own designs to cater to this need, it is often impractical to do so because of time and resources constraints. Some designers, then, turns to free resources as offered by numerous websites…
In this next post, we have came up with pretty useful resources that you can use for your designs or websites… This Ultimate Collection of Free Buttons in PSD Format is a compilation of high quality buttons that you may find useful and unique. Also, since the files are in PSD format, you may add a few of your personal touch to make more… Check out these cool buttons and download your best pick…”
via naldzgraphics
Sure, the semester is coming to a close, and you’re probably in the midst of finals week, and you’re thinking – well, why would I read this article now? The reason is quite obvious – statistically speaking, most students don’t do nearly as well as they planned in a semester. Finals – being the last chance at improvement – typically don’t go too well for most students. So unless you’re a young Feynman, you’re probably thinking about what you did wrong, and how you can improve. While the real key to improvement lies in your approach to studying, technology must not be neglected as a means of assistance. The iPhone – your most portable computer – is an unbelievably helpful tool when it comes to educational organization, studying, note taking, staying connected with other students, data reference, and more.
via ismashphone
“I know Dingbat fonts aren’t the most popular. A lot of them are, well, pretty unhelpful. But, there are also a lot of very cool Dingbat fonts out there that can be used for a variety of things. Ornaments, decoration, patterns, silhouettes and much more. The cool thing about them, is you can convert to outlines, and you’ve got yourself a very cool vector to play with.
I personally use the ornament and decoration type dingbats a lot to enhance typography and things like that. They can be very, very useful. So here is a list of 46 Dingbat fonts that can be used for all sorts of things. Enjoy!”
via thinkdesignblog
“Content sliders are extremely versatile forms of navigation that can be used to display all sorts of information, such as images, popular posts, social information and product features.
Some have automatic slideshow capabilities or buttons to scroll sideways or up and down, and most of them feature a transition effect, usually a slide motion.
Sliders can be great focal points on websites and blogs as they instantly draw the audience’s attention and provide for an easy and sleek way for visitors to interact with a lot of information that can be sorted through quickly.
In this post, we have compiled a massive amount of content slider examples that you can use for inspiration on your own websites. Enjoy!”
via webdesignerdepot
“Layout frameworks are gaining in popularity and are on their way to becoming standard tools for web development. However, the term “frameworks” is primarily associated with software development and as neither HTML nor CSS can be classified as programming languages, there has been some confusion and discussion over the appropriateness of the term in this area. The concept of CSS frameworks encounters similar acceptance problems, as even though they are not “programming”, many web developers – particularly professionals – continue to hold fast to the idea that no matter how demanding everyday life is, markup and CSS rules must be written completely by hand in order to ensure clean and simple code. This prejudice stems in part from the experiences that nearly every developer has had with the very first code generators like FrontPage, GoLive, or Dreamweaver, and those very negative experiences will not be soon forgotten. ”
“Advantages of CSS Frameworks
* You increase your productivity and avoid common mistakes.
* You normalize your code/class base.
* You have a better workflow within a team.
* You gain an optimal browser-compatibility.
* You have a clean, well-structured and complete code.
Disadvantages of CSS Frameworks
* You need time to fully understand the framework.
* You need a close familiarity with your code’s architecture.
* You might inherit someone’s bugs or mistakes.
* You develop sites upon a framework, not upon the solid knowledge of CSS
* You get a bloated source code.
* CSS can not be framed semantically.
* Ignoring the uniqueness of your project.
”
via highresolution
“Whether it’s textures, Photoshop brushes, or icons, we love finding top notch free files and sharing them with our readers. We try to post at least one collection of freebies every week. We do the searching so you don’t have to. This saves you time and helps you focus on what’s important.
This week, we are bringing you more high-quality fonts that have been created in just the past few months. There are 22 in all and they’re all free. There are a few however that will require a quick registration, but they are well worth it.”
via webdesignledger
