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We’ve got 10+ iPhone/iPod applications in development right now – yee-haw! There’s some really exciting stuff going through our office right now. But we want more!

Not only are we offering a free brainstorm for all iPhone apps but we are looking for clients (new and old) to work with in developing apps for the emerging platforms of Android (Google’s phone), Nokia and Microsoft. We’re even offering 25% off development fees.

If you are interested in being part of something exciting then just get in touch with us – best to speak to Benn Achilleas.

In August of 2008, Internet Explorer celebrated its 7th birthday. In browser years that is pretty old. I was still a teenager waiting to go to university. It was a long time ago! The problem that most developers have with IE6 (other than wasting countless hours of our lives trying to support it) is that we now live in a world where everyone talks about ‘accessibility’ and ‘web standards’, and IE6 simply does not comply. It is out of date, insecure and terrible at rendering pages to modern standards. Yet nearly 30% of internet users still use it as their main browser (W3counter).

Everyone wants their websites to use the latest cutting edge technology, but a significant proportion of people still continue to use a product that is incapable of supplying that to them.

So why have people been so slow to upgrade? one theory is that companies still have it installed as their default browser and it would be too expensive and time consuming to roll it out across hundreds or thousands of machines. While this may be true there has to come a point when everyone catches up with the modern world.
The last few years, particularly since the introduction of Firefox as a viable alternative to Microsoft’s web browsers, there has been a steady rise in the number of anti IE websites on the internet including:

“IE Death March,” “STOP IE6” and “Save the developers”

They all encourage web users to upgrade their web browser to a newer version, be it Microsoft’s more standards compliant IE7 or an alternative browser such as Mozilla Firefox, Opera, or Apple’s Safari.

The relative success of browsers such as Firefox and Safari wrestling some market share away from Microsoft means the worm may be starting to turn. InfoQ point out that “Since attaining a peak of about 95% usage share during 2002 and 2003, Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) has been rapidly losing market share. As the end of 2008 approaches, significant online services, vendors and web frameworks are dropping support for IE6.”

Some of the big names that are dropping their support for the browser include Apple’s MobileMe (the rebranding of the .Mac service), 37signals (a prominent online software supplier), and Facebook, which now recommends upgrading to a newer browser.

It is this last one that could sound the death knell for IE6. If the world’s foremost social networking site ends up ending all support for the browser, then it can’t be long before the rest of the computing world follows suit. I for one hope that this day comes sooner rather than later.

So Google have signaled intent with the launch of their new internet browser that will take the fight to Microsoft’s Internet Explorer [yuk] and Mozilla’s FireFox [yay]. Here with his 2 cents (or pence, depending on your geo-code) is one our team developers, Wojciech…

Will Google chrome change anything in already overcrowded market? Does it delivers any better web experience? Will anyone still use it after driven by curiosity people will give it try? Hordes of bloggers trying to answer for those questions, here is one more attempt

Feature set delivered by Chrome compared to Opera and Firefox seems to be quite limited – you will not find integrated email client or RSS reader, but it would be against Google philosophy – it encourages us to use web based gmail and reader, fine. Chrome doesn’t exactly show us any features we haven’t seen before, but it adds at least one important thing: most of you probably heard about Google gears but only small minority actually bothered to test this technology – to use it with IE or Firefox you need to download and install chunk of software and do we really want to clutter our machines even more in exchange of hypothetical benefits of gears? But chrome has this technology onboard – now when you open your Google Docs or Reader in chrome you might notice new small “offline” link in the top nav bar. Click it and chrome will cache your docs or RSS stories, then enjoy Slashdot, BBC Sport, Engadget or “Invoices pending payment” (whatever is your personal preference) in the cosy Jubilee Line train on your way home

Will this feature will be enough to beat Firefox? In my opinion: no. Real power of Firefox are tons of plug-ins and add-ons, even if (”if” is the keyword here – waiting for someone to benchmark Chrome vs. others) Firefox is slightly slower or has larger memory footprint we will still use it as we love AdBlock, Live HTTP Headers or Firebug (OK, if you’re a not web developer your life might be complete without the latter two, and to be fair Chrome contains quite useful Element Inspector which covers part of features of Firebug).

Life goes on, masses of Windows users will stay (un)happy with IE, unless Google marketing department will persuade hardware manufactures to natively install Chrome and make it default browser. And users who can actually tell the difference between web browsers will continue love-hate relationship with Firefox.

This is beta version of Chrome – will we see update and Mac/Linux version anytime soon? Or will it stay in beta stage for years, as quite a few Google products we’ve seen?

If you’re short of a website, and have eight hours to spare, and $10 then apparently you too can join the online revolution. At least you can according to Vauhini Vara of the Wall Street Journal.

It’s easy to make a website, Ms. Vara explains. All you need is a homepage, an “About” page and a “Contact” page. To improve the design of your site all you need is some “HTML programming code”. You don’t even need any skills to do that! “All you need to know is that a block of HTML — essentially, a bunch of gobbledygook words and symbols — can add extra features to your site.” “Wow”, I can hear you say, “give me some of those features!”. Ms. Vara suggests simply grabbing some “handy HTML blocks” and popping them on your site, “as easily as copying and pasting text in Microsoft Word.

I always find these kind of articles fascinating. Is it only the field of IT that has this blind enthusiasm? I’ve never heard anyone suggesting that “you too could be a dentist”. Surely given a pair of pliers and a Dremel Multi drill I too could be a dentist?

I think the sooner people stop thinking they can make a website using Microsoft Word the better. But maybe I’m just being elitist.

The Yahoo! and Microsoft acquisition talks have finally come to an end  – and Google seem to have come out of it as the clear winner.

After a long-running discussion, Yahoo! have decided to partner with Google, building on their recent ad partnership. Yahoo! will now display Google ads next to its search results in the US and Canada from September. Google and Yahoo! also plan to make their instant messaging tools compatible. In total, Yahoo! are expected to gain $800m in additional annual revenues from the deal.

Now you can also have your music added to your message signatures so everyone can see what you are listening too – and even click through to listen themselves. It’s a nice interaction with FoxyTunes – which is one of the best Firefox extensions ever. Not tested if it ties in with Last FM. I love it when technology starts to ‘connect the dots’ like this as it enriches dialog between consumers and makes a richer environment for digital marketing at large.

- Loving the tune? Facebook message with song signature

While on the subject of Firefox, why not help them set a new world record for most software downloads in a day. At the time of writing this, there are still 11 hours to go and currently the UK is third in the world, just behind Canada and way off the US (of course). Interestingly, the UK has delivered more downloads than Russia, Brazil and China!

– Firefox download day world record attempt

Firefox’s true aim is to step up from number two to number one in the browser market, but their current 10-15% of market share is dwarfed by Microsoft’s Internet Explorer at 80-85%. Slowly people are seeing the light and making the switch but Microsoft’s monopoly deal with PC manufacturers means that a huge percentage of users still us the browser that came with their PC. Which sucks for us digital marketing people as Internet Explorer, particularly IE7 is a pile of horse sh*t and requires additional resources to deliver the same display as Firefox.

Microsoft have developed a new technology that can rapidly extract forensic data from laptops, phones, cameras and other electronical devices. Great for helping border control agents in identifying incriminating material – and hopefully preventing the need for them and other law enforcement agencies to seize innocent computers!

The technology is called COFEE (Computer Online Forensic Evidence Extractor), and is software built into a USB drive.  Although it’s only just coming to light, it has been in use since last June, having been distributed to 350 different law enforcement agencies. Microsoft have said that they developed the device after an attack of conscience, and not as a way of making even more money.

For more details on how it works, visit http://mashable.com/2008/04/29/microsoft-cofe/

Ahead of the upcoming Social Media Influence conference (to be held on 4th June in London) the following YouTube Corporate Top 10 list has been compiled – comprising of videos which appear within the first 10 results in a search of the company name. Each one has been viewed over 1 million times and generated hundreds of comments.

Over 80 million YouTube videos are watched every day, making YouTube one of the most influential forms of media today. We can’t understand why some brands don’t value YouTube’s power and recognise the potential threat that it could have to their reputation – take the Disney porn for example.

Visit Social Media Influence if you want to view the videos. They suggest that while you’re watching, “ask yourself this question – do you know how your company looks on YouTube?”

Here’s their top 10 (in descending order):

As Microsoft and Yahoo! look to merge, this is turning in to a real soap opera…

Microsoft & Google actually fancy each other; Microsoft loves Googles youthful energy and dynamic rise to wealth and Google loves the established, ‘old school’ power of Microsoft… but it’s a forbidden love. They can never be together, which drives them crazy and makes them want to constantly hurt and out do each other.

In the latest ’series’ of their forbidden love, they pull Yahoo! in to their destructive love-hate relationship…

Microsoft has a one night stand with Yahoo! and then proposes, though not because Microsoft actually fancies Yahoo! – it’s more to get Google’s attention! Something about hurting the ones you love.

Ironically, Yahoo! doesn’t want to marry Microsoft either, but she realises that she’s at a stage in her life where her looks have long faded and her living expenses are a bit higher than her income. Whilst popular, she may not get the chance to bag another rich suitor like Microsoft… but she could hold out to find someone who loves her for who she is. Dilemma.

Yahoo! is unsure about Microsoft’s proposal and decides to think about it, but Microsoft is used to getting any girl he wants and this ‘playing hard to get act’ is something he’s seen many times before. Normally Microsoft would just flash some more bling and the girl would get in the car, but this time, Microsoft feels he’s already flashed enough to Yahoo! so he just goes for the affirmative act of ordering Yahoo! to get in the car. Yahoo! runs crying in to the night…

Confused and upset, Yahoo! seeks solace in the arms of other men. The first to hear about her vulnerability is MySpace who decides to take the opportunity to have a quickie with her (because he’s that kind of guy), but in the morning Yahoo! is back out in the cold. Now she’s feeling really dirty, who should come along but Google. Google knows the situation and wants to get back at Microsoft for hurting him with the initial Yahoo! proposal. Google tells Yahoo! what she wants to hear. Google will love her for who she is and promises to share everything with her – unlike Microsoft. But Google wants to take things slowly, one step at a time. This way Google can really get back at Microsoft without never really needing to commit to Yahoo! (as soon as Microsoft has had enough and the proposal is withdrawn, Google will drop Yahoo! like a sack of potatoes).

Poor Yahoo!. She may be desperate but she’s not stupid. She knows she can’t marry Microsoft or Google as her parents would never approve. So Yahoo! agrees to Google’s ’slowly, slowly’ relationship as rumours surface of stolen kisses with other lovers, notably AOL…

Will Yahoo! actually marry anyone?
Will Yahoo! come home from work early to find Microsoft and Google in bed together?
Does anyone still care who AOL sleeps with?
Will MySpace ever clean up it’s act?

Tune in next week (at this rate) for the next thrilling installment of the MicroHoo! soap opera.

According to WSJ, Adobe are going to develop Flash for the iPhone. And they’re not just going to use the existing Flash Lite – they’re going to develop a new version (or tweak the existing one) especially for the iPhone.

Adobe’s CEO, Shantanu Narayen had said: “We believe Flash is synonymous with the Internet experience, and we are committed to bringing Flash to the iPhone…We have evaluated (the software developer tools) and we think we can develop an iPhone Flash player ourselves.”

It seems Adobe’s on a roll. First, they signed a deal with Microsoft, who licensed Flash for Windows Mobile-sporting phones. Then, they posted fantastic financial results for the year. And now, they’re probably going to conquer this last, crucially significant, corner of the smartphone market.