According to Google, your Windows Phone is a feature phone
Google is renowned for its lack of Windows Phone support. The search giant has only released one app for the tiled smartphone operating system, and that is basically just a portal to the mobile Google Search page. Windows Phone users get none of the popular apps launched on Android or iOS -- YouTube, Gmail, Google Drive or Google Now. That doesn't look like it will change in the near future, unless Windows Phone's market share is significant enough for the company to notice (which is a far-fetched scenario anyway).
Sadly, Google also shows its lack of Windows Phone support at browser level. Those who wish to access the Gmail website from a handset running the tiled OS are greeted with a plain ugly interface, while Android, iOS and even BlackBerry users get treated to the latest smartphone-optimized design. As a Windows Phone user I had hoped that this would change, but it looks like Google has other plans in mind, as, surprisingly, it considers the tiled smartphone OS to be of the feature phone kind.
F*@K me! Nominet may block 'offensive' words in domain names
You know how the internet is meant to be one of the few remaining forums in which you’re free to speak your mind? That could be set to change in a slightly concerning way. You might think that if you have your own website you're free to say pretty much whatever you want (legality providing), but the UK's domain name registry, Nominet is looking into the possibility of blocking offensive words from domain names.
Perhaps the first question to ask here, is "who decides what is offensive?", and Nominet is not only reviewing its domain registration policy but also asking for input from the public. In its review document, Nominet explains that until now it has "intentionally taken a non-restrictive approach to the words and phrases that may be used in a domain name". The organization goes on to say that it has not "made any value judgement as to the use to which domains are put, or whether they might be offensive or in poor taste" but cites the Republic of Ireland and China as examples of countries in which some restrictions are in place.
MapMyFitness integrates Jawbone UP and Nike+ FuelBand
The MapMy franchise continues to grow at a rapid pace. The company already has apps and web sites for general fitness, running and biking, but the expansion is not yet complete. Today, it continues, with the announcement of new integration with some of today's hottest fitness devices.
"MapMyFitness is excited to announce a 2-way integration with UP by Jawbone, a wristband and app system that helps you know yourself so you can make smarter choices and feel your best. Also added to our list of supported devices is the Nike+ FuelBand. The Nike+ FuelBand uses a sports-tested accelerometer to measure your movement throughout the day", says the official announcement today.
Xara Designer Pro X9 adds even more publishing power
Xara Group has announced the release of Xara Designer Pro X9 ($299), the latest edition of its all-in-one photo editing, web design, illustration and desktop publishing tool. It’s a significant upgrade, too, with worthwhile new features everywhere you look.
The Photo Editor now includes an easy-to-use Background Erase tool, for instance, which helps you quickly cut a complex object out of a photo (a person, say), ready for placing elsewhere. The Healing tool seamlessly removes unwanted defects or objects from your photos, while the program’s effects options have been extended with eleven new Photo FX Plug-ins.
The way we were -- CERN recreates the first website
You might think that complex experiments involving particle accelerators would be enough to keep the people at CERN (the European Organization for Nuclear Research) occupied. But of course in between all that nuclear stuff a CERN team led by Sir Tim Berners-Lee found time to create the first ever website.
This must have been a somewhat frustrating experience back in 1993 when hardly anyone had access to a browser -- rather like Bell inventing the telephone and not having anyone he could call. Now as we reach the 20th anniversary of the landmark event that gave birth to the Web, CERN has started a project to restore that first website.
Build Retina-compatible websites with Xara Web Designer 9 Premium
Established UK developer Xara has released Xara Web Designer 9 and Xara Web Designer Premium 9, the latest builds of its popular web design package for Windows. Version 9 automatically supports the creation of HiDPi/Retina-compatible websites (Premium only), updates support for HTML5 and CSS3 standards and adds a dedicated 64-bit build for 64-bit systems with more than 4GB RAM installed.
Improved HTML5 and CSS3 compatibility has a number of benefits for Xara developers, most notably more efficient and faster loading websites. This is due to the fact many page elements that were previously converted into images can now be rendered natively in HTML5. These include rectangles -- simple, rounded and skewed, box shadows, text with drop shadows and various page backgrounds.
Interactive map of the Blitz unveiled
An interactive online map showing the location of bombs dropped on London during World War II proved so popular when first launched earlier today, that the site immediately went down under the barrage of visitors. Like the survivors of that infamous moment in history, the site picked itself up, dusted itself off, kept calm, and carried on once more, but is still going offline periodically.
The Bomb Sight project was created by a team from the University of Portsmouth using London WWII bomb census data (taken between October 1940 and June 1941) supplied by The National Archives, and shows visitors where the bombs fell during the Blitz, and what type they were.
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