Blog entries - December 2011

Good-bye, 2011!

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 07:24:23 +0100

The last few weeks of each year seem to bring a flurry of activity: planning holiday activities and attending parties, making resolutions for the New Year, finalizing financial reports and planning for next year’s budget.

In the tech world, the end of each year also unleaRead More...

Three Simple Rules That Companies Must Follow on Social Media

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:07:20 +0100

Research shows that many companies don’t have a strategy to use social media. Many more do even worse and just ignore Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Google+ updated its service, and since November companies can create special profiles on the social network. It is an improvement that Twitter and Facebook, some of Google’s competitors in the social media realm, also had done. All of them are looking forward to achieving the same Read More...

Why We Fail and Why We’re OK With It (And You Should Be, Too)

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 12:02:13 +0100

The whole concept of scrum is that the iterative process allows for adaptations. Things have to change mid-project in order for the collaborative efforts to thrive. Don’t like something presented to you by the IT team at the end of a sprint? Ask them to change it.

“Failure,” in this sense is just an opportunity to grow, learn, and adapt. The word has such a negative connotation, but to us it spells opportuniRead More...

Three Commandments to Developing Amazing Mobile Websites

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 13:04:03 +0100

Companies have now a new challenge: develop websites specifically for smartphones and tablets.

You are used to having access every single day to the same websites – maybe to buy something or to read the news online. It seems normal and fulfills your needs. But today it is different. It’s too slow and it’s impossible to view all the information on the screen. The website looks like exactly the saRead More...

Why banning Social Media at work is a bad idea?

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:55:06 +0100

Some researches released at the end of the year show that the attempts of companies to block the use of social media are not only useless, but also a bad decision for business.

A KMPG study, released in December, found out that over 1/3 of employees who worked for companies who block access to social network websites had created ways to get around the firewall. Plus, 63% employeeRead More...

To the Cloud and Back Again

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:32:06 +0100

Back in the day, cloud conversion was when you stared at the sky and “converted” from cumulus, stratus, cirrus and nimbus to bunnies, dolphins, unicorns and piggies.

In this day and age, cloud conversion has more to do with applications and aligning your business with current technology.

During the last hour, almost 90 new apps were released somewhere in the worldRead More...

A Day in the Life: An Offshore PHP Developer

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:18:36 +0100

Ever wonder what it’s like to be an offshore PHP Developer?

Maybe PHP development isn’t the kind of thing that keeps you up at night. That’s fair enough.&nRead More...

Back to the Future

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

IBM just issued its annual 5 predictions of how they believe technology will improve in the next 5 years. The “5 in 5” forecast, begun in 2006, although serving as advertisement for the company, is an interesting and daring point of view of the future of the world.“To predict the next five years, you have to have a deep understanding of the last 50,” said Bernie Meyerson, vice president of innovation at IBM tRead More...

Look Mom, No Hands!

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:53:56 +0100

Today the touch screen technology is on tablets and smartphones. Soon the most modern devices could be touchless.

Have you ever desired a remote control that works for everything? Since the 80’s, when this important tool became popular, it was instantly easier to turn on or turn off the TV. You didn’t need to leave the couch to change the channel anymore.

Have you been scratching your head wondering why on earth you should use dedicated teams? If this is the kind of stuff that keeps you up at night, never fear. Here is our second (and final, for now) installation on working with offshore teams. Click here to revisit blog history and check out the first post. Without further ado, here are 3 reasons why you SHOULD use offshore dedicated teams:

More than 200 billion videos are watched online every month.

It’s Saturday night and somewhere in the world a family is in front of a screen planning to watch a movie. InstRead More...

To Team or Not to Team: That is the Question (Part I of II)

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 12:09:28 +0100

Deciding whether or not to use the services of an offshore dedicated team can be an overwhelming dilemma. Keeping a few tips in mind will hopefully give your decision-making process a little perspective and make you a little less likely to pull out your hair. Here we’ll take a look at Part One of a two-part series: 3 reasons why you should NOT use offshore dedicated teams.

Thankfully our dedicated teams aren't this outdated Now presenting…Joomla! 2.5.

Well... almost.

Joomla! announced many months back that it would produce the newest upgrade later this year, and that time has finally arrived. Joomla! 2.5 inRead More...

2011: The Year of the Internet

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:17:28 +0100

In the UK, 46% of people already have a smartphone and are on the internet full-time. This year other countries have also proven that the internet is a ubiquitous and useful tool.

You might think that it is kind of creepy when your email starts placing advertisements in the sidebar based on things you’ve been talking about in your messages. Or maybe you’re already used to it. Well, get ready for a new level of personal infringement. Now the trend is using your face.

Applying “Face Recognition” software is already very common on social networks. Facebook allows your friends to tag you in photos by automaRead More...

YouTube for Schools Gets a New Seat in the Classroom

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:53:38 +0100

YouTube announced on Monday that it will have a separate setting for schools to ensure students get the most relevant material possible.

It is not uncommon for schools to censor certain information or resources, particularly when it comes to social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. They have limited use in a classroom and can serve as an all around distraction. Students with complete access to YouTube could be spending more Read More...