DAT204: breaking the Web Core Fonts mould with HTML5

Today, I delivered a demonstration of the advanced typography features in the HTML5 platform. Before the advent of the HTML5 platform, web designers are limited to a selection of fonts which are available on the client's computer, or using images for header banners and text content, which can be very labourious for both the browser and the internet connection to handle.

Even though with the advent of faster broadband internet connectivity, it is a lot faster to load them as actual text rather than images, but even with that, there is little that can be done when your range of typefaces are severely limited as not every computer would have them installed, and Web Core Fonts were designed to provide a standard range of fonts for all platforms that are installed by default. With HTML5, it broadens the range of fonts you can use on a web page, and most of all, they are accessible via the server side, so the only requirement would be for the browser to support the font-face rule of CSS3 (as well as obviously, HTML5) and for the font to be placed in the web page's root directory, saving the need to install a font on the client's computer, and for the use of the rather limited Web Core Fonts.

Although font-face has existed since CSS2, it hasn't really been promoted as a feature until CSS3, when it addressed the initial problems regarding the need to use a proprietary format rather than the more widespread .ttf and .otf formats.

In addition, there are much more possibilities that are contained within the whole platform, and this includes varying the CSS from a HTML5 form and using semantics to define the attributes and properties, as well as many other graphical features to name, but a few.

The example I used for the demonstration is Apple's HTML5 showcase: http://www.apple.com/html5/showcase/typography/ (requires Safari, as it uses Apple's interpretation of HTML5, although the whole platform is a draft at the moment. It may change as soon as Gecko and other browsers increase support). Another good example of HTML5 typography is at: http://www.html5rocks.com/en/tutorials/canvas/texteffects/, which also, conveniently, explains the graphical capabilities of typography in <canvas>, which will be touched upon in Term 2.

Apple: RIP Steve Jobs (1955-2011)

Today has been the saddest day in the world of technology and IDAT. We have lost someone who revolutionised the technology world, paved way for innovation and established a fraternity that many dedicated enthusiasts like me have become part of. Without him, where would Apple be now? Where would IDAT be? Where would the creative industries be? Apple has created some of the world's best products that changed the world forever, most of all, it all started with the Macintosh in 1984. It changed desktop computing forever, because it brought the GUI to the fore, and established a role model that many competitors would later build upon. When Steve Jobs returned to Apple in 1997, he introduced the computer that would change computers forever like what the Macintosh did in 1984, but this time, with features that were never seen before on existing computers that were on the market. In 1998, the iMac was born. The following year introduced the iBook, then subsequent years saw both iMac and iBook evolve, and then the PowerBook got the same design treatment afterwards. As the 21st century came, so did more products that changed the world. In 2001, the iPod forever changed the digital player market, and became the benchmark for other MP3 players, and in 2007, the iPhone was introduced. This then paved way for smartphones to become more mainstream, and brought capacitive touchscreen technology to the fore. Then in 2010, the iPad started off a new revolution that also lead to touchscreen tablets becoming more mainstream. Had it not been for Steve Jobs, Apple would have not existed to this present day, and Michael Dell's comment about shutting it down and 'returning money to investors' would have become true. Nonetheless, even competitors, especially Microsoft and Samsung, who Apple are fighting against in legal battles, are remembering the legacy that Steve Jobs left. In addition, the animation company he helped found also felt his legacy, and Disney, who owns Pixar, and who also featured Jobs in their board of directors, has remembered him very fondly. In their films, there would often be indirect references to Apple and their products, and most notable, the film Wall-E featured references to Apple in the form of the startup sound and the design of Eve, which was designed by Apple's Industrial Design leader, Jonathan Ive.

He will be forever remembered for many products, ideas and inspiration that defined a generation, and most of all, every generation will remember him the most for being one of the founders that founded one of the best companies in the world, Apple Inc. Shall he rest in peace, and shall his legacy continue eternally.

IDAT 107: Digital signature

During the course of a few weeks, we've been doing some Adobe Illustrator stuff. Part of our assignment is to design a digital signature by using fonts, scaling and colours but without stretching or distorting it.

For my digital signature, I have decided to use the font Myriad Pro because this represents my personality as very creative, clean, modern and minimalistic, which is kind of like Apple Inc.'s usage of the font throughout their products, literature and communication. The Norman part of the signature is emphasised in light-blue because it represents the modern-ness of the world and the Web 2.0 generation, which many people can relate to. Also, the 'A's are set in italic because this adds to the effect of the signature, and also highlights the difference between the double-storey 'A's of regular/bold and the script 'A's of italic/bold-italic.

IDAT 106: Fun with Terminal

Today, we are having fun with one feature that has only arrived on the Mac 10 years ago but featured on UNIX and Linux for decades, Terminal. We are doing many things on Terminal, such as changing directories, communicating with other computers via echo with IP addresses, and learning that we can use it for when we start to work on Arduino cards - programmable boards that can be used for anything, but I'm not too sure if it can do the same things as what iOS apps can do at the moment, we'll have to see...

Back to the Mac: Apple's big day

Today, Apple will be announcing something big in the Mac world. Are we going to see iOS integration in the Mac OS X? Are we going to see a smaller MacBook Air? Or are we also going to be seeing a new iLife and iWork? Who knows, it's going to half an hour until Steve Jobs reveals something big, but more positive than the cutbacks our Prime Minister announced, and even bigger than that. Let's wait and see...

Return of the Mac (no, not that Mark Morrison song, I meant the Apple Macintosh!): A Lion's share of good news?

Wednesday the 20th (at 18:00 BST, just after IDAT 106) will see Apple focusing more on the Mac than most of the iOS stuff they've been churning out recently. The event will most likely reveal the next step of Mac OS X, which most sources have it that this upcoming version will probably have another big cat name: Lion. Other rumours say that Apple is preparing the first major revision of the MacBook Air, which is likely to have a smaller version that can take on existing Linux/Windows netbooks, so does it look like time that Apple could finally enter the netbook arena with Mac OS X (instead of third party hacked OSX86 offerings)? Probably, considering the most convincing of pictures of a MacBook Air chassis with the batteries exposed (and oh no, what happened to the big SSD? Looks like they've replaced it with something smaller, but nonetheless probably still has a reasonably-high capacity flash memory storage).

EDIT: Since the Apple event yesterday (on Wednesday the 20th) the majority of the rumours are true, there is an 11.6" MacBook Air and flash memory and also there's now Lion, with iOS-style features and now an App Store for that!

IDAT 101, IDAT 108, SOFT 131 and IDAT 106: the 411 on everything!

As the week progresses on, I have some more news for you:

IDAT 101 saw us learn more about the industry and about the usage of spaces for projects (in our case, interactive disco in the form of a sequencer pad in a club environment), whilst IDAT 108 saw us learn more about what a computer was before the ones we know today existed (it was in fact a person, believe it or not!). SOFT 131 featured more about HTML, holidays in Kenya and India and more to come in this module.

Finally, in IDAT 106, we got to play on the Wiimotes, in which thanks in part to Nintendo's uncanny (considering that they like proprietary stuff very much) decision to use Bluetooth for connectivity, we can do anything with them, even control digital art projects!

That's all folks!

IDAT 102: By no surprise, Apple is my favourite website

After a quiet weekend relaxing, I have thought of a favourite website, and by no surprise, it is Apple.com.