Microsoft Silverlight 2

Microsoft have released the new version of silverlight, you can grab your preview version from today. It is said to be a rival the Adobe Flex platform. Both Adobe Flex and the new Silverlight environment are designed to incorporate high quality video and audio to the web.

Microsoft also plans to "open up" platform and integrate it with other open source platforms such as the Eclipse IDE.

For more information go to the Microsoft Silverlight 2 Website

Flash Vs Silverlight: A Usability Evaluation

I have recently finished a paper on the usability issues between Flash and Silverlight. Please take the time to read the paper Flash Vs Silverlight: A Usabilty Evaluation and please post your replies.

How would you have carried out the experiments differently?
What do you think worked well? or not?
How can this paper be carried on to include other issues?

I look forward to reading all of your comments, Thank you!
James Mallorie (Bsc Hons)

Abstract
This project explores specific usability issues relating to the Adobe Flash® Player and the Microsoft® Silverlight™ Player in the adoption of Rich Internet Applications. A critical usability research study was undertaken to formulate an evaluation framework. The findings of which, formed the basis of several structured experiments. The Adobe Flash Player and the Microsoft Silverlight Player were systematically tested against the framework, resulting in a thorough and comparative evaluation of current and future usability issues.

You can download the full paper at Flash Vs Silverlight Usability Evaluation

AJAX - critical evaluation

I have recently finished an evaluation paper on AJAX enabled Webpages aiding Property managemet. Please take the time to read the paper and please post your replies.

How would you have evaluated the products differently?
What other development technologies would you have included?
How can this paper be carried on to include other issues?

Abstract—This paper analyses different AJAX development technologies. It evaluates the feasibility of one in particular in relation to developing an AJAX enabled Web application for enhancing the management of properties and property details. The core functionality needed and the issues which arise in development are also analyzed. Features of AJAX in relation to specific benefits and limitations of the application are viewed critically for recommendations.

You can download the full paper at www.jamesmallorie.com

Second life: business feasability

Second life maybe the biggest on-line virtual environment and it may also be the first and (to my knowledge) only virtual environment that has its own economy. So it seams companies in their hundreds are drawn to developing their own unique second life presence, but what are the business benefits?

more...

All that gliters is Chrome

The new Google Chrome browser
Now that Google are providing on-line applications such as word proccessors and spreadsheets you could argue that they have prodominently beaten Microsoft to the 'on-line' application punch. Applications on-line? for those of you who have not used an on-line application commonly called a Rick Internet Application (RIA) let me be the first to say, you probibly have! Heard of google maps? RAC Route planner, these are client based (browser based) applpications allowing the end user to get the information they need on an individual basis not just be given the information they 'may' want.
So whats the big deal with browsers?
Lots, the browser was developed to only ever display documents, essentially the internet was born as a document centric beast. a mass of documents all available through hyperlinks 'pathways' to retrieve the data you want. Now we use data in a truely different way, we dont want ALL the information we just want specific information which can be from many sources, think RSS feeds. Good news it can be done, but the delivery mechanism (browser) and its way of rendering the styles and layout (DOM Object) have been manipulated and bastardised to put up with this application interaction in replacement of a standard document. Google Chrome has been developed not only to support the standard HTML documents of the Web but also the increacingly common interactive applications. At first glace it would seem like a good idea. But after only one day after release the Google Chrome team releases a security report detailing some fundamental flaws in the browser. So as Google Chrome increaces its userbase, will it have an impact on the Microsoft's IE Browser? or are these security issues showing just how infant the Chome browser really is?

More to come...

Data Management: whats yours is yours?

Link authors to data to prevent unauthorised change

A new article written in computer weekly suggests that a way to get around unauthorised changes of data is to link data on the Internet with the author.

computer weekly article

What do you think?