Most contemporary web developers recognize the importance of using an application framework when developing for the web.  From Ruby on Rails to the litany of PHP frameworks available to up-and-coming Node.js offerings, application frameworks substantially reduce development time while improving code readability and standardizing development practices for the web.  Surprisingly, though, many developers continue to handcraft their CSS for each application, or copy-and-paste legacy layout styles to new projects.  CSS frameworks improve developer workflow for a few key reasons:

1. CSS frameworks standardize layout code.

Handcrafting layout code or maintaining your own company styles is a functional solution, but it reduces readability.  New developers, or developers working on new projects, must learn the terminology and intersectional usage of a number of styles before they can step in to make changes.  Custom stylesheets that have passed through a number of hands often accrue a number of outdated, conflicting, or repetitive styles that further worsen this problem.  Regular refactoring can solve this problem to an extent, but who wants to waste time rewriting old CSS?

CSS frameworks standardize layout code because each class in the framework has the same meaning across applications, in much the same way that each element of an application framework connotes the same functionality across projects.  This keeps stylesheets short and readable: each developer can learn the framework styles once, and only have to use custom styles for application-specific colors and layout elements.

2. CSS frameworks solve cross-browser compatibility issues.

A mature CSS framework, such as Bootstrap or Foundation, will have undergone an extended period of open-source development.  This means that layout issues with old browsers have often been sussed out already, eliminating most of that feeling of shock you get when you first open your site in IE7.  Cross-browser testing is a must for any project, but a good CSS framework will solve many problems for you before you even notice them.

3. CSS frameworks play well with mobile devices.

CSS frameworks are generally built around responsive principles, automatically optimizing content and even menus for the mobile web.  While application-specific tweaks will need to be made, frameworks drastically reduce the time necessary to create a great user experience on mobile platforms.  Additionally, some frameworks, such as Foundation, include layout elements that allow you to control the flow and order of layout elements as they are resized downwards.

Which framework?

The two most common CSS frameworks being used today are Twitter’s Bootstrap and Zurb’s Foundation.  Both offer the advantages mentioned above and neither is a poor choice; however, they have different focal areas that make each one a better choice for different types of projects.  Bootstrap has traditionally been focused more around desktop than mobile, although this has changed to an extend with its most recent release; if battle-tested responsive behavior is important to your project, Foundation is the better choice.  Additionally, a number of developers tend to adhere too closely to stock Bootstrap in their implementations, creating a “Bootstrappy feel” that plagues a number of websites.  Foundation doesn’t tend to create this effect, but that may be just because it’s currently the less popular of the two.  Finally, if your application is in Ruby on Rails, Foundation is the far superior choice; it is implemented with SCSS classes that allow you to easily create mixins and adjust variables to easily access powerful customizability.   Whichever option you select, though, use of a CSS framework will go a long way towards building a powerful, beautiful application with readable, well-maintained styles.

Delivering great software applications is imperative to the success of a custom software development shop. Clients turn to a custom shop when off-the-shelf, prepackaged one-size-fits-all solutions can’t meet their business need. They require a unique solution. Delivering a great custom solution means merging the benefits of a standard solution – value, predictability, tried and tested – into a custom software application tailored to the Client’s own business requirements.

A great development team can more successfully deliver great software applications – applications that delight the Client, are delivered on time and on budget and are defect free – with the benefit of our Standard Development Methodology. Even though no two custom software projects will ever have the same spec, the building blocks are generally very similar. Whether you’re building an elegant glass atrium or a solid cinder block warehouse, you need to know the building’s use, put in a foundation, build a solid infrastructure and add exterior finishing touches to realize the architect’s vision and ultimately meet the client’s expectation.

Adhering to a Standard Development Methodology enables our team to more successfully engage the Client resulting in an agreed upon project scope, an effective build plan, realistic due dates and aligned expectations. Our Development Methodology allocates appropriate time to Discovery – gaining insight about the Client and its requirements – and Design – establishing a clear vision for the application. These upfront, pre-coding phases result in the most value for the development dollar.

The truth is, it’s expensive to code. The greatest value in custom development is achieved when code is written to meet the project requirements the first time through. Many might view planning and documenting as time wasted. We believe time spent planning avoids wasted time during Development.

Data mining has become a topic of heavy debate over the years, as many find it intrusive of their personal habits and information.  While many arguments are made on either side of the debate, an interesting new spin on the use of data mining has come to the table.  Epidemiologist Caroline Buckee of the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston, has uniquely forecasted data mining trends to track the spread of malaria across regions near Lake Victoria in Africa.  From her research of data towers, Caroline has been able to interpret cell phone usage information to track the spread of the life-threatening disease.

How was she able to do this simply by studying these cell data figures?  The first step was tracking the largest data tower in the region to study the travel patterns of people to and from areas near Lake Victoria.  What Caroline discovered, is that those people making calls or sending texts from the main tower were traveling 16 times more than others in the region.  Additionally, this same group of individuals were 3 times as likely to travel to Lake Victoria.   With higher exposure to the area of water and surrounding tea plantation, these travelers were prone to getting bites from nearby mosquitos and inadvertently spreading the disease at an increased rate.

In hopes of alleviating future epidemics, Caroline plans to not only map out additional affected zones with this knowledge, but to also help prevent the spread by informing the population of nearby danger zones.  The goal is to be able to use  data extracted from cell towers to send preventive messages to travelers in compromised areas via their devices. These alerts can inform people of areas to avoid and safety measures to help contain diseases, such as areas where mosquito netting is a necessity.   We are curious to see what other ways technology can be used in fields and even countries we didn’t think about before.  In a topic that angers most consumers, this is a new spin that is definitely going to change the field.

http://www.technologyreview.com/featuredstory/513721/big-data-from-cheap-phones/

CryptoLocker is a form of Ransomware that has been targeting users through phishing emails. It achieves infection by sending phishing emails trying to disguise them as UPS, FedEx, or Xerox. Once infected many users don’t see any signs of infection until CryptoLocker has encrypted a percentage of the documents on their computer and network attached devices.

How can you prevent CryptoLocker?

The best solutions are the tried and true methods of having good up to date antivirus software and spam/virus checking on your email. As a user you should also be wary of anyone you don’t have a regular contact with sending you files. When you have a doubt don’t open them.

Recovering once infected

The only real choice for recovering from the CryptoLocker infection is to restore files from a backup source/service. Finding which files need recovered can be a daunting task, and OmniSpear, Inc. has an answer to assist with that process. OmniSpear has developed an application that tries to match many common file types against their expected file contents. By doing this it can be easier, though not error free, to determine which files and directories should be restored from your backup solution. The scanning tool is freely available at their website.