newsweek:

givemesomethingtoread:

Inside the rush to recruit, train, and deploy a new generation of cybersecurity experts to protect and defend our digital border

Jess Ramirez does a really nice job on this

There are many developers who swear by template engines such as Smarty.  However, there are others who assert that it adds unnecessary bloat to a website or application.  Check the above site for an amusing counter to those that prefer the Smarty Template Engine.  Also, be sure to check out Brian Lozier’s critique on the use of various template engines.

Here is comprehensive tutorial on designing a CSS interface.  The minimalism of the layout makes it easy to use and very extensible.

Looking for a fast way to prototype your web application?  Fireworks can be used to quickly design the User Interface of a web application.  The tutorial called, Designing a website application with Fireworks CS4, includes sample files and a step-by-step guide.

Adobe Fireworks is one of the leading programs used to create web graphics and layouts.  This video tutorial, called Information and Interaction Design, outlines how one can use the program to rapidly prototype a website using wireframes and grids.

karagos:

How to Make a Light and Sleek Web Layout in Photoshop

In this tutorial, Ionut Ciursa [SixRevisions] creates a light and sleek layout in Photoshop. He use the 960 Grid System, and I’m more than sure, this tutorial will help you design better layouts ;-)

nobodyfamous:

hmm…Japan’s average broadband speed is 61 mbps?! i’m lucky if i get over 1mbps…smh

post via dominickbrady zachklein

Varien is the creator and corporate sponser of the open-source e-commerce web application, Magento.  On April 15, 2009, Varien announced it would release an “enterprise edition” to it’s widely popular program.  The paid version is not targeted towards small online businesses and will provide larger companies with additional support options as well as an annual warranty for the price of $8900.

Some valid criticisms of this new release include the fact that Magento is missing many of the core features one would expect from a shopping cart, such as returns and gift certificates.  However, because it is open-source, these needs could be met by the community and as one can see there are over 700 extensions contributed at this time.  Many are an integral part of some shops and others are just nice features to have.  Some are not free, which is one of the main reasons some store owners have complained about this recent direction.  Those without web development skills won’t have any option but to either pay a freelancer or pay for some of the extensions available.

I think some additional free extensions should be made available to those who will be using the community addition.  I hope those things that were on the roadmap will not be completely abandoned.

To compare the different versions, visit the Magento website.  So far, some of the security features are not available in either but will be for the Enterprise version.  Gift certificates (virtual and physical) are available now for the Enterprise edition.  As one would expect, a warranty and support services are included in the Enterprise edition as well.

Most store owners, small and large, could use a gift certificate system.  However, I think small store owners should commission this by a developer who is familiar with both the Zend Framework and Magento.  Any support the store owner needs could be met on-demand style through the support forums or with a technical consultant for far less than $8900.

(via stephanmiller)  One of the main complaints of the Magento (one of the latest and most popular open-source shopping carts) is that it has slow loading times.  Check out the link to view some solutions that developers have devised to decrease loading times and improve Magento’s overall performance.