April 2013

Why GUI design and site architecture are so important

Setting up a new website: why GUI design and site architecture are more important than programming the site When you’re searching for a new web agency, you normally look for a developer house. Which is - there are certainly exceptions - not quite the most logic thing, and here is why: Let’s begin with an analogy. When you’re into building a house, you’re looking after an architect who translates your vague (or sometimes very determined) ideas into a plan of your dream house. You will suggest changes here and there and in the end the plans are ready for action. Then you begin building it and it is the task of the construction firm to translate those plans into reality. As you might expect, there are a lots of construction companies, cheaper ones, really expensive ones. This doesn’t mean, that a very expensive construction company is automatically the best choice. But sometimes it helps. Sure, there are construction companies, that have inhouse architects which would have given you the possibility of "one stop shopping",...

Rudolf Huber GmbH – Präzisionsmechanik, online

Heute ist die neue Website der Rudolf Huber GmbH online gegangen. Außer ein bißchen Kosmetik hier und da, ist die Site fertig. Wir möchten hier vor allem unserer Web-Nanny alphasystems danken und natürlich dem Augsburger Fotografen Jo Teichmann, der wie immer unglaublich schöne "technische" Bilder geschossen hat. Basis des cms ist wie so oft WordPress, mit dem sich einfach die schönsten Designs realisieren lassen. Dank unzähliger plug-ins lässt sich nahezu jede Anforderung inzwischen durch eine solche Installation realisieren - kommen Sie auf uns zu, wir beraten Sie gerne!...

Is a stereo amp better than an avr?

The short version: yes. The long version: it depends For 5.1 mastering, we are using a PIONEER SC-LX 73 which was no cheap unit in 2010. The AV sound of this receiver is very decent and the new formats like Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio are indeed magnificent, when listened to through decent loudspeakers (we use Dynaudio Excite series for mastering). But when listening to "normal" stereo, this amp is utter crap (and the old multichannel vs stereo thing comes up again). It isn’t even as good as a 200 Bucks amp of the discounter. The sound is dull, uninspired and boring. After tweaking it with all means and voodoo, it became clear, that an av receiver isn’t a good idea for decent stereo listening. Even with high end loudspeakers, this will remain only mediocre because it can’t extract the real abilities of this equipment. Enter Musical Fidelity M6i. We tested a MuFi M6i for stereo in the same location. The difference was like changing from a LADA to a Porsche. The fun in...

Der Schuster hat meistens das schlechteste Schuhwerk …

Ja, so ähnlich konnte man das auch für unsere alte Website sehen. Obwohl wir in den letzten Jahren an ziemlich "dicken Dingern" mitgearbeitet haben, das Design von Blogs, Portalen, eCommerce-Sites oder Firmenseiten unserer Kunden maßgeblich beeinflusst haben, ist an diesem 18. April 2013 nicht wirklich alles"smooth" gelaufen. Da war schon mal unser Provider, der auf neue Accounts (Linux) umstellt, und deshalb die alten nicht mehr weiterpflegt. Das führte dazu, dass die Datenbank- und php-Version zu alt für unsere neue Site waren. Gut. Dann schnell eben auf einen Linux-Account migrieren. Das wäre schön gelaufen, hätte nicht unser IP-Provider (ARCOR!) die Angewohnheit, seine DNS-Server langsamer"upzudaten" als alle anderen um uns ’rum. Selbst die Telekomiker zeigten bereits die neue Site, da warfen unsere Browser noch Erromeldung über Errormeldung aus. Führte dazu, dass alle anderen die neue Site sahen, aber wir nicht, ein weiteres Bearbeiten war somit unmöglich. Was besonders peinlich war, weil einige Dinge erst im Live-Betrieb gemacht werden konnten. Unser Partner alphasystems hat hingegen freudig auf FACEBOOK gepostet, dass unsere Site bereits online ist –...

Analogue – the excitement is back

What a beauty. The Pro-Ject Perspective Anniversary. When Philips established the "CD-Revolution" in the 80s, I was one of the early adopters of a CD-Player (CD 101). I loved the "clean" sound of music, the very dry base-feeling and the absence of noise. In the following 20 years, I lost my interest in hifi completely. Music was an instant-on, sometimes radio, most of the time listening to CDs as background noise. Then the iPod showed up and changed everything. I got back into the music. I listened to it in every spare time. Via earphones, not on the stereo. The high-end feeling was gone, all that counted was – music. Then surround showed up. I bought my first, second, and now my third surround equipment, and was watching music dvds. The experience was and is awesome. Life concerts like PINK FLOYD’s PULSE, Waters’ IN THE FLESH or even brand new productions like BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION in superior quality on a plasma with a soundscape, that takes you away. But. On a summer day two...

Monthly Archives: April 2013