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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:15:16 GMT
Platforms: Playsation 3 | XBOX 360 | PC Online: Enabled Release Date: Fall 2007 Developer: Infinity Ward Many games have exhibited the phrase 'Modern Warfare' somewhere on their covers before, but none of them should even be allowed to produce war themed games anymore - not after the market sees what Call of Duty 4 (CoD 4) has to offer. If you thought CoD 3 was amazing, think again. This game is far more advanced than any current war game. The setting is not the familiar scenery of World War II - it actually isn’t in any existing battleground. One of Infinity Ward’s three studio leaders remarked, “It was like 'We really need to do helicopters. Can we do that in World War II?'” As a result of this new modern terrain, everything gets a bump up. Soldiers are more intelligent as a result of more advanced training. After all, in World War II, training was not nearly as intense as it is now. As a result, one strategy that the enemy now has the capacity to perform is adopting camouflage. But don't fear; there are several ways for the player to hide in this game as well. Before, in Call of Duty 3, hiding in, say, the tall grass was useless. The enemy could still see you regardless of your stance e.g. crawling or crouched. Now you are hidden from sight. Another way this game has advanced is in the field of AI - there is no distinct set code that the AI follows. It makes nearly every reaction based on what you do. They use all of their surroundings to their advantage. Some will crawl beneath rubble or hide on a rooftop or behind a garbage can. In previous games, when you fire an RPG at a car, they usually catch fire or have burn marks on them. In real life, when a car is shot at, eventually, it will explode . . . so look for that in this game. You will definitely get the feeling you are witnessing something momentous in the way warfare effects are treated while playing this game. Every setting is filled with rubble and smoke. There are helicopters above... dropping bombs and squadrons inside every building... potentially planning attacks. There’s a sniper on the rooftop. Mines at every doorway. If any soldier today was put into this situation, it would be hell for them - because War Is Hell and CoD 4 realizes that. There is one objective in the game where you need to enter a blown up tank for cover. As soon as you do, all of the surrounding buildings light up with maniacs running out shooting at you. Your heart skips a beat as you race to find the rocket launcher and end the onslaught. Clearly, you can see how intense this game is. One theme that Infinity Ward tried to stick to while creating this game was Teamwork. If you are playing at a difficulty suited to you, then you will never be alone. You will always be fighting alongside allies. Whether you are sliding down a rope from a helicopter or barging out the back of an undercover food truck, you will always be supported. Furthermore, you will be taking on a different role than usual in this game. Throughout campaign mode, you will not be a squadron leader - rather, a regular private. You will not have to make many orders and such, but the combat is much more intense. Everything about CoD 4 is upscale. You will never be bored. And, if you are, be careful - as an ambush might be in the making. Since this is not based on any real war - as I mentioned before - the developers at Infinity Ward had no limits when writing the storyline. The main villain is a Russian mastermind. He has several connections with the “mob” and oil money. His name is Zakhaev and his sole desire is to disrupt Western powers. You will be allowed to play as a member of a squadron or with several different agencies throughout the game including: U.S. Recon Marines, British SAS commandoes, N.A.T.O soldiers, and Russian loyalists. Another effect Infinity Ward throw into the mix, to make the game even more realistic, is that you will rarely be able to predict what’s going to happen next. “Sometimes we go back in time; we’re keeping you guessing like a 24 episode. We want the player to constantly be feeling like, ‘I don’t know what’s going to happen to me next,’” comments Grant Collier a producer of the game. This game will exceed all of your expectations. As technology is becoming so advanced, so is the video game industry. Previous CoD games ran at 30 frames per second. CoD 4 will run at a consistent 60 frames per second. At this rate everything will be much more realistic and IW can do so much more. Popular gaming magazine Game Informer reports, “Bullets sitting on a table will cast their own dynamic shadows from a swinging light bulb. Marines carry flex-cuffs clipped to their backpacks that bounce along as they run.” The processing machine that Infinity Ward has allows them to intricately edit every scene. They control the amount of light exerted, shadows, etc. Trust me, this game will top every game out there. It is extremely advanced - especially graphics wise. The realism of this game is immeasurable. In addition, the AI is unbelievable too. This game will lift many gamers off their bums and catch them by surprise. I don’t really think anyone has anticipated this game to be this good! So, definitely go on out there, and check it out!
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:15:36 GMT
Those who follow gaming news and developments know about E3, and will know also about it's recent death and rebirth, as well. For those who were, and are still currently unaware, the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) was the gaming industry's largest trade show; held in the middle of May, it was the perfect place for developers and hardware companies alike to demonstrate their newest, best products to the gaming media, and ultimately- gamers around the world. But that wasn't all E3 was about. E3 was the typical place for the hardware giants to showcase new systems or updates to current ones. E3 also saw the revelations of unexpected titles, along with the occasional collapse of hype for a title in a matter of hours, Too Human at E3 2006 being one such example. Finally, E3 was also notoriously infamous for the Booth Babes, who could push any title, no matter how horrid it was. All this we knew as E3 came to a crash last summer. On the last day of July, it was announced that E3 had come to an end. Citing the trade show's movement away from the games themselves but towards flashy presentations, hyping, and of course, the booth babes, the ESA declared it would turn its attention elsewhere. Later in October however, E3 was reborn, but radically different. Instead of the larger, often chaotic layout of the past, E3 has now focused on its roots: the games and their developers. The new focus shall be on the actual development, marketing, and press of the games; showcases will be more intimate, in smaller booths with more emphasis on presenting the game and making a stronger impression of the game for the press. One other change was made: E3 will now take place in July in an effort to give developers more time to focus on their summer releases, as E3 had repeatedly consumed much of the developers' time, resulting in the all-too-common lackluster, summer filler-game. But what does this new focus mean for the average gamer? Will we still see our flashy tech demos and grand trailers for our favorite franchises? While it is largely likely to have little effect on the average gamer, the changes will be seen, inevitably. Gamers can expect to see more of the smaller developers to have their showcases given better coverage; in the past, only the large developers and hardware companies got coverage due to the sheer size of their demonstrations and booths which overshadowed the smaller guy. Of course, we can all still expect a strong showing from the giants such as Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, EA, Sega, Konami, Capcom, and Square Enix. One question some of you will likely have is, "Well, if E3 is gone, is there anything like it that will become it's replacement?" Yes, the Entertainment for All (E for All) expo, which will take place in October, will be much like E3 was, but this time focus on the projects we will see released during the holiday season and will be fully open to the public (with an admission fee, of course). But, I digress. While E3 has radically changed the way developers and software giants present their new projects and show the progress of previously announced ones, gamers should still expect to see the flashy tech demos, new trailers for games, and even the typical E3 bombshell - in terms of unannounced games and other news of the sort. No need to worry gaming fans, between the newly-reborn E3 and the fledgling E for All expos, we'll get our fill of gaming news and eyecandy, even if the Boothe Babes have been retired.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:15:59 GMT
All right, it's been ages since I wrote one of these, but I have a quick little tip I'd like to share with you guys. I've noticed that some people seem to be having trouble with the finishing touches on a photomanipulation. Because your final product combines more than one quality of image, it has colors that do not quite match in intensity. If you are experiencing this problem, I have a quick suggestion that tends to help blend together some of your colors for a smoother, more consistent look. First, finish your image so that all of your layers are merged together. This really does need to be pretty much the last step. As our example, I have included an image I made a while back at an early stage, before I did any final adjustments. Note that the colors are a bit too bright and some intensities don't quite match up. Though a lot of adjustments can be done through the Curve menu, I want to take it a bit farther while simultaneously darkening it. To do this, I go to the Image menu, then Apply Image. Here you see that you can choose the Channels, the Blend mode, and the Opacity. Basically- you're just laying another copy of your image on top, which serves generally to highlight the contrast of the shadows. I tend to use the Multiply Blend Mode. If I let it apply to all channels of color with an opacity of 100%, I get: As you can see, this version sports darkened, richer tones and highlights the shadows nicely. You can also apply this to only certain channels, as seen below: Red Channel Green Channel Blue Channel There are mostly subtle differences in this example image- but in other images, the changes can be striking. Isolating the impact onto one channel will give you more control as well as help to desaturate the image so the manipulation flows a bit better. It's also an easy way to create some great atmopshere. Change your opacity to get a different, more subtle effect... and don't forget to play around with different blend modes. Some examples are shown below. Happy experimenting. Hard Light, 100%, RGB Screen, 100%, RGB Soft Light, 100%, RGB
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:16:25 GMT
Web interface design is incredibly varied and can result in beautiful, jaw-breaking pieces of art. This article will investigate 3D interfaces, which take massive skill and a good hand to complete. Web interfaces are used as the base layout for many websites of all types, but in the case of 3D interfaces, they are often used for graphics-based websites and forums. In many cases, they just remain as WIPs (Work in Progress). The design often includes using many shapes as well as the burn and dodge tool. Making metal look realistic takes many hours of work and when pulled off, a stunning piece of art is created. I will take Chroma by DemonDan666 as an example; Dan is one of the best artists when it comes to realism. The metal is made very well, and there is a definite shine to it. It looks extremely realistic, and there's no reason why this couldn't be made in real life. There's a definite 3D look to this, and it can all be made in Photoshop. Some of the most skilled designers can be found on AREA01 on dA.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:16:48 GMT
Before we start, I'd like to make something clear: I'm a firm believer in Stock Art. Yes, you heard correctly - art. But wait! I hear you say, "Aren't stock images just reject photographs someone put on deviantArt because they have nothing else to do with them?" Oh how wrong you are my pets! These images are not only usable, but are works of art in themselves! The stock artists I'm about to list below take the time and effort to make such imaginative photographs; as with any artist, they think about lighting, emotion, costume, pose and composition. So step back from the pretty vectors and surreal photomanipulations produced by the people on your watch list, and appreciate the sources of inspiration for being exactly that: inspirational. Della-Stockdella-stock.deviantart.comDella-Stock is an old school account; she is one of the people who inspired a whole new generation of stock artists. Though she may be notable for coming first, she is still among the best in quality alone. She has everything from landscape images to model stock and even a taste of the most exclusive: male stock. Awesome costumes, quality production, and awe-inducing variety provide a huge source of inspiration for both artist and casual viewer. FaeStockfae-stock.deviantart.comFaeStock has a wonderful range of costumes and props at her disposal and she uses them well. Couple her nearly flawless technique with an amazing imagination and you get the perfect stock art! Sitting, standing, crouching, bending, reading, reaching, walking and crying; just some of the things this young lady do in her pictures. If you're looking for emotion and action, this is the place to visit. Gracies-Stockgracies-stock.deviantart.comGracies-Stock provides some really varied stock- even going so far as toset up shop outdoors for some of her shoots. Her wonderful ideas and constantly-changing costumes make her photographs a pleasure to look at. She uses props to her advantage; a simple cup or crucifix adds volumes to her poses. She also goes on location for some of her shoots, taking full advantage of the great light and wind that Mother Nature supplies. Hanratty-Stockhanratty-stock.deviantart.comThis has to be one of the most varied and interesting stock galleries out there. After all, it's very rare to see a gas mask and an axe make it into stock images. Hanratty-Stock uses plain backgrounds in her stock, as well as making sure her lighting is nice and bright so that you can see every part of the image- both features which make her photos extremely user-friendly. Her poses are interesting and varied, and offer a lot of inspiration as well as catering for those who already know what they're creating. Shelldevilshelldevil.deviantart.comI simply adore Shell's stock! She makes beautiful costumes out of what she has around the house and employs them to create some great poses. Her gallery is full of large file sizes with good lighting and clear backgrounds all ready to manipulate into whatever you have in that artistic brain of yours.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:17:18 GMT
This month, I decided to make a contribution to the photography section... while including my own twist on things. That's right- I spiked it with some solid history. Below you'll find ten of the most influential photographs in history. Each one carries its own important backstory and represents an important turning point in history. Feast your eyes on some photographs which moved past simple eyecandy and embedded themselves into our hearts. A black man drinks at segregated water fountains in North Carolina, 1950. Teresa, a child seen here in a residence for disturbed children, grew up in a concentration camp. She has drawn a picture of "home" on the blackboard, 1948. Fidel Castro lifts a young supporter of his revolution as he celebrates with crowds in Santa Clara, Cuba. 1959. At the climax of his legendary "I Have a Dream" speech, Martin Luther King Jr raises his hand to the listening crowd below as he speaks the words of an old Negro spiritual hymn, "Free at last! Free at last! Thank God we are free at last!", 1963. On June 11, 1963, Thich Quang Duc, a Buddhist monk from the Linh-Mu Pagoda in Hue, Vietnam, burned himself to death at a busy intersection in downtown Saigon, Vietnam. As he burned he never moved a muscle- he never even uttered a sound. Jan Rose Kasmir confronts the National Guard outside the Pentagon during the 1967 anti-Vietnam War march, 1967. Veiled women learn how to shoot in the outskirts of Tehran, Iran, 1986. A hunger strike by 3,000 students in Beijing had grown to a protest of more than a million at the injustices of a nation cried for reform. As soldiers drove their tanks down the street, this student stood in front of a tank and refused to move. Finally, the driver was forced to move his tank around the determined protestor. "Breaker Boys," whose job it was to separate coal from slate. These photographs swayed the public and the country enacted laws banning child labor. Reporter holds the hand of an emaciated child in Uganda. The child died later that day.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:17:37 GMT
Name: Alfred Lau aka Kai. Age: 17 Current Interests: Photography, writing Country: Singapore Camera: Panasonic DMC-FZ50. Portfolio Site (If any): Alfredlau's Portfolio I have been looking through the Photography board here and around other sites that have your work on display and find it obvious that you have a variety of different cultural pictures, all of excellent quality. Where do you get your inspiration from? Why do you take pictures of... say Korea, instead of a basketball?I don't have a specific source where I can always draw my inspiration from, actually. I just walk around and start picturing how these images would look in a photo, and then start snapping those which appeared nice in my head. I'm quite a visual thinker, so I guess that's easy for me. Why do I take pictures of Korea? Well, other than the fact that since I'm already there, I wanted to take some scenery back home. I live in a small (but pretty) country called Singapore; there are no mountains, no big rivers and definitely nowhere I can see clouds below me. So naturally, I snapped as much as I could. What drives you to shoot? Do you get a tingly sensation or something just as good every time you touch a camera?Ha! I'm described by my friends as obsessed with the camera, actually. When I started photography, I began looking at the world in an "camera" angle. It's difficult to describe, but I start seeing things as photos. It's weird, I think. And then I get this urge to start taking photos of everything! Where did your love for photography come from? Did a friend turn you onto this hobby or did you always have a desire to be one?Though I officially started photography in March 07, I had an interest in photography since aeons ago. When I was seven or eight, I would bug my father for his camera, and start snapping everything - much to his dismay. We were using film then! -laughs- So yea, when I decided to further develop on this interest of mine by taking up photography in college, I officially started taking photos. That, like I said, was only about three months ago. What would be your ultimate photography kit? What would you include in it?Ultimate photography kit! This one's a tough decision, actually. I don't really have an ultimate photography kit, because I believe that while it certainly helps to have a decent camera to take photos, what's most important is the person behind the viewfinder. So I suppose my ultimate photography kit would be me... and a decent camera? Here’s a fun one. I want you to show off your best work. In your opinion, out of all of the photographs you have taken, which is your favorite and why? Feel free to include the photo.My best work... that's a difficult one to choose. I don't really know which one's the best, actually... I suppose it would be What's there, going by the number of views and favourites it has gotten? As for my personal favourite, definitely Streetly Romantic - 2: The robotic proposal. I really love this one to bits. I have no idea why. I suppose it's the colours, or maybe it's the subject; I don't know, really. I just love it. Is there any person here on SSD or anywhere in the world you look up to? Do you have a photography role model?No specific photography role model, actually. I just generally look up to the photographers who can take better photos than me, which means more than I can possibly comprehend. What advice could you offer to people who are interested in being a photographer?Stop worrying about your damn equipment, and start snapping everything you see! Seriously. I have friends who keep thinking that because they're not using an SLR, they cannot take good photos. I started with a 2.1 megapixel camera, with fungus on its lens! So yes, take photos, lots and lots of them. I once read this quote from some famous photographer - "The worst thing you can do in photography, is to not take photographs at all". Definitely. Any final comments?A photograph speaks a thousand words. Have you spoken today? Thank you for taking the time to do this! And thank you very much for featuring me.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:18:08 GMT
Photography is an art that is, like all others, subjective. There is no single "best" photograph in this world; no one set of hard, fast rules to follow which will immediately produce good photographs. If you're expecting that, please continue on to the next article, because I cannot physically dish out such tips. I can however share several tips I've read or heard, obtained from either the internet or other photographers, which I've deemed useful. Hopefully, you'd find them useful as well. Suggerimento Uno - "It's not about the camera in front of the photographer's eye, but the eye behind the camera's viewfinder."- Yes, indeed. While an operable camera is necessary to taking photos, the most important element is you. Stop worrying about your camera; nevermind that your friend has a DSLR while you're still working on a Canon Powershot or Sony Cybershot. It's not the camera, but instead how the photographer uses it. Suggerimento Due - "The worst thing you can do in photography, is not to take any photographs."- Stop worrying if it will turn out ugly or not! If you have a digital camera, snap everything you see! Even if you are using film, don't be afraid to take five ugly photos at the cost of one brilliant one. You should start taking photos of everything! You won't catch the perfect shot without taking a whole bunch of awful ones first. Once you've taken all kinds of photos (when I first started, I took about a hundred odd photos, and only one turned out all right), look at the photos on your computer. Start being your own critic. Be cynical about them. Ask yourself, "What is wrong with this photo? Is it underexposed? Overexposed? Blurred? Without a subject? Wrong depth of focus?" Ask all sorts of questions about the photos. Take note of your weak points or mistakes - GOOD note of them. Use them as guidance and try not to make the same mistakes again. It's only by constantly reviewing your photographs, that you can improve. Suggerimento Tre - Lighting and composition is key in photography.Photography is made from two roots words, 'Photo-', meaning light, and '-graphy' - a representation. Its name has already heralded what the art should be: a representation of light. Lighting is very important for photography: it almost directly affects how the photo would turn out. Whenever you take a photo, always remember to find your main source of lighting. Outdoors, this generally means the sun. With very few exceptions, you will almost always get better results with the main source of lighting behind you - rather than behind the subject. If the main source of lighting is behind the subject, you will end up depicting a shadow instead of a clear image. Composition is also very important in a photograph. Psychology research has shown that people usually scan images in a "Z" pattern. That is, from the top left to the top right, diagonally down, and then to the bottom right. In order to lead the viewer of your photos in the right direction, it is critical that there must be something along this path that draws attention to the subject. Take this photo of mine as an example: While it may be visually appealing its composition wasn't particularly well thought out - the foreground (the green grass) is clearly fighting for attention with the main subject of the photo- the tree. Now, take this photo for a comparison piece. This is an excellent example of how a photo can utilize lighting to make their point. In this case, the photographer sets up his subject so that the light source comes from behind and causes a shadowed effect. The shadowed trees add contrast to the end of the path, which is shone upon with a golden light. It automatically directs the viewer's attention and leads them down the path. More tips on composition at last month's Herald. Phew. There it is, three general tips for photography this month! While they seem very simple, these are the three tips I deemed the most important and useful. And as a last tip... Love your camera, but don't fall in love with your photographs!By me! Happy photographing, everyone.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:18:28 GMT
µTorrent(A BitTorrent client)Available free for download, µTorrent is a lightweight yet very powerful BitTorrent client. The total utilization of resources from the program only peaks around 6MB of memory, which is an important feature for anyone who cannot afford to be slowed down. Along with that, the entire program is less than a 200kb download and does not need to be installed. The most useful thing about µTorrent is scheduling and bandwidth limits. When I have torrents, it kills my network. But with the sheduling and limiting the bandwidth, I can cap it during the day and unleash it during the night. Beyond being able to control the way the program operates, it also comes with the ability to customize the display. You can download nice-looking skins off of the main website while it detects your system's language file. There are plenty of other features to boast of, but these are the most relevent to the average user. Here is a quick overview of the features: Features- Multiple simultaneous downloads
- Configurable bandwidth scheduler
- Global and per-torrent speed limiting
- Quick-resumes interrupted transfers
- RSS Downloader
- Trackerless support (Mainline DHT)
Screenshots
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:18:53 GMT
Let's take a digression from our normal routine, and review a Linux program not made for the PC. Heck, you're a hard core open source guru, right? So why isn't your iPod running Linux? That's right, Rockbox is a free, open source Linux OS for your iPod. It is skinnable, has plug-ins, and can do so many things the original firmware can't do. You can use a notepad, add games, and even play DOOM! The skins are cool, and the features are awesome! Now, the only problem I have found as of now, is that sometimes, the tags of the songs aren't read. This causes a "nameless" song list to appear, and no way to identify the song without listening to it. This isn't that annoying, but can cause problems. I would not recommend trying to implement this switch if you are not extremely competent with computers and iPods. It does void your warranty, and is temperamental. However, if you feel that you can handle the technical problems that may or may not arise, the benefits of this wonderful program definitely out-weigh the drawbacks. Find out more at the official website. Overall, I'd give this Operating System 4/5 stars.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:19:29 GMT
Name: Awesome AnDrEw Age: 80 Website:: Terror NEVER DiesAnybody that's been around the Proboards community from the earlier days of 03-04 knows you as... well, a God, with exploits and programming. What was it that got you into looking for exploits and programming?The classical AOScene from back in the middle of the 1990s. I enjoyed using the "progz" and "proggies" written by mostly amateur programmers such as "AOHell", but it was "Toad 1.3" and "Toad2000" that really got me into programming. Vulnerability hunting just sort of came along with it. What program do you use, mostly, for your "applications", and which of the ones you've created has been the most fun?Well when I'm writing actual applications I use VB.NET, but this is only recently due to the fact that Windows Vista does not support Visual Studio 6, which is what I wrote a lot of the former programs with. I've actually written a lot of programs in the past with very few being released to the public. I believe my favorite public release had been CloneWhore before I was told I had to remove it in order to avert any legal action. Unofficially I enjoyed the simple script I wrote to help me win the Lego contest a few years ago. Other than programming, are there other hobbies you have that most don't know about?Besides criminal activities? I don't believe so. I'm pretty sure most everyone knows I have a certain hankering for film. In your time around SSD and other such forums, you must've seen many people come and go. Are there any names you feel that worth mentioning? Whether it be because of programming/coding potential or just an unforgettable style they had.I believe there are a few people that really stand out in my mind. As far as forum-coders go I will always remember WebWorldX and Peter as truly being the other two people to really spawn the birth of Proboards modifications. I remember migrating to Proboards from ezBoards after they stopped allowing the use of JavaScript (and VBScript) on free boards, which is why I made the initial switch, but at that time there were no other coders besides those two. As far as members go I've always remembered Carl (Shadow0fDeath and his other names), David (CCX, E-nasni, Aphotix, et cetera), Andy (MinisterInBlack), Paul (Del), and Rikku (and of course you, James, as well). That was the proverbial "Proboards crew". Hehe, well I'm glad to be apart of that. Is there anything else you wish to say before ending this?That was it? Yup, that's all. Thank you for your time and congratulations on being this month's Coder Spotlight.
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Post by The Herald on Jun 29, 2007 11:19:55 GMT
This month, I'm going to pass on a tip that will help the wide majority of you: how to build a mini cache for your web pages. For any website that has a heavy load of images, you might find visiting computers lagging to the point of causing people to project missiles at the screen. You may be wondering why I suggest building a mini cache into your website when most browsers will do it for you, but most browsers share the same common flaw: they cache files only after the user views a file once or twice. For a website owner, this is not the optimum time as it causes your first impression to be that of a very slow site. This mini cache will instead try to load the necessary files before visitors see them, significantly improving the response time. This is also very convenient for roll-overs as it makes the roll-over effect instant. The trick is to pre-load the most important images so they load faster for your visitor. A simple code like the following will create the necessary effect; the script pre-loads your header and your base image, making the first loading flawless for your new visitor. Code provided by www.chami.com/tips/internet/010897I.html
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