Sunday, September 21, 2008

How to make an Accordion Vertical and Horizontal Menu with Java Script:


First of all I have to give credit where credit is due, I got the java script and everything from this great site at - http://www.stickmanlabs.com/

They have been able to build a very nice simple way to get accordion menus to work, so I will give you guys the jist of it. I read through the site, and followed the instructions to a tea, but it did not work on my first try. So I went back, what am I doing wrong? I tried to do it again, followed instructions word for word, but still no luck! The instructions leave 2 VERY important keys out of the instructions.

I started to grow very frustrated and did not understand WHY THE HELL IS THIS NOT WORKING!!???!!?!?!?!

But then I decided to really look into his example code and try and figure out exactly what I am missing. There are 5 key sections of the code that you NEED in order for it to work.

You will need to Download the Accordion 2.0 Setup File before we get started.

1. You need to have all 3 javascript calls to the correct files, and you NEED to have the files on your server to access them. Also you need those code that executes and makes available the code that is performing the Accordion animation.

2. Next you will need the Accodion CSS that gives the look and feel to the Accordion tags. Look in the CSS section of www.stickmanlabs.com.

3. You will need the code that you will click on to start the effect, and the container for the content that is being shown or hidden with the Accordion feature. Read stickmanlabs.com tutorial, pretty simple.

Can create as many content section as you would like, you can even make Horizontal ones, but I have not tried this as of yet...

4. You need the Accordion Section div id code that is all the way at the bottom of the page in the sample on StickMan's site. Place this code before the tag in the HTML of the body. - more code to add all the way at the bottom of the page. Hide it by removing all text in it...need it to work though.It is the Horizontal and Vertical code for working.

5. This well I am not quite sure what this does, but I put it in there any way, before the tag as well! But I put it in there and so should you!


Then you can get a site that looks something like this:
Tha Spot aka the place to be - the Google Ads can be shown or hidden with this feature

What do you guys think?

Best,
Tek-Min-Now Team

Friday, September 5, 2008

Google Chrome Web-Browser - Secret Commands


Google's New Web-Browser Chrome has a very cool list of secret commands that share the users data with them selves, displaying how the browser, page, or other data currently is..

Here they are:

  • about:memory
  • about:stats
  • about:network
  • about:internets
  • about:histograms
  • about:dns
  • about:cache
  • about:plugins
  • about:version

you can also go to two special pages on a 

per-site basis.view-cache:[URL] shows you some under-the-hood cache details, and 

view-cache:[URL] shows you the page's markup.


Just found this out from lifehacker he does a great job covering this topic, with screen shots, if you are intested just type any of these commands in the URL Box of the Chrome Web-Browser and you will see some special about pages.


tek-min-now team

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Top 10 Gripes with Google's Chrome Browser


1. No "Super Scroll" (I am coining the term) middle button for quick scrolling on a long page.

Firefox Example:

















2. Asks Stupid Questions "Are you sure you want to leave this page?"

Example:
I just deleted a web-part on my blog, this is over kill, no need to ask if I am sure I want to leave the page, and Firefox doesn't ask...




















3. Does not search text in text field boxes - for blogger web editing search

I was trying to find a segment of code on my blogger page and I was using the built in search functionality in Chrome, but apparently it DOES NOT search in the text field box where all of the code for the page is, so I had to copy and paste the code into Notebook and do my editing there...I(Firefox does search in the text field boxes)

4. Bookmarks Tab? Could it be any uglier!

Example:
I really love the "Other bookmarks" section, NOT! All the way on the far right? Why would they put this on the right side and not the left side? (since they pop up to the left, and since everyone in America reads left to right, not right to left..) No customization of where these lay, I wish they would add a customization that would allow to have a Bookmarks button that would be next to the back and fowrad and reload buttons, so that it wouldn't make the navigation bar at the top bigger...

5. RSS Tab? Where are all my RSS blogs?

I seem to have lost all of my RSS feeds that I was watching on Firefox. It did successfully import all of my bookmarks and saved passwords, but where are my RSS feeds?

6. Annoying Status Bar

Example:

The status bar in Google Chrome pops-up in the lower left hand corner whenever something is loading is very annoying and can be distracting to the eye. I automatically look to see what is popping up on my screen and realize it is just telling me something is loading, I think they should make it a bar across like in Firefox...this seems odd to me to just display it...

7. Stole Firefox Position on my Windows Start Menu Applications

I downloaded and installed Chrome, and loaded it up and started playing around with it. I realized alot of it seems to work the same as Firefox, if not a little bit worse. So I wanted to go back to Firefox, I goto my Windows Start Menu and it is GONE! Instead of Firefox the Google Chrome application is in it's place! I'm like whoah! This thing is trying to take over! So I added Firefox back in..(right click, pin to start menu)

8. The Web-Site Title is Cut Off

Example:
As you can see the Title is cut off because the browser window tabs are at the top of the page, where the Title of the page is displayed. So the only way to see the full title is to hover the mouse over the tab and the entire title will display as you can see in the image above.

9. No Customization of Navigation Bar Icons

One of my favorite parts of Firefox is you can drag and drop all of there icons on the start menu, with Google's Chrome, they do not offer this functionality. The only option the user has is to display the Homepage Icon or not to display the Homepage icon...annoying.

10. Does not Prevent Cross Site Scripting

Google claims this browser will prevent against Cross Site Scripting, which allows hackers to gain access to your account through opening hidden windows on a users computer, and editing the users profile on there computer, in the background with out the user's knowledge. Although when I am logged in on Gmail with one account, and login to Blogger (owned by Gmail) it automatically signs me into Blogger with the Gmail account...not good!

Summary:

Those are my Top 10 Gripes, Complaints, or just plain Issues with Google's new Web-Browser Chrome. Overall it is a great little browser, it is fast, and light. It works well with google's applications probably a second faster at loading Gmail and other Google Apps. Although these issues as well as some freezing occurs, when loading Flash Animations and goto a new page...

I have had some issues with Flash Animations freezing as well as some fun apps I use slowing down the browser to a crawl, only time it crashed it when I had 3 Chrome windows open, one loading flash, one playing music, and one on Meebo, then the one loading the Flash crashed...I guess they may still have some issues with Flash Animations...

What do you guys think?


other similar articles:

best,
tek-min-now

Monday, September 1, 2008

Google's New Web Browser, Chrome!


This could be the answer to my prayers of a truly efficient, secure, quick, easy, and smart web-browser that will set new guidelines and help unite the standards of the web once and for all, so all browsers can work the same.

Read this comic book from the Inventors of Chrome

Google is stated to have made this browser quicker, easier to use, better javascript handling, and more secure! Sounds like a home run to me, up-front congratulations to Google.

Plus they have a pretty cool logo for it:

Read more specs on Wikipedia














This is releasing on Tuesday September 2nd 2008, can not wait to test it out!

Fresh take on the browser from Google's Official Blog

UPDATE:
It is now available to download the beta version.

To Fun and Safe Surfing,

~ Tek-Min-Now Team