Saturday 29 September 2012

Is this Flash, or Not?

When I first created the website (www.la-matha.com) back in early 2008, I was putting something very simple together.  The software I was using was NVU, which is now BlueGriffon, which is freeware.  It does not have many rich features in it, although if I knew how to type HTML code, I could have done great things!

The original Pictures page was just a table which contained a series of pared down pictures - it did its job, but it was basic.

Earlier this year, I used some different software to build a website for my business (http://www.opriskconsultant.com/ - have to give it a plug!), and bought an easy to use program called Coffee Cup.  This was fine, if a bit stilted - it was harder to customise things in it.  I decided not to re-build the La Matha website using Coffee Cup, leaving it as it was.  Coffee Cup also produce a Photo Gallery program, so I got that, and very quickly produced quite a good little gallery which could run a slide show.  I was happy........ until I tried it on my iPhone.  Of course Coffee Cup Photo Gallery produces the slide show using Adobe Flash, which is not supported by Apple - if you don't know, there has been a long battle between Adobe and Apple: Adobe promoting their Flash protocol, and Apple wanting the world to follow them with HTML5.  Apple have now won, and Adobe are no longer going to be bringing out new versions of Flash.

Anyway, Coffee Cup announced that the new version of Photo Gallery can produce HTML5 slide shows, so I got an upgrade.  However, that only works if you take up their hosting package, which I don't need, as I already have a web service that I use.  Not happy.

I then found a new software called JuiceBox.  That produces a photo gallery using HTML5, and what's more, there was a free version!  Happy days!

The newer and better photo gallery really looks good - see for yourself: http://www.la-matha.com/Pictures.htm and the great thing is that you can view it on an iPhone or iPad!

Tuesday 11 September 2012

End of the Summer

We're now at the end of the summer.  We have family staying at La Matha at the moment, and one more set of visitors staying at the beginning of October, before we go out on 6 Oct.  We really can't wait, as we haven't been able to go there as much this year as we did last year.

At this time of the year, thoughts turn to improvements we would like to make for next year.  We have done a large number of improvements over the last couple of years, as chronicled in earlier posts.  What more is there to be done?

One thing we would like to do is render the walls in the utility room, and then paint them and the ceiling.  We will probably have the stone walls finished in the traditional "pierre apparente" that we have outside and on some internal walls - strangely, it is a cheaper finish, and looks so good!  Doing that, and then painting the concrete floor should make the room (which is just used for storage and as a utility room) much less dusty and be a tad more inviting than it is at the moment.  Oh yes - we will also have to see what we can do to replace the cracked glass in the sliding patio door in that room.

Another idea we had for an improvement was to build a large pergola on the hard stand to the left of the house.  With some shade over the top, that will be an ideal area to have the table tennis table, which, unless people bring it outside, is a bit cramped in the utility room.  That area to the side of the house is the least attractive part of the grounds, and is in need of a tidy-up even if we don't do the pergola.

A final thought on the pergola is that we have not been able to find any for sale in France, which will mean buying a kit in the UK and taking it over.  That means hiring a van again, which will also be a good excuse for buying a load of wine again - memories of bringing back about 700 bottles last year.........

Further posts will be made of what we decide to do.