Mando Group Ltd - sam_birch

Wall Street Journal Features googleDrive

A little project a couple of us have been working on. googleDrive allows you drive a car around on google maps, anywhere you want! It's our first google maps mashup, and was done as a bit of fun and to see if we could do it.

We have plans for future versions that will allow you to race against the clock on pre-defined circuits round London, Paris, New York, etc. We would like to do a multiuser version so you can see others driving around too, we just have to find some time!

It's even managed to find its way across the pond, and has a little article in the Wall Street Journal. Read Here.

go ahead have a drive! - googleDrive

JavaScript Frameworks

Last year saw the increase in popularity of javascript frameworks such as prototype, jQuery, Dojo, YUI, GWT, and others. These frameworks make life a lot easier for the developer, allowing for easy cross-browser scripting, extending native objects and in most cases the opportunity do to some cool effects.

Mando's framework of choice is MooTools. It's small, lightweight, compact, modular and has a healthy following. It's allowed us to develop our own library of effects and functions, some of which can be seen on one of our developer's sites: phatfusion.net.

All the interest in javascript and front-side scripting that these frameworks has raised over of the past year or so, has made the browser vendors sit up and take notice. Javascript itself it starting to get development momentum and the posibilties are starting to open up.

Let's see what 2008 has to offer!

How to get free stuff...

I’m currently in the capital attending the ‘Future of Web Apps’ conference. These events are always covered in stands by international companies promoting their latest products or services, and its always a fun goal to try and get as much free stuff out of them as possible. The trick to this is to do it in such a way that will not get you black listed and will leave the opportunity to go back for more!

If you get collared by an enthusiastic sales person who is not getting the hint that you are only there for the free stuff, then I find that the following things help: nod politely, reduce eye contact, back away slowly, but don’t forget to take the freebies!

The best way is to approach with a friend. Once engaged with the sales pitch, stand behind your friend so you can move on whenever, leaving your mate stuck to hear the rest of the pitch..and walk away with that mission accomplished, smile.

I’m currently up to 3 T-Shirts, 5 software CDs, 1 book and multiple pens. Lets see how much I can get!