Making a web experience memorable and more accessible to all the users out there is really a daunting task. There are huge amount of techniques and approaches, that can be applied to a web presence to make it more accessible. Here is one among them - ‘ACCESS KEYS’
‘Access keys’ offer a convenient mechanism for people with motor skill disabilities , such as Cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, etc., to access links or interface elements without having to cycle through all of the other links and interface elements in the content. With this technique, we assign shortcut keys that enable various functionalities of an application/page (only certain tags support accesskey), and hence avoids the need to move the cursor to the button or link and hence saves a lot of time and improves the workflow and user experience.

REFERENCE

http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/interact/forms.html#adef-accesskey

SYNTAX

Access keys can be implemented, by including the keyword <accesskey = character > within the tag, where the character will be a single character from the document set.

Eg.

<FORM action=”…” method=”post”>
<P>
<LABEL for=”fuser” accesskey=”U”> User Name </LABEL>
<INPUT type=”text” name=”user” id=”fuser”>
</P>
</FORM>

This would implement the accesskey for the label, and enables the user to navigate to the corresponding textbox, by pressing ‘browser-specific key’ + ‘U’. This means there are some browser keys/Key combinations, that needs to be pressed before the character mentioned in the accesskey tag, inorder to activate the element.

Here are some keys for accesskey activation in various common browsers

IE - ‘Alt’ + ‘character’
FF - ‘Shift+ Alt’ + ‘character’

HOW IT WORKS ?

Pressing an access key assigned to an element gives focus to the element. The action that occurs when an element receives focus depends on the element. For example, when a user activates a link defined by the A element, the user agent generally follows the link. When a user activates a radio button, the user agent changes the value of the radio button. When the user activates a text field, it allows input, etc.

BROWSER SUPPORT

Again there are some differences in the way ‘accesskey’ works in various browsers.

• In IE, using the access key typically only gives focus to the element. If the element is a link, it is not followed. The user can thus move to a link (e.g., in order to proceed by tabbing then), as separately from following it, which can be activating by hitting the Enter key when the focus is on the link. The implementation of accesskeys on IE is not very consistent. For example, using an accesskey for a checkbox does not just focus on it but also toggles its setting.

• FF follows the link, when accesskey is specified in an anchor tag.
• Opera doesn’t support access keys
• Netscape follows a link when an access key is used
• On Netscape 6, the support is similar. Using an access key to select a link causes the link to be followed. And it seems that access keys are not supported for form buttons
• In IE on the Mac platform, access key is performed with the control key, in combination with the key specified in the accesskey attribute. For links, the implementation follows the link rather than just setting focus on it.

MORE RESOURCES

http://juicystudio.com/article/firefox2-accesskeys.php
http://www.cs.tut.fi/~jkorpela/forms/accesskey.html

Just dropped into a link where i found this interesting concept, where the images on a webpage can be viewed in a 3d model plane. This would bring about great optimisation in time taken browsing images on web, and i believe it would work wonders for designers seeking aspirations from web, wherein they wont be needed to waste time in each clicks, as this revolutionary concept loads all the images in a fullscreen plane and the capability to browse in a 3D simulated way is really wonderful !

Check it out now: http://www.piclens.com/

[You can install the toolbar in your browser and enjoy the ride ;)]

It was a time of hibernation for almost 3 months. Back after the break, this certainly is a time for revamping and rebuilding…

Luk forward for some meaningful posts and useful snippets and tips for a worthful life.

Let me start all over again :), and now its not me alone…my buddy for life is also with me now

Having slipped into a small piece of fact while surfing tonight, i felt this really should find a place in my blog right here. Well, the center of attraction now is the small little outline that appears around any links when focussed. (Refer to the image for clarity)

The outline that comes around the image is what we are exactly talking about. It would have been great at times to get rid of that annoying border out of the link, as nowadays we not only use an anchor tag to take users to other pages (with the advent of more usage of scripts and more UI tools and libraries like jquery)

We can get rid of the outline in Firefox using a simple CSS code which is:

1. a:focus, a:active {
2. outline: none;
3. }

But again, this is not possible in IE using the same technique. For this, there is an alternate if we use jquery (a javascript library-im excited that ill be posting some series of posts relating to jquery later on).

The trick is to take the focus off the link once it has been clicked, and jQuery makes that simpl enough to implement. The following piece of code in jquery does the trick for us and gets rid of the outline forever

1. $(‘a’).click(function() {
2. this.blur();
3. });

for those unaware of the magic of jquery, ill be posting some soon. Btw, im also a newbie into this technique, but am slowly catching up. Lets expect some useful posts following this. Till then, happy CSSing.

( Courtesy: http://www.learningjquery.com )

After a pretty long break, im back again with some worthy notes to share and to learn !

Was enjoying my time with my family, and getting the much needed recharge which would keep me going amidst the overwhelming encounters that life has me to offer. Today, in my office where there are lots of vacant seats and where there is no meeting requests and no scheduled sessions…im getting some quality time to jot down some human side of my life here in this small space on the world’s dictionary….as i would call it

Life often makes us to think, what really is the ultimate objective we are thriving for, we are competing for, we are so arrogantly after…Is it the position, is it the wealth, is it the top of the ladder in the corporate arena or is it the just being yoruself and enjoying whatever you do ?? This, im sure is a tougher question to ask and ofcourse seems to come right out of a spiritual mind…no worries….im still an interactive developer ;). But at times i feel the huge contrast that lies between the work and life, which nowadays the pros call ‘WORK-LIFE Balance’.

Family, Relations, Love, Care all take a primary priority in life and maintaining it in the right place and playing safe to your career is what is my version of Work-Life Balance. In this starting stage of my career, i feel the pressure for maintaining that balance and it really is a challenge to get over it with cool head. One of the main ingredient of a balanced life is the passion and love for work, without which life could seem too vaccum, and im fortunate enough to be in that genre !

I would say, its half the job done if you are passionate enough for the work that you do. All the other things that you would be doing is pure time management and smart work @ workplace…and you are ready to unwind the treasure of life..which is a completely balanced life

Wishing you all a happy holi and a happy BALANCING

Hi every designers and developers out there !

Atleast once would you have come across the text ‘Lorem Ipsum’ , and would have used them to fill up those areas with dummy text. Ever spend some time to peep into the speciality of that text ? Why specifically Lorem ipsum ? What’s all behind such a text? Have you ever wondered?

Well…here is the story behind the dummy text

What is Lorem Ipsum ?

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged. It was popularised in the 1960s with the release of Letraset sheets containing Lorem Ipsum passages, and more recently with desktop publishing software like Aldus PageMaker including versions of Lorem Ipsum.

Where does it come from ?

Contrary to popular belief, Lorem Ipsum is not simply random text. It has roots in a piece of classical Latin literature from 45 BC, making it over 2000 years old. Richard McClintock, a Latin professor at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, looked up one of the more obscure Latin words, consectetur, from a Lorem Ipsum passage, and going through the cites of the word in classical literature, discovered the undoubtable source. Lorem Ipsum comes from sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 of “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” (The Extremes of Good and Evil) by Cicero, written in 45 BC. This book is a treatise on the theory of ethics, very popular during the Renaissance. The first line of Lorem Ipsum, “Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet..”, comes from a line in section 1.10.32.

The standard chunk of Lorem Ipsum used since the 1500s is reproduced below for those interested. Sections 1.10.32 and 1.10.33 from “de Finibus Bonorum et Malorum” by Cicero are also reproduced in their exact original form, accompanied by English versions from the 1914 translation by H. Rackham.

Why do we use it ?

It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy. Various versions have evolved over the years, sometimes by accident, sometimes on purpose (injected humour and the like).

Hope you enjoyed the little known fact

Personal health is the prioritised topic over one’s professional life…atleast its for me ;), and i feel it should be. There are times we are get caught up in the whirlpool of professional life and totally have to ignore the personal health atleast for sometime. But, remember…if you are really ignoring your health over the professional milestones and the deadlines are making you forget about your family and personal well-being, give it a second thought ! You may be risking something very important in your life !

Yes stress can bring a lot of bad in times to come…but not when you are all prepared to handle it and are confident about getting rid of the stress from you mind.

How to Reduce, prevent, and Cope with Stress

If you’re living with high levels of stress, you’re putting your entire well-being at risk. Stress wreaks havoc on your emotional equilibrium, as well as your physical health. It narrows your ability to think clearly, function effectively, and enjoy life.

The goal of stress management is to bring your mind and body back into balance. By adopting a positive attitude, learning healthier ways to cope, and changing the way you deal with stress, you can reduce its hold on your life.

Stress management strategy #1: Avoid unnecessary stress

Not all stress can be avoided, and it’s not healthy to avoid a situation that needs to be addressed. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

• Learn how to say “no” – Know your limits and stick to them. Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a surefire recipe for stress.
• Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend with that person or end the relationship entirely.
• Take control of your environment – If the evening news makes you anxious, turn the TV off. If traffic’s got you tense, take a longer but less-traveled route. If going to the market is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.
• Avoid hot-button topics – If you get upset over religion or politics, cross them off your conversation list. If you repeatedly argue about the same subject with the same people, stop bringing it up or excuse yourself when it’s the topic of discussion.
• Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.

Stress management strategy #2: Alter the situation

If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem is avoided in the future. Often, this involves changing the way you communicate and operate in your daily life.

• Express your feelings instead of bottling them up. If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.
• Be willing to compromise. When you ask someone to change their behavior, be willing to do the same. If you both are willing to bend at least a little, you’ll have a good chance of finding a happy middle ground.
• Be more assertive. Don’t take a backseat in your own life. Deal with problems head on, doing your best to anticipate and prevent them. If you’ve got an exam to study for and your chatty roommate just got home, say up front that you only have five minutes to talk.
• Manage your time better. Poor time management can cause a lot of stress. When you’re stretched too thin and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. But if you plan ahead, you can avoid these stress-inducing pitfalls.

Stress management strategy #3: Accept the things you can’t change

Some sources of stress are unavoidable. You can’t prevent or change stressors such as the death of a loved one, a serious illness, or a national recession. In such cases, the best way to cope with stress is to accept things as they are. Acceptance may be difficult, but in the long run, it’s easier than railing against a situation you can’t change.

• Don’t try to control the uncontrollable. Many things in life are beyond our control— particularly the behavior of other people. Rather than stressing out over them, focus on the things you can control such as the way you choose to react to problems.
• Look for the upside. As the saying goes, “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” When facing major challenges, try to look at them as opportunities for personal growth. If your own poor choices contributed to a stressful situation, reflect on them and learn from your mistakes.
• Share your feelings. Talk to a trusted friend or make an appointment with a therapist. Expressing what you’re going through can be very cathartic, even if there’s nothing you can do to alter the stressful situation.
• Learn to forgive. Accept the fact that we live in an imperfect world and that people make mistakes. Let go of anger and resentments. Free yourself from negative energy by forgiving and moving on.

Stress management strategy #4: Adapt to the stressor

If you can’t change the stressor, change yourself. You can adapt to stressful situations and regain your sense of control by changing your expectations and attitude.

• Reframe problems. Try to view stressful situations from a more positive perspective. Rather than fuming about a traffic jam, look at it as an opportunity to pause and regroup, listen to your favorite radio station, or enjoy some alone time.
• Look at the big picture. Take perspective of the stressful situation. Ask yourself how important it will be in the long run. Will it matter in a month? A year? Is it really worth getting upset over? If the answer is no, focus your time and energy elsewhere.
• Adjust your standards. Perfectionism is a major source of avoidable stress. Stop setting yourself up for failure by demanding perfection. Set reasonable standards for yourself and others, and learn to be okay with “good enough.”
• Focus on the positive. When stress is getting you down, take a moment to reflect on all the things you appreciate in your life, including your own positive qualities and gifts. This simple strategy can help you keep things in perspective.

Stress reduction tips

Beyond a take-charge approach and a positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by making healthy lifestyle choices and taking care of yourself. If you regularly make time for rest and relaxation, you’ll be in a better place to handle life’s stressors when they inevitably come.

Nurture yourself

Don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of life that you forget to take care of your own needs. Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury.

• Set aside relaxation time. Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries.
• Connect with others. Spend time with positive people who enhance your life. A strong support system will buffer you from the negative effects of stress.
• Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy, whether it be stargazing, playing the piano, or working on your bike.
• Keep your sense of humor. This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle

• Exercise regularly. Physical activity plays a key role in reducing and preventing the effects of stress. Make time for at least 30 minutes of exercise, three times per week. Nothing beats aerobic exercise for releasing pent-up stress and tension.
• Eat a healthy diet. Well-nourished bodies are better prepared to cope with stress, so be mindful of what you eat. Start your day right with breakfast, and keep your energy up and your mind clear with balanced, nutritious meals throughout the day.
• Reduce caffeine and sugar. The temporary “highs” caffeine and sugar provide often end in with a crash in mood and energy. By reducing the amount of coffee, soft drinks, chocolate, and sugar snacks in your diet, you’ll feel more relaxed and you’ll sleep better.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs. Self-medicating with alcohol or drugs may provide an easy escape from stress, but the relief is only temporary. Don’t avoid or mask the issue at hand; deal with problems head on and with a clear mind.
• Get enough sleep. Adequate sleep fuels your mind, as well as your body. Feeling tired will increase your stress because it may cause you to think irrationally.

Good Morning !

Yet another day of fights and challenged awaits me…Still diggin deep into my keyboard and staring into my monitor, im just minutes away from breaking my record of latest office stay ever in my career…

Developing CSS for an application, im still enjoying it to the last second. Never have i thought that CSSing would be this much fun. I wants to hear my mind saying to go bit more far into the process, but my fellow organs are just not allowing me to stay any longer…im feeling the tiresness now, have to sleep now, and have to rush to bed

HAPPY CSSing to ALLLLLLLLLLLL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

This video sharing app, is not yet another video sharing app on the web. Check out for its usability and the cool UX. Ofcourse, the videos rocks too

http://www.vimeo.com/