JoomlaTags Plugin CssJsCompress [for Joomla! 1.5.x]

This is a must have plugin for your Joomla website.  This plugin installs in seconds and can make a world of a difference for the speed of your website.  In my case, my website always seems to be slow, not to mentions the pages with Adobe Flex apps.

CssJsCompress will automatically optimize your CSS, HTML and JavaScript, which will reduce both the size and number of requests made to your website. GZip generated CSS and JavaScript files to about 1/4 of the original size. These optimizations may reduce server load, bandwidth requirements, and page loading times.  What sold me was the option to optimize JavaScript.  Initially this plugin interfered with my Shadowbox plugin, but after switching off the JavaScript option, it made all the difference.

Get it here HTML CSS JS Compression for Joomla

I'm still Flexing - Check out the preview of a soon to launch website that will let you upload your picture and try on different colored contact lenses before you buy them.  You can also try out contacts will cool designs, like those sold for Halloween.

Why did we choose to create this?  The main reason was to see if we could.  The second reason is because this application can be easily modified to allow you to try on other things, such as sunglasses, glasses, earrings and more...

In case you are wondering where the "I'm still Flexing" came from - I thought it sounded cool since the main software used to create this app was Adobe's Flex.  Flex is the same editor used to create Pandora's desktop player, eBay's desktop app and Harley Davidson's motorcycle customizer.

I hope you now get a better idea of where we are headed with Flex, renamed Flash Builder (Soon the intro will be more like "I'm still Flashing". No - I don't think so).

Even more exciting than creating Flex/Flash apps is combining them with the most popular CMS - JOOMLA!

Follow us on Twitter to get updates on this and other projects.  We hope to create some Flex powered modules and components for Joomla in the near future.

J.F. Herrera

We continue to have fun with RIA (rich internet applilcation).  For an idea of what you can do with Joomla! and Flex, take a look at a recent app we built for one of our sites, TwitterScribbles.com.

TwitterScribbles started as a fun project, to share some of our artwork with fellow Twitter members and allow visitors to submit their Twitter background, as part of a well rounded marketing plan.  In one of our previous posts, we talked about the depth of modification we made to the original Joomla! template by TemplatePlazza.

The main component included with the template is TP's ShowcasePlazza.  The component allows you to set up a showcase, just like TwitterScribbles, to showoff you own artwork or that of your visitors.

All this was great, but we felt that the submit process was a bit too technical for most visitors.   First, you either have to have the original background or know how to capture a screen clip of your Twitter page.

This is where our neat app comes in.  In just 3 steps we are able to capture your twitter page and submit it to our gallery.  The next few steps, you title and describe your background. The final step of the submission process allows you to select a category, add some keywords, and specify your designs primary color.

You can even see a preview of the screen clip before you submit your page.

Submitting your work to TwitterScribbles has a few benefits.  First, and most obvious is the additional exposure you will give to your Twitter page.  Second, and most importantly, is the exposure you will be giving to your website.  TwitterScribbles's rank is quickly rising, so don't hesitate to submit your background.

Take a look:

• Quick Submit Quick Submit
• Options Options
• Description Description
• Preview Preview
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