We are proud to announce that we have been approved as a Dropbox Partner – reflecting our expertise in the platform as well as giving us special access to support, discounts, and useful resources.
For more information on Dropbox Business features and plans, please see directionforward.com/hosting/dropbox-business.
We are proud to present the new website for Hill Robinson – developed in collaboration with our creative partner, Your Brand Matters, who are responsible for creative direction, updated branding, and design.
Hill Robinson was specifically created to manage the operational complexities of the world’s largest yachts, while bringing technical excellence to a full spectrum of services that yacht owners require most. With Hill Robinson’s operational management, they work to ensure every element functions with precision including: safety, security, operational, accounts, crew, maintenance and environmental concerns.
This site features modern design and strong usability, both deeply integrated with Hill Robinson’s updated branding by Your Brand Matters – we particularly like the revised flag and racing stripe in the brand colours.
The site beautifully showcases Hill Robinson’s services and Charter Fleet, neatly displaying a depth of information without overwhelming the user. Custom animations, cursors and an animated menu have been built into the site, and all details are easily editable via the fully featured CMS. We have also ensured that all content, images and galleries dynamically adjust to cater for different devices and sizes.
Hill Robinson are based across the globe with multiple teams and locations – which are presented in a user-friendly display and search of all the different locations, teams and contact details for each. Dynamically integrated forms for enquiries on all services, for each team member, and for each Charter Fleet yacht are also included. This is integrated with Pardot and thereby Salesforce, for CRM assignment and management.
The site also comes with Google Analytics and strong security measures, as with all our sites. It will also optimised for SEO and performance, achieving 99% Performance and 93% Structure on GTmetrix.
Visit the site here: hillrobinson.com
Mailchimp are offering 25% off their Essentials plan for 6 months.
Clients using Mailchimp Free plans are eligible to receive this offer. Please contact us so we can connect to your account as a Mailchimp Partner, which will allow you to redeem the discount. The offer is available from 23 June 2022 to 31 July.
You can find more information on the Mailchimp Essentials plan here.
From 1 July 2022, pricing for our cloud web hosting plans will increase.
Pricing for our cloud web hosting plans has not changed in almost five years. However, like the vast majority of providers, we have been forced to adjust our pricing slightly due to the increases in energy costs this year.
| Plan | Current price | New price |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Hosting | £5.00 pcm | £6.00 pcm |
| Power Hosting | £10.00 pcm | £12.00 pcm |
This will take effect for any new services and renewals on or after 1 July 2022. Please contact us if you need to discuss this.
All prices are subject to VAT.
Each year Apple holds its Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC). Below we have highlighted the key points announced at the event 6–10 June, including the new MacBook Air and iOS 16.
M2 chip
Apple introduced the new M2 chip, which is said to have a CPU 18% faster than that of the previous M1 chip, while the GPU is 35% faster.
New MacBooks
Apple are introducing new look MacBook Airs, with a sleeker flatter design at 1.1cm thick. The built-in camera has also been improved, promising twice the resolution (at full HD, 1080p) and better low-light performance.
As security is a big priority for Apple, the new MacBooks also come with TouchID built into the keyboard and MagSafe support. Other features include a 13.6″ liquid Retina display and slim chargers with 2 USB-C ports (which support fast-charging to get the battery to 50% within 30 minutes).
The new 13″ MacBook Pro is also getting an upgrade with the new M2 chip, which Apple claim has speed gains of up to 40% over the previous MacBook Pro with M1.
macOS Ventura
Apple announced their next major macOS upgrade. New features include a big update to the Mail app to be able to undo send, schedule send, and time reminders. As well as the new Stage Manager and Spotlight functions to easily see and group multiple apps and windows you are working on.
Passkeys
Safari is getting a new passkey function, where you can use Face ID or Touch ID instead of traditional passwords to log in to websites and apps with biometrics. This has been welcomed as a great step to further improve security, as it removes the need for users to micromanage multiple complex passwords for all the various accounts and services we all now regularly use.
Continuity Camera
Apple is also releasing the Continuity Camera ability – to attach your iPhone to your Mac whilst video calling for improved camera quality. This works wirelessly when you bring your iPhone in range of your Mac. Whilst this makes some sense as more recent iPhone cameras are higher quality with more features than Mac in-built cameras, this has been criticised as it looks messy thus contradicts Apple’s aesthetic and it also highlights that the in-built cameras are insufficient for modern video and remote working needs. I.e. Why not include a better in-built camera than bother with this approach?
iOS 16
The new iOS 16 will include improvements to the Lock Screen, allowing for more customisations and widgets. Similar to the Mail app, iMessages will be able to be unsent and edited after the fact. iMessage will also allow videos to be shared and watched together with friends via SharePlay, instead of just over FaceTime. SharePlay is also being upgraded with deeper support for games as well as videos. LiveText is now built in, which automatically translates and replaces text on-the-fly.
iPad OS 16
Apple have also announced that the iPadOS 16 will include all of the above iOS 16 features as well Stage Manager, which allows the grouping of apps and windows, to be overlaid and worked on simultaneously.
CarPlay
Apple have stated that there will be major upgrades coming to CarPlay, expected late next year. This will include a major integration with core car functions, such as monitoring and control of speed reading, fuel gauges, AC, and heating; all at the discretion and with the cooperation of car manufacturers.
Apple made some interesting announcements this year, such as their plans for an even faster M2 chip, impressive new features for macOS Ventura and iOS/iPad OS 16, the release of Sage Manager, and rolling out some long-awaited features for iMessage and Mail.
Following recent projects for clients, development of our internal systems, and our announcement in May of renewable energy powering our web hosting platform we are very pleased to see our director – Malcolm Woolliams – named as one of ‘London’s 22 Most Impressive & Successful Directors in the Mobile Payments Space’. Alongside executives from organisations such as Western Union and Visa.
Individuals recognised are included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
You can see our Director’s listing here.