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Are you getting the broadband speed you think you are?

admin — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:30:21 +0000

Internet speed has a huge impact on both businesses and individuals. It seems like a trivial issue to those whose web use is limited, but when you need to browse multiple pages as part of your job, or your network depends on your broadband connection, slow progress can be extremely frustrating and limit productivity.

People who are encountering difficulties with their broadband service often turn to IT support in Manchester or other business hubs, which may reveal problems with their service and prompt ways to improve it.

However, sometimes it is an issue that could have been avoided early on, with realistic expectations. A recent survey carried out for Ofcom, the telecommunications watchdog, revealed that many people think they’re getting much faster broadband than they actually are when they sign up. This is because broadband providers often don’t give unprompted speed estimates to potential customers, who may assume they’ll automatically benefit from the advertised speed.

In July 2011, all large broadband providers signed up to a voluntary code which obliges them to inform consumers what speed they are likely to receive. The potential buyer can then decide if they are satisfied before handing over their financial details and placing an order.

However, the recent mystery shop revealed that TalkTalk and BT only do this in 47 per cent and 48 per cent of cases, respectively – and BT’s agents generally only offered speed estimates after an order was in progress. The survey was carried out online and by phone, in 1,369 instances.

Both companies have said they will ensure that potential customers are advised of speeds before proceeding in future, though TalkTalk did point out that they do so before a contract is agreed and that speed checks are available on their website.

BT broadband overtakes phone calls

admin — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:32:10 +0000

BT is now officially making more money from its broadband services than its telephone provision, for the first time ever – which surely represents quite a milestone in the history of British communications.

Over the last year, more than a million new customers have started using BT broadband, either via BT Retail or the Openreach network, which provides for ISPs such as Sky and TalkTalk.

These days it’s no secret that people are using mobile phones and the internet to communicate more and more, with the trusty old landline sitting in the background to receive calls from elderly relatives – or to make calls to freephone numbers, such as those used by utility companies.

On a personal level, there is often no cost incentive to use a landline, as most mobile tariffs offer some free calls and messages. Many households retain a landline only because it enables broadband access, and don’t necessarily even attach a phone to it.

Other news from BT includes the achievement of making its high-speed fibre network available to over 10 million homes. Its eventual goal is to connect two-thirds of the UK by 2014, which is equivalent to 16 million premises.

Chief executive Ian Livingstone said: “Our engineers have worked tirelessly this past year and BT has made a real commitment to the UK’s infrastructure. Rolling out fibre is no easy task and so to have passed 10 million premises in such a short time is fantastic. Our roll-out is one of the fastest in the world and our engineers deserve lots of credit.”

December 20, 2011 — Technology trends for 2012 (0)

Water supplies still low in the south

admin — Wed, 02 May 2012 16:33:38 +0000

Despite recent bouts of heavy rainfall and flooding, the south of the UK still has a hosepipe ban in place, leading many people to wonder if water is being collected and stored efficiently enough.

The Environment Agency is on ‘high alert’ status for flooding, particularly in Somerset, Dorset and Devon. Meanwhile, approximately 1000 people were evacuated from a caravan park in Northamptonshire earlier this week and a man drowned in his car in Hampshire, trying to cross a flooded ford.

Thames Water, responsible for supplies in London, said that despite April being the wettest on record, it has not compensated for low levels of rainfall in previous months over the last two years.

“It hasn’t really stopped raining since we and six other companies imposed hosepipe bans on April 5,” said Richard Aylard, director of sustainability and external affairs for Thames Water.

“We are alive to this irony, and our contribution to the endless talking point that is the British weather.”

Some critics wonder whether water authorities are making the most of such wet weather and if they have sufficient measures in place, such as pipeline leak detection for high-pressure systems. With so many lines running throughout the UK, it is inevitable that some will leak or burst completely from time to time.

While it’s a shame for people who can’t use their hosepipes in some areas of the UK, most of us are surely hoping for a long summer of hot sunshine, as it seems a long time since we’ve had any consistent good weather. Around a year ago, the week of the Royal Wedding between Prince William and Catherine Middleton – now Duke and Duchess of Cornwall – there was plenty of sun, but the main summer months were very hit and miss. Hopefully, 2012 will be different.

Google Drive and Microsoft SkyDrive battle it out

admin — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:18:43 +0000

There are lots of different ways that people approach information storage and management these days, particularly in professional capacities.

Some businesses keep servers in their premises and back them up independently, whereas others opt for managed IT services to look after their needs on a remote basis. This latter option provides reassurance because all details are often backed up in more than one location, in case of a crisis.

However, cloud storage is also becoming more and more popular, for both businesses and individuals. It allows people to store their data with a web company, which in many ways is safer than keeping it on their own machines. Dropbox has been around for several years, but Google Drive and Microsoft SkyDrive are now coming to the fore.

So, how do these contenders compare? Google is offering all its account holders a free 5GB of storage on Google Drive, with an upgrade to 25GB available for $2.49 (£1.54) a month. $4.99 (£3.08) a month will get you 100GB, while $49.99 (£30.80) will secure 1TB.

Microsoft SkyDrive, meanwhile, is offering 7GB free – though it used to offer a whopping 25GB. Google’s pricing strategy may have alerted the company to the fact that it was initially being too generous. Existing users can keep the original capacity for free, with a bit of account manoeuvring, but new users will only be offered 7GB. It is still more than Google, however – and 100GB only costs $50 (£32) a year.

Both services offer document-sharing facilities and are easy to access via desktop folders, echoing the Dropbox approach. It’s too early to say who will have most success, but it’ll probably be a case of whether Google’s immense brand image will prove a match for Microsoft’s cheaper rates.

Cookies, cookies, cookies

admin — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:54:09 +0000

It was revealed this week that on the UK’s most popular websites, users will encounter an average of 14 cookies on every single web page. So, if they visit 10 pages on that site, they will have been subject to at least 140 tracking tools.

The existence of cookies is hardly a surprise to anyone in the industry – and even non tech-savvy types have usually heard of them and have a rough idea of what they are.

However, 140 is quite a surprising number. It also indicates that some websites may have a lot of explaining to do under new rules from the UK’s Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). The directives, which come into effect on 26 May 2012, insist that websites must tell people that the cookies are there, explain what they are doing and obtain the user’s consent to store each cookie on their device.

The key issue for the ICO is that people need sufficient information to make a decision about consent.

Dave Deasy, vice president of marketing for Truste, told the BBC: “The high level of third-party tracking that is taking place is certainly an area of question and scrutiny. It’s not illegal to do the tracking – the question is whether you are giving consumers enough awareness that it is happening and what you are doing with the data.”

The study which identified the scale of cookie use was carried out by Truste, a privacy solutions company. It included the 50 most visited websites in the UK and showed that 68 per cent of tracking tools were not owned by the websites themselves, but by third parties – most often advertisers.

Hacking on the rise?

admin — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 11:34:14 +0000

There’s been a lot of fuss about hacking in recent times, including the latest news today that two teenagers have been detained by police under suspicion of recording calls made to Scotland Yard’s Anti-Terrorist Hotline.

The practice of hacking is nearly as old as digital technology itself and is generally applied to the unauthorised accessing of communication systems, including telephones or computers. Businesses which buy leased lines and other mediums for the transfer of sensitive information should always ensure that they have adequate checking and protection processes in place.

The biggest hacking news in the last 12 months has been its use by parties working for members of the press to access the voicemail records of famous people. The matter came to light because numerous celebrities featured in newspaper gossip raised the point that some stories could only have leaked via their voicemail services, as the information in question had not been shared elsewhere. Shortly afterwards, some former employees blew the whistle on illegal practices they had observed at national newspapers such as the News Of The World.

More recently, the website systems of the UK Home Office, Ministry Of Justice and the Prime Minister’s formal address – number 10 Downing Street – were all reportedly attacked by a hacking collective which brands itself as Anonymous, in a protest against government policies on surveillance and extradition.

Users were unable to access the websites for some length of time. Though operations were restored quickly, the action attracted attention and was substantially discussed on social media website Twitter. Among other complaints, the group claiming responsibility stated that it felt government plans to monitor emails and website visits were ‘draconian’.

UK to benefit from Icelandic volcanoes

admin — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:30:00 +0000

This week we’ve been fascinated to discover that the government is backing plans to lay thousands of miles of high-voltage cables across the ocean floor – and the reason is even more incredible: Iceland’s volcanoes will be used to pump low-carbon electricity through them, to supply the UK.

We did check whether it’s a late April Fool joke, but no – it’s true. It’s estimated that around a third of the UK’s average electricity demand could be served by the new system, so whether you work in a factory in Birmingham or IT services Bolton, your electric could be coming from big hot mountains on a distant island.

The idea is to harness geothermal energy produced by natural phenomenons, as Iceland sits over a mid-ocean split in the earth’s crust. It is also much less densely populated than the UK, so its national grid is under much less pressure. The cables would be the longest in the world – between 1,000km and 1,500km – and eventually the UK would be connected to a huge network for the whole of Europe.

A European supergrid would share energy from different sources, including wind and wave power from northern parts of the continent and solar projects in southern countries. This would reduce dependence on fossil fuels such as oil and gas and ensure a reliable energy supply.

Energy supply and pollution are constant concerns in the UK and it’s exciting to know that options such as this exist. It sounds more like something out of a science fiction film than reality, but over the next decade, developments will be substantial.

The 2012 budget vs the UK tech sector

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 14:41:33 +0000

Within the 2012 budget, the chancellor indicated that there is a strong intent to improve the technology sector within the UK. It appears as though the government is beginning to recognise that the tech industry could lead the UK to great growth and become one of the country’s largest areas of exportation.

In a bid to invest in the technology industry, the government is planning to hand out £150 million worth of funding for the development of superfast broadband and wifi in cities across the UK. However, if the United Kingdom is to become the hub of technology, an investment of billions would be essential. While the technology trade is growing at a significant rate, plenty more work – and money – is needed if it is to become a truly stand out industry.

For example, the UK owns a 10 per cent global share of the cloud computing market, which is set to grow significantly over the coming years. If the government was to inject a large amount of funding into the project, it could flourish even more than expected. For cloud computing Manchester and London both have a number of established companies offering the service. A large surge of funding to these cities and others could help the UK on its way to becoming the heart of the technology sector as other industries such as retail and construction head into decline.

Overall, it seems that while the government understands that the UK needs another stand out industry as others fall by the wayside, they are not putting in the necessary funds to secure the UK’s dominant position within the tech industry.

Friends Reunited relaunches

admin — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 15:28:45 +0000

Social media pioneer Friends Reunited, a website created in 2000 with the aim of connecting people to old school friends and others from their past, has been relaunched with a heavy focus on nostalgia.

Despite early success, amassing over 15 million members by December 2005, it faltered due to the success of websites such as Facebook, which entered the field with a much more streamlined design and didn’t use payment walls to block contact between members. Facebook traffic increased at a year-on-year rate of 2393 per cent in 2007, while Friends Reunited became stagnant at 1.2 per cent.

The last five years have seen a massive decline in its use, despite numerous attempts to revive it. Now, however, Friends Reunited is back with a bolder design change than ever before – but what is its unique appeal, in such a hotly contested marketplace?

Its main innovation appears to be the mixing of professional archive material with users’ own sentimental materials, creating a sort-of online scrapbook. Each user will have a ‘memory box’ in which they can collect items – a little like Pinterest’s pinboards.

The focus is therefore on past events, rather than the contemporary life commentary provided by Facebook. Despite the latter’s Timeline feature, allowing past information to be accessed, it is still very much centred on current developments.

Will it work? Well, that remains to be seen. But at present it is free to use, which should help. It is also connecting with other social media networks rather than attempting to fight its dominance, offering the facility to place an app within Facebook.

The new-look Friends Reunited website: http://www.friendsreunited.co.uk/.

January 6, 2012 — Social media gag for Olympic volunteers (0)
December 20, 2011 — Technology trends for 2012 (0)
November 7, 2011 — Social media – friend or foe to social harmony? (0)

Professional communications

admin — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 17:21:22 +0000

In the contemporary world of business, the value of good communication should never be underestimated. To some extent that has always been the case, as people have always appreciated good customer service and reliable delivery of their expectations – whether in the Middle Ages, the Victorian Era or the 1960s. However, in a time when quick connections are second nature, it is far more noticeable when a company falls short.

Internal operations
Studies have shown that staff are at their most productive when morale is high, which makes it wise for managers to ensure a harmonious and enjoyable working environment. Good communication is key to this, as if people are able to approach each other to constructively discuss any issues encountered, they are more likely to resolve problems and take positive action.

Internal technology
It is vital that within a company, information and communication technology (ICT) systems are tailored to reliably meet the needs of the business, enabling a productive and efficient working environment. This often includes a competent email server and software, an internal network for shared documents and a streamlined telephone switchboard. Where multiple office locations need to be served, a leased line can be useful to ensure the quick and secure transfer of data.

External conduct
Staff should always be trained in how best to answer the telephone and converse with external parties via email, if they are not already confident and appropriate in doing so. This ensures a consistent and professional image which becomes associated with the company. Any complaints should be dealt with seriously and sensitively and escalated to someone who is able to resolve the problematic issues as soon as possible. Maintaining frequent and polite contact with clients and customers can be very productive in attaining repeat business.

BBC Sport presenter heralds change with Twitter

admin — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:20:52 +0000

Yesterday saw the first national TV sports bulletin broadcast by the BBC from its new Sports Centre in Salford Quays – and presenter Olly Foster flagged its significance via social network Twitter.

“Salford Express has delivered me safely to Manchatten,” he tweeted on Sunday (4 March 2012). “Big day tomorrow for BBC Sportsnews. See you all in the morning. Pink tie I think.”

Following the bulletin, he added: “The BBC Sport Centre is up and running on the TV Front. Exciting. Everyone very proud, there’ll be bumps in the road but it’s a solid start.”

The BBC’s sports department has moved from its previous home in London to take up residence in Salford, located within Greater Manchester. Other BBC movers include Radio 5 Live, part of the Future Media & Technology team and the Children’s department.

One of Mr Foster’s London colleagues, Simon McCoy, used the microblogging service to joke with him, saying he wanted to send him a personal photo for his new desk.

The exchange created a buzz about the Salford-based bulletin, demonstrating the importance of doing social media marketing Manchester in the right way.

If any company – whether multinational corporation or small start-up – encourages its staff to post lighthearted and friendly comments about business developments, it is likely to have a much stronger impact than an impersonal ‘hard sell’.

People like to know they are dealing with other people, not faceless companies, and witty observations and notes about genuinely interesting industry topics are far more appealing to social media users than a business which brazenly advertises its services.

January 6, 2012 — Social media gag for Olympic volunteers (0)
November 7, 2011 — Social media – friend or foe to social harmony? (0)

Facebook unfairly under fire again on privacy?

admin — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:54:57 +0000

Another week, another accusation that Facebook is mistreating our personal data. UK newspaper the Sunday Times has claimed that Facebook ‘admitted reading text messages’ through its Android application, thereby invading the privacy of smartphone users.

Facebook has denied this, however, responding that the newspaper has misunderstood its terms and conditions – especially with regard to the context and meaning of the term ‘read/write’. In the realm of software permissions, the social media giant has explained that this merely means its app can be integrated with a user’s texting service, not that it will spy on messages and use them for advertising strategies.

A Facebook spokesman, quoted in the Telegraph, said: “The Sunday Times has done some creative conspiracy theorising, but the suggestion that we’re secretly reading people texts is ridiculous.

“The permission is clearly disclosed on the app page in the Android marketplace and is in anticipation of new features that enable users to integrate Facebook features with their reading and sending of texts.”

Internet users are used to seeing terms and conditions everywhere and for many it becomes habit to simply click ‘I agree’ (or a similar indication of assent), rather than reading them properly. This means that people often give their ‘agreement’ to things that they might not usually, simply because they haven’t realised the issue is included. When it is pointed out, numerous people become upset and media headlines abound.

This is a frequent hassle for Facebook, which has extensive terms and conditions. Facebook’s legal terms are split into groups based on issues affecting different areas of the business and evolve to suit the company’s model, making them difficult to keep track of.

However, they are presented in an accessible format, using clear, concise language. It is therefore easy to understand why the company gets a little frustrated when users with privacy concerns cry foul after not taking the time to read about its services.

Office essentials

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:16:25 +0000

Workplaces come in all kinds of shapes, sizes… and atmospheres. There are a variety of features which people consider essential to their daily professional exsistence – and, of course, several wishful thinking items which some companies have made a reality.

Location
How people feel about the physical setting of their workplace often comes down to whether or not it is internally well-equipped and how hospitable the surrounding environment is. Many businesses are located on business parks which are away from urban centres, so if there are no places nearby to buy food and drink and undertake lunchtime activities, it is important that these needs are catered for within the building. City centres are often preferred by employees as there is a great deal of choice, but the lower costs associated with out-of-town offices often win over employers. The latter are more likely to include parking for all staff.

Communal areas
Many companies create ‘breakout’ areas where employees can unwind during breaks and sometimes for internal meetings. If, as noted above, external venues are limited, a well-equipped kitchen is considered vital and will often become the social centre of the office environment. Good office design will encourage workers to interact more, creating a relaxed yet constructive atmosphere in which to work.

Workspaces
These days, it is not uncommon to encounter ‘clear desk’ policies within offices, meaning surfaces are kept clean and tidy to make cleaning easier. This kind of regime is also said to reduce stress. Most desks have their own computer, filing drawers and desk phone. An example of a popular desk phone is the BT Decor 1200, which can store up to 50 different names and numbers and can also be used hands-free, allowing employees to type simultaneously.

Luxury extras
If you are fortunate enough to find work with a truly forward-thinking business, such as Google, Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, you may find that some of the following are commonplace: rock climbing walls, dry cleaning services, massages, laundry machines, photo processing, gourmet chefs and numerous sporting activities. Well, we can all dream…

September 15, 2011 — Phone Home (0)

Family car traditions begin to shift

admin — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 16:54:31 +0000

Research by car insurer Aviva has suggested that ‘normal’ patterns in family car ownership have begun to change, with the man of the house becoming less likely to be in charge of the larger vehicle.

The stereotype – and, indeed, the reality – has long been that the father figure drives a large saloon, often a company car, while his lady uses a little runabout.

These days, however, more and more mothers are using multipurpose vehicles (MPVs), sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and four-wheel drives to cart children around and lead a multi-tasking lifestyle; while their male partners are downsizing to more economical vehicles, especially if they have a long commute or do a lot of driving as part of their job.

Economy has been at the forefront of many car users’ minds in recent years, in light of the recession and the rising price of fuel. The idea of a new car is excessively luxurious for many people, especially as they tend to depreciate so quickly after purchase.

Nearly-new vehicles create a compromise, as they enable someone to own a car which is unlikely to have many faults, due to its age, but with a significantly smaller price tag than a brand new vehicle. Whether used cars West Midlands or second-hand cars in Scotland, people all over the country are keen to find dealerships that make it easy to find a suitable car without demanding unrealistic prices.

According to Aviva’s study, the 10 most popular family cars – both new and used – are the Ford Fiesta (number one), Vauxhall Astra, Ford Focus, Vauxhall Corsa, VW Golf, VW Polo, Peugeot 207, BMW 3 Series, Mini and the Nissan Qashqai.

Getting online anywhere, any time

admin — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:02:07 +0000

Telecommunications giant BT has announced that its total number of wireless internet hotspots has reached 3.5m – a statistic which makes it hard to remember the days when an awkward dial-up connection was such a unique and valuable lifeline.

It isn’t just dial-up that it surpasses, however, but also the options available to anyone whose usual internet connection is disrupted. It wasn’t so long ago that if you moved into a new house or flat, there was no quick way to get online. You had to wait at least a week to get a phone line set up, then wait a further week or two for your broadband to be enabled.

In the meantime, a mobile broadband dongle would have to be used (once you’d waited for it to come through the post, if you didn’t have one already) – and before that, it’d be a CD from your local shop to revisit the joys of dial-up. Either way, it was slow and frustrating.

These days, if you’re near a BT Wi-Fi hotspot – run in partnership with Fon Wireless, thus known as ‘BT Fon’ – you can sign up very quickly to pay to start using the internet. However, if you’re a BT Total Broadband customer already, access is free and unlimited. There are over 380,000 hotspots in London, 25,000 in Birmingham and Leeds, 20,000 in Manchester, Edinburgh and Sheffield and over 11,000 in Liverpool, Brighton, Bristol and Cardiff.

BT has also launched a new BlackBerry application which allows quick hotspot detection and login for BT’s Fon service.

It’s all great news for online advertising experts across the UK, as it ensures that the results of their work are seen by more people than ever. For example, digital marketing Manchester professionals know that there are 20,000 local options for people without a static connection to get online and use Google, Facebook and numerous other websites.

Smartphones – which has the best stats?

admin — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 16:56:04 +0000

BlackBerry has taken to the media this week in a bid to prove things aren’t going as badly as everyone thinks, pointing out that during 2011, its handsets outsold all others for the second year in a row.

This may come as a surprise to people aware of the tumultuous year experienced by manufacturer RIM (Research In Motion), including internal criticism, redundancies, service outages and even partial blame for the spread of UK riots in August 2011.

There always seem to be statistics floating around that confirm the dominant position of one phone or another… whether BlackBerry, iPhone or devices using Google’s Android operating system – so which should you pay attention to? Judge for yourself…

BlackBerry
Handsets: RIM has released figures from research company GFK showing a 27.7 per cent share of the UK handset market in 2011, reaching 8.5m customers. Worldwide, BlackBerry users grew by 35 per cent to reach 75m.

iPhone
Customer loyalty: Apple enjoys the most brand loyalty, according to a study carried out by research company GFK in November 2011, with 84 per cent of users saying they wouldn’t switch to another manufacturer.
Business choice: Research undertaken by consultancy company iPass revealed that 45 per cent of business people with smartphones opted to use an iPhone, compared to 32 per cent for BlackBerry and 21 per cent for phones equipped with the Android operating system.

Android
Operating system: Android is an operating system (unlike BlackBerry and iPhone, which are types of smartphone) which is available on several different devices. It is also now the most popular operating system, according to independent analyst NPD Group, beating Apple’s iOS.
Multiple handsets: An independent study by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech showed that Android handsets controlled 44 per cent of the overall market in the run up to Christmas 2011, with iPhone second at 34 per cent and BlackBerry languishing at 16 per cent. This appears to contradict figures from RIM and GFK stating that BlackBerry sold more handsets than anyone else during December – but there may have been different time periods for the studies.

November 1, 2011 — Half of UK people have a smartphone (0)
March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
October 19, 2011 — iPhone 4S (0)

Car spotlight: Mazda 5

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:32:58 +0000

The Mazda 5 is a seven-seat people carrier which is perfect for family use but also attractive and enjoyable to drive, making it a very popular choice for those who want to combine practicality with style.

Ergonomic design
The Mazda 5 is a very versatile vehicle, with multiple seating modes and a seat storage compartment. It also has sliding doors, which mean that access when parked in a difficult spot is much easier than with traditional doors. The rear seats can be reached by folding a second row seat, meaning that loading both people and luggage are straightforward. Comfort is also a priority for the Mazda 5, with plenty of legroom for long journeys.

Technology
If you buy a Mazda5 in the Sport Nav range, you’ll find a TomTom navigation system fully integrated into the dashboard area, with a 5.8in touchscreen. Bluetooth and iPod devices can be used automatically and live updates are available, such as IQ Routes, advanced lane guidance and traffic searches.

Driving
The aerodynamics of the Mazda 5 are designed to reduce wind turbulence, while substantial cabin insulation ensures a tranquil journey experience. In more recent models, the front and rear suspension have been refined and the body structure increased in rigidity, to produce efficient and responsive handling.

Prices
The new Mazda 5 ranges from £18,165 for a 1.8 TS model, to £22,436 for a 1.6 Sport Nav Diesel model. In between lie the 2.0 Sport, 2.0 Sport Nav, 1.6 TS2 Diesel and 1.6 Sport Diesel models. The TS2 option adds features such as privacy glass, rear parking sensors and dusk-sensing auto headlights, while the Sport features include aesthetic touches such as a rear spoiler and a dark silver front grille. The Sport Nav category introduces the Mazda Navigation System.

Choosing the right car for a long trip

admin — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 16:40:46 +0000

If you’ve ever had to drive a long way by car, you’ll know that your choice of vehicle makes a huge difference as to whether you have the trip of a lifetime or endure a slog never to be repeated.

Of course, not everyone has the luxury of choice – sometimes the car you’ve got is the one you’re stuck with – but if you need to rent one for a particular trip abroad or within the UK, or you drive a lot and want to choose a suitable vehicle, it’s worth bearing a few things in mind.

Fuel efficiency
This is very important for long trips, both for the environment and your pocket. You should pick a car that does lots of miles to the gallon, but also make sure you are maintaining the engine well so that it runs smoothly.

Durability
Some cars look great but their parts can wear out very quickly. If you’re thinking of buying a second-hand car, you should always check reviews to see what other owners have said about maintenance frequency.

Engine noise
A big, fierce engine sounds initially impressive, but an hour later and beyond, it can start to grate on you – especially on motorway journeys. A quiet engine and well-insulated interior are absolute musts.

Comfort
This can’t be emphasised enough. If you are comfortable, you’ll enjoy your trip more – it’s as simple as that.

The above features are quite easy to find in a large vehicle, but less so in a small one – though they do exist. For example, the Renault Clio Sport Tourer has had excellent reviews for its soft-sounding engine and suppression of road and wind noise. In fact, it’s quite easy to pick up a cheap Renault Clio from a nearby dealership – and they’re also available to hire.

Social media gag for Olympic volunteers

admin — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 12:42:28 +0000

With the London 2012 Olympics looming, organisers have announced a set of social media restrictions for volunteers, telling them not to publicise any details about backstage goings-on.

The move means that those working on the event for love instead of money – dubbed Games Makers – are not permitted to post social media updates about celebrities, or discuss their roles in local newspapers. Using Facebook and Twitter to share unsanctioned news about athletes or discuss VIP guests will be strictly forbidden.

The rules are set out within the restricted Games Makers section of the official London 2012 website, run by LOGOC (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games).

All approved contact with the media will be handled by a digital agency assigned to each area of business; the results of which volunteers can further publicise if they wish.

The reasoning behind this plan is easy to understand, as when organising an event as huge as the Olympics, a clear stream of official information is essential.

However, critics have pointed out that it will be impossible to prevent volunteers passing information to publishers on an anonymous basis. Others have expressed the opinion that it will remove some of the enjoyment from the responsibility of helping with the Games if people are not allowed to share the excitement of their daily duties with friends, family and acquaintances online.

It is not only irresponsible volunteers that LOGOC is likely to keep an eye on, however. There have been several incidents in recent years of sports stars and other celebrities getting into bother due to tweeting first and thinking later. We can be sure the newspapers will be watching the Twitter feeds of certain people like hawks…

November 7, 2011 — Social media – friend or foe to social harmony? (0)
March 27, 2012 — Friends Reunited relaunches (0)
March 6, 2012 — BBC Sport presenter heralds change with Twitter (0)

IBM predicts future innovations

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:11:41 +0000

It’s 2012 next… but what about 2013? Or even 2016? Multinational technology company IBM has come up with a list of five futuristic ideas it thinks may become realities in the next five years.

This is a practice that IBM has engaged in every year since 2006, as it measures which innovations come true within the time frame specified – which is always five years.

Its five predictions for 2011 are…

Energy from everything
‘People power’ energy will be harnessed from activities that humans engage in every day – for example, capturing the movement of a bicycle in order to fuel another activity.

Security that’s truly unique
The need for passwords will be eradicated by a process called ‘multifactor biometrics’ – a process that will use uniquely defining physical factors to identify true users, allowing access to information and locations alike.

Mind reading
Research is in progress – by IBM, funnily enough – into linking the brain with devices, so that the power of thought alone could one day perhaps be used to communicate with others. For example, you think “I want to call my mum” and you’ll be automatically connected. The devices themselves may even become obsolete.

Mobile technology will spread
The gap between ‘information rich’ and ‘information poor’ communities will begin to decrease, as mobile devices are so portable and can be used to access essential information and services such as healthcare, financial administration and weather.

Junk mail a thing of the past?
Technology is being developed which uses analytics and prediction of intuitive behaviour to understand what people want, ensuring that information likely to interest a user is pushed to the fore – while details that seem random are held back. This may grow to perform tasks such as the automatic research of alternative routes when a device realises you are travelling to an area with bad weather or bad traffic.

Some of these may sound far fetched – but there are lots of innovations we use today that people thought were pipe dreams. Not so very long ago, clever gadgets such as the Plantronics CS60 headset or the Siri voice recognition application on the iPhone would have seemed completely out of reach.

April 27, 2010 — Keeping track – GPS today (0)

Technology trends for 2012

admin — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 15:47:52 +0000

International market research organisation YouGov has released its latest technology poll results in anticipation of 2012, which indicate that smartphones will continue to be a growth industry, while smart televisions, digital radio and print mediums will fare less well.

The study showed that around 40 per cent of UK people presently own a smartphone such as an iPhone – and this will climb to 68 per cent.

As a result, marketers are expected to make greater use of location-based offers and discounts, which will be of interest to digital agency Manchester professionals and those in other entertainment-heavy cities across the UK.

The popularity of portable tablet computers, digital reading devices and social networks will also progress further, with 60 per cent of UK people already using the latter at least once every day.

The research revealed that around 24 per cent of people currently use a tablet to access the internet at bedtimes; while gadgets such as Amazon Kindles are extremely popular.

Russell Feldman, associate director of technology at YouGov, said: “The decline of print media sales will only accelerate during 2012. Tablets and apps will increase the digital cannibalisation of paper copies as they erode more of those previously inaccessible locations to digital devices.”

It is certainly fair to say that many people are opting for the speed, accessibility and convenience of digital devices instead of traditional print choices such as newspapers and magazines. However, it is more likely that production models and sales strategies will change, rather than the products being completely obsolete.

Digital radio is expected to struggle, as around 22 per cent of young people listen to DAB sets, with almost double that number using the internet instead. When it is available so easily, it seems unlikely that people will continue to splash out on specialist equipment.

May 10, 2012 — BT broadband overtakes phone calls (0)
March 27, 2012 — Friends Reunited relaunches (0)
January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)

We love our cars… but not storing them

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 17:11:02 +0000

Only a fifth of car owners put their vehicles away in a garage each night, according to research by the RAC Foundation – despite around two fifths having access to one.

The study revealed that 25 per cent are parked on the street, while 53 per cent reside on driveways and 3 per cent are left in other locations. Only 19 per cent are locked up in the accommodation designed to house them.

It is believed that instead of being used to keep cars secure and protected from the elements, more and more garages are home to static possessions that people can’t fit into their houses.

Other reasons cited are that many modern cars are too big to fit into residential garages; and that many people think vehicles are tougher than they used to be, so don’t need to be safely stowed away when not in use.

It could also be that we’re a nation of lazy car owners who’d rather not have the faff of clearing the garage, then driving in and out of it every day! From people who lease Peugot RCZ cars to those who buy Dodge Vipers, we love making sure they look nice and shiny and spend money to ensure they run smoothly – but yet still would rather park them outside than shift some household junk into the loft.

The RAC Foundation is of the opinion that unwanted Christmas presents contribute to the problem every year.

In a statement, Professor Stephen Glaister, director of the organisation, said: “After Christmas there will be a rush to put unwanted presents out of sight and out of mind. In the old days that might have meant heaving them into the loft or shoving them under the stairs. Today it is more likely to mean dragging them out to the garage.”

Advanced Web Ranking on a mission to make SEO easier

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 12:08:19 +0000

Software company Caphyon has recently released version 8.6 of its popular all-in-one SEO software Advanced Web Ranking (AWR), which is designed to help website owners and professional developers track and improve their search engine rankings.

Advanced Web Ranking has a wide range of features to help search engine optimisation (SEO) practitioners to monitor rankings, observe patterns in visitor statistics and use link building tools and keyword research tools to improve the online visibility of their products.

To ensure peace of mind, users can enjoy automated reports and backups. There is also a high level of data security, as all information is stored on the user’s machine.

Data from Google Analytics and SEOMoz is integrated, meaning that users get the best possible service from several angles.

Why use it?

Caphyon has been operating for seven years and prides itself on the ability of Advanced Web Ranking to produce ‘reliable and accurate website positioning reports’.

Many of its users agree. Kevin Eichelberger of Blue Acorn eCommerce Consulting, quoted on AWR’s testimonials webpage, said: “Advanced Web Ranking is our primary tool used to track keyphrase rankings across multiple websites (projects) and report those rankings weekly to our clients automatically. [It] is a timesaver and a valuable tool in our SEO arsenal.”

Website owners will benefit most from:

AWR’s Google Analytics insights, allowing data to be added.
SEO reports, which feature rankings, analytics and links.
Keyword efficiency analysis, to measure keyword traffic.
An overview of anchor text distribution to make sure that keywords are well placed.
Rank evolution charts to allow users to monitor the development of their site.

For SEO practitioners, several features hold significant appeal, such as:

Link data from SEOMoz, for which AWR offers 1500 link credits.
The ability to analyse the performance of referral links.
A tool to look at the link profile of a website.
Comprehensive keyword research tools.
A choice of formats for exporting reports, including PDF, Excel, HTML, XML, TXT and CSV.

How does it work?

To use Advanced Web Ranking, you need to start by creating a project and adding your website to it. Next, you should add suggested keywords and select search engines to use. For easy monitoring, a colour can be selected for the website in question.

After that, AWR will do all the hard work, trawling search engines on your behalf. You can then check your rankings, view charts and email reports to clients. The latter include website rankings, visibility, keyword rankings, top sites, search engine rankings and an overview.

“Advanced Web Ranking saves so much time! SEO clients always want very good reporting so that they can be sure they are getting a good return on investment,” said Brent Folger of PPC Management, also quoted on AWR’s testimonials webpage.

“Advanced Web Ranking makes it INCREDIBLY EASY to generate great looking, professional reports. [It] also combines the greatest keyword research tools together to make keyword research easy and accurate.”

Other features include the ability to save time by importing keywords, a tool for prioritising keywords, the option to create hybrid reports by combining results from different sets of results and an effective project management framework.

There is little doubt that with such a wide range of tools, Advanced Web Ranking will delight SEO industry professionals and website owners alike.

Social media – friend or foe to social harmony?

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:47:41 +0000

This month has seen the issue of internet freedom raised by the government at the London Conference On Cyberspace, just as further arrests were made in Manchester as a result of August 2011′s riots.

Despite burgeoning public anger at various perceived injustices in society, the riots in London, Manchester, Birmingham and numerous other UK cities and towns seemed to come out of nowhere. The rate at which they spread was particularly surprising and left many questioning how the more calculating vandals and looters coordinated their actions for maximum impact.

Discussion in the weeks immediately following the drama featured talk of ‘shutting down’ social networking mediums in certain circumstances, as it was thought that social media played a part in rioters’ communications – particularly services such as Blackberry Messenger. It also contributed to hype about the situation, whipping would-be troublemakers into a frenzy which spilled on to the streets.

However, social networks played a big part in clean-up efforts, with groups formed on Facebook and hashtags appearing on Twitter which helped to mobilise an army of volunteers. Social media marketing in Manchester gave a massive boost to citizens determined to repair and rebuild the battered city, with thousands of people changing their profile pictures to represent the ‘I Love MCR’ campaign.

Internet freedom is a complex issue and is interpreted in different ways depending on people’s politics, culture and level of knowledge.

“Governments must not use cybersecurity as an excuse for censorship,” said UK prime minister David Cameron, speaking at the aforementioned conference.

Foreign secretary William Hague concurred. “I believe we must aspire to a future for cyberspace which is not stifled by government control or censorship,” he said, “but where innovation and competition flourish, and investment and enterprise are rewarded.”

January 6, 2012 — Social media gag for Olympic volunteers (0)
March 27, 2012 — Friends Reunited relaunches (0)
March 6, 2012 — BBC Sport presenter heralds change with Twitter (0)

Half of UK people have a smartphone

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:22:09 +0000

Despite having been around for several years, smartphones are still regarded by many as exciting products to own – and yet, does it ever seem as though almost everyone has one? Well, you’re not far wrong, as half of them probably do.

That’s one conclusion of a new study by international research company Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, which states that just under 50 per cent of the UK population possesses an iPhone, Blackberry or similar model.

The iPhone stormed into the market in 2007 and the momentum of its popularity has seemed unstoppable. It is probably the most talked-about breed of smartphone – but you may be surprised to hear that it isn’t the market leader.

That honour currently goes to Google’s Android operating system, which governs 49.9 per cent of all devices sold in the UK, with handset manufacturers including HTC, Samsung and Sony Ericsson. Blackberry comes in second at 22.5 per cent, while the iPhone trails in third with 18.5 per cent. The latter enjoyed 33 per cent in 2010.

The research from Kantar also shows that smartphone sales are up – and increasing at a sharp rate. The devices constituted just under 70 per cent of all mobile phones sold in the three months to 2 October 2011, which raises the question of whether ‘non-smart’ cellular gadgets have a future.

Nokia, historically the biggest player in the overall mobile phone market, has seen somewhat of a fall from grace in 2011. Its Symbian operating system represented only 6 per cent of sales in the Kantar study; a marked decrease compared to 20 per cent a year earlier.

The Finnish company is battling on, however, with plans to release the Lumia 800 and 710 in November. Using Microsoft’s Windows Phone system, it hopes to be a genuine challenge to Android’s position as top dog.

January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)
March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 20, 2011 — Technology trends for 2012 (0)

Risk assessment software

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:42:00 +0000

With any business it is paramount that risk assessment be undertaken, particularly fire risk assessment. As many businesses have large numbers of staff it is of utmost importance that a fire risk assessment be carried out in order to protect the firm against legal action if a fire were to take place. Of course it is also beneficial for the prevention of fires.

Gone are the days of having to invite a whole army of fire fighters into your premises to assess the vulnerability of the place however. New computer software makes the process much simpler and quicker. There is no excuse for not carrying out the necessary assessments with simple inexpensive fire risk assessment software. There are many options from different retailers, but most contain similar features.

A good quality product should contain all the necessary forms in line with UK standards. It should also have introductory chapters explaining the need for fire safety and the negatives of not undertaking the reports thoroughly. Peninsula offers an online business resource for companies known as BusinessWise. The resource also includes online fire risk assessment software.

The software is in-depth and compliant with UK standards. It gives clear details of employment law and the duties an employer holds with regards to fire safety. It includes forms and charts to complete ensuring that all the necessary procedures are performed before, during and after a fire – should the worst happen.

The software offers a checklist to complete, asking questions referring to the current situation, which once filled in compiles a list of improvement areas and the level of potential risk. Employers can then address these concerns, in order to meet employment law standards and avoid any repercussions, should a fire occur.

Fire risk assessment is an essential practice for any employer and using computer software is a cost effective way of doing it.

August 21, 2008 — Limewire Free Alternative (4)

iPhone 4S

admin — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 14:32:05 +0000

Finally the rumours and speculations can end. The upgrade to the iPhone 4 is out, but it’s not in the form of an ‘iPhone 5′. Instead the new offering is the ‘iPhone 4S’ so what does this mean?

Firstly it means that last Friday saw a lot of queues outside Apples shops. But more importantly it means an improved iphone with better features. Looks wise it’s practically identical to the previous model (aside from the label of ’4S’. It is built with Apples own A5 dual-core processor, the same that powers the iPad 2, providing faster speed and better graphics. The camera has been improved, offering 8MP photographs and videos in 1080p High Definition.

The 4S has Apple’s newest operating system iOS5 which, as previously reported, features iMessaging and Twitter as standard. Allowing for simpler messaging and social media use. The RAM has not been upped, as it remains the same as the previous model at 512MB

‘Siri’ – the new name on everyone’s lips since the launch is the iPhone 4S’ voice recognition feature, which claims to do almost anything. Along with being able to send your mum flowers, and book cinema tickets it also enables users to dictate text messages simply by speaking into the phone.

It is quadband UMTS / HSDPA / HSUPA (850, 900, 1,900, 2,100MHz) and quad-band GSM / EDGE (850, 900, 1,800, 1,900MHZ), also offering dual-band CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (900, 1,900MHz). Which should mean 3G data will be available on all networks, but that will remain to be seen. Complaints about network coverage have invariably followed new phone releases for Apple, whether or not this one is improved will only be told through time.

February 9, 2011 — iPhone 5 – the rumours (0)
January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)
September 19, 2011 — Latest iPhone 5 Rumours (0)

Latest iPhone 5 Rumours

admin — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:49:28 +0000

Despite the previous post, a concern of many continues to be that of the iPhone 5. What will it look like, what new features will it have, how much will it weigh? And of course, rumors continue to propagate. Here are some of the latest reports; their credibility is to be scrutinised.

Experts believed that it would be revealed in early September, but just like some of Nicodeamus’ predictions this has not held true. The new date on the circuit is 21st October 2011. As for the design, a ‘total rethink’ is what Engadget as reported and case manufacturers have been sending out reports of a curved back design. This would see a return to the look of earlier iPhone models. New voice control functions would allow for hands free text messaging capabilities if other reports hold true.

Of course Apple released the iCloud recently and it’s likely that the new mobile offering will include it as standard. This seems highly likely as it allows all Apple devices to be linked wirelessly. The easier it becomes for Apple owners to link their devices, the more likely they will be to purchase all their gadgetry from the company.

One report has announced that the new design will no longer have the glass back, but instead have a metal back to it, which will also act as an antenna. If true, this addresses the signal problems that have often been fed back from owners. The only truth however, seems to be that a new release is imminent. Or is it?

October 19, 2011 — iPhone 4S (0)
February 9, 2011 — iPhone 5 – the rumours (0)
January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)

Phone Home

admin — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:00:31 +0000

As technology becomes more complex reports of the latest product often refer to revolutionary improvements and innovation. As designers seek to be original with every new conception, the main purpose of a product is often overlooked. Mobile phone development has exploded over the past decade with new inventions being revealed each month.

What reports fail to look at are the reliable, standard products that ordinary people use on an everyday basis. Products like the bt decor 1200. It may not take photographs or film in HD but it is a good solid, reliable office phone. For either business or as a home office phone it is reliable and a good specification.

It has a 10 number memory bank, hands free capability, volume control, message waiting indicator, inductive coupler and is VoIP compatible.

In addition it is possible to set up BT Caller display, at no extra cost, when used through BT’s privacy at home service. This is perfect for both business and personal use as it will prevent having to deal with sales calls, or time being wasted on wrong numbers. In an office situation Caller display makes it possible to control incoming calls by diverting calls to the necessary phone before answering.

Every office, and home office, needs reliable land line phones. Although new technology can aid work functionality and make life easier, in some instances over complicating things is counterproductive. A product such as the bt décor 1200 is fool proof and means that embarrassing situations where clients are hung-up on or left on hold for too long are minimised. What’s an iphone 5 anyway?

February 21, 2012 — Office essentials (0)

Sunderland city council joins forces with BT

admin — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:14:44 +0000

BT has announced that it is set to embark on a ten year deal with Sunderland City Council. BT will aid the SCC in its bid to make the taxpayers’ money go further. The council are looking for new technologies which will benefit the city and make necessary economical and financial changes.

BT will set up a new broadband network which will connect all government-run areas within Sunderland such as schools, council buildings and libraries. Choosing to connect over 188 different sites with BT will be an efficient and effective way to run a network. Tom Baker, head of ICT at Sunderland City Council, said: “The network we had in place still worked well and was resilient but, like anything, it did present some challenges in terms of managing it.” The new multi-million pound deal is set to alleviate this problem of organisation as the broadband network will be run solely by BT rather than by varying companies with differing systems.

SCC also hopes that the adaptation of its current system will be cheaper for the council and make better use of the taxpayers’ money. While the council is set to make big savings as a result of this switch, the exact figure is yet unknown.

If this deal proves to be successful, the SCC is likely to expand the network over the next few years. Baker also said: “We are currently in talks with Northumberland and Durham about PSN and linking up our networks.” BT has become one of the top telecommunications services company within the world and operates in over 170 different countries. The products which BT introduces onto the market, such as the bt elements range, become extremely popular as they are able to withstand regular and vigorous use whilst still maintaining an excellent connection.

Sunderland City Council hopes that BT’s reputation as a reliable service will ring true during their ten year deal. The SCC’s attempt to streamline its broadband network and use new technologies will enable the council to continue its drive for social, economic and physical regeneration.

Apple prepare for the official launch iOS 5

admin — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 10:13:50 +0000

The official launches for both iOS 5 and iCloud are drawing nearer as developers are running through the final stages of improvements before their release. The news of the imminent iOS 5 began to generate rumours which suggested that the iPhone 5 will also be released in autumn in order to coincide with the new operating system.

Apple released iOS 5.0 beta 4 on 22 July 2011to test the functionality of its innovative system. The developers found that the beta version did not require any of the redundant data that was required with the iPhone 4 release. The iOS 5.0 beta 4 can also be downloaded over a WiFi or 3G connection. However the mobile device has to have over 50 per cent battery life or be plugged into a power source in order for the installation button to work.

Apple is ensuring that users of the iOS 5 will no longer have to rely on stationary devices. The company aims to free mobile devices from PCs and enable users to set up apps and upgrades without the assistance of a computer. Apple will also be delivering software updates straight to mobile devices with iOS 5 and enabling users to update wirelessly without having to connect to iTunes. Apple has also freed users from their PCs as an iOS 5 upgrade will allow people to set up an AirPort Base Station and a Time Capsule from their mobile device.

Apple is officially launching iCloud at around the same time as the iOS 5. This new storage system is also set to unshackle people from their PCs as the system will store saved content such as music, videos and photos which users can then access from multiple devices. The iOS style popup currently on the iCloud webpage suggests that Apple will be making its web based apps accessible to iOS devices.

Apple is creating a future which is easier and simpler for the mobile device user. When iOS 5 is released, iPhone and iPad users will be capable of updating their calendars and organising their subscriptions straight from their mobile device. The iOS 5 also has a new messaging system which allows users to start up a conversation with another iPad, iPhone or iPod touch user and then finish the chat on a different device.

Google+ Project

admin — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:05:13 +0000

Google recently released details of its social networking project, Google+. Google’s innovative approach to online sharing and socialising comes from its belief that the way we interact online is too disjointed and doesn’t reflect the ease of offline interactions.

The project, predicted to rival Facebook, is only in the trial stages but if it takes off it could revolutionise the way people interact online. Google+ has four key areas – +Circles, +Sparks, +Hangouts and +Mobile. Each of these seeks to give solutions to current problems with sharing information and communicating with friends virtually.

+Circles allows users to group their contacts depending on their social circles eg work, friends, family – this solves the problem of keeping certain photos, information or updates separate from some people, while still being able to share with others.

+Sparks enables people to spark up a conversation with anyone, about a topic they feel strongly about. Users simply search their favourite subject and can see instantly who’s talking about it.

+Hangouts is a live multi-person video streaming option. It’s to recreate those occasions where friends simply meet up and hangout; friends can do this remotely, globally, with the use of this tool.

And finally, +Mobile, which is already available on the Android Market utilises GPS and cameras to make mobile messaging optimised for socialising. If a user sends a message they can include their location, in the hope that their friend is nearby and available to join them. +Huddle, included in the +Mobile app, is a group messaging service ensuring organising social occasions remotely is simplified. Google has also revised its data protection and privacy settings in order for users to limit what is or isn’t shared.

Apple offers office apps

admin — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 11:46:42 +0000

Time is money in business, so any gadget or innovation that saves time and improves productivity is going to be popular. App developers quickly realised this and have created a plethora of tools to aid working life.

Many of the apps available in the Apple app store are perfect for commuters, or business people who regularly have to travel. If on the train, with an iPad, instead of playing angry birds on the way to an important pitch, users can carry on working with their virtual office.

iWork suite is an example of one of Apple’s innovative offerings. Designed solely for iPad, it has three separate applications. With the Pages app it is possible to view, edit and export documents in various formats, before sharing them with others.

Numbers is an easy to use spreadsheet application. True to Apple’s nature the interfaces across the three apps are succinct and user friendly. iWork also includes an option of presentation software in the form of Keynotes. Keynotes is extremely slick for creating and editing presentations, even when using on the iPad.

Another developer that’s recently created an office app for iPad is DataViz’s, with their Documents To Go. This app, unlike Apple’s version, uses Microsoft’s software so if using Microsoft ordinarily this would be a better option. Documents to Go’s support for cloud storage solutions also makes it a firm contender against its Apple counterpart.

There are a huge variety of apps available, for any requirement; it is simply a matter of preference and case of finding what fits a specific user’s needs. Once it has been established what’s needed in the app it will be impossible to leave the office behind; whether or not this is a good thing remains open.

Every iCloud has an Apple lining

admin — Sat, 18 Jun 2011 15:56:48 +0000

Apple has announced its latest offerings in software development. At the World Wide Developers Conference Apple showcased its newest mobile operating system iOS 5, and its new operating system, Lion, for Mac. It also revealed its revolutionary service, iCloud, that will make it possible for Apple device users to store information remotely.

The cloud will make it possible to store all content – pictures, contacts, videos, music etc and will then push all this content to your devices. All Apple devices will have the capability to be synched to each other. The new technology will mean that any information stored on any Apple device by a user will be accessible on any other Apple device that the user owns.

Any information updated from any device will automatically update information on all devices as it will be stored in the cloud as opposed to the separate devices. This allows for ultimate synchronisation of devices and integration of all apps. Users will be able to view their entire iTunes purchase history from any of their devices and download a song to that device instantly with no extra cost.

This new system seems like a dream come true – never again will documents be lost, as if one device breaks data will still be available from the cloud. A daily backup of the cloud is done automatically so the risk of losing data is again reduced. However, the iCloud initially only offers 5GB of free storage -which only extends to mail, documents and backup. For users to store additional data such as photos, books, music or apps and additional subscription will need to be taken out.

This exciting concept does look to make life easier for users, but Apple have ensured once again that users will be encouraged to make all their digital purchases under their brand. Once you go Mac you won’t go back.

Digital Marketing

admin — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:42:51 +0000

Unsurprisingly people are using the internet more than ever. Everything is now available online and in digital form be it information, books, films, television, radio, magazines, newspapers and every kind of consumer good desired. So it is no wonder consumers are choosing to sit on their sofas on laptops, or sit at their desks at work and browse the internet for hours.

This move away from the physical experience of either shopping or cinema-going means that advertisers have new avenues to explore when trying to target a particular audience. Print and outdoor advertising may not be totally futile but there is a strong need for businesses to have a presence online in order to be heard.

A strong appeal to using online methods for PR and marketing campaigns is that it is actually possible for advertisers to monitor and assess where the target audience is online and what they’re searching for. Not only this, but they can also see how many people have viewed their website or advertisement based on click-throughs. This measuring and assessment process can easily be monitored by employing a digital agency.

Manchester, often considered a creative hub, has realised the importance of using the internet to harness new, and boost existing, business seeing a boom in digital industry around the area in recent years. An example of this is the sheer volume of digital agencies Manchester has to offer.

Now is the time for companies, if they haven’t already, to turn to new mediums of marketing and reaching their target audiences. All businesses should have a keen digital strategy and employing a digital agency is a great way to ensure that the strategy is implemented and maintained to a high standard.

HTC branches into tablet territory

admin — Wed, 25 May 2011 14:39:18 +0000

HTC is to launch its newest Android product in tablet form. The HTC Flyer claims to be a “Tablet like no other”. This 7-inch wonder comes with a magic pen for a more creative answer to Apple’s iPad.

The smaller alternative to other tablets gives the ability to access an instant note pad for scribbling down notes and ideas or penning virtual masterpieces. It also comes complete with a 5megapixel camera with auto focus and a 1.3 megapixel front facing camera for capturing fun self images.

Its impressive multimedia capabilities allow users to view HD films whilst also being able to create their own. Supporting Wi-Fi, 3G and HSPA+, the Flyer can access the internet almost anywhere and, although it cannot make voice calls, text messages can be sent easily plus the front facing camera enables video calling with the use of Skype.

The device has 32GB of internal storage and 1GB RAM plus there is a microSD card slot and it’s SD 2.0 compatible. It has two connector ports, a 3.5mm stereo audio jack and a standards micro-USB port. The flyer runs on the Android platform with HTC sense and CPU speed of 1.5 GHz.

This new gadget looks sleek and stylish, and its size enables it to offer something different from the iPad. It’s more than a phone but less than a laptop. It could be seen as a personal digital assistant, or virtual pocket notepad equipped for all your organising needs, always at the ready for those moments when inspiration strikes. Geared up for when you just have to write something down – or draw something, or search for something, or photograph something, or even film something.

Ultimately the HTC Flyer is more portable and accessible than its larger counterparts. Whereas other tablets might have larger screens or longer battery life for better gaming or viewing, the HTC’s offering gives creative users that ability to express themselves in an instant as and when the moment arises.

Outage of PlayStation Network

admin — Wed, 18 May 2011 14:09:41 +0000

Good news for gamers this week as Sony’s PlayStation Network is back online. Although, in another PR fail for Sony, it had to close down shortly after it reopened due to too much traffic crashing the server.

The site went down nearly a month ago as it discovered an illegal intrusion to its network. Initially gamers were left wondering why they could not logon. This proved to be a poor use of PR submission for Sony, when nearly a week later they informed users that their personal information had been accessed. However, Sony chief Howard Stringer has argued that it did act quickly enough to inform users of the security breach, which is considered to be the biggest attack in internet history.

It is estimated that 77million registered user accounts were affected by the outage, which has been the longest period of time that the PlayStation Network has been offline since it began in 2006. Users were unable to use services including online gaming and access to music, movies, sport and some television shows. The hack, which caused the downtime, also led to the theft of users’ personal information. User email addresses, names, addresses, PlayStation Network login details, purchase histories and billing addresses were amongst some of the information obtained.

Users were informed that they should be vigilant and wary of identity-theft scams. They were also given advice by Sony about obtaining credit reports and freezing their credit files. US account holders have also been promised a year’s use of identity theft protection programmes. Analysts have begun speculating how much the breach has cost Sony with estimates escalating each day. The fact alone that its stock price has dropped by 5.2% shows that Sony is going to be left with a hefty bill. Adding this to a damaged reputation and loss of users’ trust leaves Sony and the PlayStation Network looking in a pretty sorry state.

Sony Tablet to storm the market?

admin — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 14:42:43 +0000

After the excitement at the news that the iPad2 has been launched, there is more where that came from as Sony has announced the arrival of a new range of tablets, set to be unleashed in the autumn.
Sony has designed, not one, but TWO tablets, one aimed at home use and the other for people on the move. The Japanese tech giant has managed to create a tablet that folds small enough to fit in your pocket. Yep, that’s right, a foldable computer.
The two devices have been code-named S1 for the home device and S2 for the foldable. The S1 has a single screen, whilst the S2 will have twin screens; both computers will be equipped with Wi-Fi for internet access.
The move in to the tablet market is likely to cause some sleepless nights for Apple, who is used to dominating the market with its iPad. The competition is set to become even fiercer after the launch of its iPad2.
Sony is hoping to sink their teeth in to a large share of the lucrative market, but there are fears it has come too far behind Apple’s iPad which was now released over a year ago.
Apple it is still ahead of the game in the fact that it creates its own operating systems, whereas the Sony Tablet has been waiting around for Google’s Android technology to become mountable on the device.
Blackberry is also looking to lure over some tablet-hungry tech fiends from the traditional iPad. The company launched the Blackberry Playbook only a matter of days ago and it is already proving to be a great success.
So will people be rushing in to PC World on the release day of the Sony Tablet or will they be staying inside with their iPads? Time can only tell.

Android trounces iOS

admin — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 17:05:28 +0000

As the war between the iPhone and Android-run devices shows no sign of cooling down, a recent study provides yet more fuel for the fire, and another dilemma for those looking to purchase a Smartphone but are torn between the two major choices. A web company specialising in optimising websites for speed conducted a set of tests, pitting the iOS 4.3 against the latest version of Google’s Android, 2.3.

Recent informed opinion suggests that Android has been out-performing iOS for a few months now but the results here are quite conclusive – 84% of the websites tested ran faster on Android, with iOS 4.3 coming on top for just 16%. Real phones were used connecting to real websites using a Wi Fi connection that was free of other users. Of course, speeds on mobile handsets such as these are never going to compare with those achieved on desktop computers, particularly if using a leased line or similar, but Android came out with an impressive average load time of 2.1 seconds, compared to 3.2 for the Apple equivalent.

These figures reflect the devices using standard websites, as opposed to those specifically optimised for mobile use. Apple performed significantly better on mobiles sites, with average load time coming down to two seconds, matching Android’s performance. But the overall result still favours the Google OS, with the study concluding that the Android device operated 52 per cent faster on average than the iPhone.

It has been likely for a while that Android devices would overtake the iPhone in the smartphone war and this study will not be received too well at Apple. They do have a trick up their sleeve, however – the iPhone 5. In traditional Apple style, they are keeping very tight lipped about any improvements or features of the iPhone 5, which is expected to be launched sometime this year. Many expect them to address some of the common, small gripes people had with the iPhone 4 – the antenna problem, for example – but there are also hopes for some major changes, even a complete redesign. On the back of this study, it’s possible the speed of the device will be one of Apple’s major focuses.

January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)
November 1, 2011 — Half of UK people have a smartphone (0)
October 19, 2011 — iPhone 4S (0)

The arrival of the iPad 2

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:22:04 +0000

So Apple are once again making a bit of a fuss and getting the technology world all worked up this week with the launch of the iPad 2. Will it have one camera or two? How thin and light will it be? What OS will it be running? When can we buy one? These are all questions (possibly) at the front of many people’s minds, particularly for example a digital agency, but it’s worth reminding ourselves that this time last year, pretty much no one had even heard of tablet computers – at least not as we know them now. The original iPad was launched in April 2010 and it could be argued that we were all doing okay for computer gadgets before then, thank you very much Mr Jobs.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for innovations to take hold and become, to some, indispensible. And now, a year on, rather than asking themselves ‘do I need a tablet?’ many people are debating what extra features they would like from the new iPad 2. Front and rear facing cameras seems to be a popular choice, as well as it being a lighter and thinner model. It’s worth considering also that when the original iPad was released, there was no competition. Now, a number of companies have joined Apple in the tablet game and with the tablet-specific Android Honeycomb OS having now been released by Google, there’s a certain pressure on Apple to really produce with this new model.

One can’t help but wonder, however, firstly what will come of the original iPad and, secondly, where we’ll be in a year’s time when the iPad 3 is released (or, if some sources are to be believed, later this year). It’s a tricky line for a company to walk, to provide loyal customers with reasons to keep going back to them but at the same time not be seen to be simply producing more and more incremental innovations with the sole reason of enticing people to keep spending money. When the iPad 3 is released will the iPad 2 that everyone’s getting so excited about now be immediately redundant?

Of course, redundant is too strong a word. They will still work, as will the original iPads, and do all the things they were designed to do, but more and more this world of gadgetry is becoming, for avid fans and users, all about what’s new, the next amazing thing. People want the future now and, judging by iPad sales, they’re prepared to pay for it.

Us? We think we’ll give it a few months and see what the iPad 3 looks like.

iPhone 5 – the rumours

admin — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 16:10:43 +0000

We’ve all come to expect it these days – before any big technology release, especially from Apple, there will be rumours. And then there will be more rumours, and more rumours. It feels like the dust has barely settled on last year’s iPhone 4 furore, especially with all the ‘left handed users can’t make calls’ business, but we’re already into the next round of expectation, largely fuelled by loyal Apple fans getting all excited about the new toy coming their way (apparently soon). So if the iPhone 4 ‘changed everything – again’ (according to the advertising at the time) what can we expect from the iPhone 5? Just how good – better – can this thing be? Or, at least, how good can Apple’s PR agency make it sound?

Reading some articles on the web from usually reliable sources, even ‘insiders comments’ are sparse. No surprise there – Apple are notoriously careful at keeping information secret. Some pieces of information have slipped through however and the below seem to be the common features many are expecting from the iPhone 5:

Face recognition

That’s right – it’s going to be able to recognise who you are! Not just in a nice, friendly way (it’ll probably say hello, good morning) but in a serious, useful way. One word – security.

Longer battery

The age old smartphone go-to for upgrades and boasting. It’s going to have a longer battery life – hooray! So maybe now we’ll only have to charge it once a day.

Higher quality video/audio

For those of you who like to watch your films and favourite TV programmes on the move, or just in a room without a TV, this feature will surely be a good thing.

More space

Rumours indicate that the cheapest option will come with 32G of memory, so you can have literally all your (electronic) possessions to hand.

Built in GPS

To combat downloading those pesky GPS apps.

New Design

Perhaps the most exciting thing to look forward to is what this mythical beast will actually look like. It’s had a ‘complete redesign’ apparently. Just how much redesigning can a mobile phone have? We’ll have to wait and see.

4G network available

This is, believe it or not, better than 3G.

NFC chip

This little chip is one of the biggest developments in smartphones. The new Google Nexus S already has it, so Apple are slightly behind here, but this basically means you can use your phone as a credit card – and lots of other things, potentially (travel tickets, theatre tickets – any kind of tickets you can think of really).

Prototypes are apparently being tested by senior executives on Apple’s campus at the moment and an announcement is expected in the next couple of months, followed soon after by a launch. To some, however, all this rumour and speculation is a mere distraction to while the time away until they can get one of the things in their hands. There are people out there – lots of people – who will buy an iPhone 5 regardless of what new features it does or doesn’t have.

October 19, 2011 — iPhone 4S (0)
January 31, 2012 — Smartphones – which has the best stats? (0)
September 19, 2011 — Latest iPhone 5 Rumours (0)

New Google SSL secure search launches

admin — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 15:35:35 +0000

Like with many of the changes that happen at Google these days, I’ve stumbled upon the latest quite by chance. Upon loading up their search page this morning (on one of the very rare occasions that I wasn’t searching straight from the Chrome Omnibox) I noticed the word ‘Beta’ sitting just below the logo. Funny, I thought, since the search engine has been in final release for many years now. Closer inspection revealed a small SSL padlock logo sitting just above the logo – turns out, I’d hit a data centre that had loaded a test of the new Google encrypted search feature. You can see this for yourself every time by hitting this page here.

Of course, the biggest change is that you can now search over a dedicated secure connection, meaning that your search page is prefixed by the standard https:// rather than http:// and the padlock authentication mark appears in the address bar.

The implications of this are manifold, but the most significant is perhaps the fact that any searches you make will be completely invulnerable to attack from third parties – in simpler terms, no spammers, advertisers or virus hawkers will be able to see what you are searching for. Everything will stay private between you and Google.

I suppose this will prove beneficial to superusers, paranoid types or those who regularly search on dodgy keywords but the vast majority will not notice much of a difference, if this feature is ever rolled out in a final release. At the moment you can only get Google web search over a secure server, although Google says that it is working on bringing other elements like Images to the service.

iPad impressions

admin — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:41:57 +0000

I’ve already revealed my thoughts on the iPhone 4. As a quick follow-up, I’d just like to say that I’ve now replaced my iPhone 3GS with its sexier younger sister and it’s done me proud so far. Touch wood, I’ve yet to experience any of the problems which have befallen other users (lack of signal, mainly) but it’s worked a treat for me.

So now Apple have just released their new iPad. How does this help me as a businessman? Well, I think this is a device that could be on the market for years, so I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes a little while for interest to spark up. The success of the iPad relies solely on third-party support, and on how newspapers and magazines take to it. Some have done so, and the results are astonishing, but others have been waiting cautiously before committing themselves to the machine.

When it’s up and running, and with full support, I believe the iPad will be essential for a businessman in a different way to, say, the iPhone. I think the iPad will come into its own on commutes and while travelling. For example, reading a document on an iPhone isn’t really practical, and it’s often hard to take in the information being presented to you on such a small screen. On an iPad, however, it becomes a bit more official-looking. More real. Imagine the things you could do with an interactive report if you had a nearby WiFi connection…

I haven’t invested the cash into an iPad as of yet. I’m just going to wait and see. I think I’ll know when the time is right to pick one up, and even then it might just be something to dish out to employees working outside the office. Either way, I do think it’ll benefit me in the end.

iPhone 4 – better speeds and connectivity

admin — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 11:27:37 +0000

So the iPhone 4 announcement got me thinking. Sure, the handset is very nice and everyone is very thrilled that it now measures up at just under a centimetre – making it one of the slimmest smart phones ever released and good amount thinner than my HTC HD2 and iPhone 3GS.

However, it wasn’t the design of the new toy that interested me, but the stuff it is made from. The materials used for the casing of the new iPhone 4 are – despite its sleek brushed metal appearance – actually a type of engineered glass, said to give better signal and wireless connectivity. The theory is that the new material is a better conductor of radio waves than plastic. Having not yet tested it out, I’m not convinced – it just sounds more breakable. Can you imagine the pain of acquiring a crack down the rear casing?

Anyway, the switch-up is said to have given iPhone 4 a boost in speed that’ll allow for 7.2Mbps HSDPA, 5.8Mbps HSUPA and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. All very impressive in a tiny phone, but still a world away from the superfast access speeds available on a leased line or other such land-based web connection option. It makes me wonder whether wireless web will ever catch up to hard-pipe lines in its ability to offer users top speeds, or if we’ve hit something of a glass ceiling.

Another feature which aroused my interest and one that will no doubt have been picked up on by call quality fiends everywhere was the new noise cancelling features of the iPhone 4. The inability to effectively conference with the 3GS was one of the main annoyances I found with it – the speakerphone wasn’t of a great quality and the person on the other end picked up too much background noise for it to be a decent option. By contrast, units like the Polycom Soundstation 2, which I used in my office, are made for the job. But the new iPhone has got noise cancelling technology, which means that whether you’re on a private call using the earpiece or you’re opening up the call to a couple of others in the room, quality should rocket. Add to this the ability to include other speakers mid-call with the iPhone’s conferencing feature and I can see this new handset sending conference unit makers running.

So you can go on all day about how nice the new iPhone looks, for all I care. All I’m really interested in is connectivity – and this new handset looks like one of the best yet.

Keeping track – GPS today

admin — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 13:16:23 +0000

Everyone needs to keep up with things, whether its people, objects, or people with objects. That’s why technology is so important to us these days. We can follow the latest news as it happens, wherever we are in the world. We can follow each other on social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, and be up to speed with the goings-on in each other’s life. One vastly underrated use of modern technology, however, is GPS tracking.

Top three uses of GPS tracking:

1. Security

This one goes without saying really, but GPS is definitely a great thing when it comes to security. We’ve all seen US cop series 24, where Keifer Sutherland pulls out his phone and starts tracking someone using GPS. Of course, we’re not quite there yet, but in the next few years something like that will hopefully come as standard and protect us all.

2. Tracking parcels and packages

Everybody hates waiting on a delivery. Even if it’s a guaranteed next-day drop-off, it’s a nightmare counting the hours until it turns up. One great use of GPS tracking is keeping tabs on those all-important parcels coming to you from a courier service. Of course, it depends totally on the reliability of the people you’re receiving your parcel from, but GPS in this instance can be an absolute Godsend.

(As a brief aside, it’s always good to make sure you pick a reliable courier service. Look for three main things – cost, tracking and security. Do you need a super-fast service, or can you afford to save money and wait? How valuable are the items being shipped? Do you need to keep tabs on it with courier service GPS tracking?)

3. Sat-nav

Some would say this is the number one great GPS use, and I’ll admit I was close to ranking it at the top. However, it’s a little bit too domestic to be the main one. Still, that’s not to say it isn’t absolutely brilliant! Who hasn’t saved time using a satellite navigation device? In addition to saving time getting to a destination, money can of course also be saved through petrol costs.

So, courier tracking, security and sat nav – three great uses of GPS. Long may it remain!

December 20, 2011 — IBM predicts future innovations (0)

Three money-saving tips for businesses

admin — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 11:55:15 +0000

We may already be a quarter of the way into 2010, but it isn’t too late to introduce new ideas to your business and see the benefits. Here are three to get you started…

1) Social Marketing

There was a time when using Facebook, Twitter etc was just an exercise in brand relations. Now, as companies get shrewder at monetising their social media streams, the opportunities to profit are endless. Dell has famously made more than $4million through Twitter alone, so what’s stopping you? It’s easy to integrate social networking options into your business, whether you’re selling computers, cars, online bingo or anything. Be aware, though, it shouldn’t just be a case of signing up and plugging your goods – the most successful accounts are those which interact with their target audience in a real, meaningful way.

2) Bonded ADSL

As the internet gets congested, businesses need to find new ways of ensuring that their web connection stays operating at full capacity – being hampered by a slow line is a major disadvantage in the current arena. The traditional way for companies, particularly those which deal with large amounts of data transfer on a daily basis, to safeguard their high-speed web access was to invest in a leased line from a provider such as BT. Now, though, there is a more cost-effective alternative starting to emerge. Bonded ADSL operates in a way similar to leased lines, but instead of offering one single connection to the internet, it bonds together multiple broadband lines. The main benefit to you is that bonded ADSL can be up to 50% cheaper than a leased line – great news for business that want to save money while maintaining high speed and performance internet connections.

3) Go Green

Want to cut costs while doing your bit to save the planet as well? An increasing number of businesses are choosing to adopt environmentally friendly practices as part of their everyday operation. The first thing you should look at is printing. With ink and paper seemingly more expensive than ever, now is a great time to ask: do we really need to print that? You can save significant amounts of money by cutting your print usage. Other strategies you might want to look at include organising a car pooling scheme – lowering petrol costs for your employees – or introducing a business-wide green best practice policy.

PS3 bug shows importance of good network

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:11:57 +0000

I paid nearly £300 for my Playstation 3. I have clocked up over 1,000 hours of game time and my collection of titles fills up two ceiling-height cupboards; that is to say, I have spent a lot of money and time on my PS3.

I don’t expect it to break. Yesterday’s error, which saw PS3s across the country miserably fail to count up to 28, annoyed the Solid Snake out of me.

Yeah, it was something I might have expected from Nintendo. But not Sony. Feel free to explain to me why some Gnome Mage decided it would be a good idea to annoy their most loyal fanbase – those of us who queued up outside Game just to be the first to get our hands on the console? Of course the newer models weren’t going to be affected. Why the annoy casual crowd?

Anyway, as you can imagine, I had some time on my hands (What with not being able to go online lest all my achievements magically went the way of the Dodo) and after venting my frustrations on Rllmuk (the Sony PR department are going to have a great time trying to placate my anger), I thought about the issue.

I (correctly) predicted the problem was down to faulty calendar programming. Of course it was.

Initially I thought it might have been a network problem, but my VPN connection is consistently reliable. I ran the usual diagnostic checks on my SDSL line (only the best for casa da Hoosers) and couldn’t find an issue there either. But again, I didn’t expect it to be the source of the problem.

Anyway, when the news broke on IRC about the calendar error, I was livid. Suffice it to say, I took it out on some fools when the network eventually came back up later in the evening.

Poor form Sony. Poor form.

Social media and rich content hit online gaming

admin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:01:15 +0000

For a couple of years now web users have become accustomed to encountering rich media – videos, sound, high res rendered imagery – on the sites that they visit, particularly those aimed at more high-end market conversions such as car sales and new tech product launches.

And over the course of the past year, everyone from the commercial sphere to those working in news have been steadily incorporating the use of social media – Twitter and its ilk – in their online propositions.

Today it seems that a large proportion of websites come fully equipped with the kind of interactivity that only rich, appealing visuals and engaging social media aspects can allow for. Sites are no longer static pages for users to stare blankly at, but living, breathing portals through which meaningful communication between brand and consumer is possible.

There has been one type of site which so far has been slower than others to adapt to this new environment: online gambling. Part of the reason behind this is that most online gambling portals are already perfectly built for purpose. Users visit them to play games and win money – they expect them to do exactly what they say on the tin, without the need for fussy trimmings.

However, having found useful ways to integrate rich content and social media without merely stapling them on as superfluous accoutrements, online gaming is now catching up.

Online free bingo sites such as BOGOF Bingo, which launched last year, now come with rich video content, perfectly placed to enable social media sharing (that site hosts videos of its campaign star, Britain’s Got Talent rapper DJ Talent), while big players like 888 and Paddy Power – the latter of whom gives users access to reams of video content alongside truly commendable horse racing commentary – are starting to show new flair for the process.

Meanwhile, online casinos have moved legitimately into the world of Twitter, using characters from popular games series as figureheads for social media tweet campaigns. All of which, along with the graphically flashy entry portals and focus on constantly refining the software that powers online gambling, shows that these sites are no longer playing catch-up, but are out there at the front of the pack.

January 7, 2010 — Three tech advances to watch in 2010 (1)
January 6, 2012 — Social media gag for Olympic volunteers (0)
December 24, 2008 — Create A Backup Of Internet Explorer (2)

Three tech advances to watch in 2010

admin — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:27:34 +0000

As we move into the new year and indeed the new decade, thoughts turn to what new technological advances will be big news going forward. Last year brought us Twitter and an explosion in the popularity of social networking, but what will make headlines in 2010?

Here, we present our top three technological advances to keep an eye on this year.

1) Touchscreen. Pioneered in the mass market by the iPhone, touchscreen is set to be huge this year. Two new releases in particular will drive things forward: namely, the Googlephone – officially called the Nexus One – and the new Microsoft touchscreen tablet PC, a collaborative effort with HP which it unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The former is a direct competitor to the iPhone and with the weight of Google behind it is expected to do big things. The latter is probably the more exciting development, bridging the gap between touchscreen phones and laptops. Indeed, it almost resembles a giant smartphone. The Windows 7-powered tablet PC will go on sale later this year. Definitely one to watch.

2) ADSL Bonding. This may not sound like the most exciting of advances but in superfast internet terms, bonded ADSL is big news. For years, businesses who were being hampered by congested web connections had to plump for a leased line solution, the cost of which almost offset the benefits gained by its installation. Now, they can choose bonded ADSL, which replicates many of the good things about leased lines at just a fraction of the cost. How? By bonding separate ADSL connections together to form one new high speed line, businesses are able to spread their bandwidth across the fatter pipe and make use of faster-than-ever web speeds. Better still, up to around 16 lines can be joined with ADSL bonding, making for some astronomical top speeds. Bonded ADSL will be bigger than ever in 2010.

3) 3D. If you’ve been to the cinema in the past six month you can’t have failed to have noticed the arrival of 3D films en masse. The technology is set to advance even further in 2010, with more and more films being released in glorious realisticolour. Tim Burton’s take on Alice In Wonderland ought to be an awesome exercise in 3D filmmaking, perhaps even more so than current critics’ fave Avatar. Furthermore, Sony have just announced plans to beam live music concerts into people’s homes in 3D, giving you the chance to touch – or so it seems – your favourite pop stars from the comfort of your sofa. 3D could be the biggest widespread commercial tech advancement of the year.

January 19, 2010 — Social media and rich content hit online gaming (0)
January 6, 2012 — Social media gag for Olympic volunteers (0)
December 21, 2009 — Modern network solutions for a modern business world (0)

Could SDSL be the future of business broadband?

admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:40:16 +0000

Anyone with their ear to the ground will have heard that frustration with standard broadband connections is growing. Indeed, a recent Ofcom study showed that 23% of participants were unhappy with their broadband connections’ abilities to perform certain functions, while the businesses quizzed said that their dissatisfaction was such to make them consider new ways of connecting to the internet.

One way of achieving markedly faster and more stable broadband speeds is by getting a leased line. However, the cost of leased lines is traditionally high, making their viability very much dependent on the size of the business. Another, more cost effective alternative is to invest in SDSL, which often comes in at a fraction of the cost of a leased line.

SDSL provides vastly improved upload and download speeds and unlike its close relative ADSL, both of these speeds remain equal, making the connection more stable and better for uploading. This is useful for companies who have a lot of ‘two-way traffic’ passing through their servers, not to mention those who value quicker browsing. Often, SDSL speeds can be around four times as fast as a typical ADSL connection.

One drawback of SDSL, and a reason why businesses are still drawn to leased line and even bonded ADSL (where two or more ADSL lines are figuratively tied together to create a new, fast connection) is that its availability is currently limited to certain exchanges, meaning you can’t get it everywhere. However, the number of SDSL-ready exchanges is growing all the time and with the current top speeds sitting at a respectable 6Mbps in both directions, it is easy to see why more and more business users are switching away from traditional broadband networks and towards alternatives such as SDSL.

December 21, 2009 — Modern network solutions for a modern business world (0)

Modern network solutions for a modern business world

admin — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 17:05:03 +0000

In the fast-moving, global business world of the 21st century, companies need ever-more reliable networking solutions in order to keep up with the pace. There was a time when all this meant was having a broadband connection installed and shifting a proportion of business activity online.

Today, however, there are more broadband users on the planet than ever before, meaning the web is an increasingly congested place. Businesses have to contend for bandwidth with millions of home users, each using their connections on a daily basis. In built-up areas, there could be hundreds of business and residential users all logging on via the same exchange, creating a bottleneck that ultimately lowers speeds for everyone.

So what can businesses do to make sure they continue operating at the speeds they would have become accustomed to before the home broadband revolution? For those that rely on high speed internet or who wish to send large quantities of data around their organisation, it’s a salient question. Luckily, there are answers.

The old school approach would be to have a leased line connection installed by the network operator, traditionally British Telecom. A leased line is a private connection which remains separate from the main broadband network. Having their own line, let directly from the supplier, allows a company to use the internet free from contention by other users. Sounds great, but there are drawbacks – renting a leased line is an expensive option (although since BT Wholesale started leasing through third party suppliers, competition has driven costs down somewhat).

A more cost-effective alternative to leased lines, particularly for medium-sized businesses, is also something of a new development in networking solutions. ADSL bonding is a technique whereby multiple broadband lines are combined to create a new connection offering several times the capacity and speed of a singular one. The benefits of bonded ADSL are primarily in its cost: as a telecoms product, it can be around a third cheaper than a leased line. And like a leased line, bonded ADSL acts as private connection through which companies can transmit data without suffering the congestion of regular internet users.

There are, of course, those businesses who need neither of these solutions and for whom a standard broadband connection is still the most sufficient and suitable networking option. But for thosewho want fast, uncontended internet connection, a leased line or bonded ADSL may be the next step in ensuring they keep pace with an increasingly fast business world.

December 29, 2009 — Could SDSL be the future of business broadband? (0)
January 7, 2010 — Three tech advances to watch in 2010 (1)

The real tech advances are in bingo clubs

admin — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:41:37 +0000

Of all the places you’d expect to see technological advancement, bingo clubs are not the first that would normally spring to mind. Even online bingo sites are pretty basic, just offering players a straightforward portal into a non-tactile version of the popular pastime.

So what did I expect when my wife dragged me along for a ‘fun’ night out at the Liverpool bingo club run by Buckingham in Huyton? Not a lot, if I’m honest. I thought it would just be people sat around marking numbers off their papers while a guy shouted them out from the stage.

How wrong I was.

The bingo clubs of today are filled with more technology than you can shake a rolled-up copy of T3 at. The first surprise was the wireless play console my wife gave me to enhance the playing experience. Apparently these were first rolled out up the road at Buckingham Bingo Manchester in Trafford, but they’ve got them everywhere now. They allow you to mark off numbers on a touchscreen unit that sits on top of your table. It’s like a Nintendo DS on steroids; visually engaging and bound to result in a screen-tapping frenzy.

Then there’s the ingenuity of the link-up between the clubs. Again, I was expected a time-lagged radio hook-up straight out of the 70s, but the way they do it now is much more hi-tech. When it came to the National (just before which my wife almost rugby tackled me to the ground for attempting to go to the bar – “this will settle the mortgage,” she shrieked), we linked up with other players around the country at clubs like Mecca and Gala and other Buckingham branches. Audio was clear and there was no lag, which I was amazed by.

As it goes the big prize was won by someone in Diss and we’re still chipping away at the house payments. I might go down to the bookies and see what the tech is like there; rest assured I’ll be taking a more open mind than I did to the bingo club.

Choose your telecommunications equipment wisely

admin — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:59:44 +0000

The importance of suitable telecommunications equipment for a business cannot be overstated. It is vital to have the right communications tools and there are dozens of different products on the market. There are many different handsets available and finding the right model can be a daunting task. Indeed, depending on the sector of your business, there could be dozens of phones which may seem suitable. Many direct marketing firms tend to choose lightweight, durable models and the BT Converse 2300 is a very popular phone for this industry sector.

Likewise, there are a variety of conferencing units on the market. Some of these models are more suited to small to medium sized offices, whereas many perform better in large, open-plan surroundings. When you are purchasing a conferencing unit, be aware of the environment it will be used in.

Answering machines are also a vital component of any office. Models can vary in a number of ways, including recording time, memory capacity and whether or not remote access is allowed. The ATL Delta 40 is one of the most popular answering machines for businesses, complete with 40 minutes answering time and four mailboxes.

Many companies do not invest enough time into finding the appropriate telecommunications equipment. The importance of having the best cannot be underestimated and if a company has the right tools for the job, it will be more productive and more cost-effective.

Commercial EPC – Why you need one

admin — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 13:30:19 +0000

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive states that it is now a legal requirement to arrange a Commercial EPC following the lease, construction or sale of every non dwelling. Buildings detailed in the enforcement vary from basic retail units to big public buildings such as airports and hospitals.

Contact an accredited commercial energy assessor when you require a Commercial EPC. The consultant will consider the lighting, heating and ventilation inside the build and evaluate how they are maintained and controlled. The assessor will then award the property in question an EPC on a sliding scale, where A means very energy efficient and G not energy efficient. Recipients of Commercial EPS are also given a document setting out measures that could be taken to make the build more energy efficient.

The purpose of Commercial EPCs is to tell would-be buyers and tenants what steps can be taken to slash energy use, in addition to giving them an easy way of comparing the energy performance of different properties. One thing worth remembering is that Commercial EPCs must be supplied on or before a viewing request is made or when marketing material is sent out.

Valid for a decade, a Commercial EPC are enforced by Building Control in newly built properties, and by Trading Standards departments in existing builds. In both cases, remember that the need for a Commercial EPC is enshrined in law so always order them when you wish to build, sell or lease a brand new commercial building.

Some people might think obtaining a Commercial EPC is a difficult procedure that requires an extended period of time before it is possible to market a non dwelling. Yet just one full consultation visit is all that is necessary for a professional commercial energy specialist to prepare the appropriate documents. And by getting a Commercial EPC in good time, you should escape the fine of 12.5% of the property’s rateable value up to a maximum of £5,000 for not producing a valid EPC.

Commercial EPCs are given to “conditioned” buildings, whereby the building is encased with a roof and walls, and the internal environment is maintained by means of lighting and heat etc. However, places of worship, temporary builds with less than two years of planned use, and low energy consumption structures such as barns are exempt from the Commercial EPC requirement.

Online Casino – An Introduction

admin — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:45:10 +0000

The online casino industry is booming. According to a survey by the UK Gambling Commission, just under 10 per cent of UK adults have played some form of remote gambling – playing casino games online or via a mobile phone. Indeed, there is a wealth of choice available for internet-savvy gamblers keen to play over the internet: media conglomerate Sky, the multi-faceted Virgin, William Hill and Ladbrokes all have gambling websites. These internet casinos offer a multitude of different games and titles.

Online slot machines

A large proportion of internet casinos host online versions of slot machines. The mechanics of these internet slots are identical to their land-based counterparts; different reel symbols fall onto a screen to create winning paylines. Online slots usually offer more of these lines than land-based casino slot machines. Internet slots also have a range of unique bonus rounds not usually available in bricks-and-mortar games. The Battleship: Search and Destroy slots has a bonus game which sees players destroy enemy ships for cash awards.

Each of these online casino games has its own distinct theme and design. Franchise games prove to be quite popular with gamblers; the X:Men comic, Transformers cartoon and Tomb Raider video game have all been made into online slots titles. Popular land-based casino games are also available online as well as a number of original creations. WagerWorks and Cryptologic are two of the largest suppliers of online gambling titles and software.

Table Games
Online casinos typically offer versions of popular table games. A single internet casino may feature many roulette, blackjack and poker titles. These internet casino games tend to have exclusive bonus features not available in land-based casinos. A number of online roulette and blackjack titles also include extra bonus features, bonuses which give players the chance of winning further cash prizes.
There are also a number of websites specifically devoted to games of poker. Examples of these online casinos include Party Poker and Absolute Poker.

Bonus offers

Many internet casinos offer players unique bonuses. The most frequent is known as a ‘sign up’ bonus; players are given an amount of free credit in order to use on a particular set of casino games. This amount is given to individuals who register and deposit at a casino. The sign up bonus normally has a set limit – around the £200 mark. Seasonal bonuses are also incredibly popular with internet gamblers. These promotions are offered during holiday periods and notable dates in the year. Seasonal bonuses usually include free credit awards and other cash back offers.

Mobile phone games

A small number of internet casinos also offer mobile phone games. These can be downloaded from a specific casino and played on a mobile handset. To date, mobile phone games include versions of slots, blackjack, poker and roulette titles. Typically, mobile games can be downloaded for free either via a computer or directly from a mobile handset. Kerching Casino and Mecca Bingo are two sites which offer gamblers the chance to download mobile casino titles.

FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year

admin — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:53:29 +0000

I didn’t want to post anything today but I thought I should share with all of you that I found a really powerful computer surveillance and monitoring software PC Pandora and they are giving away free registration keys valid for 365 days.

PC Pandora is a software based surveillance and monitoring application developed for Microsoft Windows. It will record and capture computer activity such as Keystrokes, Instant Messenger, Emails, Search Queries entered into popular search engines, File Tracking to monitor file creation and deletion, Webcam snapshots to see exactly who is using your computer, download Activity from P2P applications, User Activity which records computer login information, Websites Visited, Programs used and for how long, as well as capture Snapshots (Screenshots) of the computer screen so you can see exactly what is being done on the computer.

You may also Block Websites, programs, and chat protocols as well as send E-mail Reports of the recorded data to a specified e-mail address so that you don’t have be on the PC that PC Pandora is installed on to view recorded data. PC Pandora is simple and intuitive and recorded data is provided in a familiar Explorer style view.

PC Pandora normally cost a whopping $109.95 but has been reduced to $69.95. To promote their upcoming PC Pandora v6, they’re giving away 50,000 FREE license first come first serve. So go ahead and grab your free license before all of them are being given away!

Here’s what you need to do in order to get your free PC Pandora license key valid for one year.

1. Go to this page http://www.pcpandora.com/order/clickbank/.
2. Make sure PC Pandora Pro is selected and UNCHECK Backup CD. Enter the Promo Code as PCPANDORAHOLIDAY or SLICK8 and click Proceed to Step 2.
3. Enter your name, email address, verification code and hit the submit button.
4. Check your email and you should receive an email from Pandora Corp (contact@pcpandora.com) with the subject “PC Pandora order confirmation”. Note the down registration key.
5. Download PC Pandora http://www.pcpandora.com/bin/PCPandoraSetup.exe and install.
6. During installation, you’ll be asked to create a password and also the hotkey to bring up the PC Pandora viewer. Restart when asked to.
7. When Windows is fully booted up, hit Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Z simultaneously and enter the password that you entered in step 5. Paste the registration key to register PC Pandora. Make sure you have an internet connection because it validates the key online.

Out of so many computer monitoring software, PC Pandora is one of the most powerful. I am sure that a lot of antivirus or security programs will detect PC Pandora as a threat because it can monitor a computer without the user knowing it. A computer monitoring software is very useful in helping you to monitor, control and protect your families and yourself online. From keeping children safe from predators and shielding them from potentially harmful or mature content, to ensuring the integrity of your relationships, online records, accounts and personal information. However, it can also be put to the wrong use in stealing passwords and etc. So end of the day is your choice.

PC Pandora runs on Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and Vista with 200Mhz or faster processor, 30MB of memory and 10MB-50MB hard disk space for a typical day of recording.

December 14, 2008 — WPClipart offers royalty free images (2)
November 19, 2008 — Free 3 Months NOD32 Antivirus Username And Password (5)
August 21, 2008 — Limewire Free Alternative (4)

Create A Backup Of Internet Explorer

admin — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 02:36:23 +0000

Microsoft Internet Explorer does not come with the options to backup its settings. This can be problematic for users who want to backup their Internet Explorer data for security reasons or before migrating to another computer.

Internet Explorer Backup is a data backup software that can backup various Internet Explorer related settings and options such as favorites, proxy settings, autocomplete passwords, cookies or dialup accounts.

It can furthermore be used to migrate the backed up data to another computer system. Even more interesting is the fact that the data can be restored even if Internet Explorer versions differ. It is not a problem to backup Internet Explorer 5 data and restore it on a computer with Internet Explorer 6.

A few options are provided by the backup software upon execution. Data can be backed up or restored. There are additional options to rollback and to create scheduled backups.

A few additional settings can be configured after selecting the initial course of action. Backups can be compressed, password protected, verified and limited in size.

Supported Internet Explorer versions are Internet Explorer 4. 5.0x, 5.5, 6.0 and 7.0. Internet Explorer 8 beta is currently not supported by the backup software.

January 19, 2010 — Social media and rich content hit online gaming (0)

TV Torrent Feeds Without Duplicates

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 07:04:58 +0000

Feed My Torrent Preview

Web site FeedMyTorrents publishes RSS feeds of torrents for popular TV shows. Just subscribe to your favorite show and let your BitTorrent client automatically download new episodes as soon as they’re available.

FeedMyTorrents isn’t the only web site of this kind—perhaps the most notable alternative being tvRSS—but it’s a good deal more simple to understand and use than tvRSS. Where tvRSS has an undeniably larger collection of shows, FeedMyTorrents is strict about a duplication-free feed, meaning you don’t have to tweak the feed or weed out downloads you don’t want. Just pick the show you want to subscribe to, set it up in your BitTorrent client of choice, and you’ll always have the latest and greatest episodes of your favorite shows as soon as they’re available.

via LifeHacker

December 15, 2008 — YouTibe Kicked (0)
December 10, 2008 — AutoLyrix Reviewed (0)
October 19, 2008 — Download without using a Torrent Client (8)

Google Reads

admin — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:10:23 +0000

The Google Desktop team is pleased to release a Google Docs Gadget for Google Desktop. It allows you to search and open your Google documents right from your desktop. And as an added bonus, we’ve included drag-and-drop uploading for documents.

We all use Google Docs here at work, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Speaking personally (though with a slight bias), we think Google Docs works well in a fast-paced work environment because you can create and share documents freely without worrying about saving them to your machine, passing around email attachments, and of course, finding them later. However, there are times when we just need to bring up the same few documents continually throughout the day. Some examples are a data entry spreadsheet, a technical manual, or that steamy romance novel you’ve been secretly penning during work hours. You can instead bring up the gadget and, in an instant, search and open your Google documents (hint: pressing the shift key twice brings up all your hidden Desktop gadgets).

Another handy feature is drag-and-drop uploading of files. Let’s say you have a dozen documents you’d like to upload and convert to Google Docs. We’ll make the claim that it is easier and faster to drag the files onto the gadget, rather than uploading them one at a time.

If you like to look at actual code, the gadget has been open sourced and can serve as a basic demonstration of how to integrate desktop applications with Google Docs using the Google Documents List Data API.

The gadget works with Linux and Windows versions of Google Desktop Gadgets. For those who use Google Apps at work, the gadget supports your work accounts as well. We hope you’ll enjoy and let me know what you think.

Via Google Blogs

Google Desktop

December 5, 2008 — Google Reader And It’s New Look (0)
March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 20, 2008 — Search By Style (0)

Free Panda Internet Security 2009 Genuine Licence

admin — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 09:20:08 +0000

After posting the huge giveaway yesterday, I wanted to take a day or two days off from posting but seems like that is not possible because I have found yet another freebie which you might be interested. This offer is something new and it is to get a free Panda Internet Security 2009 license key valid for 1 year. This is a joint promotion between Panda and Softonic where by two companies will each give 6 months subscription and it adds up to a year. Please don’t misunderstand because it doesn’t involve uninstalling and reinstalling like the Norton OEM trick. Hmm Panda Internet Security 2009, it’s not as famous as Kaspersky, so what’s good about it?

As you know every antivirus has their own heuristic technology such as Norton SONAR, Kaspersky proactive, F-Prot Eldorado, BitDefender B-HAVE, F-Secure DeepGuard, Panda Collective Intelligence and etc to detect previously unknown computer viruses, as well as new variants of viruses already in the wild. According to AV-Test, the latest Panda Internet Security 2009 seems to perform really well in this area with its Collective Intelligence technology by scoring the highest (even outscoring Kaspersky). So if you’d like to try out, here’s how to get a free Panda Internet Security 2009 genuine license key worth US $79.95!

Panda Internet Security 2009 is a security suite that lets you use the Internet with complete peace of mind. It protects you from viruses, spyware, rootkits, hackers, online fraud, identity theft and all other Internet threats. The anti-spam engine will keep your inbox free from junk mail while the Parental Control feature ensures your children can use the Web safely. And thanks to the new Collective Intelligence technology, the solution is now much faster than previous versions.

anda Internet Security 2009 Features:

Anti-Malware Engine

Advanced Proactive Protection

Anti-Phishing Filter

Anti-Banking Trojan Engine

Anti-Rootkit Technology

Anti-Spam Filter

Parental Control

Web Filter

Personal Information Filter

Backup & Restore

Follow the few simple steps below to get your free Panda Internet Security 2009 serial number:

1. Go to this page http://www.softonic.de/anmelden

2. Enter your email, password, username, firstname, lastname, date of birth, select your gender and click “Mein Konto erstellen” button.

3. You will now need to activate your Softonic account. Check your email and you should receive an email from Softonic (push@softonic.com) with the subject Anmeldung bei Softonic.de bestätigen‏. Click the link that you see in that email to activate your account.

4. Now go to this page http://www.softonic.de/weihnachten/spiel. Wait until the game finished loading then proceed to the next step. The flash game is 600KB in size and might take a while to load because the server is a little slow. It is up to you to play the game or not…

5. Go to http://www.softonic.de/preis-gewinnspiel/weihnachten and note down the Seriennummer displayed at the webpage.

6. Go to http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/support/register/. Fill up the form and enter the Seriennummer that you got from step 5 into Activation code box. Click Next. If you filled up the form correctly, you should get a thank you page with client number. Note down the client number.

7. Check your email that you entered in step 6. You should receive an email from yourdetails@pandasecurity.com with the subject Welcome to Panda Security. Note down the username & password, Activation Code and Customer Number.

8. Go to this page http://www.pandasecurity.com/homeusers/downloads/tree/?sitepanda=particulares and login with the username & password that you got from step 7.

9. Download Panda Internet Security 2009. You MUST login in order to download or else you will get the error Access Denied.

10. Open Panda Internet Security 2009 from the system tray, go to Help > Activate the product. Click Next, enter your Activation code, email address and click Next. Make sure Yes is selected when asked are you a Panda Security client. Enter your client number which is actually your “Customer Number” and select your country from the drop down list. Click Next. You will now see that the license expires information stated in the program is one year ahead.

Yeah I know there’s a lot of step but at least I’ve got all of it written down in order for your convenience. Actually there is another Panda Internet Security 2009 installer (PIS2009esd_MultiIdioma.exe) at step 5 but I am not sure what language or version of Panda Internet Security 2009 is that. I am still downloading and when I’m done, I will update this post if necessary. To be on the safe side, it’s better that we register, activate and download the official Panda Internet Security 2009 installer from the official Panda website.

Panda Internet Security 2009 runs on Windows XP and Vista (32 and 64-bit) with Pentium 300 MHz or faster CPU and 1GB RAM with TruPrevent enabled. At least Panda is honest in letting you know before hand that it requires a lot of memory to run properly. Go ahead and grab your free Panda Internet Security 2009 license key before this offer expires!

Search By Style

admin — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 04:20:17 +0000

Many of us use Google Image Search to find imagery of people, clip art for presentations, diagrams for reports, and of course symbols and patterns for artistic inspiration. Unfortunately, searching for the perfect image can be challenging if the search results match the meaning of your query but aren’t in a style that’s useful to you. So some time ago we launched face search, which lets you limit your search results to only images containing faces (see a search without and with this option). More recently we also rolled out photo search, which limits results to images that contain photographic elements, ignoring many cartoons and drawings which may not be useful to you (see a search without and with this option).

Today we’re pleased to extend this capability to clip art and line drawings. To see the effect of these new options, let’s take a look at the first few results for “Christmas,” one of our most popular queries on Image Search right now.

Photo content

Clip art

Line drawing

All of these options can be selected from the “Any content” drop down in the blue title bar on any search results page, or by selecting one of the “Content types” on the Advanced Image Search page. The good news: no extra typing! In all these examples our query remained exactly the same, we just restricted our results to different visual styles. So whether you’re interested holiday wreaths, Celtic patterns, or office clip art, it just became a lot easier to find the images you’re looking for.

March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 23, 2008 — Google Reads (1)
December 5, 2008 — Google Reader And It’s New Look (0)

15 Must Bookmark Sites for Design Inspiration

admin — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 12:26:00 +0000

Looking at good design will help to inspire you to be better in your own design work. So below are 15 places to turn to for design inspiration.

Unmatched Style

CSS galleries are a dime a dozen, so only a couple made it to our list of inspirational sites for designers. Unmatched Style is one of the best, in our opinion. The designs are always beautiful, and users are encouraged to rate and comment on them. If you’re interested in other web design galleries, then check out the Web Gallery List, which lists over 200 of them.

FactoryJoe Flickr Stream

Open source advocate Chris Messina, aka “factoryjoe,” has one of the best Flickr streams to follow for designers. He’s constantly updating with screenshots of user interfaces, application designs, design elements, user interaction flows, and more. It’s an awesome place to dig through examples of what to do and what not to do when designing a page or an application.

DeviantArt

Founded in 2000, DeviantArt is likely the largest art and design showcase site on the Internet. According to Wikipedia the site has had over 62 million submissions and is receiving new ones at a clip of 80,000 per day. Suffice it to say, there is a lot of great art, photography, and design to sort through for inspiration.

ColourLovers

ColourLovers is a community of people who love color. Users share color ideas, palettes, and patterns on the site, making it an ideal place to draw inspiration for web design projects. Adobe runs a similar web site called Kuler.

LogoPond

As we said, there are a ton of web design galleries from which to draw inspiration, but LogoPond is one of the few galleries out there dedicated to logo design. The site offers up a huge number of amazing logos that can help to get your creative juices flowing.

CSS Zen Garden

CSS Zen Garden is one of the most inspiring design showcases because every page in the showcase is really the same. Starting with the same basic HTML, designers modify the CSS and images of the actual CSS Zen Garden site to create amazing, and original new versions.

Web Creme

The only other traditional design gallery on our list, Web Creme makes it for being discerning. It’s not easy to get a site on Web Creme, and we can see why. This highly moderated site only selects the best of the best designs.

Pattern Tap

Pattern Tap is an interface gallery. It focuses on organized collections of design elements like comment display styles, breadcrumbs, buttons, and 404 pages. It’s a great place to get inspiration for the sometimes under appreciated nitty-gritty bits of web design.

CG Society Gallery

CG Society is home to some of the absolute best 3D artists in the world. Their gallery forums provide both gorgeous finished works, and mind blowing works in progress that allow you to see how these talented people put together their masterpieces. It is inspiring stuff, trust us.

FFFFound

What Delicious is to links, FFFFound is to images. The image bookmarking site is a veritable treasure trove of amazing photography and design work, collected by a membership that has impeccable taste.

Josh Spear

Josh Spear’s blog is about trends. Spear has built a business around his good taste and the taste of those who work for him, and often times the stuff they dig up is amazing to look at. The art, design, products, and web sites that Spear and his writers link to are definitely worth checking out for artistic inspiration.

Veer Ideas

Stock design elements site Veer offers a great Ideas site to give designers inspiration. Especially of note, check out “Lightboxing,” their version of Photoshop tennis, and the wallpapers gallery.

Moodstream

Moodstream is an experimental site from Getty Images, the world’s largest stock imagery company, that mashes up video, images, and music to create a background scene that’s supposed to help creative types brainstorm. Users can tweak variables to change the experience (i.e., black and white or color, lyrics or instrumentals, happy or sad, etc.). “What is Moodstream? It’s a concepting tool. The modern version of the fireplace. An interactive art piece. TV for the future,” said designer Rick Webb of The Barbarian Group, who created Moodstream for Getty.

Behance Gallery

The curated gallery at Behance is an amazing collection of artistic works. From product design, to print, to photography, to video advertising work, Behance’s gallery pages have it all. The site routinely presents hand-picked, curated collections from top names in the design field — including one from the aforementioned Josh Spear.

Function: Logo Redesign Blog Post

Yes, okay, this is a blog post and not a site. But it’s a very good post to check out for anyone experiencing creative block. Very often designers are asked to update someone else’s old design, rather than start from scratch with something new. This blog post from design firm Function illustrates 50 updates of products, web sites, and logos that were able to add a refreshed style to an old design.

December 3, 2008 — Cheap Web Site Design (2)

How To Remove Chat in iGoogle

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 14:36:28 +0000

If you’re one of the iGoogle start page users who get a Google Chat box loaded in their sidebar and doesn’t appreciate the (even) slower loading time it causes, there’s a lightly hack-y fix. In this post, i’ll explain on how to remove it.

Step 1: 1. Goto http://www.google.com/ig/settings?hl=en
Step 2. Scroll down to “Export / Import” and export your IGoogle Settings to your desktop.
Step 3. Open the exported xml file and scroll to the very bottom.
Step 4. Remove the VERY LAST “” that you find
Step 5. Save the xml file
Step 6. Return to the IGoogle settings and upload the modified xml file.
Step 7. Save your uploaded settings

Also if you’d like to Add the Chatbox again,
http://www.google.com/ig/v2invite

Download Windows Live Messenger 2009

admin — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:42:57 +0000

Just woke up today and got a news that the most popular instant messenger Windows Live Messenger has been updated to 2009! I immediately updated it and found that the interface is much nicer with a lot of flashy effects and shadows like what you usually see in Windows Vista. There are a lot of new features and more than 200 bugs have been fixed.

Usually I am well informed when a new Windows Live Messenger is about to release but this time is like a big surprise to me. Have you noticed that a lot of software released this year goes with “2009″? This is like the first time Windows Live Messenger includes the year as a version number although they still maintain the internal build version number.

What’s new in Windows Live Messenger 2009:

User interface has been updated, including the toasts
Sign-in screen has been restyled
New program/tray icon
Updated e-mail icon showing the number of new e-mails more clearly
Updated Group window header
SkyDrive officially replaces sharing folders feature (Actions > View your online files)
Expanded What’s new area shows more details (eg. complete Tweets, added pictures, etc.) and Post a note has been updated for some items
What’s new per contact in conversation window
You cannot choose your own signature sound any longer. You can only assign signature sounds to your contacts
Webcam snapshot has been renamed to Webcam Picture
Tile with moods has been renamed to Dynamic Picture
Modify moods, videos and/or pictures of previously made Dynamic Pictures
Change scene option added to status dropdown list
More default Scenes
Updated and new static/animated display pictures featuring the Messenger buddy, Morty and Daisy
Windows 7 Jumplists
Save pictures presented through PhotoShare (Previous photo/Next photo/Save photo)
What’s new list options accessible through an icon next to What’s new header, or from a button in Options & Layout

I am sure there are a bunch of other new features which haven’t been discovered yet. I’ve chatted with one of my cousin and everything just looks great! So go ahead and update your Windows Live Messenger to 2009 if you haven’t done so. Mess Patch and A-Patch haven’t been updated to work with MSN 2009 but the Messenger Plus! Live is compatible with this build although not fully functional. We’ll just have to wait a little longer for the patchers to be updated and I’m sure it won’t be long.

To download and install the latest Windows Live Messenger 2009, you’ll have to download Windows Live Installer which contains installation files for all software programs inside the Windows Live products, such as Windows Mail, Photo Gallery, Toolbar, Writer, and etc. By default all program will be selected, so if you don’t need them, just uncheck all of it and make sure that only Messenger is checked. If you already have the old version of Windows Live Messenger installed, you will see that Messenger is at the lower section that says “This program will be updated”.

Thought the version is still beta, just that the beta tag has been removed, yet the bug’s fixed prove helpful and it is a good download for the MSN Messenger junkies out there

[ Download Windows Live Messenger 2009 ]

Ad-Aware Release New Antivirus

admin — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:30:39 +0000

Lavasoft on Monday unveiled a new antivirus application it hopes will do as well as its runaway hit Ad-Aware.

The encore, Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix, is Lavasoft’s first full-fledged antivirus application. The problem is, it’s nearly identical to one that already exists: Avira AntiVir.

Neither Lavasoft or Avira representatives were immediately available for comment.

Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix shares Avira AntiVir’s interface, down to malware blockers, on-the-fly detection, a scanner, malware removal, and protection from e-mail viruses and Web threats. It offers full system scanning and, in addition, lets you pick from preset scans or create a profile to scan a smaller portion of your PC, for instance, just your “C” drive.

Like Avira AntiVir, Anti-Virus Helix scans fairly quickly and lets you get hands-on with the results.

(Credit: CNET)

Just like Avira AntiVir, Lavasoft’s new antivirus app performed well in our tests. It beeped when encountering a suspicious file and wouldn’t budge until we ignored, deleted, or quarantined it. While a good practice, the need to babysit the scan could undo the benefit of any overnight scans you schedule.

Lavasoft Anti-Virus Helix lets you do any number of things with the data, including print, save, and send reports. However, it could use an internal browser to look up information online about discovered threats.

Other extras can be found in the app’s configuration menu. When you elect to enter expert mode, you’ll be able to turn on rootkit scanning, scan outgoing e-mail messages, and specify MIME types to block (simplistically, any area of an e-mail where malware can hitch a ride). We appreciate being able to add suspicious files from the quarantine interface.

The fact that you have to manually discover and add STMP e-mail and specific MIME details points one of the app’s biggest problems. Compared to Ad-Aware and others in Lavasoft’s family, the dowdy Anti-Virus Helix is much less user-friendly in visual appeal, navigation, and organization. In fact, it bucks the trend most publishers embrace to favor icons over text lines in order to configure and start protections.

That’s little concern for intermediate and advanced users who thrive on file trees and won’t mind consulting the program’s thorough help file when the tool tips aren’t quite explanatory enough. Casual users who prefer to set it and forget it may wonder why Ad-Aware is so simple to schedule and run but Anti-Virus Helix takes more effort. They may also wonder why this application bundle was marketed under a new name in the first place.

November 19, 2008 — Free 3 Months NOD32 Antivirus Username And Password (5)

YouTibe Kicked

admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:11:57 +0000

KickYouTube is one of the simplest solutions for downloading YouTube videos we’ve reviewed at LinkW. So simple that if you can find YouTube videos you like and type the word “kick” you’re in business.

The mechanism is web based and very straight forward. When you’re watching a YouTube video that you would like to download for archiving or later perusal, simply add the word “kick” to the URL immediately in front of the word youtube. For example if you wanted to download the Bush Being Attacked by Shoes to throw on your iPod for a subway commute, you would do the following:

Load the URL for the video in your browser: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceZcN7Pa7rg

Insert the word “kick” between the www. and the youtube.com section of the URL:

http://www.kickyoutube.com/watch?v=uOgHE5nEq04

That’s it! After you send that URL, the page will reload with the KickYouTube toolbar at the top of the screen, as seen in the screenshot above. From there you can download the file from YouTube as an FLV, MPG, MP3, and even HD MP4. Note: going to the KickYouTube website directly will just give you a video demonstration on how to use the service, to actually engage the toolbar and begin grabbing files you have to find a YouTube video you want and insert the “kick” into the URL of the video

KickYouTube

December 23, 2008 — TV Torrent Feeds Without Duplicates (0)
December 10, 2008 — AutoLyrix Reviewed (0)
October 19, 2008 — Download without using a Torrent Client (8)

WPClipart offers royalty free images

admin — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 03:04:22 +0000

Locating real royalty free images on the web can be a real pain in the tuckus. Thankfully, Paul Sherman has assembled a massive collection that he’s happy to share with all comers.

WPClipart currently boasts 23,872 public domain images covering just about every subject imaginable. Most are offered as lossless PNG files.

You can browse or search for images on the site, and the five main categories (animals, holidays, history, signs and symbols, and cartoons) are available as individual downloads.

If you’d prefer to grab everything in one fell swoop, the entire collection is available as a single download. It weighs in at about 740mb and can also be downloaded from Freeware Files.

The full download also includes WPClipper, a handy viewer/editor application. It’s also available on its own from the downloads section.

December 26, 2008 — FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year (0)
November 19, 2008 — Free 3 Months NOD32 Antivirus Username And Password (5)
August 21, 2008 — Limewire Free Alternative (4)

Gmail Offers Online PDF Viewing

admin — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 07:57:20 +0000

When I get sent a PDF, sometimes I just want to view it — I don’t always need to download and save it right then. So starting today, you’ll see a new “View” link next to PDF attachments you get in Gmail:

Clicking “View” quickly opens the PDF inside your browser, complete with the graphics and formatting you expect to see in a PDF. You may have seen this feature before, in Google Docs. It’s the way that we did uploading and viewing of PDFs online. Here’s a screen shot:

If you want, you can still view in plain HTML from a link at the top of the new viewer. And if you want to download, save, and view your PDFs later while offline using client software, you can still do that by hitting the “Download” link.

WordPress 2.7 Available

admin — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:06:39 +0000

Mark Jaquith has just announced that WordPress 2.7 is now live and ready for download. The official announcement is now out and confirms the news.

This version of WordPress is named “Coltrane” for famed jazz Saxophonist, John Coltrane, a favorite of sax playing, WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg.

There are a lot of new features and improvements, including the new interface. For examples, screenshots, video, and information on the new WordPress 2.7 version, see WordPress 2.7 Release News and Links, Countdown to WordPress 2.7 and WordPress 2.7 Hits WordPress.com Thursday, December 4, 2008.

WordPress.com has been running WordPress 2.7 for a week across almost 5 million blogs and the response has been incredibly positive. Old users are finding the learning curve almost non-existent and new users are embracing it.

The hard work done by all of the development team, especially by Jane Wells who lead the conversion to the new interface, deserves some serious rounds of applause.

For those concerned about upgrading to WordPress, and how often those updates occur, take a step down memory lane with Justin Tadlock in “Be Thankful WordPress Gets Updated.” He takes you through the various versions and why we should be so thankful for the most current versions, considering the path it took to get here.

Upgrade WordPress Now!

Unlike previous versions where it’s a good idea to wait, I recommend upgrading to WordPress 2.7 now. It is very stable and has been well tested on WordPress.com. It also includes the latest security updates. Once installed, it will notify you for automatic upgrades, making the upgrade process incredibly easy.

If you are using one of the Release Candidates, the upgrade announcement should be on your blog. Follow the extended upgrade instructions. In the past, it was highly recommended that you turn off all WordPress Plugins before upgrading. WordPress 2.7 will automatically put WordPress in “maintenance mode” so this step is no longer necessary.

To upgrade from older versions of WordPress, follow the instructions in the WordPress Codex, the online manual for WordPress Users, in Upgrading WordPress. Dependent upon which version of WordPress you are upgrading from, you may or may not have to make changes to your WordPress Theme to accommodate changes in WordPress Theme Template Tags.

If you are worried about whether or not WordPress 2.7 will work with your server, Themes or Plugins, see:

Don’t wait. It is critical that you upgrade WordPress now for the following reasons:

Future upgrades will be easier.
Your blog will be protected from security vulnerabilities.
It features easy WordPress Theme and Plugin upgrades, additions, and news.
Some search engines and directories are considering penalizing page rank or not indexing old versions of WordPress due to security vulnerabilities and failure to upgrade (few spam sites upgrade). For more information, see Technorati: Vulnerable WordPress Blogs Not Being Indexed, Matt Cutts: Alerting Webmasters to Webserver Vulnerabilities, Fear, Uncertainty and Disinformation About The WordPress Exploits and Spam, and WordPress Security Prevention, Reactions, and Scares.

Upgrade to WordPress 2.7 now.

AutoLyrix Reviewed

admin — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 07:22:44 +0000

AutoLyrix is a small cross-plattform software program that can automatically identify the song that is playing in a media player to display the lyrics and album art of it. Compatibility seems to have been of utmost importance to the developers of the software. AutoLyrix is able to detect songs in dozen of music players including Winamp, iTunes, Windows Media Player, Last.fm, XMPlay, AIMP2, Screamer Radio and provides a way to make it compatible with practically any player that is not supported.

The software will automatically search the Internet for information about the current song and display the album art and lyrics in two independent windows. It is possible to refine the search if the first hit did not display the correct items. It can happen that the lyrics are not the only information displayed as the software uses an auto parser to parse the contents.

This can be fixed easily however by simply removing the unnecessary information. Results can be saved so that only those information will be displayed the next time the song is being played on the computer system.

The program can also be configured to look in mp3 and playlists for album art and lyrics before searching the Internet for those information. There is naturally also a way to save the discovered album art and lyrics to the music to make it permanently available.

December 23, 2008 — TV Torrent Feeds Without Duplicates (0)
December 15, 2008 — YouTibe Kicked (0)
October 19, 2008 — Download without using a Torrent Client (8)

Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 Available To Public Testing

admin — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:05:59 +0000

All platforms: Hot off the press, the second beta of Firefox 3.1 is now available for download. In addition to Private Browsing Mode, tab tearing, and the speedy TraceMonkey Javascript engine turned on by default, the release notes list what else you get:

This beta is now available in 54 languages.

Added functions to make it easy to clear recent history by time as well as remove all traces of a website.

New support for web worker threads.

Improvements to the Gecko layout engine, including speculative parsing for faster content rendering.

Removed the new tab-switching behavior based on feedback from users

Support for new web technologies such as the and elements, the W3C Geolocation API, JavaScript query selectors, CSS 2.1 and 3 properties, SVG transforms and offline applications.

Oh and one thing the release notes don’t include: an awesome welcome screen with a new robot.

Here’s what pr0n mode, that is, “Private Browsing” looks like:

You can also clear all your private data:

Or just your history from today’s secret browsing, or the last few hours, in case you forgot to kick into Private Browsing mode earlier:

Intrepid testers, be warned: most of your extensions will probably not work with beta 2, unless you use an about:config trick to force compatibility. The Firefox 3.1 Beta 2 is a free download for all platforms; if you decide to test it, be sure to back up your Mozilla profile just in case (or maybe wait for the portable version release).

November 22, 2008 — Find Domains With Firefox Plugin (1)
November 2, 2008 — Web Ubiquity (2)

Clone2Go Bulk Converts Video Formats

admin — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:40:48 +0000

Having a cell phone these days means that you can watch your favorite videos and online media, text and Google Talk to your friends…oh, and call people, too! As such, there has been an influx of video converters, rippers, and download tools made available to us which makes it easier and easier to get media from our PC to our mobile devices.

Clone2Go is a converter that is a front-end to a variety of different codecs and encoder utilities, but unlike Super, the interface is very easy to use and actually works with less work (and is a LOT easier to find on the download site!).

Why would you want a video converter?

Those of us who have an iPod, Zune or Creative Zen (or any other) player…need a tool which can convert a video so it can play properly on the device. For example, my device can’t play a Quicktime .mov file, so I need to convert it to something else, like a DivX .avi file, for example.

As an aside, Clone2Go does include support to output a file to .flv, which is the de-facto standard streaming video format online right now – so it helps enable you to upload your vid to a wide variety of video sharing sites.

From my testing, Clone2Go Converter makes quick and easy work of nearly any video file thrown at it.

How to convert?

Simply open the converter, drag & drop the video file to the program, then choose your output format (mpeg, avi, mov, flv, etc.) then click ‘encode’. Clone2Go begins the encoding process, which then updates the left hand pane with the newly converted video when finished.

Note the screenshot above: Picking an output profile – the best part of Clone2Go Converter…easy.

The destination output folder can be customized, and converted videos are easily located on your computer by right-clicking the file in the ‘converted videos’ tree structure.

YouTube and Google videos

Additionally, you can use Clone2Go to download and convert YouTube and Google videos – what a handy feature!

So, that means if you find something you like on YouTube/Google, you tell the converter to find it and it will use your credentials (configured in the options screen) to perform a conversion against it. Again, a very cool feature.

I did notice that it seemed to ‘convert’ the downloaded video to a .flv file automatically (isn’t it already a flv file?), then I had to actually perform a conversion to my specifications after download. This was a little misleading, but easy enough to work around.

It would be nice if this also let us paste any embed URL into Clone2Go and it would download from there as well…

Settings galore!

In the lower right-hand corner of the screen, you can adjust a myriad of settings including video framerate, audio encoding bitrate, video resolution, video codec type, size, and more. So, if you have a really picky media player, you should be able to find the settings that you need to get something that works for you.

Pro version

Like a ton of those other handy utilities, Clone2Go makes a pro version of its software, which includes default output profiles for the major media players (like iPod, AppleTV, Zune, etc.) – which means you would just click iPod to convert to that format…but if you know specifically which video format/settings works for your device, you could customize the freeware version and it should work out for you OK.

With that said, there doesn’t seem to be a way for you create and save your own profiles (probably to get you to buy the pro version). At least it does save your last customized profile so you don’t have to keep resetting it when you open it again.

Also, when encoding is finished, a nag screen comes up telling you that you won’t be able to rip videos from a DVD and you should buy the pro version in order to do that, etc. – - – I know…I understand. Clicking ‘No Thanks !’ will complete the process and you can continue working in the converter software.

Free WordPress Theme

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 11:04:52 +0000

Full Feature List

* Opera compatible
* Netscape compatible
* Safari compatible
* WordPress 2.6 compatible
* Firefox compatible
* IE7 + IE6 compatible
* Advertisement Ready
* Widget ready sidebars
* PSD files
* Valid XHTML + CSS
* Smooth tabless design

The Demo can be found here
The Theme can be downloaded here

Hardware Roundup 2008

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:03:57 +0000

The year is almost to its end, and it is time to round up the best Computer Hardware Stuff for the Year. I’ll also be summing up best games, movies and gadgets etc so stay tuned.

Processor of the Year

Intel Core2Quad Q9550

Effecting a change to a processor’s architecture can literally change the game for a manufacturer in the industry. When AMD came storming in with K8 or AMD64 architecture, it bought with it an easily scalable structure that was better equipped for multi-core processor technology than archrival Intel’s Pentium D architecture. It did so while maintaining a competitive price-per-performance ratio that blew open market gates for mass market adoption. The AMD processors (of that time) were great at handling nearly everything thrown their way, while the Intel processors became specialists in nature by being competitive in only certain respects.

Today, it is almost ironic to see Intel take away the performance crown with their Core2 series, which AMD’s recent offerings could not match.

Graphic Card of the Year

GeForce 9600 GT 512 MB DDR3

With the launch of the GeForce 9600GT, Nvidia made up for all shortcomings of it’s the 8600 GT by providing a fast graphics card solution for the masses, complete with effortless delivery of smooth frame rates for the most demanding games with effects such as anti-aliasing (AA) and anisotropic filtering (AF) enabled. With full DirectX 10 support, PureVideo HD and three-way SLi, the 9600 GT packs enough muscle and features to smother the competitions. ATI proved itself no slouch either, with its multi-core Radeon HD 38×0 offerings, but the 9600 GT core with its 256-bit pipeline packed enough pixel-pushing power and shader effects to keep even titles such as Crysis at decent frame rate at a resolution of 1024x786x32. Highly recommended!

Motherboard of the Year

MSI K9A2 Platinum

Normally, purchasing a dual PCI-E x16 slot motherboard will cost you hefty especially hen it comes to an Nvidia variant. The MSI K9A2 comes as a surprise – packed with four PCI-E x 16 slots, it supports upto for parallel graphic cards from ATI. The board comes laden with features such as HD Audio, RAID support, gigabit LAN, four DD2 RAM slots and AMD AM2+ CPU support, in addition to a whole slow of extensive MSI-only features at a price that does not break the bank.

Monitor of the Year

Samsung SyncMaster 2253BW

Samsung is a recognized brand that has been become synonymous with the high manufacturing of high quality displays with a wide range of LCD TVs and monitors. The SyncMaster 2253BW is a good example of the quality Samsung brings to the table. With its bright 22-inch HDCP certified widescreen display, it has DVI, a blazingly fast 2millisecond response time and a 1680×105 native solution. The 2253BW is a powerful display solution of gamers, movie lovers and desktop jockeys alike.

Google Reader And It’s New Look

admin — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 04:49:55 +0000

It seems Google is on a roll. Constantly surprising with theme updates, first it was Gmail, and now Google Reader, what is next? Google Search?? I doubt that.
The Official Google Reader Blog announces a handful of changes to Google Reader today, most notably in the form of a visual refresh designed to bring a more streamlined look and feel to Google’s popular newsreader. That means less visual clutter, more space, and a softer, less saturated skin. Beyond that, the new Reader update adds collapsible navigation to each section of the sidebar, improved options for sharing items with friends, and the option to hide unread counts for any section of reader—like your friends’ shared items. As a final (and probably least exciting) addition, Google has created more feed bundles for subscribing to a topic en masse (e.g., music blogs, Nascar, etc.). Keep reading for more detailed screenshots of the new features.

Collapsible Navigation

Hide Unread Counts

New Feed Bundles

I am not seeing the update on my account yet, so if you’re in the same boat you’re likely to see it on yours within the next few days.

December 23, 2008 — Google Reads (1)
March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 20, 2008 — Search By Style (0)

First Look at Opera 10

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 19:10:49 +0000

Windows/Mac/Linux: Opera released an alpha version of Opera 10 today, a first step toward the next major release of the popular cross-platform web browser. First and foremost, Opera 10 is looking to offer stiff competition with the blazing rendering engines in the upcoming Firefox release (Tracemonkey) and Google Chrome (V8) with an update to its rendering engine, Presto—which Opera claims offers a 30% speed boost over the previous version of the engine. But that’s not all.

Opera 10 has also added a few new features and overall standards improvements that should make any Opera user smile—including inline spell-check, full HTML email support for Opera’s built-in email client, and a perfect score on the Acid3 web standards test.

Passing Acid3

Inline Spell-Check

Sure, Firefox had built-in spell-check since its release in October of 2006, but any Opera user whose been waiting patiently for this feature should be thrilled.

Full HTML Email

Updated Dragonfly

Developers will be happy to see that Dragonfly—Opera’s built-in tool for debugging web sites, similar to the Firebug extension in Firefox—has been updated with more and better features.

Opera 10 is a free download for all platforms. Keep in mind that it’s currently in alpha (the final release isn’t likely to hit until somtime much later next year), meaning you should expect a bug or three. That said, if you give it a try, let’s hear how you like it in the comments.
Opera 10

November 2, 2008 — Web Ubiquity (2)

How to Watch YouTube Videos While Working on other Tasks

admin — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:43:17 +0000

You plan to watch a lengthy video clip on YouTube but the problem is that you have lot of other stuff to do and therefore can’t focus all the attention on just one video. You need to browse web pages, check emails in Outlook and maybe complete that presentation while the video plays on your screen.

Fortunately, this is possible with a simple hack – just decide where that video should be placed.

You can either watch the YouTube video from the Firefox sidebar or, if you are working with other application or don’t use Firefox, create a standalone YouTube player window and move it anywhere on the desktop in Always on Top mode. See screenshots.

Case 1. YouTube Player inside the Firefox Sidebar

Case 2. YouTube Player on top of other Windows

Here are the steps involved for either of the methods discussed above.

1. Get the full screen mode address of the YouTube video clip. It is something like www.youtube.com/v/ABC where ABC is the YouTube video ID.

For instance, if the YouTube video is located at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bZ9z6BBMVY, the full screen player will be available at www.youtube.com/v/8bZ9z6BBMVY

2a. To watch the video in Firefox sidebar, bookmark that new YouTube address and check the “Load in Sidebar” property of the bookmark as shown in the screenshot.

2b: To watch the video in a standalone player, open a new browser window and copy-paste the YouTube address THAT you generated in step 1. Now resize the browser window to fit the player, activate the Always on Top program (download link) and press Ctrl + Spacebar to make sure that YouTube player stays in the foreground. That’s it.

Notes: While you may also use the regular YouTube video URL in either of these cases, the experience won’t be so great.

WordPress 2.7 In Two Days

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:04:35 +0000

As promised, here is the advance notice that WordPress 2.7 is coming to WordPress.com, and will go live on Thursday, December 4, 2008 at 8pm Eastern Time. That’s 5pm Thursday in California, 1am Friday in London (UTC), 8am Friday in Jakarta, noon on Friday in Sydney…find your time here. Some people like to learn how to use new things by jumping right in and exploring, while others like to read the manual first to get the lay of the land. This post is a written version of the 2.7 interface tour/feature review I have been doing at WordCamps, and will tell you what’s new in the administration interface of WordPress 2.7. There are a lot of new features, so fair warning: this post is pretty long. If you’re more of the jump-in-and-play kind of person, you can skip this post for now, but you might want to remember it’s here just in case you get confused when 2.7 arrives at WordPress.com in two days.

A note on browser capabilities: WordPress 2.7 makes extensive use of JavaScript to create the user experience outlined here. If you have JavaScript turned off in your browser, some features may not be available or may work a bit differently than described here. In addition, using a recent standards-compliant browser will ensure that you have an optimal experience. Older browsers that are not supported by their manufacturers any longer may not look as expected; we recommend Firefox 3, Google Chrome, and Safari 3.

Navigation

The first thing you’ll notice when you’ve logged in is that the navigation has moved and changed. Now located on the left side on the screen, the new navigation menu is meant to be more intuitive and flexible as well as saving you a few steps here and there.

Section Labels: Instead of all your content objects (posts, pages, links, etc.) being grouped under Write and Manage, they get their own top-level sections, making it easier to go directly to the screens you need. Clicking on a section label will take you to the first screen in that section (just as it used to do in 2.6).

Expand/Collapse Sections: You can see which screens are in each each section by clicking on the arrow that appears when you hover over the menu. Click the arrow again to close the section. If you leave a section open, your browser will remember your setup and leave it that way until you close it. It might be helpful for you to take a moment when you first log in to the new interface and click each section open and closed, so you can see how things are organized.

Minimize Menu Column: You can also minimize the menu column to increase your working space, which can be especially useful if your computer has a a small screen or low resolution. In the menu column, you’ll see that the sections are grouped, with gray separator lines between them that have small arrows-in-circles on the end. Clicking on these arrows-in-circles will minimize the menu to a thin column of icons. Hovering over these icons when the menu is minimized will display pop-up menus, so even with the menu minimized, you are still only one click away from most screens. Clicking on an icon when the menu is minimized will take you to the first screen in that section, just as the text labels would do if the menu were open.

Shortcuts: In the upper right corner of your screen, there’s a new button/menu of shortcuts. You can click the button to start a new post, or you can hover over the arrow to reveal other screens accessible from this menu. Click to go to your Drafts, start a new page, upload media files, or manage your comments.

Customizable Display

There are several new ways to customize the appearance of your administration screens. These selections, like the menu, will be remembered by your browser, so you only need to set up your ideal screen once on any given browser.

Drag and Drop: You can rearrange the modules on the Dashboard and Add New Post screens to your liking using drag and drop. Click on the title bar of a module and drag it to the location you prefer.

Open/Close: You can minimize modules on the Dashboard and Add New Post screens by clicking on the title bar. Clicking again will re-open the module.

Hide/Show: On a number of screens, you will see a Screen Options tab in the upper right. Clicking this tab reveals a layer that lists screen elements and allows you to decide which elements to show on screen using checkbox controls. If you hide a module or column using the Screen Options, you can use the same method to return the element to the screen.

Dashboard (Used to be tab above blog title)

There are two entirely new Dashboard modules, and one that has new features.

QuickPress: QuickPress, by default in the upper right portion of the screen, is a mini-post editor that allows instant content creation from the Dashboard. You can include a title, body text, media files, and tags in the post, and have the option of saving it as a draft or publishing immediately. For additional options such as adding categories or setting a future publish date, you should use the Add New Post screen.

Drafts: This module is just below the QuickPress module by default and displays links to your most recent drafts, allowing one-click access from the Dashboard. If you create drafts using QuickPress, they will appear in the Recent Drafts module immediately.

Recent Comments: The Recent Comments module, located in the left column by default, now includes comment moderation options so you can moderate recent comments from the Dashboard. You can Approve/Unapprove, Mark as Spam, Delete, or Reply to a Comment within the module itself, while the Edit link takes you to the screen for that comment for additional options.

Posts: Edit (Used to be Manage > Posts)

Show/Hide Columns: You can use the Screen Options tab to hide columns in the table that you don’t want to see. For example, don’t use tags on your posts? Hide the column and give yourself more room.

All Posts Order: Drafts are now shown in the All Posts view inline chronologically with published posts, rather than being grouped at the end. When a post does has not been published, it will appear in the All Posts list based on the time it was last modified. This means that if you edit a draft and save the changes, it will move to the top of the list.

List/Excerpt Views: To the left of the pagination links, icons allow you to switch between list view (Title and metadata only) and excerpt view (shows the first paragraph or so of post text).

Action Links: Action links are now displayed below the post title. Hovering over the row for a post will display links to actions such as Edit, Quick Edit, Delete, View/Preview.

Quick Edit: Quick Edit will reveal a layer that allows you to edit post metadata without leaving the screen. Make sure to click save in the lower right of the layer to submit the edits. Click cancel in the lower left if you change your mind.

Batch Edit: Batch editing functionality now exists, allowing you to do things like add categories, change author or publish status, etc. to multiple posts at one time. Use the checkboxes in the left column to select the posts you want to edit this way, select Edit from the Actions drop-down menu at the top of the column, and click the Apply button next to the menu. A layer will appear that allows you to edit the metadata. If you want to remove a post from the batch, click on the small X to the left of the title. Don’t worry, this doesn’t delete the post, just removes it from the batch edit.

Reduced Scrolling: On this screen and others that use the table format, you’ll see that the column headers, action menu and pagination is now displayed at the bottom of the table as well, so you no longer have to scroll up to the top of the screen to access these links and information.

Posts: Add New (Used to be Write > Post)

Customization: Modules on this screen may be moved around to your liking, with the exception of the title and post editor. You can put frequently used items such as tags or categories in the right column to reduce scrolling, or you can drag all modules to the main column and create a wide layout. Modules may also be opened or closed by clicking on the bar at the top of the module, or hidden using the Screen Options tab.

Comments/Trackbacks: Checkboxes for allowing comments and/or pingbacks/trackbacks on a post are now both in the new Discussion module. When there are comments on a post, they will appear in this module, and may be moderated from within the module as well. Sending Trackbacks has its own module for including URLs.

Visibility: Located in the Publish module, the Visibility segment allows you to make a post password-protected, private, public, or public and sticky. Click Edit next to your current status to access these options. Sticky posts are only available when status is set to Public.

Publish Buttons: Button text in the Publish module has been amended to make actions more clear. If you change the publish time of a post to a future date (click Edit next to Publish Immediately to access this function, the same as in 2.6), the Publish button will change to Schedule, so it’s clear that you are merely scheduling the post, not publishing it now. Posts that have already been published will show an Update button. Buttons for saving a draft and for publishing have been placed at opposite ends of the module, to help prevent accidental publication.

Posts: Tags (Used to be Manage > Tags)

Tag management has been revised to combine on a single screen adding a new tag and managing existing tags. This should prevent inadvertent creation of duplicate or highly similar tags, by showing existing tags on the same screen. A cloud of popular tags also gives a visual indication of which tags are being used the most. Clicking on one of these tags will allow you to edit the tag.

Posts: Categories (Used to be Manage > Categories)

This screen, like tags, combines creating, viewing and editing categories into one screen.

Media: Library (Used to be Manage > Media Library)

Unattached Files: There is now a filter for Unattached files near the filters for Images, Audio, Video, and Documents. Files that are unattached have an “Attach” action link that allows you to add that file to an existing post or page. When you click on Attach, a pop-up will appear allowing you to enter a search term. The search results will appear in the space below, from which you can pick the post or page to which you want to attach your file.

Media: Add New (This is a new screen)

You can now upload files to your blog without having to create a post first. The upload process works the same it does when launched from a post screen, but now you can go directly to adding media to your library if you want to upload files now to use later. You can use either the Flash uploader or the browser uploader, just as when you upload from the post screen.

Links: Edit (Used to be Manage > Links)

Action links appear on hover below the link name, and columns can be hidden using Screen Options tab.

Links: Add New (Used to be Write > Link)

Name, Web Address, and Description modules have fixed positions, but other modules on this screen may be moved using drag and drop, opened or closed by clicking on the module title bar, or hidden using the Screen Options tab.

Links: Link Categories (Used to be Manage > Link Categories)

The table showing existing link categories and the form to create new ones are side by side for easier link category management.

Pages: Edit (Used to be Manage > Pages)

Like other screens of this type, on this screen action links are show below the page titles when hovering over the row. Quick Edit and Batch Editing are enabled on this screen.

Pages: Add New (Used to be Write > Page)

As on the Add New Post screen, title and text editor are in fixed positions, but all other modules may be moved, collapsed and/or hidden to suit your tastes.

Comments (Used to be Comments)

This screen has a new layout, and action links appear on hover as with other table-based screens. “Awaiting Moderation” has changed to “Pending,” but the meaning is the same.

Filter: Above the comment table, there is a dropdown menu that says “All Comment Types.” This menu allows you to filter the display to show only comments, only pingbacks/trackbacks, or all of the above.

Actions: You can edit comment text using Quick Edit, the Edit link, or by double-clicking on the comment text itself. You can now reply to a comment from this screen. Click the reply link and a layer will appear, in which you can type your reply.

In Response To: The post title links to the editing screen for that post. The number of comments in parenthesis filters the current screen to show only comments on that post.

Comment Permalink: Above comment text, the timestamp is shown and acts as a permalink to the live comment.

Keyboard Shortcuts: You can moderate comments using keyboard shortcuts if you’ve enabled this feature in your profile. Use J to go down and K to go up the rows, and use A to approve, S to mark as spam, D to delete, E to edit, R to reply.

Note: Threaded comments and paging comments are new features in 2.7, but do not affect this screen, just your public blog. Settings for these features can be found in Settings: Discussion.

Appearance: Themes (Used to be Design > Themes)

No change.

Appearance: Widgets (Used to be Design > Widgets)

No change.

Appearance: CSS Editor (Used to be Design > Edit CSS)

No change.

Users: Authors & Users (Used to be Users > Authors & Users)

No change except that the form to add a new user is now on its own screen.

Users: Add New (Used to be Users > Authors & Users, at the bottom)

This function has its own screen now so that it’s easier to add users to your blog.

Users: Your Profile (Used to be Users > Your Profile)

As always, your profile is also accessible from your linked name at very top right of the screen (Where WordPress says Howdy to you).

Admin Color Scheme: The color schemes have changed with 2.7, and each color scheme has its own icon set, designed by the winners of our icon design contest. Gray, the default color scheme, includes icons by Ben Dunkle. Blue, the alternate color scheme, includes icons by Verena Segert.

Tools: Tools (This is a new screen)

This screen serves as a place for access to tools that will improve your blogging experience but that you don’t need to access in the administration panel on a regular basis, usually just requiring an initial setup. Currently, this screen includes Turbo/support for Google Gears, and Press This.

Tools: Import (Used to be Manage > Import)

No change.

Tools: Export (Used to be Manage > Export)

No change.

Settings: Discussion (Used to be Settings > Discussion)

This screen has some new settings for comment threading and pagination, in the second group of items labeled “Other Comment Settings.” Use the checkboxes and drop-down menus to enable comment threading and/or pagination if you wish. Note: not all themes have been updated to support comment threading or paging, so these options are turned off by default.

Settings: Media (This is a new screen)

This screen allows you to set default media settings such as image sizes and crop settings.

Believe it or not, I’m finally out of new features! I hope this screen-by-screen inventory of the changes coming with 2.7 has been helpful, and that you’re excited to start using WordPress 2.7 on Thursday.

Cheap Web Site Design

admin — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:45:36 +0000

Often times people will only look at the bottom line price when choosing a web site developer, but there are so many other things to take in to consideration! Below is a list of things to watch out for:

How much will website design and web maintenance cost?
There are many companies out there that will give you a basic web site, with very few web pages and will build your site based on a template design. This will usually only cost you a couple hundred dollars, which isn’t that bad of a deal if you don’t mind the fact that your design will look like other web sites on the internet. Although this is a cheap website design method to choose, you need to understand that this company will charge you in the future to make updates. Usually these updates cost $40 to $100 per hour to make, and that can get very pricey if you just need to make very simple changes on a weekly or monthly basis! That is where our next subject comes in handy – see below.

Can you perform your own web maintenance in the future?
So many website design customers would have saved huge amounts of money if they knew that they could hire a company that would create a professional web site design for them that would allow updates to be made by you; the customer in the future. Think of it this way; let’s say that you needed to make updates once a week that cost you $60 per update on a web site that cost you only $200 to begin with. That means you are spending $240 a month to maintain this web site. Ultimately you will spend $720 per year to update this web site, and over several years that can get pricey! If you choose a company that would allow you to handle web site maintenance by yourself, you may have paid an extra $500 or $1000 – however you would have saved a lot of change in the long run!

Is this website design company going to offer you search optimization from the start, since it is uaully needed?
Another biggy that nobody thinks of when hiring a website design firm is whether or not they will offer search engine optimization to your web site before you purchase the web site. This is a service that b4db0y Designs offers with all of their website design packages, however many companies do not offer this service.

Let’s think about this situation logically, if you have a web site designed for you, you want to get visitors to your website. Ultimately this service is usually very expensive and if you hire a web designer that offers this service, it can save a lot of time and money to combine the two services together! Often times a search optimization company will re-design a lot of the web site to make it successful in the search engines – so it is not a good idea to pay for web design services 2 times because of this. Optimizing your pages is a big part of Search Engine Optimization.

It is also recommended that you hire a company to perform link building strategies to your web site which will cost money as well, but combining the optimization with your web design can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run.

Hopefully these web design tips help to assist you in obtaining truly cheap website design services.

December 18, 2008 — 15 Must Bookmark Sites for Design Inspiration (0)
August 12, 2008 — Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX6850 (1)

WordPress On A Roll

admin — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:23:13 +0000

I am yet again talking about WordPress – the leading CMS – is on a roll. With it’s major update release, it has yet again released a new version, but this time it is not an update, but a whole new thing. Yes version 2.7, but still in testing stages and now out for the public to try and give it’s feedback.

WordPress has offered loads of new things in this version, which includes a new admin layout, a more user-friendly naivation system, better plugin management, better posting options. So, i’ll be trying out WordPress 2.7 RC1 i.e. Release Candiate 1 and give you better screenshots and other loads of things, until then I also urge you that you try out this public release.

Screenshots Of WordPress 2.7 RC 1

Admin panel:

Plugins Page:

Post Page:

Again it is advised not to install it on your live blog. Do tell me what do you think about this release!

Download It here

November 27, 2008 — WordPress Free Theme Release (0)
November 27, 2008 — New Look, Yet Again (0)
November 26, 2008 — WordPress 2.6.5 (1)

Going green without busting your budget

admin — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:14:11 +0000

Over the past decade, the environmentally safe disposal of e-waste, constituting obsolete computers, peripherals, printers and other electronic devices, have become a major issue of concern worldwide, with growing fears that PCs will soon start to overrun landfills. The dangers of e-waste essentially arise from a lethal cocktail of elements such as arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, etcetera which are commonly used in printed circuit boards and their associated components, including computer chips and writing. So with new technology coming fast a PCs life average is lowered from years to months. However, there can be things done with those older PCs other than throwing them or keeping them lying around.

There are plenty of free projects to try out on the Web. The ones listed below all have step-by-step instructions, complete with pictures on how you can go about with the project of your choice.

CD/DVD Lamp
Url: http://photocreations.ca/cd_lamp2/index.html
Unlike any other lamp that you have seen, this project utilizes about 60 old CDs stacked vertically together; some plywood; a fluorescent bulb; cord and an on/off switch to create a futuristic lamp that is guaranteed to lighten up even the dullest of places.

CD/DVD letter holder
Url: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/mothers-day/cd-letter-holder.shtml
This is a do-it-yourself project and uses upto 4 CDs, some paper towels, Styrofoam, glue and fabric strips to create the perfect letter or note holder to keep at your desk.

Memory Keychain
Url: www.instructables.com/id/RamPcboard-keychain
If you are looking to get rid of your bulky keychain for something exquisite, give the memory keychain a try. All that is required is a key ring, an unused RAM stick from an old computer and a drill bit, and you’re ready to make one your self.

Keyboard Jewellery
Url:http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/cr_jewelry/article/0,2025,DIY_13762_5142748,00.html
Have a keyboard to spare? Then express your innerself with some funky keyboard jewellery, including a necklace and bracelet.

Also Some funky projects:
CRT monitor fish tank

http://www.instructables.com/id/Turn-Your-Old-CRT-Computer-Moniter-Into-A-Fish-Tan/

Recycle Your own paper
www.tinkernut.com/archives/100

USB flash drive key holder
www.citronix.net/blog/how-to-make-a-cheap-and-easy-usb-key-holder

Toothbrush/Tumbler holder

http://hacknmod.com/hack/hill-billy-uses-for-old-computer-parts

Let us all participate to a better future, a better world.

WordPress Free Theme Release

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:04:34 +0000

Full Feature List

The Demo can be found here
The Theme can be downloaded here

November 27, 2008 — New Look, Yet Again (0)
December 2, 2008 — WordPress On A Roll (2)
November 26, 2008 — WordPress 2.6.5 (1)

New Look, Yet Again

admin — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 04:33:43 +0000

I am fond of changing my blog theme every few weeks. This time I spent some of love you gave me via Adsense, thanks for that. I tried to search for the best theme possible and the elegant themes suited me the most. Currently, I am using StudioBlue, a great simple premium theme. And in the comming weeks you will see more changes to the blog skin as i’ll be rotating the themes.

To know more about ElegantThemes, visit it’s homepage

To know more about StudioBlue, visit it’s preview page

Out theme history:

1. Theme Anonymous By Me. View Demo

2. Free Magazine Theme By WpJunction Edited By Me. View Demo

3. Premium Theme BlueStudio By ElegantThemes. View Demo

What do you think about my latest theme?

November 27, 2008 — WordPress Free Theme Release (0)
December 2, 2008 — WordPress On A Roll (2)
November 26, 2008 — WordPress 2.6.5 (1)

WordPress 2.6.5

admin — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 12:45:14 +0000

The King of CMS still lives with updates. WordPress recently announced it’s updates to v2.6.5. The most unusual thing about this was that they skipped v2.6.4, and the reseason which they gave for it was fakes. The words on these fakes were “avoid confusion with a fake 2.6.4 release that made the rounds”.

Well, anyways the updates include a major security fix, known as XSS. (i am thinking of writing something about this soon). So if you are interested only in the security fix, copy wp-includes/feed.php and wp-includes/version.php from the 2.6.5 release package, else update fully.

This updates also includes three other updates which in detail are:

The first prevents accidentally saving post meta information to a revision. The second prevents XML-RPC from fetching incorrect post types. The third adds some user ID sanitization during bulk delete requests.

So, I hope that you update as soon as possible..

Direct link to the update..Download Update

December 5, 2008 — Google Reader And It’s New Look (0)
December 2, 2008 — WordPress On A Roll (2)
November 27, 2008 — WordPress Free Theme Release (0)

Find Domains With Firefox Plugin

admin — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:30:23 +0000

Being a webmaster it’s important for me to keep an eye on some of the best domain names that are available out there. I’ve found a very interesting Firefox add on today that speeds up this process of searching domain names a bit while I’m working on the internet. It does not automate the whole process but provides enough automatism to be a great asset for every webmaster or domain hunter.

Domain Lookup helps you discover valuable generic
domain names while surfing the web. All you need to do is select the text you wish to check and hit the shortcut key.
Domain Lookup will check the availability of the
domain at your favorite registrar.

Domain Lookup supprts many of the world’s top doman registrars like

123reg
1and1.com
Afternic
Aplus.net
ApolloHosting
Aruba.IT
BlueHost
Daily.co.uk
directNIC
DomainTools (Search)
DomainTools (WhoIs)
Domain.com
DomainDiscount24.net
DomainDiscover
DomainSite.com
Dotster
DreamHost
Dynadot
Easily
Easyspace
eNom
EstDomains.com
Estibot
Fabulous.com
FabulousDomains.com
Gandi
GKG.net
GoDaddy
HeartInternet
HostMonster
HostRocket.com
HostWay.com
iPower
iPowerWeb
Joker.com
JumpLine
Lycos UK
Melbourne IT
Moniker
MyDomain.com
Name.com
NameCheap
Name Scout
NamesDirect.com
NameSecure.com
Net Benefit
Net Firms
Network Solutions
OVH.com
PlanetDomain.com
Register.com
Sedo Spain
Sedo.co.uk
Sedo.com
Sedo.de
Sedo.fr
UK2
UKreg
United Domains
Verio
WebsiteSource
Yahoo! Small Business

You can set your preferred registrar on the preferences panel, under Firefox’s Tools > Addons menu.

It is a Fantastic extension and works really well with FF beta 3. No bugs to report just yet. Get it NOW

December 9, 2008 — Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 Available To Public Testing (0)
November 2, 2008 — Web Ubiquity (2)
August 3, 2008 — Free Money Making Ebook (0)

Google Updates Gmail With Themes

admin — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:05:05 +0000

For quite a long while now, Google was trying to improve Gmail by bringing in new features and stuff. The latest feature now is “Themes“. Now you can easily add pre-defined themes for a better look of Gmail. Simple Go to your “Settings” tab, “Themes” and select the one you wish. This is how my layout looks like

Previously, I was using “Better Gmail“ which too is good and makes your gmail look completely different in the default themes provided by Google itself. I’d if Google, add a function where we ourselves could add templates. Let us hope for the best.

Be sure to post your comments about what you think of this addition by Google.

March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 23, 2008 — Google Reads (1)
December 20, 2008 — Search By Style (0)

Free 3 Months NOD32 Antivirus Username And Password

admin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 10:10:47 +0000

ESET NOD32 Antvirusis built on the award-winning ThreatSense engine which proactively detects and eliminates more viruses, trojans, worms, adware, spyware, phishing, rootkits and other Internet threats than any program available. It’s the ideal antivirus for Windows XP, and also runs smoothly on Windows legacy systems, MS-DOS, file servers, mail servers, and more.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus provides:

Proactive Protection: The award winning ThreatSense technology combines multiple layers of detection protecting you from Internet threats before it is too late.

Precise Detection: ESET accurately identifies known and unknown threats. It consistently wins top awards from testing labs and is recognized for having zero false positives.

Lightweight Design: Requires less memory and CPU power, allowing your computer to run fast, making more room for games, web browsing, and emailing.

Fast Scanning Speeds: Highly efficient program ensuring fast file scanning and product updates. It runs quietly in the background.

To get your free NOD32 username and password valid for 3 months, just follow the simple steps below.
1. Go to this page http://www.notebookplatformu.com/index.php?yon=register

2. Fill up the form. Parola means password, Ad / Soyad means your full name, E-posta means E-mail. As for the rest, you can simply select anything from the drop down menu. Click “Kayıt ol !” button when done.

3. You will get the legit ESET NOD32 Antivirus serial number highlighted in yellow at the next page. Note down the serial key.

4. Now go to this page http://www.eset.com/register/index.php to register and activate your NOD32 Antivirus. Enter the serial number that you received in step 3 and fill up the rest in the form. Click Submit button when done.

5. You will get your NOD32 username and password at the next page.

6. Now download the latest NOD32 Antivirus if you don’t have one installed. You’ll be prompted to login. Just enter the username and password that you got from step 5.

7. During installation, you’ll be prompted to enter the NOD32 Antivirus username and password for automatic update. Use the username and password that you got in step 5.

After getting a free nod32 username and password using the method above, you have to clear your web browser’s cache in order to get the next one. Otherwise it’ll just forward you to their mainpage when you try to access the offer page.

During idle, egui.exe takes up 6236K and ekrn.exe takes up 36320K. The memory usage for ekrn.exe process increased during computer scan but never goes more than 40000K. NOD32 took only 3 minutes and 27 seconds to scan 47907 objects. I consider that as fast but not as fast as Norton Antivirus 2009 which took only a little more than a minute. Unfortunately, ESET NOD32 Antivirus still unable detect the private trojan that I have. They sure need to improve their ThreatSense technology. Enjoy the free NOD32 username and password that works for 3 months. If the offer page is still available after 3 months, you can get more codes to continue using NOD32 for free. Enjoy!

December 26, 2008 — FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year (0)
December 16, 2008 — Ad-Aware Release New Antivirus (0)
December 14, 2008 — WPClipart offers royalty free images (2)

Some ways to market your blog

admin — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:50:19 +0000

I have listed the 17 best ways to market your blog. You can write the best of contents but if nobody visits your site nobody it won’t matter. To gain visitors you have to work for it, and this guide tells you just how to do it.

1. SEO you want to be found by the search engines. If you have a wordpress blog there is an excellent plugin that is called “All in one seo pack” that makes it all so much easier. You can find it on the wordpress website.

2. article directories. I think the best ones are www.ezinearticles.com, www.goarticles.com and www.buzzle.com It may take a few days to a week to get your articles published in the beginning but it will be worth it.

3. Sign up for blog communities. I like www.blogcatalog.com you can meet other bloggers in the same genre, exchange links, and help each other out.

4. Arrange a contest. Although you might want to be careful with this. The prize should of course be something relevant to your readers. Do not change the rules or prizes if you find that you didn’t get the attention you wanted. Instead you may want to start with a smaller prize, and improve it if the contest turns out to be successful. Nobody will complain if you make the prize better.

5. Submit your sites to directories. Submit to the free blog directory

6 Use google sitemap. It’s related to number one with the SEO. If you have a wordpress blog there is a great plugin for this. It’s called “google sitemap generator”.

7. Join forums. You can usually have a link to your site as a signature for your posts. If you can create a name for yourself you will get some traffic.

8. Write comments in other blogs. You don’t want to spam. Nobody likes a spammer, that will do more harm than good. Write good content on large blogs in your genre and you should get some traffic. If you post some really good content the admin might create a post with some of your thoughts and a link to your site.

9. Youtube. This depends very much on what your genre is. For music or movie blogs this is pure gold. You can post clips of yourself teaching a guitar lesson. Also computer blogs tend to do very well on youtube with helpful guides to photoshop or wordpress.

10. Join the social networks. Sites like stumble upon and digg can bring a huge amount of visitors if you get enough votes. It requires some work to get enough friends on these sites that can help you vote for your posts. You should also put the logotype links from these sites in your posts to make it easier for people to vote for you on the social networks. Of course there are plugins for this if you use wordpress.

11. Market your feeds. Put the feedburner on a good spot on your site to make your visitors sign up for your RSS feed. People rarely unsubscribe to feeds.

12. Do something unique. If you can get an interview with a famous person or can be the first one to write about something in your genre, you might be picked up by the big blogs which will skyrocket your traffic.

13. Press release. If you have something very special you might be able to get some media attention. Just look at the guy who sold pixels on his website. Huge media attention.

14. Trackbacks. If you use wordpress you can link to posts in other blogs that are relevant to what you are writing about. In their comments it will show that you have written about their post. Some blogs have shut this feature down since there is so much spamming, but I think it’s still worth thinking about.

15. Guest blog. This is basically a win win situation. You want more traffic, and the admin of the blog want more good content. You can also bring another perspective on things with your posts. Usually it’s great way to help each other out.

16. The design. You need to have a decent designed blog. It is just so important, otherwise people will stop reading, no matter how great your content is. I have also found that alot of wordpress themes have this fluid post area.

This means that it changes if you change the size of the window. So if you look at the blog in fullscreen the post area is huge. It’s really bad. The posting area of the blog must be fixed otherwise it’s very hard to read anything. I have no idea why people design themes otherwise but apparently they do.

17. Spend some times exchanging links. Do it with other blogs and sites in your genre. Links don’t only provide visitors, but also help your google ranking.

Check for virus in files online with these websites

admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 17:32:16 +0000

Virus Scanners

Checking for viruses is usually done with one of those hundreds of softwares that are available for PC, mostly for the Windows OS. And these are big softwares that eat a lot of space once opened for checking at least a single file.
No one would like to have a big load on their computer for checking a single file for viruses. So there are some online tools and websites that would check a file for viruses more easily.

Here are the some of the best tools that can do the virus checking work for you on the web -
VirScan – VirSCAN.org is a FREE on-line scan service, which checks uploaded files for malware, using antivirus engines, indicated in the VirSCAN list. On uploading files you want to be checked, you can see the result of scanning and how dangerous and harmful/harmless for your computer those files are.

This service just checks a particular file which should be lower than 10 MB in size, and every type of virus, trojan, backdoor and spyware is checked for and warned. But it does not protect the whole computer from any malware entering from any warez type of sites.

NoVirusThanks – NoVirusThanks.org offer a free service that scan suspicious files for possible presence of virus, worms, trojans and any other kind of malware using several Anti-Virus engines. This service also uses multiple virus checking softwares and tries to catch hold of the viruses and spyware. And the detailed information about the virus and file scanned are shown to explain the malignancy of the virus.

VirusTotal – VirusTotal is a service that analyzes suspicious files and facilitates the quick detection of viruses, worms, trojans, and all kinds of malware detected by antivirus engines. This service is one of the best and also rated for one of the best tools for 2007 by PCWorld. It does not distribute the scanned file, and the number of virus checking services associated with it are also large.

There are a lot other services to check for viruses, trojans and spyware, but these are the best rated and would be handy to check small files very quickly.

November 19, 2008 — Free 3 Months NOD32 Antivirus Username And Password (5)

Increase your notebook’s battery life

admin — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 13:46:37 +0000

There is nothing more frustrating than running out of juice on a laptop while on the move. It comes as no surprise that laptops lose their allure rather quickly when you are constantly on the lookout for a power source where ever you are on the go.

This is one scenario that every notebook owner has to face. This post might help you reduce your laptop power consumption and increase its life. Although there are a multitude of applications available online that claim to enhance laptop battery life, most are gimmickry – some going as far as to state a 200 percent increase in battery life. Of course this is far from the truth. Examples of these software’s are Dachshund Software’s Battery Doubler and Notebook Hardware Control. Sire, you can purchase extended battery packs, but by applying some basic changes you could crank up some more battery life.

Using Profiles

One of the most effective ways is of optimizing your battery life is to use profiles. What I mean is that you stop the use of hardware devices that you don’t need saving chunks of battery life. For e.g. If you are in a flight you can safely disable your modem, network adapter, unused USB ports, 1394 FireWire devices, card reader, wireless and even your DVD drive to get the most of your laptop’s battery.

To configure on the Windows XP for such scenarios, right-click ‘My Computer’, select ‘Properties’ and click the ‘Hardware’ tab, followed by ‘Hardware Profiles’. To create a new profile, click ‘Copy’, type a name for the new hardware profile and click OK.

Next, restart and from the list that appears during the start-up, select the newly created profile. This lets the computer use the newly created profile as the current profile and now you can proceed with customizing it, which is done by enabling and disabling devices in the hardware manager console.

PowerSeize

Prudent use of the power management can help in squeeze out several minutes too. To access these, from ‘Control Panel’, select ‘Power Options’ (or enter ‘powercfg.cpl’ in the ‘Run’ dialog box and click ‘OK’). In ‘Power Schemes’, first ensure you’ve selected ‘Portable/Laptop’. Most laptops offer two modes – ‘Standby’ and ‘Hibernate’- to preserve battery power while retailing the ability to resume in the shortest periods of time. ‘Standby’ works by switching your laptop to a low-power state by powering up again; you can quickly resume all your activities. However, everything saved in the memory is not saved to the disk. On the other hand, ‘Hibernate’ works by saving your computer’s state in the hard drive before shutting down. Although it takes a bit longer than ‘Standby’, unlike the latter, it doesn’t consume any power during hibernation and is perfect for shutting down your laptop if you are away for a few hours.

To enable hibernation simply click the ‘Hibernate’ tab and check the box that says ‘Enable Hibernation’.

Dimmer Display

One of the biggest power drains on your laptop is its display brightness to a lower level; you can substantially increase battery runtime. To configure the display, start by putting the display brightness to the lowest option, and increase it one at a time until you find the lowest settings you’re comfortable with. Try reading text just to make sure. Other ways, such as lowering the screen resolution and color dept can help too.

Keep it clean

Every few months, disconnect your laptop battery and wipe the contact with a cloth and alcohol-based cleanser to ensure optimal power transmission between the laptop and battery. Also, clean out any grit that may have accumulated on the laptop underside, especially near the vents, as dust can clog the cooling fan and overheat the laptop.

Spin down the drive

Another handy, but often neglected, tip involves regularly defragmenting your laptop’s hard drive. The Windows Disk Defragmentation process basically optimizes the placement of all your data thus when you load an application is loads faster and lowers the tax on the battery. More spinning means more consumption.

Unused applications

Having a lot of startup applications drains down the battery life. To disable ant extraneous programs that you may have at start-up, click ‘Run’ and type in ‘msconfig’. In the window that appears click ‘Startup’ tab and clear the checks on unnecessary applications.

More memory

Adding more memory to your laptop especially (if you run memory-intensive programs) helps saves power by reducing your system’s reliance on the virtual memory file on your hard disk. Virtual memory results in the hard drive use, and is much less power efficient than RAM.

Web Ubiquity

admin — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 09:00:59 +0000

Mozilla introduces a new service with Firefox that allows users to easily combine data from different webpage’s in useful ways.

Mozilla Labs released an extension for Firefox this August which promises to combine the multitude of Web services with natural language – they call it Ubiquity. It promises to place the power of the internet at your hands. Ubiquity is basically a command line interface for the browser and lets you use them as “commands” – without having time to waste. No need to open tabs, type URL’s etc. This makes it possible for users to do things in an more natural, intuitive fashion. As, the Firefox Lab itself says No need to wait for the developer, be a developer. I know you don’t get me. Lets say, you find this text on a webpage and you want to mail it to your friend. So you’ll follow the process of opening new tabs, entering the recipients email address and sending it. Now with Ubiquity who can just select text, second click and send it your friend and you are done. Now you will think, this can be done easily what is the difference in Ubiquity. Well, ever thought of adding maps into e-mail. Yes, like if you sending a message to your friend, “Come at my place and my address is 408, Some Apartment, with this tool instead of typing the address you can insert the map.
Other functions include translation of selected text, check time, open multiple tans or even draw a chart using Google charts, and all this without even opening new tabs. These are just some functions to tell, i can’t write all the hundreds of functions it can perform.
However, using commands needs some getting used to. These commands are what make things work. A search on Wikipedia can be performed using the “Wikipedia” command. Built with JavaScript (aided with jQuery), most commands use AJAX to complete their tasks. You can find out more about commands, but before you will have to subscribe to Ubiquity Herd, where all users can contribute and give a word.
Currently, Ubiquity is in developmental stages version 0.1.1 and being developed day by day. It is stable of public consumption and users are encouraged to give it a go and let developers know of any problems.
The ultimate goal of Ubiquity is to make the browser smarter. Many people who are not familiar with internet will find this tool handy for them.

To me, this is the new revolution to internet and browsing style. I hope this proves useful to the world. Go Firefox Labx

Check out this video for more details.

http://labs.mozilla.com/2008/08/introducing-ubiquity/

December 9, 2008 — Firefox 3.1 Beta 3 Available To Public Testing (0)
December 4, 2008 — First Look at Opera 10 (0)
November 22, 2008 — Find Domains With Firefox Plugin (1)

Google Pagerank!

admin — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:58:46 +0000

Google Pagerank

Well, i was thinking about writing something about Pankrank and link building, so this is something that i have experienced over a year. Well, basically link development is very easy and you can get about a Google Pagerank of 2+ in a 3 months time. Why three months? Well, because google updates it’s rankings every three months.

So, i’ll start with the basics that is What is PageRank?

Well, i dont care what the wiki has to say or what SEO dictionaries have to say. To me, Google Pagerank is just a rating given to you if you have some links to your website. I’ll be telling about how to collect these links later on in this article.

Next is, How many links do you need before you get a PageRank?

Well, I need not to explain this as you can see this from the graph below.


PR	To Get PR3	To Get PR4	To Get PR5	To Get PR6	To Get PR7	To Get PR8

1	555	3,000	17,000	93,000	508,000	2,800,000

2	101	555	3,000	17,000	93,000	508,000

3	19	101	555	3,000	17,000	93,000

4	4	19	101	555	3,000	170,000

5	1	4	19	101	555	3,000

6	1	1	4	19	101	555

7	1	1	1	4	19	101

8	1	1	1	1	4	19

9	1	1	1	1	1	4

10	1	1	1	1	1	1

**Although nobody knows the exact Google PageRank values the table below gives a fairly good representation of how many external links, of certain PageRank values, are required to achieve a certain Google PageRank.

Lastly, How to get links?

Getting links to your website is very easy. One of the most fastest and easiest way is blog commenting. For this you will be needing a plugin [for firefox only] called NoDoFollow. This plugin simple highlights the follow links in a greyish-blue share and the no-follow links with a red colour. You’ll get used to it once you start using it. Now, blog commenting. Simple search Google for “do-follow blogs” and there you will se a large list of do-follow blogs every where. I can’t mention them here as there are billions of blog out there, and LinkW is one of them

Another way is submitting your sites to Free directories. Know the question arises, Where to find these free directories? Well, it is very easy. The DigitalPoint forums have a special category called Solicitations & Announcements. Simply go there and put your links in a few direcotires. That is it. Using these two ways you can easily get a pagerank of pr3 or even better,

If you like any of my tips, please do comment it here.

March 22, 2011 — Android trounces iOS (0)
December 23, 2008 — Google Reads (1)
December 20, 2008 — Search By Style (0)

Download without using a Torrent Client

admin — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:31:06 +0000

Do you hate using torrent clients? Is this because they are slow, aren’t user-friendly or you just hate using them? Well, i too sometimes hate using them and especially on my mobile phone, so this tool could be very useful if you are travelling. Then I have a great tool for you to use, Bitlet.org. This tool is an online torrent downloader thing that works and gives us real high speed downloading. I didn’t touch any of the settings, and it worked fine for me.

You can even create a tracker and select files related with it. This fills in the uploading files features if you were wondering. I hope this tool will help you ease your downloads. Good luck

December 23, 2008 — TV Torrent Feeds Without Duplicates (0)
December 15, 2008 — YouTibe Kicked (0)
December 10, 2008 — AutoLyrix Reviewed (0)

We are sorry!!!

admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 15:28:25 +0000

We are sorry about the down time and all the other mess that has occurred in the few days. The problem was that our old host went down; I think it was hacked and thus our site went down with it. There has been a small loss with the data but do not worry I’ll put it up back in some time. I’ll be working with the template and the plug-in for now. Thank you for your co-operations. I’ll take any suggestions as a plus. Thankyou.

Limewire Free Alternative

admin — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 02:51:53 +0000

URL: http://www.frostwire.com/?id=downloads

OS: Windows XT/2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X, Ubuntu/Devian, Red Hat/Fedora/ Java Runtime Environment {JRE)

Size: 14.3 mb

Information:

FrostWire, as you can guess, is an offshoot of the well know LimeWire Gnutella client. LimeWire has developed a commercial version of the client and since then, downloads have become somewhat limited in nature because of copyright licenses on the content.

FrostWire does not have such limitations and in addition to content sharing on LimeWire and Gnutella networks, it now provides better support for BitTorrent transfers as well. Any one who has used LimeWire before will be quite comfortable with the user interface of FrostWire. The P2P client does away with advertisment pop-ups and now sports a redesigned graphic user interface (GUI). Most of the features are some what the same of those of LimeWire, the biggest advantage is that it is aesthetically pleasing, has a streamlined interface and a surprising lack of ads.

System Requirements

128 MB of RAM (256 MB Recommended)

Any of the following operating systems:

Windows Vista, XP, 2000, NT

Linux, Unix such as Solaris

Java 1.5 or later (1.6 Recommended)

An active internet connection

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December 14, 2008 — WPClipart offers royalty free images (2)

Morrent µTorrent WebUI

admin — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:09:10 +0000

URL: www.facebook.morrent.com

Platform: Facebook

Information:

Morrent µTorrent WebUI is a Facebook application that provides µTorrent users with an online web interface to remotely control their µTorrent transfers. Follow the link to the URL provided above and when the webpage loads, lick on the installation on the left of the page for complete instructions on configuring your µTorrent client and adding and configuring the facebook application. For users behind a firewall router, µTorrent provides help with configuring the router for post forwarding. Illustrated instructions can also be acquired from PortForward’s website. Users with a direct connection to the Internet can simply enter the IP address, provided by the ISP, fill in the remaining required information and begin browsing their µTorrent transfers.

Through this application the users can browse torrents from their home system, change prioritues of their transfers, search/add torrents to the queue. The search feature in this application can also be customized to search users’ prefered torrent sites.

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Make Your Mobiles Read Faster

admin — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:21:00 +0000

Well, this is my own trick, which i came up with a few weeks back. So, before sharing it with you i thought why not test it. So i tested it with a few mobile phones i had i.e. the iPOD Touch, Samsung, Nokia and LG, sorry no Sony Erricson. This process is simple and requires no genius stuff or programs. A simple plug and play process.

Now you probably would be thinking how it all came to me. Well, my brother had his phone plugged in, so i thought why not mess with it. I ran the checkdisk utility over it, the backup and finally the defragmenter on it. The results in all the cell phones were incredible. The reading time of the mobile almost doubled.

Here is a view before the defragmention.

And this is the view after the defragmention.

Thus i recommend all of the mobile users to run the chkdisk and the defragmenter.

Note: You may need a card reader or a data USB port.

July 30, 2008 — Buyer’s Guide: Mobile Phones (1)
August 2, 2008 — IPOD TOUCHED (3)

Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme QX6850

admin — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 04:45:48 +0000

Number of cores: Four
CPU speed: 3GHz
FSB speed: 1333MHZ
Level 2 cache size: 4MB x 2
CPU interface: Socket T (LGA 775)
Features Supported: Enhanced Intel Speed Step Technology, EM64T, Virtualization, Execute Disable Bit, Thermal Monitor 2 and Enhanced Halt Stat
Price: 72,000 rupees

Intel is the undisputed king of processors these days, ranging from gamming rigs to Apple computers and notebooks; Intel CPUs are leading the processor journey forward. Intel, being the master of processor segmentation, has intelligently scaled up its line for nearly every customer category. If it is the entry-level customer, a Pentium Dual Core CPU fits the charge. If it is a server-side customer, the Intel Xeon line meets the requirements. Intel also has the extreme line of processors, which brings the cutting edge of computing performance into the user’s desktop. The Extreme lineup usually has the highest clock ratings and the largest available L2 caches on its class. Furthermore, features such as higher Front Side Bus speed support is also present and accounted for, ensuring that a power user gets what he demands for the most – unrivalled power.

The QX6850 is one of the latest Extreme processors to hit the market. It has four super-fast cores running at 3.0 gigahertz and a cache size touching a wooping eight megabytes. Coming in at a price which has the shade above 70,000, the process does attach huge expectations to the promised performance difference it brings to the table. The QX6850 requires the latest motherboard to run, namely boards that support P3x and G3x chipsets. The CPU-motherboard combination fully supports DDR3 RAM and is ideal solution for extracting the most out of the silicon wafer.

More Details: http://www.intel.com/products/processor/core2XE/index.htm

December 3, 2008 — Cheap Web Site Design (2)
August 2, 2008 — IPOD TOUCHED (3)

Tom Clancy’s EndWar

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:04:45 +0000

The upcoming World War III RTS, based on Tom Clancy’s renowned tech-fiction novels and the series of spin-off games, differentiates itself from other RTS games in a couple of ways. The story sticks to the traditional settling of American And European allies versus the Soviets. Apparently, USA has advanced its military expeditions to outer space and a revitalized Russia intervenes. The game does not advance in usual linear fashion or though levels. Rather, it reveals a map where a war is in progress. You then choose where you would like to assume control of a battle. In this fashion, you move through the map, fighting back forces wherever you think it is necessary to intervene. Voice commands are used to communicate with other players during online game play and to issue tactical orders to your troops. Once a strategic point is captured, it can be upgraded. Units are limited in number – seven to be exact – but they have a large number of upgrades in terms of armour, weapons and technology enhancements. There is none of the traditional base installations or resource harvestings associated with RTD titles. Units and ammunition are replenished by airships and/or cargo shipments.

Buyer’s Guide: Laptops

admin — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:35:18 +0000

Laptops are complex little machines with a variety of configuration options, which can lead to very confusing buying decisions. This edition, I will be pointing out some factors that you should consider before purchasing a laptop. These six factors are the root of any laptop being bought and by using these as a guideline you can land the most appropriate mobile PC for your needs.

Weight
The lighter the laptop, the easier it is to move around. Prices usually have an inverse relationship with the weight of a laptop; hence the lightest of laptops will always cost more than the heavier ones. Another relationship is the features of a laptop. If it has a powerful graphics card, or a larger monitor etcetera, the laptop will end up being comparatively heavier and more expensive.

Power Consumption
Battery life is critical for users who are on the go. On an average workload a regular low budget laptop would without doubt give you 2.5 to 3 hours of battery life. A fairly good machine would easily clock 4 hours. These are battery times for regular 6-cell batteries and 9-cell batteries have longer backup times. However, power consumption varies from manufacturer to manufacturer and model to model. Additional features usually result in powerful drain on battery supply. If you are mostly mobile, power consumption becomes a critical factor to consider.

Processing Power
Laptops are almost always more expensive than a desktop with similar specifications and so, it is essential to opt for a level of processing power that matches your current and near future needs. For office work only, an entry-level processor such as a single core Celeron is more than enough. For multimedia enthusiasts and power users, a Coe 2 Duo, or equivalent, processor is recommended.

Warranty
Try buying laptops with international warranty if you are traveling the world, and if not a local warranty would do the job. Usually these warranties allow non-physical damaged laptops to be repaired or replaced free of cost in the first year and cover parts and repairs in the following years at an appropriate cost to the customer.

Operating System
Well, if you are buying a high-priced laptop usually an operating system is pre-installed and these days Windows Vista is coming in. Other than, if the OP doesn’t come with it use the Windows XP, as it is good for the average person and low on battery consumption.

Brand Matters
It is easy to choose unbranded system for the sake of low prices but I would recommend not buying them as some of them may lack essential spare parts. Also un-braded laptops don’t have a valid warranty, thus I would recommend going with the branded laptops as they offer quality as well as great support.

Free Money Making Ebook

admin — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 13:17:29 +0000

Okay people, here you go with an another freebie. This time you will be making money. So if you like this ebook do tell me about it here. Using this ebook you can earn apto $5 each week. I being advanced managed to earn $7 in just one day. Yes, you can too, just read the ebook and start filling your paypal accounts.

Here you go with the link of the ebook:

http://rapidshare.com/files/134532085/eearn_via_image_upload.rar

December 26, 2008 — FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year (0)
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IPOD TOUCHED

admin — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 08:39:39 +0000

This is going to be my first mobile review, but I would like it to call inspection. People stay tuned to this blog, as I am going to bring out some cool things that you would never have read before would like to get a hang of it. As this is my first inspection, I will not only go and marvel at the svelte, gleaming exterior, the trademark Apple interface and the ability to flick and pinch at the screen. No, I will be taking it to the ultimate level J

What’s in the box The simple yet elegant charcoal grey packaging includes the unit, a pair of mediocre quality earphones, a USB 2.0 charging/syncing cable, a dock adapter, a stand and a quick start manual.

Design and Construction The iPOD quite similar to the iPhone as far as looks go. Other than that, it includes fewer default applications than does the iPhone. Its function is primarily to a mobile Internet device and portable audio/video player. The iTouch consists of a 3.5-inch multi-touch screen with a widescreen aspect ratio and a display resolution of 480-by-320 pixels. The multi-touch screen is extremely responsive as most of us are well aware of it.

Taking it to the Ultimate Level The iPOD touch can be a lot more than just a media player and portable web browser. All it requires is a little process iPhone hackers have named as “jailbreaking”. However, before proceeding further, I must say this if anything goes wrong it would not be my responsibility. Don’t worry nothing would happen if you follow my steps. I did it to a friend iTouch and it worked as smooth as magic.

Jailbreaking

Planning the break As both the iPOD Touch and the iPhone inherently have the same design, the jailbreak procedure is the same for both. So two jailbreaks at one time J. Before the iPOD Touch can be jailbroken it needs to fulfill certain requirements.

The first thing to do is activate the iPOD. I’ll assume that you must have read the quick start manual, so if have not read it, it will take only 5 minutes of your time. Once the phone has been activated, make sure you have firmware version 1.1.4 on it. If not, update the firmware through iTunes. Keep the sync cable connected to the device at all times. Make sure you have the latest iTunes version that is v7.6 for this purpose. Getting Firmware Click “check for updates” in the summary tab under devices > iPod in iTunes. iTunes will then install firmware 1.1.4 on the device and the iPOD will reboot. Click on the info tab, iTunes will verify firmware 1.1.4 is installed. Now we are ready to hack away.

Jailbreaking Download the graphical user interface version of the Ziphone hack from Zibri’s Ziphone website, choosing your operating system. Click on the downloaded file and let it run and install. If an error message pops up saying it cannot install, then you may need Microsoft’s .Net Framework pack.

The ZiPhone GUI will pop up on the screen. It isn’t necessary to exit iTunes although it may be safe if you do so. Click on the “jailbreak” button on the left and wait. You will see several scrolling lines of text on your iPOD Touch during this process. Don’t worry this is part of the process. When the jailbreak process is complete, you will see a new display on the screen (most probably Zorrow) and the ZiPhone application will indicate that the device has been liberated.

At this point the iPOD Touch will have rebooted and there will be two new icons on the home screen or SpringBoard, namely bookmarklet and the installer application.

Now your iPOD Touch has been jailbroken, but there are still a few more steps remaining.

Post-Jailbreak The easiest way to and add features to the iPOD Touch is to download the applications through the installer over a Wi-Fi Internet connection.

Tap the Installer icon on the home screen, then tab Sources > Refresh. The latest version of the app is version 3.11, so make sure that it is what you have, If not the installer will prompt you to update.

In installer, tap Uninstall and flick down to scroll through the list of pre-installed apps. Ensure that BSD Subsytem 2.1 and OpenSHH 4.6 are installed.

Tap Sources > Edit > Add and type in this source repository.

http://ipodtouched.net/repo.xml

Tap OK. Tap Done.

Now tap Install > All Packages > iPhone Apps + Wiggle and wait until it installs. Go back to the home screen and wait a while until it resets and displays a bush of applications from January 2008 update. These will include Mail, Notes, Weather, Stocks, and Maps. Turn off the device and turn it back on.

Now tap and hold down any icon on the home screen until they start to wiggle. The Zibri’s Blog bookmarklet will also have a Z on its icon. Tap that to remove it from the screen. Then press the Home button to update the SpringBoard or “re-spring”

Now tap on installer > All Packages > BossTool and install. Once installed, re-spring and tap BossTool > Free Disk Space > Relocate Fonts and then after this process is complete, tap Relocate Applications. What BossTool does is it moves fonts and the applications folder in the iPOD file system from the system partition (which is only 300 mb) to the larger partition. It can be uninstalled once the folders are moved.

Wanted to read more o_0, but the process has ended my dear reader and now you have got a perfectly jailbroken iPOD Touch with firmware 1.1.4 and almost unlimited possibilities.

LinkSharing

Modified iPOD Touch Resources

www.ispazio.net

http://grazr.com/read/fzelders/b7c82da

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Buyer’s Guide: Mobile Phones

admin — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:54:30 +0000

Mobile phones are all the rage these day, with nifty features such as cameras, internet connections, MP3 playback, push e-mail and a lot more. This is a marketed departure from the mobile phones that were present a few years back and hence is rapidly closing the gap between PCs and mobile phones. I too may think that some phone may have overcome the PCs. The following buyer’s guide will help you buy a phone that is both PC friendly as well as fun on the features you need.

Firstly, almost all mp3 enabled mobile phones have memory card options which allow them to expand beyond the inherent memory limitations of the core set. Fortunately for most PC users, the additional memory can be used as a make shift flash memory drive via USB connection. So when choosing a memory expansion option, it is advisable to expand beyond the meager quantities available.

Secondly, connectivity to one’s PC is a critical factor for all ardent power users. All high end mobile phones comes with USB connectivity options but usually do not ship with USB cables. When buying a mobile phone, getting the USB connection alongside is highly advisable. In most cases, the wire comes with a price range between $10~$15 only. Bluetooth connectivity is available by default for most high end phones but do ensure that your PC has a Bluetooth enabled module installed in it. It is recommended that one uses the USB cable for the very obvious transfer speed reasons.

Thirdly, GPRS and EDGE are two network standards that current GSM operators in most part of the world are offering. Make sure that the mobile phone you are buying also acts as a GPRS/EDGE modem. This is tricky as a lot of GPRS enabled phones do not act as a modem for your PC to patch through to the internet. Make sure that you cover that base by checking the documentation that comes with the mobile phone or better yet, go to the manufacturer’s website.

Fourthly, MP3 and video playback is another tricky affair for mobile phones to handle. Only certain frequencies for the MP3 format and certain formats for video are supported by most handsets. Try to shift files that are less that 128 Kbit/s for MP3s and stick to 3GP formats for video.

Last but not least, mobile phones can easily be the best partner your PC could have or the worst nightmare you might have to deal with. Make sure that your mobile phone ships in not just with its driver CD but, a complete software suite that auto-configures the settings of your mobile phone and prevents the hassle of manual configurations.

Digg here: http://digg.com/hardware/Buyer_s_Guide_Mobile_Phones

August 15, 2008 — Make Your Mobiles Read Faster (3)
August 2, 2008 — IPOD TOUCHED (3)

Get Front Page On Digg

admin — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 08:22:40 +0000

Here you go.. I am giving away my first freebie. “Get Front Page Of Digg”. Yes, this guide or you can call ebook can lead you and your website being listed on the first page of digg and giving you traffic that you could never have imagined of. It is said that if you reach the first page of digg you get an approx of 30k unique hits. That is worth $50+
So avail this ebook now.
Download it here.

http://rapidshare.com/files/132780393/DiggForSuccess.zip

Also, subscribers get a special written ebook regarding SEO. Note: only subscribers will recieve this ebook.

Buyer’s Guide: Mouse

admin — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 03:34:50 +0000

Many PC gamers would support the fact that one of the most critical components that determine a gamer’s success is the mouse that he or she slugs. An inaccurate mouse with non-ergonomic buttons and handling can guarantee a sub par gaming experience. For the hardcore gamer, the mouse becomes the quintessential weapon of choice for multiplayer matches, in which a millimeter’s worth of inaccuracy is enough to turn the tables of glory into disaster. This edition of the buyer’s guide will provide detail on the choices that will help you buy a great gaming mouse.

The first factor that a gamer should account for while buying a gaming mouse is the degree if sensitivity it comes with. The benchmark of this sensitivity is the Dots per Inch (DPI) rating that the mouse comes with. DPI explains the degree of accuracy the mouse shipped with. The higher the DPI, the more accurate the mouse becomes to hand gestures. Traditionally ball mice came with a degree of 500 DPI, while professional mice easily scale to 2000 DPI. The difference becomes highly obvious in high-resolution games, where the degree of accuracy translates to on-screen activity. Many gamming mice come with drivers that allow a gamer to change sensitivity levels on the fly, hence making sure the mouse is accurately calibrated to a gamer’s dexterity levels.

Secondly, Ergonomic design is the key to a winning gamming mouse. A lot of gamming mice are quite large in size and hence need to be tested out before purchasing. If your retailer allows, do take the mouse out for a spin.

Thirdly, more buttons do no necessarily mean a better mouse. Do understand your own requirements and that should help sort you out how many buttons you need on the mouse.

Fourthly, if one is purchasing a high-end mouse, it is necessary to make sure that they know the have the right environment to faction in. high DPI mice are extremely sensitive to the type of surface they are kept on. Almost all high-end mice come with their special mouse pads that are specially calibrated to work with the mouse, so make sure your mouse comes with a compatible pad.

Lastly drivers make or break a gaming mouse. Ensure you read review on the Web before jumping on to the bandwagon. Many a times, unpopular manufacturers have no client software that allows tweaks and adjustments of the mouse, which becomes a loss for the consumer who is not comfortable with the default settings.

Tip: Great gaming mice come from Logitech and Razer.

December 26, 2008 — FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year (0)
July 22, 2008 — Buyer’s Guide: Cooling your Desktop (2)

Buyer’s Guide: Graphic Card

admin — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:28:13 +0000

This Buyer’s Guide edition is about one of the most important features in one’s computer that is the graphic card. We receive many queries about just the right graphic card for one’s budget. Although the stated topic is rather large, the following few pointers should definitely help you make a better purchase.

Knowing your budget can help realistic expectations. Buying an entry-level card can cost roughly around $80~150. This card would not do wonders, but would be able to pull off desktop processing with aplomb. This includes, but is not limited to, Aero Glass effects for Windows Vista, HD-quality video decoding, Paint Shop Pro, etcetera.

This, by no means, suggests that an entry-level card cannot perform well in games, but it would be critically dependent on the resolution, DirectX support, as well as the number of effects turned on in a game. A good rule of thumb is that today’s budget card can sufficiently play last year’s hits at a respectable resolution of 1024×786, but one would not overload on the effects.

A mid-level card ranges around $150~250. These cards can run a lot of DirectX 10 games at a respectable resolution of 1280×1024 but with anti-aliasing turned off. For many budget gamers this works well, as this resolution provides crisp quality on visuals on small monitors (less than 19 inches).

A high-end card can go up to $500. This is primarily for gamers who like to be in the edge of graphical sophistication, as well as future proofing. The first thing one should check before buying a graphics card is the DirectX 10 support. The number of unified shader pipelines as well as their clock speed is very important. When choosing between two, make sure that a higher shader clock speed variant is chosen over sheer number of shaders.

Amount of RAM is important as games have started shipping with larger textures, hence require more space to run smoothly –256 megabytes should be the bare minimum for all gamers buying a new graphic card.

Again, more RAM does not necessarily mean higher performance. The bandwidth of ‘bit’ rating of the RAM, as well as its speed, is very important. If split between a 256-mb card and a 512-mb card, make sure that the one with higher bit rating as well as speed rating is chosen.

Connection type is critical for graphic card these days. Even if you have a standard VGA monitor, it is always good to have HDMI/DVI support under your hood. If opting for a budget card, insist on a DVI port. Do not worry about compatibility with the existing monitor; most graphical cards come with analogue VGA converter.

Digg Story at http://digg.com/hardware/Buyer_s_Guide_Graphic_Card

Buyer’s Guide: Cooling your Desktop

admin — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:23:36 +0000

Today’s buyer’s guide is on cooling your desktop PC’s to the optimal, given extremes of temperature going through this summer. Here are some tips to make sure your computer does not get too host during usage,

Firstly, enable the temperature control mechanism in your motherboard. Almost all motherboards manufactured in the past 5 years have a built-in temperature control module. This can be enabled/disabled via the BIOS screen that can be accessed by pressing Del of Function keys, during the post screen of the computer. There are usually tow levels at which the temperature works. The first is the warning beep it produces then the temperature reaches near the critical point and this beep should be a warning sign to save tour work and immediately put the computer to sleep mode, or if you want you can put a bucket full of water on it . The next level is when the motherboard foes into the auto-shutdown mode because the temperature becomes too high to keep operations running smoothly. Either way, the motherboard does protect the system as much as it can.

Secondly, make sure that the layer between the CPU fan and the CPY itself is lubricated with a conductive gel. The most preferred is Artic Silver that can be found in most shops. The default layer coming with the fan is alright, but easily gets sloughed off if the CPU or fan is changes, so ensure you get a new paste every time you upgrade.

Thirdly, get a powerful CPU fan such as a Cooler Master Turbo especially if your computer is placed in a hot room. It is important that enough air is dissipated through the system. The CPU fan plays an integral part in keeping the system’s airflow strong.

Fourthly, get an additional fan for the case and allow it to such in the air and keep the airflow fresh and consistent. An additional fan does not cost much and is a real boon to have in the summers.

The last thing one should do if the temperature problem is going completely off the hand and this is, to remover the casing’s cover. Theist makes airflow a zero issue especially if one has a fan running close by. The only problem is the exposure he computer components have to dust, that happens once the protective layer is taken off.

http://digg.com/hardware/Buyer_s_Guide_Cooling_your_Desktop

December 26, 2008 — FREE PC Pandora Keylogger Software Registration Key Valid for 1 Year (0)
July 26, 2008 — Buyer’s Guide: Mouse (0)

In the name of the game

admin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:29:54 +0000

Games are a part of almost every human society and they have been used to inculcate desirable virtues and skills in the next generation. As societies evolve the passage of time, the preferred forms of entertainment and learning also change.

Living in an era where technology has made inroads into almost every sphere of life, it is no surprise to find a thriving tech-gaming culture in every part of world. Video and computer games have been around since the late 80’s and seeing a second generation gamer playing alongside the younger clan members is not odd. Then again video games have morphed into from simple problems with primitive graphics into graphical masterpieces with elaborate cut scenes and spic plots, with enough details to whisk gamers into a fantasy world far away from reality.

The joy of mindlessly zoning out in virtual reality instead of actually doing something or speaking to someone is so compelling that video games are now a multibillion-dollar business. Despite exponential growth; this sphere of entertainment countess to be typecast as brainless, violent, addictive or juvenile. While these labels may hold true in certain situations, they tend to exclude the other side of picture. The positive aspects of gaming – creativity, community, problem-solving, multi-taking, decision making, strategizing – are somehow buried under these negative stereotypes.

Which makes one ponder, how and when will the disagreements between old and young over new forms of media be resolved? Sometimes attitudes can change relatively quickly, as happened with the internet. Once condemned as a cesspool of depravity, it is now recognized as a valuable new medium, albeit one where ( as with films and, yes, electronic games) children’s access should be limited and supervised. Attitudes changed when the critics of the internet once began using it for work, realized that, like and medium, it could be used for good purposes as well as bad. But can gaming be expected to meet the same fate ?

Seeking your comments, author Ali Hussain.

Buyer’s Guide – Computer Updates

admin — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:22:45 +0000

Personal computer are demanding little beasts. They require constant attention otherwise they start underperforming at the slighest of hiccups. Many PC users out there worry about how to maintain their computers, so as to ensue that they go thought a perfectly smooth experience thought its lifetime. This month I’ll be covering five basic points to ensure that your purchased computing goods give stable performance and do not let you down under any circumstances.

Updates:
Always update your windows operating system by activating Automatic Updates on your PC. Also ensure that the drivers for your graphic card, sound card and motherboard are updated as well. This will ensure that games and other software will run without glitches. Another important update to keep in consideration is the anti-virus/anti-spyware, which requires as much diligence as any of the above-mentioned updates.

Defragmentation
Defragmentation is an activity similar to an oil change for the computer. Defragmentation primarily reorganizes the physical data present on the hard drive to ensure that data access becomes faster. When Windows or any other operating system is installing programs or writing data on the disk, it randomly selects an empty space and writes data to it. This leaves patches of physical address completely empty and the hard drive’s physical data layout becomes akin to that of a mountain honeycombed with caves.
Defragmentation pushes relevant data together, reducing the empty pockets and driving up performance through faster data access.

Backup wisely
It is important to segregate hard drive data onto partitions that make sense. Never keep critical files (including the ‘ My Documents’ folder) on the root drive, since all mishaps usually occur within this partition.

To format or not
The fastest way to give performance to a PC is to do a hard disk format. Of course, this leads to complete eradication of the operating environment and, as a result, can be cumbersome process. An easier process is to make and image of the existing operating system and backup on either a DVD or an external hard drive. After the format, the computer can be restored back on its original position through the previous image.

RAM check
An average PC usually has a technological life span of roughly one to one and a hald years. A method to evaluate a computer’s performacne is to keep a healty check on the RAM being utilised. A quick way is to go to the Task Manager by prossing Ctrl+Shift+Esc in the Windows XP. Once there check the RAM and the “Page File Usage”. If the page file has increased to more than double your RAM, you need to either turn off the program runnung in the background or increase the RAM to fit you requirements.

Put your name in System tray

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 07:08:07 +0000

Alright, a fun childish trick. Do you love yourself? I do. Thus i want my name everywhere. You could too. Now insert your name in the Clock

Here is how:-

1. Start -> Run -> Regedit

2,HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\International

3.s1159=AM/s2359=PM

4. Edit the s1159/s2359 and insert your text.

Boost USB ZIP Speed!

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:43:29 +0000

Tired of slow speeds? Well, here i bring to you a great new trick which will help you in satisfying your needs. Here are the simple steps:-

To boost the transfer speed of your USB ZIP, flash disk,or anything, simply go to my computer, then right click to the Drive zip or Flash Disk. Choose Properties, go to Hardware’s tab, click the drive name that contain ‘USB’ on it. Then click properties, go to policies. Then activate the Optimize for Performance option.
Click OK.

Win FREECELL Game with an easy way!

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:41:21 +0000

If you frustrate in beating freecell game, then this trick may help

1. Start the game as usual
2. In the middle game, just type Ctrl+Shift+F10.
3. Soon, there will be a box that asking your answer.
4. Choose Abort to win the game (You can read it by yourself from the box)
5. Continue Playing.
6. Oops!You win d’ game

Be A Trick Master!!!See the opponent’s card in Hearts game!

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:40:35 +0000

Like WoW. This old trick might seem new to some people but i am 100% sure the each time you read the better for you.
It’s Funny!
1. Go to Start > Run type regedit
2. Browse to HKey_Current_User\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Applets\Hearts
3. Make new string value (right click then NEW>string value)
4. Type ZB as the name
5. Double click the ZB file fill the blank with 42
6. Play the Hearts Game
7. In the middle game, press Ctrl + Alt + Shift + F12
8. See the in-game magic now
9. Now, You can win easily

Faster Than Fast: Internet Explorer

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:36:54 +0000

So, I bring you another trick. Make internet explorer work faster than ever.

This simple tricks to make internet Explorer (IE) fast

Open registry editor, Go to Start then Run and type regedit.
Once in registry, navigate to key HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\microsoft\Windows\ Current Version \InternetSettings.
Right click on the right windows–New –DWORD. Type MaxConnectionsPerServer. You can set value (the more higher the no, the more good speed eg:99).
Create another DWORD >type MaxConnectionsPer1_0Server .
Then put a high value as mentioned above. Restart I.E and you are done.

Set Multiple Homepages on internet Explorer 7

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:34:30 +0000

Well, i thought this might be important for you people. As some of you may use internet explorer and may need multiple tabs. Thus from now onwards use this trick to open multiple tabs as your homepage.

This facility good for if you like browsing and often open many website the sameness. Website is often opened by you can keep and you can open with a single click. To Open your favorite websites with a single click you can change set Multiple Homepages on internet Explorer 7.

This is the way :

Open Internet Explorer 7
Go to the option Tools then click on Internet Options.
Select the General tab, here you will get option “To create home page tabs, type each address on its own line” and type the URL in the Home page section.
Type one URL in one line then press Enter to type another URL.
Press Ok to finish

3 Ways to Get Backlink

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 06:25:37 +0000

Backlink is one of the way improve blog traffic. More and more link going to a blog, progressively popular blog. If blog don’t have backlink from other website, the website thought nothing of by search engine. and will be disregarded, especially google.

How to Get Backlink ?

to get backlink there are some ways that is :

1. Link exchange

Easiest way to get backlink that is Link exchange with other web or blog. If you have many website, doing Link exchange do not the problem of. But if your blog there is only one Link exchange with other website is very boring, time-consuming and this process will continue continuously.

2. Buying Link

If you have many funds, you can buy link from other blog. To buy link you can use Text-Link-Ads or AdBrite. Although this way require many funds. But proportional obtained result with released expense.

3. Using free Advertising Network

To use this service was you have to read the rules of this service. Because every network advertising have rule of way to use free Advertising Network. Some services of free Advertising Network can be used that is, http://www.digitalpoint.com, http://www.receivelinks.com, referal links

Good luck, Congratulation try ?

Digg Story – http://digg.com/programming/3_Ways_to_Get_Backlink

Reset Your Lost WordPress Administrator Password

admin — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 05:38:39 +0000

Yes, i finally fount something that might interest you. Yes, not no need to go to the phpadmin, sql i don’t know what. This is the fastest plugin ever. Just your ftp is required and you can change you password in a few seconds.

This script is called emergency.php. It allows you to change your WordPress blog administrator password and it sends off an e-mail to the blog administrator, letting them know, once it’s been changed, what’s happened.

It does not require that you be logged in. It only requires that you have the ability to upload the file to your server, and that you know the current WordPress administrator’s username. Hint: That’s usually admin.

Specific Instructions:

Unpack the zip.
Upload emergency.php to the root of your WordPress install (the same directory that contains wp-config.php)
Open http://www.yourdomain.com/emergency.php in your favorite browser.
Follow the simple instructions.
When you are done, delete emergency.php off your server. Do not leave it up for someone else to come along and use.

Download This php Script Now. [3kb]

December 2, 2008 — WordPress On A Roll (2)
November 27, 2008 — WordPress Free Theme Release (0)
November 27, 2008 — New Look, Yet Again (0)

Free Legal ESET Nod 32 Smart Security and Nod32 Antivirus License for 3 months

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:20:13 +0000

Okay, this is like my first ever tutorial for the bloggers to read.

Firstly about the softwares,

ESET Smart Security provides:

Proactive Protection: Utilizing ThreatSense—the industry’s most advanced heuristics technology, capable of proactively recognizing threats—the window of vulnerability between malware outbreak and signature update is reduced. The included antispam and firewall software provide you with a total security solution.

Precise Detection: ESET accurately identifies known and unknown threats. It consistently wins top awards from testing labs and is recognized for having zero false positives.1

Lightweight Design: Smart Security requires less memory and CPU power, allowing your computer to run fast, making more room for games, web browsing, and emailing.

Fast Scanning Speeds: ESET Smart Security is a highly efficient program ensuring fast file scanning and product updates, while running quietly in the background.

ESET NOD32 Antivirus provides:

Proactive Protection: The award winning ThreatSense technology combines multiple layers of detection protecting you from Internet threats before it is too late.

Precise Detection: ESET accurately identifies known and unknown threats. It consistently wins top awards from testing labs and is recognized for having zero false positives.1

Lightweight Design: Requires less memory and CPU power, allowing your computer to run fast, making more room for games, web browsing, and emailing.

Fast Scanning Speeds: Highly efficient program ensuring fast file scanning and product updates. It runs quietly in the background.

Now, How To Get A Legit Serial Number:-

1. Now visit this link – click here to visit

2. Note on getting the license: The website is on Chinese, for those who don’t know how to read Chinese Characters, you just need to fill up the first four boxes.
2.1 The 1st box is for user name.
2.2 The 2nd box is for a password.
2.3 The the 3rd and 4th box is for your email address and confirm your email address.

3.After filling up all four boxes, just simply click on the last part, the one with an arrow. After that you will see the serial number, then copy it and click on the lower part of it that contains an arrow for activation. After that open up your email address for the username and password. The email usually takes upto 10 minutes.

Download Nod32 Antivirus and Smart Security:
http://www.eset.com/download/free_trial_download.php

Disable the Windows XP Splash Screen

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:10:40 +0000

Here how to disable the Windows XP Splash Screen

Right click My Computer,
Properties, Advanced, Startup and Recovery, Edit.
Edit BOOT.INI. Add “/SOS” right after “/fastdetect” with a space between. The line will look something like this: multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS=”Microsoft Windows XP Professional” /fastdetect /SOS.
When you’re finished. The first part, multi(0)….. may not be the same on your machine. Upon restarting, the splash screen will be gone.
It can be re-enabled by removing the new switch.

Boost your Internet Speed Instanly

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:09:55 +0000

Click Start – Run – type gpedit.msc
Expand the Local Computer Policy branch.
Expand the Administrative Templates branch.
Expand the Network branch.
Highlight the “qos Packet Scheduler” in left window.
In right window double click the “limit reservable bandwidth” setting.
On setting tab check the ENABLED item.
Where it says “Bandwidth limit %” change it to read 0 (ZERO).
Close gpedit.msc.

How to speed up your slow internet connection?

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:09:28 +0000

Reducing your Web Cache Space
- Open Control Panel Click Start – Control Panel
- Double Click on Internet Options
- Click General Tab
- Delete temporary files, history, cookies, saved passwords & web information
Speed Up your Web Pages by blocking multimedia and Turning off Graphics
- Open Control Panel
- Double Click on Internet Options

Click Advanced Tab, Deselect some of the options which you don’t need generally while browsing example removing Show pictures if you normally use internet connection for check out your emails etc.

Remove Username From Start Menu in Windows XP

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:09:02 +0000

Open up registry editor, by Click Start – run then type regedit
Go to the following key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer
Create a new DWORD value on the right pane with the following values Name

NoUserNameInStartMenu

Value: 1
To remove, either set the value to 0 or just delete the key. You will have to log off and back on to see the start menu without the username:
You could also remove the picture by deleting or renaming this folder

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\ Application Data\ Microsoft\User Account Pictures\Default Pictures

Doing so would remove the picture from the login page as well, and it doesn’t remove the blue border across the top.

Note : that this only applies to the XP style menu, not the classic menus

Automatically Hardisk Defragmenter in Windows XP

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:08:06 +0000

If you leave computer, to eat or to toilet for example, seen that computer don’t any activity, even indicator CPU usage in Task Manager show number 1 or 0 %. PC will await till you return and give comand to do something.

at the time of computer not be used, real all components work full. For example, Harddisk, remain to rotate though there no any activity. That movement require electrics so the electrics keep pouring in with energy do not far differ. Really an extravagance of energy.

Than electrics used without effect, You make harddisk to automatically defrag, like this you also will time-saving because not excessively to run Disk Defragmenter.

Following steps to be optimal of harddisk :

Click Start – Run then type regedit
go to subkey HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SOFTWARE\ Microsoft\ Windows\ CurrentVersion\ OptimalLayout
Create a new DWORD value by right click mouse at starboard of window, then choose New DWORD Value. Giving the name of the New DWORD with EnableAutoLayout
Double click EnableAutoLayout
Change its data value with value 1
Click O.K
Close Registry Editor and restart PC to take effect

Neglectless. Altering registry can cause windows error

Blocking Application in Windows XP

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:05:27 +0000

Blocking application to restrict it to execution. This is an useful trick I think to System Administrator or who have a PC that they want to protect their privacy.

Its way :

Open your registry editor (Click Start-Run then type regedit), then find the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Software / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Policies / Explorer

If you have found the key, add new DWORD Value and rename it to be DisallowRun.
Double click the value and set data value to be 1.
Create new key under Explorer key and rename it tobe DisallowRun, so the complete key will be like this:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER / Software / Microsoft / Windows / CurrentVersion / Policies / Explorer / DisallowRun

On DisallowRun key, create new String Value, and rename it to be (example: application1). Double click the value and set the data value by application that you want to block. (Example winamp.exe, cmd.exe, or regedit.exe) Read the rest of this entry »

Adding Target at “Send To” in the Windows XP

June 5th, 2008 fauzan Posted in Windows XP | No Comments »

IF You right click at file or folder will appear “Send To” menu. The Menu commonly use to move or copy file to determined location. Default, only there are some available locations.

You Might possibly often move file to location which not yet on Send To. For that You can add target at “send to”. Its way :

Go to folder “C:\Windows\Documents and Settings\USERNAME\Send To”. at old windows version located in “c:\windows\send to” folder.
In the right pane, right click mouse and create New – Shortcut target.
If dialogue box appear click browse button and select a target folder then click Ok

How to Backup and Restore Registry

June 4th, 2008 fauzan Posted in Registry, Windows XP | No Comments »

When making a change windows registry sometime some functions of windows become error. To prevent mentioned you can create registry back-up before making a change registry.

Backup Registry

Click Start > Run… the type regedit to open Registry Editor
Backup youe windows registry by select File > Export… menu
Export Registry File appear, save the registry as .reg file. Name for example as backup.reg. the click save.

Restore Registry

To restore registry select File > Import… menu
Select registry backup file the click open.

How to Reset Admin and User Password in the Windows OS

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:02:51 +0000

Password is important way to protect computer so that cannot be used with the others. Sometime we forget password for login to computer, so that we cannot access system of windows. For the Windows XP we can be tried by using default User Administrator and without password. But if fail to, we usually reinstall system of windows.

In fact there other alternative can be tried and high enough success possibility, that is using PC Login Now (PCLoginNow) software. this application guarantee 100% succeeding.

In This Time PC Login Now ( PCLOGINNOW) Software is free software although before all is commercial program..

Some feature PCLOGINNOW that is :

100% Recovery Rate : PCLoginNow guarantee 100% can succeed to reset all windows password.
Support Syskey. PCLoginNow can easily bypass mechanism of Syskey and reset windows password.
Offline running : run PCLoginNow Offline in Linux Live CD
Securest technique: PCLoginNow use peaceful way to reset windows password and other setting, needn’t worry by damage of system.
Support File System : NTFS, FAT16 and FAT32
Support Operating System Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows XP SP1, Windows XP SP2, Windows 2003 server, Windows Vista.
Support many hardware like computer with IDE, SATA, SCSI Hardisk, USB, and Firewire (IEEE 1394).
easy usage way

To download this software you can open this link : http://www.pcloginnow.com . this software is available in ISO image format 58 MB. To use this software, after download you must burning to CD or DVD, and Use the CD or DVD for booting at computer.

Yahoo Messenger Tutorial – Remove Adnsense and Personalize Your Yahoo! Messenger

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 05:00:13 +0000

Personalize you Yahoo Messenger by Install skins in the Yahoo! Messenger

Download skin to personalize the look of Yahoo! Messenger

http://messenger.yahoo.com/feat_skins.php

http://www.modernmorph.com/download/cat/self-installing-yahoo-messenger-skins/

http://www.skinbase.org/Skins/Yahoo!Messenger/198

http://customize.org/yahoomessenger

or Search using search engine, use keyword “yahoo messenger skin”

Extract the .zip file use WinZip, 7zip, Izarc, etc.
Copy all the files into C:\. Make sure that “Use folder names” is checked. If Yahoo! Messenger is installed on a different hard drive, replace “C:\” with the appropriate drive letter.
Select Change Skin from the Messenger menu.
Select Skin then click Ok

Remove Adsense or banner From Yahoo Messenger

Remove banner can improve loading speed yahoo messenger

Close the messenger
download the Self Extracting file noadsse.exe – 64KB and run noads.exe. from it. and Restart Messenger…simple !! Alternatively
Nice info also found here. If you install new versions of Yahoo Messenger, you’ll have to repeat the steps above, as Yahoo setup rewrites the registry entries. New versions will most likely make removing the ads more difficult or even impossible.

About The Theme

admin — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 02:06:33 +0000

About this Theme

- 4 different colours [orange, green, yellow, blue ]
- adsense ready
- easy to edit
- widget ready
- valid XHTML and CSS
- widget ready
- tested in Firefox, IE, Opera and Safari
- footer encrypted

LinkW

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