think-act-do

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Apple online offer glitch hints at early Snow Leopard launch | Mac OS X

A mistaken offer in Apple’s online store on Wednesday could signal that the company’s latest Mac operating system, code-named Snow Leopard, is primed for launch as early as next week.

The company was offering to ship the as-yet-unreleased Mac OS X 10.6—code-named Snow Leopard—within 24 hours as part of the new Mac Box Set products, which were briefly put on sale on Apple’s Web site.

However, the Box Set products were pulled after a call was made to Apple online sales to check whether the new OS would ship in 24 hours as part of the single-user Box Set edition. The Box Set —which also comes in a family pack edition—offers a plethora of software upgrades to Mac users, including the OS, productivity suites and multimedia applications.

A saleswoman verified that the Box Set was for sale online after checking with technical support. But she said that it might not ship overnight as the Snow Leopard OS was not yet shipping.

The saleswoman could not be reached for comment after the products were pulled, and Apple officials did not return calls or e-mail for comment.

The online store glitch could give credence to reports that Apple is preparing for an early launch of Snow Leopard, which is officially scheduled to go on sale in September. Observers, including analysts and blog sites, have predicted the OS would start to ship as soon as Aug. 28.

Retail sites like Amazon.com are already taking pre-orders for Snow Leopard and the Mac Box Set. Snow Leopard is available as an upgrade to Mac OS X version 10.5 Leopard users for $30.

The OS includes a number of systemwide “refinements,” according to Apple’s Web site.The enhancements include quicker installation compared to predecessors, a new version of QuickTime multimedia software and a souped-up user interface. It also includes a number of internal enhancements to perform tasks like video encoding and decoding faster by tapping into the processing power of multiple CPU and graphics processing cores.

My Favorite Free HTML Editor: Windows -- Notepad++ -- Mac -- Editra

I found this in a the Site Sell Private forum that I am a member of, I think you should be able to click through to the article, but if you can't just leave a comment telling me about the problem:

Image by fzurell via Flickr

Site Build It! Forums :: View topic - My Favorite Free HTML Editor

Karen E from simply-kids-play.com

Nothing happens until something moves...

My Grandson told me about Notepad ++. It is a free HTML editor.

http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm

You can see what things look like by using Run and then choosing the Browser you want to check.

It leaves no stray or awkward codes as the WYSIWYG ones do.

Check it out.

Karen
www.simply-kids-play.com

PS: For those wanting a Mac HTML editor:
"I just checked with my Grandson again about a Mac program for HTML. He said he likes http://www.editra.org/. You might want to check it out. It also works in windows. It is free. I haven't tried it though."

Karen
www.simply-kids-play.com

Friday, August 21, 2009

Apple Begins Training Support Staff for Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Apple Begins Training Support Staff for Mac OS X Snow Leopard

Source: Mac Rumors - macrumors.com

Macenstein claims to have received information from sources claiming that support training for OS X Snow Leopard has begun and that Apple's new operating system will very likely launch on Friday, August 28th.

According to reliable sources, support training for Snow Leopard has begun, signaling an imminent release of the next major release of OS X. Sources claim a date of Friday, August 28th is extremely likely.
The source also provided several screenshots of Snow Leopard training instructions for AppleCare support representatives. The news corroborates claims from several other sources that Snow Leopard will ship on the 28th, ahead of Apple's announced September launch window.

MacRumors has also heard from a purported AppleCare representative that support staff at their location had just been provided with Snow Leopard discs (containing the rumored 'Golden Master' Build 10A432) for installation on their primary machines. The source noted that OS X Leopard was distributed to AppleCare representatives approximately one week before its October 2007 launch, leading the source to suspect that a Snow Leopard release may in fact be right around the corner.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Article Marketing 101 - Everything You Need To Know About Article Marketing In One Place!

Image by lawtonchiles via Flickr

Source: warriorforum.com - Article Marketing 101

Among the many hundreds of emails and free information packages I get each week, this came across my desk in the last couple of days and I was astonished to find someone putting them selves on the line like this.

Article Marketing 101 - Everything You Need To Know About Article Marketing In One Place!

This is a fascinating forum and this article leads to Article Marketing 102 - Beyond Article Marketing 101.

Read it for a lot of great information.

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

How Switching To a Mac Can Save You Countless Productive Hours

Image via Wikipedia

Source: Computer Repair And PC Repair London

Whether you are an expert computer user or not, you have probably been burned by your computer in the past. For some a computer virus could have wiped out your hard drive, or completely taken control of your web browser. For others, you might have been running an application only to have it crash and lose your data. So what is the solution?

There is a solution to many of the common computer problems: switch to an Apple computer. Although Apple and Microsoft have always competed for the personal computer marketshare, today things have changed. Where once someone with a Windows-based computer would never think twice of switching over, now people are switching in droves.

Why the sudden shift? There are many factors for this change. First off, the Macintosh operating system has been redesigned from the ground up and is now a more stable and effective operating system. With Mac OS X, users have a lot less to worry about: no viruses, no trojans, and no crashes. What more could a user want? For more please visit computer training

Image via Wikipedia

Apple delivers more: a seamless integration between hardware and software. When you buy a PC and install Windows, chances are that you are installing the operating system on a set of hardware that was never really fully tested together. Different combinations of plug and play hardware are what causes Windows to crash time and time again.

On the other hand, with an Apple computer, you get the operating system that was tested with the hardware ahead of time. Did you ever wonder why Apple sells the hardware with the software? It's because it allows the developers to test their software on the different hardware configurations before shipping the product. PCs come in too many varieties to be tested fully. For more please visit computer training

Plus, Apple delivers all the applications you need to get your work done, and have fun doing it. On a Windows machine, you get the basic Microsoft Office suite of applications. Now, you can get the same suite of applications for your Mac as well.

Yet, Apple offers applications that you can't get on Windows: the iLife set of applications. These programs make your life easier because they organize and import all your digital photos, they play your music, they let you import home movies, and create DVDs right from your computer.

What's more is that Apple does most of the work in the background, and leaves you to focus on the most important decisions. Developers and computer wizards used to pride themselves on knowing the internals of their windows machines. Today that's changing, as people realize they have better things to do than spend all their time at a computer terminal, when they could go out and enjoy life.

That's exactly what switching to a Mac can do for your productivity. Your computer will let you be as productive as you can, by getting out of your way. So that you can get back to living your life to the fullest! For more please visit computer training courses

Tags: fast pc repair, computer repair, computer repair london, data disk recovery"

Microsoft's Bing Gained 1 Point of Market Share in July

Image by LatinSuD via Flickr

Source: eWeek

Microsoft's Bing gained a single point of market share in July, bringing its total to 9.41 percent, according to a new report by StatCounter. The recent partnership deal between Microsoft and Yahoo has given both companies hope that they can challenge Google, which currently holds a double-digit lead in the search market. Under the terms of the partnership, Bing will power search on Yahoo sites, while Yahoo takes over worldwide sales duties for the companies’ search advertisers.

Microsoft’s share of the U.S. search market increased to 9.41 percent in July 2009, a rise of 1 percentage point, according to research firm StatCounter. At the same time, Google’s share of the U.S. market slipped during the same period to 77.54 percent, down by nearly a point, while Yahoo declined a fraction of a point, from 11.04 to 10.95.

StatCounter's report came days after the July 29 announcement of a partnership deal between Microsoft and Yahoo: that 10-year agreement that will see Microsoft's Bing power Yahoo’s search engine, while Yahoo assumes exclusive worldwide sales duties for the companies’ search advertisers. Microsoft will pay traffic acquisition costs (TACs) to Yahoo at an initial rate of 88 percent of search revenue generated on Yahoo’s sites.

The deal represents a recognition on both companies' part that the only way to break Google’s lock on the search and online advertising market may be through working together. According to StatCounter’s report, a combined Microsoft and Yahoo search would have a 20.36 percent market share.

"Bing continues to make slow but steady progress but the combined Yahoo figures suggests that the deal announced last week will have to demonstrate major future synergies if it is to make any dent in Google’s dominance," Aodhan Cullen, CEO and founder of StatCounter, said in a statement.

Microsoft and Yahoo, however, are publicly hopeful that the deal will allow them to chip away at Google’s substantial lead in the online space.

"This deal will combine Yahoo and Microsoft search marketplaces so that advertisers no longer have to rely on one company that dominates more than 70 percent of all search," both companies said in a statement on July 29. "With the addition of Yahoo’s search volume, Microsoft will achieve the size and scale required to unleash competition and innovation in the market, for consumers as well as advertisers."

After Bing started making incremental market-share gains in the wake of its June 3 launch, buoyed to a certain extent by Microsoft’s massive ad campaign, analysts debated whether the relative success of Redmond’s search engine would influence its dealings with Yahoo. Some argued that Bing would lead Microsoft to abandon any deals with Yahoo entirely, especially in context of its failed 2008 takeover bid, while others argued that Bing would compel Microsoft to approach Yahoo from a position of greater strength.

The deal between Microsoft and Yahoo could also help stop the erosion in Yahoo’s paid search spend, which according to a July report by SearchIgnite had declined year-over-year by 26 percent.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Yahoo! and Microsoft to seal deal to rival Google - Times Online

Image via CrunchBase

Source: Times Online:

Microsoft and Yahoo! have finally agreed an online search and advertising partnership in a bid to rival Google.

The revenue sharing deal is expected to be announced later today, more than a year after Yahoo! rejected a $47.5 million (£29 million) takeover bid from Microsoft and Yahoo!'s attempt to strike a search advertising deal with Google fell apart under regulatory scrutiny.

Under the expected deal, Microsoft's new Bing search engine will power Yahoo!'s searches while Yahoo! will handle advertising sales. The companies will use Microsoft's advertising technology to deliver appropriate ads alongside search results.

The deal may not be as far-reaching as many investors expected. It does not appear to call for Microsoft to pay Yahoo! in advance, which could disappoint Wall Street. Carol Bartz, Yahoo! chief executive, had said she would join forces with Microsoft only for 'boatloads of money'.

Microsoft is counting on Yahoo!'s search engine, which ranks as the second largest in the world with a global market share of 8 per cent, to pose a more formidable challenge to Google, which holds 67 per cent of the global audience, according to the most recent data from the research company comScore. In the US, Google's share is 65 per cent, compared with 20 per cent for Yahoo!.

Despite spending billions to upgrade its search engine, Microsoft still held just a 3 per cent share worldwide and 8 per cent in the US in the comScore rankings.

There is a chance a deal combining the powers of the second and third-ranked search engine companies would be blocked by antitrust regulators.

Shareholders of both Microsoft and Yahoo! have been urging the two to strike a deal for some time. Earlier this month, the activist investor Carl Icahn, who owns about 5 per cent of Yahoo! and is a director on its board, spoke out again in favour of a search deal, as talks between the two companies appeared to regain momentum.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Microsoft Backtracks on Browser-less Windows 7 E

Source: sitepoint.com

Microsoft will offer a choice of competing web browsers with European versions of Windows 7 when the new OS is released in October 2009. The company hopes the action will adhere with European Union legislation and fend off further anti-trust fines. Although Windows 7 is selling well, Microsoft revenues are down by almost a fifth and costly court cases will not help.

Microsoft’s original proposal was to remove Internet Explorer from Windows 7 E (European version). Anyone pre-ordering Windows 7 in Europe is currently shown a warning that the OS will not provide a browser. For example, Amazon UK published detailed browser download instructions (although anyone needing these probably shouldn’t attempt an OS installation!) Hardware vendors would have been free to install the web browser of their choice, but IE was likely to remain the most popular choice.

The European Commission did not consider Windows 7 sans-browser to be a viable solution. It was too similar to the failed versions of Windows without a media player — they preferred a ballot screen to restore browser competition. Although full details are yet to be finalized, Microsoft has issued the following proposal:

Microsoft — rather than hardware manufacturers — will control the browser ballot screen.
Windows 7 E will be provided with Internet Explorer.
New installations of Windows 7 in Europe will show a web page offering a choice of five popular web browsers.
European Windows XP and Vista users will see the same ballot screen during a future automatic update (if IE is set as their default browser).
The list of alternative browsers will be based on 6-month usage statistics and will be reviewed twice per year.
Is this the right decision for Microsoft? I suspect so — the EU could have fined the company and ordered far more draconian changes to the OS. At least Microsoft have overall control of the ballot screen and can install IE without fear of legislative reprisals.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Apple Tablet Ready by Xmas, Served with Multimedia 'Cocktail'

Image via CrunchBase

Source: www.pcworld.com
Daniel Ionescu Jul 27, 2009 10:12 pm

Apple is racing to launch a tablet-sized device in time for the Christmas shopping season, according to a report from the Financial Times (FT). Featuring a 10-inch touch screen display, Apple's tablet is also said to launch alongside "Cocktail," a project designed to increase sales of CD-length music.

The Apple tablet, rumored for more than a year now, has finally gained some credibility with FT's report today. The publication also quotes "executives familiar with the plans" saying that Apple could be planning a simultaneous launch of the tablet with a new service that is "all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music."

What we know about the Apple tablet

FT is scarce on details about Apple's upcoming tablet device. The report describes device as a "full-featured, tablet-sized computer" which will be out just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The tablet's screen is reported to be up to 10 inches in diagonal but it won't have phone capabilities like the iPhone.

The FT says the Apple tablet will have Wi-Fi, allowing it to access to Apple's online stores. Besides Amazon Kindle-like capabilities, the Apple tablet is reported to be great for watching movies, according to an entertainment executive quoted by the FT. No word on pricing, but previous speculation points to an $800 price point.

What's in Apple's "Cocktail"

The FT is also reporting that Apple is working on a project code-named "Cocktail," a collaboration between the Cupertino company and record labels, namely EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group, which will bundle liner notes and video clips with the music sold on the iTunes Music Store (iTMS). The initiative is reportedly expected to be a reality as early as September.

The FT says Cocktail is a new type of interactive album, which will combine photos, lyrics sheets, video clips, and liner notes, all gathered into an interactive booklet. This new breed of album booklet will also play songs directly, without having to go back to iTunes, the report adds.

Myth or Reality?

Convinced by the Apple tablet? Judging by the expected screen size and rumored capabilities, the Apple tablet will not only be an oversized iPod Touch, ready for prime-time movies and music, but also a direct competitor to Amazon's Kindle if Apple will start selling books in the iTunes music store.

Although so far the "Cocktail" news would put multimedia at the heart of the Apple tablet, Internet connectivity is the key to delivering the content to the device. And this is where last week's rumors and today's FT report conflict: Apple Insider said the tablet would feature 3G connectivity, same as the iPhone, while the FT reported today that no such capability will be present.

So while this intricate detail is up for debate, the question to users remains whether they would want a 3G tablet that would be chained to a wireless carrier (be it AT&T or Verizon) or the somehow limited freedom to use any Wi-Fi access point they have handy?

I pop bubble wrap at 7.15 bubbles per second!

I popped 196 bubbles in 27.4 seconds
at www.Virtual-Bubblewrap.com!
Can you beat my score?

Microsoft to Netbooks: Stay Tiny Or Pay the Price

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Microsoft to Netbooks: Stay Tiny Or Pay the Price

Microsoft appears to have decided that any netbook with more than 10.2-inch screen isn't really a netbook at all, and should pay more for a copy of Windows 7. This is Redmond's version of the question facing the hardware companies themselves: How to maximize netbook sales without cannibalizing sales of laptops.

Answer: You can't, though Microsoft's pricing could force up prices on new, larger-screen netbooks. It could also land the company back in court.

The net is rife with rumors that Microsoft will establish a "maximum specification" after which netbooks will pay more for a copy of Windows 7. All of these trackback to a site called TechArp, which claims to have access to the new specs. Microsoft itself isn't talking, though the specs look legit.

The big difference between supposed specs and the maximums for Windows XP and Vista netbook pricing is that with the older operating systems a netbook can have up to a 12.1-inch screen. That seems quite reasonable. The new 10.2-inch Windows 7 limitation would make anything larger a laptop, regardless of how the marketplace or potential customers see them.

As someone interested in purchasing the new 11.6-inch Acer netbook, I will admit it is intended as a laptop replacement. But, only for a Windows laptop I wouldn't otherwise replace. My old Dell is nearing the end of its long life and I need a machine for some simple, low-tech tasks related to my volunteer work.

Give me the right machine for the right price and I will buy. Otherwise, I will just use a Mac notebook that I already own and be done with it.

Unlike those with pencil-thin fingers, I need the larger keyboard that goes along with the 11.6-inch screen. A 10-inch screen just isn't very useable for me.

I am willing to spend $350 on such a laptop, but I am price-sensitive, especially in this economy. If Microsoft increasing the OS cost were to raise the cost of the machine to $399, I'd be out of the market.

Microsoft needs to be very careful that its attempts to keep netbooks from lowering its laptop revenue don't end up costing it price-sensitive customers.

David Coursey knows a laptop when he sees one. Follow him on Twitter and send e-mail to him via www.coursey.com/contact.

Related Stories

Apple Tablet Ready by Christmas

Microsoft’s Netbook Problem

Image by Jon Bradley Photography via Flickr

Source: technologizer.com

The persisting popularity of netbooks has been a major drain on Microsoft’s Windows client licensing revenue. The worldwide economic downturn has driven many people to purchase cheaper machines, but I believe that the netbook’s ascension also reflects changing consumer tastes.

Windows client licensing revenue fell $1 billion from last year, and Microsoft’s unearned revenue from multi-year license agreements has flatlined.

Unless Windows 7 proves wildly popular, the company’s prospects for restoring its Windows business to its past luster appear to be grim. I expect that the company will experience a cyclical earnings bump that will crest near where previous Windows releases have in the past, but growth will be less substantial.

That is because there are simply too many alternatives, with the Web acting as the great equalizer. I access Gmail just as quickly on a netbook running Linux as I would on a higher end laptop powered by Windows. And even though netbook hardware is wimpy by current standards, netbooks are as powerful as high-end machines were on the not-too-distant past

Not everyone is a developer or a gamer. I believe that the netbook meets the “good enough’ threshold for most people, and there is a decent assortment to choose from on the market.

Many of those people may have been compelled to purchase a netbook by financial reasons, but it is highly possible that many will be satisfied enough to purchase another netbook in the future. It could mean a permanent change in consumer buying behavior.

Microsoft seems to understand that, because it is downplaying netbooks at every chance it can get, and is attempting to direct customers toward more expensive alternatives. But the industry has failed to create really compelling products that would “wow’ me into paying more–so far.

I am reminded of my late grandmother, who was a child of the Great Depression. She wouldn’t spend money needlessly, and would reuse what she had (including tinfoil). People are experiencing varying degrees of hardship during this recession, and it is not unreasonable to expect that their spending habits will be permanently altered.

Consequently, if Microsoft does not see its market share slide, it will see its revenues fall. It cannot charge as much for a copy of Windows on a $400 machine than it would have traditionally done on more expensive systems. The Windows cash cow is slowly beginning to dry up.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Three Ways to Get Out of Debt

Seal of the United States bankruptcy court. Ch...

Image via Wikipedia

By Chris Blanchet

This seems like a timely and helpful article for most people... Ways to get out of debt!

You might have heard that there are a million ways to make money. Likewise, there are probably just as many ways to get out of debt, but when it comes to achieving that goal honestly and effectively, your options are reduced. Here, we will explore three of the best ways to get out of debt without having to resort to debt avoidance techniques like bankruptcy or fraud (yikes). The first two will probably not come as much of a surprise, but the last one will certainly help expedite your efforts.

Analyze How Funds are Spent
Arguably one of the most well-known ways to get out of debt consists of writing up a budget and analyzing how funds are spent each month. The objective is to reduce these expenses and use the saved funds to repay debt. It does not matter whether you save $10 or $1000 every month, if the extra funds are paid toward debt, you have found one of the easiest ways to get out of debt. The problem is that this method often involves some form of sacrifice and can often be so aggressive that people easily give up or "fall off the wagon."

Looking at Increasing Income
When it comes to popular ways to get out of debt, looking at increasing income is definitely in the top three. This is because it is relatively easy to do in some cases. To earn more income, debtors can either take on a new job at a high rate of pay or they can get a second job. Ideally, the extra funds earned are paid toward debt. What makes this option a little more difficult, particularly at times like these, is that getting a new job offer could require updated skills or knowledge, and in some cases can mean extended travel. These expenses are often offset by the higher earnings.
Reduce Expenses & Increase Income
A final recommendation incorporates both. This means reducing expenses, say by 20%, as well as increasing income, say by 5%. For people who spend even $500 on expenses every month, this means reducing those expenditures by $100. As well, it means increasing income by a simple $125 per month. Both objectives are clearly simple to achieve, but the end result is an extra $2,700 per year being allocated toward debt repayment. Alone, they may not seem significant and even on a monthly basis it might not seem very effective, but over the course of a year, the impact against your debt is rather astounding. Now, imagine if you could further reduce expenses by another 10% or if you could improve income by 10% instead of 5%. The end result would be even more impressive.

Hopefully, these three popular ways to get out of debt have given you some inspiration and insight into how easily you can work your way out of debt. Clearly, these are not top-secret tactics. In fact, they are easily executable and once you put such tactics into practice you may even uncover other ways to get out of debt. The point is that taking action should come first and if any of these three methods can help, then please go ahead and get started today.

Chris has more than 16 years of experience in the financial services industry, having helped thousands of clients fix their personal finances. As the author of the Help Fix My Finances e-book, he contributes Debt Consolidation Opinions at Debt Consolidation Opinions.com and maintains a debt-free blog at HowToRepayDebt.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_Blanchet
http://EzineArticles.com/?Three-Ways-to-Get-Out-of-Debt&id=2594475

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Top 12 Wordpress Plugins For Wordpress 2.7.x

Source: affiliate-minder.com

On July 6th 2008, these were my top 10 Wordpress plugins:
1. Google XML Sitemaps.Automatically build a sitemap and submit it to the search engines.
2. TinyMCE Advanced.
3. Lighter Menus.
4. All in One Adsense and YPN.
5. Akismet.
6. AddThis - Social Bookmarking plugin.
7. Ultimate Google Analytics
8. Wordpress automatic upgrade.
9. WP-DBManager.
10. HeadSpace2.

As Wordpress has evolved, so has my choice of plugins. Some in the list above no longer work in the current version of Wordpress, and a few others have become redundant or simply don’t work as well as they use to. I can’t actually reduce it to my top 10 anymore, so here is my top 12 Wordpress plugins that I install on every site I build:

1. Google XML Sitemaps: This is still the plugin of choice for automatically building a sitemap and submitting it to the search engines. The sitemap is highly configurable and I can easily exclude certain pages or posts (or even categories) from the sitemap. This plugin will rebuild and resubmit the sitemap after every post - it is a huge time-saver.
2. All In One SEO: I use to use the Headspace plugin but switched to this one because Headspace was causing a few conflicts with some of the plugins I was using. All In One SEO does everything I want and more. I can control meta tags plus lots more.
3. Include It: This plugin is very cool. When I use to build static HTML sites I used server side includes very heavily. This plugin replicates that functionality. I wrote an article on using this plugin called Using SSI with Wordpress.
4. All in One Adsense and YPN: A quick and easy way to add Adsense and Yahoo Publisher Network ads to your site. I must admit that this plugin is slipping down my list and may not be here next time I update my top Wordpress plugins. The reason is that I now prefer to use Include It for better placement of ads, or hard code the ads into the templates.
5. Akismet: Comes pre-installed with Wordpress. You need a Wordpress API key to get this working, but that is easy enough to obtain, and it’s free.
6. Similar Posts: This is a fantastic plugin that allows me to include a list of related posts at the end of my articles. I created this Similar Posts Tutorial for those who want to see how to use it.
7. Ultimate Google Analytics: This is a very easy way to integrate Google Analytics code into your web pages. Google Analytics is a free service that gives you detailed website stats for any type of site. You just have to include tracking code in the pages of your site, and this plugin handles that for you. Google analytics has a great feature called Site Overlay - you can read more about that in an article I wrote called Google Analytics - Find out what your visitors are clicking on.
8. Wordpress automatic upgrade
: Although Wordpress 2.7 has an automatic upgrade feature built into it, I have never been able to get it to work on any of my sites, so I still rely on this plugin which the authors have graciously updated for 2.7. I guess there was a lot of other people who had problems with the built in upgrade feature ;) For those who prefer to upgrade Wordpress manually, here is a Manual Upgrade of Wordpress tutorial
9. WP-DBManager: This plugin helps maintain the health of the database that drives your Wordpress site. One of the coolest features is automatic backup of your Wordpress database. The plugin actually emails you a backup every week (or at the interval you define). Automatic backups of your Wordpress databases is a tutorial I created showing how to set this automatic backups up.
10. Sociable: A plugin that adds links to your favourite social network site at the end of posts. You can see what this plugin adds if you scroll to the bottom of this article. You can of course edit which sites show up, and the list to choose from is very large. I am not totally convinced how many people actually bookmark pages from this type of widget, but I don’t think it can hurt :)
11. WP-Sticky: Again, Wordpress 2.7 has a similar feature built into it, but it is not as powerful as the old WP-Sticky plugin, so this is a firm favourite. This plugin allows you to stick posts to the top of the pile. Why is this useful? Well it means that on category pages, you can make one post always appear at the top. You can see this working on my Diabetic site: Diabetes Diet. This page is a category page showing one post at the top, and then listing all other posts in the category. If I add more posts to this category, my chosen post remains at the top, and new posts are added to the list of related articles at the bottom.
12. wp-gbcf: also called Secure and Accessible PHP Contact Form v.2.0 – This is one of many contact form plugins, but its the one I currently use on a lot of my sites.

If you have any plugins that you see as a must use, please post a comment at the end of this article and let others know about it.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Zune HD = iPod touch? Uh, no....

Source: Macworld

Blame it on the rain, the resulting muck and mire, or the redwood curtain that separates Cupertino from Redmond, but it appears that news travels very slowly between Apple and Microsoft. How else can you explain this statement from Chris Stephenson—general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune regarding the just-announced Zune HD (as quoted by CNET’s Ina Fried)?"

“This device is created to go head to head with the iPod Touch.”

Okay, maybe it is. With that in mind let’s look at what the two have in common:

* Touchscreen display.
* Ability to play music and movies.
* Web browser and media acquisition via Wi-Fi.
* Photo viewing.

And now, what the Zune HD offers that the iPod touch doesn’t:

* HD Radio.
* HD Video Out (via optional Dock).
* The Social.

And, what the iPod touch has that—as far as we know—is foreign to the Zune HD:

* The App Store.

In a strict bullet-point comparison, the Zune HD is clearly the champion—3 points to 1. Might as well pack it up, Apple. It’s a Zune world after all.

Of course if you were to subdivide that single App Store bullet point into its component 35,000 + applications you might understand why I suggest that Microsoft is a little slow on the uptake.

Because while the touch may have the iPod name attached to it, it’s far more than just a media player. Touchscreen, media playback, slideshows, and web browsing do not an iPod touch make. And Apple’s made this pretty clear.

Recall the last several iPod touch commercials you’ve seen. Do they emphasize playing movies, as you can with every other iPod save the shuffle? Does Safari play a major role in these 30-second dramas? Of course not, Apple routinely lumps in the iPod touch with the iPhone, not other iPods. And it does so because it’s about the apps—games, utilities, social networking, news, media streaming.

Yet Microsoft, from all appearances, is jamming its fingers in its ears and sing-songing “iPod! iPod! iPod! We have radio, iPod doesn’t!” as if radio, of all things, is the killer app (which, if you really want it on your iPod touch, can be had via one of a handful of apps).

The Zune HD isn’t slated to arrive until this Fall and the details we currently have are sparse, so perhaps there’s a Zapp store in the works. (Just as there's likely an update to the iPod touch in the works.)

Until then, welcome to the denial.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

SpinGym by Forbes Riley (Spin Gym on Pitchmen

Source: Elites TV

SpinGym is portable so you can easily carry it in your purse, briefcase or even your pocket.

It comes fully assembled and ready to use out of the box. Plus, it weighs less than 1 pound, but produces more than 20lbs of resistance per pull.

A 5 minute workout with SpinGym® is all you need to re-energize and to effectively tone and strengthen muscles on your upper body.

Sculpt and Tone:
• Arms • Shoulders
• Back • Abdominals
• Chest • And Much More!

Forbes Riley is an American film and television actress. She is from Long Island, New York. She was named Miss Teenage New York, and her TV debut was with Bob Hope on NBC in the Miss Teenage America pageant.

Ms. Riley has appeared in various American television shows such as”24″, The Pretender, and The Practice. Riley is probably better known, however, for numerous appearances in television advertisements and infomercials, including Jack Lalanne’s Power Juicer, Aerobed, Microgrill, MaxiGlide Hair Straightner and the Mor furniture stores. She can also be see live on HSN and QVC in London.

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Monday, May 18, 2009

Switching to Apple Mac can save you countless productive hours - Windows Support Specialist

Source: MacDailyNews

Monday, April 06, 2009 - 04:16 PM EDT
'Whether you are an expert computer user or not, you have probably been burned by your computer in the past. For some a computer virus could have wiped out your hard drive, or completely taken control of your web browser. For others, you might have been running an application only to have it crash and lose your data,' London Computer Support writes for Save My System. 'So what is the solution?'

'There is a solution to many of the common computer problems: switch to an Apple computer... The Macintosh operating system has been redesigned from the ground up and is now a more stable and effective operating system. With Mac OS X, users have a lot less to worry about: no viruses, no trojans, and no crashes. What more could a user want?' London Computer Support writes.

'Apple delivers more: a seamless integration between hardware and software. When you buy a PC and install Windows, chances are that you are installing the operating system on a set of hardware that was never really fully tested together. Different combinations of plug and play hardware are what causes Windows to crash time and time again,' London Computer Support writes.

'Plus, Apple delivers all the applications you need to get your work done, and have fun doing it. On a Windows machine, you get the basic Microsoft Office suite of applications. Now, you can get the same suite of applications for your Mac as well,' London Computer Support writes.

MacDailyNews Take: Strike that 'now' in the last sentence above. Office was introduced by Microsoft in 1989 on Mac. The Windows version of Office did not debut until the following year.

London Computer Support continues, 'Yet, Apple offers applications that you can't get on Windows: the iLife set of applications... Developers and computer wizards used to pride themselves on knowing the internals of their windows machines. Today that's changing, as people realize they have better things to do than spend all their time at a computer terminal, when they could go out and enjoy life.'

London Computer Support writes, 'That's exactly what switching to a Mac can do for your productivity. Your computer will let you be as productive as you can, by getting out of your way.'

Full article here

Friday, May 8, 2009

Kindle DX: Amazon’s Back Door to the Future

Source: Reuters

Kindle DX: Amazon’s Back Door to the Future

At first, they hyped it as just a new way to read books. Then, three months ago, Amazon (AMZN) CEO Jeff Bezos paced the stage to announce the second-generation of the Kindle. Its primary purpose, too, was to read books. Sure, it could also deliver blogs, magazines, and newspapers, but just like Amazon's original business model for its Web site, the Kindle would focus on books first and expand from there.

Wednesday, Bezos was back onstage to announce a new incarnation of the Kindle, just three months after unveiling the previous one. The new device is called the "Kindle DX"-which gives the device the unfortunate and impersonal naming convention of both video games and cars-and it's meant to do a whole lot more than read books. It's a wunderdevice that can display textbooks, newspapers, and personal documents.

But couldn't the old Kindle do all of that too? Yes-but you wouldn't know it from today's debut. On paper, the big differences are that the Kindle DX is 4 inches larger than the one you bought last month and comes installed with a PDF reader. But that's not the point. The point is that Jeff Bezos wants you to do something different with it.

Here's the Amazon spin, paraphrased: With the PDF reader you can better scan all those documents you would otherwise print out and lug around with you. Since newspapers are printed on big pieces of paper in the analog world, they should be displayed on bigger screens in the digital one. Textbooks, with all their graphics, diagrams, and charts, wouldn't look any good on a 6-inch screen. But that 10-inch screen will really make the black-and-white images pop off the digital page.

For those extra 4 inches and a PDF reader, you'll pay $130 more for a DX than a regular second-generation Kindle-$489 total.

So why did Amazon bother? To make money, of course. The new features-though mockably sparse-offer subtle clues to how Amazon revenue plans for the next decade. Each of the DX's prospective growth areas needs either the PDF reader or a bigger screen to generate revenue. Here's how:

Read More:

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Rumors of an Apple Netbook Persist in Asia - iPhone nano - Apple iPhone Articles

Source: iPhone nano - Apple iPhone Articles

Apple has chosen Foxconn Electronics as its main manufacturing partner for a ten inch touchscreen netbook to be released later this year, according to renewed rumors emanating from the Asian press Monday.

The Chinese language news site Commercial Times, quoting sources within the supply chain, reported Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn, secured a deal to manufacture Apple’s next portable gadget, designed to compete in the growing market for WiFi enabled devices that connect easily to the Internet.

The persistent rumors of Apple’s imminent introduction of a device to fill the gap between its popular iPhone/iPod Touch and full-fledged notebook computer lines fly in the face of previous statements from Steve Jobs vowing Apple has no interest in what its CEO considers the low-end of the computer market.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Super Affiliate Guru Power Tactics - How I Made $1,600 in Less Than 10 Minutes!

Super Affiliate Guru Power Tactics - How I Made $1,600 in Less Than 10 Minutes!
By Franck Silvestre

As an affiliate, there is no doubts that you can make thousands of dollars per month selling other people products. Hundreds are full time affiliates and don't even have their own products. Usually, a super affiliate guru will market already established products that are proven to sell, and this is an excellent business model that I use.

However, I found a powerful way to earn several thousand dollars for one or two hours of work, and best of all, this can be outsourced for maximum profits. Before you start, you need to know that many Internet marketers launch products every single month, and you can piggy back on what they are doing by using the power of the search engines and web 2.0 sites. If you have a list, it's even better, but it's not required for this technique.

Since those merchants use techniques closed to those used in the Cinema industry, a lot of people will search about the Internet about a particular product in the launch process, and this is how you make your commissions.

Do you want to know what is my secret technique?

Please pay attention to the following because it works really well.

1. Your own site

Create a new page on your existing website.

Make sure that you use the product's name as your keyword. Use several variations in the title tag as well.

2. Web 20 sites

You will use those sites to get traffic, but most importantly to get backlinks pointing to the page you created in step one.

3. Forums

4. Your list

If you have a list, make sure to send them an email or two about the product.

Now you have my super affiliate guru tactic. Try it and see how it works for you.

Do you want to discover exactly which web 20 sites I use to make as much as $1600 for 10 minutes of work? Visit my Super Affiliate site at: Super Affiliate Guru

Or go to www.mynetmarketingland.com

I use this AMAZING Super Affiliate Guru method to add thousands of dollar to my affiliate revenue and you can do it too at: www.mynetmarketingland.com/6-Day-Cash-Machine/

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Franck_Silvestre
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?Super-Affiliate-Guru-Power-Tactics---How-I-Made-$1,600-in-Less-Than-10-Minutes!&id=2274470

Monday, May 4, 2009

Mac Mini's Media-center capabilities - Nothing small about it!

Source: TwinCities.com

Laptops are all the rage, but desktop computers still have their place. Of these, Apple's recently updated Mac mini is worth a look.

This miniature Macintosh doesn't seem like much. But I have lately become Mac mini-crazed because I've found all kinds of interesting uses for the machine.

For basic computing, the Mac mini is a compelling option because it is so inexpensive (as little as $599), and takes up little space. Just add a keyboard, mouse and monitor, as I did. This is the perfect computer for your grandpa.

For nerdier types, the Mac mini can serve as a media-center computer when hooked up to an HDTV and tricked out with a television tuner for TiVo-ish functionality (along with the option to Web-stream TV shows via sites like Hulu).

The mini's Mac OS X operating system needn't be a dealbreaker for those who like Windows XP or Windows Vista. Either of the operating systems can be purchased separately and inexpensively and installed on the mini with ease. Geeks can do this for their grandmas or for themselves if they want to use a mini as a Windows-based media center.

I worked through all of the above options and couldn't be happier. Here is how these four approaches break down:

Mainstream Mac. If I were getting a basic computer for a relative tech novice, I'd definitely consider any of several low-priced Windows PCs.

But there are problems with this approach. Low-cost desktop PCs are often bulky, and Windows operating systems are more vulnerable to viruses. This is mostly a nonissue on the Mac side. Also, a Mac offers great value since it is packaged with powerful photo-, video- and audio-editing software that often costs extra for PCs.

Besides, I think Grandma and Grandpa will find Mac OS X a delight to use once they have spent a bit of time with it.

That's where a Mac mini comes in. It's a cute, compact thing that sits alongside the display, almost unnoticed. What could be more newbie-friendly? The machine can even run two monitors at once, if the grandparents are up for that. Just make sure they have the right adapter if hooking an older VGA display to either of the mini's newfangled ports.

The Mac mini has five Universal Serial Bus ports on the back — plug a basic mouse and keyboard into two of those.

Internet? No problem. Unlike many desktop computers, the Mac mini does Wi-Fi wireless networking a la laptops, if that's more practical than hard-wiring the machine to a broadband modem via Ethernet (which also works just fine).

For light computer use, the Mac mini has pretty much all that is required; Safari is a fine browser, Mail is terrific for e-mail and TextEdit is more than enough for creating and modifying text (and it will even open Microsoft Word files).

Mainstream PC. I'm not sure why anyone would turn a Mac mini into a Windows PC, given all the Mac environment has to offer. But this is a trivial undertaking if your intended tech-novice user insists on Windows over the Mac OS X.

Macs, in general, make remarkably effective Windows XP or Windows Vista machines. Even the Mac mini has more than enough of oomph for this, and a Windows operating system is easily installed using Apple's Boot Camp software, which places Windows in its own partition on the hard drive alongside the Mac OS X partition.

You can readily configure your Mac to automatically boot into Windows instead of OS X on start-up.

Once Windows is installed, you want to add a few little software necessities.

Antivirus software is an absolute must, and the swell AVG Free is, well, free (free.avg.com). You should also update the Internet Explorer browser to version 8 for better security. For e-mail, the free Thunderbird (getthunderbird.com) is better than the basic Windows e-mail app. One alternative is Microsoft's Windows Live Mail (get.live.com) that is part of a downloadable software suite that includes other goodies, like a photo editor and video editor.

One important note: You must buy Windows software separately for use with Mac minis. Get it affordably (for little more than $100) via such outlets as Tiger Direct (tr.im/jfWR) or General Nanosystems (tr.im/jfXf).

Mac media center. Though Apple has pushed the Mac mini as a budget computer for average users, it has been less eager to position the Mac as a media-center machine for advanced users. One reason for this: Apple sells an Apple TV set-top box for movie downloads and other media-center uses.

But tech-savvy Mac types have embraced the Mac mini as the ultimate media center for obvious reasons: This Mac sits elegantly and inconspicuously beneath or beside an HDTV and links up to a flat panel with no fuss. Keep in mind an adapter is required for use with a TV HDMI port, given that the Mac has mini DisplayPort and DVI ports.

After hearing about Mac mini media-center uses for years, I finally decided to give it a go. This blew my mind. Why didn't I try this sooner? My Apple loaner paired up spectacularly with a 52-inch Sharp Aquos LC-52D65U LCD HDTV.

This opened up all kinds of possibilities. For starters, I could fire up a Web browser and watch TV shows or movies via video-streaming sites. Along with the popular Hulu, these include Comcast's Fancast and the TV networks' own streaming-video sites (including full episodes for many popular programs).

Specialized software augments the media-center experience. Boxee (boxee.tv), for instance, provides one-stop access to top streaming-video sites for enhanced enjoyment. The elegant Plex (plexapp.com) provides a similar functionality and is also terrific for accessing videos stored on the Mac mini's drive or elsewhere on a home network.

Video stored in Apple's iTunes looks cool in the Mac's Front Row and is easily controlled with a tiny Apple remote. Apple has a decent selection of Hollywood movies and TV shows for purchase and rental on its popular iTunes Store.

I also wanted to record TV, so I plugged in an Elgato EyeTV Hybrid TV tuner (elgato.com). This device, which I've recommended before, pulls in over-the-air HDTV via antennas and allows for TiVo-like scheduling of TV recording. It also works with Comcast digital cable, recording free HD channels (called Clear QAM) that lurk unseen unless you know to get them. Running a channel scan with the EyeTV software reveals the awesome-looking channels in short order.

Your EyeTV recordings can be burned to DVDs for archiving or exported for use on an iPhone or video-ready iPod.

For the Mac media-center pièce de résistance, turn your iPhone or iPod Touch into a remote, via any of several apps you install on the handheld gizmos. Options include Apple's Remote for iTunes control (itunes.com/apps/remote), Boxee's clicker app (tr.im/boxeemote) and the all-purpose Air Mouse (mobileairmouse.com).

PC Media Center. You can also use the Mac mini as a Windows-based media center, if you insist, since similar tools are at your disposal for audiovisual entertainment.

Let's start with a TV tuner. You want one that works with Microsoft's elegant, easy-to-use Windows Media Center interface. This is the PC-based equivalent of Elgato's EyeTV software and makes for a great living-room experience.

Hauppauge (hauppauge.com) has a line of great tuners, and its plug-in WinTV-HVR-1950 model is compatible with Media Center. Like Elgato tuners, it will pull in over-the-air high-definition programming, but you need a good antenna.

Another terrific option is Nero's LiquidTV (nero.com) that integrates the familiar TiVo experience into PC-based TV recording. A Nero kit includes a Hauppauge tuner and a familiar TiVo remote along with TiVo software. Yes, you could use a TiVo set-top box, but the Nero option lets you burn video to DVD or move it to your portable video device.

One hitch with Nero and Hauppauge: I could not access my cable Clear QAM channels, just standard-def "analog" cable. But Hauppauge has its own software as an alternative to Media Center, and that does pull in Clear QAM fine.

Video-streaming sites like Hulu work just as nicely in Windows as they do on the Mac. Access to the iTunes Store is flawless, too. If you have an iPhone, turning it into an all-purpose remote via Air Mouse works well via Windows, too.

Though a Mac mini makes a perfectly fine Windows-based Media Center, there are solid reasons to look elsewhere.

Some PCs have integrated tuners, which is more convenient and elegant than using an external device. Many media center-style PCs have HDMI ports, which makes linking up to a big-screen TV easier. Some PCs also have Blu-ray drives for playing the high-def movie platters, something Apple has stubbornly declined to do. That's too bad.