A Better Web
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So you’re sick and tired of AOL Instant Messenger. You’re looking for something fresh and new that will just work. Well Google feels the same way. On Wednesday August 24th they released their version of AIM, Google Talk.
Although Google Talk and AIM do basically the same thing, Google Talk is very different. For starters anyone can join AIM, in order to use Google Talk you need to have a Gmail account. AIM will also let you make a profile, Google Talk you can’t. However there are more features on Google Talk that are left out in AIM.
Google Talk’s main feature is being able to call friends that are on your list. Call means being able to talk through a microphone to them and they respond through theirs, much like the service Skype. There is a similar feature in the current version of AIM; however it’s not as easy to use.
Let’s say you’re talking to someone in the conversation window. You decide that this conversation would work a lot better over the phone. Well don’t get up and dial a number, simply plug in the microphone and headphones and guess what you’re connected, just like a phone. All you have to do is press the “Call” button in the window, you’ll hear a dial tone, and when the other user accepts you’re connected.
At the top of the window, when call is activated, you’ll see a volume meter for your friend and one for you. All it takes is a click of a button, how easy is that?
The other easy thing about Google Talk is the simplicity behind making a customized message. When you’re online you’ll have a small snippet under your name. You can customize that to whatever you want, that could be considered somewhat of a profile. You can also see peoples’ away messages right under their name. Making an away message is just as simple as changing the text under your name. Just go to the drop down list under your name in the window (not the friends list) and go to the “Custom Message” with the red circle next to it.
Google has also added a feature to make it easier to sign up for the service. When you select to add a friend you can insert an email address that isn’t a Gmail one. All it does is email the person letting them know about the service and offering a download link. This makes it really easy to convince your friends to make the switch.
Another feature that is greatly appreciated in Google Talk is the way it works directly with Gmail. You can add people on your contacts to the service within the Google Talk interface, plus it will notify you when a new email has been received. You can also go directly to your Gmail inbox via a link from the interface.
This next feature won’t mean much to the average user, but to some misfortunate geeks with low RAM it may. Google Talk consumes around 3MB of RAM. AOL Instant Messenger takes around 9MB. If you have a lot of other programs open and you can’t afford to waste RAM Google Talk will work great.
Google Talk is also much cleaner looking than AIM. There are no ads and no added crap like a stock ticker or news ticker. However the one thing that I’d like to see in Google Talk is notifications that tell you when someone logs on or off. This feature has been available in AIM for about 2 years.
There some other things that could be enhanced. In the settings menu I’d like to see a setting to customize how often it checks the Gmail mailbox, customize sounds, and more customization for notifications.
Staying on the topic of customization I’d like to see, in later versions, the option to add categories in your friends list. Something so you could put all your family under one list, friends under the others and so on.
Overall I wouldn’t rush out and download Google Talk quite yet. Right now I’d think that it would be more convenient to corporations so that employees can interact with each other. It won’t take down AIM, because AIM is just too popular, but it might steal some Yahoo! Messenger or MSN users.
This article was originally posted on http://www.p2btech.com
Although this is the full article, screen shots are avilable at http://www.p2btech.com/googletalk.html
p2btech.com offers just about everything. We’ve got music, games, on demand video, podcasts, sports, and of course technology.
If you’ve got a tech problem we also offer a technology podcast and a detailed Help Center with answers to just about anything.
Written by admin on March 15th, 2009 with comments disabled.
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This is the content of the ad2.php file. Leave it blank or include your ad.
I develop web sites for friends and small businesses. I don’t provide hosting but I am always asked how to identify a good web hosting company. There are 5 “must have” features in quality web hosting. They are:
1. 24/7 live support. Phone support is the best option but it is a bonus to find a web hosting company that provides 24/7 live chat support along with phone support. Many times things you think are big issues can be resolved in a matter of minutes and it’s nice not to be on hold.
2. 30 day money back guarantee. If a company believes in its service and products, they will not be reluctant to offer a full money back guarantee. In fact, I would be skeptical of a company that doesn’t offer some kind of guarantee. Make sure that you read the details of the guarantee.
3. Windows and Linux hosting at comparable prices. Some hosting companies will offer both Linux and Windows web hosting but some will charge much more for one or the other. A good hosting company will rarely have more than a few dollars difference in the price of these options.
4. Shared SSL. This is absolutely necessary if you want any e-commerce capabilities. SSL is what provides your customers with a secure connection to enter credit card information, etc. Some hosting companies will charge for this but the good ones will always have shared SSL free of charge.
5. Free setup. Some companies will charge for setup. This charge is anywhere from $20-$50. This is such a bogus charge because most web hosting companies have this process completely automated and in many cases nothing manual has to be done. So in reality you are paying this charge for absolutely nothing!
Of course, there are many other important things to look for in web hosting but many of them really depend on your needs. It should be very easy to find a reputable web hosting company that offers these 5 things. Web hosting is a very saturated market which is great for the consumer. The key is to take your time. Don’t forget that many of these companies will register your domain name for free if you sign up for a hosting account with them.
Aaron Davis is a partner with Compucar, LLC http://www.compucarllc.com Compucar, LLC is the world’s only manufacturer of desktop computers that look like cars
Written by admin on March 4th, 2009 with comments disabled.
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This is the content of the ad3.php file. Leave it blank or include your ad.
Marketing is not an easy skill to acquire.
It requires patience and a lot of efforts in conducting many
tests and improvement to get it right.
Below are 10 mesmerizing website sales tricks to spark up
your sales and put a smile on your face.
1. Specialize your product or service if you have too
much competition. If you’re selling an advertising book,
rewrite part of it and target it just to pet businesses.
2. Sell a lead in product for super cheap, even if
you loose a little money. If people like it, you have
a greater chance to sell your higher price product.
3. Give people a free version of your product. If
it does what you say they, will pay for the up-grade
or deluxe version to get more benefits.
4. Ask your visitors outcome questions in your
ad copy like: “Where do you want to be financially
the next two years?” This’ll persuade them to buy.
5. Give your product away for free to people that
will agree to influence your target audience to buy it.
It could be experts, famous athletes, actors, etc.
6. Give your potential customers a bonus that will
actually pay for their purchase. It could be money
saving coupons, an affiliate program, etc.
7. Make your sales letters or ads sound like it is
common sense to buy your product. For example:
“Everyone knows you can’t make money…”
8. Make sure your ad copy sounds like you know
what you’re talking about. If people sense you or
your business doesn’t, they won’t buy.
9. Load your ad copy up with tons of benefits and
bonuses. People will think and feel like they are
getting a lot for their money if they buy.
10. Assume your potential customer is going to
buy. For example: “Dear Future Millionaire”. They
will want to buy in order to feel that way.
May these website sales secrets help you to make a lot
of money.
Warmly,
I-key Benney, CEO
I-key, a Millionaire CEO from New York City is the creator of “Mscsrrr: Millionaire Secret Cash System”, (home based business) program, which has helped thousands of ordinary people from all over the world to attain financial security and shining success during the past 2 yrs.
Mscsrrr Millionaire Cash System helps you to generate $1,500+/Week for life, from home or office, part time or full time. No large investment or hassles. Win $1000-$2000 free “cash”…
Written by admin on February 27th, 2009 with comments disabled.
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Amara Flash News Ticker is a new software program that enables users to quickly create vertically scrolling news tickers. Users just follow a few simple steps, and Amara Flash News Ticker instantly creates a Flash new ticker that they can then easily insert into their website. No programming skills or knowledge of Flash is needed - the program does all the work.
With Amara Flash News Ticker, website owners, creators and webmasters now have an inexpensive and very easy-to-use tool with which they can add a very professional-looking and highly functional scrolling news ticker to their site. Because they can make it their preferred size and use their website’s color scheme, the news ticker can be completed integrated into any web page. And users can create as many news tickers as they like, and update them as often as they like. Amara Flash News Ticker offers true value for money.
Amara Flash News Ticker’s intuitive user-interface hardly needs explaining. Users can add a new news item, type their text, and include a hyperlink to each of the news items. They can choose from a long list of font type faces and use their own preferred colors and sizes for the news items - all the same or all different, it’s up to them. They can choose the background and border color, as well as the mouse-over colors for the news items.
The news ticker has various settings for scrolling speed, from fast to slow, and it can be set to pause from one to many seconds between the different news items.
Amara Flash News Ticker saves the user’s creation and gives it as an HTML code which can then easily be copied and pasted into the user’s website. It is compatible with all commonly-used HTML editors. The user’s settings are also saved within the program, so the news ticker can simply be opened again later to make changes or additions.
Amara Flash News Ticker is a shareware program, so anyone who is interested can first try out the free version before buying it. The unregistered version can be downloaded for free from the Amara Flash Software website, but any creations will contain a visible watermark. Users who want to save news tickers created with Amara Flash News Ticker to use it on their website need to purchase the registered version of the program. It is available for only US$19.95 via Amara Flash Software’s website.
More information about Amara Flash News Ticker is available from the website, where you can also see a working example of a news ticker created with the program.
www.amarasoftware.com
Written by admin on February 24th, 2009 with comments disabled.
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What is a troll? He is a hairy, ugly creature that lives under a bridge. Yet, there is another kind of troll; this troll is a forum group poster who makes a post that is controversial or an outright lie to provoke readers into a flame war. Every time I read a troll’s post I think “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” Sometimes I just want to scream that from the top of my lungs. What is it that makes people twist the truth to justify their own needs? The story keeps changing or the trolls say things that just don’t add up.
Why is it people can’t mind their own business. I swear that some people just want disruption and chaos. I swear they live for it. Why do they get enjoyment out of harassing people? People like this have one sole purpose and that is to create a “Flame War,” where a bunch of people are all having their say about a person or a sensitive topic. This benefits only them, so they post lies about good honest people.
They feel by baiting the topic, they will lure you in, where the group of them can pounce on you as soon as you post. Soon your name gets Googled and you are labeled a horrible person. Scam sites are popping up all over the net and instead of them posting actual statements about scams; they are posting anything and everything that destroys the reputation of good, honest people. Scam sites have quickly become a place to bash other people to benefit the owner and in the end, hard working people who are trying to make a life and career for themselves are victimized.
If you are treating someone this way, I have to ask, are you proud of yourself? Do you really think that this person deserves to be humiliated and flamed on a message board and who are you to decide? Do you really know the amount of damage you are causing to this person?
Sorry but I guess I just do not understand. These people you are flaming are nothing to you. Ewww, and ahhhh and laugh all you want. I bet the one your flaming feels like this animal in a cage. People come back because they want to see the blood, the hurt, and the anger that you are causing to this person. Of course you the baiter, flamer, troll has no problem providing it. No matter how stupid it makes your victim look. It is always the same bull, Innuendo, and baiting, followed by threats of exposure. It is good for the ratings isn’t it? If this were a TV show, you’d be a smash hit.
Trolls are nothing more than cruel people who enjoy hurting others. I’m sorry Trolls but I see you as nothing more than someone who likes to stir the pot and cause trouble by twisting the story and filling it with lies to please yourself. I guess what is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Someone is sure to remind me after reading this article, “Rose Desrochers don’t you feed the Trolls.” So now you know all about trolls. I guess internet trolls are really not any different than the ones that live under the bridge are they?
Written by admin on February 22nd, 2009 with comments disabled.
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This hands on PHP Programming article provides the knowledge necessary to design and develop a search engine for your website using PHP version 4.0 and above. Making a search engine for your website with PHP is really easy and provides substantial functionality required by most of the small to medium websites. This article introduces every steps of the development, including both design and PHP programming. Basic computer skills and knowledge of HTML fundamentals are required. Ok, let’s begin now.
Step 1: Design Search Box Under your website root, make a file called search.htm or anything you like and type in the following code:
Step 2: Write search.php file. It is the core of your website search engine.
Under your website root, create a file called search.php or anything you like.
//get keywords
$keyword=trim($_POST["keyword"]);
//check if the keyword is empty
if($keyword==”"){
echo”no keywords”;
exit;
}
?>
With above, you can give hints to your users when they forget to enter a keyword. Now let’s go through all the files or articles in your website.
function listFiles($dir){
$handle=opendir($dir);
while(false!==($file=readdir($handle))){
if($file!=”.”&&$file!=”..”){
//if it is a directory, then continue
if(is_dir(”$dir/$file”)){
listFiles(”$dir/$file”);
}
else{
//process the searching here with the following PHP script
}
}
}
}
?>
The following scripts read, process files and check whether the files contain $keyword. If $keyword is found in the file, the file address will be saved in an array-type variable.
function listFiles($dir,$keyword,&$array){
$handle=opendir($dir);
while(false!==($file=readdir($handle))){
if($file!=”.”&&$file!=”..”){
if(is_dir(”$dir/$file”)){
listFiles(”$dir/$file”,$keyword,$array);
}
else{
//read file
$data=fread(fopen(”$dir/$file”,”r”),filesize(”$dir/$file”));
//avoid search search.php itself
if($file!=”search.php”){
//contain keyword?
if(eregi(”$keyword”,$data)){
$array[]=”$dir/$file”;
}
}
}
}
}
}
//define array $array
$array=array();
//execute function
listFiles(”.”,”php”,$array);
//echo/print search results
foreach($array as $value){
echo “$value”.” \n”;
} ?>
Now, combine the programs listed above, you will find all the related results in your websites will be found and listed. A further optimization of the search engine can be taken by adding the following,
1,list the title of all searching results
REPLACE THE FOLLOWING
if(eregi(”$keyword”,$data)){
$array[]=”$dir/$file”;
}
WITH
if(eregi(”$keyword”,$data)){
if(eregi(”
(.+)</p>
<p>“,$data,$m)){
$title=$m["1"];
}
else{
$title=”no title”;
}
$array[]=”$dir/$file $title”;
}
2,Add links to searching results
CHANGE THE FOLLOWING
foreach($array as $value){
echo “$value”.” \n”;
}
TO
foreach($array as $value){
list($filedir,$title)=split(”[ ]“,$value,”2″);
echo “$value”.” \n”;
}
3 Set time limit for PHP execution
ADD THE FOLLOWING AT THE BEGINNING OF PHP FILES
set_time_limit(”600″);
The above unit is second，so ten minutes is the litmit.
Now, combine all the above programs and get the complete search.php file as following,
set_time_limit(”600″);
$keyword=trim($_POST["keyword"]);
if($keyword==”"){
echo”Please enter your keyword”;
exit; }
function listFiles($dir,$keyword,&$array){
$handle=opendir($dir);
while(false!==($file=readdir($handle))){
if($file!=”.”&&$file!=”..”){
if(is_dir(”$dir/$file”)){
listFiles(”$dir/$file”,$keyword,$array);
}
else{
$data=fread(fopen(”$dir/$file”,”r”),filesize(”$dir/$file”));
if(eregi(”]+)>(.+)
