Speed up your Internet connection
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There is a solution to improve all this though.
Use a combination of FastCache and the OpenDNS DNS configuration.
FastCache is a caching DNS server that runs on your local machine and handles any DNS request that your computer makes, from Internet Explorer to your favorite FTP client. Rather than specifying the DNS servers of your ISP, you can use the ones provided by OpenDNS.
This combination will help speed up the connections significantly.
Win yourself the Block Magazine WordPress Theme!
This post is not only an announcement of the contest, but also serves as an entry into the contest.
The theme uses a magazine layout and has a clean layout which is easy on the eyes. This is suitable for blogs which plan to display a lot of content on the main page.
Improved Themes for Firefox
The Mozilla Foundation has introduced a new plugin for Firefox called Personas. This brings about a long awaited improvement in the way themes are handled in Firefox.
Personas allows you to change themes on the fly without requiring a browser restart. It also ensures one central location for finding themes for Firefox. The set of themes currently available are limited since the APIs have not yet been opened to developers. This will be changing in the coming days and will surely give Firefox a significant face lift!
The plugin is still supposed to be in Beta, but during my testing I did not find any major glitches to worry about. I did not have to download any themes separately. Just point and click on the theme name using the plugin and in a couple of seconds, Firefox makes the transition to the new look-and-feel.
The plugin works with Firefox 2 and above.
Firefox 2.0.0.10 released…
The Mozilla Foundation has released Firefox 2.0.0.10. This version addresses the following security vulnerabilities
- MFSA 2007-39 Referer-spoofing via window.location race condition
- MFSA 2007-38 Memory corruption vulnerabilities (rv:1.8.1.10)
- MFSA 2007-37 jar: URI scheme XSS hazard
If you are not yet on this version of Firefox, I would highly recommend that you download the update.
On a different note, don’t you think we are seeing far too many security releases for Firefox these days? Are these signs of lapses in their development and testing processes or just the fact that Firefox popularity and its resultant hack attempts are on the rise?
Review: Atlantic Dominion Solutions
Ruby on Rails is a free web application framework. It aims to increase the speed and ease with which database-driven web sites can be created, and offers skeleton code frameworks (scaffolding) from the outset. Often shortened to Rails, or RoR, Ruby on Rails is an open source project written in the Ruby programming language.
Atlantic Dominion Solutions (ADS) specializes in using Ruby on Rails to build advanced, scalable, database-backed web sites for organizations of all sizes. Atlantic Dominion Solutions is an active member of the Ruby on Rails community and an internationally recognized advocate for Rails education and development. Atlantic Dominion Solutions can be called a Ruby on Rails Company.
The Ruby on Rails Portfolio of ADS is quite impressive. The portfolio provides details of 9 success stories for the company ranging from financial services websites to web 2.0 sites.
ADS claims to have the right expertise with their team of Ruby on Rails developers to make your web projects a success. ADS believes in an iterative development model, which enables you to see and test portions of the website as and when they are developed.
Quoting ADS,
Using one-third the amount of code of other common platforms, ADS builds you a scalable Rails website with two-thirds more functionality than the other platforms can provide.
If Ruby on Rails is your choice for your next web project, do evaluate the services of ADS.
Firefox 3 Beta 1 Released…
The Mozilla Foundation has released Beta 1 of Firefox 3. There is no official announcement yet on their website though. The link provided has installers for Mac, Linux, and Windows.
Do note that several plugins will NOT work with this beta version. This is just Beta 1 so don’t expect it to be very stable at the same time. I believe there are over 700 critical bugs that still need to be ironed out before the official release of Firefox 3.
The Mozilla Wiki has the complete feature list for Firefox 3 along with its current status.
StirSite: Make Your Own Website
With StirSite you can make your own website in a few minutes with everything you need to get your business, store, club, team, or non-profit organization online for under $25.
StirSite provides pc and mac website builder software which has been used by over 173,000 organizations to create web sites, complete with photo albums, email, ecommerce, paypal, calendars, and more than 450 other features without ever having built a web site before.
StirSite provides as many as 30 features at no additional cost. This includes 10 page layouts, photo albums, feedback forms, multimedia support, guest book, recommended sites, mailing lists, newsletters, message boards, calendar, auto responder, map, quotes page, polls, etc.
The tools provided a sufficient to get a website up and running within minutes without having to know web programming at all. This is ideal for those who either have no knowledge of web programming or those who are just pressed for time.
The StirSite website itself is very well designed with a lot of details with screenshots provided for each of the features. This will make it crystal clear as to what each of the features does and should enable you to close the deal faster!
StirSite is currently providing a free 10 day trial? Give it a shot…
Tons of Gmail Add-ons
Do you use Gmail? Do you use the plain-vanilla version provided by Google, or have you powered it up using some cool enhancements & hacks available for it? This post tries to get together a list of cool tools for Gmail. Some of the links below are links to other posts which cover the same topic as this.
This list is in no way comprehensive. I’m sure there are plenty of other add-ons available. For now, sit back and enjoy the tools…
Firefox Add-ons:
- Gspace: Use Gmail as a file storage server.
- Gmail Manager: Manage multiple accounts and receive email notifications.
- Conversation Preview Bubbles: Email preview without having to load the email page.
- Gmail Notifier: Monitor multiple Gmail accounts right inside your browser’s UI.
- Better Gmail 2: Visual Enhancements to Gmail.
- GTD Inbox: Integrates the methodology of “Getting Things Done” into Gmail.
- FireGPG: Brings an interface to encrypt, decrypt, sign or verify the signature of text in any web page using GnuPG.
- Gmail Skins: Tries to make your Gmail experience a little better!
Similar Articles:
- Mark Lyon’s Gmail Loader: A list of 20+ tools for Gmail
- Robs Blog has a collection of 30+ Gmail Tools & Plugins
- Mashable has an article that covers 60+ tools and resources for Gmail
Free Software Daily & Discounted Affiliate Marketing Products
The website gives away one free software (licensed) daily. Today, I’m downloading a licensed version of EverNote. It would be worth subscribing to their feed so that you are aware of what new stuff they give away on a daily basis.
The equivalent site that comes to mind for discounted products (not free!) on Affiliate Marketing is DealDotCom, which I visit on a daily basis. Once in a while they do come up with some great stuff at bargain prices.
Get Norton Antivirus for free
Norton Antivirus (NAV) has for many years has been a popular choice of antivirus software for computer users. For a limited time, you can download a special edition of Norton Antivirus, called Norton Security Scan, absolutely free.
Typically Norton Antivirus is sold for $49.95 but for a limited time, Norton Security Scan can be yours for free. The free norton software allows scanning of files, protection from infected email attachments, and scanning of instant messages.
In this special download of Norton, you are provided with protection from all common types of viruses, as well as detection of Trojan horses, which may allow hackers to monitor your keystrokes and record your every move.
