InfoMiss

Technology

Computers, Open Source, Hardware, Software


Understanding 'Managerese' - (Business words that cloud the mind)
http://www.kevinboone.com/managerese.html

Learn software/ programming/ design / networking

www.newhorizons.com  Ask for the yearly price.  It allows you to take as many classes in certain programs over the course of a year for one low price.  Great deal for those who just want technical classes, taught in a short amount of time, for a reasonable amount of money.

http://www.christian-web-masters.com/ Online resource put together by Christian Web Masters to provide tools and resources to web designers.

Bulletin Boards

http://www.vbulletin.com

phpBB2 http://www.phpbb.com/index.php The original was good, but a little clunky and had security problems. Looks like they really reworked it.

phpBB2 is the successor to the highly popular phpBB opensource bulletin board system. Re-written from the ground up to be even more flexible, secure and feature packed than its predecessor. phpBB 2.0 features all that was good about phpBB 1.x; one-click install, multiple language packs, simple and intuitive user interfaces, support for BBCode and powerful administration features. It extends this offering complete customization through a powerful template system, full text based searching, advanced permissions system, powerful modularized administration controls, multiple database support, new moderator functions and much more.  phpBB is released free of charge. However, you must read and fully understand the license agreement before you download and use the software.

Validate your HTML

http://validator.w3.org/

Problems / Solutions

Good info to look out for when having trouble with an ASPX page.
http://scottonwriting.net/sowblog/posts/2943.aspx

Stock Photo Sites

Stock Photos at Can Stock Photo

Stock.XCHNG

Web Based Community Scheduler

Do you and your spouse need to synchronize your schedules better or more efficiently?  Are you tired of having multiple calendars and inputting the same data in several schedulers? Check out http://calendar.yahoo.com 

Yahoo has a free sync program (Intellisync) that works well with Outlook allows you to keep your address book and calendar in sync with Outlook (and ACT and Lotus). With Yahoo's tool you can have:  
* one shared address book between several parties so items are being entered twice
* Everyone's up to date
* Enter one place and sync to the others, i.e.: PDA's, Outlook, etc.
* Access to contacts, calendar, and notes from anywhere in the world as long as you have a computer

Online PO Box

Manage your postal mail as easily as your email. View scanned images of your sealed envelopes online, then choose to have your mail securely scanned into a PDF document, recycled, shredded or forwarded to you or someone else. http://www.earthclassmail.com/

Software for making ICO files

ICO Files are those little 16x16 pictures that you see in front of your domain name in the browser address field.  You can create your own file by using Pixeltoolbox 1.1.  It's free to download last we checked.

GreenRide and RidePro

GreenRide is simple and newer than RidePro. GreenRide has a basic feature set, and relatively low price. GreenRide is a relatively new product for a company that has been around for over 20 years.  Customization is possible.

RidePro is sophisticated and can handle a lot of data, sites, and commuting options. Customizations are not readily available.

The ROI on a $24K system could be good. SoCal's Air Quality Management District (AQMD) charges to companies can add up to hundred's of thousands per year if the companies rideshare numbers are poor. A company could just pay the cash to the AQMD, but it doesn't provide the employees with options to do something positive. As gas prices rise, perceptions and the economics behind such programs may start to change.

Hardware

Here's a quiet and inexpensive product that can add more drive space to your computer or network.  Buffalo Technology Linkstation 250 GB Network Storage Center External Hard Drive (HD-H250LAN)

Outdoors Software Gear

ViewRanger Gives New Perspective to National Park Mapping
Mobile phone users visiting UK National Parks can now access local information and share their experiences of the landscape via a new map tool called ViewRanger, an innovative digital mapping tool for rural tourists and outdoor enthusiasts that delivers a fresh view on mapping.

ViewRanger shows a 3D panorama of the user's location and labels the key points-of-interest - features such as hills, lakes, woodland, towns and villages - in the landscape. Immediately a user can match ViewRanger's display to the real world terrain around them and identify what they are seeing. ViewRanger makes it easy for users to quickly answer questions such as "Which hill is that over there?" or "What town is that in the valley?"

ViewRanger runs on mobile phone handsets interrogating a GPS enabled 3D representation of the landscape on your phone.  It's simple to use and doesn't require any map reading skills.  It also has the ability to upload and share photos and information on the landscape.
www.viewranger.com A free trial version is also available.

Cool Mapping Blog Site

Geocomm.com

Wiring

The invisible speaker wire Patented flat speaker wire that is 0.006 inches thin, on average. Our patented flat wire is invisible after your choice of surface-mounted installation: under carpet, rug, tile, on walls or ceilings, etc. Simply paint or wallpaper over it, and your wire disappears!  http://www.decorp.com/dewire.htm

Also, check out this high performance super flat cable for "invisible" connection of speakers to receivers. SuperFlat's ultra-slim, paintable design lets you run speaker wire out-of-wall invisibly.  http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/products/monster/sfl-500.html

Cameras

A couple of good things to consider purchasing to go with your digital camera are extra memory cards, an extra battery, and a case. 

Note: We suggest never buying a product when it first hits the market.  The better bet is to wait for the version 2 or 3 to come out.  Bugs will have been addressed and the price will drop significantly usually.

Amazon is great for finding the accessories that complete or add to your camera.  They will usually sell accessory kits that may include: an extra memory card, a battery, a case for the camera, etc.

SEO - Search Engine Optimization Tips

Google's webmaster tools provide you with a free and easy way to make your site more Google-friendly: www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/docs/en/about.html

Build your Google-friendly Site Map online with Generator: www.xml-sitemaps.com

Maximizing your Google Ad Click Through's
One guy who is about to make USD $1 million in Google AdSense income next year recommends:Taking out the border of your ads. Make the links the same color of your web site’s link color. http://www.vincentrich.com/index.php

Display a picture beside your ads to make people focus on your picture, which in turn makes them look at your ads and perhaps click on your ads more often.

Make the background color of your ads the same as the background color of your web page. Make your ads look like they are part of your page instead of like ads.

Use phpAdsNew to manage your Google AdSense and other banner networks on your sites. It requires one piece of JavaScript code on all of your web sites and is updated from one installation of phpAdsNew.

Edit PHP in FrontPage Design View

On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Configure Editors tab. In the Extensions list, locate and select the file extension that you want to use. In the Editors list, select FrontPage (Open as HTML). Click Make Default.

If the extension that you want does not appear, you must add it.

Click the New Extension button (or press ALT+N), located above the Extensions list. In the Open With dialog box, type the file. extension that you want in the Extension box. Select FrontPage (Open as HTML), and then click OK.

More at: http://www.your-propeller-head.org/edit-php-files-in-frontpage-2003-design-view/

WebHosting

DownTownHost.com is the clear winner (03/09)
Supports FrontPage, PHP, CPanel, Unlimited Addon Domains (Multiple Domain Hosting)
Low Rates and excellent service - $5/mo @ 3 year billing.

Listed in WebHostingTalk as one of the Hosts with >5 years in the market without a negative review.

"I have been with them over a year now. The support still goes above and beyond and has that personal touch which many do not have. I mean they make you feel more like a person or a friend then a customer. its been that way every time I have contacted them. Some thing I should mention about downtown host is every problem I have had has been worked out in one way or another. ... I actually talked to them this morning on live chat and they are just as friendly and have a much better live support, I mean the software is better, faster and every thing." "I ended up choosing Downtownhost. They have been EXCELLENT ME so far, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff they did for me, they practically have went OVER THE TOP. "http://www.downtownhost.com/shared.html

Steps to set up a Website

1.  Find a domain name that you like at http://www.networksolutions.com/domain-name-registration/index.jsp 
2. Pick your hosting company for the site.  www.DowntownHost.com is a great one.
3.  Build the site or have it built
4. Publish
5. BAAM, your done!