Digital Switchover to High Definition

When you buy an HDTV, plan your HDTV channels subscription along with it so you can get your free HDTV antennas. That will give you a true picture of your High-def broadcast, with that extra effect that you are looking for.

One common misconception is that analog signal is better, however in reality, the HD signal can be decoded at lower signal to noise ratios rather than the analog signal, thereby providing better sound quality. However, in order to cut of the surround reflection, it is advisable to choose good HD antennas based on directional or omni-directional, indoor or outdoor, amplified or non-amplified usage.

HDTVs are now affordable for both middle …

WordPress, Six Apart Movable Type, Which Is Better? Who Cares…

wordpress vs six apartThe “Smear Campaign” has started. No we are not talking about the US presidential race, we are talking CMS! Have you visited Planet WordPress lately? For a new comer, it will look more like a Movable Type blog than WordPress, and if that were not enough, the MT folks can’t seem to keep their egos in their pants and try endlessly to add fuel to the fire.

For the sake of history, here’s how the events unfolded.
First there was Movable Type
For what it is worth, Movable Type is responsible for the popularity of WordPress. The licensing debacle of MT resulted in defectors opting …

Olympic Medal Count Fluid Bubble Chart Online Map

Here’s a fluid bubble chart of the Olympic medal count, the coolest online map ever. Move the scale on the top to get a feel of how powerful this flash powered application really is.

One interesting note in the geopolitical context is how in 1980, USSR, the eastern block, Cuba and all the communist governments dominated the show (in the absence of US), but China, which we believe was strongly influenced by USSR, did not medal at all.

As for this year, the larger dots are mostly represented by developed nations, with only a few exceptions.

Shit Box

This is not a joke, these guys are serious. Shit Box is a lightweight portable cardboard toilet, made specifically for outdoor use. Funny though!

WordPress Exploit Scanner is a Life Saver

This plugin is probably one of the most useful and valuable tools to have if your site had used WordPress 2.3 ever (even for a day!). The plugin simply points out exploits and shows you the location of the malicious files, which you can then find and easily delete via FTP. You will be surprised how many such hacker installed files you will find, especially in unused themes and plugins (might not pose a threat, but must be removed nonetheless.) And if you are still using WordPress versions older than 2.5.1, you must upgrade immediately, else its only a matter of time before your site will get hacked.

Array Function in WordPress 2.5

During a recent site redesign, the client required the site dynamically generate a unique promotional banner (in the sidebar) on certain high profile writers “about the author” page.

wordpress 2.5Before WordPress version 2.5.x, we had to rely on conditional tags such as is_page() or is_category() and numerous lines of code to accomplish it. For most parts it worked well, especially when you had only one or two conditions to satisfy, but when the number of such exceptions increased, the code became bulky and was prone to err.

With WordPress version 2.5.x, you can simplify the task by applying the conditions over an array of pages (categories, tags…), here’s an example:

Our conditional tag was required to automatically generate a banner when the author page of specific authors was queried.

Photoshop Express tries to top Flickr

ps expressNot a big fan of Adobe, but this is worth the post. The new offering from Adobe packs more firepower than any other social media network (including Flickr). With their competitive edge in the media manipulation market with Photoshop, it is no wonder that they decided to call this online application “Photoshop Express”. I suggest you check it out, it has tons of cool features that only Photoshop can offer, it’s like having your own copy of Photoshop, only its online. You will not be disappointed. P.S. I created a gallery with a few images, all of which are “Photoshopped” using this very online application. Check it out!

Richmond Web Tech, Startup, and Entrepreneur Meetup: April 16th

meetup logoIf you are a local, drop in and meet Richmond net entrepreneurs, web designers, and network with folks interested in the internet and technology. Here’s a link to the meet up, sign up for free and stop by. I personally would like to meet some WordPress enthusiasts.

“The Future of WordPress Themes” Opinion Poll

A high level opinion poll concerning WordPress themes and its future is presented on Ian’s new site Theme Shaper. Highly recommended read for WordPress theme designers and enthusiasts alike. I have my 2 cents in there too!

WordPress 2.3.2 is a Security Bug Fix

wordpress imageNot sure if I am reading too much into this, but just yesterday a WP daily builds tester complained of his site being Cracked and partly hijacked using SQL injection, and today, less than a month before the 2.4 version release, a security bug fix! Here’s the message posted on the docs.
WordPress 2.3.2 is an urgent security release that fixes a bug that can be used to expose your draft posts. 2.3.2 also suppresses some error messages that can give away information about your database table structure and limits and stops some information leaks in the XML-RPC and APP implementations. Get 2.3.2 now to protect your blog from these disclosures.
I …