Looking for web hosting?

Are you looking for reliable web hosting? Would you like to compare different services without getting into a site with annoying ads? Web Hosting Choice has exactly what you’re looking for — an ad-free guide to web hosting.

It may seem to you that, with all the affiliates lurking around the Internet promoting various hosts, that it is no longer possible to find an accurate, unbiased review for any service. But at Web Hosting Choice, hosts are actually ranked and listed in such a way that you can decide for yourself which one to go with. You can search by monthly price, disk space and/or bandwidth, and the features of each web host is listed in a standardized format, so you can take a glance and see which one you don’t want.

If you’re someone like me who is always on guard for inexpensive Linux hosting supporting PHP, Apache, and MySQL, the Web Host Plans section on their site is a good place to begin a categorized view of different services. It’s really a well-designed site — one that runs without advertisements, as well.

Web Hosting Choice - your guide to web hosting.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Joomla 1.5 Stable Released

Hello, readers.

Joomla! — a highly popular content management system (CMS) done by thousands of developers around the world, has now released the widely anticipated 1.5 STABLE release. This is an extremely important update because the new version comes with an “improved” templating system, a much better extension system, easier management of content, sections, and categories, and a very different (built-in) SEF URL’s function.

Despite the fact that many templates for the 1.0.x versions of Joomla! are not very good on 1.5 installations, the legacy mode does allow you to use those older templates. In any case, 1.5’s been publicly anticipated for almost half a year, and many templates are out now, for 1.5 in native mode.

Go ahead and download Joomla! 1.5 STABLE to start your own site.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Gadgets from China

We all know about the most popular gadgets in North America (and probably Europe as well) — high-profile inventions from well-known corporations targeting geekie consumers. Items such as the Kindle, or the iPhone, or the iPod Touch, or even new laptops, are such gadgets.

But we’ve disregarded items invented in Asia that are valuable in themselves; things that are low-cost but often offer the same (or similar) functionality as more well-known products that are publicized at conventions like CES. There are a lot of gadgets that can be shipped from China that we can appreciate, such as those useful things one can find on LightInTheBox.

Some items we might find in high demand here in North America, such as SD cards, Wii accessories, MP4 players (yes, it’s the new standards - nobody cares about MP3 players anymore), and GPS devices — can all be located on LightInTheBox. A 1 GB Kingston Secure Digital memory card is only $8, for instance. Or buy a super-slim MP4 (with video) multimedia device with a 1.8″ screen for about $35.

Ah, the wonders of e-commerce.

Fortunately for international customers like those of us in Canada or the United States, LightInTheBox has a secure (with SSL) e-commerce site supporting various currencies, including CAD, USD, GBP, and the Euro — just to name a few. They accept MasterCard, VISA, Google Checkout, Western Union, and PayPal, accounting for the majority of payment methods used worldwide. They ship, as well, using UPS, DHL, and other reputable names. (Also, did I mention that their site is tested daily for vulnerabilities by ScanAlert, so you know your personal information is safe in their hands, where a privacy policy exists.)

If you’re pondering low-cost alternatives to high-priced gadgets, LightInTheBox is the place to be. And you might wonder, why buy from this site I’ve (probably) never heard of? And here are some answers: simply because it is operated in another country doesn’t change the value of a service like theirs; their site does have reputable brands and products, including unlocked iPhones; and I’m promoting it — I never promote something that I think is going to be risky for the consumer.

Still curious? Check it out.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Recommended gadgets

New gadgets are popping up all the time, and we’d like to introduce you to a few of them: first of all, the Amazon Kindle (e-book reader but so much more), the iPod Touch, and the MacBook (not Pro, not Air).

Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device. A new e-book, news, and blog reader that is the perfect size for using on-the-go. With a monochrome, high-resolution screen that mimics the effect of real player, Kindle has a great screen that is absolutely suited to reading any sort of text or mixed media. Kindle also has a cell-network wireless connectivity function that makes updating content the simplest thing in the world, without installing software on your computer or using messy cabling. Convert your existing files to the Kindle’s document format for free through e-mail, or order e-books/news subscriptions through the Kindle itself with its built-in keyboard, and have the files delivered within a minute. (It’s not a multimedia device, though; however, the Kindle does what it does well.)

Kindle - the next-generation tool for reading anywhere, anytime. Only 0.65 pounds.

Apple (8 GB) iPod touch - the intuitive look and feel of the iPhone, without the phone. This is Apple’s relatively-new multimedia device, supporting video, pictures, (of course) music, but also now web browsing and wireless access to the iTunes Store - through an 802.11 wireless connection. With new Safari browsing, integrated access to YouTube, and easy web search, it’s yet another great gadget from Apple. Not to mention that it’s excellent as a normal music player, with any earphones you use.

Don’t forget the 3.5-inch multi-touch display, and the entire thing is only 8 millimetres thick. iPod Touch.

Oh - and if you want great sound quality with earphones, take a look at Bose in-ear headphones.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...

Downloading YouTube files

How to download YouTube videos without installing any software, even when the entire YouTube domain is blocked

There is a simple process, one which results in a downloadable video file. Every step of the way, if you find that you can access the video you want, there is no need to complete the process unless you want to actually download a video that you can store and keep on your own (or school/corporate) computer.

Here is a scenario in which you might want to follow this guide:

You are on a corporate network which blocks YouTube and all of its subdomains. Any time that you attempt to access it, you receive a warning screen.

You cannot use proxies because anoonymizers have been blocked as well.

You know the URL of the video you want to watch or download.

(more…)

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

 Loading ...

MacBook Air Hype

It seems that today’s MacWorld Expo has aroused quite the hype about the MacBook Air. Though many people were expecting something a bit smaller (in horizontal size), it’s a great gadget that is leading the way into ultra-portable computing. Only 0.76 inches at its tallest, and 0.16 inches at its thinnest! Go MacBook Air!

What’s so great about MacBook Air? It’s only 3 pounds! It comes with a full 13.3-inch widescreen LCD monitor, and a full-sized keyboard (including the backlight function). The trackpad is much improved, with additional features for zooming and navigation based on innovative functions from the iPhone.It may have a few places to stick your cables into, but it is a wireless device. With full 802.11n wireless and Bluetooth 2.1, you are set up for wireless use right out of the box. You can also wirelessly connect to the optical drive of another computer and use whatever disc is in there the same way you might use the SuperDrive on the MacBook Pro. (And the fast speeds of Wireless-G means little or no delay.)

Still not convinced? Take a look at the Apple Store from the image/link above. Or read this Gizmodo post.

MacBook Air is the world’s thinnest notebook. At a size that fits inside a paper envelope.

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...