New WordPress Theme Is Fast And Easy

I’m kind of old school. When I get a WordPress theme I go through all the hassle of creating and/or adding new graphics, add any Adsense or other ads I might want and THEN mess around with the CSS to get the background, nav bars, colors and fonts right.

If it’s a free WordPress theme then is it new enough to handle widgets, pingbacks and trackbacks? I have to use the trial and error method to find out.

There’s a new breed of WP themes now that is starting to eliminate all of the headaches I’ve experienced for years and I’d like to share one I just discovered called the Socrates Premium WordPress Theme and boy is it a time-saver.

All you do is upload it and everything is done from within WordPress. Here’s just some of the stuff it will do, all with a click of your mouse:

• Built-in header generator with 200 headers (or use your own)
• Built-in background graphics
• Custom nav bars
• Custom colors and fonts
• Multiple layout (sidebar) options
• Affiliate program integration
• HTML rotator

and that’s just the beginning. They also include Sales and Squeeze Page templates and training on how to use the theme. The only drawback I’ve found is that it’s fixed at 960 pixels wide, but that’s is what I recommend to my clients, anyway. They seem to update it regularly so that may be fixed in the future.

A single domain license is $47 and an unlimited domain license is $77, one of the best prices I’ve seen for this type of WordPress theme. Check out the video on it here..
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Anti-virus Software Recommendations

We often get clients asking us for a recommendation on anti-virus software. This occurred last week when one of our clients was infected with a scareware trojan (again).  He couldn’t download anything off the web because the trojan was blocking it and was standing at the anti-virus software rack at the local Office Max. He had been using AVG on his new computer, which didn’t block the scareware.

So let’s talk about antimalware protection for your home office or small business. First, there are Internet security suites that can contain a firewall, anti-virus, antimalware, anti-phishing, anti-spam, parental control, identity theft protection, backup software and any number of other features which you may or may not need.

Then there is dedicated anti-virus/antispyware software that specializes in protecting your computer from a virus/worm/trojan. Read more.
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Free PC Troubleshooter From Microsoft

Microsoft has just come out with a free computer troubleshooter at their FixIt Center. It’s still in beta mode but I gave it a whirl. The video below is a quick demo of the PC troubleshooter…

It works on the following Operating Systems:

• Windows XP Service Pack 3 (SP3)
• Windows XP Pro (64-bit) Service Pack 2 (SP2)
• Windows Vista, Windows 7
• Windows Server 2003 SP2
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows Server 2008 R2

The tool is fairly limited right now but we’ll see if they expand it in the future.

Two other resources I’ve found for solving computer problems are:

The Windows Secrets Lounge. This is a forum dealing with Windows covering the last 10 years. They’ve just modernized it so it can be spidered by the search engines but there’s still unindexed stuff you can find by searching the forum directly.

Another option if your system is all screwed up and you don’t want to have to reformat and reinstall Windows is called Reimage.

You download and run it on your Windows computer and it ‘refurbishes’ your operating system without having to reinstall all of your data and software.

It used to just work on XP computers but now works on Vista and Windows 7 as well. We’ve used it on several client’s computers and it works like a charm, especially after a virus infection.

It’s less than $50 for one key (good indefinitely on that one computer) or less than $70 for three keys. You can also create a boot CD with Reimage on it for computers that won’t load Windows at all..
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Desktop Arcade Using iPad

Okay, up until now I haven’t been all that impressed with Apple’s iPad. “It’s a huge iPhone” and “Meh” were two of the most common responses to the iPad launch.

Other problems with the iPad:

No Flash

Apple’s iPad OS licensing agreement shows that users will only get one free major OS upgrade and will have to pay for any further upgrades.

Apple claims to have the right to restrict all content on its device

If your iPad requires service due to the battery’s diminished ability to hold an electrical charge, Apple will replace your iPad for a service fee ($105.95). You will receive a replacement iPad that will not contain any of your personal data.

No removable storage

No USB port

Can’t print anything

But, the guys at ThinkGeek.com have come up with a novel way to use your iPad. It’s called the iCade Arcade Cabinet. Just slide your iPad into the slot where it connects to a 30-pin connector, launch the free iCade app and it’s “game on”!

It has professional grade controls and a built-in iPad charger for unlimited play time.

What will they think of next?.
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Windows 7 32 bit vs 64 bit

A client recently bought a computer off the shelf loaded with a Windows 7 64 bit OS. Why? That’s just the way it came. Later he asked us if that was the right decision.

We are in a transition period from 32 bit to 64 bit systems. As with any transition there are disadvantages for the early adopters of the newer technology. First came 64 bit processors, then 64 bit operating systems, then other 64 bit software to take advantage of the new processors.

The main disadvantage of 32 bit systems is the limitation on RAM. 32 bit computers are limited to using 4 GB of physical RAM with 3 to 3.4 GB available to you, the user. It sounds like a lot of RAM, and it is, unless you are working with large files as in video editing or major scientific work. But hell, watching a DVD on your computer can have a 4 GB file.

The advantage of 32 bit is that it’s accepted technology – everything works. Read more.
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How To Download YouTube Videos

How do I download YouTube videos? That’s a question we get quite often, so I created a quick video tutorial showing how to download YouTube videos.

There are two steps: downloading the video and downloading a player onto your computer that can watch the videos, which are Flash videos with an.flv file extension.

Related links:

Firefox web browser
NetVideoHunter addon
VideoLAN player (most audio and video files)
Wimpy Player (.flv and .swf)

If you don’t want to use a Firefox addon there’s a video download toolbar that works in both Internet Explorer and Firefox. Just follow the directions on the page, but it only works on .flv files, not other types of video..
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The Video Streaming Format War Heats Up

Apple’s recently released iPad has brought video streaming formats to the forefront. Why? Because it doesn’t recognize Flash.

It wasn’t that big a deal when the iPhone shunned Flash, but when the iPad, suitable for Internet browsing, didn’t include Flash it meant that its users would have a limited view of the web.

NOTE: YouTube uses Flash video. Apple added an app that allows YouTube videos.

First, a little background on video streaming. True video streaming requires server software that handles the stream. It monitors the connection speed between the server and the viewer and matches the download speed to the connection speed.

Most web video uses progressive download. That’s where a portion of the video is downloaded and the rest downloads as it’s being viewed. The initial wait time (buffer) and streaming rate are built into the video.

The advantage of progressive downloads are its simplicity and ability to run from any web site. The disadvantage is people with slow connections having to wait during viewing for the video download to catch up and people with fast connections not receiving the optimal experience.

The Video Streaming Battle Begins…

Read more.
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Using Your Browser To Save Passwords Is Not Secure

Using the autocomplete function in Internet Explorer to save user names and passwords or having Firefox remember passwords for sites is not a secure method of storing passwords.

I was recently checking out a handy little utility program called System Information for Windows when I clicked on an icon called ‘Secrets’ and BAM! there were all of my user names and passwords that were stored in my Firefox browser.

Eeek! I did a little research and found free utilities that can access your Firefox and Internet Explorer saved passwords – a potential security hole a mile wide. The video below shows the problem and what to do about it.

The solution for Firefox passwords can be adding a master password that you enter each time Firefox starts and you go to a page that needs your user name and password. It stays in effect until you close Firefox.

There’s no remedy for Internet Explorer other than to disable autocomplete. While the passwords are encrypted, all you need is to be logged into your Windows profile to access the passwords.

The video also shows how to turn autocomplete on and turn autocomplete off in IE and to clear your autocomplete file.

One solution discussed is RoboForm. It cost $29.95 but may be worth it. It sits in your browsers and stores encrypted passwords, name, address, etc. for use as needed.

If anyone out there has another solution please comment below..
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