WordPress 2.6.5 Released

Being a Blogspot blogger, I tend to ignore most of the WordPress releases, but today I wanted to bring you the information for the latest update for WordPress, 2.6.5. Apparently this new version tightens up security and a couple of applications by fixing a few bugs and the aforementioned security issue.

Granted, I don't know too much about WordPress even though I utilize it as a guest content producer on a few sites, but I do enjoy the simplicity of their software. Anyway, I had been considering moving 8-Big Memoirs to a privately hosted WordPress "format", but haven't had the desire to follow through yet. I am happy where that blog is and don't want to push it too much toward advertising yet, but we aren't here to talk about that today.

Back to the purpose of this post, the new WordPress update fixes the following three bugs;

1) prevents accidentally saving post meta information to a revision.

2) prevents XML-RPC from fetching incorrect post types.

3) adds some user ID sanitization during bulk delete requests.

You can download the update from the following link if you are interested.

The New MacBook

While I was watching the news tonight, I saw the new commercial for the MacBook and have to say that I am impressed with the marketing campaign. Apparently the goal is to convince consumers that the MacBook is green technology that is environmentally friendly. I don't know how much of the hype I am buying into. To be honest, I don't look for an environmentally friendly notebook. If I was, I would just buy a spiral bound notebook made from recycled paper. Having said that, I don't want to diminish some of the great facts about the new MacBook. I just think they should stick with its features as well as specs in order to differentiate their new product from the competition. 

With that said, I was intrigued to learn that the new MacBook uses only a quarter of the energy of a standard light bulb, that is pretty cool. In addition, the new sleek design compliments the iMac and lends toward the use of recyclables in mass production. I really think that the campaign would be better suited to focus on the differences between Mac and PC, but then again it isn't my job to sell the darn thing. 

If you are interested in picking up the new MacBook, the most basic model will run you around $1,300 US dollars. If you want a "beefier" unit you could be looking at upwards of $2,000. In these rough economic times that is a lot of cash to dole out on a laptop. Honestly, I was considering picking one of these up, but not if I'm going to have to take on a second job to afford the thing.

BlogMad For Sale

I just got word today via the BlogMad shout box that BlogMad is going up for sale or out to pasture on Dec. 12, 2008. I have to say that I have mixed feelings about this whole sale vs stale thing. I mean, under a new administration, BlogMad might become a better traffic generator. On the other hand, maybe these traffic exchanges should go out due to the lack of targeted traffic and Adsense issues that arise via the usage of said exchanges. 

Having said that, I understand that there has been quite a bit of frustration out there with people who have submitted issue tickets and blogs for approval. Administration has been out to pasture lately and been generally unresponsive to answering questions/issues as well as approving new blogs into the system. In addition, spam blogs, spam advertising and frame breakers haven't been addressed either leading many to believe that someone somewhere was asleep at the switch.

Regardless, the administrators of BlogMad have placed the site for sale and (I assume) are entertaining offers. It appears that this whole transfer or potential sale is still in its early stages, so little is known at this point regarding terms etc. Below is a copy of Blogetiq's post regarding the sale.

Screencast and Jing Project

I had mentioned a little while ago about a really cool and easy to use free screen capture application as well as image hosting service called Jing Project and Screencast respectively. I have been using them primarily for my blog "Increasing My Blogs Traffic" and have to say that I feel it has assisted me in bringing FAQ's to life as well as tutorials for a number of other applications a reality.

I have to say that I have a soft spot for free applications and downloads and am always pleased when I am able to utilize one on a blog or website. As I mentioned, I have been placing answers to FAQ's and posting tutorials on my other blog, and am looking forward to posting more as time goes by. I can't stress enough how great these two services are and highly recommend downloading them and utilizing them on your blogs today! 

The downloads of Jing Project are available for both PC and Mac and are free as well as Screencast which is merely a image host like Photobucket. These are pretty cool and you should definitely check them out.

EBay In Trouble

I've been following some reports of late that suggest that EBay in in a state of free fall as it is being overcome by online classifieds such as Craigslist, Oodle and kijiji. Honestly, I will be happy when EBay goes away. I feel like their business model has gone stale and a shake-up is needed. In addition, there is just too much garbage mixed in with solid items that are up for auction/sale. I'm not saying the other networks are perfect, but at least they are more straightforward.

Personally, I prefer Half.com and Amazon.com due to my familiarity with their services as well as the high level of satisfaction I have received via their services. I can't count all the negative experiences I've had on EBay over the years. I guess the fact that I returned was due primarily to ignorance. I was unaware of a lot of the other choices out there. So if this post help just one person to avoid EBay and try one of these other services I will feel somewhat validated.

Building Link Exchanges

I've been spending some time building up another project/niche site of mine called "8-Bit Memoirs" and have been happily surprised at the results I've seen in traffic as well as page rank increases since its inception this summer. With minimal work I have watched the site gain readership, subscribers, followers and garner a decent amount of interest through comments. I have really enjoyed all of the great niche bloggers that I have met via the site building process and through link exchanges. 

In regards to this blog, I have been at "it" for about a month or two and have not really focused on link exchange as heavily as my aforementioned blog. I would like to begin building links to this blog via blogroll exchange and back-links with other bloggers who are technology focused. I believe that this blog can have similar results as my other niche blog if targeted correctly. I have to say that this one is one of my personal favorites along with 8-Bit and Increasing My Blogs Traffic (I just have to get in the habit of updating more regularly I think). 

I have also found a lot of great blogs around the Blogosphere such as The Technical Thought of You, Attack This and one of my personal favorites The Billionty-Oneth Geek. Honestly, all three are great blogs and offer a lot of cool and informative articles for all different tastes. If you get a chance, you should definitely check them out! In the meantime, I'm going to be plugging away on some of my social networks trying to build up some blogroll ad link exchanges for this blog. thanks for tuning in!

Laptops Forever?

In my last couple of blog posts we discussed some of the newer gadgets to hit the market and how some people expect to see tools like Sony's Xperia X1 all but eliminate several of the most popular gadgets of the modern era. Whether it is a digital camera, palm pilot or cell phone, chances are that you have all those things on one gadget as opposed to three or so. Well, nowadays we not only have all those, but we have movies, music, internet and a variety of other cool applications on our handhelds or cell phones and that might spell disaster for some industries. I read that some people actually expect laptops to become obsolete in the coming years. Personally, I think that it ridiculous. I don't know about you, but I hate those tiny screens and I really can't stand the awful photo quality of some hand held cell phone cameras. I don't think laptops are going anywhere anytime soon.

Personally, I think that the multi-faceted cell phones might go buh-bye due to their oftentimes ludicrous release costs as well as variety of tech issues. I remember I had my first cell phone back in 2000 and it lasted right up until about mid 2004. Lets see any one of these new gadgets even last half of that time. Honestly, there is just too much that an and will go wrong with these new gadgets. Don't get me wrong, I think that they are incredible, but I just don't want all the distractions from a cell phone. I think a camera is a great add on as well as the ability to "push to talk", but all the extra features really just distract people from what they ought to be doing. 

Having worked with both kids and adults, I have to say that almost half of the workday both groups are tinkering with their handhelds in a non-professional manner and that is not good for business. I'm waiting for the day somebody creates a cell-phone dampening field that renders the gadgets useless in schools and offices. That would be some pretty cool technology. Like I said, I like the gadgets, I just think that they are getting a little too carried away.

Cellphones Killing Other Handheld Gadgets

I'm a pretty big fan of all the gadgets that have come out over the last twenty years or so, but no gadget has been as revolutionary as modern day cell phones. Think about it, the cell phone in your pocket or purse is likely a camera, PDA, laptop, wifi router, GPS and a phone. I have seen some of the most amazing phones the last few years and am in a state of wonderment when I imagine what may be coming dow the line in years to come. 

Having visited Yahoo this afternoon to check up on my personal email account, I came across this story detailing how modern day cell phones have all but eliminated many of the popular handheld gadgets of the last decade. The article even went as far as to say that these modern day cell phones may actually be on their way to replacing the laptop. If that is the case, I can't wait to stock-up on bargain basement discounted laptops. Personally, I like all of the cell phone gadgets, but don't like to use them for internet connectivity and writing. I mean, the screens are too small and so is the keyboard. I prefer laptops myself, but who know what might be coming down the wire. In a year or two maybe there will be fold out screens and keyboards.

Sony Wants $800 For This Thing?

I have to admit that there are some pretty cool gadgets out there, but in these difficult economic times who is going to spend nearly one thousand dollars on a cell phone? Apparently Sony thinks that you will hand over a months rent or half of your mortgage payment (or whatever) on their new Xperia X1. Granted, it is a sleek gadget with some interesting features and design intricacies, but $800!

The big thing I noticed from reading their review is that they can't seem to stress enough that the phone is "stylish", "trendy" and hip". Once you get behind all the glitz and glam you will find that this gadget isn't anything special. The phone utilizes both Internet Explorer and Opera as well as some glitches that require the user to maneuver through multiple systems to achieve simple tasks. In addition the phone has a 3.2 Mega Pixel camera that focuses like a kid with severe attention deficit disorder and the applications load slower than a quadriplegic distance runner. 

The lesson here is simple. If you are going to fork over a lot of cash for a cell phone, buy an iPhone and don't d@#k around with this thing. Besides, I find Sony electronics (especially the Vaio) always seem to have some sort of issue shortly after you open up the box, so why get into that battle if you don't have to. Just my opinion, you'll do what you will.

(If you haven't noticed by now, I'm an Apple fan.)

MS Office for Mac

Having spent some time the last few days talking about different downloads and applications for the Mac, I wanted to talk about some great software I picked up for my Mac last month. Microsoft Office for Mac is a great tool for anyone interested in streamlining their business or schoolwork after switching from PC to Mac. There are a lot of great familiar features PC users will recognize and Mac users are looking for. 

I purchased the basic edition and am pretty satisfied with both Word and Excel, but don't like the subtle changes in Power Point. Fortunately, I really only spend a lot of time with Word and Excel. I also like to mess around with all of the templates from time to time to update resumes, cover letters and flyers etc. 

Anyway, I'm pretty happy with this software and would recommend it to anyone looking to streamline applications. I wasn't too impressed with the price, but felt that with all the use I would get out of it I would at least get the value for my money. 

Protect Your Nerd From Snowball Attacks

Having moved to the Austin Texas area from New Hampshire, I've come to the conclusion that I will likely never see snow falling from the sky or have to fear a snowball attack from the neighborhood children. Honestly, it is too bad because I just found the coolest gadget I have seen (in regards to playing in the snow) and it is called the "Snowball Launcher".

Apparently this gun can hurl a softball sized snowball either 50 or 80 feet (depending on the model). I don't know about you, but that is pretty cool. Imagine strolling out onto the front porch and launching snowballs across the block at unsuspecting punks at their bus stop. When I was a little kid I would have killed for something like this. The price for the 50 ft. launcher is about $30. Personally, I think this one is really cool and would loved to have had one if I still lived up north.

WMV To iMovie

Yesterday I mentioned Flip4Mac, a great free download that allows Mac users to view WMV media, and today I want to mention an application that you can download that allows you to upload WMV files onto iMovie. MPEG StreamClip Squared 5 is another free download that will allow Mac users to upload their WMV files into iMovie to edit, tweak or whatever they should desire.

I downloaded this application yesterday and am pleased in how easy it was to use. In no time I'll be able to do some editing work for friends and family who are still using PC's and dealing in WMV files. Pretty exciting stuff!

Flip4Mac

If you have made the switch from a PC to a Mac, you may have found that oftentimes you are unable to open Windows Media Files (wmv) and wind up with all of them stored in your downloads folder unable to be opened. After realizing that you cannot open the files in iTunes or QuickTime it is time to go online and download Flip4Mac.

Flip4Mac is a free download that will allow Mac users to open up Windows Media Files in QuickTime. The add on will not only enable you to play these videos straight from email or websites, but it works quickly and seamlessly. 

In addition to the free download, there are many features that you can purchase for Flip4Mac, but they aren't necessary to simply play videos or clips. I highly recommend this free download to anyone who wants to play WMV files on QuickTime.

Thunderbird 2 Test Begins Today

A couple of days ago I posted about Thunderbird 2 and have finally gotten around to downloading it on Safari and am looking forward to testing it out for my business applications. I have high hopes for the program and am looking forward to seeing how it will streamline my business communications. Currently, I am running 3 different email accounts which I will be able to wrap into this one application. I am very excited about this program!

Thanks to everyone for their feedback the last couple of days regarding both Firefox and Thunderbird. I'll be sure to let you all know how well the applications work for my business as well as personal needs. Thanks again!

Thunderbird 2

I spent a bit of time yesterday talking about Firefox and getting your opinions as to which browser you prefer and enjoy. Well, I've been using both Safari and Firefox (the latter due to the wide array of great add ons and extensions) and am interested to know if anyone has taken advantage of Thunderbird 2 to handle their inbox/mail? 

I am thinking about downloading Thunderbird 2 from the Mozilla home site to take it for a test drive in December when my email and business tends to slow up a bit. Currently I am using a combination of yahoo, gmail and safari mail and am happy with the model, but would like to streamline a bit more to avoid all the applications. Besides, I think they have a cool logo, just like Firefox!

Firefox

I had mentioned in a prior post about how I downloaded Firefox due to some of the features that Safari was unable to deliver (mostly job-hunting) and I have to say that I am enjoying Firefox and am looking forward to possibly using it as my primary browser. There are some pretty cool extensions that can be found here and utilized for a number of applications. 

My question is, what browser are you currently using? Do you like your browser, would you consider another one?

Blog Surfing

I was doing a bit of surfing today over at Blog Explosion and was amazed to see that nearly every blog was saturated with presidential politics and the like. I was impressed with the outpouring of support for the new president as well as some of the stances many have taken on the issues, but I was not impressed with some of the sentiments that the country will go to hell. 

Having said that, I think when surfing through blogs on an auto-surf type site one should utilize the directory in order not to "waste" their time on blogs they don't have an interest in. In the meantime, I will be utilizing the directories so that I can focus more on topics I enjoy instead of excessive political rants.

I hope to have some more gadget reviews and tech info coming soon!

Safari Browser Not All It's Cracked Up To Be

I wanted to take a minute today to address some issues I've been having with my iMac's browser Safari. Before I launch into a couple of issues, I want to say that other than these issues, I prefer Safari over the other browsers that I have used, but do have a couple of qualms. My primary issue with the Safari browser is the inability to job search effectively via Safari. If you have applied for work online, you are familiar with ultipro and other employer applications that require specific plug-ins etc. Unfortunately, after moving clear across the country and looking for work I was unable to apply online to a number of jobs that I would have liked to, instead I had to apply via email and snail mail. This was a bit frustrating at first, but eventually I downloaded FireFox so it isn't really an issue at this point.

Secondly, it is frustrating when you want to play a video you find online and you are unable to due to the aforementioned plug-in issues as well as your browser always wanting to run Quicktime. Don't get me wrong, I love the system and am only really beginning to understand it. 

All in all, I really enjoy the iMac as well as the O.S., but I really feel like Safari could be better, and who knows it probably is and I'm just using it wrong. If you know anything about how to increase the effectiveness of Safari, feel free to drop a comment here as it would be greatly appreciated.

Dr. Who

With a blog entitles Full Nerd, it was only a matter of time before I wrote a post about my favorite sci-fi series Dr. Who. Last holiday season, I was fortunate enough to receive all three seasons of Dr. Who from my family and friends and have finally finished watching them for the second time around. I have to say, David Tennant (the 10th doctor) is hands down my favorite doctor of all time, which is probably why I enjoyed seasons 2 and 3 the best. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed season 1 as well, but I just like Tennant's portrayal the best.

Anyway, I'm posting about Dr. Who today to recommend the series to anyone who is into sci-fi that is easy to understand and get into without studying terminology and stellar geography. Anyway, just wanted to plug my favorite series and maybe introduce it to some nerds who might dig it. I have also been thinking about picking up the Torchwood series (Dr. Who spinoff), but suspect that may be a holiday gift this season (I hope). 

Screencast and Jing Project

I finally began using my free Screencast account (thanks to the Jing Project) and have got to say that it is a pretty cool program. It is hard to complain about free products, but my only complaint tis the lack of an editing feature in regards to screen captures. More directly, I would have really liked the ability to crop a screen capture to fit into specific formats for use on other applications. Then again, it is free so it is hard to complain.

If you haven't ever used screen capture or video capture applications, you should consider downloading Jing as well as creating a free Screencast account. The process is quite simple and well worth the five or so minutes of investment. Even if you don't decide to continue using them, you can get some great experience with the application and probably learn quite a bit in the process. Feel free to sign up at their site or via my links.