Author: Mark

Must Have Portable Apps for Windows

Portable apps are the apps that run independently from the operating system (although they are normally OS dependent), do not change the system files, and keep all the necessary data in the program’s folders. They are ideal for people on the go, who can simply download and run the programs from external hard drives, flash drives, CD ROMS, and of course, their computers and laptops. These portable apps do not clutter your system and if you decide that you no longer have use for them, all you have to do is delete them without having to worry about incomplete un-installs and left over files. These programs are often scaled down, but fully functional, multi-media players, email clients, instant messengers, graphic viewers, image editors, and office software.

14 Top Sites to Find Premium Graphics

While every seasoned designer wants his or her work to be original and stand out, incorporating separate design elements, vector graphics, brushes, and templates into your projects will speed their completion up and help you work smarter. It is wise to keep all the graphic elements that you have designed handy, so you can always find them on your hard drive and include them in your future work, but you can also find hundreds of websites, which offer premium design graphic packages at very reasonable price. Listed below are some of the places, where you can find just about anything a designer might need – from icons and gradients to premium WordPress themes.

Go Local – How Web Designers Can Find Local Business

Even though many people frown upon cold calling, it is still an effective way to get business, as long as it is executed properly. Do not call indiscriminately, but rather limit the number of local businesses that you are trying to contact, learn a few details about their operation, pick up the phone, and explain how you can help them grow and profit from your services.

Battle of the Social Networks: Google+ vs Facebook

After Google Buzz and Wave, which never really took off, Google is launching its most powerful social networking project to date, Google+. At the time of this writing, you can join Google+ by invite only, but the interest is so great that many believe that Google finally got it right and Facebook has its first real rival. While the features, which Google+ offers are nothing revolutionary, the project seems to have taken the best from the other social networking sites, making it extremely easy for people to stay in touch with friends and family. It is still very early to judge if Google+ will make a dent in the Facebook’s business and take away some of their 700-million strong user base, but it is clear that the two social networks have quite a few features in common, but also differ in many aspects.

Web Designer vs. Web Developer – What what should I be?

Working online or in a young and dynamic IT company as a web designer or web developer has great many advantages and can be quite rewarding and satisfying, but if you have to choose your career path right now, you need to weigh carefully the pros and cons of each option. In addition, if you are about to start working for yourself, you need to evaluate your own capabilities and take a closer look at the earning potentials of each profession. Quite often, the line between web designers and web developers is blurred as most designers are likely to be able to code at least basic web sites and some developers might dabble in web design as well. A web designer is a person, who is capable of designing logos, banners, or other graphical elements, as well as whole web pages, while the web developer is the person, who is more involved on the technical side of the web building and adds functionality to the web sites.

Media PCs – What does it take to build the ultimate entertainment device?

Setting up a home theater, which enables you to enjoy watching high definition movies, listen to music, and surf the Internet at the same time is possible with the use of a media center PC. The media center PC is a computer, which serves as a video and audio source all in one, supports the highest definition PC and TV picture formats and the most widely used audio codecs and formats at the same time. Instead of linking a separate DVD player, Blu-ray player, gaming console, and a set-top box to an HDMI switch and then to your plasma TV, you can have a single media center PC, which would allow you to enjoy watching high definition movies, listen to music, display and preview photos, as well as use it as a regular computer. In addition, the unit could be used to record movies, download content, tune in to live Internet radio stations, play games, and more.

Internet Radio: The Absolute Best Music Streaming Sites Around

With the explosion of the new technologies, the Internet is now offering more content than ever before and there are hundreds of websites, which stream music. These websites offer songs from various artists, in different genres, and definitely have something for every taste and while some of them used to struggle to stay profitable, others have attracted enough advertisers and subscribers to sustain their operation and offer superb service. For the end user, being able to listen to music on his or her computer, iPhone, or smartphone is just a part of the equation as some of the music streaming websites allow their users to create their own playlists, rate songs, interact with other users, and find out what friends and strangers are listening to or like. Here are the top ten music streaming websites, where you can listen to music online.

Digital Thieves – What to do if they steal your design or content

Working online carries a great number of advantages, but it has its flaws as well – as a web designer, it is next to impossible to prevent your work from being stolen and once stolen, it is often quite difficult to have it removed from the offending website. At times, the perpetrator might reside and host their websites in countries and jurisdictions, which are not too keen on enforcing copyright protection laws, which further complicates the matter. There is a lot a web designer and web developer can do in order to prevent this from happening, but the most important factor is to find the right approach, which is likely to deliver good results quickly. Filing a legal complaint could make a difference, but is often costly, slow, and ineffective and sending hundreds of angry emails is not the right solution either. What to do if someone steals your design work or content.

10 Best Websites to Learn jQuery

While there are many programming languages that can help you create interactive pages, JavaScript was the true pioneer, which was developed back in the days, when every single web page was static. JavaScript is a powerful scripting language, which is relatively easy to use and implement, offers many possibilities to the web developers, and it is speedy and versatile. Being a client-side script, it does not add additional load to the server and it is extremely fast; if you are interested in learning JavaScript, here are the top ten websites, which will get you started.

In the market for a new TV? Find out the best time to buy one!

If you are on the market for a new TV, you might want to know when is the best time to buy one – are the post-Christmas sales offering the best deals or are the pre-Super Bowl deals better? Of course, if you are buying a second or third, small and rather cheap TV, then there is no need to hunt down for the best bargain, but if you are after a large LCD or plasma or a $3 000 3D TV, then buying at the right time could result in significant savings.

17 Awesome Tips to Make You a Better Writer

While writing is not for everyone, if you love it and you are good at it, you can easily attract thousands of visitors to your website or blog and keep them coming back for more. Choosing your topics wisely, writing with the user in mind, and adding top quality content regularly is likely to earn you a good spot on the search engines too and help you market your products or services. Regardless of your reasons, writing for the web has its own specifics, which you should always consider before pouring out your thoughts.

Data Recovery Plans and Why You MUST Have One

Almost all of today’s information is being kept in computers. This is very crucial in almost all businesses since it serves as a backbone- to the employees up to the bosses. That’s why data recovery measures needs to be taken seriously. Net malware, corrupted viruses, nasty trojans, equipment robbery and dishonest members, these are just the common problems that you may face when your files are not well guarded.

13 Great Tips for New Managers

Your first managerial position will present you with challenges, which you have to be ready to face. Working with a diverse group of people, possibly from different backgrounds, and each with their own strengths and weaknesses, you would have to learn how to lead your team and get the job done. While courses or a degree might prepare you for some aspects of your new job, others you will have to learn the hard way. Here are a few tips, which might help you be a better manager.