Woopra, a statistics program that I’ve been using for quite a long time is finally coming out of beta. The Woopra live statistics program, which I reviewed earlier in the year, recently sent it’s Beta users an email warning them that there are less than 36 hours before the official launch. This is a huge chance for Woopra, as in the past year they’ve been letting users “test” their Beta program. I personally love using the program, however, I don’t think it’s an application that I’d pay for. Here’s why……

There are currently programs out there like Google Analytics that are absolutely free of charge. Now Woopra might come up with the defence that their program is unique, providing live statistics, but, I really don’t think that they’re capable of offering Woopra to costumers at a cost. There is simply no need for a costumer to pay for a statistical application when they can get a free one somewhere else. I know that I will be switching back to Google Analytics once they do start charging because of the mere fact that it’s more convenient.

Another argument that could be brought up on Woopra’s side is the fact that there’s no other way for Woopra to be profitable without charging a fee. That isn’t totally true. Sponsorship of the program would bring in huge dollars, and, if they can find other income streams it could prove to be very profitable. An example of this could be having an advertisement constantly showing in the sidebar. I know I would be absolutely fine seeing an advertisement pop up if it’s going to support the company.

I guess what I’m really trying to say is that Woopra needs to keep their program free of charge. It’s just too much of a risky business for them to be making customers pay for statistics that the costumer could use any other program for. If Woopra was able to bring something more unique to the table other than live statistics I may consider changing my opinion. But, for now I believe that Woopra needs to take a look at the broader picture and refrain from charging their cost structure.

I remember when I was young and went to my Grandparent’s house the first thing that I would go for is their Tea set. In fact, I visited them just over a month ago and found some of the water I used as Tea in a teapot was still in it (Over 8 years old). I absolutely loved playing with the tea set and would have little tea parties with my siblings and my Grandparents.

As you know, Christmas is quickly approaching us, which means that most of you will be getting out your pocketbook and begin shopping. If you’re looking for children’s tea sets I found one for a great price on Amazon.com. The Green Toys Tea Set is currently on sale there for almost 30% off it’s regular price. This set comes fully equipped with a tea pot, creamer, sugar bowl, four saucers & Spoons, and finally the cups. This set is perfectly designed and just in case you didn’t know, it’s made from curbside milk jugs. Meaning it’s almost all from fully recycled materials.

This item is also available for free super savers shipping. This means that if you order your presents for Christmas on Amazon you can save quite a bit of money not only on the product itself, but getting it to yourself. I strongly encourage you to check out the deals they have now, more specifically, check out the Green Toys Tea Set.

Christmas is finally coming upon us, meaning that most of you will probably begin heading out to go Christmas shopping. Well, there really isn’t any reason to leave your office chair, as there are plenty of deals to be had on the Internet. Christmas shopping can be much cheaper if you shop on sites such as Amazon because they have fantastic discounts on the actual product and shipping.

One of the sales that I noticed today on Amazon was for the Spalding iHoop Portable Basketball System. This item is currently on sale for more than $800 off it’s original price, which is huge considering just what a remarkable basketball net it is.

The structure of this basketball net features a 54 inch fully tempered glass backboard and a fully operational Screw Jack Lift. This lift makes it easy for just about anyone to raise and lower the net depending on your skill. Additionally, if you want to get pumped up when you’re shooting hoops, this net also comes with 2 3 inch speakers and a subwoofer built right in. And, it has an iPod docking system so you can listen to all of your tunes on your iPod. I found this to be an extremely great feature, and it definitely suites the price.

The Spalding iHoop Portable Basketball System is definitely one of the best portable hoops on the market right now and will be a hot item for the upcoming Christmas season. I personally recommend ordering it from Amazon quickly so you can get the best price possible and not take the chance of them running out of stock.

The Internet is becoming one of the biggest ways people shop. Thousands of transactions are occurring daily, with millions of dollars being spent. Online shopping is pretty hard to avoid, especially in our modern economy. One of the largest sites, Amazon, has developed their own empire of shopping online. With that said, one of the most frequent questions that is asked regarding online shopping is whether it’s safe. Other questions that are also asked is whether your credit card number is secure, and who exactly knows the address you post.

The above questions are very legitimate ones to be asking. It is true that you are giving personal information away, however, let’s take that into perspective for a moment. Almost everyday people are swiping their credit cards through computers in retail stores. Who’s to say that the cashier isn’t writing your card number down? Who’s to say that the machine you’re swiping your card on isn’t tampered with? In my opinion, the chances of your card number being stolen on the Internet is about the same as it would in a regular store.

It is important though to know who you’re giving your credit card number to. During the Christmas holiday season you’ll see lots of sites on the Internet trying to get you to head to their site and purchase your product. It’s critical that you pick and choose the right sites to purchase from. If you find a site that you’re unsure of or have never heard of it before it’s most likely going to be fraudulent. Try and stick to more universally known sites such as Amazon, New Egg, Buy.com, and others.

Additionally, if a website asks you if you want them to save your credit card number say no. Allowing them to do this would keep your card number stored on their servers, meaning that if it gets hacked your information will be venerable. Be safe and keep your card number to yourself.

All in all, if you use common sense your online shopping experience should go absolutely fine. Don’t give unnecessary information, and double check to make sure that the site you’re performing your transaction on is secure.

BestBuy is getting prepared for their huge Christmas holiday sales for 2009. Expect huge discounts, as they’re expecting a significant influx of costumers in the coming weeks. Computers, HDTVs, and Appliances are all on special right now, meaning that now is the best time to purchase something.

Additionally, if you’re a gamer you’ll be excited to know that BestBuy is going to have some huge deals on it. See below for more details:

• This Week’s Laptop Deals. Valid 11/8-11/14
• Toshiba Ultrathin Laptop and Portable External DVD Drive Package, Only $599.98. Valid 11/8-11/14
• 5% – 25% Off Select GPS Receivers, Plus Free Shipping. Valid 11/8-11/14
• 20% Off Select Sony Reader Accessories with Sony Reader Digital Book, Plus Free Shipping. Valid 11/8-11/14

BestBuy is also going to be having some fantastic deals on Camcorders and digital cameras in the coming weeks. Here they are:

• 5% – 15% Off Select Digital Cameras, Plus Free Shipping. Valid 11/8-11/14
• 5% – 25% Off Select Digital Camcorders, Plus Free Shipping. Valid 11/8-11/14

Here are more BestBuy Coupons for this month….

• Only $29.99 and $39.99! Get your Small Appliance Gifts Early. Valid 11/8-11/14
• 10% – 20% Off when you Buy 2 to 4 Select Major Appliances. Valid 11/8-11/12
• $10 Off Select Game with Purchase of New Release: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2. Valid 11/8-11/14
• Free $20 Gift Card with Two Select PlayStation 3 Games or Movies. Valid 11/8-11/14
• 30% Off Select Action, Comedy and Kids Titles on DVD and Blu-ray Disc. Valid 11/8-11/14
• Free $10 Gift Card with a $25 Gift Card and a $25 iTunes Card. Valid 11/8-11/14
• $300 Off Sony 1.43MP Handycam High-Definition Camcorder, Original Price $899.99, Now $599.99. Valid 11/8-11/14
• $40 Off Enemy Territory: Quake Wars for Xbox 360, Original Price $59.99, Now, $19.99. Valid 11/8-11/14
• $120 Off LG 22” Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor, Original Price $339.99, Now, $219.99. Valid 11/8-11/14
• $110 Off Haier 12,000 BTU Window Air Conditioner, Original Price $259.99, Now, $149.99. Valid 11/8-11/14

Hope you have a great November. Remember to get your Christmas shopping done early!!!op

Windows 7 came out just over a week ago and I’ve neglected to write about it since that day. I was one of the people who were able to run the trial test since March, and during that time I’ve grown to love this upgrade. In comparison to Windows Vista and XP this new operating system is definitely a worthwhile upgrade. There are countless reasons of why this new Microsoft product should be purchased but today I’m just going to focus on the seven ones that I feel are most important. At the end though If you have anything that you’d like to ad to this article whether it be a positive or negative opinion about Windows 7 feel free to leave a comment.

The seven reasons we will discuss include:

1. Light weight
2. Usability
3. It’s new interface
4. Speed
5. Security
6. Taskbar & Start Menu
7. Pricing

With all of that said though, some of the seven reasons that I’ve gathered together are tied into other products that make the overall Windows 7 experience more enjoyable. Let’s continue now and take a look at these improvements.

Windows 7 Is Light!

Windows XP was known to be quite a hog when it comes to it’s usability of computer resources, so was Windows Vista. In fact, Windows Vista was worse than XP in some cases. For example, Netbook manufacturers were putting Windows XP on netbooks rather than Vista because Vista simply took up to much resources.

Windows 7 is lighter than both XP and Vista, making it work on Netbooks and also running more smoothly on regular laptops and desktop computers. The upgrade to Windows 7 is worth it because of this reason because it means less computer crashes, faster experience, and more responsive applications.

It’s Easier To Use!

Windows 7 I found is much easier to use than Windows Vista. The file folders are much simpler to navigate through and the security prompts are much more understandable. Most of you would probably remember that Apple attacked the security prompts that Windows Vista gave when you were installing a program. I personally disagreed with Apple doing this because I felt it was good of Microsoft to take responsibility and warn users of the hazards of downloading software from the Internet.

With that said, that isn’t the only benefit of Microsoft’s new operating system. Start up goes faster, which I’ll get into when we discuss it’s increased speed. The icon tray being hidden also allows the user to begin using their system quicker as they don’t need to wait for applications to start upon log-in. I found that this reason alone is an ideal example of why upgrading to Windows 7 is a good idea.

If You Think 7 Looks a Lot Like Vista You Were Right!

The only significant difference I found with the look and design of Windows 7 and Vista is the task bar. Most of 7 closely resembles the look of Vista. Icons are the same, the window s are similar, and the start menu is organized a little differently. The sounds and prompts are also surprisingly similar to Windows Vista. So I think it’s pretty safe to say that 7 is just a cleaned up upgrade from Vista, however, it’s definitely a worthwhile one also.

It’s Much Faster Than Previous Versions

Windows 7 is definitely an improvement from previous installments of Windows in terms of speed and efficiency. Start up time is faster than it was in Vista, and there’s a quicker transition from start up to the login screen. Additionally, once you do login you can access your programs and applications almost instantly as most of the tray (located in the bottom right corner of Windows) is hidden from view. So you don’t have to wait substantial amounts of time for your virus scanner, Instant Messengers, and other applications to initiate.

The only thing that I didn’t see with an improvement of speed is Internet Explorer 8. Although IE8 is a totally different product than Windows 7 it’s still associated directly within the operating system. With that said, it is incredibly slow in comparison to it’s competitors such as Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. Immediately when you install Windows 7 I recommend you head over to one of the mentioned browser’s websites and download it. You’ll notice that your Internet browsing experience will be much faster than it would have been with IE8.

Security

Security improvements were a necessity for the Windows 7 team to implement into their new operating system. There were pretty significant holes in Vista and XP, and Windows 7 fixes most of these holes.

Now one thing that’s really going to be exciting, but also might bring some controversy is the fact that Microsoft is set to be releasing their very own security software within the coming months. This will be something that will most likely blow their competition out of the water as Microsoft will have first hand knowledge of potential viral attacks. With that said, this will be great for the costumer, as they’ll be receiving increased protection and it will be 100% free.

Taskbar and Start Menu!

The new taskbar in Windows 7 is a little annoying at first, but after getting use to it it does make things much easier. The task bar is designed so that it groups each application allowing all windows to appear as if they were under the same icon. By simply hovering your mouse over the icon you can choose to go to the window you wish to work on. Additionally, if there’s a specific application that you use often and you want to be able to access it quickly you can pin it to the taskbar. Also, I mentioned earlier that icons in the tray are hidden from view. This is a much needed improvement from previous versions of Windows. I’m not going to reiterate why I think this is a good step though, so if you’re interested, you can scroll back up to find it.

The start menu in Windows 7 is still a bit clunky in my opinion. It’s very similar to Windows XP and Windows Vista, so I don’t think there’s any good reason to dig into it with detail. Simply said, you won’t notice much difference except that if you were a Windows XP user. This is because rather than “Start” being shown on the taskbar you’ll see a Windows logo. If you’re having trouble understanding what all of this means try heading over to the Windows 7 screenshots I have.

Pricing

Windows 7 is one of the best priced operating systems I’ve seen in a long time by Microsoft. With XP and Vista, users were expected to pay as much as over $400, which looks silly compared to Apple’s prices of OS X. The Windows 7 pricing plan looks like this:

• Windows 7 Home Premium – $199.99
• Windows 7 Professional – $281.99
• Windows 7 Ultimate – $291.99

All of these products can be purchased at a discounted price on Amazon.com.

If you’re looking for a cheaper alternative I recommend purchasing a new computer all together. As OEMs are able to get Windows 7 in bulk they’re able to lower the prices of their computers. Click here for some of the most popular Windows 7 laptops and netbooks.

Conclusion

I’ve mentioned countless times throughout this article that Windows 7 is definitely a worth while upgrade. It features some of the best design and one of the most enjoyable user experiences I’ve seen in quite a while from Microsoft. If you’re a Windows Vista or XP user it’s safe to say that it’s time to upgrade.

I personally believe that Windows 7 is also now a good competitor to Apple’s Snow Leopard. Apple has been getting some serious problems as of late with viruses attacking their systems and with a lack of improvement in their new OS. Surely take some time to consider Windows 7 as it now provides a more secure and easy way to use a computer.

Accessorygeeks.com has recently released a handful of new and improved deals and savings. These are some of the most recent coupons that Accessorygeek has just released for the upcoming Christmas shopping season. With that said though, there are some expiry dates to watch out for on them so make sure you act quickly. Some of these deals give you extremely low prices so I strongly encourage you to check some of them out yourself. Here they are!

• Get $10 off any order of $50 or more at AccessoryGeeks.com with Code: AGEEK1050. Plus FREE Shipping!
• Check out the newest coupons this week at Accessory Geeks
• Shop from a huge selection of Blackberry Accessories at AccessoryGeeks.com – all with FREE shipping!
• Shop a huge selection of Motorola Accessories at AccessoryGeeks.com – all with FREE Shipping!
• Waterproof Case for your Digital Camera at AccessoryGeeks.com + FREE Shipping

Hope these deals will help you get started with Christmas shopping. I know it’s starting early, but it’s probably a good idea to get it all done and over with before the big rush comes.

Maps are used all the time in modern society, especially if you live in an area with lots of streets and not very many signs. I like to always bring one travelling with me as it simplifies getting around. I’ve tried using a GPS navigator but have found it to be just to difficult to use and sometimes it’s unnaccurate. With a map you know that what you see is the most relevant information available

Today I was introduced to a fantastic website called Maps.com. They have a vast selection of different maps available like wall maps, globes, traveller maps, and much more. They also have an abundance of Atlases available if you’re one who enjoys reading up on information about a particular area.

Another great feature of Maps.com is that they also provide custom maps available. They have a huge group of designers that are professionals when it comes to map accuracy and detail. Prices for their services are relatively cheap and the turnover time to when they’ll assist you is extremely quick. They’re definitely top of the line when it comes to costumer service.

If you’re not interested in purchasing a map but instead want to sell them you’ll be excited to know that Maps.com has a brilliant affiliate program. With an average of $70 spent on every sale by their costumers, you can expect to receive upwards of 12% commission. And, considering that maps are in such high demand all the time you can expect that lots of money will begin flowing into your pocket very quickly.

Maps are always useful….. Pretty soon I’ll need one to find my iPhone, because I’m really having a tough time  searching for it under all of this laundry.

• World Rolled Map (M Series World Wall Maps)
• US Rolled Map (M Series World Wall Maps)
• Garmin nüMaps Lifetime North America Map Updates for North America
• American Map 714891 Hammond Deluxe Laminated Rolled Political World Map, 50w x38h
• American Map Road Atlas 2009 Standard (Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico (Spiral))
• Rand Mcnally 2010 the Road Atlas: United States / Canada / Mexico (Rand Mcnally Road Atlas: United States, Canada, Mexico)

All websites end up crashing at some time or another. It’s something that paranois most website owners and it ends up happening at the worst moment possible. With that said, you cant change the past, instead, look towards the future and try and find solutions and fix problems that you may have come across during your experience. Make sure that you’re always prepared for the worst case scenario and that you can get back up on your feet in a timely manner. Today I’ve developed a list of things that you should do to “ease the pain”  and how you can simplify your experience of having your website crash. The tips I’m going to talk about include:

1. What your initial instinct should be.
2. Who you should contact.
3. How you should react.
4. What you can learn from the experience.

At the end of this article I’m going to open this topic up for discussion. It’s important to know that there are multiple reasons for a website crash and countless other reasons of how these crashes can be resolved. With that said, let’s continue with the first point. We feature a large community at bradwelltv.com, so there should be plenty of input at the end of this article.

What Should Your Immediate Reaction Be?

The first thing you need to do before making any decisions on what you’re going to do next is take a deep breath. Walk away for a minute and position your mind away from the problem. This is a critical step because it opens your mind and lets you appreciate what’s just happened. Additionally, it’s also a good idea to make sure that you know what type of server crash has just happened. There are many reasons for a crash to happen and we’ll dig deeper into that later in the post. But first you need to clear your mind.

People you should contact and finding information about the crash.

The first thing you should do before contacting a representative of your hosting company is to check to make sure that this wasn’t planned downtime. This means checking your email, monitoring the hosting company’s blog, and checking with other costumers that you may know of. Quite a lot of time people may possibly be experiencing a similar crash and the hosting company is already aware of the situation.

If you’re problem is unique contact the company directly. Most providers will display their phone number on a contact page or at the footer of their home page. Typically this number will be an 800 number, however, if you’re using a local company there may be other means of telecommunication that you’ll have to use.

If the above information doesn’t help or you’ve failed to reach a costumer service representative who’s aware of the situation try and email the company. In fact, I’d recommend contacting someone who’s high up in the management list because they’re the ones who’re going to make sure the problem is resolved. Company emails are usually found in directories throughout the Internet or can sometimes be found directly on the companies home page.

Things you can do and how you should react.

We’ve already discussed what your first reaction should be. Now it’s time to review what you can do on your end to make sure the problem is resolved quickly and efficiently.

Firstly, you need to figure out the problem at hand. If you’re running your own server or the hosting company you’re using isn’t responding you need to find the problem yourself. If you’re familiar with servers that’s great, but for those of you who’re less server-savy try your best to contact someone who does know this stuff. Time is of concern here so make your best effort to get an expert quick.

Another thing you should do is give your visitors something to look at. This can be done by forwarding your domain to another website you own. You can also try to get some sort of text up warning your users about the issues you’re having at the moment. The worst thing that you could do is not inform your visitors and allow them to think that you’ve suddenly disappeared.

Things that should be learned from this experience.

There are a few things that will help you and your reputation throughout the experience of having your server crash. Firstly, you need to make sure that if the fault is yours for the crash that you ensure it won’t happen again. Fix security problems, fill patches, and make your website users aware of the problem so that they can warn you if something similar happens again.

You should also be firm with your hosting company. Make sure that they can guarantee you that this problem will not happen again. If they can’t fix the problems or they refuse to,  switch to a new company. You don’t have to deal with this, move onward and choose a more honest and forthright company. Now days there should be no excuse for a company not to guarantee you a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

One important thing that you should do is make sure that you always have an up-to-date back up of your website. If your website goes down and you lose all of your data there’s no telling as to whether you’ll be able to retrieve it. Backup at least once a week in different places so that you can guarantee yourself that you’ll be able to keep your website data even if the site goes down.

Conclusion

Fixing a website crash is by no means an easy task. It’s typically an extremely stressful situation to have to deal with things like this. Just make sure that in the event that this does happen that you do have back ups available so that the problem won’t turn into a catastrophe.

With all of that said let’s open this topic up for discussion. What tips do you have in the event that a website crashes? What methods do you use to ensure that these types of problems don’t happen? Feel free to leave your thoughts and opinions as a comment below or send me a reply on Twitter (@bradwell).

More Information:

Recently I just had my birthday. One of  my relatives was able to get me a very nice present, which after research, wasn’t expensive at all. The desk alone was priced just under $80, on sale from just over $200. The chair I got was also pretty cheap as well, costing just under $60. Not a bad gift considering the price of it.

The old chair I was using was really affecting my back, occasionally causing me to feel pain. That’s to be expected though, as the old chair was bought in the late 80’s. I ended up giving the chair to the relative that sent me my new chair because they were the original owners of it. I suppose they want to keep it as an antique. I can’t imagine any other use they’d have for it other than throwing it in the dump.

Anyway, below is a picture of my new office setup if you’re interested. So far so good, however, I’ve only had it for just over a week now.

The desk has a nice glass covering on it. It’s probably only a matter of time though before it’s scratched by something. The interesting thing about this piece of glass though is that it’s not actually attached to the desk. It’s simply sitting on top of grips that keep it from moving. But if something does hit it upward there’s no telling what could happen to it.

Right under the desk is a bar that goes across. Considering that I have fairly long legs I’m beginning to get the impression that this might actually effect me. There is a nice keyboard slider under the desk that I have no use for yet. Hopefully when I upgrade my slow and clunky computer this will change. Anyone want to get me one?