Useful Informations & Tricks

Top 10 Online Trends on 2010

2010-02-03T20:48:00.002+05:30

Here are top online trends for the next 12 months.

Mobile web

Every web-savvy business knows smartphone use is on the rise. But few are actively developing for mobiles by creating websites specifically used for handheld devices.

As more and more mobile users flock to gadgets with larger touchscreens and internet browsers, such as the iPhone or Google Nexus One, the mobile space will become bigger and SMEs need to get on board. If your website isn't accessible through a smartphone or app, users will give up and go somewhere else - losing you traffic and potential sales.

Ovum analyst Nathan Burley says the number of people taking up smartphones instead of traditional handsets will require businesses to develop mobile websites.

"In our view there are two big trends that will occur in 2010. That is mobile broadband and the adoption of smartphones, and the impact of those two things on the industry. This is changing the way people access the internet, and that is in mobile."

"The big change is that these smartphones are allowing people to use tools in the same way a laptop did in the past, which is opening more users to the internet on the go."

Chris Thomas, chief executive of SEO firm Reseo, says 2010 will be "the year of the mobile".

"I think mobile search is definitely here. Google is throwing a lot of money at mobile, and it's going to be really interesting to see how businesses leverage that."

SEO

Using search engine algorithms in order to get your site on "page one" has been a tactic used by online businesses for years. But SEO experts say the process of getting a website known will become even harder in 2010 with the rise of personalised and real-time search.

Social network Twitter sparked a trend when it designed the first popular real-time search engine. When users search for a term, the site would update that search with new "tweets" as they were being made.

Google has recently introduced a real-time search function of its own, complete with indexed tweets, while Microsoft Bing has made a deal to show tweets in search results. But Thomas says while 2010 will see a rise in real-time search traffic, businesses shouldn't be too keen to pursue a dedicated real-time search strategy.

"I think people are still trying to figure out what to do with it. Perhaps if there's a trending topic, such as Copenhagen or climate change, that's where we could see real-time do some work because there's an opportunity for someone selling solar panels to come in, using a message like "stop climate change" via solar panels or something. There is some real potential there."

"This is where it could go, but it's such an active industry, with optimisation and SEO changing. But I always say to our clients, stick to your knitting and don't do anything silly."

Jim Stewart, chief executive of Stewart Media, says real-time search will continue to grow but businesses need to be aware of the more subtle changes Google is making to its search algorithms.

"All of the normal SEO things still apply, even though Google is going forward with things like personalised search. That will surely play a part, but you still have to get on the front page at all before you get into someone's personal search results."

Stewart warns Google will be updating its speed-check feature, through which the engine checks how fast it takes for a user to connect to a website. If a business has any downtime, it could affect search rankings.

But Stewart also says Google could potentially lose its place as the top search engine, as users could migrate to other offerings or be wary of the company's search power.

"I don't believe the search engine is providing as relevant results as it did this time last year. I'm sure they know it, but it doesn't seem to be working as well. I'd also love to think that people will begin to start using Bing more and more, but it has to become a better search engine before that happens."

"The other thing is privacy. A lot of people already are pretty wary of Google and privacy issues, even to the point where Eric Schmidt said if you're doing something on the web you don't want people to know, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it."

Social Media

Facebook and Twitter were the standout social networks from 2009, and their popularity will surge in 2010 with both introducing new features, including paid accounts for business.

But businesses need to pay attention to the trends on these sites. Creating a social media strategy is no longer optional, it is vital to the health of a company and its ability to tap into an online user-base.

Some experts say if you aren't engaging online, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to gain new customers and fans who will effectively market for you if given enough reason.

Thomas says 2010 will be the year in which businesses must jump on social media or risk being left behind by the competition.

"If you don't have a Facebook fan page you should get in, and if you're in a community-minded space, where you can offer things like competitions and such, then you're set."

James Griffin, founder and chief executive of online reputation management company SR7, says this year will see the rise of analysts who will begin to convince businesses to study, track and move operations into social media.

"Analysts will be versed in understanding and using social media, the quantitative and qualitative reports will empower businesses to implement researched social media strategies and gather market intelligence."

Online retail

More and more Australian businesses are selling online, but compared to the US we have a lot of catching up to do. Online spending has grown from 1% to 3% of overall spending over the last 10 years, compared to the American equivalent of 7%.

Hal Pritchard, founder and chief executive of online kitchenware retailer Everton Online, says 2010 should be the year in which businesses start to realise they cannot operate without an eCommerce offering.

"The whole market in general is maturing. I think some of the people who didn't want to do it originally are now deciding they have to do it, because if I count the number of competitors I have now compared to last year, there's certainly a lot more out there."

Pritchard says the biggest trend emerging in Australia is the growth of free shipping, which has allowed retailers in the US to stand out from the crowd.

"Freight is getting lower and is free in some places, which I suspect is going to be a general trend as competition hots up. Margins will get even tighter, and affording these things will be difficult, but I think it's one of the things that are happening."

"We seem to be following the US as we progress, and we're less far behind and I think that free freight is the next thing. But it's not just about that, it's about pushing the boundaries and staying on the edge, not just having a good website. The people who can innovate and stay ahead will do well."

Advertising

The internet advertising industry continued to grow in 2009 and will do the same in 2010, but the next 12 months is expected to see the ongoing development of mobile advertising.

Last year the Interactive Advertising Bureau forecast the online ad market to pass $2 billion by next month, representing a 27% increase from 2008. While the downturn forced spending down in 2009, it's safe to assume that figure will rise in 2010.

The mobile advertising scene is fairly new, so naturally few SMEs are actually investing in the sector. But Apple's recent acquisitions of Quattro, along with Google's purchase of AdMob, shows the big players are serious about the mobile space.

But Thomas says businesses should think about advertising on prominent sites such as social networks, in order to keep up with the market.

"In the last 12 months we have started various campaigns using Facebook ads with quite good success, and it's getting better. Businesses should be taking advantage of the solid targeting available through sites like Facebook."

"We're certainly seeing more advertising on Twitter. You have sites now which are allowing companies to hire someone with a million followers to tweet their messages. I mean, it'll cost you, but the return on investment of that tweet could be huge."

YouTube senior product manager David King says the growth of viral content, pieces of media published online which gain popularity in a short amount of time, are opening businesses up to new advertising models.

He says if a business finds a piece of content it created on a YouTube video, it can choose to place an in-video or AdWords advertisements rather than claim a copyright violation.

"These advertising structures are really geared towards taking control of what users upload. It's only relevant if you're uploading content, but if you are a small business and are doing that, this could be relevant for you."

Reputation management

Most businesses are at least operating a website, but even those rejecting the online space need to be aware of how fast rumours and allegations can fly in the digital age. Several companies have had their reputations tarnished within hours from the activities of either rogue employees, or a botched advertising campaign.

Griffin says businesses need to control their reputation by monitoring what people are saying about them.

"The answer is, companies have been pushed into conducting a social media marketing campaigns without research and without adequately addressing the risk factors associated with social media."

"2010 will see companies embracing the need to address the inherent risks of social media, with enterprises moving towards a scientific and empirically based approach to managing risk."

Last year, Domino's Pizza landed itself into trouble when two employees posted a video of themselves handling food unhygienically on the internet. Cotton On experienced backlash on Facebook when it continued to sell baby clothes with slogans such as "They Shake Me".

Griffin says businesses can avoid such catastrophes by carefully monitoring who is talking about their brand, and being ready to address any situation as quickly as it appeared.

"The many and varied social media 'fails' of 2008-2009 will see companies and institutions take a measured, risk-based approach to these platforms."

"Auditing, monitoring and analysing social media platforms along with risk mitigation strategies will become standard fare for those companies looking to protect and enhance their brand on social media platforms."

Marketing

While mobile advertising may be taking awhile to heat up, many businesses are developing new and interesting mobile marketing campaigns to draw people into their stores.

Google has developed a system whereby users take a picture of a barcode with their mobile phone and use the search engine to find information. Closer to home, Hoyts Cinemas currently runs a promotion where movie goers with Bluetooth activated on their handsets sometimes receive discount offers via text messages when they walk into a lobby.

But it isn't just big companies which are using mobiles for marketing. Peter Shipman, who owns a casual Mexican restaurant in the US, bought ads in university newspapers to advertise a barcode sent through text messages used to claim discounts.

US company Jagtag is now developing a technology used to identify barcodes through camera phones, when it is then sent via text message in order for the user to receive a discount code.

Thomas says this year will see a number of companies bring mobile marketing strategies to the forefront of their campaigns.

"There are going to be some really good creative ways people will start to get customers in store, and sending messages out like that... providing they don't break any spam laws."

"We're going to see these companies start to realise how much activity is occurring through mobiles, and then we're going to see them respond by commissioning campaigns of their own."

Thomas also says a number of companies will begin to commission mobile apps, especially on the iPhone, purely for marketing purposes. Whether this will gain them revenue or purely open their brand to a new audience, the mobile apps market will become part of an online business's marketing strategy in 2010.

Content

The growth of the internet has allowed businesses to publish content of their own, including blogs, pictures and even videos. King says SMEs should think about creating some sort of content on YouTube or similar sites such as a tutorial, and see a fan base grow.

"There are a lot of smaller to medium sized businesses which have really operated with a focus of specifically gearing themselves towards publishing on YouTube, and they really make a go of it - and we give them a global audience to do so."

But King warns businesses they must be generating useful content, without the appearance of a blatant marketing pitch, and not be scared of entering a new area where they might not have experience.

"As these things become more commonplace, consumers love them, but unfortunately businesses which have been relying on older business models do not. I really think they need to get over that a little bit. Ultimately the consumer is right, and they are going to spend their time the way they spend it."

"Businesses need to really stay focused on that consumer experience and not get hung up on the comfort of the way things used to be. The more businesses can try and anticipate where things can go as opposed to stopping it, I think that's the best place to be for them."

Open Source

Once upon a time, businesses wouldn't trust open-source programs in favor of branded, more trustworthy software solutions. But now open-source has given SMEs a way of operating high-end programs without substantial costs.

With popular programs such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Open Office, WordPress and Joomla now gaining notoriety, organizations are beginning to realize open-source programs aren't just technically inferior rip-offs, but legitimate alternatives.

A number of organizations, including the British Government and the French police force, have openly supported open-source, while Gartner research from late-2008 indicates the majority of businesses in the Asia/Pacific region took up open-source in 2009.

And with the development and popularity of open-source Android operating system continuing to grow, open-source is likely to play a major part in a business's IT strategy in 2010.

Cloud computing

Two years ago "cloud computing" was viewed by many businesses as a buzzword with no particular meaning, used by tech-heads who didn't quite know what they were talking about.

Now, using cloud services has become an essential for businesses. Whether they are backing up their data or using a piece of software hosted on external servers, cloud computing is now a part of everyday operations for many SMEs.

Cloud services have branched out into three main categories: applications, also known as software-as-a-service, infrastructure, used for data backups, and internal service providers for businesses with customized apps and programs.

Analyst firm Gartner recently named cloud computing as one of the top strategic technologies for 2010, saying it could be exploited in a number of different ways to customize programs and apps to a particular company's needs.

"Using cloud resources does not eliminate the costs of IT solutions, but does rearrange some and reduce others. In addition, consuming cloud services enterprises will increasingly act as cloud providers and deliver application, information or business process services to customers and business partners."

Using search engine algorithms in order to get your site on "page one" has been a tactic used by online businesses for years. But SEO experts say the process of getting a website known will become even harder in 2010 with the rise of personalised and real-time search.

Social network Twitter sparked a trend when it designed the first popular real-time search engine. When users search for a term, the site would update that search with new "tweets" as they were being made.

Google has recently introduced a real-time search function of its own, complete with indexed tweets, while Microsoft Bing has made a deal to show tweets in search results. But Thomas says while 2010 will see a rise in real-time search traffic, businesses shouldn't be too keen to pursue a dedicated real-time search strategy.

"I think people are still trying to figure out what to do with it. Perhaps if there's a trending topic, such as Copenhagen or climate change, that's where we could see real-time do some work because there's an opportunity for someone selling solar panels to come in, using a message like "stop climate change" via solar panels or something. There is some real potential there."

"This is where it could go, but it's such an active industry, with optimisation and SEO changing. But I always say to our clients, stick to your knitting and don't do anything silly."

Jim Stewart, chief executive of Stewart Media, says real-time search will continue to grow but businesses need to be aware of the more subtle changes Google is making to its search algorithms.

"All of the normal SEO things still apply, even though Google is going forward with things like personalised search. That will surely play a part, but you still have to get on the front page at all before you get into someone's personal search results."

Stewart warns Google will be updating its speed-check feature, through which the engine checks how fast it takes for a user to connect to a website. If a business has any downtime, it could affect search rankings.

But Stewart also says Google could potentially lose its place as the top search engine, as users could migrate to other offerings or be wary of the company's search power.

"I don't believe the search engine is providing as relevant results as it did this time last year. I'm sure they know it, but it doesn't seem to be working as well. I'd also love to think that people will begin to start using Bing more and more, but it has to become a better search engine before that happens."

"The other thing is privacy. A lot of people already are pretty wary of Google and privacy issues, even to the point where Eric Schmidt said if you're doing something on the web you don't want people to know, then maybe you shouldn't be doing it."

Social Media

Facebook and Twitter were the standout social networks from 2009, and their popularity will surge in 2010 with both introducing new features, including paid accounts for business.

But businesses need to pay attention to the trends on these sites. Creating a social media strategy is no longer optional, it is vital to the health of a company and its ability to tap into an online user-base.

Some experts say if you aren't engaging online, you're missing out on a huge opportunity to gain new customers and fans who will effectively market for you if given enough reason.

Thomas says 2010 will be the year in which businesses must jump on social media or risk being left behind by the competition.

"If you don't have a Facebook fan page you should get in, and if you're in a community-minded space, where you can offer things like competitions and such, then you're set."

James Griffin, founder and chief executive of online reputation management company SR7, says this year will see the rise of analysts who will begin to convince businesses to study, track and move operations into social media.

"Analysts will be versed in understanding and using social media, the quantitative and qualitative reports will empower businesses to implement researched social media strategies and gather market intelligence."

Online retail

More and more Australian businesses are selling online, but compared to the US we have a lot of catching up to do. Online spending has grown from 1% to 3% of overall spending over the last 10 years, compared to the American equivalent of 7%.

Hal Pritchard, founder and chief executive of online kitchenware retailer Everton Online, says 2010 should be the year in which businesses start to realise they cannot operate without an eCommerce offering.

"The whole market in general is maturing. I think some of the people who didn't want to do it originally are now deciding they have to do it, because if I count the number of competitors I have now compared to last year, there's certainly a lot more out there."

Pritchard says the biggest trend emerging in Australia is the growth of free shipping, which has allowed retailers in the US to stand out from the crowd.

"Freight is getting lower and is free in some places, which I suspect is going to be a general trend as competition hots up. Margins will get even tighter, and affording these things will be difficult, but I think it's one of the things that are happening."

"We seem to be following the US as we progress, and we're less far behind and I think that free freight is the next thing. But it's not just about that, it's about pushing the boundaries and staying on the edge, not just having a good website. The people who can innovate and stay ahead will do well."

Advertising

The internet advertising industry continued to grow in 2009 and will do the same in 2010, but the next 12 months is expected to see the ongoing development of mobile advertising.

Last year the Interactive Advertising Bureau forecast the online ad market to pass $2 billion by next month, representing a 27% increase from 2008. While the downturn forced spending down in 2009, it's safe to assume that figure will rise in 2010.

The mobile advertising scene is fairly new, so naturally few SMEs are actually investing in the sector. But Apple's recent acquisitions of Quattro, along with Google's purchase of AdMob, shows the big players are serious about the mobile space.

But Thomas says businesses should think about advertising on prominent sites such as social networks, in order to keep up with the market.

"In the last 12 months we have started various campaigns using Facebook ads with quite good success, and it's getting better. Businesses should be taking advantage of the solid targeting available through sites like Facebook."

"We're certainly seeing more advertising on Twitter. You have sites now which are allowing companies to hire someone with a million followers to tweet their messages. I mean, it'll cost you, but the return on investment of that tweet could be huge."

YouTube senior product manager David King says the growth of viral content, pieces of media published online which gain popularity in a short amount of time, are opening businesses up to new advertising models.

He says if a business finds a piece of content it created on a YouTube video, it can choose to place an in-video or AdWords advertisements rather than claim a copyright violation.

"These advertising structures are really geared towards taking control of what users upload. It's only relevant if you're uploading content, but if you are a small business and are doing that, this could be relevant for you."

Reputation management

Most businesses are at least operating a website, but even those rejecting the online space need to be aware of how fast rumours and allegations can fly in the digital age. Several companies have had their reputations tarnished within hours from the activities of either rogue employees, or a botched advertising campaign.

Griffin says businesses need to control their reputation by monitoring what people are saying about them.

"The answer is, companies have been pushed into conducting a social media marketing campaigns without research and without adequately addressing the risk factors associated with social media."

"2010 will see companies embracing the need to address the inherent risks of social media, with enterprises moving towards a scientific and empirically based approach to managing risk."

Last year, Domino's Pizza landed itself into trouble when two employees posted a video of themselves handling food unhygienically on the internet. Cotton On experienced backlash on Facebook when it continued to sell baby clothes with slogans such as "They Shake Me".

Griffin says businesses can avoid such catastrophes by carefully monitoring who is talking about their brand, and being ready to address any situation as quickly as it appeared.

"The many and varied social media 'fails' of 2008-2009 will see companies and institutions take a measured, risk-based approach to these platforms."

"Auditing, monitoring and analysing social media platforms along with risk mitigation strategies will become standard fare for those companies looking to protect and enhance their brand on social media platforms."

Marketing

While mobile advertising may be taking awhile to heat up, many businesses are developing new and interesting mobile marketing campaigns to draw people into their stores.

Google has developed a system whereby users take a picture of a barcode with their mobile phone and use the search engine to find information. Closer to home, Hoyts Cinemas currently runs a promotion where movie goers with Bluetooth activated on their handsets sometimes receive discount offers via text messages when they walk into a lobby.

But it isn't just big companies which are using mobiles for marketing. Peter Shipman, who owns a casual Mexican restaurant in the US, bought ads in university newspapers to advertise a barcode sent through text messages used to claim discounts.

US company Jagtag is now developing a technology used to identify barcodes through camera phones, when it is then sent via text message in order for the user to receive a discount code.

Thomas says this year will see a number of companies bring mobile marketing strategies to the forefront of their campaigns.

"There are going to be some really good creative ways people will start to get customers in store, and sending messages out like that... providing they don't break any spam laws."

"We're going to see these companies start to realise how much activity is occurring through mobiles, and then we're going to see them respond by commissioning campaigns of their own."

Thomas also says a number of companies will begin to commission mobile apps, especially on the iPhone, purely for marketing purposes. Whether this will gain them revenue or purely open their brand to a new audience, the mobile apps market will become part of an online business's marketing strategy in 2010.

Content

The growth of the internet has allowed businesses to publish content of their own, including blogs, pictures and even videos. King says SMEs should think about creating some sort of content on YouTube or similar sites such as a tutorial, and see a fan base grow.

"There are a lot of smaller to medium sized businesses which have really operated with a focus of specifically gearing themselves towards publishing on YouTube, and they really make a go of it - and we give them a global audience to do so."

But King warns businesses they must be generating useful content, without the appearance of a blatant marketing pitch, and not be scared of entering a new area where they might not have experience.

"As these things become more commonplace, consumers love them, but unfortunately businesses which have been relying on older business models do not. I really think they need to get over that a little bit. Ultimately the consumer is right, and they are going to spend their time the way they spend it."

"Businesses need to really stay focused on that consumer experience and not get hung up on the comfort of the way things used to be. The more businesses can try and anticipate where things can go as opposed to stopping it, I think that's the best place to be for them."

Open Source

Once upon a time, businesses wouldn't trust open-source programs in favour of branded, more trustworthy software solutions. But now open-source has given SMEs a way of operating high-end programs without substantial costs.

With popular programs such as Mozilla Thunderbird, Open Office, WordPress and Joomla now gaining notoriety, organisations are beginning to realise open-source programs aren't just technically inferior rip-offs, but legitimate alternatives.

A number of organisations, including the British Government and the French police force, have openly supported open-source, while Gartner research from late-2008 indicates the majority of businesses in the Asia/Pacific region took up open-source in 2009.

And with the development and popularity of open-source Android operating system continuing to grow, open-source is likely to play a major part in a business's IT strategy in 2010.

Cloud computing

Two years ago "cloud computing" was viewed by many businesses as a buzzword with no particular meaning, used by tech-heads who didn't quite know what they were talking about.

Now, using cloud services has become an essential for businesses. Whether they are backing up their data or using a piece of software hosted on external servers, cloud computing is now a part of everyday operations for many SMEs.

Cloud services have branched out into three main categories: applications, also known as software-as-a-service, infrastructure, used for data backups, and internal service providers for businesses with customised apps and programs.

Analyst firm Gartner recently named cloud computing as one of the top strategic technologies for 2010, saying it could be exploited in a number of different ways to customise programs and apps to a particular company's needs.

"Using cloud resources does not eliminate the costs of IT solutions, but does rearrange some and reduce others. In addition, consuming cloud services enterprises will increasingly act as cloud providers and deliver application, information or business process services to customers and business partners."

Thanks to the Author: Patrick Stafford

Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade to Windows Server 2008 R2

2010-02-03T00:38:00.003+05:30

Windows Server® 2008 R2 is the newest Windows Server operating system from Microsoft. Designed to help organizations reduce operating costs and increase efficiencies, Windows Server 2008 R2 provides enhanced management control over resources across the enterprise. It is designed to provide better energy efficiency and performance by reducing power consumption and lowering overhead costs. It also helps provide improved branch office capabilities, exciting new remote access experiences, streamlined server management, and expands the Microsoft virtualization strategy for both client and server computers.

1. Powerful Hardware and Scaling Features

Windows Server 2008 R2 was designed to perform as well or better for the same hardware base as Windows Server 2008. In addition, R2 is the first Windows Server operating system to move solely to a 64-bit architecture.
Windows Server 2008 R2 also has several CPU-specific enhancements. First, this version expands CPU support to enable customers to run with up to 256 logical processors. R2 also supports Second Level Translation (SLAT), which enables R2 to take advantage of the Enhanced Page Tables feature found in the latest AMD CPUs as well as the similar Nested Page Tables feature found in Intel’s latest processors. The combination enables R2 servers to run with much improved memory management.
Components of Windows Server 2008 R2 have received hardware boosts as well. Hyper-V in Windows Server 2008 R2 can now access up to 64 logical CPUs on host computers. This capability not only takes advantage of new multicore systems, it also means greater virtual machine consolidation ratios per physical host.

2. Reduced Power Consumption

Windows Server 2008 introduced a 'balanced' power policy, which monitors the utilization level of the processors on the server and dynamically adjusts the processor performance states to limit power to the needs of the workload. Windows Server 2008 R2 enhances this power saving feature by adding more granular abilities to manage and monitor server and server CPU power consumption, as well as extending this ability to the desktop via new power-oriented Group Policy settings.
Active Directory® Domain Services Group Policy in Windows Server 2008 already gave administrators a certain amount of control over power management on client PCs. These capabilities are enhanced in Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows® 7 to provide even more precise control in more deployment scenarios for even greater potential savings.

3. Hyper-V™ in Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2008 R2 also holds the much-anticipated update to Microsoft’s virtualization technology, Hyper-V™. The new Hyper-V™ was designed to augment both existing virtual machine management as well as to address specific IT challenges, especially around server migration.
Hyper-V™ is an enabling technology for one of Windows Server 2008 R2’s marquee features, Live Migration. With Hyper-V version 1.0, Windows Server 2008 was capable of Quick Migration, which could move VMs between physical hosts with only a few seconds of down-time. Still, those few seconds were enough to cause difficulties in certain scenarios, especially those includling client connections to VM-hosted servers. With Live Migration, moves between physical targets happen in milliseconds, which means migration operations become invisible to connected users. Making this even easier is a new feature called processor compatibility mode, which allows administrators to migrate machines between different generations of same-brand CPUs.
Customers employing System Center Virtual Machine Manager for Hyper-V will also enjoy additional management and orchestration scenarios, including a new VM-oriented Performance and Resource Optimization feature and updated support for managing failover clusters.
The new Hyper-V™ also has core performance enhancements, including the previously mentioned ability to take advantage of up to 64 logical processors and to beef up that CPU performance with host support for Second Level Translation (SLAT). Finally, VMs can also add and remove storage without requiring a reboot and also boot from VHD as well.

4. Reduced Desktop Costs with VDI

Much of the interest in virtualization solutions is in the server world. However, equally exciting advances are being made in presentation virtualization, where processing happens on a server optimized for capacity and availability while graphics, keyboard, mouse, and other user I/O functions are handled at the user’s desktop.
Windows Server 2008 R2 contains enhanced Virtual Desktop Integration (VDI) technology, which extends the functionality of Terminal Services to deliver certain business programs to their employee’s remote desktops. With VDI, programs that Remote Desktop Services sends to a computer are now available on the Start menu right alongside programs that are locally installed. This approach provides improved desktop virtualization and better application virtualization.
Desktop virtualization will benefit from features including improved personalization management, a near-invisible integration of virtualized desktops and applications in Windows 7, better audio and graphics performance, a seriously cool Web access update and more. VDI provides more efficient use of virtualized resources and better integration with local peripheral hardware as well as powerful new virtual management features.

5. Easier and More Efficient Server Management

Although increasing the capabilities of your server operating system is always a good thing, the perceived downside has always been additional complexity and workload for day-to-day server managers. Windows Server 2008 R2 specifically addresses this problem with lots of work evident across all of its management-oriented consoles. Features in these tools include: Improved data center power consumption and management, as evidenced earlier Improved remote administration, including a remotely-installable Server Manager Improved identity management features via the updated and simplified Active Directory Domain Services and Active Directory Federated Services
Windows Server 2008 R2 also improves on the popular PowerShell feature introduced in Windows Server 2008. PowerShell 2.0 significantly enhances the earlier version with the inclusion of more than 240 new pre-built cmdlets as well as a new graphical user interface (GUI) that adds professional-level development features for creating new cmdlets. The new GUI includes colored syntaxing, new production script debugging capabilities, and new testing tools.

6. Ubiquitous Remote Access

Today’s mobile workforce is increasing the demand on IT to provide remote access to corporate resources. However, managing remote computers is an ongoing challenge, with low wide are network (WAN) bandwidth and sporadic connection and re-connection processes interfering with lengthier desktop management tasks such as Group Policy changes and up-to-date patching.
Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces a new type of connectivity called DirectAccess—a powerful way for remote users to seamlessly access corporate resources without requiring a traditional VPN connection and client software. Using technologies that shipped in Windows Server 2008, Microsoft has added simple management wizards that enable administrators to configure SSTP and IPv6 across both R2 and Windows 7 clients to enable the basic DirectAccess connection, and then augment that connection with additional R2 management and security tools, including management policies and NAP.
With DirectAccess, every user is considered remote all of the time. Users are no longer required to distinguish between local and remote connections. DirectAccess handles all of these distinctions in the background. IT professionals retain precise access control and full perimeter security, helping to ease both desktop security and management headaches on both sides of the connection.

7. Improved Branch Office Performance and Management

Many branch office IT architectures have relatively low bandwidth. Slow WAN links impact the productivity of branch office employees waiting to access content from the main office, and costs for branch office bandwidth allocation can amount to as much as 33 % of overall corporate IT spending. To address this challenge, Windows Server 2008 R2 introduces a feature called BranchCache™, which reduces WAN utilization and improves the responsiveness of network applications.
With BranchCache™, clients who request access to data on the organization's network are sent directions to the file on the local (branch office) network if the file has ever been requested there before. If the file is stored locally, those clients get immediate high-speed access. Such files can be stored either on a local BranchCache™ server for larger branch offices or simply on local Windows 7 PCs.

8. Simplified Management for SMBs

With Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft is focusing more attention at the SMB and mid-market customer. This new focus provides these customers with a rich landscape of Microsoft product offerings, from Small Business Server up to Windows Essential Business Server and now Windows Server 2008 Standard. All SKUs are being outfitted with new management tools to make SMB IT Pro life easier.
Active Directory’s new Active Directory Administration Center is one example—all those disparate management GUIs now hosted ina single interface and all based on PowerShell. Additionally, there are the Best Practice Analyzers, which Microsoft has extended to every server role to keep all your server configs in sync with the latest know-how.
And last but not least, there’s the new Windows Server Backup utility. Long a second-class citizen, this updated, in-the-box backup app has been significantly upgraded to include more granular support for designing backup jobs, including support for system state operations; and, it’s been optimized to run both faster and to use less disk space.

9. The Strongest Web and Application Server To Date

Windows Server 2008 R2 includes many updates that make it the best Windows Server application platform yet, but one of the most important is the new Internet Information Services 7.5 (IIS 7.5).
The updated Web server includes features that streamline management by extending IIS Manager, implementing the IIS PowerShell Provider and taking advantage of .NET on Server Core. IIS 7.5 also integrates new support and troubleshooting features, including configuration logging and a dedicated Best Practice Analyzer. Last, we’ve integrated several popular optional extensions associated with Windows Server 2008, including URLScan 3.0 (now known as the Request Filter Module).

10. Managing Data Not just Managing Storage

Managing storage isn’t just about managing disks. Storage volume is increasing at a 51% compounded annual growth rate between 2008 and 2012 according to IDC*. To keep pace and stay competitive, organizations must begin managing data, not just disks. Windows Server 2008 R2 gives IT administrators the tools for precisely this kind of initiative with the new File Classification Infrastructure (FCI). This new features builds an extensible and automated classification mechanism on top of existing shared file architetures; this enables IT administrators to direct specific actions for specific files based on entirely customizable classification. FCI is also extensible to partners, which means Windows Server 2008 R2 users can expect to see additional capabilities around FCI being delivered by ISVs in the near future.

20 Questions To Ask before Logo Designing

2010-01-25T11:18:00.004+05:30

COMPANY-RELATED QUESTIONS

1- How would you describe your services and/or products?

2- What are the long term goals of your company?

3- Why do you want a new logo? (if they already have one) What do you want your new logo to accomplish?
This question helps to understand the problem.

4- Who are your main competitors?
Having clients provide links allows you to get a better feel for their market and competition.

5- How are you different from your competitors?

6- What’s the age range of your target customer base?
Helps in creating an overall feeling and impression of the logo.

PROJECT-RELATED QUESTIONS

7- Do you have a tag line? If so, would you like it stated along side your logo?

8- Do you have any specific imagery in mind for your logo?

9- Do you have any color preferences, or existing brand colors?

10- Do you have any colors that you do not wish to use?

11- What adjectives should best describe your logo?

12- What feeling or message do you want your logo to convey to those who view it?

13- How do you prefer your logo to be worded or written out?
Example: thedesigncubicle or the design cubicle

14- How would you like the typography to appear?
Example: script, bold, light, hand drawn, custom lettering

15- Where will you logo be used?
Example: print, web…

16- Where will your logo primarily be used?
If the primary usage is for the web, typically horizontal logos work best.

17- What’s your preferred deadline, time frame or exact date of completion?

18- Budget?
This is where I provide various pricing and concept numbers.

19- Would you like any addition design services to be packaged with your new logo?
Example: business cards, envelops, letterheads, etc.

20- What logos appeal to you and why?
Another question they can also with links and visual examples.

What can we learn from looking at the logos of these top brands?

2010-01-07T20:49:00.001+05:30

On for Payperpost.com
[Why does the neighborhood buck?]

Based on the 2007 top 50 brands, the % below identifies the percentage of the top 50 brands that hold to this view:

* The name does not describe the product sold (94%) (ie. in most cases a logo is used to identify a company, not describe what it does.)
* The by-line tag is not included in the logo (90%)
* The font style is clean and clear (84%)
* The logo design uses one colour only (74%) (white & black not counted as a colour)
* The logo design uses letters only without the symbol (74%)
* The logo design is a made-up name or ACRONYM (72%)
* The logo design is rectangular in shape (66%)
* The logo design is one word only (62%)
* The logo design includes the trademark symbol (54%) and is placed in the top right (48%)
* The name is 6 letters or less (52%)
* The name uses upper & lower case (44%) (excluding ACRONYMS)
* The background is filled and solid. (52%)
* The pronunciation includes three sounds/syllables (44%)
* The predominant colour base is blue (40%)

Best Global Brands 2009

The Top 10 Brands of 2009 were:

2010-01-07T20:48:00.000+05:30

1. Coca-Cola
2. IBM
3. Microsoft
4. GE
5. Nokia
6. McDonald’s
7. Google
8. Toyota
9. Intel
10. Disney

Kavidhai Suttadhu

2010-01-01T10:05:00.000+05:30

நீ தான்
--------
என் காதல் தேசமும் நீ
தான்
என் காதல் சுவாசமும் நீ
தான்
என் வாழ்வின் உறவுகள் நீ
தான்
என் பிரிவின் சோகங்கள் நீ
தான்
மனசு எழுதும் கவிதைகள் நீ
தான்
கவிதையில் மலரும்
உணர்வுகள் நீ தான்

நான் பேசும்
மௌனங்கள் நீ தான்
நான் கேட்கும்
வார்த்தைகள் நீ தான்
நான்
போகும் பாதையும் நீ தான்
நான்
வாழும் வாழ்க்கையும் நீ
தான்
நிலவு உறவாடும் வானமும் நீ
தான்
நினைவு உறவாடும் நெஞ்சமும்
நீ தான்
அலைகள் உறவாடும்
கரைகளும் நீ தான்
அன்பாய்
உறவாடும் உயிரும் நீ தான்

நான்
பாடும் ராகமும் நீ தான்
நான்
தூங்கும் தலையணை நீ தான்
நான்
காணும் உருவமும் நீ தான்
நான்
தேடும் ஜீவனும் நீ
தான்
பூமியில் சிந்தும்
மழைத்துளி நீ தான்
பூக்கள்
மலரும் சோலையும் நீ
தான்
நெஞ்சினில் தவளும்
நினைவுகள் நீ தான்
விழியினில்
மலரும் கனவுகள் நீ தான்...

Thanks To The Author

Top 50 Apps - iPhone

2009-12-29T19:48:00.001+05:30

I decided to make a list of the Top 50 Apps on my iPhone. These are really fun and I use most every day.

1. BeejiveIM (IM App handles Facebook, MySpace and popular IM clients)
2. Camera Genius (iPhone Only, gives your iPhone Camera a lot of awesome features)
3. Twinkle (Great free Twitter app that also handles facebook. lets you see tweets from nearby users)
4. IMDB (Internet Movie Database in you pocket)
5. N.O.V.A (Basically Halo for iPhone it even has multiplayer!)
6. Movies Flixter (A great movie app that shows you info on movies and connects with Facebook also shows you nearby theaters and movie times.)
7.iPhlix (The best Netflix app out there)
8. Photoshop Mobile (Mini version of Photoshop by Adobe for iPhone/iPod Touch)
9. Screenplay (Screenplay writing app for movie makers)
10. Midomi Soundhound (Amazing music app that does to much to write down just search it)
11. ReelDirector (For iPhone 3GS lets you take recorded videos and edit them)
12. Speak it! (Fun text to speech app)
13. iTV (TV Guide in your pocket works with many TV providers, many other features)
14. Doodle Jump (fun addictive game that gets updated often always for free)
15. Call of Duty Zombies (Exact replica of the PS3/Xbox 360 Game from Call of Duty World at War)
16. Asphalt 5 (Amazing racing game)
17. The Sims 3 (The Sims games are always fun and addicting now you wont be able to get away)
18. Rock Band (Thats right Rock Band not a cheap ripoff but an actual Rock Band game for iPhone/iPod Touch it even has a music store for more songs)
19. Ustream Viewer (Ustream is a popular live video stream site and you can view streams from your device)
20. Ustream Broadcaster (not only can you view streams but on an iPhone 3GS you can actually stream live video to the world)
21. AOL Radio (The amazing AOL Radio from the internet to your device)
22. Pandora (Same thing as AOL with different Stations)
23. Top Gun (Best plane combat game out there with a great soundtrack)
24. Pocket God (I have to say the most updated game ever and great stress reducer)
25. Brick Breaker Deluxe (Most polished brick breaker game out there)
26. Assassins Creed (The Amazing PS3/Xbox 360 action game now on iPhone IPod Touch)
27. GangStar (Basically a GTA Rip off no... exactly a GTA ripoff and a good one to)
28. Hero of Sparta (God of War 'PS3' Rip off and very well done.)
29. Flick Fishing (Fun fishing game)
30. Flick Bowling (This is the best bowling game out there)
31. iTip (Tip Calculator)
32. Days Until (good countdown app very useful for you seniors out there this year)
33. Discovery Channel (Fun app with unseen videos from the discovery channel. Did someone say Shark Week?)
34. Fake a Call (These aren't in any order but if they were this would be close to the top, you can Fake a call! there are so many features it is so realistic its gotten me out of some tight spots and boring conversations)
35. My Lists (One of the best list making apps available)
36. TouchGrind (A fun skateboarding app, just like playing with those mini skateboards)
37. iOwn (An inventory keeping app, sounds boring but just wait until your robbed or your house burns down, did I have two copies of Twilight or 3?)
38. WebMD (Medical App for determining symptoms and illnesses very handy.. you should get that checked out....)
39. Sonic Vox (Voice changing apps, fun for prank calls or kidnappings..eh..hehe...)
40. Tap Tap Revenge (Very fun series, I never play it but I know a lot of people do)
41. Star Wars Force Unleashed (It is an amazing game for major consoles and the iPhone/iPod Touch version gives its own spin making it worth while)
42. Lonely Planet Spanish (Well any of the language apps really, has a lot of useful phrases)
43. Resident Evil 4 (Actually more fun on iPhone then other consoles in my opinion)
44. Virtual Pool (Im talking billiards here, its a very fun app with good controls)
45. Spawn (A very weird yet visually stunning entertainment app that allows you to create an amazing light show never the same twice, good for custom wallpapers)
46. Blades of Fury (A fighting game for iPhone and iPod touch the best I have seen)
47. Game Box (For 1 dollar you get 19 games and counting, they add more all the time free of charge)
48. Touch Hockey (There isnt an iPod or iPhone I have seen without this game, its free air hockey you can play alone or with a friend)
49. Star Defense (A fun strategy game)
50. Jaadu VNC (I always put this one, you can actually control your computer from your iPhone or iPod Touch (Wifi Required)

Bonus! The Best App Development Company for the iPhone and iPod Touch of 2009 goes to Gameloft. They made a good collection of the games on this list and many more not on the list. They have the most style and really have made the iPhone and iPod Touch feel like a true gaming machine! I suggest downloading all of their apps and giving them good ratings.

Thank you, I hope you enjoyed my list of the Top 50 Apps I own for 2009. I hope to do another list next year to see whats changed.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Apple Introduced Magic Mouse

2009-12-28T08:09:00.002+05:30

Apple announces a new product line, including the anticipated new Magic Mouse. It’s available for pre-order now at $69. I can’t wait to trying it when it arrives in 5-7 days.

The Multi-Touch area covers the top surface of Magic Mouse, and the mouse itself is the button. Scroll in any direction with one finger, swipe through web pages and photos with two, and click and double-click anywhere. Inside Magic Mouse is a chip that tells it exactly what you want to do. Which means Magic Mouse won’t confuse a scroll with a swipe. It even knows when you’re just resting your hand on it.

Magic Mouse uses powerful laser tracking that’s far more sensitive and responsive on more surfaces than traditional optical tracking. That means it tracks with precision on nearly every surface — whether it’s a table at your favorite cafe or the desk in your home office — without the need for a mousepad.

Wordpress 2 for iPhone

2009-12-28T08:04:00.000+05:30

The Wordpress version 2 iPhone app (iTunes link) is now available at the App Store. There’s also a new blog focused on the iPhone app. The app, just like Wordpress itself, is open source so anyone can contribute to it. This is a community effort!

From the Wordpress iPhone blog

So, what’s new in version 2?

* A new, more efficient user interface that makes it faster to switch between comments, posts, and pages.
* Various user interface refinements and bug fixes
* New Comments interface, with Gravatars and the author URL shown in the comment list
* Passwords are now stored in the keychain
* Posts are now automatically saved and restored if network connection is lost during publishing
* Added persistence, so the app re-opens in the blog you last used
* Added an interface for manually entering the XMLRPC endpoint for non-standard setups
* Fixed rotation-related visual glitches
* Fixed errors where malformed XML prevented access to XMLRPC endpoint
* Fixed edge case where local drafts were sometimes not saved
* Fixed the order of photos so that they’re displayed in the order they’re uploaded

Google demonstrated Google Chrome OS

2009-12-28T07:45:00.001+05:30

Google demonstrated Google Chrome OS for the first time on Thursday in Mountain View.

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks. Later this year we will open-source its code, and netbooks running Google Chrome OS will be available for consumers in the second half of 2010. Because we’re already talking to partners about the project, and we’ll soon be working with the open source community, we wanted to share our vision now so everyone understands what we are trying to achieve.

Speed, simplicity and security are the key aspects of Google Chrome OS. We’re designing the OS to be fast and lightweight, to start up and get you onto the web in a few seconds. The user interface is minimal to stay out of your way, and most of the user experience takes place on the web. And as we did for the Google Chrome browser, we are going back to the basics and completely redesigning the underlying security architecture of the OS so that users don’t have to deal with viruses, malware and security updates. It should just work.

The PageRank Concept

2009-12-27T23:03:00.001+05:30

Since the early stages of the world wide web, search engines have developed different methods to rank web pages. Until today, the occurence of a search phrase within a document is one major factor within ranking techniques of virtually any search engine. The occurence of a search phrase can thereby be weighted by the length of a document (ranking by keyword density) or by its accentuation within a document by HTML tags.

For the purpose of better search results and especially to make search engines resistant against automatically generated web pages based upon the analysis of content specific ranking criteria (doorway pages), the concept of link popularity was developed. Following this concept, the number of inbound links for a document measures its general importance. Hence, a web page is generally more important, if many other web pages link to it. The concept of link popularity often avoids good rankings for pages which are only created to deceive search engines and which don't have any significance within the web, but numerous webmasters elude it by creating masses of inbound links for doorway pages from just as insignificant other web pages.

Contrary to the concept of link popularity, PageRank is not simply based upon the total number of inbound links. The basic approach of PageRank is that a document is in fact considered the more important the more other documents link to it, but those inbound links do not count equally. First of all, a document ranks high in terms of PageRank, if other high ranking documents link to it.

So, within the PageRank concept, the rank of a document is given by the rank of those documents which link to it. Their rank again is given by the rank of documents which link to them. Hence, the PageRank of a document is always determined recursively by the PageRank of other documents. Since - even if marginal and via many links - the rank of any document influences the rank of any other, PageRank is, in the end, based on the linking structure of the whole web. Although this approach seems to be very broad and complex, Page and Brin were able to put it into practice by a relatively trivial algorithm.

Blog Design & Installation

2009-12-19T03:02:00.001+05:30

Why should you have a corporate blog?

A corporate blog (web log) offers an easy platform for communicating information about your company, events, services, and products to media, business partners, current customers, and prospective clients. Having a corporate blog enables informal, two-way communication between you and your readers, because the blog system contains a feedback feature that allows the readers to comment on your articles.

A blog can also help your company receive better Internet exposure by containing articles that will be indexed by the major search engines, thus making them searchable and capable of attracting more traffic to both your blog and your corporate website.
Let us get you up and running with a new corporate blog

We can design, install, and customize your new corporate blog in just a matter of a few working days. The new blog will be based on the open-source system WordPress, which is used by millions of blogs on the Internet today. Many blog templates are available for WordPress, and we can either base your new blog on an existing template or create a unique design for your company. The following tasks are involved in setting up a blog:

* Choosing an existing blog template or designing a unique template
* Installing the open-source system WordPress
* Customizing the template to fit your exact needs
* Training to get you quickly up and blogging

Depending on your requirements, we can have your blog online a few days after you submit your request to us. We will handle the design, technical installation, and customization, and we will deliver a ready-to-use blog environment.

We will then teach you how to use your new blog: how to submit new articles, how to insert pictures and links, and so on. Our Quick Start manual will guide you, and our team will be ready to assist you if you run into any problems while using your blog.

We also offer the hosting of your new blog in our efficient hosting environment.
Need content for your new blog?

inWrite can provide skilled writers who can produce quality content for your blog. Our writers can handle information gathering (such as interviews) and the writing of articles based on your input and requirements. For example, we can write articles about company news, events, products services, market developments, and so on. We can produce blog content for your company on a project basis or a regular basis.

More Details on
http://www.inwrite.org

Learn SEO friendly title tag writing

2009-10-30T14:47:00.001+05:30

At first glance “title” seems very small things for any website. I have observed that many web development companies are not giving proper title to any web pages. Title tag is one of the most important parts in onsite search engine optimization. Here I will teach you how to write effective search engine friendly title for any webpage as it is one of the most important part of onsite SEO techniques.

Step 1.
Do proper keyword research and make group of 4-5 keyword phrases for each page. This is called keyword grouping, in which keywords are distributed according to relevancy and competition of the keywords in search engines.

Step 2.
Once keyword grouping is done, ask your content writer to write content by targeting those keywords. Once content is ready, do content optimization (I will post article for content optimization in next few days).

Step 3.
Title writing will start once content optimization is done for particular page. Let’s say page is about jobs for IT engineer in India and targeted keywords are…

Asp.net programmer jobs
Php programmer jobs
Java programmer jobs
SEO expert jobs

By targeting above four technical jobs related keywords title should written as…

Asp.net, Php, Java programmer and SEO expert jobs for IT engineer in India | Websitename

After reviewing above title many questions may raise in your mind like…

Is there any specific format to write title?
Ans. No, there is no specific format to write title for any page. Title should contain keywords which are covered in content on that page and it should describe what the page is about.

Can we put only targeted keywords rather than descriptive sentence?
Ans. Yes you can put only targeted keywords but as per my experience I will not recommend to put only keywords. It will look like spamming and not professional. Let me explain how…

Search engine will list only 10 website in one page, now whenever a person search for any query he/she will click only on single site listed in that page. Now our aim is to attract those visitors to click on our link. If we provide description title than click through rate will increase.

What is the recommended length of title tag?
Ans. Google will display only 65 characters with spaces in search engine result. Still we can write title containing 75 to 85 characters. Try to cover most important keywords at the beginning of your title.

Many SEO related questions may raised in your mind but it is not possible to cover all stuff here. You can ask any doubt regarding to SEO related topics by drop comment here or write me an email at info(at)eltalearning.com

Iphone application development process

2009-10-30T14:45:00.001+05:30

Iphone application development process is similar to that of Mac OS X application at higher level of development process. Both application developments need same tools and many of the same basic libraries. However there is significant difference in both the applications application development process. Iphone is not a desktop computer, iphone application have different purpose than Mac application and require different design approach. That approach needs to take advantage of the strengths of iPhone OS and forego features that might be irrelevant or impractical in a mobile environment.

Iphone was launched in the US in June 2007 by Apple and they have sold more than 8 millions iphones since its launch and counter is still clocking. Analysts predict that apples have huge market of iphone in India and it is essential for them to join hands with the biggest GSM operators in India. Airtel and Vodafone combined subscriber base is over 111 millions in India and mobile density in India is just 22% right now. Apple can get maximum benefits to this opportunity by target Indian customers by providing extraordinary featured in their iphones.

The most important is, apple allow developers to develop iphone application as per the requirement of users. Now a day iphone application development becomes latest trends in IT industries. You will find millions of Iphone application ready to use in Apple store.
Iphone application development process is easy and any one having good experience on Objective C, can develop iphone applications effectively. We will discuss, how to develop iphone applications and tools which required to work on Iphone applications in our next session.

Your suggestion and feedback are always welcome.

Windows 7 at low cost

2009-10-30T14:44:00.001+05:30

Microsoft Corporation had launched Windows 7 operating system in India. Best new for Indian is, Windows 7 will be available at least 20% cheaper than in the US. The main purpose to offer Windows 7 Operating system at lower rate is to reduce piracy of windows operating system in India. It is believed that around 85% of Indians are using the pirated version of Windows operating systems. Windows 7 can, however, hit stores only after the firm resolves a tax dispute with the customs department over the interpretation of tax rules introduced in July on imported packaged software.

“Some emerging countries have a differential price, basically to tackle piracy. The new software is being priced one-third lower than Vista in India. We have launched Windows 7 in six editions, targeted at specific user groups,” says Ravi Venkatesan, Microsoft India chairman during the launch of Windows 7 in New Delhi on Thursday.

Windows 7 Price In India:
Windows 7 Home Basic – Rs. 5,899
Windows 7 Home Premium – Rs. 6,799
Windows 7 Professional – Rs. 11,199
Windows 7 Ultimate – Rs. 11,799

Top 10 Firefox Plugins

2009-10-13T18:15:00.000+05:30

Out of these, here are my top 10 Firefox extensions:

1. Adblock Plus. If you have ever been annoyed by all those ads and banners on a site that often take longer to download than everything else on the page, install Adblock Plus and get rid of them. Right-click on a banner and choose "Adblock" from the context menu, and the banner won't be downloaded again.

2. Colorful Tabs. This simple add-on makes a strong colorful appeal. It sets each tab to a different color and makes them easy to distinguish while beautifying the overall appearance of the interface. After a long day of research when you have lots of browser windows open, this makes online page viewing easier on the eyes.

3. ColorZilla. ColorZilla puts an eyedropper icon in your status bar. Click it and you'll get a crosshair cursor. As you run this over a Web page, the RGB values of the pixel under the crosshair will display in the status bar, both as three separate values and as a hex value (e.g., R:255, G:255, B:255 | #FFFFFF). I use this all the time if I'm trying to match colors; i.e. a font color to an the primary background on an image, for example.

4. GMail Manager. This Gmail notifier is great if you have multiple Gmail accounts. It allows you to receive new mail notifications along with viewing account details including unread messages, saved drafts, spam messages, labels with new mail, space used, and new mail snippets.

5. MeasureIt. After installing this extension, you'll have a small ruler icon on the left side of your status bar. When you click on it, your browser window will fade out a little, and you'll have a crosshair cursor. Drag the cursor over a section of the screen that you want to measure. Next to the box is its height and width, measured in pixels. I use this all the time when trying to measure the size of images. When you're finished, just hit the Escape key to turn it off and return to normal viewing of the page.

6. Quirk Search Status. Search Status allows you to see how any web site you visit is performing. When you land on a page, SearchStatus lets you view its Google PageRank, Google Category, Alexa popularity ranking, Compete.com ranking, SEOmoz Linkscape mozRank, Alexa incoming links, Alexa related links and backward links from Google, Yahoo! and MSN. This combined search-related information means you can view not only the link importance of a site (according to Google and Linkscape), but also its traffic importance (according to Alexa and Compete), so providing a balanced view of site efficacy. I use this all the time to determine whether a site has enough traffic to warrant accepting a joint venture proposal.

7. Scrapbook. ScrapBook helps you to save Web pages and easily manage your saved collections. Major features are: saving web pages or snippets of a page, saving a web site, organizing the collection in the same way you do bookmarks, full text search and quick filtering search of the collection, and editing of your collected pages.

8. Session Manager. Session Manager helps you manage your Firefox tabs. If you visit the same sites every day, all you need do is open all the sites in separate tabs and/or windows, and then use Session Manager to save the session with a distinct name. Then, you simply go to Tools > Session Manager, pick your session, and all the windows and tabs open up just as you saved them. And, Session Manager tracks your sessions as you surf, and if Firefox (or your system) crashes, you can recover the selection of tabs you had open when it crashed.

9. Tabs Open Relative. Tabs Open Relative makes all new tabs open to the right of the current tab, rather than at the far right of the tab bar. This reduced a huge annoyance I had with how the Firefox browser worked.

10. XMarks. XMarks (formerly Foxmarks) provides seamless bookmark synchronization between your computers and browsers via their synchronization server. Your bookmark (and optionally password) data is securely stored and backed up on their servers and is available online, as well. After you install the add-on, click on the notification to set up Xmarks and start backing up and synchronizing your bookmarks. Install Xmarks on each computer you use, and it seamlessly integrates with your web browser and keeps your bookmarks safely backed up and in sync across all of your computers. Secure Password Sync is an optional Xmarks feature.

10 Tweaks that will make your Windows Vista fly

2009-09-25T16:50:00.001+05:30

1. Speed Up Windows Vista Start Menu Search

As you execute a search you will be using the search box located in the start panel. Then Vista will start searching the file index without any prompting. Keep in mind that the file index will be very big due to the fact that it has all files included on your hard drive. If you are looking to speed up your searching methods then you can try this. Go to your Start Menu and narrow down the scope of the search. In other words try to narrow down what you are looking for. Instead of a general term use something more specific. There are two ways in which you can do this.

The first way is called the Registry hack and for that this is what you have to do.

Step one: Open up the registry editor using the word regedit.
Step Two: Guide to HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Explorer and then choose the Advanced key.
Step Three: Locate and then right click on the Start_Search Files and then select the Modify key.
Step Four:You now have to change the Value to Zero.
Step Five: Then restart your Explorer.exe or you can simply just reboot the computer.
If this method does not work for you then you can try this:

Step One:
Using your mouse right click on the Start button and then choose the Properties key.
Step Two: then click on the button that says Customize.
Step Three: Then see all of the checked items, uncheck the Search Communications.
Step Four: Then reset the search files to the setting Donâ€™t Search for files.
Step Five: Click the Ok button.

2. Increase your SATA Disk Drive Performance

If you are looking to increase your SATA Disk Drive Performance you can definitely do so. What your first step is in doing so is setting up your write caching. But keep in mind as you do that there is a risk of data loss and corruption in the event of a power loss. This loss is only significant in a personal computer, the risk is a lot less in a lap top because, it runs on batteries.

To increase the SATA Disk Drive performance you can follow these simple steps:

Step One: Start by clicking on the Start Button and then enter the Device Manager and then hit the enter key.
Step Two: Expand the Disk Drives so they are not carrying too much information which will slow them down.
Step Three: Then right clock on the hard disk drive and then choose the Properties key.
Step Four: Then where it says Policies, you want to have checked off the Enabled Advanced Performance key.
Step Five: The click the Ok button and then close the device manager and you are all set.

3. Speed Up your Windows Vista Aero

The way Windows Vista is set up is really just for show. But because it is a new systems it can decrease the speed of your system. There are really only two ways to increase the speed of the Aero interface that is on your Vista system.

The first way is to Disable the Transparent Glass Effect:

Step One: Click on the Desktop icon on your screen and then choose Personalize.
Step Two: Choose the Windows Color and Appearance of your choice.
Step Three: Make sure you remove the check from the enable Transparency key.
The second way to speed up the Aero is to remove the Windows Minimum and Maximize the Animation key. You can do this by:

Step One: Start by clicking the Start Menu and then enter the System Properties Performance and then hit the enter key.
Step Two: When you see the Visual Effects section, remove the check mark from the Animate Windows When Minimizing and Maximizing.
Step three: Click Ok.

4. Windows Powered Smart Display

What is the Windows Powered Smart Display ?
What this is, is part of the Windows XP Professional Desktop. It is used in conjunction with the Remote Desktop Connection which is used through a wireless LAN link. This link is then used to get into your XP desktop from anywhere in the wireless range. So in other words, it is a remote wireless connection that your computer can use as along as the computer sits in the range of the wireless access.

Here are some other features that the Smart Display has:
The Smart Display has some great features, there is an on the screen keyboard which actually uses handwriting recognition software. It will allow you to use a USB mouse and keyboard if you are not used to the onscreen device yet . It can be used with a docking station and a mouse and keyboard. It is like using a small desktop computer from anywhere in the house or office. You have to keep in mind that the Smart Display itself does not have any file storage at all but the information that you use on the Smart Display will actually be stored on your desktop.

5. User Access Control

The User Access Control, this does not have to be used and can be turned off by simply clicking the Start button and then click the new Tools Menu and then scroll down and then when you see the access control key click it off. Then reboot your system.

6. Run as Administrator

You have to check because there is some software that you will not be able to install, even though you are logged in as an Admin. Simply right click in the mouse in the setup file and simply choose the Run as Administrator.

7. Added Wi-Fi Security

Added Wi-Fi Security, When you are looking for more security, go into the Network and Sharing menu and then click on Customize and choose the Public key . This will tighten up your Wi-Fi security when you are on public Wi-Fi.

8. Add Copy as Path

Simply hitting the shift key and then right click on a folder or you can choose any icon adds Copy as path and Open as command window here, you can edit them to the Windows Defender. Open up the Windows Defender and then click on the Tools key and then click on the Software Explorer and then take off the programs that you donâ€™t want to run.

9. Keyboard short cut secret

Using a left to right format give the icons on your Quick Launch bar a number, this way you can launch the icons in order of preference.

10. Free Up More Space on your computer

In order to do this you can use the Windows Disk Cleanup . This will get rid of files that you donâ€™t use, it will also get rid of memory and other operating system that contain files of unwanted material. By getting rid of the junk you can free up a lot of space for the important things you need.

6 Place to get HD Wallpapers

2009-08-28T12:33:00.002+05:30

DeviantArt

DeviantArt is one of the best user driven art community, where you can find several pieces of art, including wallpapers, desktop styles, logon screens and more.

The best part of DeviantArt is that the community members are really skilled, you can definitely keep your expectations high here.

InterfaceLIFT

InterfaceLIFT is another artist driven community website, where several artists upload their works to the site, the wallpapers can be downloaded for free in the most popular resolutions supported by monitors.

Smashing Magazine

Though Smashing Magazine is not a direct resource for high res wallpapers, it is definitely a good resource for finding really nice wallpapers.

The editors from Smashing Magazine frequently publish several list posts containing superb high quality wallpapers, in addition you will also find links to several other graphics resources.

Minty White

Minty White is another great site to find several high quality wallpapers, though once again its a resource gatherer, but the quality of the wallpapers are pretty high and we are sure you will find lots of them.

The folks at Minty White publish regular top 100 wallpapers list, so be sure to visit them regularly to get high resolution wallpapers.

Graphics.com

Graphics.com is another place where you can find high resolution wallpapers submitted by the user community. There are several wallpapers out there which are simply stunning.

The wallpaper gallery is divided into different months, to make you navigation more easier.

Flickr Wallpaper Exchange

Flickr Wallpaper Exchange is a community where users upload their wallpapers, and like we have seen user driven communities always result in you finding high resolution wallpapers.

Well this is not the end of the list as we are eager to learn about the websites you download wallpapers from. Do let us know about them, we would love to increase our wallpaper collection.

SEO Primer - 7 Basics of SEO

2009-08-01T03:39:00.000+05:30

We are going to look at 7 Basics of SEO below. These aren't the only things you want to know about SEO, but are the areas you should learn first. Some topics will only take you a minute, some will take a little longer, and others will become an ongoing process. But after reading through this list you should have a good handle on where to start and where to proceed next.

SEO Basic 1: Let's start off with a definition. SEO stands for "Search Engine Optimization" and is the process by which you Optimize your web site so that it is positioned well in the search engines. This is not the same thing as designing a site so that it attracts customers and entices them to buy.

SEO is what you do specifically on your site to improve your Search Engine Position. If you do a search on Google for any search term you will be presented with a list of links. At the top of the page and along the right side will be PPC links where someone pays an amount per click to get positioned. With PPC the more you pay the better your position. Most people only glance at these listings. You don't need SEO to get one of these positions, just lots of money.

Top Positions in the Web's Largest Article Directory

The body of the page contains "organic" listings. These links are listed in the order that Google determined best fit your search, with the best match first. There are only 10 listings per page, most people will only look at the 1st page, maybe the 2nd. So your site needs to be listed within the top 10 and at the worst within the top 20 for any useful exposure. With SEO you will be adjusting your site code so that your site will rank highly. This can be a daunting process as there may be thousands of sites competing for the same top listing. A trick is to aim your pages at less popular search terms to get higher placement. It is better to be on page one for a term that gets 1,000 searches per month than to be on page three for a search term that gets millions of visits.

SEO Basic 2: Your web site must be search engine friendly. The search engines send out "spiders" or "bots" cataloging web pages they come across. If the search engine has trouble getting through to your pages it will either rank your page poorly, or skip your site all together. Making your site Search Engine Friendly means having the code easily accessible, no errors in the code, and guiding the search engine through your site.

Try to steer away from complicated coding when possible. Check your site for coding errors. This is fairly easy to do with web programs like Dreamweaver which do this for you automatically. Plan on having text based navigation on every page. This is usually placed at the bottom of the pages. You may also want to have a "Site Map" page with easy to follow text based links to all of your important pages. Search Engines will look for a Site Map and will use that to navigate a site if available.

SEO Basic 3: The Most Important SEO Aspect is Keywords. Keywords are the terms you type into a search engine to find interesting web sites. You need to know what search terms people are likely to use to find your site, then use those terms as your Keywords. Make a list of the keyword combinations you can think of that you would use to find your site. Try them all on a search engine and see the results.

You need to see how these search terms perform on the web and what other search terms could be used. A great free tool to help with this research is available at Google:

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

You type in a search term, then you are given a list of similar search terms, how often they were searched and some advertiser comparison figures. You can quickly find additional keywords and to see how well they perform. A good idea is to optimize your site for a less frequently used keyword combinations so that you can achieve a higher placement. The Google Keyword Tool will help you figure this out.

Forget Expensive PPC Advertising - There is an Alternative!

Focus on keyword groups with 3 or 4 keywords. Many times keywords will overlap, so you can focus on a longer keyword combination and cover many other combinations at the same time. For instance, if you are designing a page to sell Photoshop Training, you can optimize for this keyword phrase "Adobe Photoshop Training Video". This will not only give you optimized performance for this keyword combination but also for these other keywords and combinations as well:

Adobe
Photoshop
Training
Adobe Photoshop
Photoshop Training
Adobe Photoshop Training
Photoshop Training Video

So try to come up with a multiple keyword combination that will contain several other keyword combinations as well.

Once you know what keywords you want to use you are ready to place those keywords on your page. The main places you want to use the keywords are:

In the meta title of the page
In the meta description of the page
In the first sentence on the page
In all of the image alt tags
In links to and from the page
Well represented in the body text of the page

Make sure you Pick the right keywords, and make sure they cover more than 5% of the word usage on the page. An easy way to get more keywords onto a page is by using lists such as:

We carry:
Adobe Photoshop Training Video Sets for Educators
Adobe Photoshop Training Video Sets for Students
Adobe Photoshop Training Video Sets for Business

Keep in mind that your page text should still be user friendly. If you use your keywords too frequently or in strange ways on your page, it may rank better in the search engines, but it will drive away visitors. Who wants to read a poorly written page?

SEO Basic 4: Don't try anything funny. There are lots of "tricky" things you can do to cram more keywords into a page without annoying your visitors. The problem is that the search engines know about these tricks and will penalize your site if you use them. So don't do any of the following or you may find your web site disappear completely from the search engine listings.

White letters on white background, or any other similar text coloring trick. Even using a very light gray text on a white background, or very dark gray text on a black background can get you bumped from the search engines.

Don't repeat your keyword over and over again. People used to do things like this at the top or bottom of their pages: Photoshop Photoshop Photoshop. This worked in the early days of search engine optimization, but no longer. You should also not try this trick in alt tags, image names, links or other places in your code. The search engines will spot this and you will be penalized.

Don't put keywords into comment tags. Also don't put keywords in hidden form fields. The search engines will spot these and mark you down accordingly.

Even though putting keywords into image names and alt tags is a great idea, don't think that you can just create a bunch of clear gif images sized at 1x1 and fill those with keywords. The search engines are very good at spotting tricks like this as well.

So use your keywords appropriately, don't try to sneak one past the search engines and you should do just fine. Just keep in mind, if you think that you need to hide the keywords to trick the search engine you can rest assured that they have already thought of that and will do their best to devalue your site accordingly if you use these "black hat" tricks.

SEO Basic 5: All pages should have links to other pages. The main search engines like links. They like outside sites linking into yours, but they also like links within your site going to other pages. So in this case having more pages can be useful. Also since you now have all these pages that you are linking to it gives you a great place to use some more keywords. Make sure that your links include your keywords.

But, and this could have been in section 4 above, don't create "doorway pages" that redirect you to another page. It used to be common SEO practice to create lots of doorway pages, each one stuffed with specific keywords, all of which would redirect the visitor to the actual page they were looking for. This would give your site lots of pages, with lots of internal links and would allow you to tightly optimize these doorway pages for specific keywords, but the search engines have gotten wise to this trick and now penalize the use of redirect pages. So don't use redirects unless you absolutely need to and never use doorway pages.

SEO Basic 6: Only optimize a page for one or two keyword groups. More than that just dilutes your keyword ratio. The search engines will analyze your web page to determine which words are used as keywords. They do this by looking at the title, the description, the page heading and the words used on the page. They then determine how relevant your keywords are to your page. So, if you try to use too many different keywords on a page, it will only bring down the percentage of any individual keyword or group for that page. It is better to optimize for a larger keyword group as discussed above than to try to optimize a page for a lot of individual keywords that can't be easily used in one sentence. If you need to have a page optimized for several different, unrelated keywords you are better off creating several different pages and re-writing the body text on each page to match the keywords you are optimizing for. This will make each page relevant for the specific keyword and will get a better placement in the search engines.

SEO Basic 7: Be patient. Even with a perfectly optimized web site it can take several months for it to rise in the search engine standings. I usually recommend waiting at least 90 days and up to 6 months to see how well a web page is doing in the search engines. Also, even though you have gone to great lengths to target a specific keyword or keyword combination keep in mind that the search engines aren't required to agree with you. So when checking your standings look at several different search terms that you discovered in your research and see how well your page is placing. Hopefully you will find that your chosen keywords are getting your page listed the way you want, showing that your SEO has worked properly.

If you find that your page is ranking better for a different keyword, you should examine your page code to see why and make adjustments as needed. Maybe your page is placing higher for a keyword combination you weren't focusing on, but it is still a good combination for your goals. This gives you an ideal opportunity to go with that new combination to achieve even higher placing.

So, get started right now on your SEO. The longer you wait, the longer it will be before your web site is showing well up in the search engines.

In Closing

There is a lot more to SEO than just these 7 quick points, but this will get you started on the right path. Go through these steps and your web pages will be well positioned for any other SEO you may want to perform on your site in the future.

10 Work Habits

2009-06-16T18:37:00.002+05:30

Here are 10 work habits that you should try to break:

1. Procrastination

A lot of people work best under pressure, or at least they say so. With everyone having a different personality, you can't say a strict schedule works best for all employees. Putting tasks off until the last minute, however, invites plenty of problems, even if you think the final result will be glorious.

When you leave yourself no wiggle room to complete a task, you run the risk of encountering an unexpected obstacle that makes you miss the deadline. Even if the situation is out of your hands, everyone will be left wondering why you didn't plan better and account for last-minute emergencies.

2. Being a sloppy e-mailer

E-mails are second nature to most people these days, and in informal communications they've become a digital Post-it note. We type out a message and send it without proofreading or double-checking the recipients. That's a recipe for disaster.
If you haven't learned your lesson by now, the day will soon come when you accidentally "Reply All" to an e-mail and a slew of unintended readers receive a silly note you intended only your co-worker to read.

3. Confusing informal with disrespectful

In many workplaces, the boss might be the decision maker, but he or she isn't the stern, humorless caricature you saw on TV. Using your supervisor's first name and going for some drinks after work are common in many industries. Still, you are the employee and the boss is the boss -- the one who can fire you and tell you what to do. Don't cross the line by talking to her as if you're talking to one of your direct reports or even your best friend. You need to show some respect for her authority.

4. Taking advantage of leeway

Some companies are strict about the time you clock in and out. Others have guidelines but no hard rules, so you can arrive at 8:35 a.m. and no one cares. If over time you're arriving at 9:10 a.m. and leaving at 4 p.m. (with plenty of breaks in between), your reputation will suffer.

This also goes for dress codes. Business casual is up to interpretation, but ripped jeans and concert tees probably don't fall under your company's accepted definition.

5. Refusing to mingle

Plenty of wisdom lies in the advice not to mix personal and professional lives. However, refusing to take part in any social activity -- such as the office potluck or a happy hour -- will not help your career. You don't need to be the resident party animal, but being personable with your

colleagues helps build camaraderie. You get to know other people better and they get to know you as more than the person they pass in the halls.

6. Always running late

This isn't the same as abusing leeway; this is a matter of trust. If you're late to work, to meetings and with projects, your boss and colleagues will associate that trait with you. When it's time for a promotion or to deal with an important client, everyone will think twice before giving you the opportunity. Who wants to trust the person who can't manage his or her time?

7. Being rigid

One of the unfair aspects of the working world is that sometimes it seems you can't win. If you're hired to do a job, most bosses don't want you passing the day by reading your favorite book. The reason: You were hired to do a job, so do it. But if the boss comes to you with a new project that's outside the parameters of your usual duties, it's still yours to do. "You don't pay me to do that" isn't something you want to tell your supervisor.

8. Acting as the resident contrarian

We all love your spirited personality, but try not to be the person in the meeting who always has a better idea and can tell you why everyone else's idea is dumb. Voices of opposition are often missing in many workplaces because too many eager employees want to be "yes" men and women. But too much negativity grates on nerves and makes people dread hearing your voice. Continue to be a critical thinker, but make sure you're doing what's best for the company and not just trying to be the loudest voice in the room.

9. Badmouthing the company

With blogs, Facebook, Twitter and a host of other sites, you have plenty of opportunity to vent your frustration with life. If you're going to complain about how dumb your boss is and how much you hate your job, keep those rants private. The Internet is public domain and comments have a way of finding their way back to all the wrong people. If you wouldn't stand outside your boss's office and tell a co-worker how ready you are to quit, don't express the same thoughts in an open forum.

10. Politicking

Office politics are often unavoidable, and sometimes having a grasp on what's going on can benefit you, but you shouldn't spend more time masterminding office warfare than you do working. Getting caught in the crosshairs of a workplace controversy can be out of your control, but if you're the one instigating the drama, you're earning a bad reputation. You're the person who starts trouble and whom no one trusts. That's the kind of notoriety that follows you from one workplace to another.

Funny Google Calculator

2009-04-28T18:40:00.000+05:30

Google's new calculator is a fun diversion, with several undocumented new features. Here's a few.

- How long can you play a 30GB iPod without repeating a song? Answer: 18.2 days
- How much hard drive space does one hour of 128kbps MP3s consume? Answer: 56.25 megabytes
- How many seconds in a decade? Answer: 315,569,260
- 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius? Answer: 37 degrees
- How many feet in a smoot? Answer: 5.58 (via Ryan)
- What's the answer to life, the universe and everything? Answer: 42
- What's the answer to life, the universe and everything multiplied by the speed of light divided by three teaspoons? Answer: 8.51523871 × 1014 m-2 s-1
- What's the speed of a Delorean going back in time? Answer: 47,600,819,200 m3 kg/s4 (via Cam)

Trick to increase RAM

2009-04-22T09:35:00.001+05:30

1. Goto 'System & Increse virtual memory'.
2. Use Memory Optimizers.
3. Use Pen Drive as RAM.

16 HTML Form Elements Customization Techniques

2009-04-17T22:13:00.003+05:30

Checkbox and Radio Buttons

1) FancyForm
2) CRIR: Checkbox & Radio Input Replacement
3) Ryan Fait’s Custom Checkboxes & Radio Buttons
4) ARC - Adam’s Radio/Checkbox Customization
5) prettyCheckboxes
6) jQuery checkbox
7) Articles & Tutorials On Customizing Checkbox and Radio Buttons

Select / Dropdown Box

1) JavaScript Image Combobox
2) jQuery Dropdown Check List
3) Custom Select With Icons
4) ComboBoxes Using MooTools
5) Select Replacement
6) Additional Select Box Customization (Won’t Work If JavaScript Disabled)

Almost All Form Elements

1) Custom Form Elements (CFE)
2) Emblematiq Niceforms
3) jQuery Plugin: jNicex

24 HTML Form Elements Customization Techniques

2009-04-17T22:13:00.002+05:30

10 Css Hacks

2009-04-14T09:33:00.002+05:30

1. Vertical align div
http://stylizedweb.com/2008/02/01/vertical-align-div/

2. Min-Height

selector {
min-height:500px;
height:auto; !important
height:500px;
}
3. PNG transparency

http://stylizedweb.com/2007/12/30/png-transparency-issues/

4. Autoclear

.container:after {
content: ".";
display: block;
height: 0;
clear: both;
visibility: hidden;
}

.container {display: inline-table;}
/* Hides from IE-mac \*/
* html .container {height: 1%;}
.container {display: block;}
/* End hide from IE-mac */

5. Reset CSS

html, body, div, span, applet, object, iframe, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, p, blockquote, pre, a, abbr, acronym, address, big, cite, code, del, dfn, em, font, img, ins, kbd, q, s, samp, small, strike, strong, sub, sup, tt, var, dl, dt, dd, ol, ul, li, fieldset, form, label, legend, table, caption, tbody, tfoot, thead, tr, th, td {
border:0pt none;
font-family:inherit;
font-size:100%;
font-style:inherit;
font-weight:inherit;
margin:0pt;
outline-color:invert;
outline-style:none;
outline-width:0pt;
padding:0pt;
vertical-align:baseline;
}
table {
border-collapse:separate;
border-spacing:0pt;
}
caption, th, td {
font-weight:normal;
text-align:left;
}
blockquote:before, blockquote:after, q:before, q:after {
content:"";
}
blockquote, q {
quotes:"" "";
}
strong {
font-weight:bold;
}
em {
font-style:italic;
}
* {
margin:0pt;
padding:0pt;
}

6. Scrolling Render IE

html {
background : url(null) fixed no-repeat;
}

7. Opacity

#transdiv {
filter:alpha(opacity=75);
-moz-opacity:.75;
opacity:.75;
}

8. PRE Tag

pre {
white-space: pre-wrap; /* css-3 */
white-space: -moz-pre-wrap !important; /* Mozilla, since 1999 */
white-space: -pre-wrap; /* Opera 4-6 */
white-space: -o-pre-wrap; /* Opera 7 */
word-wrap: break-word; /* Internet Explorer 5.5+ */
}

9. Li Background Repeat IE

10. Good to know

@charset "UTF-8";

/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
WinIE7
---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
*:first-child+html selector{property:value;}

/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
WinIE6 & Mac IE
---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
* html selector{property:value;}

/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
WinIE6
---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/*\*/
* html selector{property:value;}
/**/

/* ----------------------------------------------------------------------
MacIE
---------------------------------------------------------------------- */
/*\*//*/
selector{property:value;}
/**/