Bitwik

Is China’s “Great Firewall” blocking your blog?

Bitwik — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 14:00:38 +0000

The “Great Firewall” is getting much attention these days. This is because of the Chinese government’s attempt to block much of the free media’s content from their citizens/prisoners. Unfortunately, many sites have been blocked for some time, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google, Blogger, TypePad, WordPress and most blog related sites. This is an ongoing effort to keep free speech from proliferating the Chinese government and keeps most citizens at bay under strong control.

Some companies have not been blocked and are going strong even under such strong attempts to control the media. One of these companies is Bitwik Blog Hosting. So far, many in China have been able to blog freely using Bitwik’s servers and are doing so with vigor. This is exactly what bloggers need right now in the current state of affairs, a way to express their thoughts with such conviction! Bitwik has been able to successfully fly under the Chinese government’s radar for quite some time now. It is wonderful to see that blogging is still alive and kicking in China. As long as Bitwik keeps up their good work maintaining your blog’s freedom, you can keep proclaiming your’s, even from China.

Introducing WordPress for BlackBerry 1.0

Bitwik — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:19:54 +0000

WordPress has finally released its application for BlackBerry users. With the WordPress for BlackBerry users can edit and manipulate their WordPress blogs on the fly. Although the app is lightweight it is packed full of features that are essential for WordPress powered blogs. For example, you can now write, edit, add rich media and manage the conversation with ease from any model of BlackBerry phone. The WordPress for BlackBerry allows you to add as many WordPress blog accounts as you wish. Adding links from the BlackBerry is now easier than ever due to the “link assistant” which dramatically speeds up the process. You can add photos and videos directly from the BlackBerry phone itself, from your media library, or from an SD card. Managing your comments has never been easier. You can manage one comment at a time or in bulk with many options available. In a nutshell, WordPress for BlackBerry is a must for all who wish to have full management of their WordPress powered blog. BlackBerry is now a major competitor in the blog-on-the-fly world making it a great option for those who are pondering the thought of getting one for themselves. Check out the video for a breakdown of many of the features now available in WordPress for BlackBerry!

Release of Movable Type 5 has been postponed

Bitwik — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:00:15 +0000

As we near the original release date of Movable Type 5, we are sorry to announce that the date has been pushed back to January 5th 2010. We know this may cause an inconvenience to those that are waiting to release their sites til after the new release. However, those at Movable Type are telling us that it is for a very good reason that they have postponed the release. It turns out that there’s a few bugs that need to be ironed out in order to make MT5 production grade for all users.

Some MT5 fans have been a little agitated by the delay, saying that it would’ve been better to not announce a release date and then put it off. Although true that it is a tad frustrating, the developers have every intention on making this release unlike any other. They also tell us that there are many features that are gong to be included in MT5 that will make this “delay” a thing of the past, not to be remembered. So, let’s patiently await the release of MT5 and all of it’s features, which is scheduled to launch on January 5th 2010.

Even after the launch in January, it is always recommended to wait before upgrading your blog to the latest version until all bugs have been fixed. This is for a good reason as the wonderful folks from SixApart tell us, “We’ve determined that there are a few issues we need to resolve in Movable Type 5 before the official worldwide launch.” However, this is not a bad thing, because as we well know, good things come to those that wait.

WordPress 2.9 will be here soon!

Bitwik — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:57:22 +0000

We are just as excited as you are about the upcoming updates to one of the most popular blog platforms. With WordPress 2.9 you will find new feature such as “trash” for comments, posts, and so on. This means that it’s possible to recover elements that have been deleted until the admin permanently deletes them.

WordPress 2.9 also sports image editing, a new release of TinyMCE, and improvements in media embedding. Comments for pages have been added to the default “Kubrick” theme, so blogs can now have comments on pages as well as posts. When setting up new blogs, the default first post will be more informative about how to use WordPress as opposed to the old-style “Hello World” post which gave you no information on how to use WordPress. This feature is great for those that are very new to the platform or are just getting started with blogs in general.

WordPress 2.9 also includes a slew of changes for WordPress developers, with 84 changes listed on the Codex. Changes range from improved documentation for the WP File System to support for new post types and limiting checks for “blog by email” to every five minutes. Plugin users can now report on the Plugin Directory whether plugins are compatible with a version. This data will be used with the WordPress compatibility checker so users can get a sense whether a plugin is compatible with their release of WordPress or not.

Assuming no major bugs are found, WordPress 2.9 should be released “before the end of the week.” The release candidate download is now available for those that are interested in giving it a test drive. However, we will be patiently awaiting the full release which is only days away from being launched!

Updating to WordPress 2.9 will be a piece of cake since the automation tools within WordPress does most of the work for you. So, whether you are new or experienced in the world of WordPress, you will be excited to know that the features and usability of WordPress 2.9 has made the blogging experience an even better one! Feel free to let us know what you think of version 2.9 as we near it’s release soon.

Elegant Themes – Designer WordPress Templates!

Bitwik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:30:15 +0000

With the popularity continuing to climb higher and higher, WordPress powered blogs are here to stay! With that in mind, let’s take a moment and talk about something that WordPress bloggers often find exciting. The almighty WordPress “theme”. Although there are many hundreds (or even thousands) of these templates available on the Internet, none can hold a candle to the ones created by ElegantThemes.com.

What makes these templates stand out from the rest? Well, seeing is believing in this case. Please view them for yourself and see what you think. What is even more spectacular is that Bitwik is now offering these designer templates to all customers that really want to give their blog fans a warm and professional feel without the high price that usually comes with such a look. Each of these templates come with all of the needed plugins as well as the Photoshop files so design changes are much more customizable to fit your unique needs.

Not only are these templates designed with the user in mind, they are extremely affordable if one ever decided to purchase an account of their own. However, Bitwik clients can sit back and enjoy, since all of these templates are now available to all. If you see a template that you like, let us know and we will gladly get it for you.

Feel free to check out some of the previews of these wonderful templates by clicking here.

25% Discount for Life!

Bitwik — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 13:00:10 +0000

From now til January 1, 2010 new customers can sign-up for a blog hosting account and receive 25% discount for the life of their account! This is a very unique opportunity which will expire soon. So, tell your friends and family about Bitwik Blog Hosting, and save! In fact, go ahead and open an account for your friends and family as a gift.

Simply sign up for your new Bitwik Blog Hosting account with the coupon code: “25OFF2009″ (without the quotes)

NOTE: This promotion is good for the following plans only: HOBBY, PROFESSIONAL, STUDENT, TEACHER.

Network Maintenance Notification

Bitwik — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 01:56:48 +0000

Summary of Maintenance:
The rack switch that provides network connectivity to the servers will be rebooted in order to provide a firmware upgrade. This upgrade is essential to providing continued performance and reliability to your server’s network connection. Best practice and procedures will be employed throughout the maintenance and we would like to ensure that all relevant clients are aware of the activity.

Customer Impact:
During this maintenance you will notice a brief interruption while the network rack switch reboots. This interruption should last no longer than three to five minutes in order for your server to regain connectivity. All data and customer services will remain active, however the network will be unreachable during this time.

If you have any questions or concerns about this maintenance notification, please open a support ticket with Bitwik Support in the Bitwik Client Portal (https://billing.bitwik.com) and a Bitwik Support Member will assist you promptly.

We apologize in advance for any inconvenience this may cause.

Thank You,
Bitwik Support

De Blob – Game Review

Bitwik — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:38:38 +0000

As you may already know, we like to have some serious fun at Bitwik. With this desire comes many responsibilities. For example, if we are playing the Nintendo Wii and come across a game that excites everyone in the office, we feel it is our responsibility to inform you of such a game and share with you some love… Bitwik style! Well, we have found the game that will bring a smile to your heart and give you the revived vigor to blog well into the night. It is “de Blob” and it is de funnest game around the office.

Since we are all fans of jazz at Bitwik, Mike and Jesse thought it would be best to bring “de Blob” into our lives. We have to agree that they are both quite smart (and I am looking for a promotion as you might be able to see). We love the game! You may need a little background on the game, so here you go. You play Blob who is the main character in the game. The city has been taken over by INKT and all of their Inkies which are all under the control of Captain Black. They are sucking the color out of the city and leaving it a monochromatic gray as well as sucking the joy out of the city’s inhabitants. To make it worse INKT has captured most of the inhabitants and made them slave-workers. It all seems so very bleak for everyone… but out of nowhere comes Blob (you) to save the day! It is your job to slam, splatter, spray, as much paint all over the city to bring it back to life. At the same time find and release all of the captures that have been enslaved by INKT. It is all quite simple and that is what makes this game so much fun.

It is so energetic with lively colors and graphics. You will find yourself smiling at the humor that is injected into every cut scene. Packed full of unlockable features and extra, deBlob keeps on getting better with every minute you play it. The soundtrack is the absolute best part. While you’re painting the city in the brightest of colors, the music keeps changing and building with Blob’s every move. It is a game that will want to crank up the volume with and leave it up! DeBlob has some of the funkiest soundtracks making it what it is… FUN TO PLAY! If you haven’t had a chance to play de Blob yet, take a moment out of your day and rent it. It is something that the whole family will enjoy. We know we at Bitwik are loving it!

Hey! You want to tell us about a game or activity that brings you or your office joy, feel free to share the love and tell us about it. If it works in our office you will see it on our blog too!

Very Important Blogger VPS Upgrade!

Bitwik — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 01:12:42 +0000

We are pleased to announce we are upgrading VPS resources for all existing customers! We will be phasing out our older VPS plan and we will be introducing a NEW (VIB) VPS plan. Every VPS plan will be shifted up a step from the plan it is on currently. For example, if you have a current VIB plan, you will be upgraded to our new VIB VPS plan automatically. This “level up” will be occurring for all current VPS customers, and the best part? Your rates will remain the same!

We have invested thousands of dollars over the past few months upgrading our infrastructure to support these increased allocations to ensure you are getting the best value for your money. These upgrades will be performed throughout the rest of the month. Nearly every client will receive a memory and bandwidth upgrade and some will receive a disk space upgrade as well. There will not be any downtime required to perform the upgrade either!

Thank you for your business and for choosing Bitwik!

iPhone 3.0 Release, WordPress Blogs

Bitwik — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 13:00:11 +0000

Apple enthusiasts agree that the new iPhone 3.0 Release is high on the “excitement” list. With so many apps that iPhone users love, we thought it would be a good thing to announce a very special app created for bloggers in mind. Along with the iPhone 3.0 release comes the wonderful news that WordPress is in the process of creating a full featured application that will utilize all of the new iPhone features. This WordPress application will open up many wonderful opportunities for the WordPress blog user as well as make life on the go much easier to deal with.

You can already take advantage of the mobile version of Bitwik on your iPhone or BlackBerry phone right now! But very soon, you will be able to maintain your entire WordPress blog from your iPhone! Also, WordPress is secretly working on the BlackBerry version of their famous application. So all you BlackBerry users, the wait is short. We will keep you posted on the progress and will keep you in the “know” regarding the new WordPress application that is being built for iPhone.