Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com @the Corner of Couch Avenue & Lazy Street Wed, 30 May 2012 08:38:55 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 couchavenue/feedshttp://feedburner.google.com The Art of Combatting Plagiarism http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/2TZvJZE7L14/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/30/the-art-of-combatting-plagiarism/#comments Wed, 30 May 2012 08:38:55 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5929 I came home late last night, I didn’t know what’s happening really I spent the time watching my shows then hit the sack for lack of a better word.  I woke up this morning and found out that a blog (also for lack of a better word because in my opinion it’s not one) was going around copy-pasting content from other well-known blogs [not sure if I was hit by the copy/paste bug in that dark place] and placing it as their own.

Image via [Source]

When are you guys going to learn that copy-pasting is the work of the devil!? When?! I swear I am tired of telling everyone out there that PLAGIARISM IS BAD! I just wanna have a big stick like the one Fred Flintstone has and go around wacking people with it, Marzouq will definitely help with that :P he likes smashing things don’t you dude?! :P

Anyways, some small things one can do to protect their content if you want to avoid such problem is install “Plugins” on your “WordPress” blog that will allow you to stop others from copying your content:

  • No Right Click Images Plugin:  What this plugin does is the following”No Right Click Images Plugin uses JavaScript to change the right click action on IMG tags to disable context menu. It disables the context menu on images only so other right click actions, such as links, should work normally. Since it uses JavaScript, it targets more images than using a plugin that filter pages and rewrite the tag.”

So to put it bluntly, this plugin disables people from right clicking and saving your picture and protects only that.

  • WordPress Protection [Security for your WordPress Site]: However gives you a full package: “WordPress Protection Plugin provides complete security for your wordpress website, so that the plagiarists could not copy the content and steal data or images from your wordpress site Pages. By using the WordPress Protection Plugin (Basic), you can only disable the text-selection and block the use of right click on your website.“

Now this is the option I would suggest many of you to go with, I actually might install it myself, this disables every kind of stealing, content as well as images! And it’s rated highly! So if you’re on WordPress hurry up and grab it and protect yourself!

Plagiarists be warned, we’re coming after you!

Thanks to 7ajidude for raising this issue.

P.S. The blog has been removed and unfortunately I could not see it for myself to see if anything from my content was stolen there.  But oh well, at least it’s gone! That miserable sucker!

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/30/the-art-of-combatting-plagiarism/feed/ 12 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/30/the-art-of-combatting-plagiarism/ Ratings and the Elephant in the Room http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/uhx2aOO8Pns/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/28/ratings-and-the-elephant-in-the-room/#comments Mon, 28 May 2012 20:57:54 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5923
Blogging should and always is an outlet of getting your thoughts and ideas out there, not many will share those ideas and not many will even know that you exist.  Blog numbers are not the end of the world.

Image via [Source]

What is Blogging? Dictionary.com states that a blog is the following:

a Web site containing the writer’s or group of writers’ own experiences, observations, opinions, etc., and often having images and links to other Web sites.
No where in that description did it mention the importance of numbers, and yet it’s that silent elephant in the room. Alas, Numbers, numbers, numbers! Everything is about numbers nowadays and it’s crazy! I would totally understand if those numbers are helping a small business grow or helping some big company expand but since when has numbers been the main focus of blogging? Why is everyone focused on gaining the highest number of readers to measure their success and if they have not achieved it then they are a major failure!

In the recent months many blogs have taken it upon themselves to make up lists as to measure a blogs ranking or in other words “popularity”, based on their Alexa ratings, and everyone including myself have enjoyed basking in a sense of accomplishment if they appear on the list as one of the Top 10, 20, or even 50 blogs in the region.  But what is not understood is that a rating does not measure one’s sense of success.  Take me for example, my blog has been around for 8 long beautiful years, I have developed a loyal set of readers but I have never hit the high numbers I see those newbie bloggers “suddenly” hit, I can honestly tell you that there were times I would get 8,000 hits a MONTH! Let alone a day! Granted I wasn’t fully active for a while but that never hindered me or slowed down my love to blog.

In the past few days a blog has come alive dedicated solely to providing that information “with ad placements prepared already, numbers do bring in money after all”. What that newcomer has done incorrectly however is that they failed miserably in the act of becoming a neutral ratings source, some blogs, well known blogs that is, were excluded and some new blogs who God only knows from where they come have appeared.  That in turn doesn’t reflect the true rating, its rather a selective rating of what that Alexa generated calculating script that considers itself a blog (maybe their dictionary is different than mine). They took it upon themselves to generating this script for lack of better words dedicated to absorbing the Alexa ratings along with sharing the latest posts taken from the available blessed approved blogs.  So it has not only infringed on the major website Alexa it has also attempted to tackle on the responsibilities of our beloved Aggregator Botamba.  Some might argue that the internet is free and everything available is ownerless, but no, nope sir, not I! The internet is not your free junkyard to pick an idea and rename it as your own, there are certain etiquettes one has to follow, or else we can all go and live in the cave days where laws were non-existent.

What I see today is truly pitiful, Blogs are being created to measure your popularity, bloggers are copying posts from international blogs to gain more popularity not to mention the local thievery that is happening as well.  It is simply a sad era to be in, back in the beginning blogs were something to be cherished, ideas were shared, stories were told, and so much more.  There are a few bloggers out there who maintain that level of awesomeness and I will not name them so as not to be labelled as giving preference to friends or family.  I simply inquire you to be true to yourself, be true to this sacred (in my opinion) place online because know this, the words you write and the thoughts you share will forever be digitized and available for generations to come.  Do something useful with your life and don’t spend it on tabloid-style stories.
Word to the wise, if you want to lay low, lurk around, then snatch an idea, at least copy it right and be fair. Do not insult our intelligence.  And just simply put, do not copy others ideas and label them as your own creations!
Peace Out.

 

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/28/ratings-and-the-elephant-in-the-room/feed/ 16 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/28/ratings-and-the-elephant-in-the-room/ Upcoming Habba Alert: Bridal Uggs http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/T1_H2ngRJoY/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/upcoming-habba-alert-bridal-uggs/#comments Sun, 27 May 2012 13:04:58 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5914 A few days back while browsing my favorite gossip site DListed I came across this tiny bit of news, the Australian company Ugg has announced their Bridal Ugg line!

In the words of Michael K. from DListed:

“WHY GOD WHY GOD WHY JUST MAKE MARRIAGE ILLEGAL FOR EVERYONE I HATE FUCKING WEDDINGS THE DEVIL IS SHOWING HIMSELF AND I DONT LIKE IT WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

I couldn’t agree more, I seriously can see it becoming a habba here in Kuwait and pray for the love of God that this won’t happen anytime soon!
]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/upcoming-habba-alert-bridal-uggs/feed/ 8 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/upcoming-habba-alert-bridal-uggs/ [Tech Sun] The One with the X Review http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/TSLiD5VbnCA/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/tech-sun-the-one-with-the-x-review/#comments Sun, 27 May 2012 06:44:49 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5909 Week by week I surprise myself by the level of awesomeness I achieve, I now am giving let’s say 60% of my potential with this new job I have and that’s something amazing! Seriously brilliant if I say so myself! This week in “Technology Sunday” I give you my first published Gadget Review, The One X.  Bear in mind that I have not been an avid Android user but from the device and packaging itself I fell in lust with it.  I, of course, wanted to remain as unbiased as ever chose to refrain from comparing the device to any other mobile out there but to tell you the truth the build and quality of it made me covet wanting to hold it in my hands longer, unfortunately it did not run my beloved iOS system hence I could not remain interested for long.

So without further ado, I give you my awesome, unbiased review of the HTC One X.  If I made a mistake in any place please don’t hesitate to tell me about it, but also take it with a kind heart.

HTC One X, best android phone in the market 

Jumanah Al-Ghadban

Staff Writer

KUWAIT:  The introduction of the HTC One Series back in February promised beautiful designs and enhanced user experiences, and with the One X, HTC has delivered that and more.  HTC has sent Al Watan Daily a review unit to put through its tracks and test out the overall experience, which will be tackled within the different categories seen below.

Build and Quality

The moment you take the device out of its box you will feel a very well built device, one that entices its new owner with its polycarbonate unibody that’s matte on the back and glossy at the sides.  In comparison to previous HTC models this design instills a new beginning for HTC while maintaining their overall look and feel of a clean and thin phone.  Looking at the phone there isn’t much to see other than the speaker grill that is seen at the top front of the phone along with a 720p camera used for video calls. The most important controls are available on the sides of the phone, which include the micro-USB charging port on the left and the volume rocker on the right.  One thing that is different than most HTC phone models is the micro-SIM card slot available at the top of the phone along with the power button and 3.5mm jack audio connector.

Display

One of the strongest features of the One X happens to be its 4.7” Super IPS LCD2 capacitive touchscreen with a pixel density of 316ppi.  At this resolution one sees the colors more natural than previous models.  Some might argue that the 4.7” screen is too big but when it comes to the One X its perfectly balanced out and one can definitely use more of the screen viewing area when accessing different applications and games.

Camera

The camera, an 8 megapixel with backside-illuminated sensor, was dubbed, as being an “amazing camera” at the Mobile World Congress in February and HTC didn’t disappoint.  Although the One X takes very good photos they can look a bit dull in comparison to other handsets but that is simply because the One X adapts a more realistic approach to the photos maintaining a lower noise and saturation in its images.  It’s one of the quickest camera phones we’ve ever seen with its burst mode. The most distinguished feature however is that there is no more distinction between photo and video modes, in short that means you can take a still image while recording a video.

Performance and Software

The One X features the first Tegra 3 Quad-core chip, which promises to deliver a speedy performance along with the latest Android operating system, Ice Cream Sandwich, and it doesn’t disappoint.  Navigating between available apps and playing games proved to be as speedy as advertised.  But the area that showed the most improvement was the browser performance, which has increased greatly than before.  HTC has added their own customization to Ice Cream Sandwich within their light Sense 4.0 version, which doesn’t feel as bloated as previous models.  To put it bluntly, performance wise this phone delivers and more.

Battery Life

The biggest drawback one faces with the smartphones of this age is the battery life of the device.  Equipped with a 1,800 mAH non-replaceable battery, the phone managed to churn out 12 hours of moderate use which included checking email and social networks, making a few calls, sending some messages, taking a few pictures, and downloading a few apps.  The battery life does differ from user to user and with the correct battery calibration apps one can manage to go throughout the day without having to recharge the phone.

In short, the HTC One X, is one of the best android phones running the latest version of its software Ice Cream Sandwich and HTC’s lighter version of their Sense customization.   If one can overlook its depleting battery life, but amazing sleek, powerful performance and build then this is the phone for you.  It is currently available in the market in either a white or grey version for the price of 190 KWD.

For everything else on the page be sure to check out the below image (click to enlarge).

Visit Al Watan Daily for the PDF file.

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/tech-sun-the-one-with-the-x-review/feed/ 12 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/tech-sun-the-one-with-the-x-review/ [New Toys] Samsung Galaxy SIII Available with Zain http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/Z_3J1Bmy-SQ/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/new-toys-samsung-galaxy-siii-available-with-zain/#comments Sun, 27 May 2012 04:29:33 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5902 Now that we’ve established I have been under the weather with the flu/cold I can get back to talking about what happened this weekend.  Late Thursday after attending the Nike Store opening in Al Bida’a (more on that later this week) I came home and found a lovely surprise waiting for me!

A new gadget to unbox! You see I have a sickness called “gadgetitis” (my own word, simply means the act of being obsessed with gadgets that one has to at least have an unboxing of a new tech toy once a month).  My gadgetitis was diagnosed almost 7 years ago till this day and there literally has been no cure. [I bet you thought I was joking right? I'm serious I've got that disease, it's really hard living with it :P]

Anywho, I came home and found the Samsung Galaxy SIII waiting for me, sent by lovelies at Zain Kuwait! God I love that telecom company it sure knows how to keep a smile on my face, I’m literally the only Zain customer at home everyone else has different lines from here and there but I can’t hehe I just love me some 9′s!

Being an Apple freak, I did not abandon my beloved iPhone, instead I found a prepaid line I got once upon a time at one of those Info exhibitions and cut its SIM to install it in the new Galaxy to give it a try.  Daddy tried to take the phone away from me, but he did not succeed.  In short, I’m trying out this thing called Ice Cream Sandwich and although it’s sometimes delicious and enticing, it will never steal the Apple away from my heart.

Yes, I own my own micro-SIM cutter, because I’m badass like that! Seriously I can open my own shop with the number of things I’ve got laying around the house but oh well :P

In short, the Samsung Galaxy SIII is now available at Zain branches all around Kuwait at a very competitive price! A package which I love and adore 189KD without any commitment or anything! Something other companies cannot deliver on!

So head on out and grab yourselves one if you are an Android head if not, then stay tuned for the next generation iPhone!

 

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/new-toys-samsung-galaxy-siii-available-with-zain/feed/ 8 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/new-toys-samsung-galaxy-siii-available-with-zain/ Under the Weather http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/sMlJ45X5vjI/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/under-the-weather-2/#comments Sat, 26 May 2012 21:09:22 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5899 The worst thing one can experience during the summer season is a cold or flu.  Seriously there is nothing worse than that, well apart from all the other major diseases and such but our constant changing weather definitely puts one out of commission for a while and that is exactly what happened to me over this weekend.

I fell sick late Wednesday but it hit it’s major stride mid-Thursday until Friday.  I literally wanted to strangle this cold and nothing I did was going to make it go away anytime sooner until I listened to some of my Instagram friends who advised me to drink hot water with lemon and honey.  I tried that and immediately started feeling better but still sick.

Right now I’m recovering so I’m not back full force but I definitely will be! This week I will tackle this sickness and be 100% fully functionable!

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/under-the-weather-2/feed/ 6 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/27/under-the-weather-2/ [Online Shopping] Zoogha Q8 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/h9HuKQAFR3s/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/online-shopping-zoogha-q8/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 05:34:48 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5880 Shopping has gotten so much easier lately, you can literally sit there in your bathrobe with your hair all messed up and flying out of its place and purchase awesome goodness! Today I bring to you one of the latest Online Shopping websites: Zoogha Q8.

Desktop Version

It’s a fashion website that brings you the best of the Australian products available from Down Under.  They’ve got some awesome looking shoes and I’m seriously tempted to grab me some if only I wear heels full time (I quit heels once I started a Newspaper job LOL!)  So want to know more about them?

Who are they? A group of Kuwaiti friends who aim to get the best Australian products all the way from down under.  Creating a new variety in the Kuwaiti market and show you some products that you may have not seen before.

Why do they sell these items? We found out that the Kuwaiti market lacks the taste of the Australian touch.  That’s why they chose Australian designers as their main product lines among others.

Where are they located?  ZooghaQ8 is an online-based store, all you have to do is access it via your computer whether it is a desktop or laptop, tablet, or even a smartphone.  You will be able to navigate through their website wherever you are.

How long have they been in business? They just started!

So help them out, support them and don’t hesitate to give them a shout out!

Website – Twitter – Facebook

Instagram (@ZooghaQ8)

Whatsapp: 50171508

Email: Zooghaq8@live.com

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/online-shopping-zoogha-q8/feed/ 0 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/online-shopping-zoogha-q8/ [Rumors] Next Generation iPhone Screen http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/8mKxqL29mdA/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/rumors-next-generation-iphone-screen/#comments Wed, 23 May 2012 04:44:03 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5887 With WWDC (Worldwide Developer’s Convention) coming up soon (June 11th) and October nearing a thousand and one rumors are swirling around about what the next generation iPhone will have, how it will look like and what’s the awesome thing in it.  The best thing we can expect in WWDC is the next generation Operating System (iOS 6) I really do hope some awesome changes will come to life in that system and once that is known then we can probably guess at how the next iPhone will look like unless we get a glimpse at it then.

So, what’s the latest rumor? Well apparently there is a new mock up design that I believe might be as close to the real thing we’ll see as we can get at the moment.  The screen will definitely be larger but not an exact 4.0″ as we are led to believe.  According to 9 to 5 Mac, Apple is testing multiple next-generation iPhones and at least one of them sports a brand new display.  Because of the secrecy that Apple likes to abide by no one knows for sure what the next design will look like as they float a million versions among the real one that will be released.

One of the phones sports a new larger display that is 3.999 inches diagonally.  Apple will not only increase the size of the display and keep the current resolution of 960 x 640 but instead it will be adding pixels to the display and the new iPhone resolution will be 1136 x 640 which is an extra 176 pixels longer of a display this basically means the screen will be the same width but will be taller in comparison to the current models.

Again these are just rumors you can take them with a grain of salt who knows what will be the final design but one thing for sure it will definitely have a bigger screen!

via 9to5Mac.

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/rumors-next-generation-iphone-screen/feed/ 4 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/rumors-next-generation-iphone-screen/ [Apps] Facebook Pages Manager http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/mDyS9c13Ik4/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/apps-facebook-pages-manager/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 22:46:33 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5894 Many of you probably have a small business or a blog in which you created a Facebook Page for? Right? I know I’m right so just nod your head and read on!

Well Facebook has released their Facebook Pages Manager app for iOS which allows administrators to do many things on the go and not rely much on their computers anymore (will we even have computers in the future?) So you might wonder as to what this will allow you to do well read on to find out:

As an administrator you can do the following:

  • Post new updates and photos as your Page
  • Get notified about new activity on your page when it happens, no matter where you are
  • Respond, post and comment as your Page while you’re on the go
  • Manage all your Facebook Pages from one app
  • View your latest Page Insights

It’s available as a free download and only available for the iPhone and iPod Touch, you can scale it on the iPad but it’s not available natively there. So what are you waiting for?

Grab it here.

[via TUAW]

]]> http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/apps-facebook-pages-manager/feed/ 0 http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/apps-facebook-pages-manager/ Webby Awards Pay Tribute to Steve Jobs http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/couchavenue/feeds/~3/wsoOD0UCxmA/ http://www.couchavenue.com/2012/05/23/webby-awards-pay-tribute-to-steve-jobs/#comments Tue, 22 May 2012 22:13:05 +0000 Jacqui http://www.couchavenue.com/?p=5888 On the 20th of May the 16th Annual Webby Awards took place and one of the most amazing things is the tribute that was filmed to honor the great Steve Jobs, the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Apple.

In the words of President Barrak Obama, “The truth is when we are talking about Steve Jobs we only need one word: Amazing.” And I totally agree!

In the tribute video that was presented by John Hodgman and Justin Long (a.k.a. I’m a PC and I’m a Mac Guys) we heard thank yous given by President Obama, Buzz Aldrin, Vint Cerf, Adriana Huffington, President Clinton, George Lucas, U2′s Bono, Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Fallon, and many more who said their five words each about Steve Jobs.  Truly a visionary, this man will sorely be missed!

via TUAW

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