Your Digital Space

Enjoy Best WordPress.com Features in Self Hosted WordPress with JetPack

Swamykant — Wed, 16 May 2012 05:49:11 +0000

WordPress.com has some amazing features which we miss in self hosted WordPress installations. Did you know that you could get the best WordPress.com features in your self hosted WordPress blog just by adding one WordPress plug-in.

Jetpack WordPress plugin is the best way to incorporate all these amazing features in your WordPress blog.

JetPack WordPress Plugin

Jetpack is a collection of very powerful and useful features.

Subscriptions – it enables your site visitors to subscribe to your posts and comments and get updates via e-mail.
WordPress.com stats – Jet pack includes the latest version of this plug-in, and all future versions of the stats plug-in will now only be available through the Jet Pack. Of course now the data provided by the plug-in is much more detailed than before.
Spelling and grammar – helps to improve your writing by contextual spell checking, advanced style checking and intelligent grammar checking of your articles. It is powered by After the Deadline open source technology.
Social sharing – powered by ShareDaddy, this plug-in provides an array of custom social sharing buttons which are then placed beneath your articles and improve the social engagement of your visitors.
VaultPress – this is a useful WordPress backup plug-in which we have been using for several years and is a useful tool in case your WordPress database crashes or you need to restore your site.
Contact form – is a useful plug-in to insert a contact form on any page or post you like, and is a good replacement for any contact form WordPress plug-in you might be using.
Gravatar Hovercards – if you support Gravatar profiles in your comments, then this plug-in will show pop-up business cards of these users from their gravatar profiles.
WP.me short links – creates a short link for all your pages and posts which can be easily shared on social media sites like Twitter.
Short code embeds – allows you to use short codes to embed videos from YouTube, Vimeo, slide share etc.
Beautiful math – allows you to use specialised markup language to post complex maths equations.
Sidebar widgets – some new widgets appear in your WordPress blog which allow you to add images, Twitter updates and RSS feed links in your sidebar.
Enhanced distribution- allows better sharing of your post articles and comments in real-time by distributing them quickly to search engines. A good pinging tool.

After installation, by default all features will be activated but if you don’t not need all these features then click on “Learn more” button, to make the “Deactivate” button appear! You can then choose which features need to be active. That’s all folks.

Download Jetpack WordPress plugin

Do you use any incredible WordPress plugins you think the world should know about? Let us know in the comments

20 Solid Reasons to Switch to Google Plus Social Network

Swamykant — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:42:01 +0000

Just when Facebook was about to enter its pinnacle of glory, it has been receiving threats from a tough competitor. Google, the Godfather of Internet came up with a new site known as Google Plus.

Google Plus’ 100 million users may pale considerably in comparison to Facebook’s 900 million but there are good reasons for people to seriously consider dumping Facebook for Google+

via Performancing.

Get Free Antivirus Licenses From Facebook Anti-Virus Marketplace

Swamykant — Mon, 14 May 2012 08:11:45 +0000

Recently Facebook has announced the Antivirus Marketplace which will offer free downloads and six-month licenses from several antivirus companies including Microsoft, McAfee, TrendMicro, Sophos, and Symantec for its 900 million plus users .

You might also like:

Aside from downloadable and installable malware protection, these five companies will also augment Facebook’s URL blacklist system to prevent malicious URLs from being shared on the network. This means that whenever you click a link on Facebook, not only will be it checked against Facebook’s blacklist, but also the blacklists provided by Microsoft, McAfee, TrendMicro, Sophos, and Symantec.

The free downloads and six-month licenses available via the Antivirus Marketplace are:

Microsoft Security Essentials (free)
McAfee Internet Security 2012
Trend Micro internet security for PCs and Macs
Sophos Anti-Virus for Mac, Home Edition
Norton AntiVirus

Other than Microsoft Security Essentials, which is entirely free, each download is accompanied by six months of free updates, but users are limited to just one free antivirus application per Facebook account.

Of course, if you have more than a couple of members in your household and all share the same PC you can each snag a 6-month license and stay protected for several years. It’s even likely that Facebook will sign-up even more antivirus companies into its marketplace.

[Source: Facebook]

Download and Install Over 300 Free Indie Games using Tiggit

Swamykant — Mon, 14 May 2012 07:32:54 +0000

Independent video games is commonly referred to as indie games. These are video games created by individuals or small teams without video game publisher financial support. Indie games often focus on innovation and rely on digital distribution.

Indie gaming has seen a rise in the last few years, primarily due to new online distribution methods and development tools. There are probably thousands of indie games developed by now, some of which have gone on to become an Internet phenomenon such as Minecraft.

It’s hard to keep track of how many such games are released in a year because of the very nature of Indie games. One way to keep yourself abreast, if you are a fan of these small games, is to follow blogs dedicated to Indie gaming. Another way is to install Tiggit.

Tiggit is a an open source game installer and launcher. According to the website, Tiggit’s mission is to help users find all the awesome indie games that exist ‘hidden’ around the internet.

From Latest News tab, you can read about the latest changes made to the application. The games are divided into several categories, such as Action, Adventure, FPS, Puzzle, Shooter, Simulation etc. Selecting category to lists down all the related games according to their user rating.

Currently, Tiggit features over 300 freeware titles and 30 odd playable demos. You can sort the games by rating and there is a search box for easy finding.

Each game is accompanied by a short description and a screenshot. A one click install button ensures that you don’t have to manually visit the game’s website to download it. Tiggit does not require users to register an account. You can simply install the program the launcher and enjoy.

Tiggit works on both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8. The link provided below will take you to its download page.

Download Tiggit

Snapchat App Self Destructs Dirty Photos After 10 Seconds

Swamykant — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:33:36 +0000

Texting sexually explicit messages and photos (also known as ‘sexting’) have grown significantly with the rising popularity of smartphones. However, sexting carries with it a notorious reputation of private images and SMS conversations making their way onto public websites for everyone to see.

A new mobile app called Snapchat aims to add a bit of security and a peace of mind to sharing personal photos. Snapchat for the iPhone lets you send all of the dirty, embarrassing, personal pictures you want – but the recipient only gets to view them for a few seconds.

You set the time limit for up to ten seconds; this is how long your recipient will have to take in all of the filthy goodness of your picture. After that, the photo deletes itself from the second phone forever (you’ll still have to remember to delete it from your own phone).

For tricksy texting buddies who try to take screen shots of the naughty pics, Snapchat has a built-in preventative. The app doesn’t allow the screen shot and notifies you so that you can scold the would-be cheater.

The company behind the free app knows that adding barriers to poor behavior – like uploading an ex’s personal pics to a social networking site – can go a long way toward deterring some of that behavior. Of course, if you’re really worried about personal pics of you making their rounds online some day, the easy way to avoid it is to just not take them in the first place

Download Snapchat for your iPhone.

Samsung Smart App Challenge 2012 [ Over $4,000,000 to be Awarded]

Swamykant — Sun, 13 May 2012 06:00:19 +0000

Samsung has announced a new challenge in an attempt to get developers to create applications for Android tablets, called the Samsung Smart App Challenge 2012, the company is offering over $4 million in prizes.

Samsung is looking for developers to build applications for their Galaxy Note and Galaxy Tab Android devices, and prizes for the most popular applications will range from $30,000 to $200,000.

The prizes will be awarded for the most popular applications created for the Samsung GalaxyTab range and the Samsung Galaxy Note, and their popularity will be judged by the amount of downloads.

This contest also offers broad marketing support for promotion of the best 80 apps, divided into 60 Samsung Super Apps and 20 Best S Pen Apps, which incorporate the most creative Galaxy Note Stylus Pen (S Pen) functionality. Galaxy Tab and Note apps are judged based on download popularity, with prizes ranging from $30K to $200K, and S Pen apps are judged by a panel, with the same potential for reward.

The Samsung Smart App Challenge 2012 starts now and runs until the 30th of September, and Samsung will give out a total of $4,080,000 as prizes, you can find out more details over at Samsung.

Know How Digital Cameras Work

Swamykant — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:55:38 +0000

The first digital camera was invented by Steven Sassoon, while working at Eastman Kodak, in 1975. Before that all cameras (regular cameras, often called still film cameras) were mechanical cameras. It’s hard to believe now, but they didn’t even use electricity. Basically they were composed of three parts: the lens, the chemically treated film, and a box (the camera structure itself which would include the mechanism to move the film forward to the next frame, etc.)

Digital cameras are a whole different ball park. It’s sort of like comparing a beautifully made chariot to a race car. Digital cameras must be computerized and run on batteries, so all of them have a built-in computer and all of them record images electronically.

Related Posts:

How Digital Cameras Works

We are so used to just pointing our small digital camera (or phone) and seeing the photo two seconds later that we don’t realize the behind-the-scenes of how miraculous it is. This miracle has two basic parts: a sensing grid and a reading program.

The sensing grid, which should have a cool name like Light Capturer or Light Hawk, or Amazing Light Sensor, or something, is called a Charge Coupled Device or CCD. You point your camera at your cat and the CCD takes that scene and “sees” the light energy and captures it on all of the teensy eentsy minute squares on its grid and immediately turns it into electrical pulses. The CCD sends the electricity, as very specific coded messages, to the reading program (also called the firmware).

Now the firmware (FW) changes those messages into digital code which can be sent to a camera screen, printer, CNN, or your mother-in-law in Boise.

The first digital camera weighed 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and cost $10,000. This is one of the many reasons that Ideas Design Studio, a new product development firm that specializes in helping inventors, suggests that when you have a new idea you should have a professional listen to your idea, look at your drawings, and make up a 3-D prototype for you.

When you look at how radically different the ‘How do they work?’ processes of still film cameras and digital cameras are you will get an idea of a truism about many inventions. Many completely new inventions don’t necessarily create a new end product that has never been seen before but rather think up and design a brand new way of getting the job done.

Now that you know how digital cameras work, let that inspire you to look at products you use and see if you can create a totally different method of making the same end result. Experts at Ideas Design Studio stress that while some inventors think that they have to do it all on their own, in actuality it always takes many people to bring an idea from ‘What if?’ to people all around the world asking ‘How does that work?’

Author Bio: Joel Cordle, is the Marketing lead at Idea Design Studio. Idea Design Studio is a product development firm that specializes in top-of-the-line design work for inventors. If you have any question on how to get invention help just contact Idea Design Studio.

Tips for Evaluating Online Storage Services

Swamykant — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:54:50 +0000

Online data storage is becoming increasingly popular with individuals as well as businesses. With the wide range of online storage services out there, choosing one can be very confusing. To make a decision, you need to consider several factors, such as the benefits and features offered by the different services.

Related Posts:

Here are some of the things you should look out for when testing or assessing an online storage service.

Price

When assessing an online storage service, one of the most important things you need to assess is its price. For most online storage services, the price is determined by the quantity of storage space you require. If all you need is a few gigabytes of storage, you might get this space at no cost from some services. However, you will be required to pay for any additional data storage space. Some storage services offer an annual or monthly payment plan, whereas others charge on the basis of per MB data transfer. Check all these factors and determine what it would cost you to use these services.

Features

Every online storage service comes with several features. A very common feature with such services is remote access, which means that you can access your data from a computer in any location where there is internet access. Some storage services also offer the mobile access feature. This feature allows you to access your files from an internet-enabled mobile gadget.

Another feature you need to look out for is public and private file sharing. Your choice between these two options will be determined by your own preference. However, some online storage services combine both types of file sharing. One of the features offered by a few online storage services is the drag-and-drop feature which makes uploading files online very easy. It is also advisable to choose an online storage service which allows you to create sub accounts within the main account. This will enable you to segregate your data better. File search is another great feature that you need to look out for.

Security settings

It is very essential to consider the security features of an online storage service. Every good service should have SSL encryption, as well as password protection. Some online storage services also offer multilevel security.

Customer support

When it comes to online storage, customer support is very important. Before signing up with any service provider, find out about the quality of their customer support. Consider the following questions:

Is support offered via online chat, email or phone?
Can you get help 24-hours a day, or is support only available during business hours?
When you call, do you get to talk to a real person or a machine?
When you make an inquiry, how long does it take to get a response?

Most online storage services allow you to sample their features for a specified period before actually opening an account with them. However, before signing up with any service, you need to read different reviews of the service on the internet. After seeing what other people are saying, you will be able to make a more informed decision.

About Author: Charles Mburugu often writes about web hosting and online backup. He has also written articles which offer tips on how to make a website.

eBooks and America’s Reading Habits [Infographic]

Swamykant — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:16:05 +0000

The rise of e-books in American culture is part of a larger story about a shift from printed to digital material. Through an increasingly broader definition of e-content and device deliveries, some 43% of Americans age 16 and older indicate they have either read an e-book in the past year or have read other, long-form content such as magazines, journals, and news articles in digital format on an e-book reader, tablet computer, regular computer, or cell phone.

Related Posts:

According to a newly released, April, 2012, report by the Pew Research Center’s ongoing Internet and American Life Project, 21% of American adults have enjoyed reading a book in digital format. Some other findings of the study were:

21 per cent of U.S. adults surveyed in February had read at least one e-book in the past year, while 72 per cent said they had read at least one printed book over the same period.
Most e-book readers said they read e-books either on a computer (42 per cent) or an e-book reader (41 per cent), but 29 per cent read e-books on a cellphone and 23 per cent did so on a tablet computer.
88 per cent of e-book readers had also read at least one printed book in the past year.
Owners of e-book readers were more likely (61 per cent) than other readers (48 per cent) to have purchased the most recent book they read, rather than borrowing from a friend, family member or the library.
When asked which books were best for reading to children, 81 per cent of respondents preferred print books.
When asked which books were best for travelling or commuting, 73 per cent chose e-books.

Here is an infographic which gives an visual view of the report.

Source: OnlineUniversities.com

Angry Birds Reached 1 Billionth Download [Video]

Swamykant — Thu, 10 May 2012 02:53:09 +0000

In 2009, Apple iOS users were the first to fling birds across their touch screens to crush green hard-to-reach pigs in the addictive game. Since then, Angry Birds has become one of the most profitable games in history.

On Wednesday, Mobile game sensation Angry Birds reached its 1 billionth download according to Rovio. This 1 billion count includes both free and paid versions of the video games on all platforms, covering all of the thematic variants:

“THANK YOU to all of our incredible fans! This is only the beginning of our story, keep your eyes peeled for what’s coming up next from Rovio!,” the company wrote in a brief blog post.

To celebrate their big win, Rovio created a short 21-second video to thank fans of the multi-colored, wingless birds. See below:

Are you an Angry Birds fan? Tell us in the comments how you will celebrate this momentous occasion.