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Jun 17, 2010

Web 3.0


What will Web 3.0 be like? How will Web 3.0 applications work? This article is aimed at answering these questions regarding Web 3.0, which is the vision of web pioneers for the world wide web of the future.

Before the creation of the world wide web and the spread of Internet technology, gaining knowledge about any thing was a slow and tedious process. You had to visit libraries, get into a school or college if you are lucky or ask around and tap your social network by word of mouth for information. The introduction of the world wide web (what is now dubbed Web 1.0) and Internet technology revolutionized information sharing and created a global pool of information, enriched by bright minds, which could be tapped by anybody with an Internet connection. With Web 2.0 (which is the name given to the emergence of Internet as it is now after the dot com bubble burst), web became more ‘interactive’ and ‘open’ to users making it truly democratic. Questioning what is Web 3.0, is asking what will be the nature of the world wide web of the future. In this article I explain what is the vision for world wide web of the future, collectively referred to as Web 3.0 READ MORE

Jun 3, 2010

Repair Bad Sectors on Hard Drive



If you are looking for guidelines on how to repair bad sectors on hard drives, you have landed on the right page. After going through this article, you will know what are bad sectors on hard disks, what causes them and how can they be repaired.

Do you frequently get messages like ‘Cyclic Redundancy Error’ while retrieving data from your hard drive? Then you may be facing the problem of having bad sectors on your hard drive. It is a frequent problem caused in old and overused hard drives. In this article, I explain how to repair bad sectors on hard drives and save your data.

What are Bad Sectors on Hard Drives?

Before we talk about how to fix bad sectors on hard drive, let us understand what we mean by bad sectors. A computer hard drive is a magnetic storage disk on which data is stored by changing of its magnetization states. The disk is designed to function as a data bank with addresses for each region. It is divided into concentric tracks starting from the center, towards the outer rim. These tracks are further divided into sectors by radial division. Every sector is a unit data storage space which holds about 512 bytes of data. On a hard drive with a total memory capacity of 200 GB, there are as many as 400 million such sectors. READ MORE

May 15, 2010

HOW TO CRACK SOFTWARE PROTECTION

In this tutorial you will learn how to crack any type of software protection using W32Dasm and HIEW.

IDENTIFYING THE PROTECTION:

Run the program, game, etc., (SoftwareX) that you want to crack without the CD in the CD reader. SoftwareX will not run of course, however, when the error window pops up it will give you all of the vital information that you need to crack the program, so be sure to write down what it says.

CRACKING THE PROTECTION:

Now, run Win32Dasm. On the file menu open DISASSEMBLER > OPEN FILE TO DISASSEMBLE. Select SoftwareX’s executable file in the popup window that will appear (e.g. SoftwareX.exe). W32Dasm may take several minutes to disassemble the file.

When W32Dasm finishes disassembling the file it will display unrecognizable text; this is what we want. Click on the String Data References button. Scroll through the String Data Items until you find SoftwareX’s error message. When you locate it, double click the error message and then close the window to return to the Win32Dasm text. You will notice that you have been moved somewhere within the SoftwareX’s check routine; this is where the error message in generated.

Now comes the difficult part, so be careful. To crack SoftwareX’s protection you must know the @offset of every call and jump command. Write down every call and jump @offset number that you see (You have to be sure, that the OPBAR change its used color to green). You need the number behind the @offset without the “h.”

Now open HIEW, locate SoftwareX’s executable, and press the F4 key. At this point a popup window will appear with 3 options: Text, Hex, and Decode. Click on “Decode” to see a list of numbers. Now press the F5 key and enter the number that was extracted using Win32Dasm. After you have entered the number you will be taken to SoftwareX’s check routine within HIEW.

To continue you must understand this paragraph. If the command that you are taken to is E92BF9BF74, for example, it means that the command equals 5 bytes. Every 2 digits equal one byte: E9-2B-F9-BF-74 => 10 digits => 5 bytes. If you understood this then you can continue.

Press F3 (Edit), this will allow you to edit the 10 digits. Replace the 5 bytes with the digits 90. In other words, E92BF9BF74 will become 9090909090 (90-90-90-90-90). After you complete this step press the F10 key to exit.

Congratulations! You just cracked SoftwareX!

Don’t panic if SoftwareX will not run after you finished cracking it. It only means that something was done incorrectly, or perhaps SoftwareX’s protection technology has been improved or created after this tutorial. Simply reinstall SoftwareX and start over. If you’re sure that you completed all steps correctly and the program still will not run, then tough nuts. Their protection was developed after the writing of this tutorial.

Apr 14, 2010

USB Cable Types



Developed by Intel, the Universal Serial Bus (USB) is a specification for enabling communication between various electronic devices and a host controller. The primary concept behind inventing USB was to replace all various serial ports with a standard connecting port. Through USB, various external devices can be connected to a computer like keyboards, mouse, flash drives, printers and other digital media devices. Since its inception, USB has become extremely popular and a standard connection technique used by most pTeople. Other than connecting external devices to computers, USB is also used as a power chord between an adapter and a device. The USB has a standard design which is followed across all major electronics and computer industries.

USB cables consist of only plugs while devices have receptacles to insert the plugs. The cables have a maximum length of 5 meters as data transferring is not possible with longer cables. Host systems have type-a receptacles and if at all devices have receptacles, then are of type-b. Normally, a USB cable has a USB type-a plug on one end, and a USB type-b plug on the other. However, there are different USB cable types differing on the plugs and receptacles, as described further. Read more on USB connector - USB cable.

Types of USB Cable

When the first USB cable was first created, it had only the standard type-a and type-b plugs as well as receptacles. After the USB 2.0 was invented, it came with additional mini type-b plugs and receptacles. Type-a connectors are flat and rectangular in shape, and plug into downstream ports on the host system. These types are mostly found on devices which have a USB connector permanently fixed on them. Type-b connectors are square and beveled at corners and are plugged into upstream sockets. These connectors are used when devices need to be plugged in at one end of the cable. Smaller devices like PDAs or digital cameras come with mini type-a or mini type-b connectors. Recently, a micro-USB connector was launched and used in latest mobile phones and PDAs. A more detailed information on various USB cable types in given below.

USB Cable Type a to Type a
This cable is used to connect two host devices or hubs with each other. Both USB devices need to have the type-a connector. The cable is a passive one and can be useful for connecting scanners, printers or hubs with the host system, generally a computer. However, this cable is not useful for connecting two computers via USB.

USB Cable Type a to Type b
This is the most common of all USB cable types and connects any standard peripheral device to a host system. The flattened connector is the type-a connector which is plugged into downstream sockets on the host system. The type-b connector is square in shape and its corners are beveled. It is plugged into upstream sockets on devices.

USB Cable Type a to Mini b
This cable is used to connect smaller devices like mobile phones and digital cameras to a computer. The type-a connector is flat and rectangular in shape and is connected into downstream ports on the host system. The mini-b connector is small, a little bit square and is plugged into upstream sockets present on certain devices like digital cameras and cell phones. It should be noted that not all small devices can be connected using this USB cable type, and is therefore essential to go through user manuals of digital and video cameras to know their compatibility.

USB Type a to Mini b (4 pin)
This is the latest addition to the USB and is exclusively used to connect Sony devices to a host system. It has a flat-headed, rectangular shaped type-a connector at one end and a mini type-b connector which is small and a little square in shape at the other end. Sony video cameras and digital cameras use this cable along with very few other leading brands. Check the manual before purchasing this cable.

USB Cable Type b to Type b
This cable has type b connectors on both of its ends. One end has a bracket assembly which can be screwed on to a wall plate, while the end end has the usual type-b connector. This type of USB cable is used mostly by AV installers, since it helps in connecting a laptop to a separate wall plate instead of connecting it directly to a white-board.

Of late, wireless USB has become popular among users as it provides more power efficiency. However, USB cables are still very much in use as people trust a wire to provide assured connectivity. Knowing the various USB cable types will surely help while purchasing a new one.
By Suketu Mehta

Apr 8, 2010

Taking a Screenshot



Want to save contents on your screen as it is for future use? Read the article and learn about taking a screenshot in Windows as well as Mac operating systems.

Screenshot is screen capture wherein you can create and save an exact image of the way the screen is appearing to you. A lot of people often wonder how do you print screen or take a screenshot, as there are numerous applications of this knowledge. Certain websites these days have restrictions on selecting and copying content or saving pictures from the web page to your computer. You can play smart by taking a screenshot and then cropping out the undesired part. Gamers, who have the urge to showcase their skills through a high score they have achieved or reached a particularly difficult level, can easily do so by taking a screenshot. In case you are having some trouble with your computer, you can grab a screenshot and email it to a person to show him the exact problem and ask for its solution. It is therefore handy learning how to take a screenshot, which can be done following simple instructions given below.

Taking a Screenshot on Windows

Taking a screenshot on a PC is much easier if you are using Windows Vista, as it has a specifically designed application for the same. But for people using Windows XP or any lower version, need to use the traditional 'print-screen' method. Details on the same are discussed below.

Taking a Screenshot in Windows XP
  • Go to the page of which you want a screenshot of, and press the 'Prt Scrn' button on your keyboard. This button is next in line after the function keys.
  • Click Start → All Programs → Accessories → Paint. This will open the Microsoft Paint window.
  • When the paint window opens, click on the 'Edit' option on the menu bar, and select 'paste', or hold the 'ctrl' and V keys together. The screenshot will be pasted in the paint window and you can crop, resize and adjust the image as per your need.
  • Next, go to the 'File' option on the menu bar and click on the 'save as' option. A widow will pop up after this in which you need to change the 'Save as Type' option to JPG, JPEG or PNG , as per your requirement. Type an appropriate name for your file in the 'File Name' space provided in the window and from the options appearing in the left hand corner of the window, select the location where you wish to save you file.
  • Your screenshot is captured and successfully saved on your computer.
Taking a Screenshot on Vista
  • There is a specifically designed toll for taking a screenshot, called the snipping tool, present in all versions of Windows Vista except the home basic version.
  • Arrive on the page of which you want to take a screenshot. To take capture the screenshot, you will first have to open the snipping tool. Click on the start button menu type 'snip' in the search tab which appears on the left hand bottom region of the menu. Click on the snipping tool icon which will appear in the menu.
  • As the snipping tool window opens, your screen will get covered in a white color mask. Click on the 'new' option present on the menu bar and you will see four options appearing in the drop-down list - full screen snip, window snip, free-form snip and rectangular snip.
  • Select the option which best suits your requirement. The free-form snip mode lets you to manually draw and select the area of which you want the screenshot of, the full-screen mode selects the entire screen, while the window snip mode tool can select a particular window for your snapshot.
  • After selecting the option and snipping your image, it will automatically get copied within the snipping tool and also to the windows clipboard, for your further use.
How to Take a Screenshot on a Mac

For people using a Mac operating system, can learn how to take a screenshot on a Mac following instructions given below.
  • Command+Shift+3
    This command will automatically capture and save a screenshot of the entire screen as you see it, on your desktop in a PNG format.
  • Command+Ctrl+Shift+3
    This command does the same function as the previous one, except that the screenshot you take will go to your clipboard and you can use it immediately.
  • Command+Shift+4
    This command helps you to capture only a certain portion of your screen. When you press these keys together, a cross -hair cursor will appear on the screen which you can use to select the required screenshot area. After you release the mouse button, a PNG file of your screenshot will be saved on your desktop.
  • Command+Shift+4+Ctrl
    This command only has a minor variation from the above command, which allows you to use the screenshot right away, by saving it on the clipboard instead of your desktop.
Having the knowledge about taking a screenshot will surely be useful in many ways, especially when you need to preserve contents of your screen for further use.
By Suketu Mehta (Source)

Apr 5, 2010

Computer Screen Goes Black


When your computer screen goes black randomly, you are left helpless as nothing is visible on your monitor screen. This, for most, is a reason for panic as you may not know where to start the troubleshooting process. Like most other computer monitor problems, here too the main reason is either with the video card or the power supply to the monitor. Sometimes, your computer screen could also go black during start up even before it boots. Before you rush to a qualified technician, follow instructions given below to find out the possible cause and if you are lucky, you can solve the problem yourself at home too.

Reasons Why Computer Screen Goes Black

Moisture
The most common reason why your computer screen goes black is moisture. Whenever the computer monitor is put in a humid environment, water tends to condense and collect on the insides of the monitor. Due to this the computer screen goes black and absolutely nothing is visible on it. A good way to solve this problem is by leaving the monitor alone for a while, so that any moisture accumulated evaporates.

Defective Graphics Card
Another common reason for you computer screen to go black is a defective graphic or video card. A good way to figure this out is by connecting a new monitor to the CPU, and checking if the problem still persists. If the screen stops appearing black, then the problem is something else; and if the screen does continue appearing black, then you need to repair or replace your graphics card.

Defective RAM
Though not very common, there is a possibility your computer screen goes black after startup due to a faulty RAM. Bad RAM modules can prevent the computer from booting properly, even through the basic BIOS setup. It is extremely difficult to detect this problems as you might have to install the RAM in another computer and then check.

Lack of Tight Connections
Loose connections are another reason why your computer screen could go black. Check both, the connection from the monitor to the main power supply and the connection between the video card and your monitor. Ensure these connections are tight and proper before you go on checking other parts of the computer.

Motherboard Short Circuit
A short circuit in the computer motherboard could also cause the monitor screen to go black. This is the worst possible reason as the only choice left with you is to replace your motherboard with a new one altogether. Even though chances are less, there is a possibility this could happen. A good way to prevent this problem would be ensuring all connections on the motherboard are proper and tight, without any loose ends.

What to do When Your Computer Screen Goes Black on Startup?

Check For Bleeps
The first thing you must do when your computer screen goes black on startup after booting, is to hear the bleeping sound it makes. In case you hear only a single short bleep, proceed to the next step. But if you hear a long bleep or multiple bleeping sounds, it is an indications of a major problem and the best thing to do is to get your computer check from a technically qualified person.

Examine Monitor Cables
Since a loose connection of monitor cables can be the cause of the problem, check the connections. The power connection as well as the video card connection should be secured and firm.

Examine All Enhancement Cards
The video card and all other graphic cards should be firmly fixed in their respective slots. Check all these connections on the motherboard by opening up the CPU case and secure them if necessary. Although the video card is the one you are concerned with, any other ill-fitted graphic or sound cards can also be the reason why your computer screen goes black on startup.

Examine Power Supply Connections
This is the last thing you need to check. All power supply connections of the computer including the CPU, the monitor and other external devices must be tightly connected and secured.
If your computer screen goes black even after trying out the troubleshooting instructions given above, then it is time you get your machine checked from a qualified technician. It could be a major problem and a proper, prompt repair will prevent it from aggravating further.

Apr 1, 2010

Mouse Not Working


The mouse, or should we call the hands of your computer! Without this little equipment your computer is rendered helpless to be worked upon, well, unless of course, you are very savvy with keyboard shortcuts. However, you would agree that using the keyboard as a substitute for the 'easy-to-use' mouse gets tedious and not something which you would like to do every time. Moreover not everything that needs to be executed using the mouse, can be done using the keyboard. So, this leaves us with one basic inference that the mouse is one of the most vital peripherals of a computer. Sometimes, this important part of your computer may get 'ill' or suffer from different physical problems and when it does, it suffers from a condition known as 'mouse not working', as we have mentioned above. So what could be done to help the computer mouse recover and get back to its normal function. Here's what you should know and do...

Mouse Not Working Properly

Knowing why mouse stops working and correcting the errors may provide you with the solution for the problem. So here are some common possibilities which can cause a mouse to stop working.

The most common problem which can cause the ailment of 'mouse not working' is a loose connection or connection to the wrong port of the CPU. If it is so, then detach the cord of the mouse and plug it in. If you are using a PS/2 style mouse, then you might require to restart your computer after unplugging and plugging the mouse cord. If its a USB mouse, then you need not do the same. If the wire of the mouse is twisted, bent or damaged in any way, then even in this case it might not function.

Another method of diagnosing the problem of 'mouse not working' is to try using a different mouse in the PC. Similarly, try your mouse in a different PC and see if it works. Most of the times, people accidentally connect the cord of the mouse to the port of the keyboard. But in this case, it is easy to identify the error as even the keyboard will not function.

One more among the common causes which make the mouse cease to function arises due to some problems with the serial port, when you are using a serial mouse. The 'mouse not working' problem may also arise after you get your computer system upgraded. One reason behind this may be the old cable that attached from the serial port connectors to the motherboard headers are left in place. These cables are not universal and so this implies that you might have the wrong kind installed on the motherboard.

A PS/2 style mouse uses what is known as IRQ12. In some cases, it has been found that this creates a resource conflict (when two different devices are both trying to use a system resource like an interrupt request line, DMA channel or I/O address) with another device. Using a PS/2 style mouse on a serial port also makes the mouse useless.

So, these were some of the most basic problems related to 'mouse not working' ailment of your computer. The above description goes the same even for the condition of 'mouse not working' on laptops. However, as I said these are the basic problems and there might be many more and complex ones too. So, if you are not able to cure the ailment of your mouse, then you should consider paying a visit to a doctor of computers!
By Rajib Singha

Mar 28, 2010

Online File Storage Tips for Freelancers


With the advent of the Internet and other technologies, many self-employed freelancers have the ability to work from virtually anywhere with an Internet connection. However, working solely from a laptop is not without it risks. Given their mobility, laptops are far more prone to theft than desktop PCs and debilitating viruses if you surf the web on a myriad of unsecured networks (think coffee houses and hotels). That’s why it’s important for any freelancer to select a comprehensive online file storage solution that meets their unique business needs. Here’s what you need to know to pick a solution that’s right for you:

Archiving Features - The ability to access a previous version of your data is critical; what if you accidentally write over a business-critical file or are blindsided with a damaging computer virus? Look for a service that offers point-in-time recovery features so you can roll back to the version of a file from yesterday or a week ago.

On and Offline Data Protection - When on the road, freelancers don’t always have quick and easy access to a reliable Internet connection. So opt for an online file storage service that also generates backups on your local hard drive in addition to backing up your data online. As soon as you are connected to the Internet, the two will automatically synchronize so local backups can be sent to the remote backup server. Even better, all of this is done in the background of your computer without user prompts or interfering with regular computer use.

Block-Level Data Backup - The speed of your Internet connection can become a major concern when you are forced to backup away from home so pick a solution that can minimize your overall bandwidth usage through "block-level" data duplication. This simply means that only new changes made to files since the last backup will be saved, not the entire file itself.

Minimize your Data-Loss Window - Look for a solution that helps keep your data-loss window to a minimum. If you backup just once a day, your potential data-loss window is approximately 24 hours, which for many freelancers is a lot of work that could potentially be lost. Subsequently, you may want to consider using a solution that allows backups to be made as soon as changes to a file occur.

User-Friendliness - Last but certainly not least, opt for a solution that is intuitive and easy to use; otherwise, it’s not likely you will backup if the program is cumbersome and difficult to use.

Mar 21, 2010

Computer Keeps Freezing Up


Why does my computer keep freezing up?, is a very frustrating cry from people who face this problem. Frustration or irritation rises because they could be in the middle of some important work on the computer, and suddenly the machine comes to a standstill. There is no other option left, but to restart the computer and start the work from scratch. If your computer keeps freezing up by itself, causes could be numerous. Some usual causes along with their solutions are discussed below.

Causes For Computer to Freeze Up by Itself

If your desktop computer or laptop computer keeps freezing up frequently or on any random occasion, the cause could be any of the reasons given below:

  • Some kind of virus present in the system affecting its performance
  • The computer lacks enough sources to function well
  • Issues with the computer hardware compatibility
  • System configuration is inadequate to run the program or application you are trying to run
  • When there are compatibility issues with the software you are trying to run on the computer
  • The page file might be getting stuck in the cache for a significant time
  • There is very little free memory space on the computer
Solutions to Prevent Computer From Freezing Randomly

Possible solutions you can try out if your computer keeps freezing up randomly:

Virus Check
The foremost thing you should do when your computer keeps on freezing up by itself, is to run an anti-virus application, which will help you in identifying and deleting viruses from the computer. The anti-virus software you would be running should be an updated copy and not an outdated version, as the latter won't prove effective. These updates are easily available on the manufacturer's website and can be downloaded for free. If you don't have an anti-virus software installed in your computer, use any free web-based anti-virus software available on the internet (generally not recommended).

Spyware Check
Other than computer virus, there could also be unwanted spyware or ad-ware present in the system, which could be the reason if your computer keeps freezing randomly. Hence, it is essential to run a spyware removal tool, to delete the troublesome spyware from the system. The spyware removal tool can either be downloaded for free from the net, or be bought from a local software store.

Computer Memory Check
In case the Random Access Memory (RAM) is defective, there are chances that due to this your computer keeps on freezing frequently. Run a quick memory check with the help of a relevant software from the internet. If needed, try reinstalling or replacing the RAM.

Go Through Recently Installed Items
There are chances of your computer not having the correct configuration needed to run some software or support certain hardware devices. To ensure this is not the case, uninstall and remove all recently installed software or hardware devices. Check whether you are still facing the same problem. In case your computer still keeps freezing up, it is because of a different reason. It is safe to reinstall deleted software on to the system.

Check for Excess Heating
Sometimes the fan(s) responsible for keeping the CPU cool render faulty, thereby resulting in your computer freezing randomly on its own. Dust gathers on these fans due to which their ability to keep the system cool also suffers. Try cleaning these fans or if necessary, replace them.

Check the Hard Disk
The minimum free space on the hard disk should be equal to 20% of the total available space in the C drive. In case this drive is cluttered and does not have enough free space, it could be the reason why your computer keeps freezing up for a few seconds after start up. Perform a hard disk check, by right clicking on 'My Computer' icon, and clicking - Tools → Check Disk Options → Check Now → Yes. After the computer restarts, the 'check' will run and try fixing few hard disk issues by itself. Also run the 'disk defragmenter' application, from the 'system tools' option present in the accessories menu list. This will allow you to utilize available space on the disk in the best possible manner and enhance the computer's performance. Learn how to defrag a computer.

Update Your System
At times, the computer keeps on freezing after startup, in case you are still using redundant versions of some software. Keep your operating system up-to-date by downloading and installing necessary drives from the internet. Doing this regularly will ensure optimum performance of the system and also keep a few other computer problems at bay.
There could be certain other reasons if your computer keeps freezing up frequently. In such situations, get your computer checked by an authorized repair person. The best way to prevent the problem from re-occurring, is to maintain the system. Keep updating it regularly and also keep checking for viruses now and then. Do not crowd the hard drive and keep sufficient free space by deleting unnecessary files.
By Suketu Mehta

Mar 19, 2010

Online Games, an Increasing Success


Card and skill games, children’s games and the descendants of the old board games, role-playing games and any kind of sport: in the last few years online games have flooded the market, sometimes straining the more traditional types of games.

One of the clearest evidences of this phenomenon is given by online poker, which counts an increasing number of enthusiasts all over the world, and which has changed the idea people had of this type of game: not a gamble to be played in some disreputable dive, but a pastime for all, which can be done while simply sitting on your armchair and pressing some keys of your PC. Poker is one of the strengths of the sector of online games, which in Italy counts about one million and a half players, 30 millions tournaments and 70 licensed websites.

In just one year, from 2008 to 2009, the expense of Italians in online games and sport betting has doubled, and the estimate for 2010 shows that these numbers will probably increase. It is no coincidence that, while online games and bets have increased, there has been a significant decline in the attendance at casinos: in 2009 the games in the Italian casinos have decreased by 5% with reference to 2008, meaning that the traditional methods of playing have given way to their new descendants, and that the green table has left space for the computer screen. We must also consider that poker is not the only gamble to have moved to the web: also the roulette and many other games are now available online.

Not only poker and gambles: in internet there is space for all types of games. Just think of a board game that you used to love as a child, dredge up from your past that box with worn edges containing dice, game pieces and board. It is very likely that you find the online version of the game just surfing the internet. An example? Risk, a cult game of the recent past, which has now landed on new shores, on IT shores: a big jump for a board game that was born in the fifties of an idea by French Albert Lamorisse.

Now the participants in the game do not need to meet around a table to challenge each other, they can do so online, staying at their place. Many other board games that are well-known all over the world have now an online version, for example Trivial Pursuit and Bingo, which in Italy in called "tombola". In Italy "tombola" is considered as an old game, to be played with grandparents, uncles and aunts on Christmas Eve, using beans to cover the numbers that have been brawn, but now this conception of game has definitely changed!

Poker and board games are only some examples that illustrate the phenomenon of online games, but these two examples let us clearly understand that the conception of game has changed a lot recently, becoming something virtual and computerized, which is very consistent with the time we are living in.
giochi gratis
Giochiandgiochi
By Francesca Tessarollo

Mar 17, 2010

Managing Business Processes Online


The contemporary web scenario has evolved beyond quantifiable measures and has brought along with it a revolution of online transformations that has transmuted almost every application and process into an online version. Advertising has always been at the crux of any business as without promotion of the products, return on investments would just be a figment of the entrepreneur’s imagination. E-commerce portals are a widely used application as the traditional ways of transacting have morphed. Every physical transaction that earlier required the physical presence have today changed to allow online transactions with the ease of being able to complete them on the move or from home.

Affiliate Management Systems is another domain that has gained prominence in the recent times. Online Affiliate Platforms provide an ideal incentive for users to introduce other users to portals or websites and earn rewards doing the same. This is mutually beneficial as the user gets an award or offer as an incentive and the website attracts more traffic thus increasing the business promotion opportunities. Pay Per Click advertising is an arena that involves reeling in the big bucks within a very short time frame. Such is the reach and potential of this online PPC management system that a user could earn high ROI’s within minutes of his PPC campaign going live. The user can define his advertising requirements and he pays the provider only for the number of times his link is clicked. Online PPC Management Systems find favor with an increasing number of business ventures as an easy route to earning profits and garnering response towards their products and solutions. P2P Advertising Platforms provide P2P systems for managing online advertising activities accompanied with greater control and increasing business productivity in a cost-effective manner.

Business ventures today pose potential opportunities as advertising requirements sky-rocket owing to intense rivalry to outdo competition. IT service and solutions providers have cashed in on this frenzy and developing niche expertise to cater to these dynamic needs and requirements that categorize the information technology market today.

Turtlejet is an IT service and solutions provider that specializes in providing innovative and novel advertising solutions that precisely suit the needs of the modern day elite clientele. With a technically equipped talent pool at its disposal, Turtlejet professes credible expertise in designing of Online Advertising Platform, Online PPC Management System, Online Affiliate Platforms, Affiliate Management Systems, E-Commerce Advertising Platforms, P2P Advertising Platforms. With the requisite skills to incorporate photo advertising, video advertising and pod cast advertising as the various forms of advertising, Turtlejet efficiently satisfies every dynamic requirement that comes its way.

With sufficient proof to its credibility towards designing and developing solutions, Turtlejet has developed applications that offer comprehensive features to link PPC accounts to Google, Yahoo, MSN, Ask Jeeves and other search engines and enable bid automation and ROI automation. Thus Turtlejet proves to be the ideal solution to all your online advertising needs.

Turtlejet is a social network development and online advertising solution for building ecommerce, P2P Advertising Platform with affiliate management system, web based media applications development, Online PPC Management System, etc.
By Muzaffar Sangre

Mar 16, 2010

Intalling PHP (Part Final)


Error Reporting Directives

To diagnose bugs in your code, you should enable the directive that allows error
messages to be written to the browser. This is on by default:
display_errors = On
You can also set the level of error reporting. We will cover the options available for
the error_reporting directive in more depth in Hour 22. For now, however, you
should set this to the following:
error_reporting = E_ALL & ~ E_NOTICE
This will report all errors but not notices that warn about potential problems with
your code. Notices can interfere with some PHP techniques. This setting is the
default.
Variable Directives
PHP makes certain variables available to you as a result of a GET request, a POST
request, or a cookie. You can influence this in the php.ini file.
The track_vars directive creates associative arrays containing elements generated
as a result of an HTTP request. This is allowed by default:
track_vars = On
The register_globals directive determines whether values resulting from an HTTP
request should be made available as global variables. Many scripts in this book will
require the following setting to be enabled:
register_globals = On

Help!


Help is always at hand on the Internet, particularly for problems concerning open
source software. Wait a moment before you hit the send button, however. No
matter how intractable your installation, configuration, or programming problem
might seem, chances are you are not alone. Someone will have already answered
your question.
When you hit a brick wall, your first recourse should be to the official PHP site at
, particularly the annotated manual at
.
If you still can't find your answer, don't forget that the PHP site is searchable. The
advice you are seeking may be lurking in a press release or a Frequently Asked
Questions file. Another excellent and searchable resource is the PHP Knowledge
Base at .
Still no luck? You can find links to searchable mailing list archives at
. These archives represent a huge
information resource with contributions from many of the great and the good in the
PHP community. Spend some time trying out a few keyword combinations.
If you are still convinced that your problem has not been addressed, you may well
be doing the PHP community a service by exposing it.
You can join the PHP mailing lists at .
Although these lists are often high volume, you can learn a lot from them. If you are
serious about PHP scripting, you should certainly subscribe at least to a digest list .
Once subscribed to the list that matches your concerns, you might consider posting
your problem.
When you post a question it is often a good idea to include as much information as
possible (without writing a novel). The following items often are pertinent:
Your operating system
The version of PHP you are running or installing
The configure options you chose
Any output from the configure or make commands that preceded an installation
failure
A reasonably complete example of the code that is causing you problems
Why all these cautions about posting a question to a mailing list? First, developing
research skills will stand you in good stead. A good researcher can generally solve a
problem quickly and efficiently. Asking a naive question of a technical list often
involves a wait rewarded only by a message or two referring you to the archives
where you should have begun your search for answers.
Second, remember that a mailing list is not analogous to a technical support call
center. No one is paid to answer your questions. Despite this, you have access to an
impressive resource of talent and knowledge, including that of some of the creators
of PHP itself. A good question and its answer will be archived to help other coders.
Asking a question that has been answered several times just adds more noise.
Having said this, don't be afraid to post a problem to the list. PHP developers are a
civilized and helpful breed, and by bringing a problem to the attention of the
community, you might be helping others to solve the same problem.

Summary

PHP4 is open source software. It is also open in the sense that it does not demand
that you use a particular server, operating system, or database.
In this hour, you learned where to locate PHP and other open source software that
can help you host and serve Web sites. You learned how to compile PHP as an
Apache module on Linux. If you download a PHP binary for another platform, your
distribution will contain step-by-step instructions. You learned some of the
configure options that can change the features that your binary will support. You
learned about php.ini and some of the directive it contains. Finally, you learned
about sources of support. You should now be ready to come to grips with the
language itself.

Q&A


Q You have covered an installation for Linux and Apache. Does that mean
that this book will not apply to my server and operating system?
A No, one of PHP's great strengths is that it runs on multiple platforms. If you are
having trouble installing PHP to work on your operating system or with your server,
don't forget to read the files that come with your PHP distribution. You should find
comprehensive step-by-step instructions for installation. If you are still having
problems, review the "Help!" section earlier in this hour. The online resources
mentioned there will almost certainly contain the answers you need.
Workshop
The Workshop provides quiz questions to help you solidify your understanding of the
material covered. Try to understand the quiz answers before continuing to the next
hour's lesson. Quiz answers are provided in Appendix A.

Quiz


Where can you find the PHP online manual?
From a UNIX operating system, how would you get help on configuration options
(the options that you pass to the configure script in your PHP distribution)?
What is Apache's configuration file typically called?
What line should you add to the Apache configuration file to ensure that the .php
extension is recognized?
What is PHP's configuration file called?
Activity
Install PHP on your system. If it is already in place, review your php.ini file and
check your configuration.

Intalling PHP (Part 4)


Configuring Apache

After you have compiled PHP and Apache, you should check Apache's configuration
file, httpd.conf, which you will find in a directory called conf in the Apache install
directory. Add the following lines to this file:AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps
This ensures that the PHP interpreter will parse files that end with the .php
extension. Any files with the .phps extension will be output as PHP source. That is,
the source code will be converted to HTML and color-coded. This can be useful for
debugging your scripts.
If you want to offer to your users PHP pages with extensions more familiar to them,
you can choose any extension you want. You can even ensure that files with
the .html extension are treated as PHP files with the following:

AddType application/x-httpd-php .html

Note that treating files with the .html extension as PHP scripts could slow down your
site, because every page with this extension will be parsed by the PHP interpreter
before it is served to the user.
If PHP has been preinstalled and you have no access to the Apache configuration
files, you may be able to change the extensions that will determine which files will
be treated as PHP executables by including an AddType directive in a file
called .htaccess. After you have created this file, the directive will affect the
enclosing directory, as well as any subdirectories. This technique will only work if
the AllowOverride directive for the enclosing directory is set to either FileInfo or All.
Although the filename .htaccess is the default for an access control file, it may have
been changed. Check the AccessFileName directive in httpd.conf to find out. Even if
you don't have root access, you should be able to read the Apache configuration
files.
An .htaccess file can be an excellent way of customizing your server space if you do
not have access to the root account. An additional way of controlling the behavior of
PHP, even as a non-root user, is the php.ini file.
php.ini

After you have compiled or installed PHP, you can still change its behavior with a file
called php.ini. On UNIX systems, the default location for this file is /usr/local/lib;
on a Windows system, the default location is the Windows directory. A php.ini file
in the current working directory will override one in the default location, so you can
change the behavior of PHP on a per-directory basis.
You should find a sample php.ini file in your distribution directory, which contains
factory settings. Factory settings will be used if no php.ini file is used.
The default settings should be adequate for most of the examples in this book,
although you can read about some amendments you might like to make in Hour 22,
"Debugging."
Directives in the php.ini file take the form of a directive and a value separated by an
equals sign. Whitespace is ignored.
If PHP has been preinstalled on your system, you might want to check some of the
settings in php.ini. Remember, if you are not allowed to alter this document, you
can create one in your script's directory that can override the default. You can also
set an environmental variable PHPRC that designates a php.ini file.
You can change your php.ini settings at any time, though if you are running PHP as
an Apache module, you should restart the server for the changes to take effect.

short_open_tag


The short_open_tag directive determines whether you can begin a block of PHP
code with the symbols . If this has been disabled, you will see
one of the following:
short_open_tag = Off
short_open_tag = False
short_open_tag = No
To enable the directive you can use one of the following:
short_open_tag = On
short_open_tag = True
short_open_tag = Yes
You can read more about PHP open and close tags in Hour 3, "A First Script."


Mar 15, 2010

Installing PHP (Part 3)


Some configure Options

When we ran the configure script, we included some command-line arguments
that determined the features that the PHP interpreter will include. The configure
script itself gives you a list of available options. From the PHP distribution directory
type the following:
./configure --help
The list produced is long, so you may want to add it to a file for reading at leisure:
./configure --help > configoptions.txt
Although the output from this command is very descriptive, we will look at a few
useful options— especially those that might be needed to follow this book.
--enable-track-vars
This option automatically populates associative arrays with values submitted as part
of GET, POST requests or provided in a cookie. You can read more about arrays in
Hour 7, "Arrays," and about HTTP requests in Hour 13, "Beyond the Box." It is a
good idea to include this option when running configure.
--with-gd
--with-gd enables support for the GD library, which, if installed on your system,
allows you to create dynamic GIF or PNG images from your scripts. You can read
more about creating dynamic images in Hour 14, "Working with Dynamic Images."
You can optionally specify a path to your GD library's install directory:
--with-gd=/path/to/dir

--with-mysql
--with-mysql enables support for the MySQL database. If your system has MySQL
installed in a directory other than the default location, you should specify a path:
--with-mysql=/path/to/dir
As you know, PHP provides support for other databases. Table 2.1 lists some of
them and the configure options you will need to use them.

Some Database configure Options


Database configure Option Adabas D --with-adabas
FilePro --with-filepro

msql --with-msql

informix --with-informix

iODBC --with-iodbc

OpenLink
--with-openlink
ODBC

Oracle --with-oracle
PostgreSQL --with-pgsql

Solid --with-solid

Sybase --with-sybase

Sybase-CT --with-sybase-ct

Velocis --with-velocis

LDAP --with-ldap



Mar 14, 2010

Installing PHP (Part 2)


Where to Find PHP and More

You can find PHP4 at . PHP4 is open source software, which
means that you won't need your credit card handy when you download it.
The PHP WebSite is an excellent resource for PHP coders. The entire manual can be
read online at , complete with helpful annotations
from other PHP coders. You can also download the manual in several formats.

Installing PHP4 for Linux and Apache


In this section, we will look at one way of installing PHP4 with Apache on Linux. The
process is more or less the same for any UNIX operating system. You might be able
to find prebuilt versions of PHP for your system, which are simple to install.
Compiling PHP, though, gives you greater control over the features built in to your
binary.
Before you install you should make sure that you are logged into your system as the
root user. If you are not allowed access to your system's root account, you may
need to ask your system administrator to install PHP for you.
There are two ways of compiling an Apache PHP module. You can either recompile
Apache, statically linking PHP into it, or you can compile PHP as a Dynamic Shared
Object (DSO). If your version of Apache was compiled with DSO support, it will be
capable of supporting new modules without the need for recompiling the server.

This method is the easiest way to get PHP up and running, and it is the one we will
look at in this section.
In order to test that Apache supports DSOs you should launch the Apache binary
(httpd) with the -l argument.
/www/bin/httpd -l
You should see a list of modules. If you see
mod_so.c
among them, you should be able to proceed; otherwise, you may need to recompile
Apache. The Apache distribution contains full instructions for this.
If you have not already done so, you will need to download the latest distribution of
PHP4. Your distribution will be archived as a tar file and compressed with gzip, so
you will need to unpack it:
tar -xvzf php-4.0.tar.gz
After your distribution is unpacked, you should move to the PHP4 distribution
directory:
cd ../php-4.0
Within your distribution directory you will find a script called configure. This accepts
arguments that will control the features that PHP will support. For this example, we
will include some useful command line arguments, although you might want to
specify arguments of your own. We will discuss some of the configure options
available to you later in the hour.
./configure --enable-track-vars \
--with-gd \
--with-mysql \
--with-apxs=/www/bin/apxs
The path you assign to the --with-apxs argument is likely to be different on your
system. It is possible that you will find apxs in the same directory as your Apache
executable.
After the configure script has run, you can run the make program. You will need a C
compiler on your system to run this command successfully.
make

make install
These commands should end the process of PHP4 compilation and installation. You should now be able to configure and run Apache.

Mar 13, 2010

Installing PHP (Part 1)


Before getting started with the PHP language, you must first acquire, install, and
configure the PHP interpreter. PHP is available for a wide range of platforms and
works in conjunction with many servers.
In this hour, you will learn
Which platforms, servers, and databases are supported by PHP4
Where to find PHP and other useful open source software
One way of installing PHP on Linux
Some options that add features to your PHP binary
Some configuration directives
How to find help when things go wrong

Platforms, Servers, Databases, and PHP


PHP is truly cross-platform. It runs on the Windows operating system, most versions
of UNIX including Linux, and even the Macintosh. Support is provided for a range of
Web servers including Apache (itself open source and cross-platform), Microsoft
Internet Information Server, WebSite Pro, the iPlanet Web Server, and Microsoft's
Personal Web Server. The latter is useful if you want to test your scripts offline on a
Windows machine, although Apache can also be run on Windows.
You can also compile PHP as a standalone application. You can then call it from the
command line. We will concentrate on building Web applications, but
do not underestimate the power of PHP4 as a general scripting tool comparable to
Perl.
PHP is designed to integrate easily with databases. This feature is one of the factors
that make the language such a good choice for building sophisticated Web
applications. Many databases are directly supported, including Adabas D, InterBase,
we will be using a combination of Linux, Apache, and MySQL.
All these are free to download and use, and can be installed relatively easily on a PC.
You can find out more about getting Linux for your computer at
. If you want to run Linux
on a Power PC, you can find information about LinuxPPC at
.
MySQL, the database we will use in this book, can be downloaded from
. There are versions for many operating systems
including UNIX, Windows, and OS/2.
On the other hand, you can easily stick with Windows, NT, or MacOS. PHP is, after
all, a cross-platform scripting language.
Where to Find PHP and More
You can find PHP4 at . PHP4 is open source software, which
means that you won't need your credit card handy when you download it.
The PHP WebSite is an excellent resource for PHP coders. The entire manual can be
read online at , complete with helpful annotations
from other PHP coders. You can also download the manual in several formats.

Solid, dBASE, mSQL, Sybase, Empress, MySQL, Velocis, FilePro, Oracle, UNIX dbm,
Informix, and PostgreSQL. PHP also supports ODBC.

we will be using a combination of Linux, Apache, and MySQL.
All these are free to download and use, and can be installed relatively easily on a PC.
You can find out more about getting Linux for your computer at
. If you want to run Linux
on a Power PC, you can find information about LinuxPPC at
.
MySQL, the database we will use in this book, can be downloaded from
. There are versions for many operating systems
including UNIX, Windows, and OS/2.
On the other hand, you can easily stick with Windows, NT, or MacOS. PHP is, after all, a cross-platform scripting language.

Mar 12, 2010

Go for Windows 7 Installation and Enjoy Next Level of Computing


Windows 7 is the latest operating system released by Microsoft. This operating system is designed in such a way that it can sleep and resume quicker, require less memory, and can detect USB devices faster. With its remote media streaming, you can enjoy music and video saved in your home PC, even when you are not at home. You can easily share and create movies, manage open windows, connect to networks, etc. on your computer by installing Windows 7.

Features
Windows 7 consists of many new and fascinating features. With its Home Group feature, you can share your files and printers in your home network. You can access your favorite pictures, songs, websites, and documents in an instant with its jump lists. Now, you can easily compare and re size windows on your desktop with its snap feature.

You just have to download Windows Live Essentials, and you will get seven different programs, including Mail, Movie Maker, Photo Gallery, and more. Windows 7 taskbar offers you the facility to view thumbnail previews, easier-to-see icons, etc. With Windows 7, you can decorate your desktop with fun new themes, slide shows, or handy gadgets.

Usability
If you want to install Windows on your system, then you should download and run the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. This program will find out possible compatibility issues with your computer's hardware, devices, or programs that can affect installing Windows 7. Along with that, it will provide you recommendations on what to do before you upgrade to with Windows 7.

You can perform a custom installation of Windows 7 on your Windows Vista based PC, with the following steps:

STEP 1: Insert the Windows 7 installation disc into your computer. Setup would start automatically, if it does not start automatically, click on "Start" and then on "Computer". Open the Windows 7 installation disc on your DVD drive, and then double-click on setup.exe.

STEP 2: Click on Install now on the "Install Windows page".

STEP 3: On the "Get important updates for installation page", it is recommended to receive the latest updates.

STEP 4: On the "Please read the license terms page," click on "I accept the license terms", and then click Next.

STEP 5: Click on Custom, and then select "Which type of installation do you want" page.

STEP 6: Select the partition in which Windows Vista is installed, and then click on Next.

STEP 7: In the Windows.old dialog box, click on "OK".

STEP 8: Follow the instructions to complete installation of Windows 7, which include naming your computer and setting up an initial user account.

Always install Windows 7 using genuine CD. You can also take assistance from a technical organization if you are facing problems in Windows 7 installation.

Limitations
You may face problem while sharing files between Windows 7 and Windows XP systems. You can have sound problems, activation problems, etc. But before installation of Windows 7, you should move your files and settings to some another location.

Recommendation
You should install Windows 7 on your system, so that you can enjoy its new and enhanced features and can complete your tasks in less time.
Install Windows 7
Useful source of information to resolve all issue related to Microsoft Windows 7 Installation.
By John Mathew

Mar 10, 2010

Why Choose PHP?


There are some compelling reasons to work with PHP4. For many projects you will
find that the production process is significantly faster than you might expect if you
are used to working with other scripting languages. As an open source product,
PHP4 is well supported by a talented production team and a committed user
community. Furthermore, PHP can be run on all the major operating systems with
most servers.

Speed of Development


Because PHP allows you to separate HTML code from scripted elements, you will
notice a significant decrease in development time on many projects. In many
instances, you will be able to separate the coding stage of a project from the design
and build stages. Not only can this make life easier for you as a programmer, it also
can remove obstacles that stand in the way of effective and flexible design.

PHP Is Open Source

To many people, "open source" simply means free, which is, of course, a benefit in
itself. To quote from the official PHP site at http://www.php.net/:
This may sound a little foreign to all you folks coming from a non-UNIX
background, but PHP doesn't cost anything. You can use it for commercial and/or
non-commercial use all you want. You can give it to your friends, print it out and
hang it on your wall or eat it for lunch. Welcome to the world of Open Source
software! Smile, be happy, the world is good. For the full legalese, see the official
license.
Well-maintained open source projects offer users additional benefits, though. You
benefit from an accessible and committed community who offer a wealth of
experience in the subject. Chances are that any problem you encounter in your
coding can be answered swiftly and easily with a little research. If that fails, a
question sent to a mailing list can yield an intelligent, authoritative response.
You also can be sure that bugs will be addressed as they are found, and that new
features will be made available as the need is defined. You will not have to wait for
the next commercial release before taking advantage of improvements.
There is no vested interest in a particular server product or operating system. You
are free to make choices that suit your needs or those of your clients, secure that
your code will run whatever you decide.

Performance


Because of the powerful Zend engine, PHP4 compares well with ASP in benchmark
tests, beating it in some tests. Compiled PHP leaves ASP far behind.

Portability

PHP is designed to run on many operating systems and to cooperate with many
servers and databases. You can build for a UNIX environment and shift your work to
NT without a problem. You can test a project with Personal Web Server and install it
on a UNIX system running on PHP as an Apache module.

Mar 9, 2010

Unique Laptop Bags and Accessories as Tech Style


It's hard to imagine getting ready in the morning without picking up our cell phones, MP3 players, laptops and other tech gadgets. Many of us think of the things we carry on a daily basis as an expression of our personal style. The tricky thing is, while we can choose the color and design of our clothes and hats, most electronics look the same. Manufacturers continue to try and differentiate their products, but the truth of it is that many popular cell phones, for example, look identical. Next time you're walking down the street, make a game of picking a popular brand of cell phone and counting how many you see. The number of people carrying absolutely identical devices is amazing. There's no avoiding it. Technology has become part of fashion and if you want to stand apart from the others, you need to take an extra step.

So, how do you express your own tastes through your gadgets? The good news is, there are plenty of products out there that can help you stand out from the crowd. The first is the choice of devices themselves. Do you prefer devices that are small and streamlined or more square and traditional? Newer, slimmer devices are becoming more popular. Many laptop computer companies now offer flash hard drives instead of traditional mechanical drives in their laptops that can significantly reduce the size (and weight) of the computer. Some also offer the same model in different colors, although it may not be obvious at first. Ask a company representative if you're not sure.

The accessories that come along with your gadgets are also a part of your overall look. Take your headset for example. If you listen to your laptop or MP3 player through a set of headphones, then this might be one of the more obvious technology style choices that you make. Many people prefer small bud earphones today, but the larger over-the-ear headsets that first became popular in the 70s are now making a strong comeback. Bluetooth enabled devices remove the need for wires and provide a less cluttered look.

For those devices that you cannot change physically, there are many products out there to make them look a little different.Your cell phone might have several cases complete with different colors and designs that can be used to give your phone a little bit of personality. For laptops, stickers are available that fit over the lid and allow you to change the appearance of the laptop from behind and when closed. Many manufacturers now make headsets with different covers in different colors as well. One word of warning. Before applying something permanent like a sticker to your laptop, make sure that you will not want to change the appearance on a daily basis. For those that like to change the appearance of their gadgets with their outfit for that day, permanent stickers may not be the best solution.

You might also consider the software itself. Screensavers, desktop backgrounds and themes for your desktop can all be chosen to fit into an overall style or design. If you're looking for a more subtle effect, simply changing the colors some of the windows and buttons on your desktop can significantly change the look and feel of your computer. Sound effects are also something to consider. The ring tone on your cell phone and the sound theme for your computer can work to enhance the overall feel that you're trying to achieve.

The cases that you choose to carry your gadgets in are probably one of the more important considerations. While the gadgets themselves are important, if you're not using them, people may not see them. The laptop bags and phone cases that you choose can be seen wherever you go and are critical part of your overall look. For some great examples of laptop backpacks that can help enhance the look of your gadgets, check out the unique laptop bags over at Nokhoo.
By Michael Rockville

Mar 8, 2010

Technologies of the Web 1st


To a certain extent, project management is project management, regardless of the industry. As an
established discipline, project management has its eternal truths, systems that
work no matter what project you're managing. In theory, project management is portable from industry to
industry; however, project management is more than a theory, it's a practice. The project manager's
practice involves communication, problem solving, and decision making, all of which require a solid
technical grasp of the field. Even in the role of facilitator and motivator, the project manager needs
technical knowledge to earn the credibility and respect of team members.
This chapter introduces some of the basic technology underlying websites and website development. It is
meant as a jumping-off point. To those new to website development, this discussion will at least help you
become conversant in the technology and know the sorts of questions you should be asking. It will also
help you identify the gaps in your knowledge. It's up to you to bring yourself up to speed, whether through
outside reading, classes, seminars, or workshops. Project managers of websites often grow into the
position from a specialty within the development process and boast detailed technical knowledge within the
specialty. As for the specialized skills plied by others on the team, they may possess only superficial
familiarity. The systems analyst, for instance, may be an expert on the architecture of a database but may
have no understanding of what the designer has done to prepare image files that go into it.
CLIENT-SERVER SYSTEMS
The Internet is sometimes referred to as a network of networks, a grand and complex system of clients and
servers. In a world where computers and networks are ubiquitous in all sorts of organizations, the terms
client and server are bandied about regularly, but they are not always clearly understood. The operating
premise of a network is that computers are called on to perform specialized tasks.
The client requests and uses a specific service. The server provides the service. The World Wide Web, and
the Internet in general, at its essence is a series of platform-independent network protocols that enable
identification of remote machines, connections between those machines, and the transfer of files back and
forth.
INTERNET PROTOCOLS: HOW FILES TRAVEL THE INTERNET
The many clients and servers that constitute the Internet can cooperate because they speak the same
language. Beneath the many operating systems and software programs working the Internet is a lingua
franca, specifically a series of protocols. For instance, when you surf your way to a new site, your Web
browser is using HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) and a URL (uniform resource locator) to identify a file to
be retrieved. TCP (transmission control protocol) and IP (Internet protocol) route the request to the proper
server.
You can think of the protocols at work in the Internet as a series of layers . Protocols such as
FTP (file transfer protocol) or HTTP work at the application layer. TCP and IP work closely together to
create logical channels to the application layer. Messages are broken into datagrams or packets routed
across networks, then reassembled.

Mar 7, 2010

How Did PHP Evolve?


The first version of PHP was created by Rasmus Lerdorf in 1994 as a set of Web
publishing macros. These were released as the Personal Home Page Tools and later
rewritten and extended to include a package called the Form Interpreter (PHP/FI).
From a user's perspective, PHP/FI was already an attractive proposition, and its
popularity grew steadily. It also began to attract interest from the developer
community. By 1997, a team of programmers was working on the project.
The next release— PHP3— was born out of this collaborative effort. PHP3 was an
effective rewrite of PHP, with an entirely new parser created by Zeev Suraski and
Andi Gutmans, as well as differences in syntax and new features. This release
established PHP as one of the most exciting server scripting languages available,
and the growth in usage was enormous.
PHP's support for Apache and MySQL further secured its popularity. Apache is now
the most-used Web server in the world, and PHP3 can be compiled as an Apache
module. MySQL is a powerful free SQL database, and PHP provides a comprehensive
set of functions for working with it. The combination of Apache, MySQL, and PHP is
all but unbeatable.
That isn't to say that PHP is not designed to work in other environments and with
other tools. In fact, PHP supports a bewildering array of databases and servers.
The rise in popularity of PHP has coincided with a change of approach in Web
publishing. In the mid-1990s it was normal to build sites, even relatively large sites,
with hundreds of individual hard-coded HTML pages. Increasingly, though, site
publishers are harnessing the power of databases to manage their content more
effectively and to personalize their sites according to individual user preferences.
The use of databases to store content, and of a scripting language to retrieve this
data, will become further necessary as data is sent from a single source to multiple
environments, including mobile phones and PDAs, digital television, and broadband
Internet environments.
In this context, it is not surprising that a tool of PHP's sophistication and flexibility is
becoming so popular.

At the time of this writing, PHP4 is in its final beta stage and is due for release
shortly. By the time you read this book, PHP4 will be making waves!

Mar 6, 2010

Website Marketing Ideas


Alright, so the ones who have read my other articles on website marketing tips and such, would know that it is not really difficult to market your website, no matter how competitive the website marketing world may be. Nonetheless, there are always certain steps that can help you go way ahead of your peers. Most of it may be about the right attitude, however, some of it has to do with the right website marketing techniques and website marketing plans.

Website Marketing Ideas
I shall get to the concept of having the right attitude in order to market your website in some other article. In this one, let us focus on the best possible website marketing ideas. So, here goes.

Search Engine Optimization
In today's world of complete Internet savvy-ness, not everyone prefers to remember the websites that they may need. More so, it is so much easier to let google, yahoo and bing dot the dirty work of finding out what websites we may need to visit. As such, it is also imperative for websites to rank on the search engine lists. One has to remember that it is the first two or three pages of the search engine that the user may refer to. So, what makes sense would be to search engine optimize your content on the website, in order to make the search engine favor your website. This will really help increase the traffic, and the readership of your website.

Social Bookmarking
While many websites may have tried advertising via social networking sites, the arena of social bookmarking still seems to be the (relatively) unnoticed promise land. Buzzle is a website that uses social bookmarking as a method of website marketing. It helps increase the rankings on the search engines, as well as hits via the social bookmarking sites as well. As in, these websites give little snapshots and links to the relevant pages on your website. This way, the website gets visitors and traffic. More so, one does not need to rely on search engines and search engine optimization in order to get hits and traffic. Read more on social bookmarking sites.

Social Networking
Facebook and MySpace are classic examples of social networking sites that have, practically, the entire Internet savvy world on it. As such, what is to stop your website from being known all over the world if you use these websites? Have you heard of the 6 degrees of separation theory? Well, you can put it to use with the help of these social networking sites in order to market your own website. However, using social networking sites is only of any benefit if there are regular updates. Static pages are forgotten way too soon of such websites.

Online Participation
Have you ever heard of the people who participate in online forums, simply to get people to visit their website? Well, I used to think of it as a little lame, earlier. But, now I know that it works, and that it is not lame at all. So, make sure that you indulge in some relevant research and find websites that are similar to yours, go through them and participate in their forum conversation. However, make sure that you add some value to the forum while you tell people about your website as well. This way, you will develop some goodwill with the readers. Read more on website marketing strategies.

Link and Back Link
The "you scratch my back, I scratch your's" formula works wonders in the website marketing ideas sector. Find out about websites that deal with or in something that may compliment that which you deal in. Choose the ones that are reliable and trustworthy, not only to you, but to their readers as well. Next, establish contact with them and work out a way in which you both can advertise each other, on your websites. Make sure that there is good visibility and click-ability for your advertisement. This way, not only do you advertise on a very relevant website, but you also help your readers out by providing more information through the advertisement of the other website. Very good Samaritan, don't you think? Check out these website promotion ideas.

Google Adwords
I will not tire from telling my readers that complete vitality of being a part of gadgets like google adwords and google adsense. Not only do they allow a website to make quite a hearty income from clicks and advertisements, but they also help the website, to get advertised on other relevant webpages. Another thing to keep in mind is that google adwords and google adsense are very dependable and reliable to do business with. Seems like a win win situation to me.

Well well well, these were few of the most reliable websites marketing ideas. Use them and let me know how well they worked. Another word to the wise, when it comes to marketing, patience is a virtue that really helps. So, be patient and try your best. This is where I sign off!! All the best!!

Mar 5, 2010

Enter PHP


PHP (acronym for: PHP Hypertext Preprocessor), is a server-side embedded scripting language. This
means that it works within an HTML document to confer to it the capacity of generating content on
demand. You can convert your site into a web application, not just a collection of static pages with
information that may not get updated quite so often, which may be alright for a "personal" web site
(yes, we all have made such a beast), but not for one that is going to be used for business or for
education.
You may be asking "But, why PHP? There are so many other options like ASP, Cold Fusion, Perl,
Java, Python, even good old shell/awk/sed scripts?", and the answer will be: simplicity, an almost
natural way of using databases and platform independence.
And did I mention it was open source?
Of course general scripting or programming languages like Perl, Python, etc. have also platform
independence, and are open source. They are great languages, and sometimes an overkill for what you
need, like using a concrete mixer to make scrambled eggs. PHP was designed to work on the web, and
in this ambit it excels; connecting and querying a database is a simple task that can be handled in 2 or
3 lines of code. The PHP scripting engine is well optimized for the response times needed on web
applications, it can even be part of the web server itself improving the throughput even more.
If it were only a matter of improving the speed of the scripts, then PHP will be one of many solutions.
But there is more to the PHP equation than that. There is the simplicity and robustness of the language
and the scripting engine. There is the connectivity to an ever increasing number of database servers,
the shorter development cycles and the ease (encouraged by the syntaxes and constructs) of creating
modular and reusable components.
You can perform tasks as simple as creating a feedback form that sends an e-mail to the web
maintainer, to a whole database driven document management system (like Midgard,
http://www.midgard-project.org/), to helpdesk or bug tracking systems (like Keystone,
http://www.stonekeep.com/keystone.php3), to a shopping cart application (like
FishCartSQL, http://www.fni.com/fcsql/), to what would be considered "middle-ware"
packages without the need for extra languages or frameworks, and whole libraries for quick and
flexible development (PHPLIB, http://phplib.netuse.de/).
Then there is the support from a widely distributed and cooperative community, with several source
repositories (like PHP Code Exchange, http://px.sklar.com/ or Berber's WeberDev
http://www.weberdev.com/), many sites with tutorials (PHPBuilder,
http://www.phpbuilder.com/; PHPWizard, http://www.phpwizard.net/, WebMonkey,
etc.) and thriving (high volume) mailing lists.
And did I mention that it is open source?
There’s no more waiting until the next release for a feature to be added or a bug to get fixed. Just take
the source, make your modifications and there you are, instant customization and complete control. No
more guessing at whether a particular function or feature is insecure, the code does not lie. And who
TEAM FLY PRESENTS
knows, maybe your modification gets to be so popular that others may want to use it (hey! instant
fame). And you cannot beat the total price for a development environment using the combination of
Linux, Apache, MySQL and PHP, not only cheaper than other more proprietary environments, but also
more stable and robust. As Eric Raymond said "given enough eyes, all bugs are shallow".

Mar 4, 2010

What Is PHP?


The World Wide Web has changed very fast in so many ways. Sometimes it seems like yesterday that a
little known markup language with a strange name HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) was used by
some physicists to link scientific documents at a group of CERN servers. It was wondrous to read some
text somewhere in the world with just a simple program, and what is more information in the document
could magically transport you to another one with related information.
And this spread relatively quickly to other sciences. Text-only interfaces were the norm, and simplicity
of accessing information content the most important part of the equation. Text documents with a small
set of tags and a simple server setup was all you needed to inform your colleagues and share the
knowledge, independently of whether the organic chemist at the other end was using his trusty Mac, or
the theoretician was using her Unix box, or the impoverished graduate was using a second or third
hand PC running very flaky TCP/IP software.
Nowadays we expect more, much more than this. We expect a web site with lots of information, and a
good presentation, but we do not want to be distracted by a difficult interface. The information should
be easy to find, and it should be current. A clean and dynamic web site is a great asset for the user and
for the information provider. Long gone (fortunately) are the days of garish-looking web sites with
blinky thingies, lots of animated images that usually were hiding a shallow content depth. We want
information, we want it 5 minutes ago and we want it in the way we like it.
A modern web site is not just a web server; it also includes a way of storing data and querying (a SQL
database perhaps), a way of processing the requests from the user and creating documents with the
appropriate information. Many are the options open to the web developer, but not all of them as open
and general as others. We should not only consider the immediate task at hand of creating a site with
dynamic content, we need to be sure that we can still be providing the said content independently of
the changes in hardware or software technology.
We want to try and insure ourselves against future technology changes, dramatically reduce our license
costs, keep our hardware budget under control, and yet be portable to different web servers and
operating systems. We also want some assurance that we can do something about that killer bug we
just think we found in our web server or scripting environment, be able to understand (if we want to)
how the scripting works, and be able to modify the behavior of our web server or scripting host to meat
some particularly unusual need. Open source products will be your best assurance that your application
that works now in the "Super-Turbo Hexium IX" machine of today, will work in the "Nanotech Cube
Aleph" of tomorrow (I am exaggerating just a wee bit).