Over the many passing years, WordPress has shown considerable improvement in performance, interface, effectiveness and usability. The latest version, Wordpress 2.8 code named Baker is another firm step in that direction. Named after famous vocalist Chet Baker, this 2.8 version has more than 750 bug fixes and majority of crashes fixed that were reported in the earlier version.
Checkout this video to know more.
New features of WordPress 2.8
The main features that have been introduced in WordPress 2.8 are as follows:
Theme Browser
Users can now browse, install and update themes easily by managing the entire process through the dashboard. CodePress Editor highlights the syntax that allows to manage the tweaks or edits more effectively as you can easily identify the functions that are being used.
Redesigned Widget Interface
The widget interface in WordPress 2.8 is very flexible and allows to edit widgets on the run. You can also easily move the widgets between sidebars along with creating duplicate copies of the same widget.
New Widget API
Since WordPress publishing platform is open source, the new widget API is a great extension to already provided software development kit. It is bound to make creating widgets more easier.
Advanced options
WordPress earlier allowed users to just change the arrangement of the widgets on admin dashboard. But WordPress 2.8 lets users to change the number of columns of widgets to be displayed which for now can be customized till 4 and also the number of items per page can be manipulated.
Configurable management
Every information displayed on the custom pages is not of use to everyone. WordPress 2.8 handles this concern by allowing users to decide on which information needs to displayed and what remains hidden.
WordPress 2.8 is undoubtedly faster than all the earlier versions due to change in the coding of styling and scripting. This is of course not the complete list, to have a look at all the features that have been added in WordPress 2.8 Baker, visit Codex. There is a major improvement in speed, APIs are more clean and helpful, and widget customization is more user friendly. You can download this new version from WordPress official site.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Friday, June 5, 2009
Google Squared: Is It Worth It?
Google has recently put forth a new experimental search tool "Google Squared" which is in direct competition to Wolfram Alpha, a knowledge engine. To put in simple words, Google Squared collects the information from the web and presents it in a structured form allowing the users to compare various characteristics of different items in the search.
It is a great concept because as a user I otherwise have to go through so many sites, procuring the results, evaluating them, comparing them and then reaching at conclusions. But does Google Squared really solves the problem? I conducted the test myself and got the following results:
Searching for 'handycams' strangely displays only two results and one of them is a memory stick.
Interestingly, a search like 'sony mobile phones' displays all brands including Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and even iPhone.
Although you have the facility to add new columns and new items but the search results are far from satisfactory. More so, when you put a query for which Google Squared could not gather results, it prompts you to create a square by entering 5 example items like I did for 'technology blogging' but sadly the first six results also included Business Week, a business related magazine that has nothing to do with technology.
The concept of providing structured data is intriguing but the implementation in the form of Google Squared is not impressive or inspiring as a matter of fact. At least for now, Google Squared does not have all the arsenal to dethrone Wolfram Alpha.
It is a great concept because as a user I otherwise have to go through so many sites, procuring the results, evaluating them, comparing them and then reaching at conclusions. But does Google Squared really solves the problem? I conducted the test myself and got the following results:
Searching for 'handycams' strangely displays only two results and one of them is a memory stick.
Interestingly, a search like 'sony mobile phones' displays all brands including Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and even iPhone.
Although you have the facility to add new columns and new items but the search results are far from satisfactory. More so, when you put a query for which Google Squared could not gather results, it prompts you to create a square by entering 5 example items like I did for 'technology blogging' but sadly the first six results also included Business Week, a business related magazine that has nothing to do with technology.
The concept of providing structured data is intriguing but the implementation in the form of Google Squared is not impressive or inspiring as a matter of fact. At least for now, Google Squared does not have all the arsenal to dethrone Wolfram Alpha.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Microsoft Bing On The Roll
Shakespeare once asked a famous question "To be or not to be" and in today's times, Its internet asking you a remodeled question "To Google or to Bing"? Yes, Microsoft Bing is up and running. The first step to thwart Google's monopoly in search engine field is taken by Microsoft in style in Europe with the launch of Bing.
Microsoft Bing is being promoted as "decision engine" that is aimed at helping the users in making decisions and not just displaying the most popular results. It splits the information on the basis of information mining. For example, you search for small businesses in US, the results are varied containing its government organization supporting small businesses, business advisory, solution experts and all that you need to go about it. A small pop up at the side of every link that appears on highlighting makes sure that you read the introductory content without even opening the link helping you to optimize your search results.
The difference in Microsoft Bing and its competitors like Google and Yahoo as per company's Vice president is finding the best results for the query put to the search engine. The four major areas of stress are: locating a business (local), tour planning, R&D related to particular health condition, and the crucial purchase decisions. You can visit Bing.com to have a look at the beta version.
You can checkout this video to understand why you should Bing. Microsoft Bing offers some really unique features like 'contains' search operator, RSS feeds of the search results, saving the search results and emailing them. Although it will take a little more time to get the hang of this new search engine or decision engine as the new offering is being called, but Microsoft Bing is certainly one step forward in terms of innovation and technology.
Microsoft Bing is being promoted as "decision engine" that is aimed at helping the users in making decisions and not just displaying the most popular results. It splits the information on the basis of information mining. For example, you search for small businesses in US, the results are varied containing its government organization supporting small businesses, business advisory, solution experts and all that you need to go about it. A small pop up at the side of every link that appears on highlighting makes sure that you read the introductory content without even opening the link helping you to optimize your search results.
The difference in Microsoft Bing and its competitors like Google and Yahoo as per company's Vice president is finding the best results for the query put to the search engine. The four major areas of stress are: locating a business (local), tour planning, R&D related to particular health condition, and the crucial purchase decisions. You can visit Bing.com to have a look at the beta version.
You can checkout this video to understand why you should Bing. Microsoft Bing offers some really unique features like 'contains' search operator, RSS feeds of the search results, saving the search results and emailing them. Although it will take a little more time to get the hang of this new search engine or decision engine as the new offering is being called, but Microsoft Bing is certainly one step forward in terms of innovation and technology.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Google Chrome: Browser War Getting Hot
Search engine giant Google has marked its entry in the world of web browsers, long dominated by Microsoft, with their intriguing product, Google Chrome. The browser released for public in December, 2008 is fast grabbing a major market share. This browser is very streamlined and simple in look and as well as usage.
Google Chrome really has an edge over other browsers when it comes to speed. Its fast and quick, and runs the web applications in more pronounced way. Audio, video, flash everything opens easily without you eagerly waiting for the response. Chromium, the open source project, formed the foundation of Google Chrome along with some components from Firefox and Apple's WebKit. The code is still open source so I would say it is a major contribution to move the technology forward.
From operational point of view, tabs are the major focus point of this browser. You can easily navigate among the tabs and rip them off and place on desktop in the form of new windows. The search bar comes with an autocomplete option suggesting sites as you write in the bar. You can effortlessly start using Google Chrome and easily fall into the pattern of using it.
Pros
Google Chrome really has an edge over other browsers when it comes to speed. Its fast and quick, and runs the web applications in more pronounced way. Audio, video, flash everything opens easily without you eagerly waiting for the response. Chromium, the open source project, formed the foundation of Google Chrome along with some components from Firefox and Apple's WebKit. The code is still open source so I would say it is a major contribution to move the technology forward.
From operational point of view, tabs are the major focus point of this browser. You can easily navigate among the tabs and rip them off and place on desktop in the form of new windows. The search bar comes with an autocomplete option suggesting sites as you write in the bar. You can effortlessly start using Google Chrome and easily fall into the pattern of using it.
Pros
- Easy and quick installation
- Fast speed of web browsing
- Simple interface, very easy to use
- Neat drag and drop and ripping
- Smart feature of autocomplete
Cons
- Not much options of plugins so not really helpful to widget savvy people
- Unexpected crashes on certain hardware
- Not really stable
Summary
Google Chrome is surely a worth giving a try browser. With the philosophy of Google to "launch early and then iterate", the issues of stability and plugins should soon be a thing of past. There are soon to be released versions of MAC and LINUX. The kind of support and response Google Chrome is getting from all quarters, Microsoft and of course Mozilla has every reason to worry as they have some tough competition lying ahead.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Windows 7: Ready For Release?
With rumor mills working overtime, everyone is busy guessing the release date of Windows 7. A major release from the world's top operating system giant, Windows 7 is sure making the buzz and is expected to be available for worldwide release in the next nine months. Meanwhile, it is going public in trial form from tomorrow i.e. May 5 onwards.
As told to BBC, Microsoft's UK Director John Curran admitted that Vista has certain problems with some users and it left a bad taste. Microsoft as usual listens to what people are saying and acts on it and the result is Windows 7 with "comparable system requirements" indicating that if your system is capable of running Vista, the new version will also run on it. Although not commenting on the release date, Mr. Curran mentioned that Windows 7 will be released when it will be really ready to take over in terms of quality.
Windows 7 is expected to be a front runner in terms of the stride of improvement over Windows Vista. Usability, security measures, and speed are few of the high points. The users have reported faster start up and shutdown and Mr. Curran also emphasised the commitment of Microsoft to get into complete details of operating system to deliver the best.
The public trial is on the anvil and the verdict will soon be out. With the kind of commitment and remarkable improvement Microsoft has shown at every step of the way in its products, Windows 7 release is definitely worth the wait.
As told to BBC, Microsoft's UK Director John Curran admitted that Vista has certain problems with some users and it left a bad taste. Microsoft as usual listens to what people are saying and acts on it and the result is Windows 7 with "comparable system requirements" indicating that if your system is capable of running Vista, the new version will also run on it. Although not commenting on the release date, Mr. Curran mentioned that Windows 7 will be released when it will be really ready to take over in terms of quality.
Windows 7 is expected to be a front runner in terms of the stride of improvement over Windows Vista. Usability, security measures, and speed are few of the high points. The users have reported faster start up and shutdown and Mr. Curran also emphasised the commitment of Microsoft to get into complete details of operating system to deliver the best.
The public trial is on the anvil and the verdict will soon be out. With the kind of commitment and remarkable improvement Microsoft has shown at every step of the way in its products, Windows 7 release is definitely worth the wait.
Friday, May 1, 2009
4G Phones: The Future Of Mobile Telephony
Although 3G phones like Apple iPhone 3G have not really picked up till now in India but the world is already talking about the future ahead: 4G phones. A typical smartphone is 3G or third generation based. High speed Internet, bluetooth, HSDPA, seamless voice calling are just few of the features that a 3G phone provides. Falling in the same league is G phone from Google.
To carry forward the dynamic trends of the cellular market, the experts are now talking about 4G phones that are catching everyone's imagination. We won't be able to lay our hands on this technology till late 2010 but the work is already on to provide us the lightening speed Internet access that is expected to be around whooping 140Mbps. Less power consumption and low rates are some of the talk points when it comes to 4G phones. Some are even expecting the voice calls to go free due to the use of VOIP technology.
But for 4G phones to be a reality, the path is not as rosy as it may seem. Even the 3G phones or 3G technology has not penetrated deep enough or has not been utilized to its full potential to leave the way for this new green technology. Not even half of the consumers today are using phones equipped with 3G and the trends are even more disappointing in India. 4G technology and standards are yet not clear but falling in line are WiMax, LTE and UMB.
The future of mobile telephony cannot be more brighter than this with iPhone, Blackberry trying to woo consumers and new 4G technology on the heels. But one thing is for sure, in this fast paced life, 4G phones will be the new language of the enterprising youth.
To carry forward the dynamic trends of the cellular market, the experts are now talking about 4G phones that are catching everyone's imagination. We won't be able to lay our hands on this technology till late 2010 but the work is already on to provide us the lightening speed Internet access that is expected to be around whooping 140Mbps. Less power consumption and low rates are some of the talk points when it comes to 4G phones. Some are even expecting the voice calls to go free due to the use of VOIP technology.
But for 4G phones to be a reality, the path is not as rosy as it may seem. Even the 3G phones or 3G technology has not penetrated deep enough or has not been utilized to its full potential to leave the way for this new green technology. Not even half of the consumers today are using phones equipped with 3G and the trends are even more disappointing in India. 4G technology and standards are yet not clear but falling in line are WiMax, LTE and UMB.
The future of mobile telephony cannot be more brighter than this with iPhone, Blackberry trying to woo consumers and new 4G technology on the heels. But one thing is for sure, in this fast paced life, 4G phones will be the new language of the enterprising youth.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Are Adsense Premium Publishers The Only Ones?
There are some things that money can't buy. The slogan is true is every sense of the world when it comes to Google AdSense Premium. In my previous post Google Adsense Premium, I explained how one can be an adsense premium publisher and the benefits. But there is another special group of people who are bestowed with privileges and they are part of the adsense optimization team. Again, the membership is strictly by invitation.
What prompts Google to invite publishers in adsense optimization team is a big mystery because you may search the entire web and you will not find even an iota of information. You can only wait for an invitation to pop up in your adsense account and when it does, make the most of it.
Benefits
Just like google adsense premium, adsense optimization team also provides many benefits. A personal account manager to resolve your queries is always available at your call or mail. Use of more ad units per page and even more ads per unit are only few of the advantages. You can use very creative ad formats that suit your website. You can even filter out the ads that pay you less. But unlike Google adsense premium publishers, the profit share or percentage is not negotiable. And also the premium publishers need to sign a contract with Google. Being a part of adsense optimization team is much hassle free.
If you move on to implement their suggestions, you are sure to have an improved site or blog with increasing traffic. High optimization results in superlative CTRs and hence ringing cash registers. Google sure knows how to make money and benefit the high performers with special rewards like google adsense premium and adsense optimization team.
What prompts Google to invite publishers in adsense optimization team is a big mystery because you may search the entire web and you will not find even an iota of information. You can only wait for an invitation to pop up in your adsense account and when it does, make the most of it.
Benefits
Just like google adsense premium, adsense optimization team also provides many benefits. A personal account manager to resolve your queries is always available at your call or mail. Use of more ad units per page and even more ads per unit are only few of the advantages. You can use very creative ad formats that suit your website. You can even filter out the ads that pay you less. But unlike Google adsense premium publishers, the profit share or percentage is not negotiable. And also the premium publishers need to sign a contract with Google. Being a part of adsense optimization team is much hassle free.
If you move on to implement their suggestions, you are sure to have an improved site or blog with increasing traffic. High optimization results in superlative CTRs and hence ringing cash registers. Google sure knows how to make money and benefit the high performers with special rewards like google adsense premium and adsense optimization team.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Google Adsense Premium
A little secret that Google has safeguarded for long is getting out. Most of us don't know about it and are kind of content with normal adsense program. Google Adsense Premium, an ad program by Google, is a privilege service for its premium publishers. So what do I have to do to be a premium publisher? Well nothing much, just 20 million content page views or 5 million search queries a month.
No, I am not a pessimist but 5 million content page views per month would make me as sought after as CNN or MySpace or Linkedin. There are many benefits that the Google Adsense premium publishers get as compared to the normal adsense publishers:
Well this is a case of rich getting richer but with their top class thinking and strategies. I am not a Google adsense premium publisher but this program certainly inspires me to be one. What about you!
No, I am not a pessimist but 5 million content page views per month would make me as sought after as CNN or MySpace or Linkedin. There are many benefits that the Google Adsense premium publishers get as compared to the normal adsense publishers:
- A representative from Google or account manager that guides you through setting up ads.
- Change of fonts, colors and styling as per your site or blog.
- Change of formatting of "Ads by Google" logo so that it merges with the surroundings, now that sounds interesting! And what more, they can even remove this logo preventing the ads unit from getting demarcated.
- Creating text links i.e. the direct linking to the adsense for the optimized results of search.
- Google seems to have bent rules for premium publishers with adult content. They can have Google ads that are not possible for normal adsense publishers.
- Adsense premium publishers can negotiate their share and revenue with Google.
Well this is a case of rich getting richer but with their top class thinking and strategies. I am not a Google adsense premium publisher but this program certainly inspires me to be one. What about you!
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