Site optimized for mobile and cell phone

I’ve created an optimized site for mobile, it is pretty basic but is lightning fast on any smart phone (Android, iPhone, Windows Mobile). I will invest more time on it later this week.

It detect and redirect visitors to an optimized template (pda) which only display what is worth, aka articles content.

Regular user can see how it look like by cheating #Joomla! and switching template on the fly http://www.waltercedric.com/index.php?template=pda

I did not follow this tutorial, found it too late,  but it is really complete and easy to follow. By the way, opera has a “small screen rendering” view in Opera 10, visit my site or any other and click SHIFT-F11 together.

The plugin with its template can be downloaded free of charge at #Joomla! extension directory (JED) here

 

I did test it in IE8/IE7/Opera10/Firefox/Chrome, but send me an email if you encounter any issues..

Hosts file protection

The hosts file is a computer file used by an operating system to map hostnames to IP addresses. This method is one of several methods used by an operating system to locate network nodes on a computer network. Spybot Search and Destroy is using this technique when you click on immunize button behind the scene.

Found at http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/

Use this file to prevent your computer from connecting to selected internet hosts. This is an easy and effective way to

• protect you from many types of spyware,
• reduces bandwidth use,
• blocks certain pop-up traps,
• prevents user tracking by way of “web bugs” embedded in spam,
• provides partial protection to IE from certain web-based exploits
• blocks most advertising you would otherwise be subjected to on the internet.

There is a version of this file that uses 0.0.0.0 instead of 127.0.0.1 available at http://someonewhocares.org/hosts/zero/. On some machines this may run minutely faster, however the zero version may not be compatible with all systems.

This file must be saved as a text file with no extension. (This means it that the file name should be exactly as below, without a “.txt” appended.). Let me repeat, the file should be named “hosts” NOT “hosts.txt”.

Canon EOS 7D hands-on review in video

 

  Canon 7D reviews, hands-on all in videos

Use Google Chrome in Internet explorer with Google Frame

Google Chrome Frame is an early-stage open source plug-in that seamlessly brings Google Chrome’s open web technologies and speedy #JavaScript engine to Internet Explorer. With Google Chrome Frame, you can:

• Start using open web technologies – like the HTML5 canvas tag – right away, even technologies that aren’t yet supported in Internet Explorer 6, 7, or 8.
• Take advantage of #JavaScript performance improvements to make your apps faster and more responsive.

What is even more clever is that thanks to a special embedded tags in your html body, you can propose to your visitor to install this plugin, and thus increase market share of Google chrome. That’s a direct hit at Microsoft domination plans 🙂 (we own the file format, and runtime environment)

 

Picasa 3.5 available with face recognition / easy geotagging

  Picasa is starting to be really the best free picture viewer (beside XnView for converting pictures)

This version bring 2 new highly desirable features

Add name tags – Picasa 3.5 scans all the photos in your collection, identifies the ones with faces, and groups photos with similar faces together. It’s easy to add name tags to dozens of photos at once by clicking “Add a name” below a photo and typing the person’s name. Once you’ve tagged some pictures, you can make a face collage with one click, easily find all your pictures with the same two people in them, or upload your name tags to Picasa Web Albums

Are cell phones safe?

 

Best and Worst PDAs/Smartphones sorted by radiation levels

Are cell phones safe? Many research groups around the world are working to find out. Your cell phone emits radiation to send voice and text messages from you to the other caller. Some (not all) studies of frequent cell-phone users suggest this radiation may increase risks for cancer or children’s behavior problems. Use this guide to find your phone and safer, low-radiation choices. Listing is based on phones currently available from major carriers. You can also see all available phones or all phones (current and legacy) ranked by radiation. [Source http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone]

Optimize Joomla! site

I did optimize a bit my #Joomla! homepage in the last few days. This has been achieved with

• Enabling #Joomla module caching in all 3rd party module where it was missing/ not implemented at all,
• Starting to offload some assets (JavaScript) to faster hosting,

Click read more to apply the same for your internet site.

Forum updated and migration from phpBB3 to SMF

I’ve decide to go away from phpBB3 as applying mod is a joke, it require you to patch/edit php file manually while in SMF, it is a plugin.

Migrate your forums from phpBB3 to SMF

Download the converter convert.php at http://www.simplemachines.org/community/index.php?topic=218449.0 and save it in the root folder of a new SMF installation.

Backup your SMF/phpBB3 databases and files just in case something bad happen.

The conversion tools is really powerful and support luckily a huge list of forums:

Mobile Action i-gotU GT-200E GPS Data logger review

i-gotU is a GPS Device that can record the trace of your journey, auto-add GPS information on the photos taken on your journey, present it in 3rd dimension and export in multiple sharable file formats. i-gotU not only is compatible with all digital cameras & camera phones available in the market, providing you the coolest GPS tracking gadget while saving you extra expenses on other equipments

Forewords

I was greatly surprised to be contacted by Mobile Action.I would like to thank them for having send me a free sample for that review and of course, I encourage all companies around the world to do the same ;-))

Canon 7D technical review

An interesting review by David Newton

The Canon EOS 7D SLR is the first product to emerge from an ongoing Canon research project talking to thousands of photographers around the world about their wants and needs. The 18 Megapixel EOS 7D is a versatile and customizable DSLR that blends new technologies with advanced specifications previously only seen in EOS-1 series cameras. CPN goes ‘under the hood’ of the new EOS 7D to find out how its major features can benefit photographers.

Found at Canon Professional network http://cpn.canon-europe.com/content/technical/eos7d.do

Other Canon EOS 7D reviews

• DPReview: Canon EOS 7D Preview September 2009, by Richard Butler and Lars Rehm
• Gizmondo: Canon 7D DSLR First Hands On: 18 Megapixels, 24FPS Full HD Video for $1900
• LetsGoDigital: Canon EOS 7D preview
• Canon Field Reviews: http://canonfieldreviews.com/
• dslrnewsshooter: Another night in Beijing’ Production Canon Eos7D movie
• Photography Review Samples: Sample Photos
• Rob Galbraith: http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins/multi_page.asp?cid=7-10042-10239
• SoftSailor: Canon Eos 7D Short Review
• Engadget: Video of the AF in action and 8FPS
• Gadget Venue: Canon Eos 7D Review
• Info Week Overview: Canon Eos 7D Overview
• Phillip Bloom: Using the 7D from a cinematographers point of view
• Twitter Search for 7D
• DPhoto Journal: Canon Eos 7D
• CameraDojo Podcast #65: Review/Discussion 7D and D300s
• 7D Manual: Canon EOS 7D Owner’s Manual (6.7MB PDF)
• CanonRumors.com: Minireview of 7D