6 Tips To Best Computer Buy

Technology

6 Tips To Best Computer Buy

Buying a new computer can become a tedious task these days as many of us tend to get confused or simply don’t know how to choose the best computer from the wide range available. Here are 6 tips for best computer buy:

1. The first and logical thing to do is determine exactly where you will be using your computer from. Do you plan to use it at home, or do you travel with business often? After you answer this question you know if you want a desktop computer or a notebook.

2. The next thing to do is to determine your budget. There is a wide range of both desktop and notebook computers to choose from so they can cover any budget. Desktop computers can cost anywhere between $500 and $2000 (Note that many sites don’t list the monitor in the cost, so read carefully before clicking the checkout button), while notebooks between $800 – $2000+. Decide on how much money are you willing to spend and continue to the next step.

3. Now it’s time to determine what will you be using the computer for. Are you buying it for your kid to play video games, watch movies or do you plan to use it for work or internet surfing? Of course, you can buy a computer and use it for all of those things but for example, if you plan to use it just for business then you needn’t buy a computer with the best video card on the market.

4. Are you going to store photos, Microsoft Office documents, mp3 files, video files, etc.? You need to think about this to determine what hard drive your computer needs. If you’ll be using it to store photos and Office files then you need something in the range of 60GB but no more. If you plan to store many video and audio files then a 220GB hard drive would be more appropriate.

5. Another very important thing to consider, which many people overlook, is how often do you replace your computer? This is very important because most new computers come with a special OEM license for Microsoft software. As this license cannot be used on any other computers, if you change your computer often then it would be a waste of money to buy each end every one of them with the software and pay for it every time. If you change your computer often it would be wise to purchase a retail copy of the Microsoft software and save money.

6. Buy a ready-made computer or create your new computer by selecting all the parts yourself? In my opinion, if you’re a person who changes their computer often then buying a ready-made one is the perfect choice for you. If you don’t plan on changing the computer then it would be wise to create it yourself at a local store or even on some sites on the internet. This is because all the big computer companies use proprietary components and if you buy a ready-made one it is usually harder to upgrade later.

The Mystery behind Domain Names

The Mystery behind Domain Names

Technology

There are over 68 million.COM domains registered. That’s a lot of domain names out on the Internet that is either already taken or just parked in some obsolete spot gathering dust and all kinds of age. The most common names like loser.com. Jamesbrown.com are already taken by net investors who resell the rights to the names. Can you imagine someone having www.elvis.com? He’s just waiting on the highest bidder!

There are 900 possible combinations for two letter sequences. If you’re looking for “ET” then you just won’t find it! Even allowing for digits, again every single web address is taken. Of course, that’s ignoring the fact that.COM registrars now mandate a 3-character minimum length, so it wouldn’t be an option.

Many of the three-letter sequences are taken. Adding digits to a domain name creates a number of garbage domain entries. If you’re dying to acquire great domains and unique domain names, they’ll free up sometimes only to be auctioned off through unique domain name sales.

The longer the domain name that you choose, the more that the possibilities are that it could be available presuming that you’re willing to accept an arbitrary sequence of letters and/or digits. For example, most organizations have 4 letter acronyms (WQAM.com and AFTA.org so you may have a chance using over 4 letters to get the domain name that you want in acronym style!

Of course, many of the registered domains are ever, visited, with a huge percentage having nothing more than a “parked page” (users pay domain registrars to put up ads for themselves on these type of parked pages). There are so many combinations and back door tricks to domain name cataloging and classification until the possibilities are endless.

The rule is to obtain a domain name that closely resembles who you are about which gives you an identity and brand on the internet.

Want to make six figures? Learn to be JavaScript Developer

Technology

There are thousands of JavaScripts freely available for downloading. These range from Drop Down menus to Snow Effects, from Mouse-over Effects to Digital Real-Time Clocks.

JavaScript is useful for introducing limited animation to your web pages without the download times associated with Flash animations. Your page tracking and Google Adsense tracking also use JavaScript.

People see JavaScript programming as a new and highly paid career. Universities supply the courses because the demand is there and it’s a good way for the university to make money. As these qualified programmers come onto the jobs market, the number of programmers is going to exceed the number of vacancies and salaries will fall.

When companies can outsource their programming needs to low cost countries like India and China, they are unlikely to want very many highly paid programmers on their rolls.

If you do learn JavaScript you can earn money on one of the freelancing sites, by bidding on various projects. Be aware that you will not be able to compete on price with programmers from India or China, to compete on quality and completion times. The reputation you establish early on will stay with you for a long time, so make sure it is an impeccable one.

JavaScript does have some disadvantages. It works differently on different browsers and it increases the download time of your pages.

Against these disadvantages are its advantages. There are sites where you can download scripts for free and many sites where you can learn at least the rudiments of JavaScript programming without paying a cent.

JavaScript and other Web Anxiety

JavaScript and other Web Anxiety

Technology

I recently came across this excellent video called “Full Stack Anxiety” by Joel Califa with this related article by @FirstMark and it got me thinking about my current situation as this hybrid UI/UX designer and front-web developer.

First, a little background on my web career for context

I have been building digital deliverables for the web since 2005, and in the beginning, I struggled with HTML and CSS and was more of the Adobe Creative Suite guy using Photoshop and InDesign to design print materials. Later on, continued to traverse the Adobe Creative Suite with Flash and Dreamweaver (actually when I started using Flash and Dreamweaver they were still own by Macromedia). Built a few great portfolios in Flash and some okay websites in Dreamweaver utilizing templates.

Hit a few bumps in the road at the beginning of my career working for some not so great freelance gigs and contract jobs, but all of them a learning experience making me a better at what I choose to focus on and find my niche in the web world.

Between 2006 and 2007 I began to understand HTML and CSS and was able to build websites utilizing Photoshop, NotePad++ and your traditional shared hosting provider, uploading files via FTP.  I also was able to implement things like JavaScript and jQuery but never without reference; I could never write JavaScript from scratch as I did with HTML and CSS. There was a lot of copying and pasting happening with JavaScript.

Then I discovered WordPress, and it opened a whole other realm of opportunities for me.  I felt limitless with WordPress and still do today. But what I was finding utilizing the framework like WordPress was that I was missing out on the opportunity for what I  would consider “hardcore web programming,” for example building a PHP or JavaScript web app from scratch. And doing that hardcore web programming with all the fancy compilers and make tools you find today. For example Gulp, Grunt, WebPack LESS, and or SASS.

Also felt like I missed out on genuinely understanding JavaScript and now not having a keen understanding of JavaScript background leaves you not worthy of many UI developer jobs. Or even worst you try to take a UI developer job to learn JavaScript and all the cool new tools, but the current web-devs are a bunch of pompous, egotistical assholes. And if you don’t operate at their speed your, then you are an idiot! “Look at how fast I can use the command line.”

Sorry had to vent there, let’s get back on track.

What to focus on next for my web career?

I have held a multitude of positions everything from graphic designer to web developer to the more recently UX designer and UI engineer. To me, they are just titles. Why? Fundamentally I approach all my jobs with a similar mindset, get presented with a problem/task and do everything in your power and knowledge to solve that problem even if not knowing the proper syntax or methodology to explain it. How to explain it? Utilizing your past experiences,  online resources, and communities.

Over the years you gather the necessary and experience and knowledge to take with you for your next adventure (job/gig). But sometimes that only gets you so far. Questions I ask myself today

  • Should I niche down? – For example be purely a WordPress Developer.
  • Should I get better at JavaScript and pick up a framework like React.js? – Probably should
  • Should I focus more on product design and management? – Maybe one day I could be a product manager and not worry about coding every again.
  • Should I focus on project management? – Maybe one day I could be a project manager and never worry about coding again.
  • Do I continue to be a jack of all trades and master none? – Not likely a good idea.

Hence, you can see where the anxiety comes in to be being a web-dev hybrid purple squirrel thingy.

But thanks to the excellent video and article by Joel he does give us some impressive outlooks on what to focus on (note this our my takeaways):

Be happy with your career and what you decide to do

Currently, I am satisfied working as front-end web developer/graphic designer typically in marketing departments utilizing tools like WordPress, Photoshop, Moz, Hubspot, Google Analytics and Hootsuite to deliver compelling digital solutions and custom WordPress sites that drive leads to convert.

Where do I want to be eventually, maybe? I may see myself as a creative director, product manager or even a director of development/IT. But who knows where the road will take me. For now, I keep gathering experience and knowledge with me with each job and moving forward.

Since I feel confident in the UX design process and am proficient in Photoshop, rapid prototyping, etc. I feel like I want to focus on learning hardcore JavaScript development. Why? I think it’s imperative for me to stay relevant in the front-end web development world. Plus I feel most developers get paid more than designers in some cases*.

*Of course, this is based on industry, company, location and whole other bunch of factors. But currently I see developers getting paid more in my region and more opportunities for developers then I do designers. 

Stop being a jack of all trades and master none

So to paraphrase Joel,  “Stop chasing the trends” – You don’t have to learn the latest and greatest JavaScript framework. But be aware of those frameworks and maybe try one out but do what you are good at for now and keep learning.

So thanks Joel for putting things in perspective it helps. Until next time, Godspeed.

blockchain

The Infamous Blockchain

Technology

We have all heard about the blockchain, and most of us will associate with Bitcoin or cryptocurrency. But the blockchain is a piece of technology separate from Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. The Blockchain could be considered a web-based application and or database. But it’s best described as online, uncontrolled public ledger in non-technical terms.

According to Investopedia.com, “A blockchain is a digitized, decentralized, public ledger of all cryptocurrency transactions. Constantly growing as ‘completed’ blocks (the most recent transactions) are recorded and added to it in chronological order, it allows market participants to keep track of digital currency transactions without central recordkeeping. Each node (a computer connected to the network) gets a copy of the blockchain, which is downloaded automatically.”

The blockchain cannot be compared to another database technology in existence today. Considered to be almost revolutionary and making even some governments afraid of it.

What benefits can we expect from the blockchain?

1) The blockchain levels the playing field: From small to medium-size businesses, the blockchain can bring decentralized-technology to our fingertips. Blockchain levels the playing field, so that all voices can be heard, offerings can be marketed and creativity and innovation can flourish without government interference.

2) Economic empowerment: Blockchain enables all to do some incredible things at the click of a mouse, tax-free. We can perform transactions with blockchain for just about anything: pay bills, plan vacations, pay for an Uber ride, buy or rent movies or even order food services.

3) Careers in blockchain are fantastic: A job in a blockchain-related field can be gratifying. It can also improve your quality of economic and financial well-being. Blockchain skills are unique, and in short supply, the work is exciting and gratifying, and the financial rewards are relatively high.

4) Great futures for our children: Through blockchain, the world is literally at your children’s doorstep. Blockchain enhances the education of children. Just imagine what could happen children spent time designing or improving economics by building their cryptocurrency or used their creativity to create videos, films, music and written works and paid for that creative with a decentralized currency. The possibilities and opportunities associated with blockchain are endless.

VS Code

Found My New Text Editor for Code and It’s from Microsoft!

Technology

A Look Back at Text Editors

When I started writing “code” there was not a plethora of text editors that there are today. It started with Adobe Dreamweaver for me. Back then Dreamweaver was owned by Macromedia for those that remember, and I was even part of Macromedia User Group, learning to use Flash too. Later on it was Coda and Text Wrangler for me.

Text Editors of the Future

Then I wanted to use what all the cool kids were using Sublime Text, Brackets and or Atom. Loved the look of Sublime Text but was too frugal to want to pay for a text editor. At first I was big fan of Brackets because of its integration with Adobe Photoshop and because the first release of Atom was little slow for me. But for the last year or so I have been using Atom as performance has improved. Although now and then I finding it crashing particular on my older Macbook Pro.

Many different types of text editors mean that there are several different types of programmers. JavaScript, VisualBASIC and C++ programming are a few of the computer languages one can become schooled in; or one may become schooled in any number or combination. Many of these languages have their own specialized editors or IDE, think of Eclipse – boring!

The New Text Editor from the Future

But lately on the twitter, I have been reading and seeing about a new text editor called Visual Studio Code. And all I can think of is, “Isn’t that from Microsoft?” and “Is it just for VBScript?” – you may have had these same thoughts or not. But man, was I blown away by the first tutorial I watched with a built-in debugger that had call stacks, variables and breakpoints all right there to use. And for someone who’s biggest problem language is JavaScript this is a huge help.

Bravo Microsoft! Well done sir, keep up the good work. For now I am switching to Visual Studio Code and see how this goes.

Privacy And Security in the Age of 1984

Privacy And Security in the Age of 1984

Technology

Privilege of Privacy and Protection

The privilege of protection is a difficult issue for all on the web. No formal law exists inside the internet, and Internet clients can discover response just through the pertinent laws of their own legislature. It is your duty to guarantee the security of your site guests. You need to make a value-based or intelligent condition that ensures the protection of your clients.

Many individuals neglect to wind up distinctly online customers since they fear their own data could be abused or traded off. Data fraud, charge card extortion, rupture of individual data are among the more basic shopper concerns. As indicated by Marc Rotenberg, Executive Director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, DC, “The nonappearance of customer security assurance may in actuality be the main hindrance to the development of the web-based business.”

Trusting Security

Security is one of the main issues confronting the future accomplishment of internet business. One of your most imperative undertakings as an online business is to set up trusting associations with your site guests. Make sure to noticeably show a security approach on your site that points of interest how client data is gathered, utilized, and ensured.

Gain from the stars, in the event that you are uncertain about what your protection explanation ought to resemble. There are numerous exceptionally fruitful online organizations you can gain from. Try not to duplicate their protection proclamations, yet utilize them as learning apparatuses. In the event that there is an industry pioneer in your field, concentrate their site. There is nothing amiss with a smidgen of aggressive insight.

As you study security approaches search for regular patterns. Take notes, and make a blueprint. Make inquiries as you are composing your framework. What does their protection explanation incorporate? Where is the security explanation found? Is it simple to discover? Utilizing the insight you have accumulated amid your exploration procedure, compose your own particular protection proclamation.

Security Strategy

The body of your security strategy ought to have a few segments, for example, how basic the gathered client data is ensured, the safety efforts you take to secure the data, on the off chance that you impart that data to an outsider. Likewise, incorporate security data particular to your field. For instance, in case you’re gathering client email locations be particular about how you plan to utilize them.

Continuously incorporate the organization contact data in your security arrangement with the goal that clients can get in touch with you in the event that they have any inquiries. Ensure that a connection to your protection approach is unmistakably noticeable on your site. In any event, you ought to have a connection to the protection strategy from your landing page however it doesn’t hurt to have a connection to it from all website pages.

Bitcoin Digital Currency – How Does It Work?

Bitcoin Digital Currency – How Does It Work?

Technology

Casascius physical bitcoins

For a couple of months now those wishing to buy Casascius physical bitcoins utilizing a Mastercard or PayPal have been served on account of the online merchant Memory Dealers. The administrator of Memory Dealers, Roger Ver (@RogerVer) declared however that PayPal is once more during the time spent putting a stop to the utilization of PayPal for buying bitcoins.

Memory Dealers will keep offering bitcoins until PayPal makes a move, evidently. This implies those wishing to purchase have only a brief time to get their requests in. Casascius items accessible through Memory Dealers incorporate the 1.0 BTC Casascius physical bitcoin (both v1 and v2), the 10.0 BTC Casascius silver bitcoin (1 Troy Ounce .999 Silver Round), and more expensive offerings too.

Casascius additionally offers the greater part of the coins straightforwardly however when obtaining from their site bitcoins themselves are the main strategy for installment permitted.

Computerized money

Despite the fact that bitcoin is a computerized money typically expected for online utilize, bitcoins can be made to have a physical frame also, however, every usage has focal points and hindrances. BitBills were the main physical bitcoin presented in mid-2011 and months after the fact Casascius presented their physical coins. PrintCoins.com have additionally been offering a paper-based physical bitcoin item too. Each of the three strategies utilizes a 3D image to keep ensure the private key, however, the client must trust that the backer is straightforward and has a safe technique for assembling.

Bitcoins are anything but difficult to utilize, and now you can get them in less than an hour. Just dispatch out a money store arrange, give the drive to any branch of one of the huge banks and store money with the record points of interest to you.

At that point bitcoins, touch base in your email inbox and you can do whatever you need with them.

– No financial balance required
– No trade account required
– No bitcoin account required

Bitcoin is worldwide.

Bitcoins can be exchanged to and from anyplace with the web like email. There are shared hubs that support the bitcoin framework the whole way across the world. When somebody sends bitcoins, they are obvious to the receiver right away and can be spent inside around 15 minutes.

An Ethical Hacker

An Ethical Hacker?

Technology

Does the ethical hacker exist?

If an online company is large enough they might consider the services of a white hat hacker. Typically when you hear the word ‘hacker’ it conjures up someone who, with ill intent, searches for ways to mine your company data and destroy or replace data. However, a white hat hacker is someone who could use their abilities to harm your business, but they make the choice to help uncover security failings in your system and then assist in finding ways to protect your company from other hackers.

The reason this approach is helpful to many companies is that if they can revamp their online store to close the backdoor entrance to would be hackers then their company data can be safeguarded. Customers often experience an even greater level of trust and security in the online store resulting in improved performance in online sales and up-time.

Proper precautions for hackers

Maybe this explains why so many of the larger online businesses seem to have less downtime and experience fewer problems. Most hackers know they will have a harder time getting into these systems than smaller companies that may not have the resources to investigate every possible security leak.

That being said, it is important for any online business to make sure they take proper precautions by installing anti-virus protection, spyware removal tools, and firewall protection. This should not even be a debated position. Your customers deserve the safety that only you can provide through appropriate protective measures.

Hacker Targets

Hackers don’t always target a specific site so much as they work to create software that looks to find an entrance to your online store data and then they investigate what can be found on those sites they can infiltrate. Some hackers have said they mean no harm; they simply are curious and have found new ways of finding out information. Too often this is information they should not have access to.

The truth is some hackers consider what they do as a means of making the online environment safer for individuals and businesses. If they can disable an online store or take over a website they figure this proves what they have been saying all along – sites are not as safe online as some think. To their credit what hackers have learned has often resulted in a better way to secure websites in general, but the other, and even more important side to this security coin is that online business must remain vigilant in the safeguard of their company data.

This whole process is a bit like the progression from small town America where everyone left their doors unlocked because it just wasn’t polite to take something that didn’t belong to you to the point where alarms are tripped if someone tries to enter your home after you set the alarm. Things have changed in an online sales environment and applying strong security measures to your site is not only in your best interest but also the interest of your customers who place their trust in your ability to safeguard their data.

Tips On How To Pick A Web Hosting Company

Tips On How To Pick A Web Hosting Company

Technology

How to get a web hosting company

As any good web developer knows, a web developer is always worried about creating the best website that they can.  They work very hard with the client to decide exactly how they want their site to look, to function, and also how to make it run the most efficiently.  These are all things that people need to think about when they are creating a website, but sometimes we forget one of the most important things, how are we going to get our site on the internet?

No matter how great the website you create is, it is meaningless if you do not get it out on the internet.  So if you are going to get our website on the internet, then you can either host it on a web server yourself or get a web hosting company to host it for you.  If you are a large company that has an IT staff to set up the infrastructure to host a website, then this is probably the best idea, because you have more control over the things that happen.

However, most people that create websites do not have the money or the time to set up such an infrastructure.  These people will have to get a web hosting company to host their website.

Here are a few things to consider when you try to pick a web hosting company that is right for you:

Space – Some web hosting companies offer more space than others.  If you are going to create a large website, or you are looking to expand a lot in the near future, then the amount of space offered is very important.

Email Addresses – If your website is going to give away email addresses, or you need extra email addresses for your users, then a number of free email addresses that you are given might be very important.

Database Access – Some web hosting companies offer the ability to use a MySQL or SQL Server database to store information or authenticate against.  This can be a very important fact to help make your website more secure, or more dynamic.

For more about web hosting companies check out: http://www.reviews.com/web-hosting