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Iris: Siri for Android

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Siri for Android
Iris: Siri for Android

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Iris is an anagram for Siri, the much talked about personal assistant that comes with the iPhone 4S. We’ve all heard and read about the things that Siri says, and everyone seems to be jumping into the bandwagon. Even those who are not really iPhone fans. Or maybe especially those who are not – except they jump into the anti-Siri bandwagon.

And as was to be expected, Android developers have not taken the release of Siri without wanting to show what they can do as well. Not long after the hullaballoo that surrounded the announcement of the iPhone 4S, together with Siri, an app was released in the Android Market. [Read more…] about Iris: Siri for Android

Pi Calculated to the 10 Trillionth Digit

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Pi digits
Pi 36 Digits

So you’re a pi lover, and you do not want to have anything to do with Tau Day, the proponents of which say that pi is wrong. The tau guys have gotten quite some attention, and I am pretty sure they have had new converts in the past year, but if you are not one of them, you will be impressed at the feat of two guys: Alexander Yee and Shigeru Kondo.

Alexander is computer scientist in the United States and Shigeru is a systems engineer in Japan. The two have put their heads – and resources – together to break the record in calculating the digits of pi. My initial reaction was akin to saying “What a waste of time!” After all, it is a task that will never end. On second thought, though, the idea of seeing just how far you can go is something to toy around with. Except this guys actually did it. To the 10 trillionth digit. [Read more…] about Pi Calculated to the 10 Trillionth Digit

Sexting: Most Annoying Tech Word

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Sexting
Sexting

Buzzwords crop up regularly, especially when it comes to the tech scene. This sector is in a continuous state of flux, and it is only fair to expect that the buzzwords associated with it also change. However, just because they are buzzwords doesn’t mean that everyone likes using them. Or even hearing them being used.

In a recent survey conducted by Yougov and commissioned by Computeractive ((Computeractive)), tech (or geek as termed by some, although they don’t necessarily mean the same, do they?) buzzwords were placed under the microscope. The survey asked respondents to identify the most annoying new word that has been added to dictionaries in the past year. Making that more specific, the new word has to be due to the influence of technology in daily lives. [Read more…] about Sexting: Most Annoying Tech Word

5 Tips for Using Facebook to Promote Your Business

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Facebook. We’re pretty sure this social networking platform is here to stay. The problem is that most people are mulling around, playing games and sharing pictures without any clear idea of what they want to accomplish on the site. If you’re a business owner, you should be taking advantage of your very captive audience. Facebook is currently competing with Google for top-placement in terms of search engine use. The importance of your presence in the promotion of your business is more important than ever before.

Stop Trying to Sell Stuff

Unless you have a tangible product everyone needs to have right now, stop selling on Facebook. Seriously. Use your page on Facebook to interact with your audience. No one wants to log in and see tons of spammy advertisement plugs on their wall. They want to see you sharing valuable tips and information. Use your Facebook page to build trusting relationships and the sales will eventually follow.

Run a Facebook Advertisement

Facebook advertisements work in a manner similar to Google AdWords. You can customize your advertisement, choose specific keywords, and narrow your target group down by age and/or location if you need to. You’ll pay for every click on your advertisement, based on the budget you set, and will likely see a pretty significant increase in traffic (and hopefully “likes”) within a relatively short period of time.

Interact With Your Followers

There is nothing I hate more than commenting on a business person’s page than never, ever getting a response. Why are you posting if you are not willing to interact, comment, ask or answer questions, or simply thank your followers for being around? I also hate following businesses who never update their pages. What a waste of valuable internet space. Make sure you are updating your business fan page at least once or twice per day – in addition to responding to posts made by your fans.

Offer Special Deals on Facebook

One way to thank your customers for their loyalty is by offering special discounts or promotions those following you on Facebook. Yes, we did tell you not to stop selling on Facebook just a few tips ago. This doesn’t mean you can never link to a product or promotion. It just means you should severely limit this type of promotional tactic. Consider throwing a special discount code out on your Facebook page every once in a blue moon. Your loyal customers will appreciate them and those who have not yet tried your products or services may find themselves enticed.

Checking In

Facebook has a really nifty “check in” feature. Ask your employees and business partners to check in when they arrive at work or on a job site. You can even ask your customers to check in when they arrive as well (try placing a sign on your door asking if they’ve remembered to do so). Those who are really into technology will appreciate the reminder and everyone in their network will see where they are (becoming exposed to your business name and brand).

There are tons of things you can do to promote your business on Facebook. Your main concern is to offer valuable information to your followers without spamming them or shoving blatant sales tactics down their throats. The rest will happen naturally.

About the Author: Nicolle Bronchetti loves using social networking, temp staffing service, online games, and her iPhone to keep in touch with others. She’s an avid fan of technology and can’t wait to see what Facebook’s new integration updates will bring.

Are You Protecting Your WordPress Blog?

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You’ve got locks on your front door. You latch your windows at night. You might even have a home security system. Almost every newer model car has an alarm. We can pretty safely assume you have some sort of firewall and virus protection program for your computer as well. But what about your web site? Your personal domain where you’re sharing tons of information with the rest of the internet world. Do you have security measures in place to ensure your intellectual data and property is not subject to virus or attack?

wordpress security

Make a Blog Backup

You can and quite possibly will be the victim of a web attack at some point, especially if your site suddenly becomes incredibly popular or you tend to post controversial pieces. Making a backup of your blog will ensure you can quickly and easily restore your content – after you patch your security problems, that is. Backing up your blog is as simple as installing a WordPress plugin so that your site can do the work automatically, saving the file to your desktop or even emailing it to a designated address.

Choosing Comprehensive Passwords

Let’s face it. The word “password,” your birthday, and variations of your name are not strong enough passwords – especially now. Most sites force you to create a password with an uppercase letter, lowercase letter, number, and a character now. The harder your password is to determine, the lower your odds of having someone break into your back-end. You need to make sure all of your passwords are complex, from your FTP login to your actual admin logins. If you have trouble remembering passwords, you may want to invest in a PC-based (not web-based) password storage program, like RoboForm.

Update Your WordPress Platform

This is by far one of the most important yet most overlooked aspects of blog security. WordPress regularly releases new versions of its platform. These new versions include not only enhancements to the platform itself, but to the security of your site as well. Skipping the update means you’re vulnerable to known weaknesses. Updating your WordPress platform isn’t difficult, either. You can, for the most part, allow WP to make the update automatically when you log into your site. Just make sure you have a backup before you make any changes.

WordPress Security Plugins

Don’t forget to look for specific WordPress security plugins as well. These plugins offer simple solutions for blog security – for both experienced and amateur bloggers. Examples include Stealth Login, which will change your login page’s URL; Blackhole, to fool automatic bots into moving to a special part of your page in which data will be collected for a blacklist; and WP Security Scan, which will periodically scan your WP database files and suggest corrections to any abnormalities.

These are, of course, just a handful of the things you can do to protect your blog from attack. If you’re new to using WordPress, make sure you contact a qualified web programmer to find out where your site is most vulnerable. Remember, the best offense is a good defense – even in the web world!

About the Author: Russell Ruark is a professional writer with a passion for internet security. She also enjoys writing about jobs in healthcare, medical conditions, and personal finance.

Haiku Computer Error Messages

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Windows Error

Do you like poetry? Maybe not? I have a confession to make. Poetry calms me down. When I feel stressed or something is bothering me, reading poetry usually does the trick.

Now you may not feel the same way, but I am sure that you will appreciate the effort and creativity that went into these one-of-a-kind computer error messages. They are not your usual curt and brief error messages that go straight to the point. Don’t get me wrong – there is nothing wrong with these messages, they get the job done. But with all the time I spend in front of my computer, some deviation makes for a little bit of fun. [Read more…] about Haiku Computer Error Messages