I just finished reading “WordPress for Dummies” As a blogging professional and owner of several blog directories; I read as many books about blogging as I can. I had high expectations for this book because it was part of the famous “Dummies” series. I can say that this book exceeded my lofty expectations.

As the title suggests, the book is a complete guide to using the WordPress software to power your blog. WordPress had quickly become the top blogging platform and this book will walk you through everything you need to know from the first installation to the blog posting and everything else in between. What I like best about the book is how comprehensive it is. There are many books out there on this topic, but this is by far the most thorough as well as the easiest to follow.

Although this book is written for beginner bloggers, there was a lot of information that was useful for a pro blogger like me. Especially, the section that covers customizing the theme, I actually updated my blog theme after reading that section. I also found the section about the top ten plug-ins very useful as well. I was only using 8 out of the 10 and I quickly installed the other two right after I put the book down.

In closing, I would recommend this book to any blogger especially if you are brand new to blogging. I wish I would have read this book 3 years ago; it would have saved me a lot of time and headaches.

Dan Keller is the CEO of the popular Free Blog Directory and also runs a site that focuses on Blog Reviews.

Article Source: WordPress  – Book Review

The search features in this Vista Operating System are unbelievable and that is something you will definitely notice, but there are too great features in the email programs, browser and things like drawing and speech recognition, yep, all there. But, before you can use this stuff you need to learn how it all works. So, I recommend this book:

“Plain & Simple – Windows Vista” by Jerry Joyce and Marianne Moon – 2007 (an authentic Microsoft Press Book)

The sub-title of this book is very apropos; “Your Easy, Colorful, SEE-HOW Guide!” indeed, that is exactly what this book is, it’s simply fabulous, illustrated and easy to use. And, did you know that a portion of this book’s profits go to Smile Train, a non-profit group that helps with fixing cleft lips and palates.

Now then, this book has taken out the buzz-words and everything is in laymen’s terms, for people like you and I. If you are into games, making movies or working with your associates while networking; then you are going to love this operating system once you learn how to use all this stuff. Best of all the price of this book is not that expensive at all, about $22.00 is all and I must say it is totally worth it, as this one book will hyperspace your productivity almost immediately.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Blog Content Service. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance Winslow’s Bio

Article Source: The Ultimate Book on Microsoft Vista Computer Operating System – Book Review

I’ve just finished reading “Who Moved My Blackberry” by Martin Lukes with Lucy Kellaway  which is a hugely funny dig at the corporate world and electronic communication.

It shows the fallout of sending delicate emails to the wrong people, what can happen when you align yourself to the wrong side even when you suspect all is not as it should be, and the perils of letting your Blackberry get into mischievous hands. Totally unlike the book “Who Moved My Cheese” by Dr Spencer Johnson (www.amazon.co.uk – oe3.99), which could do with falling into more hands!

I know there’s lots of negativity around communicating by email but I love it. I haven’t got a Blackberry but I do have wireless internet so I can do all my emails in bed if the fancy takes me – yes, OK, sometimes it does! As I see it, it’s all about how you use it. It’s great for setting up meetings, keeping in touch with people when you haven’t always got time to phone, or even making arrangements for a verbal chat.

I think the negative publicity kicks in when it’s used as a distraction. It can aid procrastination and stop you from making decisions. It can help you put off jobs that you should be dealing with. It can become an obsession when you can’t stop checking your email to see if you have new messages, or it can make you feel driven as you feel you can’t switch off from it.

Like many people, I use email to aid my business but have become a bit obsessed with it on occasions instead of sorting out the real issue. When you realise how much time can be wasted without achieving anything it’s quite a shock, and time to take stock.

Only checking emails at certain times, having a “must do” list of other things, and adopting a more relaxed attitude to it are all strategies that are good for keeping it under control. After all, if someone wants to contact you in a hurry, they’ll use the phone.

Oh, and maybe not taking your laptop and/or Blackberry to bed with you is also a good strategy!

Dammit! I’m still saying maybe -

Pam Stokes is a Business & Personal Development Coach. Besides coaching, she provides interactive online programmes for busy people, supervises newly qualified and trainee coaches, runs workshops in stress management and a Diploma Course in NLP. Free downloads www.pamstokesassociates.co.uk

Article Source: Who Moved My Blackberry

Are you looking for a computer book to improve your computer programming skills or general IT knowledge?

A distinguishing mark of professionals is that they keep up-to-date with the newest ideas, techniques and developments in their field. If you are a computer professional you should read every computer book and computer Ebook which can help you to improve your computer skills.

You can find good Computer Books and eBooks on the Internet. Some of them can be purchased online, whereas other ones are free and can be easily downloaded.

Purchasing Computer Books

There are many online Book stores, which sell Computer Books and Computer Ebooks and the most famous one is surely Amazon. They have search facilities which allow to find what you are looking for in a way that is surely easier and faster than searching in a main street bookstore.

You can select a category from a menu (e.g. Databases, Programming, Linux and Unix, AS/400) or use the search facilities to find Books or Software in your area of interest.

If you browse some computer book among the possible choices, you will normally find a good product description which often includes the table of contents and, in many cases, you will find also reviews submitted by people who have read the book. Often there is also an average customer review which can be useful to decide if the purchase is worthwhile.

If you decide to buy, you can easily add your choices to a shopping cart and pay online by using a Credit or Debit Card. The Books are usually delivered from the Online Bookstore pretty fast.

Free Programming E-Books

There are many good Computer Ebooks, often published in PDF format, with plenty of useful information.

Some of them are free downloadable Ebooks whereas other ones (especially computer tutorials) can read online.

Computer manufacturers, such as IBM, often allow to access an online library of their technical documentation and often provide good computer tutorials (visit for example the site Developer Works ).

An author which offers online many free downloadable ebooks is Bruce Eckel. His company provides public and private training and consulting services and he has decided to offer the FREE downloadable Ebook version of many good Programming books, which are also sold in Book stores in the printed format.

Bruce Eckel has published over 150 articles and several computer books such as Thinking in Java (Prentice-Hall, 1998, 2nd Edition, 2000), the Hands-On Java Seminar CD ROM (available on his Mind View site and enclosed to the previous book), Thinking in C >/b> (PH 1995; 2nd edition 2000), C Inside & Out (Osborne/McGraw-Hill 1993), among others.

He’s given hundreds of presentations throughout the world, published over 150 articles in numerous magazines, was a founding member of the ANSI/ISO C committee, speaks regularly at conferences and is the C and Java track chair for the Software Development conference. He provides public and private seminars and design consulting in C , Java and Python.

His books can be purchased in Book stores, but previous versions can also be easily downloaded as Ebooks and are surely very useful to Computer professionals.

Conclusion

If you want to improve your computer knowledge, try the Internet as a valid alternative to traditional Bookshops and Libraries.

Mario Pesce is a Computer consultant which is also very interested in Website building Books and Software Store http://mariopesceuk.blogspot.com/

Article Source:  How to Improve Your Computer Skills With Computer Books and Ebooks

It seems like everywhere you look online there are hundreds of eBooks to teach you how to build a computer. A lot of these eBooks have a pretty price tag on them too, especially when they are sold in volumes.

This is only one of the reasons I like the “How To Build A Computer – Complete With Resources” eBook as it seems to sum up all of the steps of building a complete computer in one eBook.

Some computer building eBooks are written with too many technical terms for most people and all the high tech jargon that most people will not understand or even need to know in order to build a computer.

The PDF layout of this eBook is very intuitive and it is written in simple to understand instructions so that almost anyone can understand it. Building a computer while using this eBook is a fairly simple step by step process as you piece it together one piece at a time.

Since this eBook is in a PDF file format and the entire eBook is only 15 pages long, printing a copy of it from a laptop or another computer to use while building a computer is a snap.

In our world today, computer assembly has been made so simple that almost any average Joe (or Jane) can build a computer without having much of a technical background and this eBook seems to prove it since it is complete and only 15 pages long.

I think you would like this eBook too, as it even teaches you about choosing the right hardware that is compatible with each other, how to prepare your case for installing all of the hardware and even has a list of all the hardware components needed to build a computer.

Whether you are planning on building a computer or not, this eBook is worth reading.

I hope you have learned something from this article and I would like to thank you for taking the time to read it. If you would be so kind as to visit this link and possibly rate or comment on the webpage found there, the feedback would be much appreciated.

Click here to visit the free information on   how to assemble a computer

and/or

Copy and paste this url into your browser http://squidoo.com/how-to-assemble-a-computer

Article Source:  How to Build a Computer – Complete With Resources – eBook Review

Getting a computer to run faster is a lot like trying to speed up an old car – the system is currently working as fast as it can, but it has junk & other problems that are blocking it up. In order to make sure you can speed up your PC, you need to be confident that you have cleaned out all the damaged & corrupt parts of it, which should allow it to run like it did when it was new.

The way to fix any slow PC is to repair the problems that are initially causing its slow speed. There are several common reasons why Windows computers might run slowly, and here are the top three, that will fix your system in the fastest & most effective way:

1) Remove Unwanted Programs from Your PC – Installed programs are a great way to improve the features & reliability of your system, but they are also one of the main reasons why it will run slowly. The problem is that many programs, when installed, will just run in the background of your system. This is a huge problem, as it meas that even if you’re not using the application, it will be taking up valuable resources for your PC. To stop this from being a problem, you should remove unwanted programs from your system by using the “Add / Remove Programs” applet in Windows.

2) Delete Any Clutter / Junk Files – Junk files are also a big cause of slow computers, as they cause your PC to take longer to load the files it needs, slowing it down. Junk files come in the form of downloads, programs that weren’t installed properly, and even temporary Windows files which are of no use to your system. These files build up over time, and basically cause Windows to take longer to read the files it needs, slowing down your PC. To fix this problem, you should scan through your computer and then delete any of the downloads / unwanted files that are on your system. A good way to do this is to hold down SHIFT and then press DELETE – which will permanently delete the files for good.

3) Clean Out The Registry – This step is actually one of the most beneficial for any Windows PC – because the ‘registry’ is one of the most important parts of the Windows system. This is a database which stores all the settings, information & options that your PC requires to run; and is used 100′s of times a day each time you use your computer. Every time you load up Windows, use various software programs or do anything on your PC, the registry is being called to help your system remember a vast amount of the data that you need. Unfortunately, many registry settings become damaged & saved in the wrong way, making Windows unable to read the files it requires from them. This is a huge issue, because it means that whenever you use your PC, it will constantly take longer to read the registry settings it needs, slowing it down. To fix this problem, you should use a ‘registry cleaner’ to clean out any damaged registry settings from your system. This is recommended, as it’s highly effective.

You can make your PC faster by uninstalling unwanted programs, removing junk files and then using a registry cleaner to repair the various errors your PC might have. You can Click Here to make your PC run faster.

Article Source: 3 Ways to Make a Windows Computer Run Like New

In this technological age, nearly everyone has a home computer or laptop and along with these advances have come people who spend a good deal of time developing viruses and malware with the express purpose of destroying files on your computer or your entire system. You need to know how to protect your computer from these kinds of attacks.

Malware

The first thing you need to know is exactly what malware is and how you can get it on your computer. Malware is actually a simplified phrase that encompasses viruses, spyware and programs that install and/ or replicate themselves on your computer without your permission. If you were wondering why anyone would spend precious time developing this kind of software the reasons are as varied as the people creating them. In some cases malware is used to track your movements on the web, this information can then be sold to advertisers who will target you with specific offers based on this information. Other times the motive is more sinister, someone may want to steal your personal information, crash your computer or a whole host of other things, which are detrimental. Bottom line, malware is bad and you will want to protect your computer from it.

Protection

Your first line of defense against malware programs is your updates. Microsoft Corporation releases security updates on a regular basis that are geared to preventing viruses and other malware infections. When you first get your computer and run the set up programs there should be an option to turn on automatic updates, if not this is easily done through your control panel. The steps will vary a bit depending on which version of Windows you are running but a general search will render the information you need.

Anti-virus

A good quality anti-virus is necessary for any computer that will be used to surf the internet. You have two choices for protection, purchase or free. There is debate on which offers the most protection however many people have used programs like Avast or AVG antivirus for years without any problems. If you are going to be handling a lot of personal financial accounts online, you might want to choose a program that offers maximum protection such as Norton or one of the many commercial antivirus programs.

Ads

Not all malware can be classified as a virus, as mentioned above; therefore, an antivirus will not protect you. Spyware, adware and Trojan horses can allow access to sensitive information and neither the updates nor the antivirus will remove them. Updates may prevent them in the first place but if one slips in before you get an important update you are in trouble. There are many programs available that will routinely sweep your computer for malware of this type. Like antiviral software, there are both paid and free versions.

Conclusion

These are but a few of the many tips you can use to keep your computer safe. Other things you will want to consider are firewalls, avoiding malicious sites and taking care when opening email. The best rule on email is if you do not know, the sender do not open any attachments, period. Protecting your computer is very important, especially if you store personal information or work related projects on it, you can never be too careful when it comes to malware.

Vern Stanley has tips for finding the best internet security software to protect your computer on his site at SafeguardSoftware.com

Article Source: How to Protect Your Computer From Malware

Should I buy CS5 from Adobe or stay with CS4? I am sure a lot of people have asked this question after Adobe Systems release the new product. Well, I hope you will find the right answer in the end of this brief software review.

So, what are new features of the product? Adobe Creative Suite 5 has integration ability with online content, possibilities of digital marketing campaigns optimisation and access to Omniture signature technologies, which allow to receive, store and analyze information published on web sites or taken from other sources. Adobe Flash Catalyst, essentially new component of the package, gives the chance to create design of an interactive content without writing a code and optimizes teamwork of the designer and the projector.

Adobe Creative Suite 5 Master Collection includes more than 250 new functions in variety of applications. Truer Edge technology, presented in Photoshop CS5, facilitates recognition of image edges and accelerates process of a mask creation. Content-Aware Fill tool allows to delete elements of the image and instantly replace missing pixels in Photoshop. New options of the Stroke tool in Adobe Illustrator CS5 give the chance to create a stroke of different width, which can be corrected precisely in any point.

Adobe Photoshop CS5, Adobe Premiere Pro CS5 and After Effects CS5 now work in a 64-bit mode on Mac and Windows computers. Adobe Mercury Playback Engine with the support of a hardware acceleration on NVIDIA graphic adapters allows to open projects faster in Adobe Premiere Pro CS5.

Roto Brush tool released in After Effects, gives the chance to allocate moving elements in the foreground with the minimum expenditures of labour. Dreamweaver CS5 now has a support of popular content control systems like Drupal, Joomla and WordPress that allows designers to receive exact representation of dynamically changeable web content in the end-product.

Using Flash Professional CS5 designers and developers can create, test and publish web content on the different mobile platforms and devices. After release of Flash Player 10.1 and AIR 2 environments, developers can deliver content directly to a browser. New Packager for iPhone, integrated in Flash Professional CS5, allows to create AIR applications for iPhone or iPad and also applications with a support of the not yet presented devices on the basis of Android, BlackBerry and Palm webOS.

Adobe Creative Suite 5 products are integrated with Adobe CS Live system of services. which have five online services, allowing to optimise the key moments of working process. Adobe CS Review service allows to have a look on a design in online mode directly from Creative Suite 5 applications.

Adobe BrowserLab service is intended for web sites content testing with various web browsers and operating systems. SiteCatalyst NetAverages service gives the information about web resources using and allows to reduce quantity of guesses and assumptions at early stages of designing.

Adobe Story service represents the tool for a teamwork over scripts, improving processes of manufacture and postmanufacture in the CS5 Production Premium. Besides, access to Acrobat.com services is provided.

I suppose you can now decide by yourself whether to buy CS5 or stick to CS4. Actually, the only thing that can stop you from purchasing is an enormous price. But I think we can also manage this if you follow this link: Buy CS5 with Discount

Article Source: Buy Adobe CS5 Or Stay With CS4 – New Adobe CS5 Review

…learn how to develop a software product that people will buy even if you never programmed before! Click Here!