Web Project Progress Report

It has been a case of being too busy with web publishing projects to actually post to this premier woffling blog. Who'd have thought I'd miss a chance to woffle on?

Anyway, here I am. Let the woffle begin!

The main project that has me tied up is Healthy Vitamin Choice. There seems to be so much to do. Even simple tasks like finding, evaluating and implementing a site search facility takes time.

There are plenty of options available, but only a few that are actually any good (IMHO). Some are pretty commercial, as in thinly covered excuses for advertising. Others don't actually search the site content beyond file names and meta-tags. They aren't much use really, because meta tags never really represent all the content on a page. (Well, unless it's one of those cheap and nasty program generated "keyword rich" pages, but they stink really).

No, when it comes to searching all the content on a genuinely content-rich site, the worthwhile tools thin out significantly. Unless, of course, you are happy to pay exhorbitant rates each month (for very little) or invest a large sum in overpriced software.

In the end I went with PerlFect. It searches all the content, is fast, highly configurable, completely advertising free and, is actually free itself. I found it easy to install using the supplied installation script. Pretty good stuff actually. There's just one little bug to sort out and I'm currently working on that.

For instance, if you search for "vitamin" you get a ton of hits. If you search for "vitamin B" you get the same hits, not just the B related ones. I'm looking into this, so It's back to work for me...

Time Lost Due To Viruses

What a pain computer viruses are. I am still rebuilding (as in re-setting-up my software) after a nasty misshap shortly after my last post here.

It was bad, very bad. Norton Antivirus, my previously trusted anti viral application, failed to cope. It spotted it after the virus had taken hold. Norton gave me the Virus Found warning dialog box and reported, rather lamely I think, that it could not delete the virus. Great.

Then all hell broke loose. While Norton sat there doing nothing, trojan after trojan seemed to appear from nowhere and I was overrun. Goodness knows what was sent from my machine to whoever and wherever, but data was pouring out, and I mean fast!

Norton called it some variant of a Bloodhound virus, but I think that's what Norton defaults to when it doesn't have much of a clue. I certainly ended up very quickly with a raft of other nasties all over the place. In the meantime, I was seriously distracted by never-ending spawning of internet explorer windows that filled my screen and generally hampered all of my effors to deal with the problem.

In the end I arrested the problem just enough to transfer my critical data to safety and then bit the bullet, so to speak, and went for a complete disk reformat and rebuild. It has taken three days of my life! That's a significant assault by the perpetrators so suffice to say, they are not in my good books!!

Now I did learn some things from this. Namely:

• no matter how much due care is practiced, one can still become a victim;
• no matter how good Norton claims to be, their software can still fail;
• I am much better off using AVG FREE antivirus software than expensive and processor burdensome Norton (good riddance Norton); and
  
• it is very important to maintain an up to date backup disk image for rapid recovery.

This last point is worth noting. In the end, if one becomes a victim of this type of attack, and invasion, the best recovery technique seems to be to completely erase the infected disk partition and within minutes be able to have a fresh, complete, infection-free installation again.

Of course, it helps to recall where the problem came from, if you even know, so you can definitely avoid that source or site again.

Online Courses For Nurses Open To All

I am still surprised when I see my web server logs at how many people access our online courses for nurses. According to the IP addresses our visitors come from all over the world.

The courses were developed for university nursing students. We taught them to mainly on-campus students and they were supplemented with face-to-face tutorials, clinical experience placements and all the additional resources readily available in an on-campus setting, like library and laboratory facilities.

They were very well received by the students and we found them to be quite valuable as teaching resources. When we moved on from our tenured academic careers we decided to make the online part of the course materials available on the web. They were discovered by search engines and became quite popular.

Then we had a period where we shut down our server for well over a year, which the search engines don't like really, so naturally we disappeared from view. However, when we did make them available again, to our surprise they were rediscovered fairly quickly and now they get a steady stream of visitors.

As resources, though naturally a little dated in some respects, they are still quite useful. Anyone interested in them, nurse or not, is most welcome to use them online from our server for free. We also have fresh, up-to-date health education materials related to nutrition on our new site. You can find these sites through the following links.

• Therapeutic Communication
  
• Primary Health Care
• Healthy Vitamin Choice

Take a look and tell anyone who may find them useful where to find them.

Kodak EasyShare DX7630 Digital Camera

OK, here's the second possibility. This one is also available brand new on eBay. The last one I saw sold went for $410.

KODAK EasyShare DX7630 digital camera with POWERFUL 6.1 MegaPixel picture resolution, 3x Optical zoom, and 4x advanced digital zoom with up to 12x total zoom, and bundeled with Kodak Rechargeable Li-ION battery with BONUS Kodak Inkjet Paper 20 sheets 4" x 6", normally $17.95

What's included?

• Kodak EasyShare DX7630 zoom digital camera with wrist strap and lens cover
  
• Getting started kit
  
• Kodak EasyShare software CD
  
• User's guide
  
• Rechargeable Kodak lithium ion battery
  
• Battery charger
  
• Cables for USB and video
  
• Insert for optional Kodak EasyShare 6000 series dock (Kodak EasyShare 6000 series docks sold separately)
  

1. Overview

A sophisticated package for the creative photographer that delivers amazing picture quality.

• 6.1 MP for vibrant prints up to 30"x40" (75x100 cm)
  
• Professional-quality SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON 3X Optical Zoom Lens
  
• Exclusive KODAK Color Science Chip
  
• Manual and custom controls
  
• Continuous shooting and bracketing modes
  
• 22 scene and color modes
  
• 2.2" high-resolution indoor/outdoor display
  
• Sharing is one-touch simple
  

2. Features and Benefits

6.1 MP for vibrant prints up to 30"x40"

Loaded with high performance features, the DX7630 gives you the power to make unbelievable photos under any conditions.

• High-speed, low-light auto-focus with dual sensors captures great shots in almost complete darkness
  
• Auto-focus selection -- multi-zone, center weighted, selectable: left, center, right
  
• High performance flash detects backlit situations and triggers auto fill flash
  

Professional-quality SCHNEIDER-KREUZNACH VARIOGON 3X Optical Zoom Lens

With the DX7630 you get impeccable detail and sharpness courtesy of the pro-quality, precision-crafted lens.

• Powerful 3X optical zoom from the leader in lens optics technology
  
• 4X advanced digital zoom
  
• Stunning clarity for small and large prints
  
• Multi-zone auto-focus delivers incredible sharpness, no matter where your subject is in the frame
  

KODAK Color Science Image Processing Chip

The KODAK Color Science Image Processing Chip is the first to combine the power of a high-performance digital signal processor, with color and image science based on more than 75 years of Kodak research into color and the way we perceive it.

• Uses patented statistical methods and advanced scene analysis to deliver exacting sharpness, high color accuracy and proper exposure
  
• Fast, responsive
  

Creative settings and manual controls

Enjoy the creative flexibility of manual and semi-manual settings or use the programmed scene and color modes to keep it simple. Either way, you'll always get the shot that you want, the way you want it.

Custom, manual, program, aperture priority, shutter priority modes

• Manual -- full manual control
  
• Custom -- choose your own favorite settings and camera remembers them
  
• Program mode -- camera sets optimal shutter speed and aperture combination
  
• Aperture priority mode -- you choose aperture, the camera sets shutter speed
  
• Shutter priority mode -- you choose shutter speed, the camera sets aperture
  
• Exposure compensation -- (+/- 2.0 EV in 1/2 EV steps)
  
• Flash compensation -- adjust exposure level +/- EV of flash pictures
  
• Aperture -- wide (f/2.8-8.0) and tele (f/4.8-8.0)
  
• Shutter speeds -- automatic: 64-1/1400 seconds; manual: 64-1/1000 seconds
  
• ISO equivalents -- automatic: 100-200; manual: 100, 200, 400, 800
  
• Auto-focus -- multi-zone and center weighted
  
• Exposure metering type -- multi-pattern, center-weighted, center spot
  
• White balance -- auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent
  
• Matrixed light metering -- automatic or selectable
  
• Flash -- auto, red-eye, fill, off -- for the right light every time
  

New continuous shooting and bracketing modes

• Exposure bracketing -- automatic 3 images with user-selectable brackets (+/- 0.3, +/- 0.7 or +/- 1.0 EV)
  
• First burst -- capture up to 4 pictures at 2 fps
  
• Last burst -- capture up to 30 frames at 2 fps, with last 4 frames saved
  

22 scene and color modes

• Automatic
  
• Portrait
  
• Self-portrait
  
• Night portrait
  
• Sports
  
• Children
  
• Snow
  
• Beach
  
• Party
  
• Close-up
  
• Flower
  
• Text/Document
  
• Back-light
  
• Landscape
  
• Night landscape
  
• Fireworks
  
• Museum/manner
  

Color settings

• High, natural, low
  
• Black and white
  
• Sepia
  

Additional modes

• Video -- up to 80 minutes continuous video and audio capture (depending upon size of external memory card) with on-camera playback
  

Large 2.2" high-resolution indoor/outdoor display

With the DX7630, creating stunning pictures has never been easier.

• View brilliant, sharp images even in direct sunlight
  
• Auto-picture-rotation lets you review vertical shots vertically
  
• Fast magnify with zoom control, fast scroll through pictures, or view multi-up
  
• Store and protect pictures or create photo albums
  

Sharing is one-touch simple

The DX7630 is part of the KODAK EASYSHARE System, so sharing your pictures is one-button simple. Just press Share.

On-camera Share button

• Exclusive on-camera Share button, lets you tag favorite pictures to print or email
  
• On-camera picture collection lets you share your favorite pictures anytime, anywhere
  

Higher capacity KODAK EASYSHARE Lithium-Ion Rechargeable Battery and Charger

Included with camera

KODAK EASYSHARE Software

• The DX7630 includes KODAK EASYSHARE Software
  
• Works seamlessly with EASYSHARE Cameras and Docks to enable one-button transferring and sharing
  
• The easy way to view, edit, organize, print or view a slide show from your computer
  Exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature automatically adjusts the settings on your inkjet printer to give you traditional quality photos when printing on KODAK Inkjet Photo Paper
  

KODAK EASYSHARE Camera Dock 6000 (optional accessory)

• Transfer button instantly uploads pictures to your computer for viewing, printing and emailing
  
• Recharges your camera battery in 3.5 hours or less
  
• USB connection (USB 2.0 compatible)
  

KODAK EASYSHARE Printer Dock 6000 (optional accessory)

• Transfers pictures and recharges battery just like the Camera Dock 6000
  
• Plus, prints real Kodak-quality borderless 4"x6" (10x15 cm) photos in less than 2 minutes
  
• Print with or without a computer
  

3. Specifications:

Standard Features

Sensor

• CCD resolution 6.2 MP (2872x2160 pixels)
  
• Image resolution 6.1 MP (2856x2142 pixels)
  
• Picture quality 6.1 MP -- best (print, poster)
  
• 5.4 MP -- best (optimized for 3:2 aspect ratio)
  
• 4.0 MP -- better (print, poster)
  
• 3.1 MP -- better (print 11"x14")
  
• 1.7 MP -- good (small prints)
  
• Compression standard and fine
  

Lens

• Zoom 3X optical zoom, 8-24 mm (35 mm equivalent: 39-117 mm) Lens threads for 37 mm lens adapter
  
• 4X advanced digital zoom
  
• 12X total zoom
  
• Aperture f/2.8-8.0 (wide), f/4.8-8.0 (tele)
  
• Shutter speed automatic: 1/8-1/1400 seconds; manual: 64-1/1000 seconds
  

Creative Performance Controls

Still

• Scene modes auto, 16 scene modes, program auto, aperture priority, shutter priority, manual, custom setting mode
  
• Color modes color settings (high, natural, low), black and white, sepia, sharpness (high, normal, low)
  
• Click to capture 0.3 seconds
  
• Shot to shot 1.8 seconds
  

Video

• Movie mode audio recording during video capture; audio playback on camera
  
• Movie image resolution 320x240 pixels at 24 fps
  
• Movie length continuous based on memory capacity; or 5, 15, or 30 second clips
  
• Movie file format Still: JPEG/EXIF v2.2; Video: Quicktime
  

Focus

• Auto focus High-speed, low light auto-focus with continuous, single and selectable modes, including multi-zone, center-zone, left, center, right
  
• Focus distance wide: 60 cm (23.6 in.) to infinity; tele: 60 cm (23.6 in.) to infinity; wide macro: 7-70 cm (2.8-27.6 in.); tele macro: 28-70 cm (11-27.6 in.)
  

Exposure

• ISO equivalent 100-200 (auto) and 100, 200, 400, 800 (manual)
  
• White balance auto, daylight, tungsten, fluorescent; can be controlled in any manual mode
  
• Light metering method auto: TTL-AE matrix metering; selectable: multi-pattern, center-weighted, center spot
  
• Exposure control programmed AE; apperature priority: AE: f/2.8-8 at wide; shutter priority: AE: 64 - 1-1/1000 seconds at wide; manual exposure: f/2.8-8, 64-1/1000 seconds; ISO 100-800
  
• Long time exposure 0.7 - 64 seconds
  
• Exposure compensation +/- 2.0 EV in 0.3 EV steps
  
• Exposure bracketing automatic 3 images with user-selectable brackets +/-0.3, +/-0.7, or +/-1.0 EV
  
• Burst modes First Burst Mode -- 2 fps, up to 4 pictures in sequence.
  
• Last Burst Mode -- up to 30 frames at 2 fps, with last 4 frames saved
  

Effortless Operation

Flash

• Flash mode auto, red-eye, fill, off
  
• Flash range wide: 0.6 - 4.2 m (2-13.8 ft.); tele: 0.6-2.5 m (2-8.2 ft.)
  
• Flash compensation +/- 1.0 EV in 1/2 step
  

Review

• Viewfinder real image optical viewfinder
  
• Display 2.2", 153,000 pixel resolution indoor/outdoor hybrid display
  
• Review mode limited and full-picture information, multi-up, slide show, protect, Share button to print email, album, fast magnify with zoom control, full frame fast scroll, select favorites
  
• Favorites mode on-camera picture sharing
  
• Auto-orientation auto picture rotation - orientation sensor
  

Additional Features

• Storage 32 MB internal memorySD/MMC card expansion slot
  
• Dedicated buttons display/info, delete, Share, review, menu, first burst/last burst/exposure bracketing, close-up/landscape, jog dial for manual settings, flash
  
• Interface power input (5 VDC), A/V output (NTSC or PAL, user-selectable), exclusive KODAK Camera Dock/Printer Dock interface, digital (USB 2.0) connector
  
• Self-timer 10 seconds
  
• Power options optional KODAK EASYSHARE Docks with Li-ion rechargeable battery pack (in-camera charging); KODAK EASYSHARE Li-ion (1050 mAh) Rechargeable Battery or KODAK EASYSHARE Li-ion (1700 mAh) Rechargeable Battery (supplied), DC-in jack on side of camera for 5V adapter
  
• Lens protection lens cap
  
• Tripod mount 1/4 in. standard
  
• Weight without batteries: 219 g (7.7 oz.)
  
• Dimensions WxHxD: 100.3x69.2x40.2 mm (4.0x2.7x1.6 in.)
  
• Warranty 1 year
  

Canon PowerShot A95 Digital Camera

It has been some time since I gace an update on my digital camera hunt. I have narrowed it down to two possible models, as I mentioned before. Here are the details of one of them. I'll try to post details of the other one soon. This is one I found on eBay.

The Canon PowerShot A95

• Size: 1/1.8 inch
  
• Effective Number of Pixels: Approx. 5.0 MP
  
• Total Number of Pixels: Approx. 5.3 MP
  
• Filter Array: Primary colour filter (Bayer)
  
• Processor: DiG!C
  

• Focal Length (optical): 7.8 (W) - 23.4 (T) mm /
  
• 35mm film equivalent: 38 (W) - 114 (T) mm)
  
• Maximum Aperture: f/2.8 (W) - f/4.9 (T)
  
• Construction: 6 elements in 5 groups (including 2 aspherical lens)
  
• Optical Zoom: Approx. 3x
  
• Digital Zoom: Approx. 4.1x
  
• Max Combined Zoom: Approx. 12x
  

• Focusing Method: TTL Auto focus 9-point AiAF/1-point AF* *Focusing frame move as desired or fixed to centre Manual focus available, AF Lock available.
  
• Focusing Range:
  
• Normal: 45 cm - infinity
  
• Macro: 5 - 45 cm (W), 25 - 45 cm (T)
  
• Manual focus: 5 cm - infinity (W), 25 cm - infinity (T)
  
• Exposure Control Method: Program AE, Shutter speed-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual
  
• Shutter Speed: 15 - 1/2000 sec.
  
• Sensitivity (Equivalent Film Speed): Auto / ISO 50 / 100 / 200 / 400 equivalent
  
• LCD Monitor/Viewfinder: Viewfinder:
  
• Real-image optical zoom
  
• LCD Monitor: 1.8 inch Low-temperature polycrystalline silicon TFT colour LCD (vari-angle type)
  

• One year warranty from Canon Australia
  
• This product is not a grey market/parallel import!
  
• For further information please click the:Technical Specifications Sheet!
  
• This item is BRAND NEW, sealed, and shipped directly by an authorised Australian dealer!
  

Package Contents:

• Wrist Strap WS-200,
  
• 4 x AA Alkaline Batteries,
  
• 32MB Compact Flash Card,
  
• AV Cable AVC-DC300,
  
• USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU,
  
• Camera User Guide,
  
• Software Starter Guide,
  
• Quick Start Guide,
  
• Direct Print User Guide Digital Camera Solution Disc - ZoomBrowser EX (PC), ImageBrowser (Mac), Drivers (PC/Mac), PhotoStitch, PhotoRecord (PC), RemoteCapture
  
• ArcSoft Camera Suite Disc
  

• Buy It Now priceAUD $414.95 inc. GST
  
• Save $$$$$$ on the Retail Price
  
• Tax invoice provided
  
• Buyer pays shipping & handling - $20.00
  
• Freight charge includes insurance
  

Interpersonal Skills Anyone?

Yes indeed, time does fly, but not only while you're having fun. Actually I've been very busy. So much so I notice that I haven't posted here for days. Shame on me.

It's time to catch up I think. I've been very busy with my various web projects. There is so much to learn and so much to do. Actually, now that I pause to think about it, I have found it fun, even if just a tad overwhelming at times.

I did some simple filler work just before writing this. I managed to update a few links in some old archival web sites that I keep alive on the web. If you are interested in Primary Health Care you will have already noticed my link in the sidebar to your right of screen. Another site you may find interesting is on Therapeutic Communication.

It was an online university course for nurses developed by Jenny and me a few years ago. Although it was written for nurses, anyone interested in interpersonal skills may find it useful. You are welcome to take a look. Like the Primary Health Care course, there is no charge and we don't even ask for your email address :-)

This Blogging Thing Is Fun

You know, blogging is quite a bit of fun. I'm not yet sure why, but it is.

This is just an opportunity to waffle (err...ummm...I mean, 'woffle') on about whatever is happening or takes my fancy. I do believe I have slipped from the status of a woffler to a real waffler. Oh well, so be it.

The point is blogging itself is quite a bit of fun. Now that's a meaningful statement. Way too many people, especially 'grownups', have long since lost the ability to have fun. Gosh, many people have forgotten how to have fun or even what fun is. So when you come across something you do that gives you that special feeling you recall is associtaed with having fun, do it.

Today I learned that this blog was approved for listing by Blogwise.com. How amazing. To think that others would be prepared to list my little blog of ramblings on their blog directory. What a privilege, and all I had to do was ask. Thanks Blogwise.

That Persimmon Loaf Recipe

I did say some days ago that my wife would let me share a delicious persimmon loaf recipe with you. True to my word, here it is. Be warned, this is very moore-ish. Enjoy!

Ingredients

2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light olive oil (or macadamia nut oil)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 large persimmons, pulp only
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1/2 cup pecan nuts
2 cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Method

Mix together the eggs, sugar, oil, cinnamon, cardamom and the persimmon pulp. Add the low fat milk, and mix again. Next put in the dried apricots, pecan nuts and the flour sifted with the baking powder. Mix well, then pour into a greased loaf tin. Place the tin into a baking dish full of water, and bake for one and a quarter hours at 190°C.

Notes

Of course, if you have only small persimmons, like we do, just adjust the number used to approximate the volume of 2 large persimmons. We used fugi persimmons that were quite ripe and soft. We also used gluten free flour instead of plain flour, because of a dietary requirement. It worked for us :-)

A Feature Tour of Maxthon Web Browser

These details are from the Maxthon features page. Pretty impressive stuff.

Tabbed Browsing Interface
Maxthon's powerful tabbed interface will give you the best browsing experience without taking your taskbar space away. All the web pages are arranged inside Maxthon's main window. Multiple web pages are indicated by tabs for easy navigation.

Mouse Gestures
Command your browser just with your mouse! Mouse Gestures are another revolutionary invention among the browsers. With 'Mouse Gestures' enabled, you can use your mouse to command Maxthon easily. And Some people say that it feels like playing KongFu with their mouse.

Super Drag&Drop
Maxthon introduces another revolutionary technology to speed up your browsing - the 'Super Drag&Drop'. With 'Super Drag&Drop' enabled, you can open new links by simply dragging and dropping the link on the page. You can also drag&drop to search selected words with the default search engine or open a link in new tab or save the selected content when CTRL is held down.

Favorites Bar
Maxthon provides a customizable favorites Bar for better access to your "Links" or favorites from other folders. You can open all favorites inside a folder. You also have the option to set favorites as "Most Favorites" in the favorites side bar and open them when Maxthon starts. Even more options are available from the right click menu.

Ad Hunter
Popup ads, Flash ads, Floating ads, Image ads... Get enough with all these annoying ads? Here is the solution: AD Hunter. AD Hunter consists of several neat functions to block all kind of ads. You can use the "Auto Filter" to block popup ads or setup a "Filter List" for more accurate and customized blocking.

IE Extension Support
Can the Google Bar and other IE Toolbar be installed and used in third party browsers besides IE? Even Google will tell you NO, but we can say YES. In fact, not only the Google Bar is supported. Maxthon can also support a lot of other IE plugins and toolbars like FlashGet Bar, etc.

Actually the new version of google toolbar is not compatible with Maxthon and MyIE2 any longer. The Last supported version can be download from Here.

External Utility Bar
With Maxthon, you don't have to start other programs by switching away. Just add them to the Utility Bar and launch them by a single click. You could even set them to start and shut down with Maxthon automatically.

Privacy Protection
We care about your privacy. With Maxthon, you can erase all your browsing information easily and even automatically. You can clear your private information such as the browsing history, cookies, cache...etc with a single click. Further more, you can even setup Maxthon to clear all your browsing information automatically when it closes.

Skins
Maxthon supports flexible skins to change the look of the browser window. With skins you can change the icons, colors and backgrounds of Maxthon. If you want, you can also disable them to enable Windows native skinning. There are already 300+ skins created for Maxthon and more are coming. Be sure to visit the Skins site to find out how beautiful Maxthon could be.

Plugins
You can further enhance the functionalities of Maxthon with plugins. Besides the IE plugins, Maxthon supports its own even more powerful sidebar and toolbar plugins. There are already 400+ plugins created for Maxthon and more are coming. Be sure to visit the Plugins site to add even more features to Maxthon.

Compatibility & Low on Resources
Maxthon has full IE compatibility which means you will still have all you have in IE. Maxthon uses very few resources, resulting in an average of 65% less RAM usage compares to IE when having the same large number of pages open.

More...
There are even more features that Maxthon can provide you, such as, Page Zooming, Simple Collector, Web Services, Password protecting Tabs, URL Aliases and many others. All of them working efficiently while you surf the Internet with Maxthon.

An Even Better Browser - Not IE, Netscape or Firefox

Can it be? Is it possible?

Everyone who has spent a little while surfing the web will have had more than enough problems with IE, not least being very serious security risks. No wonder several competing browsers have been spawned.

To its credit, Microsoft has always taken the browser market seriously. Early recognition of just how important the web would become resulted in them 'hardwiring' the software into their operating systems. We know this landed them in court and after exhaustingly protracted legal tactics they lost. Did it change anything? Not much really.

So the market has responded to do what the courts couldn't. Real competition has emerged. No, I don't mean Netscape's attempts. I mean, does anyone really use thier stuff anymore? Netscape offered the most significant competition originally, but it seems to offer little more than bloatware. I can't consider it a serious technological competitor for IE, though it will always attract some of the doggedly anti-Microsoft fraternity.

A recent and fast moving player in the market has been Firefox. I have been using it for months now myself. However, I have noticed that I have had to do several important upgrades (actually, reinstallations) due to serious security vulnerabilities. Admitedly, the Firefox developers are quick to respond and openly get the message out to users. In fact, the notification of the need to upgrade is built into the browser, which is an excellent idea. But given that security issues are what drive many of us away from IE, it is disappointing, to say the least, to have these security weaknesses occuring in Firefox.

Today I learned of another browser. It came very highly recommended by someone I know spends a great deal of time on the web. Indeed, his business is totally web based. That browser is Maxthon.

Evidently Maxthon has been around for a while and previously went by the name MyIE2. Like Firefox, Maxthon is free. It also offers a tabbed interface and permits reskinning to change its appearance and has a related plugin developer community. I have just downloaded version 1.3.1 and will be installing it shortly to evaluate it.

At the time of my download, there had already been 28,432,651 downloads so this product may just prove to be worth a close look. You can find the Maxthon browser by clicking here.

The Domain Saga Concludes

Well, finally it is finished!

Those last two difficult domains are now set up correctly and happily pointing to the correct web sites. No more free parking pages.

It did take a while didn't it. In the end for some reason the updated name server details in the Aplus system were pointing to the correct place but my DNS servers were still using the old IP address. This should never have happened really. The data updates as a whole and the new DNS server automatically reads the information, it shouldn't need the IP addresses to be manually entered.

However, with the zone details updated to include the correct IP address for the site it resolves perfectly. Whew! I'm glad that's over.

The Domain Saga Continues

Absolutely u n b e l i e v a b l e. That's one more sleep, a whole new day has arrived, which means that a whole 24 hour period has passed and s t i l l those two domains have not propagated.

I reckon a carrier pigeon could have propagated the changed name server details by this!

Anyway, there's nothing I can do except for asking the support staff at Aplus.net to look into this ongoing problem again. Face it, I'm in their hands on this one.

I reiterate my earlier lesson: it can be a false economy to buy discounted domain names from lesser and/or reseller domain registrars. It is easy to keep the cost below US$10 but still buy from a heavy duty registrar, like Godaddy.

This saga is getting a bit boring I know. It lacks the epic proportions of Lord of the Rings, but hey ... who knows, it may only be early days as yet!!! Perhaps I could invent a plot introducing some mysterious underlying ...

Well ok, maybe not. Let's just see how long this takes to solve.

Domain Updates and Some Brief News

Well I am sorry to say that when I just now checked those two domains that are having problems with updating their name servers, they are still not resolving properly. However, I have been reassured that Aplus.net have found and rectified the problem. Well, they have for me at least, but I'm not so sure about solving the underlying problem. They will have to find it first of course. Neverthless, they have assured me that they have a large technical support staff who are always working on improvements.

As promised, when the domains are f i n a l l y resolving correctly I will let you know. I must say that redelegation from the Aplus.net servers seems to take forever, even when it does work. Anyway, that's all covered in an earlier entry.

I do have some exciting news. One of my web projects has just gone live on the net!

I know you will want to rush right over and take a look, so here are the details. Just go to Healthy-Vitamin-Choice.com to learn lots of things to improve your health.

The site is not quite fully ready but it does already have plenty of useful information for improving health and wellbeing. I hope you find it very useful.

This is one of the projects I have hosted with my newly found web host. I will update you with how it is going. At this stage everything is just great.

The Domain Saga

Almost unbelieveably the troublesome remaining two domain names are still not resolving correctly. This is taking just waaaaay to long.

I did have to escalate the support ticket at Aplus.net and they took that quite well. I admit to being mildly annoyed by their first email that included a patronising paragraph explaining that I could do the name server resetting myself using my control panel. Some people just don't listen, let alone think. The problem is that system isn't working! I had already used it several times and although it happily gave confirmation messages reassuring that the updates were successful, nothing actually changed.

Finally, through all the denials and assumptions, one tech support guy has spotted something wrong that is causing my problem, at least with one of the domains. It turns out that even though the names of the new name servers were correctly updated, as my message confirmed each time, the registry details incorrectly associated the new names with the old IP address. So some how they need to fix that and then - one can only hope - find the cause of this bug and eliminate it.

Finding good tech support can be a challenge. I have no doubt that some of the staff at Aplus.net are quite capable, but I'm not so sure about the work culture of the place. When evidently capable people just can't get things sorted out in a timely fashion, something in the place isn't right.

I normally buy my web domain names at Godaddy. I have purchased some from a couple of other places though. For instance, I purchased a .com.au domain from a hideously expensive Australian provider several years ago and I purchased one domain from Tucows via SiteSell, with my SBI! hosting package.

This foray with Aplus won't be extended. Most likely I will stick with Godaddy.com in future, though I may give namecheap a try.

The fact is that the domain name market has had a good shakeup. The prices a few years ago were ridiculous. If you're paying more than US$10 per year for a domain name then you are paying too much. Godaddy certainly has been significantly responsible for shaking things up, so for that I guess they deserve a fair amount of business. They seem to get it too.

Many of the sellers today are really resellers. They are almost on every street corner in cyberspace and you may be sure that more are coming. That's alright in as much as it will increase pressure on the sellers who still maintain prices at the high end of the market. They won't do too much about the bottom end though because as resellers they can't get wholesale rates that are much below the retail rates of the big players, like Godaddy for instance.

As this little saga reveals though, choosing somewhere to buy domain names purely on the basis of price alone, may not be a very good idea.

Some Quick Updates On Life

Well it goes on doesn't it. So this is a quick update on the matters woffled on about herein. (Oh, and just one other thing that hadn't rated a mention before.)

Updating name servers
First, the Aplus saga. Progress has been made but we're still (...!!!) not there. Of the 4 domain names that were not redelegating, 2 are now working as set and 2 remain recalcitrant. However the Aplus tech support sent me an email closing the support item because they consider it fixed. Well, we shall have to wait and see. The times taken are completely ridiculous. I'll see if the remaining 2 domains sort themselves out within about another 12 hours and if they don't, I'll just have to escalate the support ticket instead of accepting its closure. Remember, get your domains (and I would say hosting) elsewhere.

Persimon loaf recipee
A great update on the delicious persimon loaf recipee I mentioned recently. The recipee certainly came from the web but it turns out that my clever wife adjusted it somewhat to suit our needs. One simple change was the use of 5 persimons instead of 2, since ours are the smaller sized fugi variety. As for other changes, well, I don't know. The good news is that Jenny said she will let me post the recipee here, so if you see it, go for it because it makes up a lovely lunch (and some...).

Web hosting research
So how am I progressing with the hosting research? As perceptive readers will have recognised, resetting the name servers at Aplus.net means I must have organized some hosting. And yes, I have. I have found a fantastic hosting service at an amazing price, which is not easy to do. I will give all the details in a little while; not sure exactly when yet. You see, I believe it's important to take the time to properly evaluate a service such as this and not to spread my excitement too early. I am certainly not expecting any problems and this host has been just great so far, but let me have some time on their servers before I tell all.

Digital camera research
On the digital camera front progress has been made. From amongst the dozens (and dozens) of models I considered, across several brands, I have reduced the choice to between just 2 models. Now this is just a reassuring update, so I'll give more details later. Stay tuned...

The one other thing
Even though you didn't know this, I was summonsed for jury duty. I've had to check in each day to find out if I was required to serve. Just a few minutes ago I received notification that I have been discharged and no longer need to be available. Well, that's a bit of a relief actually.

I guess that just about brings things up to date, so cheerio for now...

Lessons on Domain Names

Well, to be honest, it may be more correct to say, lessons on false economy perhaps.

You see, for our current web projects we needed a few domain names. I have always purchased domain names through Godaddy, but lately I've been less impressed with them. Their support is very basic and they have made some programming glitches and didn't seem to want to be told about them. Anyway, 'nuff said, hey? My aim here isn't to bucket Godaddy. Indeed, I have come to appreciate them more.

On a forum I visit occasionally I read a post that recommended Aplus.net for domain names at reduced prices. So, as I just happened to be looking for some, I went there and purchased 5 domain names. Four were dot com and one was dot info. The info domain only cost 99 cents and the com domains were only $4.95 or $5.95 each (I actually can't remember exactly and I can't easily access my account from here to look it up, but they were cheap).

That's all well and good I suppose, but as I didn't want to use Aplus.net for hosting I parked the domains with them for free. My problem has arisn in trying to redelegate the domains to new name servers and to stop the free parking. I enetered my account and used the form to achieve the change. After entering the new details I clicked on 'save' and after a moment or two received a message saying I had been successful. On checking my account details, sure enough, the records showed the updated name servers. Fine, I thought.

Days later, even though the details look to be correct, they aren't. Nothing has changed. My domains still resolve to the free parking servers.

I searched the massive Aplus.net support knowledgebase but couln't find what I needed. (Just as an aside, there has to be a point when those so-called knowledgebases get just too darned overgrown to be useful, especially packed onto a page with small print and little white space. Grrrr..) Then I sent an email. Nothing. Then I used the onlne live chat. Yes, that worked and a friendly enough support person got to the bottom of the problem, but couldn't actually fix it - he had to log a job for the system administrator. However, I was assured I could forget about this now because it would soon be fixed.

Eventually, and we're talking 12 to 14 and up to 24 hours or so between each of these "support" interactions, I received a reply to my email. Yes, they knew what the problem was and would get the system administrator to fix it and he would get back to me as soon as it was fixed. Now I thought we had already covered this ground, but whatever, let's just get it done.

Guess what. That was 24 hours ago. My domains still point to the free parking pages. There is no way I can do anything about this, I just have to wait it out. I haven't heard another peep out of the email support guy, so presumably he still hasn't raised the problem with the system administrator. My gosh that system administrator is either very busy or very lazy! ... enough already.

So, I have learned that saving a few dollars on the domain name purchases was definitely not a good deal. The technical performance and support from Aplus.net is truely appalling. As soon as the compulsory 60 days from registration date passes I will embark on the challenge of moving all those domains away from Aplus to a real registrar.

So, when it comes to sorting out domains there's a lesson here. There is also a message about hosting companies of course, and it's pretty clear. Avoid Aplus.net - they have oodles of 'support' for a reason. Unfortunately, they haven't proven particularly effective.

Busy Researching RSS ...

Wow! What an awesome technology RSS is. I'm tempted to say it's still in its infancy, but I'm conscious that all internet technology grows and matures at an astonishing rate. Indeed, it can become positively geriatric in almost no time.

I've been busy learning more about this tool for web developers and I must say it seems to offer quite a bit (no pun intended!). It seems everyone knows about RSS in Blogs. That's certainly pretty cool, but what I'm focussed on at present is using RSS to publish directly to static web pages. It can certainly be done and a tool I've just downloaded looks pretty exciting. It's called Listgarden from the good folks at Softwaregarden.

Go take a look at all the features, you'll be glad you did. Notice too, that they have some very well written online tutorials explaining how to set it up and use it effectively. Oh, and be prepared for a shock about the price. Yes, it's free! I found other applications that do the same (well, not quite as much actually) like rsscontentbuilder that will set you back US$97 but I think Listgarden is probably actually better. It certainly has a better price :)

I haven't forgotten my other research projects. Do you remember what they are? Well I'll remind you anyway. I'm trying to locate suitable hosting for some web projects my wife and I have underway and I'm secretly (yes...shhhh... don't tell Jenny, it's a surprise) searching for a digital camera. More on these soon I hope.

What a Beautiful Day - If only I had a Camera

So, did you miss me? I was knocked off my perch by a virus for a couple of days. Not much fun.

However, today was such a beautiful day my wife and I took a pleasant drive into the countryside and had a picnic lunch. It's winter here now. We're having cold nights, lately around -2 degrees C, fresh and crisp mornings, followed by clear blue sun-filled skys and warm days, until late afternoon when the temperature again plummets sharply giving cold evenings and freezing nights.

It was just such a glorious day today, that after breakfast on the patio, sunning ourselves, we decided to head off for a country drive and picnic. Great decision. Jenny made a persimon loaf and thickly cut slices with a little butter followed by fresh brewed coffee was an absolute treat. The persimon loaf recipee is one Jenny found by doing a Google search. I have no idea where she found it exactly, but to whoever provided it I'd just like to say THANK YOU!

Now I know I've talked here recently about a couple of "toys" I won on eBay auctions. So at the risk of sounding like a crazed consumer, making materialistic grabs for goodies, the fact is I wish I had a good digital camera. I saw some beautiful countryside, if a little dry since we badly need rain, so many native birds I was almost dizzy, and some wonderful images of a babbling brook by the clearing where we had our picnic. What a shame that I couldn't capture those images. My memory of the day now is fine, but in not too much time, will fade. That's where a camera would come in very handy indeed.

Of course a camera couldn't capture the awesome flavour of that persimon loaf, but a snap of the loaf and a picture or two of my face while eating it would probably give a reasonable impression of just how delicious it was. So now I have two current missions. Number 1 is to find a suitable web host for my projects and number 2 is to research and acquire a useful digital camera. Ah...it's good to feel well again. Life goes on....

So, Where am I?

Just out of curiosity I did a VisualRoute lookup to find out where the kind folk at Blogger host my little blog for me. It turns out that it's hosted in Hong Kong.

My report indicates that the IP address of the server hosting the domain woffling.blogspot.com is 66.102.15.101 which is part of the Reach Networks HK Ltd network.

As you may know from an earlier post I am trying to wade through the hosting jungle at present so I'm quite interested to see which hosting providers are used by the big players on the net. It's also fascinating to discover just where in the world certain hosts keep their servers.

I had a site hosted with SiteSell.com (yes, using Ken Evoy's SBI system) and although SiteSell is a Canadian company my site was hosted in Hong Kong. Perhaps I'll tell you more about this at another time. For now, it's back to work...

June Already

Where does time go? It seems like only yesterday it was May.

Oh, wait... it was only yesterday. Well you get the idea anyway, don't you? Time just seems to fly by at an incredible pace. Reminds me of the song...

Time, like the wind,
goes a hurrying by...
if I only had time.

Yes indeed, if I only had time. It is one thing we can't make or buy. Use it wisely!