The role of the Webmaster covers a huge range of different issues and responsibilities from managing the content and organization of a site, to maintaining the server and writing the background programs and scripts. In many smaller companies the Webmaster will be solely responsible for the complete running and maintenance of the website, and this can require very detailed knowledge in the following areas:

1. HTML Authoring – including an understanding tables, frames and CGI scripting (Perl, Unix etc).
2. Graphic Design – design and creation of effective and aesthetic websites, knowledge of graphics software such as Photoshop and Fractal Painter.
3. Internet Awareness – good knowledge base of issues relating to Internet use such as download times and bandwidth, content-driven pages, browser compatibility etc.
4. Transmission Control Protocol /Internet Protocol and Networking skills, including service ports, HTTP and email.
5. WWW Server Configuration – including NCSA, CERN and Netscape Commercial Server.

You can find out more about web development at Webmaster Serve, which provides a Webmaster & Hosting Forum UK based service. There is lots of useful information on a whole range of related issues on this website, such as pay per click and affiliate marketing, web programming and design and also online data security.

The site is free to sign up to, and once you have joined you will have the opportunity to post in the forums and interact with the other members. There is also a Webmaster Marketplace section where you can advertise website promotions or special deals, and also buy, sell or trade web hosting services and products such as domain names, link exchanges, content writing and banners.

Popularity: 21% [?]

If you are involved in any kind of online retailing, then it is essential that you have the appropriate Ecommerce software in place, to allow your customers to purchase items or services easily, safely and securely. Software that is difficult to use, or is not in line with current safety standards will put customers off, and this will reflect in poor site sales not matter how good your product or advertising is.

iGeneric provides an extensive range of online UK ecommerce shopping cart software including their own IG shop script, and can guide you through the various online purchasing structures available. There is plenty of helpful information on features that are essential to a successful ecommerce system, such as integration with leading payment processing companies like Paypal, and also the use of current data encryption software to improve the security of both you and your customer’s data.

This website is also a free php scripts directory, where you can find and add scripts/software related to various niche. It is completely free to sign up to the iGeneric script directory, and once you are a member you can submit as many listings as you like for free. There is also a premium service for members who want to ensure their listing is at the top of the relevant category, and a small fee will be charged for this service. Submitted listing are all approved by website administrators before going live, but this should take no longer than 48 hours.

iGeneric also has a useful Webmaster forum section where you can interact with the other members on a whole range of issues, and also showcase your own recent work.

Popularity: 21% [?]

We just ordered some plastic ID card products from IDSuperstore and happy to post a review about them.
IDSuperstore provides great value digital ID services to improve and update your basic security protocols. They sell a complete range of ID software and ID card printers from all of the top suppliers including Zebra, Nisca and Datacard, all of which come with software and hardware support from in-house service technicians.

IDSuperstore is an authorised supplier of reliable digital ID card printers and the online catalogue provides a good range of top quality models including single, double sided and laminating printers. There is also a good choice of plastic cards, badge holders and retractable badge reels to suit individual requirements. Some businesses prefer to use custom lanyards, which can be fastened at the wrist or neck, and there are a variety of different lanyards available including swivel and trigger hooks, woven or braided and also break away lanyards for added safety. These break away lanyards will automatically snap if the ID gets caught up in machinery, or if it becomes tangled during a fall or attack.

There is also a special offer page on this site with regular updates on deals and promotions, and you can get some great savings on items such as digital cameras, slot punches, card printers and also a variety of badge reels. ID Superstore provides a free consultation service so that you can make sure you are purchasing exactly what you need to meet your business requirements, and you can contact a member of the sales staff on 1-800-667-1772 or use the customer contact submission form.

If you are unhappy with any of your purchases you can return the eligible items within 30 days for a refund. Refunds are not offered on custom made items and opened consumables such as cards, printer ribbons and cleaning kits. Shipping on all online orders over $100 is free throughout mainland US and Canada, but additional charges will apply to overseas orders.

Popularity: 25% [?]

As said earlier in my post on JAR and SMC file extensions, computer file extensions are added to the end of saved file names, and are used to identify what format the file is saved in. This means that the operating system can automatically open the file in the correct program, without having to prompt the user to select the program needed. For example if your file is saved in JPG, your system knows that it is a image file, and that it needs to be opened with an appropriate imaging program such as Microsoft Photo Editor.

There are hundreds of different file extensions in use, which cover a wide range of different computer formatting needs. The file extension DWG for example is a drawing file, which is used to store two and three dimensional data and metadata. It is used in several engineering computer aided design (CAD) packages such as AutoCAD, which was one of the first examples of this software, and runs exclusively on the Microsoft operating systems.

Another type of file extension is AMR. This file extension AMR is a audio compression format that prepares a particular type of audio data for storage. It is commonly used by mobile devices such as mobile phones, and is specifically designed for the audio data compression of speech coding, and is most commonly used for sending MMS messages with recorded speech sounds. AMR is also used for storing spoken audio files on telephone equipment, such as answer phone and voicemail messages, both commercially and in domestic settings. As AMR is designed specially to optimize speech pattern coding, it does not give effective results when used to compress other types of audio data such as music files.

Popularity: 16% [?]

I am going to buy a new broadband service in UK and was searching & comparing various plans of different broadband service providers. Finally, found a nice website which helped me to compare 150+ broadband packages in a single go and saved a lot of time.

I am talking about BroadbandChoices.co.uk – which offers a wide range of information on all aspects of UK broadband, from wireless broadband and mobile packages, to current deals, news and reviews.

If you are new to using broadband, then this site provides some very helpful guides to get you started, including an explanation of what broadband is and how it works, and also an introduction to the main UK broadband service providers and the importance of comparing broadband packages.

Broadband Choices offer some great and easy to use features to help you decide which broadband package is best for your needs. You can find out more about wireless broadband and how it differs from mobile broadband, and you can also compare broadband offers and packages from the various wireless broadband suppliers. There is also an excellent broadband search feature, which allows you to search the website database under your postcode and home telephone number. This will then provide you with specific information on what type of packages, (broadband only or broadband plus phone/digital TV bundles), are available in your area, along with all the download speeds and pricing information.

Broadband Choices also offers free broadband download and connect speed tests, which allows you to quickly test just how fast your broadband connection really is. This is important as no connection runs at the optimum speed that is advertised in the various packages and deals, and this can help give you a realistic indication of your actual download and connection speeds.

There is also a useful customer review section for website members, which provides lots of information on customer’s real life experiences of various broadband packages, which can help you get a better idea of the practical implications of using broadband in the UK. If you have any further questions or queries about broadband, you can go to the ‘Ask our Expert’ page on the website, which answers common queries in the FAQ section and also provides technical advice about modems, wireless routers, and networks.

Popularity: 16% [?]

After reading the “award winning” Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 Review, I am not to inclined to try this years installment so quickly. I read from a few sources some good things and bad about their latest release, 8.0 and here is what I think.

I don’t think its probably worth the $40, which is what they are charging for this years version of the anti virus software. If your PC is need of home computer repair then maybe you should consider a more quality program like AVG Anti-Virus. The buzz is that Kaspersky made it more difficult to use their once very easy to use software.

I’m not sure why they would do this after having so many successful years with their previous versions of their program. A positive note about Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 is that it detects viruses very well and is said to run fairly quickly, which is a very good thing. It’s real time protection is not as good as AVG’s virus protection program I don’t think though, it never was.

Overall, it does need some work, but check out the complete review of Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2009 over at totalcomputerrepair.com and decide for yourself.

Popularity: 29% [?]

The Nokia N96 is the next generation of mobile phone, designed to completely integrate communication and entertainment into one multi-functional ‘smart phone’. What makes this phone so different from its competitors (Apple iPhone, HTC Touch Diamond etc) is that is has advanced video capabilities, and also greatly improved music, Internet and GPS functions. As well as improved features, the design of the N96 has also been upgraded. The handset is slightly larger and heavier than its predecessor the N95, but it is still surprisingly compact for a device with so many functions, and has a useful and stylish dual slide opening mechanism.

The N96 comes with standard 16GB of built-in memory, and also supports MicroSD memory cards to increase storage capabilities. The screen is a generous 2.8 inches and can be viewed in horizontal or vertical modes. The picture quality is good with a screen resolution of 240 pixels by 320 pixels, which allows a high colour video playback.

The photo functions on the N96 are impressive, with a top of the range 5 megapixel camera and a superior dual LED flash, which means you can take high quality pictures in a range of different environments and situations. This camera covers all the basic requirements of a stand alone digital camera, including auto focus and auto exposure features, and also includes a self timer. Photos can be stored in JPEG or EXIF formats and you can also tag photos with specific locations using the integral GPS feature. Alongside the camera is the video recording function, with advanced stabilizing features to reduce motion blurring during filming and also video lights to improve picture quality in dull settings. There are also editing features so that users can balance colour tone and brightness to improve the finished picture quality. Video playback features also include a video ringtones function, which allows users to create their own short video, or download one from the Internet or a PC to alert to incoming calls. In addition to the digital camera and video recording there is also an additional second camera feature that is used to facilitate video phone calls.

In terms of media entertainment the N96 comes with TV capabilities, which allow users to watch live TV broadcasts and also access video clips via the Internet connection from sites such as ‘YouTube’. The music features are vastly improved and the N96 has a built-in FM radio with RDS feature, which means users can view music information whilst listening to the radio. The 16MB of internal memory means that users are able to store a significant amount of music on the phone’s media library, almost twice as much as in the N95, and this can be increased further by utilizing compatible memory cards. The audio quality is very good on the N96, with built-in 3D stereo speakers and automatic audio equalizers. You can also share your music, and create playlists and choose play modes.

The N96 is priced at around £500, and is a stylish, reliable smart-phone, packed with state of the art features. It has impressive memory storage, and its camera and video recording features have set new market standards. The battery life of smart-phones are usually disappointing, but Nokia has made some improvements to this, and fully charged the N96 should give you up to three hours solid talk time and two hundred and twenty hours of stand by time, but using the video recording and TV playback functions continuously will drain the battery much more quickly though. If we compare N95 and N96, definitely N96 is a winner but at the cost of high price. So if you have a limited budget, N95 still rocks. BTW – Lets see who is the winner after the end of 2008 – Nokia N96, Apple iPhone 3G or HTC Touch Diamond.

Popularity: 53% [?]