By Laura Milligan

Your wifi is encrypted and a trial version of McAfee came with that new HP the kid at Best Buy sold you, so no need to worry about computer security, right? Unfortunately, security is a whole lot more complex than your average computer user might imagine.

There are literally hundreds of ways that malware and hackers can compromise your system security, most of which you’ve never heard of. Thankfully, however, there are a number of online tools available which will help you identify (and sometimes fix) the vulnerabilities in your system. In this article we’ve selected 12 basic tests you can run on your machine to identify its weaknesses.

1. Audit My PC: Audit My PC is a terrific site for finding all kinds of security tests to run on your computer. The Firewall test makes sure your present firewall is configured correctly; the Anonymous surfing and privacy check finds out how much of your personal information is available to online hackers; and the free Web site monitoring system will “find out if your ISP is having problems” or if “unauthorized ports have been opened on your firewall.” Each tool is completely free.
2. Qualys FreeScan: Large networks should be given this free test, which “allows you to quickly and accurately scan your server for thousands of vulnerabilities that could be exploited by an attacker.” After the scan, the security system will even send you information on how to bolster up your computer’s protection by patching up weak spots.
3. Proxy Way: This online test evaluates your computer’s privacy settings. Passwords and firewalls can be hacked more easily than you might think, but this test “shows how much of your private information can be collected by Web sites when you visit them - your current IP Address, browser and computer information.”
4. Test My Firewall: This site gives basic advice about maximizing Web security, as well as specific tips on how to test your Firewall, bandwith, and broadband connection.
5. Hijack This: Downloading the Hijack This program will help you get into the mind of a hijacker. Automatic updates constantly search your system for potential hackers, but let you decide whether or not you want to delete anything.
6. GFI Email Security Testing Zone: If you think you’re safe from e-mail viruses just because you have a Spam filter, think again. Many sophisticated worms and viruses are designed to circumvent spam filters for maximum destruction. The above link will connect you to a site that allows you to register for thorough e-mail security checks, like the attachment with no file name vulnerability test and the fragmented message vulnerability test.
7. WindowSecurity.com: This site sponsors another valuable security test for evaluating e-mail vulnerability. Detailed descriptions let you know exactly how each test works and why you need to run it. The site also comes with a guarantee that the “tests are very safe and do not do anything dangerous” to your computer.
8. The PCman Website Virus Test: This free virus scanner test plants a “harmless” fake virus — the Eicar Virus test string — to gauge your computer’s ability to notice real viruses. In other words, “if your virus scanner is set up and working properly it should intercept the downloading of these [fake] files.” It’s an easy, risk-free way of testing your computer’s security.
9. Sophos Threat Detection Test: Downloading this program will test your current anti-virus software to make sure it’s effectively protecting your computer. The free scan runs along with your current anti-virus software and is automatically updated; however, you get to choose when you want Sophos to run the test. Sophos is compatible with Windows 2000, XP, 2003, and Vista, and “checks performance of Symantec, McAfee, Trend, CA, Kaspersky and F-Secure.”
10. Symantec Security Check: Symantec has long been regarded as a professional, trustworthy resource in anti-virus protection. Run the security scan and virus detection test to find out if your computer is vulnerable to any threats. Both are free.
11. Nmap: Nmap, or Network Mapper, has the capability to audit the security systems on huge networks. It’s free to download, and “most operating systems are supported, including Linux, Microsoft Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, IRIX, Mac OS X, HP-UX, NetBSD, Sun OS, Amiga, and more.”
12. PC Security Test 2007: This comprehensive security test scans Windows operating systems for viruses, spyware, and hacking threats. Once the scan is finished, “PC Securtiy computes a security index and provides tips on improving PC security.” The best part? The download is completely free.

The 12 resources in this article are designed to make you aware of the many potential weak spots in your system’s security. Information is power, so now that you know where you need to upgrade, we encourage you to go out and repair some of the chinks you’ve discovered in your computer’s armor.

By Christina Laun

Many individuals and business are doing their part to help the environment by using more energy efficient electronics, printing less, and recycling more. Yet it’s hard to be truly environmentally friendly when your web servers are emitting CO₂ around the clock to keep your website up and running. A growing number of hosting services are becoming aware of the huge impact they have on the environment and have taken measures to counteract their effect.

While going green may cost these companies a little more, the cost isn’t always passed along to the consumer. Most environmentally friendly web hosting services are competitively priced, allowing you to save money and your guilty conscience at the same time. These are a few of the companies that have taken the pledge to go green.

1. Rackspace:
   Rackspace is one of the UK’s leading web hosting providers. Because of their leadership, they are taking the initiative to become carbon neutral. Rackspace has opted to offset its energy usage by partnering with The International Tree Foundation, a charity that plants and preserves trees all over the world. For every server that Rackspace uses, a tree will be planted. At the current rate, this amounts to 200-300 new servers and trees a month. Rackspace has also vowed to help limit the amount of paperwork and direct mail they print and send.
2. WebHostingBuzz:
   WebHostingBuzz has, like Rackspace, formed a partnership with the International Tree Foundation to help offset the carbon dioxide emissions of the electricity they use. They are providing funds to a number of tree plantation projects worldwide.
3. Sustainable Hosting:
   Sustainable Hosting takes pride in being an environmentally responsible hosting company. Sustainable Hosting is powered in part by wind generated electricity, a renewable and more preferable source of energy than those that rely on fossil fuels. Presently, Sustainable Hosting purchases 23,364 kilowatt hours of wind energy each year. According to their calculations, this adds up to 32,521 pounds of CO₂ that have been prevented from entering the atmosphere, an amount that would take over 12 acres of trees to offset.
4. Coreix:
   Coreix is a UK-based hosting center that has taken steps to offset their carbon footprint. Coreix has partnered with the World Land Trust, a conservation charity, to help carry out the plans for their offset. On their behalf, the World Land Trust will work to repair degraded forests in Ecuador. This allows Coreix to not only take CO₂ out of the atmosphere, but also provide more habitat for wildlife.
5. DreamHost:
   DreamHost has not only taken into consideration the energy they use running their servers, but also the gas they use driving to work and the paper they use in their office to calculate how to offset their carbon emissions. While DreamHost doesn’t have the option to be directly powered by the wind or sun, they have opted to purchase what are called “Renewable Energy Credits.” The proceeds from thesecredits go towards funding renewable energy projects. Additionally, DreamHost is purchasing more energy efficient servers and processors.
6. HostPapa:
   HostPapa offsets their carbon emissions by purchasing green, renewable wind and sun energy to power their data center, servers, office and computers. This doesn’t mean they are powered directly by these sources, but that their total energy usage is offset by power from these sources being pumped back into the larger power grid when it otherwise would have had to have come from a less green source. They estimate that they have prevented over 10,000 pounds of CO ₂ from entering the environment by making this simple investment in cleaner technology.
7. TigerTech:
   TigerTech is a Northern California hosting company that has chosen to offset its carbon output in a variety of ways. TigerTech only purchases products with the EnergyStar rating, uses fluorescent lights, and encourages its employees to conserve energy by turning off anything not in use. Additionally, TigerTech makes a donation each year to the CarbonFund, a renewable energy program, to offset the electricity that they use. This money is used to fund zero-emission energy programs.
8. Iron Mountain:
   Iron Mountain is one of few solar powered web hosts. They have teamed up with solar energy company Value Solar to make their data center entirely powered by the sun. You can be sure that any energy they use will be coming from a clean and renewable source.
9. AISO:
   AISO has followed in the footsteps of Iron Mountain and chosen to power their entire hosting center with a system of 120 solar panels. They’ve also designed their offices with solar tubes to use outside light during the day and have invested in servers that use less than half of the energy required by a normal server.
10. Ilisys:
    Ilisys is based in Australia, the largest producer of greenhouse gases among developed nations. They’ve taken steps to start reducing their contribution. Ilisys gets its energy from renewable wind and solar power sources in Australia. They also donate to the CarbonNeutral program. Carbon Neutral plants trees on their behalf to help offset any additional CO₂ emissions produced by car and air travel.
11. AcornHost:
    AcornHost is another web hosting company that helps offset the emissions by purchasing green certificates. These allow renewable energy to make up a larger part of the total energy used by the larger power grid, and help invest in new innovations in renewable energy technology.

If you’re serious about reducing the carbon output of your business, using a carbon neutral web host can be a big step toward achieving that goal. Whichever service you choose, you can be proud of the fact that that you’re doing your part to support a more earth friendly Internet.

By Laura Milligan

If you’ve ever tried to design a website or blog, you’ve probably felt the need to add images to your creation. It can be easy to see the Internet as a free-for-all, but images belong to the people who created them. Staying legal means you’ll have to either create your own images or buy them from stock sites. Fortunately, there are a number of sources for free images, and we’ve collected them here. So read on for 100 sources where you can find free stock images: and don’t worry — they’re all legal!

Most Popular

These resources are some of the most popular free stock image sites on the Web and with good reason. If you’re looking for some mainstream images, these are the first place to try.

1. FreeFoto: FreeFoto.com claims to be “the largest collection of free photographs on the Internet.” They’re available for offline projects as well, as long as you’re not using them to make a profit.
2. KAVEWALL: Look for images and textures in unique categories like tattoo, smoke, and food.
3. Digital Dreamer: Free, royalty-free stock images can be found here.
4. Free Photos Bank: This features a handful of the newest photos in their directory, so check back often.
5. Free Digital Photos: Find gorgeous, easy-to-download photographs in categories like animals, celebrations, home & garden, and lots more.
6. PD Photo: Browse through the categories and subcategories in this site’s database, most of which depict the urban and rural landscapes of the United States.
7. Visipix: Search over a million photographs and fine art pieces.
8. Cepolina: On cepolina, you can choose to save photos in up to five different formats.
9. DexHaus: A wide array of beautiful images are found on this well-organized site.
10. FreeStockImages.net: Chances are you’ll find whatever it is you’re looking for on this terrific site.
11. TurboPhoto: TurboPhoto has 10 categories keep the high res photos easy to find.
12. Yotophoto: An immensely popular site, Yotophoto is worth checking out.
13. Stockvault: Search by photo subject or by the newest and most popular photos on Stockvault.
14. Dreamstime: While most of the photos on this site cost a fee (some as low as $0.26/image), Dreamstime provides a few free stock photos.
15. Open Stock Photography: This site offers over one million images for you to download and use however you want.

Community-Powered Content

In addition to being a great source of images, these sites host forums, file sharing and other features designed to nurture community spirit.

16. Image After: Search tons of free photos on this site while meeting other photography lovers on the forum.
17. Unprofound.com: Use the images however you want, just make sure you let them know where you’ve published it!
18. Font Play: This site has nearly 10,000 free photos for you to use any way you want. Look under the “Guests” heading to search by your favorite contributor.
19. Studio 25: This attractive site lets you upload and search images.
20. Vintage Pixels: Share your archived photos with other users. Download images that work for your Web site or blog.
21. Abstract Influence: Search for the stock images you want while talking about photography with other visitors on the site’s forum.
22. amygdela’s atmosphere: This site hosts a forum and a blog, as well as tons of stock images.
23. Every Stock Photo: A forum and blog keep this stock image site fun and informative.
24. Photocase: The good people at Photocase are “prettying up the world.” Check out their great library of stock images.
25. deviantART: Provocative photos spawn great debates on the site’s forum.

Artists Welcome

It’s probably pretty safe to say that every stock image site on the Web needs the help of photographers to keep it running. The following sites, however, really cater to the needs of photographers, designers, and other artists even though they’re donating their photos for free.

26. Stock.xchng: Check out the gorgeous shots organized into lots of different categories, making your search as easy as possible.
27. Morguefile: Browse thousands of beautiful photos in this site’s archives, but don’t miss their job board either!
28. Woophy: This site organizes photographs by geographical location. Enter into their contest for a chance to win great prizes.
29. The NOAA Library: Breathtaking science and nature shots are available at this site. Don’t forget to check out the “Meet the Photographers” page which includes short bios and descriptions of the featured photogs.
30. Pixel Perfect Digital: Get tons of free stock images and read the latest in photography news.
31. Free Range Stock: Photographers are rewarded for giving away their pictures by getting a percentage of the site’s total ad revenue.
32. AMG Media: As long as you give credit to the photographer somewhere on your site, these images are yours for the taking.
33. Free Photographs Network: Submit photographs for others to see, or download some for your own use.
34. FreePhotos.com: If you’re a photographer, submit your best pictures for a chance to win cool prizes.
35. PhotoRogue.com: If you can’t find a picture of anything you want, go to PhotoRogue.com and make a request for whatever it is you’re thinking of. Photographers will take pictures for you — and it’s still free!
36. Graphicsarena.com: Submit your photos for consideration.
37. Fotogenika: Send in your photos for other visitors to use on their personal sites.
38. Image Temple: Send in your own photos to be included in this site’s gallery.
39. Flickr: Most of the photos on this site are not free, but a clever search will turn up some real goodies.
40. FreeLargePhotos.com: Downloaders must link their chosen photo back to the site, which gives the photographer credit.

Less is Sometimes More

Just because the sites listed in this section aren’t as expansive as some of the others on our list doesn’t mean they’re not worth checking out. Sometimes less can really means more, especially when it comes to narrowing down your search or coming across hard-to-find treasures.

41. Mayang’s Free Texture Library: Download high-res textures from this site, which has categories like architecture, buildings, plants, wood, and stone.
42. Liam’s Pictures from Old Books: Discover hard-to-find illustrations from old books, “most with multiple high-resolution versions.”
43. Texture Warehouse: Find interesting textures at this great site.
44. Free Stock Photos: Nature shots and religious themes are abundant at this free stock photography site.
45. BurningWell: Totally free images are organized into categories like animals, bugs, cityscapes, people, plants, and textures.
46. Design Packs: New images and themes are added monthly, so this site may not be a well kept secret too much longer!
47. Amazing Textures: This site is a web designer’s dream. Browse hundreds of high res textures and backgrounds.
48. Aarin Free Photo and Digital Images: These site boasts nearly 1,000 fantastic images for you to choose from.
49. Image Base: On Image Base, breathtaking photographs are organized in categories like nature, concept, people, and city.
50. Majestic Imagery: All the photos on this site were taken by the host.
51. diwiesign studio: All the images are free, but if you’re a frequent user, you might want to consider making a donation to this photo entrepreneur.
52. Zurb Photos: Photographer Bryan Zmijewski uploads his own images onto this site.
53. tOfz.org: Find urban images for free, but consider making a contribution to this artist’s cause.
54. LIGHTmatter: These gorgeous photos were all taken by the same artist, who also hosts the Web site.
55. Insect Images: Find all kinds of photos of creepy crawlers here.

Stock Images Plus

There is a lot more to legal stock images than just a bank of free photos. The sites in this section all go beyond being a basic stock photography resource by offering more services that will help improve your search for and use of stock images.

56. Creative Commons: This nonprofit site shows you how to license your images once they’ve been uploaded onto your site.
57. Free Images: This British site offers free images as well as wallpapers, desktops, and a section of ideas and tips that will help you customize your image experience, whether you’re a photographer or not.
58. Creating Online: This stock images site is an excellent resource for any new blogger or Web site developer. Learn about editing your images, hosting, domains, and more.
59. ArtFavor: Find stock images, fonts, sounds, flash clipart, and more, are all on this terrific site.
60. Geek Philosopher: Find hilarious and beautiful stock images side by side. Also check out the site’s blog and web hosting capabilities.
61. Gimp Savvy: In addition to finding great images, Gimp Savvy also gives tips on photo touchups, making a collage, and more.
62. Creativity 103: Find free abstract images and videos on Creativity 103.
63. Afflict.net: Search photos and textures while learning about images in the tutorials section.
64. One Odd Dude: Download photographs, wallpapers, textures, and more on One Odd Dude.
65. Discover: Search for your favorite subjects or web sites, and hundreds of free icons, stock images, and other designs will appear.
66. Photoshop Support: On Photoshop Support, browse photos, read the tutorials, and check out the great imaging tools.
67. AncestryImages.com: Search antique portraits and use the geneaology resources link to connect you to even more tools.
68. Free Media Goo: Download free stock images, audio, and video on Free Media Goo.
69. National Park Service Digital Image Archive: Check out beautiful pictures taken for the NPS. This site also provides a link to the NPS official site.
70. <New York Public Library Digital Gallery: Browse through thousands of prints, illustrations, and photos. Read the photographic services and permissions page for more information on downloading high-res files.

Miscellaneous

These image sites don’t necessarily fit into one particular category, but they’ve still got a lot to offer.

71. Backgrounds Archive: Find beautiful backgrounds for your desktop or MySpace page.
72. USDA Agricultural Research Service: The government’s Agricultural Research Service sponsors this “complimentary source of high quality digital photographs.”
73. Holy Land Photos: Poignant photos of the Holy Land are available here.
74. Stockcache.com: This site makes organizing your downloads easy.
75. Four Bees: Browse through the stock images directory, or download royalty free music and video on Four Bees.
76. Clipmarks: Search for free stock images with this handy tool.
77. Yellowstone Digital Slide File: These beautiful shots of Yellowstone National Park are available for use by the media and public.
78. Plants of Hawaii: Perfect for any botanist, this site has over 45,000 images of Hawaiian plants.
79. Microshots: This site specializes in microscopic images.
80. IN TEXTURE: Free stock textures are plentiful on this site.
81. Trip Album: This site is all in French, but the photos are divided into categories based on country, making it easy to figure out.
82. Orange Trash: Find pictures about Hungary on this Web site.
83. Public domain stock photos: Browse categories like backgrounds, food, nature, objects, and seasonal on this site.
84. BAJstock: Written in both French and English, this stock image site has tons of photos for you to use for free.
85. NWYK Stock Image Library: This hilarious site provides free images that capture the drudgery and playfulness of office life.

General

These stock image sites offer a wide range of photo subjects, perfect for casual browsing or a way to get ideas before you plan out your site.

86. Public Domain Photos: Check out these gorgeous pictures of animals, cities, landscapes, and more.
87. Bigfoto.com: Find photos of beautiful places all around the world, as well as fun shots in the Christmas, grafitti, or food categories
88. Photogen: Look through the Top 10 gallery to find the most popular downloads in a preview-friendly thumbnail format.
89. Free Pixels: Find free photos, logos, or other images on this site.
90. DHD Multimedia Gallery: Search through thousands of basic photos.
91. PIX: This site is so easy, you don’t even have to register to download.
92. Photo Rack: New photos are featured at the bottom of the page, so check back often to make sure you don’t miss anything great.
93. Free Stock Photos: On Free Stock Photos, each image comes with a description detailing its size.
94. Barry’s Free Photos: This is a great site for finding all different kinds of images for your Web site.
95. Cromavista: This site is all in Spanish but still easy to navigate if you’re not a native speaker.
96. IronOrchid: Several different categories allow for an efficient search on IronOrchid.
97. Image Blowout: Have fun looking through these unique photos.
98. FreeImages.com: Tons of categories and subcategories make searching for photos on this site simple.
99. ilovefreePhoto: This fun, attractive site makes searching for that perfect photo a little less frustrating.
100. Free Photo Station: Loads of great photos are all free on this site.

By Jessica Hupp

The heavily-hyped iPhone has been out for over two months now, and it’s still going strong. If you’re a developer, you may be wondering how you can get in on the party. Read on to find guidelines, tools, and other useful resources that will help you get your application on Apple’s newest creation.

The Lowdown

Due to security and stability concerns, Apple hasn’t made it terribly easy for developers to get on the iPhone. In fact, they’ve officially ruled out any native applications, even though there are unofficial ways to get around that. That does not, however, mean that there’s no hope for third-party iPhone apps, as applications can run on the Safari web platform. There has been speculation that this arrangement may change in the future, but for now, you should develop with the assumption that you’re relying on Safari.

See What Others Are Doing

You’re not alone. There are quite a few third-party iPhone app pioneers out there already, and for the most part, they’ve done a great job. For a little inspiration, take a look at some of the successful iPhone apps that are running right now.

• ApolloIM: ApolloIM puts AIM-style instant messaging on the iPhone.
• Scorekeeper: Keep score with this simple us vs. them app.
• Loud is Relative: Users can look up events in their zip code. This app is integrated with Google Maps and phone call features.
• Tip Calculator: Maybe you’ve had a little too much to drink, and you’re just not up to doing math in your head. With the Tip Calculator, all you have to do is worry about hitting the right numbers.
• MyBudge: With MyBudge, you can track your spending and budgets on the go.
• Car Payment Calculator: Do your own math when you’re at the dealership with this useful application.
• gOffice: With gOffice, you can create Word documents, email, snail mail, and more.

Development Guidelines

When developing an app for the iPhone, there are a number of things you should keep in mind. Apple has put together an extensive guide for iPhone developers. Here are the highlights.

• Be Safari compatible: This one’s pretty obvious, as web-based apps will clearly run on iPhone’s Safari browser, but remember that this compatibility is essential.
• Design for fingers, not mice: iPhone users tap, not click, so make sure you keep this input in mind. Leave room for fat-fingered users and consider designing for different capabilities, like pinching.
• Throw windows out the window: iPhone’s Safari has no windows, so users can’t resize or move browser windows. Instead, content is automatically scaled down, and users can zoom in.
• Double taps: When an iPhone user double-taps, Safari finds the closest block and responds appropriately. Because of this, you’ll need to consider your layout carefully, focusing on columns and organized sections rather than wide text blocks.
• Go with what you already know: If you’re ambitious enough to design an app for the iPhone, we’re going to assume you already know the basics of web standards. Stick with what you’re currently doing and you’ll be well on your way to looking good on the iPhone.
• Take advantage of integration: Make your app play nicely with others by adding code that activates phone calls, Google Maps, email, and other useful features.
• Consider style sheets: You can create a style sheet just for the iPhone, but make sure that you set the query as “screen,” because the iPhone will ignore print and handheld media queries.
• Ditch your friends Java and Flash: The iPhone does not support Java, Flash, or downloads, so forget about it.
• Stay small: Resources must be less than 10 MB, whether they’re CSS, JavaScript, HTML, or anything else. Also keep in mind that JavaScript execution times out after 5 seconds.

Useful Tools

Get a boost from these helpful tools that make designing for the iPhone just a little bit easier.

• iPhoney: With iPhoney, you can get a 320 x 480 pixel canvas to see how your app will look on the iPhone’s small scale.
• Scriptor: Morfik’s Scriptor utility, which is built into the WebOS AppsBuilder platform, can be used to develop iPhone applications.
• Firebug Debugger Plugin: Firefox users can take advantage of this tool to extract style sheets from iPhone apps.
• QuickTime Pro v7.2: With QuickTime’s Export command, you can prepare videos for iPhone’s Wi-Fi and EDGE networks.
• Aptana IDE with iPhone Development Plugin: Get preview support, starter files, Ajax library imports, and more with this plugin.
• iPhone Interface: This JavaScript tool lets you see how your app will perform on the iPhone.
• JavaScript and Spec Benchmark: While not a “tool,” we’re sure you’ll find John Murch’s information very useful for iPhone testing.

Get the Word Out

Let people know your application exists by listing with these popular iPhone app communities.

• Applists: Users can find and save their favorite iPhone apps using this website and tool.
• iPhone Widget List: Join the ranks of other feed readers, launchers and games on this list of iPhone widgets.
• iPhone Phinds: Like a Digg for iPhones, this site brings social media and iPhone news together better than ever.
• iPhone Application List: Get added to this list and discuss your creation on the forum.

By Christina Laun

For most bloggers, the bigger the audience the better. And when it comes to building up a regular readership, it’s hard to argue against the benefits of a fast loading blog. For both daily subscribers and one-time traffic spikes from sites like Digg, it’s vital for the growth and reputation of your blog to ensure that you always bring the bacon. Follow these steps to keep your WordPress blog at the top of its game.

1. Use gzip compression.
   You can optimize your blog with gzip compression. Simply access your WordPress Admin Panel and go to Options. From there, select Reading, which should present you with the option of compression. Gzip compression can help your page load faster, use less bandwidth, and in certain circumstances, be beneficial to SEO as well.
2. Get rid of unnecessary plugins.
   You can give your WordPress a little speed boost by removing all inactivated or less useful plugins thatyou may have hanging out in your folder.
3. Adjust your WP built-in cache.
   Your WordPress blog can get a substantial boost in speed from a very simple adjustment. WordPress automatically caches many types of database queries as files on your disk, which can bog down your CPU. Simply go to your wp-config.php and change the following:

   //Enable the WordPress Object Cache:
   define(ENABLE_CACHE, true);

   The resulting improvement should be noticeable and it will only take a few minutes to change.

4. Get the WP-Cache2 plugin.
   Instead of using built-in WordPress caching, try out this useful plugin. It’s can make your site more efficient, responsive, and noticeably faster.
5. Nix comment reporting plugins.
   Comment reporting plugins are notorious wasters of server energy. While they can be useful, they suck up loads of valuable time and memory. If you can do without, get rid of these kinds of plugins altogether. If you simply can’t bear to not know every time someone comments on your blog, make sure the reports are being cached with WP-Cache.
6. Clean up PHP: php.ini.
   PHP is full of tons of small modules that need to load and take up valuable time. You can reduce the amount of time this takes by accessing /etc/php.ini. From there, you can disable any extensions you aren’t using and maximize your PHP.
7. Accelerate your PHP Opcode Cache.
   Instead of waiting for your scripts to recompile, you can use a program like eAccelerator, which caches scripts in their compiled state. It can shave a significant amount off of the time it takes for your blog to load.
8. Edit your Apache httpd.conf.
   Your blog can get bogged down loading modules you’re not using, but changing your Apache settings can help. There are many how-to guides out there that can help you maximize the performance of this software.
9. Set reasonable timeouts.
   Setting reasonable Apache timeouts can help you keep any individual thread or connection from monopolizing the system and bringing all other incoming queries down. Setting the timeout to a reasonable time limit like 30 seconds can help eliminate this problem and keep your blog speedy.
10. Tweak your query cache.
    The query cache is designed to save the results of queries, but slight changes in these queries aren’t compiled and can create multiple cache entries for very similar requests. Using the WP-Cache plugin can help to speed this up, but you can also change the settings of your cache to avoid creating these multiple entries that can slow you down.
11. Check your MySQL key cache.
    Check out your key cache in MySQL to see how yours is functioning. Ideally, the ratio of actual reads of your blog to requested reads should be in the range of 1:10. If it’s not, you can increase your key buffer.
12. Optimize the MySQL thread cache.
    Every time MYSQL processes a request, it creates a new thread, or on some systems, forks. Some of these threads get stored and become part of your cache. In order to speed up the process, you can up the cache until the process is only left to making a few new threads. This will keep you from using up memory to create thousands of threads.
13. Choose the right webhost.
    While having your own top of the line dedicated server is nice, not everyone can afford it. There are less expensive options that will give you dependable hosting andkeep your blog up and running smoothly.
14. Employ mirroring.
    You can keep your WordPress blog from going offline by employing mirroring. Mirroring your content is very simple’ just sign up for a system like Corel Content Distribution Network. These mirrors do have bandwidth limits, so it’s probably a good idea to make more than one.
15. Get better hardware.
    If you’re running your blog on an old, outdated PC, you’re asking for trouble. While you don’t necessarily need a top-of-the-line machine to run your blog, it doesn’t hurt to have a system that gives you a little room to breathe. Consider adding extra RAM to speed things up, or if you have the funds, invest in a faster CPU.
16. Use up-to-date software.
    While it may seem pretty obvious, make sure you’re using the newest version of any software you work with. Often, improvements have been made that can greatly speed up the performance of the program.
17. Maximize your server architecture.
    The amount of traffic your blog gets can determine the best way to set up your server. For some, it may be better to run everything on one box, but for others, splitting up the components into different boxes can speed things up.

Before you try out any of these tweaks, try using a program like Pingdom that can provide you with a detailed analysis of your blog’s loading time and performance. Then, you can easily evaluate how much time you’ve saved by using any of these suggestions.

By Laura Milligan
Okay, so you’re smart. Unbelievably smart. You know how to set up Web sites and develop whole software programs while the rest of us are stuck trying to download a new browser. What most people don’t realize, though, is that coders and programmers are a pretty sexy group of guys and girls who just happen to know a lot about computer technology. Everyone could use a little help in the dating and sex department, however, so we’ve compiled this list to help you get lucky in the bedroom – as well as the chatroom.

1. Only hang out with other programmers.

   As if anyone else is really worth your time. Who else understands the importance of the new JavaScript updates or the appeal of disemboweling a new Mac notebook? Going out to a bar or club packed with hot, sweaty dancers in revealing clothing is not the way to form a lasting relationship. Instead, sit in your friend’s basement and drink cases of ale while you count down the number of days until the SxSW conference or play Bill Gates: the Early Years trivia games.

   Practice speaking in your own language made up of obscure programming symbols that only you know how to articulate. If you do happen to go out in public, everyone else will be so wowed by your inside jokes and intricate server understanding that they might just overlook the fact that you haven’t bathed in nineteen days.

2. Act superior because you know who Linus Torvalds is.

   You also know how to perform even the most obscure input and output challenges, and you torment those who can barely plug in their modems correctly - as if learning everything about computer programming is that difficult. Anyone who has enough passion to stay up into the wee hours of the morning memorizing fascinating timelines and cracking codes would understand whatever it is you’re talking about. Cryptanalysis through quantum computing is your passion, baby! Behaving like a snob will get you lots of attention, because it makes everyone want to be just like you. They wish!

3. Never leave the house (unless you are going to meet other computer programmers).

   Everyone knows the opposite sex is turned on by mystery. Act the part of the dark, enigmatic stranger, and you’ll be fighting off hotties left and right. Click on this Web site for cool tips on how to be mysterious. We’ve also found that the easiest way to create intrigue is to stay shut up in your home for hours, even days on end, emerging only to do your hunting, er, grocery shopping or to attend a web programmers’ party. It’s best to sneak around after dark, eliminating the chances of someone actually spotting you - except your sexy stalkers, of course, who have just been waiting for you to come out into the open. If you do bump into one of your stalkers by mistake, look away immediately and do not speak. Feign cool disregard while you sneak a peek at them gawking after you. Heh heh. You’re so bad.

4. Avoid sunlight at all costs.

   Pale is in, people, hasn’t anyone been watching Conan O’Brien? Extreme sunlight damages your sensitive skin, and besides, a deep tan will make you look common. If you have to step outside during the day, pull your socks up to your knees, wear a protective flannel over shirt, and top it all off with your grandmother’s gardening hat. Your future hookup will love you for your soft, smooth, milky white flesh. Elizabethan royalty prided themselves in having the whitest skin possible, and who doesn’t strive to be as cool as Elizabethan royalty?

5. Remain viciously territorial of all software you designed, Web sites you developed, or revolutionary new ideas you harbor.

   Once something makes it onto the Web, everyone thinks they have the right to assume partial ownership. The truth is somebody worked long and hard to make it possible for you to order pizza online or set up Google Adsense on your worthless little blog. The moment you hear anyone try to take credit for his or her own Web site, challenge them on the spot and quiz them on how they formatted their source or how they managed to solve the frustrating problem of float bugs. You’ll win major points with your date for sticking up for yourself and being a confident brainiac. There’s nothing sexier than being armed with knowledge.

6. Make fun of your date’s “cool new computer.”

   If you actually get the chance to be invited to a guy or girl’s house (!!!), the first thing you should do is check out their computer system. How many computers do they have? Desktop or laptop? PC or Mac? If he or she is excited to show off a new computer, act suspicious. Unless your date is also a computer programmer, they are probably light years behind in the newest technology. Too bad they don’t know how outdated that “brand new” computer really is. When did they buy it anyway? 6 months ago? What a moron. Point out everything dysfunctional about their system and how much money they wasted on a worthless piece of junk. They will appreciate your honesty someday.

7. Wear a backpack as high on your back as possible.

   And don’t forget to fasten the straps around your stomach. If you must leave the house, best to take everything with you. You never know when some technologically retarded sellout is going to need your help designing a Web page for his daughter’s wedding photos. Humiliating, yes, but it does pay your bills. Stuffed full of laptops, batteries, chargers, reference manuals, and bananas, you are going to need to wear that red vinyl pack as high as possible to avoid straining your weak back. Your practicality and attention to personal health will attract a surprising number of younger guys or girls, who still find it appropriate to flirt with you by pointing and laughing. Its okay, they’re just jealous and unsure of how to approach a stud like you.

8. Publicize how erotically charged you get every time you unwrap a new piece of software or computer accessory.

   Moan and perhaps even lick your new gift as you take it out of the box. Once you start to play with it for the first time, cradle it in your hands and pet each surface, really taking in its beauty and the supple coolness of the hard, plastic exterior. Others will take note of your sensual prowess and may even become aroused themselves. If you’re that charged with sexual energy, you’re going to need an outlet…and fast. You want a partner to accompany you on the love ride, and they can’t really assume that you’d prefer to take along the new Yoggie Gatekeeper Pro…or would you?

9. Constantly talk about the newest conferences coming up and how excited you are to go.

   Post your itinerary for the SxSW festival on your blog so that you can meet up with all your followers and sign autographs. If you’re really a diehard blogger, see if you can set up a booth where your fans can converge and review the best (and worst) seminars you’ve attended. Arrange to meet your other programming friends at the hotel two days in advance so that you’re guaranteed a good spot in line. If you can, order the conference t-shirts before you go so that you can arrive in town proudly displaying your computer infatuation. As tip #1 states, continue to only hang out in large groups of other computer programmers, as this will show everyone that you are in fact a social computer programmer, not a loser computer programmer who sits in his basement all year.

10. Wear the same Star Trek shirt every single day.

    Since you’re generally not allowed to walk around naked in public, this is probably the sexiest thing that you, as a computer programmer, can do to get someone to want to have sex with you. He or she will think you’re adorable, quirky, and original. Wearing the same thing everyday might seem a little repetitive, but at least you’re no tool. In a stifling sea of pink popped collars, a Captain Kirk “Risk is our Business” t-shirt is a breath of fresh air. If the sexy young thing you’ve been eyeing hasn’t caught on to your anti-establishment originality, don’t be afraid to brag a little. Whisper in their ear: “You know, I haven’t changed my clothes in eight days. And yes, that means I haven’t washed them either!”

Don’t be overwhelmed. Just remember: the fact that you’re a computer programmer means you’re already halfway there. Your occupation and love for computers and all their small little parts makes you a huge turn on to the opposite sex. If you adapt each of these tips to your own personal programming lives, you’ll be on the road to sweet lovin’ in no time.

By Jessica Hupp

Amazon isn’t just a marketplace anymore. With Amazon Web Services, you can go beyond picking out a new toaster and experience innovative applications that can help you to better run your website. Check out these 10 creative ways to put Amazon Web Services to work for you.

1. Survive the Digg effect

   By now, you’re probably familiar with the Digg effect. Your site makes the front page of Digg and you become subject to loads of traffic from users that don’t contribute much more than a server crash. The exposure is great, but it’s a headache for those that prefer to keep their site online.

   So how does Amazon Web Services help you survive a Digg traffic spike? According to Theron Parlin, CTO of Geezeo, it’s all in Amazon Web Services’ storage and processing power. They have Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2), a tool that allows you to create as many new server instances as you want. You create a new server, modify it, upload your website, and can create an image of your newly-configured server. Parlin explains, “This is the “elastic” part of the “compute cloud”. Whenever you need more juice, there it is, simply turn it up to 11. Then, when you no longer need it, no problem, you can turn it right back down again.” This feature is especially useful when faced with a surge of Digg traffic.

   Another helpful facet of Amazon’s Web Services is Simple Storage Service (S3). The simple part about it is that it’s simply unlimited. If you pair this storage with a load balancer, you’ll have a solution that routes web requests through your multiple Amazon servers. By routing your traffic through different servers, you save yourself the strain of attempting to use a single server that will likely fail under the immense traffic.

   Parlin recommends using Firefox plugins EC2 UI and S3 Organizer for administration of these two great features from Amazon Web Services.

2. Inexpensive file hosting

   Amazon’s S3 helps with more than just Digg spikes. With its unlimited storage, website owners have the opportunity to stash their multimedia files at a fraction of the cost.

   Chris Pirillo points out that files like images and videos are normally expensive to transmit to users. At $.015 per GB of storage, Amazon’s Simple Storage Service is truly affordable and rivals most if not all other hosting solutions out there.

   Amazon offers a unique pricing structure for data transfers, with transfers in currently pegged at $0.10 per GB and transfers out starting at $0.18 per GB. Transfers out become cheaper once you hit 10 TB. You’ll only be charged for transfers in and out of S3, not for data transferred between S3 and EC2. Pair that with the fact that with this pay as you go service, you’ll never pay for a larger package than you need, Amazon could be your best bet for multimedia storage.

3. Host your application

   With Amazon’s affordable hosting and simple API, it makes perfect sense to use them to host your web application. Applications like Webmail and SmugMug are already doing so.

   Webmail, an email hosting company, turned to Amazon Web Services for better reliability as well as cost. They were able to cut their costs by 75% using Amazon’s S3, Simple Queue Service and EC2. Webmail touts Amazon’s services as a shift from “do-it-yourself to let-the-experts-do-it.”

   SmugMug, an online photo storage application, uses the Amazon S3 capability to its fullest. They store and serve massive amounts of media with Amazon using their pay as you go pricing. By the end of this year, SmugMug will have probably saved half a million dollars in storage costs, which allows them to provide their service at a fraction of the cost and realize higher profits.

4. Provide pricing information

   The Internet is a great resource for comparison shopping, and Amazon makes that easy. You could search by hand for pricing information, but you don’t have to anymore. Instead, Amazon offers Web Services users access to their product data and historical pricing from the last three years.

   Scanbuy realized how this could help their business grow. They use Amazon’s eCommerce API to provide users with comparison shopping information on mobile phones. With the API, Scanbuy users are able to look up prices on the phone of their choice by scanning an item’s barcode.

5. Thumbnail other sites

   Whether you’re linking, offering search results, or simply discussing a website, you may want to provide a thumbnail of the site’s homepage on your site. Amazon has made this not only possible, but easy, using Alexa Site Thumbnail. With this service, you can allow users to preview a site before deciding to visit it.

   Like Amazon’s hosting solutions, this service is on a pay as you go basis. Users are charged at a rate of $0.0002 per thumbnail returned. Plus, if you request a thumbnail that doesn’t exist, you won’t have to pay for it. Even better, any thumbnail image you request that does not exist yet will be automatically made available within 24 hours. Images can be utilized with code that can retrieve up to twenty images at once, and they’re available in sizes of 147×201 pixels and 82×111 pixels.

6. Create a merchant website

   Amazon has opened up the technologies that they’ve always used to run their merchant website and made them available to Amazon Web Services users. Essentially, they are “rent[ing] out just about everything it uses to run its own business, from rack space in its 10 million square feet of warehouses worldwide to spare computing capacity on its thousands of servers, data storage on its disk drives, and even some of the millions of lines of software code it has written to coordinate all that.”

   With this availability, you can use Amazon’s eCommerce Service to set up your own online store. You’ll have Amazon’s product information, history and structure to help you out. You can sell as an Amazon affiliate, or just use their knowledge to grow your own store.

7. Store customer information on the cheap

   Blogger Thomas Anglero points out that telco providers like Vodafone spend “tens of millions of dollars per month storing customer type data in each of its international companies.” Instead of using their own resources to store this data, they could instead use Amazon’s S3 storage to take a load off and save lots of money.

   This application can extend to virtually any online service. Message boards, email providers, news sites and other service sites can benefit from Amazon’s cheap data storage. What’s more, providers don’t have to worry about monitoring and supporting their own equipment as long as Amazon is looking over things for them.

8. Track website statistics

   Amazon’s Alexa Web Information Service opens users up to an opportunity to access statistics and analytics for web sites. Net Applications‘ HitLinks has already taken advantage of it. Using Amazon’s Alexa XML data feed, Net Applications is able to provide details on web statistics that its competitors do not. This has allowed them to differentiate themselves from other services and succeed in their business.

   You can use Alexa data similarly. Instead of paying to use a statistic service, you can take advantage of the Amazon Web Service. Additionally, Amazon Web Service users can create a business like HitLinks, organizing Alexa data and offering it to others for profit.

9. Offer storage and replication to clients

   Amazon’s S3 storage offers seemingly limitless possibilities. SmartSheet realized what Amazon storage could provide and have used it to improve their business. They use Amazon’s cheap storage to store customer-created documents while ensuring security and reliability for their content. Amazon’s scalability has been especially helpful, allowing SmartSheet to grow along with their customer base.

   Other Amazon Web Services users can take advantage of S3 storage just like SmartSheet. Essentially, you can set up a website in which customers pay you to store their projects and data. You’ll be able to provide this service at a very low cost and realize profit thanks to Amazon’s low storage costs. Paired with EC2, which allows you to replicate servers, you can offer ready-made databases, websites and storage to clients as well.

10. Connect freelancers to tasks

    Podcasting is a popular form of media, but it’s not as accessible as simple written words. As a result, some users are not able to enjoy them, or worse, search engines can’t find them. The easy solution is to transcribe the audio into text, but it could be costly and time consuming to do it on your own. Fortunately, Amazon’s Mechanical Turk makes finding quick, cheap podcast transcription possible.

    The Mechanical Turk API offers a way to use human intelligence tasks in processing. That means companies like CastingWords can upload podcasts to their Mechanical Turk site and allow freelance transcribers to download and complete the task based on the listing.

    Mechanical Turk enables businesses of all types to connect freelancers with tasks. This could be used for translation services, writing, programming and more.

Amazon Web Services open up numerous opportunities to small businesses, large industry, and personal users alike. Check out what they have to offer and consider how they can improve on your needs.

By Peter Poffenberger

Competition on the web is fierce and getting more ruthless by the day. Some webmasters have resorted to using dirty tricks, known as “Google bowling,” to sabotage competing websites. Arm yourself with knowledge and protect your site from these techniques that may be used to undermine your site’s reputation.

1. Who’s That Annoying Spammer?Leaving thoughtful comments on blogs that relate to your site is an effective way to build your online reputation and develop relationships with other webmasters. Of course, leaving spammy comments will have the opposite effect, leading webmasters and Google spiders to believe that you’re exploiting them. A competitor can use a spam script that will leave your URL in thousands of blog comments and forums. This will diminish the quality of your backlink footprint as well as damage your professional reputation.
2. Getting Your Domain Banned in Social Media:Popular social media sites are increasingly advanced at filtering out spam. Netscape doesn’t hesitate to ban URLs that it regards as spammy, and while Digg and Reddit are more reluctant to ban a URL, they generally make it impossible for flagged URLs to see any traffic. Unfortunately, it’s fairly simple for competitors to sabotage your domains simply by creating a username and repeatedly submitting your worst content. They can accelerate the process by registering a few accounts at each site using the same IP and then voting for your content using their multiple accounts. Most social media sites will think that you’re trying to artificially promote your content and automatically flag or ban your domain from their system.
3. Spammy Link Buying:There are a number of terrible link farms left over from the nineties that every search engine has flagged as major spam producers. By submitting your site to these link farms, a competitor can destroy the quality of your backlink footprint, and thus lower your trust ranking. This trust ranking determines how high you end up in the search engine results.If your competitor wants to take it one step farther and try to ban your site from Google’s rankings altogether, they can report you for engaging in link buying, even though they bought the links themselves.
4. Duplicate Content:Google is smart enough to recognize and filter out duplicate content, only ranking one version. Unfortunately, the search engine can’t always tell which website the content originally came from. As a consequence, a shrewd competitor can keep a regular eye on your site using an RSS, and as soon as you post something new, rip off your content and post an identical version on their own site. If Google indexes your competitor’s version as the original, you’ll miss out on rankings and possibly have your backlink footprint damaged, as Google recognizes duplicate content as an indicator for probable spam sites. If your site is newer or has a low Page Rank, you’re especially vulnerable to this type of sabotage, as Google is more likely to rank established sites instead of yours.
5. 301/302 Hijacking:A 301 redirect is a piece of code placed on a page by a webmaster that tells search engines and visitors that the page has moved to a new location. A 301 redirect is a legitimate webmaster technique which is useful, for instance, if you have bought a new domain and would like to move your property over. Unfortunately, a 301 redirect can also be used by competitors to sabotage your ranking. By hacking your site and redirecting your pages to theirs, they can steal both your traffic and your search engine ranking. If you’re dealing with a savvy competitor, they might only redirect some of your older archived pages so that you may not even notice the hijack for quite some time.

   While a 301 hijack involves actually hacking your site, a 302 hijack can be accomplished without access to your site. 302 Hijacking is less about permanent Google ranking and more about stealing temporary traffic. A 302 redirect is a piece of code that tells search engines that a page has been temporarily moved, but that it will eventually be moved back to the original location. With a 302 redirect, a competitor’s site will show up in Google and MSN search engine rankings instead of yours. A shrewd competitor can put 302 redirects on their pages that point to yours. When your page shows up in the search engines, some of the time the visitors will be redirected to your competitor’s site, as Google and MSN mistakenly identify their site as the original.

6. Denial of service (DOS) attack:A DOS attack is one of the oldest and most illegal online sabotage techniques. Essentially, a competitor overwhelms your server with external communications requests so that it is forced to reset, or it simply cannot serve up pages to legitimate visitors. A well timed DOS attack, particularly one staged during a promotional campaign, can kill your momentum and rob you of quality traffic. DOS attacks take a number of widely varied forms, but because they are so clearly illegal and easy to prosecute, you won’t find many competitors in the western world who regularly engage in this sort of sabotage.
7. Kicked Out of AdSense:Google AdSense is, for many webmasters, the primary source of income from their site. Given its importance, it’s rather surprising how easily a malicious competitor can get you banned with a click attack campaign. By simply going to your pages and clicking on ads repeatedly, your competitor will trigger a flag to Google that the advertising clicks you’ve received are illegitimate. Google assumes that you’re trying to artificially increase your own payout, and will often ban users with this sort of action without warning. While Google has a form which allows you to report the attack, many victims report that their inquiries are ignored and their accounts remain banned, despite reporting the incident.
8. Click Fraud:On the other end of the advertising sabotage spectrum is click fraud. When you set up AdWords, you calculate your anticipated conversion percentage and price your bid accordingly. However, a competitor can dramatically lower your conversion percentage by clicking on your campaign repeatedly. You’ll pay for the increased clicks, but your conversions stay the same, resulting in a campaign that becomes unprofitable. Often, this is the work of competitors who are bidding on the same keywords. They generally want to eliminate a competitor by raising their costs and lowering or eliminating their campaign profits in order to make participation unsustainable.

Although you may feel helpless against these attacks, victims of sabotage have the law on their side. Many of these 8 methods are explicitly illegal under US law. Those that aren’t still fall under the umbrella of bad faith or deceptive trade practices, both of which will provide you with legal recourse. Of course, it is difficult if not impossible to exact legal revenge upon a saboteur outside the US, and fraud campaigns can hurt whether you win legally or not, so it’s important for webmasters to be proactive about protecting their properties.