A few years ago a friend told me about Netbeans, the freebie Java-based code editor that is designed to work with Java, PHP and a range of other languages. At that point it was time to retire Homesite, my favorite editor for over 10 years that was no longer sold or supported, and was showing signs of incompatibility issues with Windows updates. I have since found Netbeans … [Read more...]
What to Expect With Internet Explorer 10
As someone who has been developing web sites for the past 15 years, I have always considered Internet Explorer to be the most broken browser on the planet. If you are going to experience a browser problem with your web site not rendering properly, the problem always seems to show up in IE, even if it displays properly with every other browser. IE has also experienced many more … [Read more...]
Shopping Cart Patents Voided in Court Case
If you own an e-commerce site that uses a shopping cart, you may not be aware that you could have been liable for paying a licensing fee to a group of attorneys who claimed the rights to three patents that literally gave them the rights to the technology used in all shopping carts. For several years this group of attorneys battled large e-commerce sites in court and managed to … [Read more...]
Chinese Spam Comment Network Hitting WordPress Sites
Tech-Evangelist was a recent victim of a comment spam attack that originated from a wide range of Chinese IP addresses. This is a malicious attack that can temporarily disable web sites and servers. Here is what we saw and what we did to fight off the attacks. The attacks started to come in waves once or twice per day for about an hour in duration. This was clearly a … [Read more...]
Is the Mozilla Rapid Release Program Destroying FireFox and Thunderbird?
I have been using Mozilla's FireFox and Thunderbird for many years and have always been a big fan; however, my patience with their rapid release program is wearing thin. The rapid release program is a new methodology that drives constant updates to their software. According to a former Mozilla developer, the Rapid Release program has killed their reputation. I have to … [Read more...]
Macintosh Flashback Botnet Infects 600,000 Macs
At one time many people bought a Macintosh computer because they believed it was immune to viruses, Trojans and other malware. That was never really true, but for a long time the Mac was not a target for hackers. Those days are long gone. PC World reports in an article titled Mac Trojan Infections Exceed Half Million, that over 600,000 Macintosh computers are infected with … [Read more...]
How to Remove Your Web History From Google
In March 1, 2012, a new unified Google privacy policy takes effect. This one policy will cover all Google web properties and allows them to combine the data and use it however they wish. If you want to continue to use Google services, such as GMail, YouTube accounts, etc., you will not be able to opt out of accepting the new … [Read more...]
Be Aware of the PROTECT IP Act of 2011
There is a bill that was introduced in the US Senate that could allow Hollywood--or any other content provider--to have a web site shut down due to an accusation of intellectual property theft. Hollywood and its cronies are pushing this legislation through based upon its need to combat piracy, which is understandable. However, the broad ramifications of Senate bill S 968, … [Read more...]
Beware of the Domain Name Appraisal Scam
The domain name appraisal scam is making a comeback. Sometimes this is called the domain name purchase scam. Business is slowing all over the planet. Whenever this happens, the scammers seem to come out of the woodwork and look for ways to prey on web site owners. Domain name scams have been around for a long time. They basically work like this. You will receive an e-mail … [Read more...]
Blu-ray 3D Movies Starting to Arrive
Although the hardware component needed to view the new Blu-ray 3D movies has been available since about may of 2010, the most important part has been missing: Blu-ray 3D movies. Some manufacturers, such as Panasonic and Samsung, have bundled 3D movies with a basic package of other required components, such as LC shutter glasses, but their bundles are designed to work with … [Read more...]