10 Things Every Blogger Needs

Being a professional blogger isn’t as simple as waking up one morning and stating, “I am a blogger, look out world!” Like any other discipline or endeavor, being a successful blogger means that you have to take the job seriously. That means working with dedication, planning and forethought. Having the right tools is an essential part of being a blogger, as you need the right tools in order to get the job done.

1. Computer or Laptop: There is no doubt one of the key tools of the modern journalist and the pro blogger is the computer. After all, the computer has become the informational link to the world. Blogging is all about information and staying current with what is happening in the world around us. This means that your computer is an essential tool in your blogging toolkit. While it is not necessary to have a top of the line gaming computer, you should have one that can get the job done or you will lose hours and hours on productivity. Making sure that you have a quality anti-virus program and firewall might be savvy addition as well.

2. Top-Notch Monitor: A reasonably large high quality monitor is an essential tool not just for bloggers, but also for anyone spending a lot of time at the computer. Eyestrain can greatly impair your productivity and make working nothing short of unpleasant. Spending a little extra money for a quality monitor is a savvy move.

3. Broadband Access: It should come as no surprise that access to a broadband connection is essential for blogging. While some people do still use dial-up Internet, you will experience major setbacks if you don’t have access to a fast connection. If you are using a laptop computer, be sure that you have a 3G dongle device for your mobile broadband access.

4. The Smartphone: A good smartphone is an absolute essential for the blogger. This is particularly true if you have one with a good deal of functionality and apps. A smartphone can function something like a modern Swiss army knife and may include GPS, recording capability, note taking capability, as well as essential features such as a camera and video capability. Also a smartphone allows you to connect to the Internet whenever you like from virtually wherever you like. This can prove invaluable for any number of important reasons. Of course, your trusted smartphone also functions as a phone too! All of these factors combine to make the smartphone a simply essential tool.

5. The Notebook or Notepad: Sure a notebook or notepad might be a bit “old school,” but you never have to worry about the battery on your notepad running out! This makes the time honored, battled tested notepad something of a practical real world essential. It is something that you should not be without for quickly jotting down ideas on good old-fashioned paper.

6. Pens, Pens and More Pens: Pens are always a must for the blogger. Not all note taking is digital... at least not yet.

6. A Good Desk: Having a good desk might seem like a no-brainer, but if you are going to be spending hours upon hours writing, you need to keep the importance of a good desk in mind. A good desk will also help keep you organized and enhance your productivity.

7. The Chair: A comfortable chair, one that you can spend hours in, is probably even more important than having a good desk. After all, back problems will quickly end your workday.

9. A Bookcase: You never know when you might want to include a reference to a book in your blogging endeavors. A bookcase is important for staying organized. Don’t skip this inexpensive item that is essential for keeping books in order.

10. A Quality Keyboard: Lots of blogging means lots of typing. This makes an investment in a comfortable keyboard a must. Don’t just assume that the keyboard you received with your computer is adequate.

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List of Battlefield 3 Weapon Attachments

Battlefield 3 features a wide variety of weapon attachments for most of the weapons. Ranging from sights, to barrels, to bipods, each weapon has a number of attachments that can be unlocked by playing with that particular weapon. Here’s the list of Battlefield 3 weapon attachments.

Sights/optics

ACOG 4X

The ACOG 4X zoom is often the first attachment unlocked for assault rifles. It’s a 4X zoom sight that doesn’t reflect or glare, thereby doesn’t give away your position to the enemy.

Ballistic sight, 12X

The Ballistic sight offers a powerful 12X magnification and is best suited for sniper rifles. However, enemies can easily spot you due to its powerful glint.

Reflex RDS

The Reflex RDS sight offers no zoom but is very useful in tight quarters where precision and reaction times are important.

IRNV Infrared sight

The IRNV Infrared sight brings infrared capabilities, making it easy to pick out enemies from the environment. It has a 1X zoom.

PKS-07, 7X

The Russian-made PKS-07 comes with 7X zoom and is the standard scope op Russian-made sniper rifles.

M145, 3.4X

The M145 has a slightly less powerful zoom (3.4X) than the ACOG 4X, but offers better visibility and is better suited for in-door combat.

PSO-1, 4X

The PSO-1 is the Russian answer to the ACOG 4X, and works in much the same way, offering the same zoom and aiming capabilities.

HOLO Holographic sight

The HOLO is the main holographic sight for the US forces.

PKA-S, Holographic

The PKA-S is the Russian answer to the American HOLO sight, and works in much the same way.

KOBRA, RDS

The KOBRA RDS is the Russian answer to the American Reflex RDS sight, and is nearly identical in its function, although its appearance is quite different.

PK-A, 3.4X

The PK-A is the Russian counterpart to the M145, and offers the same zoom and features.

Under barrel attachments

Foregrip

The foregrip increases accuracy by decreasing horizontal spray when used on assault rifles and sniper rifles.

M320 Grenade launcher

The M320 grenade launcher is unlocked for assault rifles and can be used with a frag round, shotgun round, or smoke round.

Bipod

The bipod is available for assault rifles, sniper rifles and light machine guns and. When mounted on a surface, it greatly reduces recoil and increases accuracy.

Tactical light

The tactical light is a powerful flashlight which can be attached to all weapons, including pistols. Other than making it possible to see in the dark, the flashlight can be used to blind opponents as well.

Laser sight

The laser sight emits a powerful laser which is useful and increases accuracy when firing the weapon from the hip / unscoped. however, the laser also easily gives away your position.

Barrel attachments

Heavy barrel

The heavy barrel, available for assault rifles, increases long-distance accuracy, but the trade off is that it’s less usability in close ranges.

Suppressor

The suppressor is available on most rifles and sniper rifles, reduces the noise and removes the muzzle flash when equipped. However, it also deals less damage at all ranges.

Flash suppressor

Unlike the regular suppressor, the flash suppressor doesn’t dampen the noise, but it greatly reduces the flash weapons give off, while still retaining the same damage inflicted to opponents.

Other attachments

Extended mag

The extended magazine is available so SMGs (sub machine guns) and offers a larger magazine holding more ammunition per clip.

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How to choose the right Anti-Virus (for Windows)

Having repaired several thousand PCs over the last ten years, I've learned a few things about the subject:


1) When someone says he/she "likes" a particular AV, I never take that person seriously on the subject. An AV choice simply isn't like choosing a graphics program or word processor. The average PC user simply doesn't enough info to know how their choice fares against anything else, even if they've tried others. You must be guided FIRST by sources like AV-Comparatives, who have the resources to objectively and rigorously test the various offerings. AV-C also permits you see how different programs fare over time.


Sadly, PC Mag and ZDNet no longer do this kind of in-depth, comparative analysis, so I have to get off my butt and find other sources [besides AV-C], but you get my drift.


2) When someone mentions that the program is free, I always reply: "free AV is generally too expensive." I realize that it's a tough economy and everyone can't a full price program (BTW, I'm the senior PC tech for a branch of a Fortune 500 retailer), but there are LEGAL ways around the high price of software. You can buy up-to-date, discount security software from 
 Amazon. 
Amazon has several deals, so at their everyday prices you can protect multiple PCs without breaking the bank. (Like Kaspersky IS 2011 3-user for approx $30, incl shipping.)


3) Finally, stick with Firefox, Chrome, and/or Opera to minimize potential exposure to malware in the first place. These browsers (as opposed to IE) are far less likely to blindly download and execute [embedded] malware and thereby cause a problem that must be fixed.


For the record, in the last ten years, I've used Spybot, MalwareBytes, Avira Free, CA eTrust AV, Norton IS/Norton 360, and have settled on Kaspersky IS. KIS runs well even on most small memory (512MB) PCs, so that's what I use for default protection on PCs that I've redone/cleaned. KIS is very flexible (and inconspicuous) for power users and is feature-rich, so a novice need only install it to get excellent protection (ie. one doesn't have to tweak it to achieve adequate protection.)


Kaspersky has recently made major improvements to its stable of products. The latest Kaspersky Pure (equivalent to Norton 360) offers a centralized management interface (haven't tried it yet !), so one can tweak/update/etc any licensed PC, from a single PC. Kaspersky One offers an Internet Security package for any combination of up to five different devices (haven't tried it yet either !), ie. PC, Mac, and smartphone !

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ChromePlus – A Google Chrome Alternative With Extras

Not many people know this, but Google Chrome is based on Chromium, an open source browser project. Everyone willing can download the source code, and make a few tweaks to their own Chrome-like browser. That’s right, Firefox isn’t the only contender showing off their code!

Although there are a whole bunch of Firefox spin-offs, Chrome is still pretty much solitary – at least, it used to be.

ChromePlus

Created by Maple Studio, ChromePlus is a Google Chrome alternative that uses the Chromium source code. They’ve released a Chrome spin-off, with some additional features that should make the browser even more fun to use.

ChromePlus looks pretty much the same as its Google brother, and also has the same basic features and strengths – but as a Google Chrome alternative it has a few extra presents under the hood. Read on for a sneak preview of those additions, and see why you’re going to uninstall your current browser in a few minutes time.

Super Drag

Super Drag is an incredible feature that’ll speed up your browsing and research work infinitely. It gives you two nifty extra functions.

Most straightforward is link-dragging. By dragging a link, and releasing it anywhere on the page, the link will automatically be opened in a background tab. This is especially useful on laptops, where you don’t have a scroll button and would have to work with Control-click.

If you start dragging around pieces of highlighted text, a whole other thing happens. Release your mouse anywhere on the screen and a Google search query will be opened in a new tab. Next time you’re reading a text and encounter something you don’t wholly understand, grab a hold and flick your mouse. This makes ChromePlus into an amazing research tool.

You can specify if the new tab needs to open in the background (default) or foreground of your browser in the options, or disable the function altogether.

IE Tab

IE Tab isn’t new. That is, to Firefox users. It’s one of the most famous Firefox add-ons. The biggest difference is that it’s now implemented in Chrome.

Innovating or not, IE Tab can be a life-saver. Although the practice is dying, some web-developers still feel the need to limit their web experience to Internet Explorer browsers. If you ever encounter a webpage that you can’t access with your Chrome browser, don’t close the app. By pressing the browser logo at the right of your address bar, you can make your browser seem like Internet Explorer.

New tabs should open up in Chrome mode by default. If they don’t, reversing the process is as easy as you’d think. This time, hit the Internet Explorer button to switch worlds.

Arrow Trace

We already told you how Super Drag was going to make your browsing a lot faster. Here’s another feature that’ll give your productivity a boost.

By holding your right mouse button, and drawing on the screen, you can execute a variety of commands; scrolling up and down, switching tabs, opening a new page, and so on. We call these “mouse gestures”.

To give you a general idea, here are a few examples:

• straight down makes you scroll down a page
• straight up makes you scroll up a page
• straight left lets you go back in browser history
• straight right lets you advance in browser history
• up, sharp left makes you go to the previous tab
• up, sharp right makes you go to the next tab (screenshot example)

They’ll take some getting used to, but can make your life a lot easier! If you don’t feel like it, you can once again disable it in the options.

Double-Hit-Close

Not that much of an innovation, but you can close a tab by double-clicking it. No more marksmanship required with that little ‘close’ button.

Download Manager Integration

Those using Chrome have probably noticed that it doesn’t support a hell of a lot of download managers. Most of the time, you’ll still be obliged to copy-paste your links.

ChromePlus has integrated download functionality for a whole bunch of popular download applications. Next time, just right-click your links to have them sent over to your download manager.

You can download ChromePlus here

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14 Steve Jobs Quotes That Will Warp Your Mind

14 Incredible quotes  from a one of a kind businessman, designer, and entrepreneur – Steve Jobs.

 “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.” – Steve Jobs

“I’m the only person I know that’s lost a quarter of a billion dollars in one year…. It’s very character-building.”

[Apple Confidential 2.0]

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

[Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

“That’s been one of my mantras — focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it’s worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.”

[BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

“Do you want to spend the rest of your life selling sugared water or do you want a chance to change the world?”

[The line he used to lure John Sculley into becoming Apple's CEO, according to Odyssey: Pepsi to Apple]

“Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me … Going to bed at night saying we’ve done something wonderful… that’s what matters to me.”

[The Wall Street Journal, May 25, 1993]

“It’s really hard to design products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want until you show it to them.”

[BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle.”

[Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

“I’ll always stay connected with Apple. I hope that throughout my life I’ll sort of have the thread of my life and the thread of Apple weave in and out of each other, like a tapestry. There may be a few years when I’m not there, but I’ll always come back.”

[Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

“This is not a one-man show. What’s reinvigorating this company is two things: One, there’s a lot of really talented people in this company who listened to the world tell them they were losers for a couple of years, and some of them were on the verge of starting to believe it themselves. But they’re not losers. What they didn’t have was a good set of coaches, a good plan. A good senior management team. But they have that now.”

[BusinessWeek, May 25, 1998]

“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. Right now the new is you, but someday not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away. Sorry to be so dramatic, but it is quite true.”

[Stanford commencement speech, June 2005]

“I think if you do something and it turns out pretty good, then you should go do something else wonderful, not dwell on it for too long. Just figure out what’s next.”

[NBC Nightly News, May 2006]

“It takes these very simple-minded instructions—‘Go fetch a number, add it to this number, put the result there, perceive if it’s greater than this other number’––but executes them at a rate of, let’s say, 1,000,000 per second. At 1,000,000 per second, the results appear to be magic.”

[Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

Playboy: “Are you saying that the people who made PCjr don’t have that kind of pride in the product?”

Jobs: “If they did, they wouldn’t have made the PCjr.”

[Playboy, Feb. 1, 1985]

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