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Blog Details for "Bull3t's Blog"
Bull3t's Blog Bull3t's Blog News, information, humour, computers, technology, graphics, reviews, games and more. 
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Why you should make the 64-bit switch
2009-05-12 17:25:00 You probably skipped the Vista bedlam, unless you were one of the unfortunate ones that had it forced upon you while buying a new system. So no doubt you've heard about Windows 7 and you're likely to join the testing phase and snatch up your copy of the Release Candidate, hell you might've already done so. And why not too, I mean it doesn't expire until June 2010, so you've got a whole year to use it as a test bed. Well, when you do, make sure you get the 64-bit version, and if you've already got the 32-bit version, now's your chance to swap to 64-bit before you get too deep. Anyone geeky enough to be reading this in the first place should be thinking about 64-bit Windows. If you've got an Intel Core 2 processor, then you're already ahead of the curve. Most people do have Core 2 processors and many don't know that they're 64-bit CPUs. Now all you need now is 4GB of RAM. You've got that as well? Good, that's all you need, now go get the 64-bit version. The phrase "64-bit... More About: Switch , Make
Twitter infected with "Mikeyy Worm"
2009-04-12 19:05:00 Almost 24 hours after the first cross-site scripting (XSS) attack on Twitter , that resulted in thousands of tweets linking to StalkDaily, they are under attack again. This new threat comes only hours after Twitter announced that they had closed a security vulnerability that had allowed the so-called, "StalkDaily Worm " to spread through a JavaScript injection on user profiles. A little while after the first exploit was patched, an interview with Mikeyy Mooney stated that the 17-year-old owner of the StalkDaily site was responsible. The StalkDaily site was then updated to show the following message: I have came clean and have accepted the responsibility for the worm, read the interview here, http://www.bnonews.com/news/242.html. Twitter thought it had sorted the issue and so they went to bed – well that's what it seemed, as it took them ages to notice the next wave. However, that wasn't it and as soon as Mikeyy got his newest script hosted, he activated wave 2, utilising an ev...
FileFront caves in under the economic downfall
2009-03-27 00:27:00 FileFront is the first internet-based company I know to have gone under due to the current economic situation. As announced on March 25th this year, FileFront site operations will be indefinitely suspended on March 30th, 2009. They are urging people to use this time period – a mere 5 days – to download any files that have been uploaded as they will not be available after the date specified. Launched in December 2001, FileFront was a popular destination for gamers looking for patches, mods, demos, videos and other game-related content. They also took the initiative and hosted a wide range of other software, including drivers, internet software and audio-video. However, the site's future became uncertain when UGO acquired 1Up from Ziff-Davis; FileFront was not part of the sale and while Ziff said it would continue to operate FileFront as part of the PC Magazine digital network, the company's struggles cast doubt on how long it could afford to keep things going. Many have... More About: Economic , Caves
The mysterious Norton cover-up and pifts.exe
2009-03-10 11:43:00 March 10, 2009 (19:55):Finally Symantec have released a statement as to what this whole thing is about; apparently it was a "diagnostic patch" and was released unsigned, which meant that firewalls would pick-up on it attempting to access the internet. They say that they were forced to delete the threads on their forum due to the sheer number of them. However, this still doesn't make a great deal of sense, the first post that was created was legitimate and sensibly questioned the executable file. This thread was removed. More were created and they too met the same fate. That is where 4chan stepped in and – being their usual, helpful self – spammed the forums asking for answers. The point still stands: it took Symantec a whole day and an article on the frontpage of Reddit to answer the ultimate question: "what is pifts.exe". This post reached number 1 on Reddit, has scored some 10,000 views and has sky-rocketed the number of visitors to this site. March 10, 2009 (17:26):... More About: Cover , Mysterious , Cover-up , Norton
Top must have WordPress plugins of 2008
2009-02-12 14:35:00 Here is the top list of plugins for WordPress that I believe were a must have of 2008. In no particular order: Redirection Redirection is an easy way to create 301 redirections and keep track of 404 errors, it makes it extremely easy to create 301 redirections to posts/pages and outside links, it will automatically add a redirection to a post/page when it's permalink changes, so that you do not loose visitors to a 404 error page. Keeping track of all of the 404 errors your blog spits out is also extremely useful, because it means you can fix broken links and stop visitors from landing on the wrong page. Exec-PHP This plugin allows execution of PHP code in your posts, pages and text widgets. It executes PHP code in the excerpt and the content portion of your posts and pages and restricts execution of PHP code in posts and pages to certain users by using roles and capabilities. Contact Form 7 Contact Form 7 is a simple, lightweight and flexible contact form. It allows you to creat... More About: Wordpress , Wordpress Plugins , Plugins
Top free and essential Windows software
2008-12-27 14:35:00 So you've just installed (or more likely, reinstalled) Microsoft Windows and looking for some good software to keep your system maintained without the worry of spyware, adware or viruses? Or maybe you have just stumbled across this post unintentionally? Either way; this list will help you keep on top of the general house-keeping of your system. Chrome replaces Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox is the undisputed champion of browsers and so there's no point in putting it on this list. However, Google have recently released their own take on a browser and, in my opinion, have managed to create a browser that – for me – ticks all the boxes; it combines a minimalistic design with sophisticated technology to make the web faster, safer and easier. Not to mention the sleek design features. I have been using it instead of Firefox since it's beta phase and I love it. There's not many plugins out yet, but I haven't needed to use any of my Firefox plugins since I installed it.... More About: Software , Free
Five ways to avoid phishing scams
2008-12-10 15:57:00 We've all gotten the emails that seem to be from a financial institution that we may or may not be associated with. While the novelty has worn off and more consumers are well aware of these scams, criminals are getting smarter and savvier by the day and so it's not always easy to spot potential scams. Here are some top tips that we suggest you follow to prevent yourself from getting caught out by a phishing attempt. Escalate any potential e-mails from banks you have accounts with by phone In the hundreds of potential spam emails you get, if you do get an e-mail from an institution that you have an account with, avoid clicking on the links. Especially if the e-mail suggests a problem of need for verification, you're best to call up a banker at the company directly: they will be able to tell you if the inquiry is legitimate, and, if so, can help you resolve the problem. Make sure the phone number you use is the one you know is genuine and a direct connection to the bank – safel... More About: Phishing , Scams , Avoid
Review: The Witcher
2008-10-20 22:24:00 The Witcher combines spectacular visual effects with a unique and intriguing storyline, whilst also telling the story created by the popular Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski. Obviously the game shares many features with other role-playing games; caves, witches, monsters, elves, dwarves, undead, necromancers, potions, swords, castles and dark woods, but that doesn't mean it's anything like the older style RPGs. In fact it is far from, The Witcher went as far as reinventing the role-playing wheel and introduced an Over The Shoulder (OTS) camera mode and innovative new combat mechanics. The developers have undoubtedly released a landmark game that has a whole new take on swords and sorcery that breaks just about every rule in the book. Finally you get to experience a medieval world so realistic that for a moment you actually feel as if you are there. There is no good or bad side of the questing, just a realistic "decisions and consequences" view. To keep everyone on the same tracks y... More About: Review , The Witcher
Illegal interests on the internet
2008-08-16 10:11:00 It’s a medium that attracts criminal activities like bees to honey; it offers a cloak of anonymity to conmen who take advantage of the gullibility and lack of awareness of lay users; it’s a network that extends its reaches into almost every home in the world and thus offers a wider scope for illegal activities. The Internet has spawned a whole new genre of criminals, from those who violate copyright issues by indulging in the not-so-harmful pastime of downloading and sharing music, videos and other intellectual property to the really nasty ones who traffic in child porn and steal identities. If we were to divide online criminals into categories, we get all sorts: Employees who use the Internet for their own purposes on company time are seen as engaging in illegal activities by their employers, even though they are only surfing the net, chatting or sending email. Those who share and use intellectual property without prior permission. Those who send fraudulent emails purporting ... More About: Interests , The Internet , Illegal
Plurk to over take Pownce and Twitter?
2008-06-27 22:52:00 So Twitter is widely accepted as an amazing feat of technology, right? Okay, well maybe not amazing, but it was one of a kind, yeah? Well, you know what I mean. Anyway, whenever these amazing – or maybe not – feats of technology come around, it isn't long before others will try and outdo the first, making their applications more wacky and wonderful. Or at least, that's the idea. Pownce tried it, and if I'm honest, I didn't really see many improvements that gave Pownce the edge over Twitter (except maybe being able to post different types of updates). Twitter was still in the lead (kind of). Until now? Plurk has arisen from the depths of… well, uh… Plurkland (yeah it's like Twitter and Pownce; made by some unknown company). Then the inevitable happened: Twitter finally overflowed and started throwing the "fail whale" at people, so a lot of users "began to look for a new playground" (yes, I stole that last quote from Veribatim). On one of the few chance...
Keyloggers and how to avoid them
2008-04-13 23:37:00 Photograph credit: Conor Lawless. Keyloggers are are commonly a form of software (but can also be hardware) that are used to keep track of everything you type on your computer. Essentially every key you press is recorded to a file, which can be relayed over the internet to someone who can use the information gathered. Every ... More About: Computers , Tips , Anti-Virus , Anti-spyware
Why build your own computer?
2008-02-01 17:28:00 With the advent of computer sellers such as Dell, many people feel that it is no longer worth it to build your own, whether that is due to time or economic value. Most of the time you can build your own PC and still have enough money left over for petrol. In fact, not only ... More About: Windows , Graphics , Computers , Applications , Microsoft
Merry Christmas and a happy new year!
2007-12-25 12:33:00 Haven't been posting much lately, as I have been getting ready for my exams next year. I have the time to wish all my readers a merry Christmas and a happy new year, 2008. In 2008 I hope to review some software and/or games and get in a few more posts. On 1st March 2008, ... More About: New Year , Games , Readers , General
Merry Christmas for 2007
2007-12-25 12:33:00 Haven't been posting much lately, as I have been getting ready for my exams next year. I have the time to wish all my readers a merry Christmas and a happy new year, 2008. In 2008 I hope to review some software and/or games and get in a few more posts. On 1st March 2008, ... More About: Games , Readers , General , Blog
StumbleUpon traffic really isn't all that good
2007-11-24 18:06:00 Many people (such as Tibi Puiu, DoshDosh, Dan Grossman, Dev Basu and Shaun Low) have been writing about StumbleUpon lately and how it brings in a good number of visitors to your website, so here is my view on it. I think that the main problem with visitors stumbling across your website through StumbleUpon is that ... More About: Internet , Traffic , Blogging , Word , Press
Statistics review for October 2007
2007-11-01 18:52:00 Here is the statistics update of Bull3t's Blog for last month: Google PageRank: 4 Alexa Rank: 822,335 Technorati Links: 41 Technorati Rank: 305,717 Technorati Authority: 27 del.icio.us Bookmarks: 1 FeedBurner Subscribers: 30 Reinvigorate Total Visitors: 1,368 FireStats Daily Visitors Average: 110 Posts: 48 Comments: 125 As you can see, I have somehow managed to reduce my ... More About: Personal , Review , Blogging , Statistics
Red Hat Linux surprised me
2007-10-24 19:15:00 Earlier this month I managed to get my hands on a copy of Red Hat Enterprise Linux . This version was in fact a server edition (or meant to be used as one), but I was not too impressed, I know that Linux is an open source operating system good for hosting servers on, whether that ... More About: Windows , Internet , Computers , Applications
Weekly Roundup issue 2
2007-10-13 10:10:00 Another week rolls by and so do the blog posts, here is this weeks list of interesting posts that I stumbled across: Stumble Your Way From 10 To 4000 Readers: This post talks about StumbleUpon and how it has the ability to drive hundreds (or even thousands) of visitors to your blog within a few days. The ... More About: Tips , Blogging , Roundup , Blog , Weekly
Ajax Post Save WordPress plugin released
2007-10-08 19:05:00 I have just released a new Word Press plugin called Ajax Post Save. Ajax Post Save is a WordPress plugin which enables you to save your posts and pages through Ajax; you can now make edits to a post and not have to reload the WordPress administration every time you want to preview the post. WordPress ... More About: Wordpress , Blogging
Weekly Roundup issue 1
2007-10-06 02:55:00 Hopefully, from now on I am going to be publishing a post which links to other blogs and/or blog posts that I found interesting. This is one of the many new ways in which I am trying to increase the number of visitors I get to my blog. Anything that I like (which is not ... More About: Internet , Computers , Tutorials , Tips , Blogging
Statistics review for September 2007
2007-10-01 19:17:00 Seeing as I have now posted this blog's goals, I thought I would update you monthly on my progress. Here is the review of Bull3t's Blog statistics for last month: Google PageRank: 4 Alexa Rank: 2,229,997 Technorati Links: 22 Technorati Rank: 540,306 Technorati Authority: 12 del.icio.us Bookmarks: 1 FeedBurner Subscribers: 31 Reinvigorate Total Visitors: 301 ... More About: Personal , Review , Blogging , Statistics
Bull3t's Blog comment policy
2007-09-30 11:10:00 I have seen many people writing comment policies for their blogs, so I thought I would take this opportunity to make my own, so here it is: I really appreciate it when a reader of this blog takes the time to leave a comment on a post. However, I reserve the right to remove any link ... More About: Personal , Blogging , Word , Press , Blog
Encouraging your readers to post comments
2007-09-28 12:14:00 I always have trouble convincing my readers (that's you) to leave comments, no doubt other bloggers do too. It is one of those things that shows to other readers that your blog is active and in some cases, popular. Yet many readers do not leave comments after reading through an article they liked. I believe ... More About: Tutorials , Readers , Blogging , Word , Press
My goals for Bull3t's Blog
2007-09-25 21:51:00 Tibi Puiu over at Lost Art Of Blog ging has just written an article regarding setting goals for your blog and accomplishing them. I think this is a very good idea so I am setting my own goals for this blog. I don't think that I will accomplish goals as high as the Lost Art Of ... More About: Personal , Goals , Statistics
Just installed Adobe Creative Suite 3
2007-09-06 08:49:00 I have just recently purchased myself the Adobe Creative Suit e 3 and installed Bridge, Contribute, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Soundbooth. They are very good, except a few things that could be better… The first thing I noticed with CS3 is that when you install Photoshop and Fireworks from the suite, some of the image file formats, such as 'JPG' are not associated with Photoshop, they just stay with Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. Fireworks then decides that it wants to be the main editor for PNG files. Funnily enough, I do not recall any point in the setup where it asked me what applications I want to associate with what file types; it just does it for me, but evidently not very well. I thought: "ah, not a big deal I will just have to change the associations the first time I run Photoshop or Fireworks", but nothing came up and I could not find any way of doing it from within the applications. In the end I had to save a 1×1 pixel...
Just installed Adobe Creative Suite 3
2007-09-06 08:49:00 I have just recently purchased myself the Adobe Creative Suit e 3 and installed Bridge, Contribute, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Soundbooth. They are very good, except a few things that could be better… The first thing I noticed with CS3 is that when you install Photoshop and Fireworks from the suite, some of ... More About: Applications
Code Wednesday: Tag cloud
2007-08-08 14:50:00 Each and every Wednesday , I publish a post containing a snippet of code so that you can use it in your own project or just so that you can store it in your "Useless Snippets Folder" on your Desktop. You can view all of the older Code Wednesday articles by browsing the Code Wednesday category list. This code can be used to make a simple and easy tag cloud for your categories or tags on your own website or blog. It uses a simple mathematical sum to calculate a percentage for the font size of each tag and then returns it in a XHTML-compliant, inline list. The function requires an array of the tags in the format: "$tags['tag_name'] = tag_count;", when tag_name is the name of the tag and tag_count is the amount of instances the tag has. Anyway, here is the code: Code (php) function tag_cloud($tags) { if (!$tags) { return false; // Error: no $tag argument was specified. } $max_size = 250; ... More About: Cloud , Tag Cloud
Code Wednesday: Tag cloud
2007-08-08 14:50:00 Each and every Wednesday , I publish a post containing a snippet of code so that you can use it in your own project or just so that you can store it in your "Useless Snippets Folder" on your Desktop. You can view all of the older Code Wednesday articles by browsing the Code Wednesday ... More About: Cloud , Tag Cloud
Code Snippet: Tag cloud
2007-08-08 14:50:00 Here is another post containing a snippet of code that you can use in your own project or just so that you can store it in your "Useless Snippet s Folder" on your Desktop. You can view all of the older code snippet articles by browsing the code snippet category list. This code can be used ... More About: Code , Cloud , Tag Cloud
Code Wednesday: Tag cloud
More articles from this author:2007-08-08 14:50:00 Each and every Wednesday , I publish a post containing a snippet of code so that you can use it in your own project or just so that you can store it in your "Useless Snippets Folder" on your Desktop. You can view all of the older Code Wednesday articles by browsing the Code Wednesday ... More About: Cloud , Tag Cloud 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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