Think Different

T he Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, or Icann, has set the ball rolling for web addresses in scripts other than Latin. This will allow uniform resource locators, as web addresses are called in virtual parlance, in languages other than English, including Hindi, Tamil or Bhojpuri. About half of the world's 1.6 billion Internet users use languages based on scripts other than Latin and may cheer the move. India, which has 50 million Internet users, speaks hundreds of languages. Icann, the non-profit group that oversees domain names, is meeting representatives from all over the world this week in Seoul to decide on this change, which will be one of the biggest in the 40 years of Internet. If it is cleared, Icann will begin accepting applications for non-Latin domain names and the first entries into the system are expected in the middle of next year. Icann is also to decide whether it can give users freedom on global top-level domain names. "If this happens, ...

This tutorial will explain how to create Wordpress widget from scratch. We will make widget using PHP5 OOP. You will also learn how to implement configuration page for your widget. Getting started You should already have Wordpress installed, either on your local machine or on a testing server. For this tutorial we will use the Wordpress version 2.7. You should also have a theme that support widgets. You could use the default one or make a wordpress theme from scratch and widgetize it. Widget name The first task in creating a Wordpress widget is to think about what the widget will do, and make a (hopefully unique) name for your widget. Check out Plugins and the other repositories it refers to, to verify that your name is unique; you might also do a Google search on your proposed name. The name can be multiple words. Widget files We will start by creating a folder widget-name in our wp-content/plugins/ directory, where Wordpress stores all it’s plugins. It’s a good idea to alwa...

In this tutorial, I will explain the basics of how WordPress theme works and show you how to convert a static HTML template into a theme. No PHP skill is required, but you need Photoshop and CSS skills to create your own design. 1. The Blog Frontend Before you start, let’s take a look at the WordPress default theme and see how it is structured. Take note of the elements (header, post title, search form, navigation, footer, etc.). Default Frontpage (index.php) Default Single (single.php) 2. Photoshop Mockups Based on the information gathered from the default theme, design a Photoshop mockup of your blog. Here I’m using GlossyBlue , one of my free WordPress themes , as an example. 3. HTML + CSS After the PSD design is done, create a static HTML+CSS template of each page. Why Create a Static HTML File First? Mainly because it will make the development process a lot easier. I usually create a HTML file for every template that I need, test it across all browsers, validate bo...

Overview Fiat Group SpA is a diversified global company in business for over a century and is one of the top fifteen automobile manufacturers in the world, even larger than Daimler AG. Producing more than 85% of the automobiles that the Fiat Group manufactures and sells, the Fiat Group Automobiles SpA (FGA) subsidiary produces about 1.98 million automobiles/year. Over 42,000 Fiat users channel over $30 Billion (USD) in revenue (24 billion euros) through their PHP-based Fiatlink system which is now the primary access point for all of FGA's dealers and service centers to enter car orders and access information across the Fiat Auto enterprise. This is business-critical PHP. Improving sales performance and customer relations by exploiting back-end and point-of-use technology in the sales, service, and support processes they engage in was the goal for Fiat. Fiatlink addresses both sales and after sales that FGA processes, and currently handles 100% of the ordering and logistics and 6...

NEW DELHI, INDIA: In an effort to bridge the digital divide and to take knowledge to every Indian household, the Government of India is set to make available low-cost computers at US$ 10, within six months. Once this becomes a reality, it would help students get feed on every subject while sitting home. Based on the technology developed by IISC, Bangalore and IIT Madras, the Rs 500 computer will be a small equipment with expandable memory, LAN and Wi-Fi facilities. "But lot of testing has to be done to ensure that the technology works properly. Once the testing is over, the computers will be made available on commercial basis. The target is to make it available in six months time," Higher Education Secretary, Ministry of HRD, R P Agrawal said reporters on Thursday. The government is also planning to produce e-content on every subject which will be made available free of cost, said reports. A prototype computer has been designed which is being tested now. "Its cost will b...

This HOWTO applies if: * Your machine already has Windows installed, and you are installing Linux as a second operating system, and * You want to leave the Windows boot loader (NTLDR) on the MBR (Master Boot Record). This allows you to continue to boot Windows with no issues. I've heard that Windows 2000/Windows XP or anti-virus software may complain if the MBR does not contain the Windows boot loader You can use either GRUB or LILO to dual-boot Windows 2000/Windows XP and Linux. Both functionally work fine, but from what I've read, GRUB requires less maintenance, as LILO requires you to reinstall the boot loader (by running /sbin/lilo) every time you rebuild the kernel or make changes to /etc/lilo.conf. Requirements for /boot Partition The location of the /boot partition on the hard drive is critical so that you don't get screwed by the infamous BIOS 1024 cylinder limit. The BIOS of older systems can't access data beyond cylinder 1024, which is ~8.5 GB. A simpl...