Last night, I got a Twitter update from Wordpress, saying that the first beta release of version 2.7 was out. This version promised a huge GUI upgrade and many other cool features.

So with the help of a fantastic plugin called InstantUpgrade (which is now obsolete due to to Wordpress having this inbuilt feature) I quickly updated my blog. The obvious huge change was the visual design. All the actions are now on the left sidebar with drop down menus making it easier to find what you want when you want. The overall feel of the admin panel is much nicer due to the matching soft colour tones.

Another cool feature I have found is Quickpress, this lets you write a blog post right in your dashboard

and quickly and easily update your blog without any complicated hassle. Wordpress has also added a feature called Turbo which allows for use with Gears. This will let you store most of WordPress’ images, scripts, and CSS files locally on your computer. This speeds up page load time. Another productivity tool that comes with Wordpress, is the ease of uploading plugins. You can either search for plugins from the Wordpress website or upload them, this is straight from your admin panel. So if you are at a computer without an FTP program you can still easily add plugins to your blog.

However with a beta release there are still going to be features that have not been included with this release. This beta release is for users to try out and find bugs etc. Already I have changed some CSS of my theme and now I cannot access the editor. I’m sure this will be fixed in the final release, due November 10.

So what is your favorite feature in the Wordpress 2.7 beta 1 release?

Since so much effort is put into writing and managing your blog, losing it can be even worse than loosing your whole hard drive.

So basically the other day, my blog died. I spent an hour trying to restore it but my Wordpress database was corrupted and I hadn’t backed it up since two months ago. So from then till now I have been trying to desperately repair my database and thanks to a few free tools and people I have succeeded.

However this has been a huge pain and wasted a lot of my time which could be spent doing many other things I have to do, so this is basically what I learnt from my blog FAIL.

1. Backup your database every night

Your database is the brain of your Wordpress blog, it contains all the posts, comments, tags, categories, modifications, settings etc. Without this you would have no blog so this is a must do. I use a plugin called WP-DB Backup, which emails me a copy of my database every night. So if a problem ever happens It won’t be to much of a problem to restore it.

2. Have the latest version of Wordpress running

This post mainly applies to Wordpress blogs, but can be used universally. Newer versions of Wordpress constantly fix up security holes and bugs in your blogging platform. Having the most up to date version of your blogging platform running means that you will have the best protection offered at that moment. Instead of struggling to upload the newest version each time it comes out there is a plugin called Instant Upgrade for Wordpress which will easily take the files from Wordpress and upload them to your blog with very little work done by you.

3. It’s not really the end of the world

It may feel like it but its not. All it is just a pain. If this happens to you and you havent followed steps listed above then take a deep breath and get to work. If you have a RSS feeds then your actual posts arent really lost as all the content is still in your feed.

So save your time and energy, a few moments spent now will save you a lot of time in the future.

So you have created an awesome website that you want to get up and on the internet? How? Firstly this is not a post on how to create a website. I am not going to go to in depth about this, if you need any help don’t hesitate to contact me.

Buy a Domain Name

A domain name is basically your home/address on the internet. This is the key to looking professional to have a domain such as yourname.com, instead of yourname.someone.com as this can easily link to someone else’s site, which will detract traffic from your site and help either your competitors or domain name provider. I am not going to go into detail about choosing a good domain (that will be covered in another blog post). A good domain provider will be reasonable (no more than $15 USD a year) and provide a great service. I use SmokyHosts which is a great site for all my needs, they provide Domain name forwarding (forward your website to another), URL Masking (make your visitors think they are still on your original site) and of course Domain name servers (the link with your domain and hosting.) If you buy your domain and hosting from the same company you shouldn’t have to worry about this. There are also other popular Domain registrars/hosting sites such as GoDaddy, BlueHost and Homestead

Buy Website Hosting

Website hosting is the place on the internet where your website is stored for everyone else to view it. Here are 5 important points to choosing a great webhost.

1. Don’t be cheap – This never works. Before I found SmokyHosts I had been through around seven different webhosts that seemed great but had false promises and never suited my needs. Such as too little space, wrong programming languages, banned file types etc. This brings me into my next point.

2. Assess your needs first – Think of what you will need for your website and go with that. If you need any special programming languages such as java or Perl make sure your webhost offers it. If you think that you need 150mb of space, go with 250mb as your website can rapidly grow and you don’t want to be left with no more space. As mentioned earlier be sure that your website doesn’t ban selected file types such as .zip, .doc, .pdf or .exe. As you may need those file types and will have to resort to hosting them on an external website.

3. Don’t pick a site that sounds too good to be true – Because it probably is. Website hosting sites that offer unlimited storage and unlimited bandwidth often are dodgy. They are either are too expensive, can steal your credit card details or have another catch. Stick with what you need not what you want.

4. Thoroughly read through the Terms of Conditions/Service – This is where most Web hosts sites catch you out. You are probably paying for something you don’t want. Such as if you wanted to create a proxy server or a secret forum, web hosts often don’t allow that and will cut your website with no refund. Stay safe and read through the Terms of Conditions to know exactly what you are signing up for.

5. Read many reviews on your potential web hosting sites – This will help you greatly as most users have experienced the advantages/disadvantages that you will experience. It is also great for others opinions on what you are going to put your hard earned money into.

Again I use SmokyHosts for my web hosting as well. The other sites mentioned above also provide great website hosting services.

Download an FTP Client and Upload Your Website

To transfer your website to your webhost you must use a FTP client, (FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol) this is your door towards uploading and updating your website. There are many great FTP clients out there, (they should all be free) my favourites are FIleZilla (made by the people who make the popular browser Mozilla Firefox) and SmartFTP. These are both free and very easy to use.

Once you have downloaded just enter your FTP details that you should have received in an email when you signed up for a webhost, enter those into your FTP client and add your sites files to the relevant directory. For updating your website you can change/add/replace different web files and reload them.

You’re Done!

It may take 24-78 hours for your website to become live (depending on your hosting company) then your website should show up at your chosen domain name. Just sit back and watch traffic increase. You may want to add your website to Google.

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If your viewing this post in an RSS reader please come check out antnz.com for my new design.

It’s been a long couple of months but I think I have now found my footing. Let me give you a very short background story on this blog.

Wordpress: June/July 2008- I started off with this blog but didn’t ever get any traffic or anyone really reading it so I tried and I gave up.

Tumblr: August 2008- I gave Tumblr a try as I had paid hard earned money for this domain and I didn’t really want it to go to waste. What I liked about Tumblr was the ability to not have to create long posts, as I could simply post a picture or a video. However I really missed a self hosted blog platform as there were little customization options for Tumblr.

Wordpress: September 2008- I missed Wordpress. I missed the huge customization options, the themes, the plugins, the self hostedness.

So i’m back, and really am better than ever! The initial problems I had with Wordpress are now gone, I now have reliable webhosting thanks to Arkhalon and to match I have a great new theme and now a huge drive for writing which I am sure won’t be going any where anytime soon.

So let me fill you in on the changes you will be seeing on my blog:

• Header: Now I have a much more appealing header that clearly tells you what this blog is about: “Ant”, short for Anthony, the creator of this blog. I now have a Social Media tab and a contact tab. We can now connect in more ways than before and if you want to contact me I now have a neat little PHP contact form.

• Sidebar: Pretty much the same as before but firstly much more simple and stylish. Also for my Twitter sidebar widget I now have a small Twitter web 2.0 icon.

• Body: This is the part of my blog thats ultimate focus is content. The font changes and colours are now much nicer so while your reading great content you can look at a great design.

• Footer: I’m a strong believer in an informational footer. There are three elements in my footer. The About Me page is for the reader to get to know the writer, which is me, it’s just a short snippet and there is always more information on my About page. Second is my Recent Posts section where you can find great content written by me and third is my Flickr feed, I love photography so hopefully this will integrate a link between my Flickr page and blog.

There we go! I’m really happy with my new updated blog and am looking forward to updating it with awesome content often! What I really want from you guys is feedback. I want to know EVERYTHING, what you think of my posts, the redesign etc. So please comment, discuss and enjoy!

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Submerged scene

The secret to success when using a remote camera is to do plenty of research and know what you want to capture, explains photographer Adam Pretty.

“I set up the camera in the water using scuba diving gear so that I could really take my time and ensure that I would be able to frame the image, making sure it looked perfect through the lens.

“During one of the finals of the swimming I captured the reflection of the competitors and some of the amazing architecture of the venue, known as the ice cube. I just fired the remote when the swimmers hit my mark.”

Photo by Adam Pretty / Getty Images / 12 August 2008

Olympic FAIL: Blue Screen of Death Strikes Birds Nest during the Opening Ceremony Torch Lighting - wondered what the technician thought when he looked up?

As mentioned on Engadget and my Twitter status New Zealand is going to be the first place in the world to get the very first 3G iPhone and I’m going to be the very first person in the whole world to have an iPhone (hopefully and maybe). Vodafone is set to open there stores at 12:01am on July 11 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. I think this is great as New Zealand can finally be the first to get something (remember we never got the first iPhone).

For me the iPhone solves all my problems I have ever had with a phone. I agree with Apple favourite line “it just works”. As it does precisely that. It seems really expensive, especially for the average teenager but really it’s not. If you think about it lets say the iPhone 3G is $500 NZD on contract (Vodafone hasn’t said anything about price and the iPhone won’t be for prepay, will be covered in another blog post). In New Zealand dollars the average mobile phone is $200, the average camera $200, average iPod $350. That already adds up to $750 dollars. Plus the iPhone comes with awesome other features such as GPS, awesome mobile internet, 3G, email that actually works and much more. So it really is worth the money you pay for it.

For me it would be great only having to take one gadget around, my pockets are so full already with a phone, iPod and camera. It would be awesome to have it all in one and that’s exactly what it does.

Now Apple, you’ve done well with the iPhone, and you gave a retail store to Sydney, so when is Auckland’s turn?

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Here is a picture I captured with my Sony CyberShot:

It rarely ever hails in Auckland. Apparantly it hasnt snowed in Auckland since 1939. I love the snow and wish our winters were more exciting!

On another note, I am currently moving my hosting from Awardspace to SmokyHosts. Awardspace was really crap. The domain name and blog isnt going to change but if its down it just means the DNS is propagating so don’t worry. Keep up as there should stil be lots of quality blog posts tommorrow =)

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According to spreadfirefox.com there have been nearly 15 million, Firefox 3 downloads and 8 million of them being on one day. This must say something about Mozilla’s latest, faster, more secure browser. Firefox builds on 15,000 improvements since Firefox 2 launched in October 2005. Some of them being Smart Location Bar, which tries to guess where you are trying to go, based on where you have been. Also improved download manager, improved Add-ons box for extensions and themes and a new bookmarks manager.

So with this new version only 7.8mb in size (and Internet Explorer 8 at a bigger 14.8mb, with far less features) why not add to this world record and download Mozilla Firefox 3?

With Internet Explorer 6 I was very comfortable but also unaware. I decided to upgrade to Internet Explorer 7 later and it become very buggy, insecure (I used to get A LOT of spyware) and was prone to crashing. Instead of down grading back to Internet Explorer 6 I decided to try out the other web browsers out there. First Opera, which was not friends with my operating system so after 30 minutes it was in the recycle bin. Second Firefox, I was very impressed, what got me hooked was the ability to have add-ons and tabbed browsing. I loved it, I was always sick of cycling through many open browser windows, and the ability to customize your experience was great. Next when Apple launched Safari I decided to give it a go but the spellchecker didn’t work with my computer, so again it was back into the recycle bin. After that I had made up my mind from my experience and have stuck with Firefox 2.0 to 3.0 including the many betas.

So why change? Internet Explorer has been around for 13 years (since 1995) and has built itself an honest and reputable reputation (yeah right). Here I will list my top 5 points to make the change today. (Hopefully you already have).

1. Tabbed Browsing

Tabbed browsing changes the way we surf the Internet. It’s very simple yet highly effective. It allows you to go to a webpage when you’re ready. For example let’s say you are searching for something on Google and you see three or four options you would like to investigate. Instead of clicking on the first one reading it and having to remember to go back or you might click on another link on that website which will lose your search results. This can all be quite messy but if you just hold down the “ctrl” key and click it will automatically load them in different tabs so you can view them when you want.

You’re probably thinking well Internet Explorer has this so why should I switch to Firefox? Well firstly Firefox has had this for ages, Internet Explorer just released it with Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox allows for easy of adjusting between tabs. All you have to do is “ctrl” “click”.

2. Improved Download Manager

For many years we have been struggling with the woes of not being able to pause downloads. Firefox comes with a great, modern and stylish download manager which gives you the ability to pause a download, store key information about the file and give you realistic estimated download time left. You also don’t have to check the download every minute to check if it’s done; a small notification will come on your right bottom window notifying that it has finished its download.

3. Open Source

Mozilla, the parent of Firefox, prides itself on its free and open software. That means you can change Firefox and improve it. This great idea means that thousands of developers can add mini applications called add-ons which can improve the user experience. This will be discussed in due course. If you have made improvements you think will benefit the Firefox community send it off to Mozilla and it could be included in the next release.

4. Customization

With add-ons, themes and extensions Firefox gives you the power to personalise Firefox anyway you want. Thousands of developers have created little add-ons to improve your experience. Mozilla lists their most popular add-on as AdBlock Plus created by Wladimir Palant. AdBlock Plus is a very effective way to stop 99.99% of all unwanted pop-ups. Users can add just about anything, from email notifies to the current weather around the world. Firefox also gives users the opportunity to customize the look of Firefox by adding themes. Let’s say if I loved the look of Safari but loved the reliability of Firefox I could download a theme to have the best of both worlds.

5. Fast

One of the most complained problems with the Internet and people accessing it is speed. If you can only reach a certain download speed limit you would want your browser to get to the maximum download speed allocated to you. Firefox successfully does that, which is great. No more loading a page then going to get your coffee then come back and it still hasn’t loaded. Firefox will load pages before you know it.

Stay tuned for more information regarding Firefox, soon I will list what’s new about Firefox 3 and how you can make the best out of it.

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Welcome!
I am excited to present the newest and best thing that has hit the internet! You may have noticed that I have been through many themes and this blog has been changing quite a bit in the month it has been live. I am here after much hard work, devotion and help from a few people: Arkhalon and Simon Young plus many more.

Firstly I have a brand new theme its an adapted theme of Ocean Blue and has been working out really well for me after many other useless themes.

This is what I like about the theme:

• Blue (blue is my favourite colour!)

• Very customizable (edit header, sidebar etc)

• Great search box

• Renders well in Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera and Safari

Next, I have new widgets. My favourite being the Twitter widget on the right which automatically takes my status from Twitter and updates it on my blog. What is Twitter? And why would I want to have it on my blog? This can be answered on my previous blog post here.

I also created my first ever (not stolen off anyone else) HTML code widget. That is the RSS one also on the right, If you subscribe to that then you don’t have to visit my blog each time there is new content, it will automatically come to you. Click here for more info on RSS.

Also if you scroll down to my footer my blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand Licence. So if you try steal my work i’ll be at your front step at 3am tonight!

So that’s all for now I hope you guys enjoy antnzdotcom and I’ll try update this blog as often as I can, hopefully daily.

See yah for now