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DotNet Nuke CMS – Open Source Solutions for Small Business

by on Mar 30, 2009 (1) Comments

DotNetNuke is an open source CMS (Content Management System) developed by a ARES and constantly modified, improved and updated by a community of interested supporters and developers.

The DotNetNuke system is particularly focused on small businesses and organizations that operate on a tight budget (for example, many non-profit organizations), giving them many of the features of a large CMS on an open source platform.

DotNetNuke benefits from community sites that host developers. End users can join these communities and benefit from the combined experience of hundred or thousands of other developers who are also using DotNetNuke for the same kinds of projects daily.

Developers are able to share ideas and solutions and propose and tweak the program constantly so everyone benefits with improved projects and results.

Some advantages of DotNetNuke include:
•    Flexible and adaptable framework that can accommodate websites, extranets, and intranets
•    Intuitive and user-friendly design that allows users with little technical knowledge manage a web site
•    Site wizards, help buttons, and a user interface that is constantly updated for ease of use
•    CMS support from a dedicated core development group
•    Straightforward, simple installation for quick deployment
•    Many language options, making DotNetNuke viable for users in many different countries
•    No-cost, open source – users can do whatever they like with the program under a BSD agreement. Users can use the program for commercial or non profit purposes, with no requirements other than directing credit to the DotNetNuke community
•    Lowers the cost of managing multiple websites
•    The opportunity to create and upsell premium content for clients – site templates, content management modules and many database options, for example
•    Utilizes all the latest technologies, including modules, module packaging, ASP.NET 2.0, Visual Studio 2005, SQL Server 2005 Express, and Visual Web Developer

There are over 150,000 registered users  of DotNetNuke, and a number of active producers of plugins, modules and templates for the program, making it a growing and dynamic content management system.

There’s some great site consistency when using DotNetNuke (DNN) and easy site navigation. The pages turnaround quickly, a number of people can work on a site at once, and there is great growth potential with DNN.

DotNetNuke is another highly versatile and functional open source solution for Content Management, particularly for small businesses and non profits.

FileDroid – Your File Explorer for Android on Steroids

by on Mar 24, 2009 (1) Comments

Webdatamation announces FileDroid – a great new Android file manager for your Android powered phone.

File management in Android’s native system is cumbersome and not intuitive. In fact, you can’t do basic things you expect to be able to do, like browse, rename and move files.

This latest release once more illustrates Webdatamation’s commitment to staying at the cutting edge of technology and creating new applications that make life easier for anyone in today’s high-tech communication world.

Working with the Android system that synchronizes all your Android powered phone files and processes with your Google account online, FileDroid makes it simple to find, use and mange all your files on your mobile device.

Read our reviews here.

Version 1.0.13 Features:
  • Search for files
  • Move, copy, and delete any files or folders
  • Displays File Extensions
  • Open general files like audio files, video or photo files, or any file that has a view application installed on the mobile device
  • Install any application that has .apk files stored on an attached SD card
  • Email any file on the mobile device as an attachment
Other Package Details:

Webdatamations’ FileDroid surpasses the other file management application for Android in ease of use and full features. Take advantage of the great new file manager for Android and Webdatamation’s technological expertise with FileDroid, and see the difference it makes in your mobile experience.

We hope you find this new App useful, and we’d appreciate any suggestions for additional features or reports of bugs. Let us know what you think at android (at) webdatamation.com

Upcoming Features:
  • Icons to represent file types
  • File sharing through Bluetooth and WIFI
  • Select/Deselect multiple items
  • Incorporate feature requests by existing customers.
Screenshots:
Android FileDroid Pic1 Android FileDroid Pic2
Android FileDroid Pic3 Android FileDroid Pic4
Android FileDroid Pic5 Android FileDroid Pic6
Android FileDroid Pic7

Umbraco 4 – Open Source Content Management for ASP.NET

by on Mar 23, 2009 (1) Comments

Microsoft’s ASP.NET has been described as not only the next step in ASP (Active Server Pages), but rather the next generation of web development, period. The ASP system now works with a universally understood CLR (Common Language Runtime), executing code so that different languages can interact with one another seamlessly, making Web application development simple and straightforward.

Now, there is a new open source content management system that utilizes the power and simplicity of ASP.NET.

Umbraco has developed a Content Management System (CMS) that works on Microsoft’s ASP.NET.

Advantages to Umbraco are:
• Supports any of the current browsers – no more error messages when a client using a browser other than Explorer visits you site
• Designers can create xhtml that works and is easy to access, while still leaving their own markup intact
• It supports all .NET based controls without any alteration or modification
• Gives designers a free hand when it comes to layout and placement, and allows the latest web standards – there are no constraints on utilizing the Umbraco framework
• Everyone can help fix bugs, work on content, whatever — simultaneously
• “Brilliant” master pages
• It integrates existing technology instead of introducing new proprietary programs – ie: uses HTML instead of some new markup, and uses xslts

Other companies are creating other solutions utilizing the Umbraco platform, including an ecommerce solution. As Umbraco continues to develop, doubtless more solutions will be created for the platform.

Many users around the world appreciate the open source solution’s speed and ease of use. Users say it is easy and intuitive to pick up, and can expand to meet growing needs. Others appreciate its flexibility and speed.

However, there are still some problems with the user interface, and some users complain that there are still bugs in the code. This may be expected with an open source program, and its likely that these will continue to be improved. Several users decry the lack of documentation, as well.

Still, since Microsoft is still king of content, it makes sense to have a CMS that is Windows based. Umbraco integrates .NET technology easily and at a price that can’t be beat. It is constantly updated and improved for a constantly improving – or at least changing—CMS that is responsive to the needs of the users.

We Need Reviews on our Firefox Add-on

by on Mar 20, 2009 (1) Comments

Here is the link to our Add-on (Current Site IP):

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/11036

We need you to add a review to our Add-on so that it will be published.

Short description how users can post reviews:

  1. Users must register on Mozilla Add-ons.
  2. After successful registration you can see extensions which are in sandbox. They are labeled “experimental”.
  3. Visit extension page and fill review to textarea titled “What do you think?”. After that click on button “Save”.
  4. Reviews are moderated. It takes some time before your review will publish.

One tip: On AMO are accepted only good reviews. Short texts like “good work”, “nice add-on” etc. will be deleted. Reviews are primary for end users and they would be informative.

Source: https://wiki.mozilla.org/User:JasnaPaka/AMO

Current Site IP

by on Mar 19, 2009 (0) Comments

WebDatamation is pleased to offer a new Firefox Add-on, Current Site IP, developed by our own team which should be a useful tool for any website developer.

This new Add-on gives you an advertising-free, direct way to get a website IP address you need when working on site development.

No doubt you, like ourselves, work with many different internal and external sites during development, and find it difficult to remember which website uses which server. We thought it would be convenient if there were a Add-on that would display the current IP address as you were working on a page.

However, we were unable to find any that didn’t direct us to an advertising-filled page before getting us the address. Others bombarded us with unnecessary information before giving us the address, and others required an extra command prompt step before getting us the address.

So we created a direct, easy to use Add-on that avoids all those extraneous steps and information.

Simply add the Current Site IP Add-on to Firefox. It will show you the IP address for the site you are browsing in the status bar at the bottom right of the Firefox window.

We hope you find this new Add-on useful, and we’d appreciate any suggestions for additional features or reports of bugs. Let us know what you think at firefox@webdatamation.com

Here is a link to the Add-on on FireFox.com

AUDACITY

by on Mar 17, 2009 (0) Comments

If your job needs audio editing and you are looking for the right tool that will not only suffice your needs but also suit your pocket, then your search ends right here, right now! Today I will discuss about Audacity, the digital audio editor. Well, if you are still not sure about if it fits your bill then let me tell you that it is free. Yes you have read it right it is free as it is an open source program.

This cross platform digital audio editor is available for Windows, Linux, MAC OS X and BSD. It has a clean interface that keeps the toolbar and work space uncluttered and makes it easy to use. It supports 32 bit floating point audio and has excellent features and built-in effects including noise removal, bass boost. It can import and export all file formats that are supported by libsndfile library like WAV, AIFF, MP3 etc. Though for MP3 files you need to download the LAME encoder. Audio files can be easily edited by its Cut, Copy, Paste functionality. Another interesting feature is that you can perform unlimited “Undo” operations while editing an audio file. Audacity also allows you to change an audio’s pitch without changing it’s speed. Likewise it’s ‘tempo’ functionality allows you to make adjustments to the speed of an audio track while keeping the pitch same and in turn helps you to synchronize the audio with the video. It has multi track mixing features with a large array of digital effects and plug-ins. With audacity you can also convert cassette tapes or records to digital tracks as it has the ability to automatically split one wav track or other supported type tracks into multiple tracks. Its latest release includes features that support direct sound device for Windows.

Audacity doubles up as a simpler and cost-free alternative to other audio editing software like n-track and nuendo. Though it does not offer all the rich features, Audacity has everything that you need to create and edit an audio file. Why then spend your money on a commercial tool when you can have one absolutely free?

If you are a casual composer, then Audacity is the tool to zoom in on your creativity with and gift professional music tracks to your loved ones. Go ahead! Compose some!

Content Management System

by on Mar 16, 2009 (1) Comments

The current explosion in eCommerce has highlighted the advantages of and excellent Content Management System (CMS) like Sitecore.

For businesses that consider their website and their customers who contact them online to be an integral part of their business, using a content management system is only logical. It will allow those businesses to provide a seamless, high quality online experience that open source or low-end solutions simply can’t provide.

For many of our customers, their website is a strategic part of their business. The added security and performance features of a CMS allow these businesses to focus the website and the usability features that make the customer experience truly superior.

By giving developers and content providers a simple to use and intuitive system, a CMS allows the marketing department or the sales department to create website content and design elements of the site. These professionals understand the customers and their needs better than developers or IT departments. With a CMS, the control goes to the people with the ideas, not only to the people with the programming expertise

The easy integration with business applications also provides a great opportunity for businesses to provide a better integration of Customer Relationship Management software and Enterprise Resource Planning software, as well as any analytics tools.

Because you, the company, are in control of the content and the programs and tools that you use on your site, you are able to better tailor your customers’ experience on your website, offer them seamless integration of eCommerce products and Web 2.0 feature, and fully optimize your site for search engines, so current and new customers can find you easily.

With so many advantages for developers and for the end customers, its easy to see why Content Management Systems are increasingly popular.

We think we offer you the best possible CMS with Sitecore. While there are still features they can improve, as we’ve mentioned here before, overall they provide a powerful program that is fully scalable so it can grow with your company. It’s also easy to use and forward thinking, constantly updating the product and forecasting the next trend, then responding to it.

Their “Gold” partner status with Microsoft ensures continuing support for all its best features.

If you haven’t utilized the power of a great CMS to provide your customer with the best possible experience online, I’d suggest giving it a try today.