The rumors were true. The MacBook Air, announced by Steve Jobs yesterday, is the thinnest computer ever. Something tells me it’s is going to be a big seller this year.

Starting at $1799, the Air is so thin it can fit inside one of those yellow envelopes (pictured to the right). It’s tiny, and it’s a full-featured Mac. Well, almost full-featured.

To fit a computer into that tiny package, some compromises were made (as usual with ultraportables).

• Few upgrades available
• Internal Lithium-Polymer battery cannot be swapped-out at will
• No optical drive. You can (and will want to) purchase a $99 external DVD burner. There’s a feature that allows you to “borrow” the drive of another PC/Mac via Wi-Fi, but you really should pay the extra $99.
• Lack of ports. There is only one USB 2.0 port, a micro-DVI port, and a headphone jack
• Internal speakers are mono

Other than that, this is a real cool computer.

• The Touchpad responds to several iPhone-like gestures (pinch to zoom, etc).
• It weighs 3.0 pounds, and is only 0.76 inches thick.
• It has a 13.3 inch display and full-size keyboard (no dedicated numerical keypad, though)
• 802.11n
• 1.6GHz Core 2 Duo (or optional 1.8GHz)
• 2GB of RAM (only option available)
• 80GB Hard Drive or 64GB SSD (no higher capacities for either)
• Onboard Intel GMA X3100 graphics
• 5 hours of battery life

If you need a thin and light laptop, and can deal with the limitations, this is the computer for you.

Further Reading

• MacBook Air: Holding my breath
• MacBook Air’s tradeoffs
• MacBook Air: Thinning My Expectations

In 2009, the FCC will require that all TV stations cease transmitting in the VHF band they previously occupied. They will move to digital broadcasting, which takes-up much less bandwidth, vacating the “TV Spectrum” for other uses.

What’s the catch? Your TV will become a rather expensive paperweight, as traditional televisions cannot process the digital signals. If you have an HDTV, or a modern digital-ready TV, than you’ll be fine. If not, then you’re options are to either buy a new TV or purchase a converter box that processes the digital signals and feeds them to your antiquated television.

This isn’t news, the FCC has been planning it for a few years now. Why are they vacating the TV Spectrum? It can be used for other purposes, such as cell phones and wireless broadband, as the UHF spectrum will soon be. Unfortunately, there’s a depressingly high chance that the spectrum will simply be sold to a large corporation, where it will benefit no one except whichever telecom company has deep enough pockets to buy it.

Personally, I don’t mind the spectrum being vacated (as long as a corporation doesn’t gain exclusive control over it), though I am opposed to digital TV. I think it’s unnecessary, and that TV could be better broadcast over the internet.

It’s insane for the FCC to expect us to go out and buy new TV sets on such short notice, and don’t forget that their forcing the high-definition rubbish on us too. Sometime around the death of VHF TV, the stations will stop broadcasting in the standard definition as well. Does someone in the FCC have stock in the TV set industry? You have to wonder…

Most computers tend to last only 2-3 years. It’s an annoying fact, but that doesn’t make it any less true. My previous computer was a Compaq Presario, which lasted about three years. My current machine, a Gateway 835GM, has been kicking since a few days after the release of the sixth Harry Potter book (July 16th 2005 for the uninformed). How much longer will it last? No idea. At random times (read: the worst possible moment) everything locks-up, and then goes blank. It’s been happening for a few months now, and my attempts to pin-down the problem have been unsuccessful. Who knows how much time is left until it quits.

If you spend a week reading my articles, you’ll likely come to the assumption that I’m a big Apple fan. You’d be right, though I haven’t used any of their products for more than ten minutes at a time. I get Macworld from the library, I read Apple news online, and I’ve read several books about Apple and their products. I don’t have a Mac yet, but I definitely want one. Why, besides being totally obsessed with Apple products (a.k.a. “The Pinnacle of Innovation and Design”)?

First of all, Windows sucks. I’ve been using Windows since before XP was around, and it wasn’t very good. XP came out, and it was more stable and a little easier to use. Nowadays, Microsoft is marketing the heck out of Vista, and I’m thinking “How stupid does Microsoft think we are?” Vista is at least a step backwards. Vista is basically Windows XP with some security patches, a new interface, and more versions. The new “cool” interface may look cool, but from what I’ve seen it definitely hinders usability…and performance. Buy an OS with higher (like double) minimum spec requirements so I can have translucent window borders? No thanks.

In the hardware area, things aren’t much better. New PCs generally have Vista preinstalled, and you run into the problem of your computer self-destructing in two years. Throw-in bad tech support, device conflicts, malware, and the headaches start.

Some people will tell you that Macs have “compatibility issues.” Well, Vista definitely has “compatibility issues.” Only a third of software that runs on XP will run on Vista. You’ll need a new secuity suite for sure, and countless other apps won’t work. Meanwhile, Macs are becoming more and more adept at running Windows apps. Parallels Desktop and VMWare Fusion allow you to run Windows applications in the Mac OS. That’s right, they even appear in the dock. How is that possible? Now that Macs have Intel chips, it’s a lot simpler to run apps in a “virtual Windows playpen.” Before, virtualization systems had to emulate the chip as well. Of course, some programs won’t run in a virtual state (3D games for example). That’s where Apple’s Boot Camp software comes in. With Boot Camp, you can have an actual copy of Windows installed on your Mac. You can turn off your Mac, and restart it in Windows so you can play Need For Speed or whatever processor-intensive program you need to run. And get this: Vista runs faster on Macs than on any other PC on the market. The Vista Upgrade Adviser even scores iMacs higher than any other non-Apple machine. So…wait…how high would a Mac Pro score?

I think all of the above is enough reason to go Mac.

Apple’s done it again.

This afternoon, Steve Jobs announced the 2007 iPod lineup. After spending fifteen minutes staring at the above picture, and a further twenty minutes absorbing the specs, you’ll probably come to the conclusion I did: “Holy @$#&%#! There’s no way any of Apple’s competitors can top this…or even come close to it.” I’m happy to say that I did a great job at predicting the new feature set. Let’s take a look at the new iPods, shall we?
(more…)

Welcome! We have another truckload of webmaster articles for you today. If you have a blog post of interest for our next edition, feel free to submit it. If you’re interested in hosting an edition on your blog, feel free to let us know (a comment is fine).

First, the Miscellaneous:

• adam presents Improving the conversion rate of your checkout process posted at Conversion Matters, saying, “A summary of the recent e-consultany report about improving the conversion rate of your online checkout process”.
• nitesh123 presents The iPhone: Lots to Love, but Flaws Too posted at anythin.
• Dawn Xiana Moon presents Annoyance and Windows Vista posted at Dawn Xiana Moon: Randomness.
• viju presents Top Wordpress plugins that make your blog smart posted at eTechBuzz.com, saying, “I love wordpress blog platform. Wordpress is easy to manage and for SEO. If you host your blog on this platform I will suggest some plugins that make your blog smart. If you are not hosting on wordpress you are wasting your time on other platforms. Plugins are most useful part of the any wordpress blog design. Here I am going to list some wordpress plugins that are worth to install on any wordpress blog theme.” There are some good ones in there, and I highly recommend checking them out if you use the Wordpress blogging software.
• Ryan Ambrose presents Link Weeding: Do It or Else! posted at The Self-Reliant Post.
• Barbra Sundquist presents Sample Template for Your MySpace About Me Section posted at MySpace About Me.
• Tracy Coenen presents Did you see Sequence Inc. in the Wall Street Journal today? posted at FRAUDfiles, saying, “The Wall Street Journal did an article on entrepreneurs blogging to increase business. It worked for me… and I’m a fraud investigator!”

In the Design category…

• Ryan Ambrose presents Does it Take a PhD to Read Your Content? posted at The Self-Reliant Post, saying, “Is the content on your web site written for the Internet? Read about why you should care here.”
• Yuri presents Use Design Secrets to Create Great Websites posted at Improve the Web, saying, “Learn mind-blowing tips to create websites that will convert more visitors to customers.”
• James Lewitzke presents Top 10 Web Savvy Tips for Beginners posted at Toptenlisted.com, saying, “I wrote this article to help people who want to build a web site from scratch.” I agree with the domain part especially.  You can get a domain name for $6/year from 1and1. You’ll seem a lot more professional if you have a domain.
• Amanda Harris presents Using Free Themes posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Amanda Harris presents Collection of Themes posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Daniel Condurachi presents New Website Project - Marketing Support Web Site - graphic design in progress posted at Daniel Condurachi’s Blog.

In the General category…

• Vandelay Website Design presents 83 Top Webmaster Resources << Vandelay Website Design posted at Vandelay Website Design.
• V. Neely presents Fantastico in a Nutshell: An Easy Way to Install WordPress posted at Nutshell Journal, saying, “Guide for new bloggers: Some tips for installing WordPress with Fantastico. Includes screen shots.” See? A $6 domain name and some cheap hosting are all you need to start a professional blog. You don’t need to be a geek.
• Warren Wong presents Just Do It posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Are you pondering over a task? Are you not sure if you should do it? Here’s why you should just do it!”
• Jonathan Deamer presents Ten answers to the un-answerable question: what is Web 2.0? posted at Jonathan Deamer.
• Ybother presents Daily Top Ten List: 10 Steps to Hosting Java on LunarPages posted at A Top Ten List Everyday to Jumpstart Your Knowledge, saying, “10 Step tutorial for those wanting to host Java on Lunarpages. Must reading before signing up!”
• Jimmy Atkinson presents Free Speech Hosting: 11 Web Hosts That Won?t Dump You at the First Sign of Controversy posted at Dedicated Hosting Guide.
• Khalid Hajsaleh presents 31 quick points to instantly understand online conversion posted at INVESP Consulting.
• R.Pettinger presents 7 Tips to Make Your Writing More Interesting posted at Net Writing, saying, “How to make your writing more interesting and stand out from the crowd”
• Bhupendra Khanal presents Avinash Kaushik: Rewriting the Indian Knowledge Economy posted at Analytics Bhupe, saying, “Avinash Kaushik is the number one analytics blogger in the world today and he has achieved this position in less than a year.”
• Stephen Ward presents How to Get the Best Deal on Blog Hosting posted at Building a Better Website.
• Millionaire Mommy Next Door presents Evaluation is Critical for Success. How to Measure Your Progress. posted at Millionaire Mommy Next Door, saying, “I have learned from past experience with my other projects, goals and small businesses that it is crucial to monitor progress using analytical measures. Regular evaluations of any project are important for keeping it on track and in alignment with one’s vision. Today, on my one month blogiversary, I am illustrating this important evaluation process.”
• Tom Banks presents How to write good meta tags posted at Tips for Webmasters, saying, “This article will help you write good meta tags!”
• Amanda Harris presents Content Resources posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Amanda Harris presents Timestamping posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Amanda Harris presents Setting Up a Business Website posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Tom Banks presents Increasing your google page rank posted at Tips for Webmasters, saying, “This article will help webmasters and bloggers to increase their google page rank.”
• Matt Harzewski presents Don’t Block Firefox! posted at Webmaster-Source.

In “Monetization”…

• Don presents 7 Tips For Building An Opt In Email List For Increased Profits posted at AffiliateWatcher.Com, saying, “Article submission can bring in a flood of targeted traffic, which leads to a higher click through rate and increased purchases. Find out how to do it right and the most effective tactics to increase your website or blogs earnings.”
•  Steve Ashton presents How To Get Started With Google AdWords posted at MoneyMakingShed.com, saying, “Learn how to get started using Google’s CPC advertising tool. The steps you need to get you up and running.”
• Ant presents Make More Money with AuctionAds posted at The Beef Jerky Blog.
• Scott Allen presents Make Money with Embedded News Video from TheNewsRoom posted at Revenue River, saying, “A new site (in beta) is offering a nice embedded news video player which includes CPM advertising, typically unavailable to smaller publishers.”

And Traffic-Building…

• Kiltak presents How to write posts that people will actually read posted at [Geeks Are Sexy] Technology News.
• Madeleine Begun Kane presents Ode To The Google PageRank Obsession posted at Mad Kane’s Humor Blog.
• Raj Dash presents Better Websites: 7 Elements of Good Link Building Articles posted at Logo Design Blog, saying, “Link building is an important part of raising the profile of your website. Done successfully, it also has the side effect of increasing your traffic.”
• Anna Farmery presents A-Z of Promoting Your Podcast posted at Podcast Freq.
• Amanda Harris presents Pajama Mommy Community posted at Pajama Mommy.
• Paul Heingarten presents Search Engine Marketing: how to do it for less money posted at PRH Solutions Blog, saying, “It is really easy to spend a lot of money promoting your website. Read this article on how I promote my websites without spending a lot of money.”
• Paul Heingarten presents Article Marketing - Write Your Way Into Search Results - Traffic And $$$ posted at Internet and Businesses Online: SEO Articles from EzineArticles.com, saying, “SEO, SEO, wherefore art thou SEO? Or something like that.”
• Don presents Yahoo Answers - Drive Targeted Traffic To Your Site posted at AffiliateWatcher.Com, saying, “This little know tactic can drive hordes of targeted traffic to your website…if done properly. In this article, I’ll show you how to take advantage of this untapped traffic source!”
• edithyeung presents How to Drive Traffic to Your Website or Blog - Part 1 posted at Edith Yeung.Com: Dream. Think. Act..

Technorati tags: webmaster articles, blog carnival.

Mozilla Firefox is a much better web browser than Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Internet Explorer (IE) may have come pre-loaded on your computer, but you’re in no way required to use the mediocre software.

Firefox is not only faster and more powerful, but it’s more secure as well. In the year of 2006, there were (supposing everyone kept IE up to date) 284 days that Internet Explorer wasn’t secure. Firefox? Only nine days. With Firefox, you are immune to ActiveX exploits, and far less susceptible to other “drive-by” attacks.

In addition to security benefits, there are plenty of usability features as well. For starters, Firefox loads renders web pages faster than IE, saving you significant amounts of time, whether you have dial-up or broadband. You get tabbed browsing, which allows you to have multiple web pages open in a single window, saving you from taskbar clutter (as well as making it easier for you to switch among the open pages). You can also

• Read RSS feeds
• Toss your cookies, history, and cache effortlessly, hiding your browsing tracks
• Install add-ons (also called “Extensions”) to enhance your browsing experience
• Change the way Firefox looks with themes.

You’ll have to put up with a lot less web annoyances with Firefox. When you surf the web with Firefox, there are less pop-ups, no websites disabling your Back button or resizing your window, and no spyware hijacking your home page. If you install an ad-blocking extension, you can even get rid of banner ads.

What about your bookmarks (or Favorites) and saved passwords? When you install Firefox, you’re given the option of copying them into Firefox. You won’t lose a thing. If you’re still having trouble deciding, remember that you can use both browsers at once. At least try Firefox out for a couple of days. There’s a good chance you like it (once you get used to the subtle differences). If not, you can just uninstall Firefox.

As a final note, you’ll be doing the web a favor by using Firefox. You’ll be using a web browser that fully supports the w3C web standards (which IE doesn’t), and you will be one less person propping-up Microsoft’s oligopoly on web browsers.

What are you waiting for? Download Firefox!

The iPhone…what exactly is it? Is it a phone? Is it a portable web device? Is it an iPod? It’s all of those, and then some.

Apple has given us a device that shows us a glimpse of the future. What lies ahead? Only Apple knows, but I can hazard a few guesses.

iPods

The iPod’s current “clickwheel” navigation system has been proven to be intuitive and easy to use. It’s one of the features that placed the iPod ahead of the pack. Could Apple be contemplating replacing the clickwheel with an iPhone-style touchscreen?

People have been clamoring for a widescreen video iPod. The iPhone is not that iPod. It is too expensive and, well, it’s a phone. The current iPod lineup includes the 30-80GB iPods, the smaller flash-based iPod Nano, and the screenless iPod Shuffle. The full-sized iPods can play video, while the others can’t. Could Apple replace the hard disk-based iPods with a new iPod model featuring a touchscreen? It’s possible.

I doubt that Apple would totally kill-off the clickwheel, but they could remove it from the video-capable models. Could they go beyond that and introduce web surfing features to the iPods? Who knows, only time will tell.

iComputers?

This may be wishful thinking, but I sure hope it isn’t. Though we may not see it in the next ten years, I think it’s inevitable that we’ll eventually have a pocket-sized computer.

For those who don’t mind Windows, there’s already the OQO. This gadget is a full-featured computer with a 1GHZ processor, a 60GB hard drive, 1GB of RAM, and a 5-inch 800×600 display. Though it’s a bit big, it’s a real computer you can almost fit in your pocket.

Why should Windows users have all the fun? I’m sure Apple could build something like the OQO, only smaller and better. The iPhone runs on a scaled-down version of OS X, so it’s the first step. With their MultiTouch technology and their technical expertise they could do it.

I don’t think this idea is too far-fetched. Today’s technology may not allow an iPod-sized Mac, but I bet it will eventually. In a few years, there will be a shift in the way computers are used. I think that we’ll all carry computers in our pockets one day. We’ll keep a monitor, keyboard, and other peripherals at home along with an external hard drive for storing less-used files. You’ll just plug your computer into a docking station and enjoy the benefits of full-sized input/output devices. Oh, and we’ll have 5MB/sec wireless data services for reasonable prices. Heck, while I’m at it, Apple’s Mac OS will be the mainstream operating system and Mozilla Firefox will be the dominant browser.

Pocket computers may be 10-20 years away, but I think we may be getting a touchscreen iPod sometime much sooner.

The Zonbu Zonbox is a $100 computer with 512MB of RAM, 4GB of flash storage, and an “Intel-compatible ultra-low power CPU.” The 4GB of flash memory is just for storing your software, as the device is useless without a $15/month subscription that nets you 50GB of storage on Zonbu’s servers.

The box is marketed as “environmentally friendly”, “hard to break”, and “The PC of the Future”. Yeah right. This thing is several steps backward from modern computing. Seeing as all your files are stored halfway across the web, you have to wait for them to stream over to your Zonbox. Unless your some sort of odd person who just surfs the web, and edits some text documents, the Zonbox isn’t for you. It can’t really do anything involving large files or serious disk activity. So you can forget editing video or recording podcasts.

Running linux, the Zonbox looks fairly user-friendly, and as Zonbu states on their website “Its compact and sturdy structure allows it to take the occasional knocks kids can deliver. And since Zonbu software is unbreakable it can handle stray keystrokes from little fingers, too. In the worst case scenario, just reboot Zonbu and it repairs itself.” The thing has no moving parts, and most of everything is stored on a web server somewhere. The thing’s tiny, about the size of a Mac Mini (a much better value by the way), and it lacks any moving parts or noise-making fans.

I think it’s only practical application is a web appliance. You put it in your kitchen or garage so you can check your email, look things up on Wikipedia, and keep an eye on news headlines without running over to you normal computer. The Zonbox is a really cool product, but it’s really only going to be useful for the following applications:

• Use as a web appliance.
• A main computer for someone who just surfs the web and edits text documents.
• A mini computer for a summer home or something.
• Businesses that require computers for checking up on company websites/databases (like libraries and bookstores).
• Cheap computers for internet cafes.

There are plenty of things the Zonbox is good for, but don’t confuse it with a normal computer.