Hosted or Self-hosted?

When you want to start a blog, you’re faced with many choices. One such choice is whether you should go for a hosted or self-hosted service. Basically, this means – should you have your own web server account and install the blogging software there, or should you use some other company’s already set up software?

Hosted
Let’s deal with the hosted option first. Hosted means you use a company’s installation of the blogging software, which in turn often means you pay them for the use of their service. The main benefit for you is that it’s easy to set up; often you don’t have to do more than establish an account and make a few simple choices. It’s also easy to run and post to; you log in to your account, write your post, click a button, and that’s it. This is a worry-free option since the company you get the service from handles all the storage, maintenance, etc. Clearly, the easiest way of getting going with blogging is to go for a hosted solution. WordPress, probably the most popular blogging platform in the world, offers a hosted option at http://www.wordpress.com. Other popular hosted solutions include TypePad (http://www.typepad.com/), Google’s Blogger (http://www.blogger.com), and with iWeb and .Mac you can host your own blog on Apple’s system.

Self-hosted
If it’s so easy and trouble-free to let someone else host your blog why would you go through the trouble of doing it yourself? The simple answer is control. With a self-hosted option you can download whichever blog software you want and then upload it to your web hosting account. This option requires you to have a web hosting account somewhere, but often when you get internet access at home you get a web hosting account. You will also have to check that your web hosting account supports the technology that is required by the blogging software you’ve chosen. Since you host it yourself you have total control over the software, the configuration, the maintenance, and more. You can give your blog any look and design you want, install any add-on software, etc. This is important for some bloggers and it’s likely that, as you continue to blog, you will want to experiment more and can do so to different extents with hosted solutions - but with a self-hosted blog you can do whatever you want.
This flexibility comes at a price, of course, and the price is that you take on the responsibility of taking care of the blog, backing it up, making sure it’s up and running all the time, etc. All of this takes time, and it’s time you’re going to have to put in so that your blog can keep running.

Another problem with self-hosted blogs is that, if you’re lucky and your blog becomes very popular and draws a lot of traffic, you face the risk of the server not being able to handle the load. If you go with a hosted solution it’s more likely that the service provider has put in place systems that can deal with high peak loads.
Probably the more common blogging systems that you can download and install in your account is WordPress (http://www.wordpress.org) but there are others such as Chyrp (http://chyrp.net/), and Movable Type (http://www.movabletype.org/). TypePad is essentially the hosted version of Movable Type.

by Magnus Nystedt

Adobe Tutorial: Arabic in Photoshop

How can I add Arabic text in non Middle Eastern Adobe Photoshop? I would get rich if I charge one dollar for every time I answer above question. Any one could buy Adobe ME version of their applications, but they they are released six to eight months later than International version, and when it is time to buy an update for it, you must get an ME version as well. Now if you rarely use Arabic and other ME scripts in your design, it is not worth buying ME version. You need to get a simple software that will convert limited Arabic text with special fonts to a suitable and editable text in Photoshop, Illustrator or InDesign. In this tutorial I have used the free arPix Professional from www.grapheast.com

Zaid Al-Hilali is an Adobe Certified Instructor operating from Dubai. You can reach him on +971 50 736 2306. You can find him hanging out at www.emiratesmac.com and www.digitalmediame.com

Step 1
Open arPix Pro and type Arabic text. You don’t need to specify an Arabic font here, any font will do.
Arabic language can be added in Mac OSX form the System Preferences > International, then click on Language tab to add Arabic, then click on the Input Menu tab to place activate Arabic keyboard.

Step 2
Highlight text then press on the right red circle to copy text, don’t chose Edit > Copy.
When you install arPix Pro, you will get a set of 10 AGE fonts along with it. Fonts will be placed automatically in the User > Library > Fonts folder.

Step 3
Open Adobe Photoshop, click with Type tool to create a text layer, then paste your arabic text from Edit menu. Apply one of the AGE fonts that arPix Pro installed in your system to the Arabic text.
Make sure text is not inverted, if it is inverted, then you have pressed the wrong copy button in arPix Pro.

Step 4
For management purposes, in Layers Panel rename your Arabic text layer(s) with proper names since Photoshop will not recognize Arabic text.

Step 5
The reason why we bring live Arabic text into photoshop is to have an advantage of editing it later if necessary.
To change text, switch back to arPix Pro, type different word/phrase, copy, then switch to Photoshop and paste it instead of existing text to see that we still have live and edit able text.

Step 6
With live Arabic text, we can apply layer styles.
Here I have added embossing. From Layer > Layer Style > Bevel and Emboss, change settings as desired, add a drop shadow or any other style, then press OK to apply.

Step 7
Since this is a live text I shall add Warp Text to my text layer. Target text layer, then press “Create warped text” button on the top Options bar. Add any warping style and adjust its settings.

Step 8
Now if you want to play further with this Arabic text without rasterizing it (convert it to image) you may want to convert text layer into a Smart Object. From Layer > Smart Object > Convert to Smart Object.
Next Choose Edit > Transform > Warp, once you see a net shape, start dragging points around and press Enter key to apply warping.

Step 9
With all these changes, I wanted to demonstrate two things, that Arabic text can be used in non ME Adobe application. Second, you may change text form so much and still could be edited.
Let’s add filters to the Smart Object layer. Apply any desired filter from Filter menu.

Step 10
Once again, we can change the text by going back to arPix Pro type new word/phrase, copy it, then back in Photoshop, double click on the Smart Object layer to open your text this time in a new window, paste text there, save it and close window to see the result in original Photoshop window.

Peel the Apple

Q: I have a MacBook and I just purchased a new AirPort Extreme. I was trying to set it up earlier but the amber light kept flashing, even though I had connected the WAN cable from the wall to the WAN port on the extreme. What am I missing? I’ve done the AirPort Utilities set-up and everything is completed, but cannot detect a connection. Can you help?
A: Let’s hope so. It sounds like you’re missing a modem. The Airport Extreme is not a DSL or cable modem, so if you want to connect it to the internet via DSL or cable you need the appropriate modem. Then the modem connects to the wall with what looks like a regular phone cable, and to the Airport Extreme with an Ethernet cable. Once you’ve got that connected, you need to configure both your modem and the Airport Extreme correctly. For this configuration you’ll need some settings from Etisalat for the modem, and you can select how the Airport Extreme should work as well. I can’t really say much about that part of your setting up because I would need more information about exactly what modem you get, how many computers you will have on your wireless network, and more.

Q: Do you by chance know anyone who can fix an iPhone in Dubai?
A: No unfortunately I don’t. Since the iPhone is not officially sold here, all you would find is someone who would be willing to fix something themselves, not an official service provider. That’s one of the risks you take if you buy an iPhone and want to use it in the Middle East, and that’s not going to change until Apple decides to start selling the iPhone here - and when that is, no one knows (or at least no one is saying in public).

Q: I just bought an iMac and it has the Apple mouse with the little ball on top. I am a new Mac user and I’m trying to find out how to right-click with the mouse. I heard there is no right-click, is that true?
A: There is and there isn’t, if that makes any sense. With the mouse you have, which is called Mighty Mouse, Apple actually has put in a right mouse button. So if you click over on the right where you would normally find a separate button, the mouse should do a right-click. In my experience the right-click on the Mighty Mouse isn’t very good and most of the time, at least for me, trying to right-click only produces a regular click. But even if your mouse only has one button, or if the Mighty Mouse right-click button doesn’t work very well, you can always right-click by pressing the Control key on the keyboard at the same time as you click the mouse. I should also add that you could use almost any other mouse with a Mac, as long as it connects with USB. So if you have a favorite mouse already from another computer, you can probably use it.

Q: The MacBook Air looks amazing and I am thinking about getting it to replace my old PowerBook G4. From the reviews I read, I wonder if it’ll be fast enough. Do you have any advice to offer?
A: Let me add one more review for you to read then, the one in this issue of Shuffle. We’ve used a MacBook Air for a number of weeks now and our conclusion is that a MacBook Air could very well be a user’s main Mac. For what most people do with computers – email, web, write a letter, etc. – the MacBook Air is plenty fast enough. But it’s not as fast as a MacBook Pro, obviously, so you’ll have to base your decision on what you need to do with the Mac.

Profile of a Mac Seller

Name: Saleh
Title: Sales Executive
Store: iStyle Khobar, KSA

Q: When did you start working for iStyle?
A: December 2007.

Q: What did you do before working at iStyle?
A: I was working for HP (Hewlett-Packard) Middle East as a Sales and Merchandise Excutive.

Q: When was the first time you used a Mac and what was your first impression?
A: That was in 2004 and it was a iBook G4. I thought it was a very good computer, especially the graphics were amazing.

Q: What’s the best part of your job?
A: Technical support. When I can help someone solve a problem, especially new users and first time buyers, and explain something to them.

Q: What is your favorite Apple product and why?
A: Everything that is produced by by Apple has nice design, but I prefer the MacBook becuse it helps me in everything I need. It has a compact design with powerful performance.

Q: Do you have a funny story about something that has happened in your job?
A: I don’t have a particular story, but when customers bring in their iPods, they say it’s not working. What I normally do is I hold down a few buttons and reset it, and they ask how did you do that? Which usually happens with all employees in any Apple store.

Q: What is the most challenging part of your job?
A: Helping our clients and finding the best solutions for them and theirneeds, and making the Mac a good environment for all requirements.

Q: Is there any particular product you wish Apple would release?
A: Sure, I wish many things beginning with iMac with touch screen like iPod touch, a tablet like many said before. And not last the iPhone for the Middle East.

Brief Blogging Tips

Blogging can be about anything from your full-time job to something you do once in a while when you have time. In either case, here are a few quick tips for how to blog, when to blog, and what to blog about:
Blog about something you’re passionate about: This is even more important than to blog about something you’re knowledgeable about. If you’re both passionate and knowledgeable in a particular area it’s of course even better, but the passion will keep you going when you go through tough times.
Be consistent: Readers are looking for new stuff to be posted regularly - if not daily, at least a few times a week. After all, why should they bother subscribing to your blog’s RSS-feed if there is no new content regularly posted?
Take notes about blog topics: Whenever you get an idea, write it down or make a note somewhere. At some point your ideas will dry up, so save them for when you need them.
Get your own domain name: If you’re really serious about your blog, give it a unique identity. A part of doing that is getting your own domain name.
Include pictures: To save some money, get one of those monster-size clipart collections on several DVDs and use them. People love to see pictures.
Follow other blogs and forums: To figure out where you fit in, in the blogosphere, and what others are writing about, follow other blogs. You will eventually drive traffic to your blog, and you can also make some friends.
Set a routine: Whether you blog as a profession or just for fun, get into a routine for your writing and posting. Do it early in the morning before going to work, during breaks, late at night, or whenever it suits you.
Have fun: More than anything, have fun blogging. Once you see that other people come to read your blog, you will get excited.

by Magnus Nystedt

Review: Bose QuietComfort 2

Let me tell you straight up - I love these headphones. Bose is well known for creating high quality audio equipment, and its QuietComfort2 headphones are no exception. These are actively noise-cancelling, or more appropriately, noise-reducing headphones. This means they reduce the noise in the listener’s surroundings so they can enjoy the audio instead. Technically they do this by listening to the sounds in the environment and emitting into the headphones sounds that “cancel out” the noise. The most obvious place this makes sense is when you’re on an airplane, and that’s where I’ve experienced the greatest effect of these Bose headphones. I should add that this type of noise reduction works on steady background noise, but not on most other sounds: So at work it won’t cancel out your colleagues talking or a phone ringing, but it will at least reduce computer and copy machine noise, AC system humming, and sounds like that.
The Bose QuietComfort2 headphones totally enclose the ears with a soft padding. For some people the “seal” is a bit too tight so the ear gets too warm, but I’ve not had that problem. They don’t press too hard on the head and just sit comfortably. I had them on for most of a nine-hour flight and had no discomfort issues. Bose includes a nice hard case and an airplane headphone plug with the QuetComfort2, and since you’ll invest quite a bit of money you’ll want to keep these safe. They require one AAA battery to operate, but according to Bose this should last around 30 hours so it shouldn’t be much of an issue. I’ve tried other, cheaper, headphones that are also noise-reducing, but I’ve not experienced anything as effective as these Bose ones. And I guess I forgot to mention that they also make any audio sound absolutely fantastic! They come at a premium price, but to me it’s well worth it.

by Magnus Nystedt

Price: $299
From: Bose
Distributor: Bose
Web: http://www.bose.com/controller?url=/home_entertainment/headphones_headsets/headphones/qc2/index.jsp

Review: MacBook Air

When it comes to design and build quality, the MacBook Air feels very solid to say the least. Picking it up with one hand produces no flexing, squeaking from hinges, nor anything else. There is a bit of flex on the top, presumably because it’s the screen. Everything fits together perfectly and I’m sure this is one tough little machine. In typical Apple style the outside is sleek and clean. It has a thin rubber line running all around the screen, connecting it really tightly to the bottom part when it’s closed.
Many have complained about the ports on the MBA, and I can see why. There will be many USB devices that will not be able to connect to the MBA because of the location of its only port. That the Magsafe Adapter has a new connection is also a sore subject for many, and I think Apple could have used the same old connector but hope they had good reasons for not doing so. The Micro-DVI connector and accompanying adapters (you pay extra for these) seem to work fine.

We tested the 80GB hard drive version of the MBA and booting up took 75 seconds (an average of five reboots from power on to login screen). If it’s sleeping and you open the screen, it’s instantly on. That’s a small detail but really cool.
Our MacBook Air was the 1.6GHz version, so it should be considerably slower than the 2.0GHz MacBook it replaces, but in regular use (web, email, iWork, iPhoto, Office 2008) we couldn’t really find any noticeable difference. The MBA was snappy all around and only stalled a bit in situations where it was to be expected – causing us to conclude that the MBA is going to be perfectly fine for most users. What I also loved was that in testing conditions where the MacBook’s fans would rev up, the MBA was completely silent.
I love the MBA’s keyboard. It’s the same as in MacBooks, which I actually prefer over that on MacBook Pros. The wider track pad is also nice, but the “thinner” mouse button takes some getting used to. However, I could easily get used to the gestures on the track pad.
Apple’s claim that you’d get five hours out of the MBA seem to be a bit optimistic. After a few weeks use, I suspect it’s about one hour less than what Apple claims.
You’re probably used to doing migration over Firewire cable. But what do you do since there is no Firewire on the MacBook Air? You have three options: migrate over Wi-Fi, Ethernet cable, or via Time Machine backup. We tried the Wi-Fi option first but had no luck; it just wouldn’t work. Eventually we just connected the external drive with the Time Machine backup from our old MacBook and it transferred just fine.
Since the MBA does not have an internal optical drive, we picked up an external SuperDrive too but we hope we won’t have to use it much. We did install Microsoft Office 2008 from DVD in the SuperDrive, but we also tried installing software from a DVD on a MacBook Pro through the Remote Disc feature - and that also worked fine, albeit a bit slow.
In conclusion, the MBA is an extraordinary accomplishment by Apple. Whether the label “The world’s thinnest notebook” is true, and how long it’ll last, is really of little importance. The fact is that the MBA is a beautiful, functional, thin and light notebook that will serve well those looking for something small and light. It probably isn’t going to be many users’ main Mac, but rather an addition to something else - often a desktop. But for many regular uses, it’s actually fine as a main Mac as well. Let’s see what the price will be once it arrives in the Middle East.

by Magnus Nystedt

Price: AED8199
From: Apple Inc.
Distributor: Apple IMC ME
Web: http://www.appleme.ae/ara/mac/macbookair/

Review: Blackberry 8800

I’m a big BlackBerry fan but this is not the greatest BlackBerry phone. The BlackBerry 8800 leaves much to be desired, but for a blogger on the go it makes a great platform for writing and posting. It has no 3G, no camera, no Wi-Fi, etc. But where this BlackBerry, like most other models from RIM, shines is email. I’ve yet to experience anything else that even comes close to the speed, reliability and ease of use in terms of email, that BlackBerry offers. Sure you can do email with other phones and devices, but it’s not comparable.

If we start on the outside, the 8800 looks great. It’s black and shiny, with a large, gorgeous display. The controls are laid out in a logical fashion. One thing that made BlackBerry famous, the click-wheel, is replaced by a small joystick-like control, which I’ve been fairly impressed with. It’s easy to get around the interface, even with one hand. The keyboard is of course critical for a device such as this, and I’d like it to be a bit more distinct than it is. Pressing the keys is a bit too soft for my taste but it’s better than most other keyboards I’ve tried on similar devices. Battery life is impressive. RIM says it’s five hours of talktime or 22 days standby. I’m not sure it’s that much, but it probably isn’t far off. I’ve used it extensively for almost an entire working week before the batteries have died on me.
Some people will miss having an inbuilt camera, but I don’t really. Since the 8800 has a MicroSD slot for a flash memory card, you can use a digital camera that takes SD cards with a card adapter, then put the card into the 8800 and send photos that way. It makes for a great mobile blogging platform. For anyone on the go and in need of fast and reliable email, the BlackBerry 8800 is a great choice. Don’t expect the latest and greatest in technology though.

by Magnus Nystedt

Price: AED2205
From: Research In Motion
Distributor: Etisalat
Web: http://na.blackberry.com/eng/devices/series-detail.jsp?navId=H0,C201

What’s in Your Bag?

The bag
I have a Blue Dicota BacPac Rain backpack with the following inside:

• Apple PowerBook G4 15”
• 100GB firewire / USB external hard drive
• PB’s charger
• Mini USB cable
• Firewire cable
• DVI <> RGB converter
• S-Video <> component converter
• iPod cable
• iPod headphone
• SD Reader
• 512MB SD (in the reader)
• Micro SD converter
• Mini SD converter
• Transcend Micro SD reader with 2GB in it

I like the Dicota BacPac Rain because carrying a suitcase all day and in airports had started to take its toll on my back. Of course, it doesn’t look as professional as a leather suitcase, but I think my back is more important than public opinion. The fact there is a Mac inside helps, since people expect Mac users to be slightly eccentric or unconventional. The bag comes with a “wire hole” to keep my iPod inside while I listen to music, but I never use that. I prefer to have control over the iPod, which I can’t do while its inside. The bag also has a rain cover which was very helpful during Dubai’s last rainstorm. The hard disk is a generic case with a hard disk I installed in it. The nice thing about it is that it comes with both USB and firewire, so I can boot from it when I need to. It also comes in a convineint faux leather case that holds it and the firewire cable together. I keep the video converters for when I have a presentation to do, since I don’t always know where and what I will be giving. The iPod cable is for both my iPod and iPhone, which I usually end up recharging from. And I have a paperclip on it should I need to access my SIM card. The charger is usually disconnected from the power connector, since I have a power cables both at home and in the office. This way, all I have to do is plug it into the connector that is lying on the desk, instead of going under the table to plug it in every day. And it’s a lot cheaper than having 3 chargers (at home, in the office, and in the bag).

Non IT items
A pair of Thumb Ease massagers that are nice to have after a long days work.
A clipboard / folder (complete with old Apple logo, as well as a few other stickers)
An Apple “envelope” to hold loose paper (used to come with some models of older Macs). I use the folder to further separate things, keeping my papers safe and organized as well as further protecting my Mac.
I also use a plastic envelope to put small papers in. These envelopes used to come with the older Macs, and are very convenient to have, and have the Apple logo on them!
A bottle of The Body Shop White Musk Perfume Oil, I can’t get enough of this and stock-pile it like gold.
Swiss+Tech Utili-Key 6-in-1, which is helpful for all sorts of things. It’s a knife, 3 screwdrivers and a few other things, all the size of a key. I got this off souq.com.

by Fangpyre

“What’s in your bag” is a regular feature in Shuffle. Each month we feature one Mac user and what’s in their notebook bag. If you’re willing to share what’s in your bag, send us an email at shuffle@emiratesmac.com. We need your name, what bag and Mac you have, and what’s actually in the bag, along with a few comments about the items.

Blogging With a Mac and a Mobile

If you’re serious about your blogging and you want to be able to post using your Mac notebook from anywhere, even where there is no Wi-Fi internet connection, you could possibly use your mobile phone. This brief tutorial takes you through how to use a Nokia E61i (http://europe.nokia.com/A4344018) as a 3G mobile phone modem, connecting to it via Bluetooth from the Mac to post to a blog. You can read a review of the Nokia E61i in the September 2007 issue of Shuffle.
by Magnus Nystedt

Step 1
Go to http://www.taniwha.org.uk and download the “Scripts for Nokia 3.5G (HSDPA) phones (26kB): Nokia 3.5G Scripts”. If you have a different phone the script you would download would also be different.

Step 2
Copy the three “Nokia HSDPA…” files from the downloaded archive to Library > Modem Scripts.

Step 3
Set up a new Bluetooth device, select Mobile Phone.

Step 4
Make sure “Access the internet…” is checked. When you enter “APN”, it is “Etisalat.ae”.

Step 5
In System Preferences > Network > Bluetooth, the phone number is also “Etisalat.ae”.

Step 6
Now you can connect via the menu at the top or from System Preferences > Network > Bluetooth.

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