We are on the brink of ‘Touch Technology’ or what they call Haptic technology. This is huge news. It’s technology that creates the illusion of texture through the use of electrical currents. There are several companies right now that are feverishly working out the last few details, and soon we will see it launched through iPads and smart phone devices. It was supposed to make the cut for the newest iPad, but it wasn’t included this time around. It’s something to look forward to in the near future.

I suspect it will bring the web to new heights. Backgrounds could actually have texture, navigation buttons could actually feel like they are popping up out of the screen, and this puts a whole new light on accessibility. Imagine… braille for the blind! Games could gain a whole new dimension. Couple that with augmented reality and things could get pretty interesting.

Here is a video from TeslaTouch (Disney Research) which explains this new amazing technology we have to look forward to soon. Enjoy!

There’s a great group of Maui blog writers that have been brought together in a Facebook group called Maui Blogger’s Network. They’re a very active gang, with entertaining and informative facebook entries on the Group page, and also a monthly listing of member blogs. Every month the members add their blog link to a listing so that other members can “blog hop”, read and enjoy and then leave a comment. Each is like an invitation to a friend’s house, where you get to go and visit every month.

This month is just starting, so there are only a few blog listings posted so far, but I have to pipe up and give a big thumbs up to Wendy Laurel’s blog posting about her trip to Hana with the family. Wendy is amazing with the camera, and her blog is in photo diary style. These photos of Hana she’s posted really capture the feeling of Hana. Here is the link: The Road To Hana. Enjoy!

There are all flavors and styles of writing within the group. There are blogs about surfing, cooking, life on Maui, photography, web designing, and social happenings around the island. The neat thing is being able to see what others are blogging about and then try to come up with something equally as entertaining and well-done. Quite a source of inspiration, this group.

If you have a blog that you keep current, march on over to the Maui Bloggers Network on Facebook and send them a request to join. I think you’ll really enjoy it.

These days, many small-business owners are lured by the make-it-yourself website tools and design templates hoping to save money in the end. With a bit of effort, it’s possible to build and launch a website for less than $250 by using a template. However, is this really the way you would like to present your business and message to the world? With a low-cost website? The better business decision is to work with a full-service graphic and web design company. Much more savvy!

So, what are the costs of a quality website? The cost for a website may range from $1200 for a very basic website to more than $50,000 for a much larger website with custom graphics, custom programming, and other options. Begin by thinking about your needs. The cost of your website will be based on the size and complexity. For example, a 5 to 10 page website that introduces your business and services will be much more affordable and cost considerably less to build than a website that processes purchase orders.

To begin, have a budget in mind, and work out an itemized list. Visit our Getting Started page for more ideas and tips. And, for more information on DzinePOD pricing, visit our PRICING page. Here are some basic costs to keep in mind while you are planning:

• Domain registration: Cost: $10 to $35 per year per domain.

• Hosting: Fees vary considerably based on the complexity of your website, estimated traffic and security requirements. Cost: Shared host, $8 to $50 per month; merchant plan, $25 to $250 per month; dedicated server, $125 to $1,000+ per month.

• Graphics: Unless you have existing graphics, including a company logo, you need to use stock art or pay a graphic artist. Cost: Royalty-free stock art, starting at about $10 per image; graphic artist, $50 to $150 per hour.

• Content development: Content development usually starts with you, but professional copywriting services can help. Cost: $50 to $85 per hour.

• Content management system configuration and implementation: CMS makes your site easier to populate, maintain and update. Cost: $50 to $85 per hour.

• Programming and/or third-party application fees: Programming includes online forms, e-commerce and CRM tools, as well as custom components necessary for your site to deliver what your business model calls for. Cost: $85 to $125 per hour and/or flat fees or rates for use of third-party applications. If you insist on building your site in Flash, expect to pay 25 percent to 50 percent more.

• Usability testing: Cost: $35 to $50 per hour (plan for at least half-hour per page).

• Analytics: Google Analytics is free, and it’s quick and easy to install. More robust analytics tools vary in price. Cost: $50 to $85 per hour to set up and configure Google Analytics or other programs; $50 to $5,000+ monthly fees for more robust systems.

• Blog: Adding a blog to your website or separately is an additional cost to consider. Cost: $500 to $2,500 first-time setup including graphic design, programming and configuration.

Because most web programming and web design services are ultimately billed at an hourly rate, the total cost of your website hinges on the site’s size and complexity. If you are interested in a quote from DzinePOD, please take the time to complete our Website Planner — Brand New Web Design — Website Re-design. This will help you through the planning process, and it will help us give you a solid quote.

WordPress is a strong and solid website publishing application, but since it’s hosted on a web server and data is stored in a database, it’s crucial to backup your blog or WordPress website quite frequently just in case catastrophe strikes and you lose all of your content… and thus… no more blog or website…. poof… all gone. By backing up your website frequently, you will be able to restore your website to what it was before it was obliterated into nothingness. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

You should always run backups on three important elements of your website.

I know it seems like a huge chore to have to backup all of this information, but believe me, if something goes wrong, you’ll be happy you did.

Let’s look at the database backup first. There is a simple, automated way to backup your database which is much better than doing it manually. A manual backup, I admit, is a lot of work. WordPress offers a great plugin that makes database backup a breeze.

To install the plugin, go to Plugins, Add New, then search for WP-DB-Backup (by Austin Matzko). Click install now, and activate it. The database backup plugin will appear under Tools in your WordPress dashboard. So, click on Tools, and then Backup. This plugin, by default, will backup your entire database. It even copies your spam comments and post revisions. You can exclude those by checking the boxes, but I suggest leaving them in so that you have a complete copy of everything you had.

Then you have two options for backup. You can either backup immediately, or you can schedule backups. I suggest scheduling backups. If you add content to your blog or site on a daily basis, choose once hourly or twice or once daily. If you post once a week, then a weekly backup should be sufficient. You may want to set up a gmail account to receive the backup emails if you do a hourly or daily backup since you’ll keep getting backup emails, which can get irritating after a while. So, type in your email address in the box and click schedule backup. If you want to, you can also run a backup right away by going to the Backup Options section and choosing Email backup to: with your email address and clicking Backup now.

So, that was how to backup your WordPress database files. Step 2 is to backup your themes, plug-ins and uploaded content. These are all located in your wp_content folder. You’ll need to create a folder on your computer that is specifically for these backup files. You can call it WPbackup and place it where you will be able to find it later, like in your documents library, or wherever you like. This is the folder where you will place your backup files. The way to do this is by using your FTP, browse to your blog files, find a folder named wp_content, and simply drag the wp_content folder into your new backup folder on your computer. This lets you backup your themes and plugins, plus all the other files you’ve uploaded onto your site, including videos, photos. it even backs up all the upgrades for your theme and plugins. I recommend you do this back up at least once a month, by just dragging the new wp_content folder from your FTP into your backup folder on your computer. it will simply overwrite the old content, and add in any new content. If you want, you can even date your backups so that you will know when you did your last backup. Once a month should be sufficient.

Step three, is backing up your access information. Go back to your FTP client and find a file called wp_config.php. Drag this into your backups folder. This file contains the code configurations that shows how WordPress communicates with your database. It’s important to back this file up because if catastrophe strikes and your WordPress crashes completely, you can actually replace every single file in the WordPress installation, except for the wp_config.php file and wp_content folder. When you drop in these backed up files, your WordPress will come back up and work properly. So, if disaster strikes, all you need to do is clear out your FTP of all files, then bring in a fresh copy of WordPress, then bring in your backed-up wp_config.php file and your wp_content folder. Then everything will go back to normal.

Running complete and continuous backups of your database, themes, and uploaded files, along with your access files will ensure that if anything does go wrong with your site or blog, you can always restore it quickly. Doing backups may seem like a hassle, but trust me, you’ll be so happy you did.

Our client Kilimanjaro Rifles allows us to push the boundaries and take creative chances when it comes to their marketing, design, advertising, packaging, promotions and website. They have a distinctive look and feel that is communicated through these mediums. Our role is to create fresh and strong images that communicate to the world who they are.

Here are two new advertisements we created for Kilimanjaro Rifles that are set to be published in the newest issues of these national publications: Sporting Classics, Sports Afield, Boone and Crockett, DSC Game Trails, and SCI Safari.

Click on these advertisements to see a larger view.