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Maximum Size of a FAT-32 Partition

Have you ever wondered what the maximum size of a FAT-32 partition could be?

Do you have an external drive which needs to be accessed on different operating systems such as Windows and Mac OSX? Have you moved from Windows to Mac or Linux and find that you can no longer access the Windows (NTFS) drive you used for your media files? How about plugging your media library into the DVD or other player, but find that it can not read NTFS or one of the Linux formats? That means that you probably need to format your disk using FAT32.

FAT32 provides the maximum level of compatibility between OS X and Windows machines. OS X has the capability of reading and writing to FAT32 drives built into the OS, and naturally Windows can see these drives too. But what is the Maximum Size of a FAT-32 Partition?

According to Microsoft, when you use the FAT32 file system with Windows XP:

  • Clusters cannot be 64 kilobytes (KB) or larger. If clusters are 64 KB or larger, some programs (such as Setup programs) may incorrectly calculate disk space.
  • A FAT32 volume must contain a minimum of 65,527 clusters. You cannot increase the cluster size on a volume that uses the FAT32 file system so that it contains fewer than 65,527 clusters.
  • The maximum disk size is approximately 8 terabytes when you take into account the following variables: The maximum possible number of clusters on a FAT32 volume is 268,435,445, and there is a maximum of 32 KB per cluster, along with the space required for the file allocation table (FAT).
  • You cannot decrease the cluster size on a FAT32 volume so that the size of the FAT is larger than 16 megabytes (MB) minus 64 KB.
  • You cannot format a volume larger than 32 gigabytes (GB) in size using the FAT32 file system during the Windows XP installation process. Windows XP can mount and support FAT32 volumes larger than 32 GB (subject to the other limits), but you cannot create a FAT32 volume larger than 32 GB by using the Format tool during Setup.
  • You cannot create a file larger than (2^32)-1 bytes (this is one byte less than 4 GB) on a FAT32 partition.

Remember, the maximum file size on a FAT32 drive is 4GB. So if you have a file that’s larger than 4GB, you can not use FAT32. It is not uncommon for raw HD video files to be much larger than 4GB, particularly when recording live events. If you are planning to access such video files on both Windows and Mac OSX machines, do not have access to network connectivity and want to avoid third party add-ons, then download the files onto a Windows NTFS drive which a Mac will subsequently be able to access (read-only).

So according to Microsoft’s calculations above, the Maximum Size of a FAT-32 Partition is approximately 8 terabytes.

For additional information about the FAT32 file system, see the links below:

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Windows 8 Launches

Microsoft has now announced the global availability of its popular Windows operating system, Windows 8.

For people planning the move to Windows 8, you should be aware that there are three consumer versions: Windows 8, Windows 8 Pro, and Windows RT. Windows RT is a tablet and mobile focused OS which will only run on ARM-powered devices, while Windows 8 is a full-featured PC operating system aimed at x86 devices, powered by Intel or AMD chips.

For those who have not yet seen Windows 8 or read the reviews, the benefits are as follows:

  • It is sleek, fast and fun (on the right hardware)
  • Huge security improvements
  • Much faster boot up
  • Improved battery life for mobile users
  • It is Great for touch

Some people may take a little convincing of the benefits of the change to Windows 8, so on the down side:

  • Some users will miss the Start menu
  • It will not boot to the desktop
  • It needs a touchscreen/trackpad gestures/Touch Mouse to get the best out of it
  • The new style Modern UI will not please everyone
  • Some older CPUs won’t run it

The flashy new interface is in line with other tablet styles, so will require little training for novice users to get at the obvious features. For people who really can not live without the Start Menu, there is a basic alternative which you can display by pressing Win + X, which gives you quick access to:

  • Programs and Features
  • Power Options
  • Event Viewer
  • System
  • Device Manager
  • Disk Management
  • Computer management
  • Command Prompt (both standard and Admin)
  • Task Manager
  • Control Panel
  • Windows Explorer
  • Search
  • Run
  • Desktop

Windows 8 will run all software from the Windows Store and any third-party programs that you may have used in earlier versions of Windows. On the other hand, Windows RT only supports apps from the Windows Store and its built-in version of Office 2013.

Windows RT is aimed at the consumer tablet market, so is not so business orientated. As a full-featured operating operating, Windows 8 Pro offers Remote Desktop server, Active Directory domain support, Encrypting File System, Hyper-V, BitLocker and more.

Useful Windows 8 Resources

Other Windows 8 Reviews

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5 Quick Tips for New iPad Users

Have you been getting used to your new iPad and wondering how to do the simple stuff that is so easy on your Windows PC, iMac or Linux workstation?

Here are five quick tips for new iPad users to help you get productive and make it work for you. they all work on iOS 5 & 6

  1. See all open iPad apps – To see all open apps displayed on the multitasking bar at the bottom of the screen either:
    • Double-click the Home button
    • Use four or five fingers to swipe up
  2. To close a running app – Touch and hold any icon on the bottom bar until the icons start moving, then tap the minus sign on the icon of the running app to close it.
  3. To switch between open apps – Use four or five fingers swipe left or right
  4. Close a book in iBooks to choose another – Tap the screen once and menu options will appear, then tap library in the top left corner to go back to he bookshelf.
  5. Download PDFs to iBooks via Browser – In iPad Safari tap a PDF download which will download and display in the browser. Touch the screen, and tap the “Open in iBooks” button at the top. When opened in iBooks, the PDF file is automatically added to the library.

Practice the gestures, and the five quick tips above particularly the four finger swipe, and they soon become second nature. Have fun with your new iPad!

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Update Atahualpa WordPress Theme

Expert WordPress users and regular readers of this blog will know that we recommend updating to the latest WordPress version regularly, to ensure that the any known security vulnerabilities are patched. Many people also take that opportunity to upgrade their favorite plugins and theme to ensure continued compatibility.

But what if you are using a highly configurable theme like Atahualpa? How do upgrade and yet keep all your custom settings, header images and favicon after the upgrade. The good news is that most of the theme settings for Atahualpa are stored in the database so that an upgrade will not lose that customization.

So how do you update the Atahualpa WordPress Theme when the time comes?

Before you update WordPress, your plugins or theme, backup your database, wp-content folder and wp-config.php files to make sure you can reverse out of the change in the event that there is a problem.

If you have used custom header images or made any changes to the page code in the Atahualpa theme, or set a shortcut icon, Web site icon, URL icon, or bookmark icon (favicon) than you will need to use the manual method to update the theme. If you are using the theme with default header images etc. or have a quick way to restore them after an upgrade, then you can use the WordPress update facility. However, the way we recommend is to Upgrade the theme manually, as follows:

  1. Backup your database.
  2. Backup the wp-content folder, which contains your themes, favicon and header images.
  3. Download the latest version of the theme to your computer.
  4. Unzip the file and copy in your custom images and delete the ones supplied.
  5. Check for any Atahualpa theme patches and apply them.
  6. Update any code changes you made in the previous version (experts only!)
  7. Add any custom templates you use to the new theme folder.
  8. Upload the theme folder to the ‘wp-content/themes’ themes folder on your host.
  9. Activate the the new theme via WordPress Dashboard, and test.

The new theme should now display correctly. But if you have a problem you can revert to the earlier version using Dashboard again. Common causes of problems are as follows:

  • Code customization which has not been correctly installed or has a negative impact in the new theme. Solution recheck the code is complete and in the correct location and retest.
  • Images using the full path name not displaying. Solution – Verify URL Names in WordPress options, or avoid using where possible.
  • WordPress menus not displaying. Solution – reselect the menus in Dashboard, Appearances, Menu.

So now we know how to update the Atahualpa WordPress Theme, which should make the task easier the next time!

Other Resources

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Have You Updated WordPress?

Unbelievable as it may seem, there are plenty of WordPress users who do not upgrade their installations to the latest version when they are released. This post should encourage every WordPress site administrator to Update WordPress as soon as possible.

There may be a number of reasons why you might want to upgrade WordPress, including:

  • A security fix has been released
  • Some useful new functionality has become available
  • You have seen a message at the top of your Dashboard telling you that a new release is available

The latest version of WordPress (3.4.1 at time of writing) comes with an impressive array of improvements including embedded Tweets, custom header from Media Library, and performance boosts under the hood, and of course all the latest security patches to ensure that your Blog is as secure as it can be.

Twitter Embeds
This is a great new feature which allows you to share Tweets with style. You can now embed individual tweets in posts, so that you can make a feature of a reference to another author or micro-blogger, or just highlight one of your own. Great for your personal marketing!

It includes action links that allow readers to reply to, retweet, and favorite the tweet, all without leaving your site. To use the feature, all you have to do is paste a tweet URL on its own line. When you save the post, it will look something like this:


This works with URLs from some other sites, too. For more, see the Codex article on Embeds.

Choose from Media Library
This useful feature of Custom Headers allows you to choose header images from your media library to customize your theme, rather than having to upload the same custom header image every time you check out a new theme.

Live Theme Previews
It is now possible to try out new themes and update the header and background before the theme is activated. This removes the panic to update those details as soon as you activate a new theme. Please note that this feature is only available for installed themes.

You can also use the live preview mode to customize your current theme by using the Customize link on the Themes screen.

Flexible Header Image Sizes
If your theme supports the feature, you can now decide for yourself how tall or wide your custom header image should be. From now on, themes will provide a recommended image size for custom headers rather than a fixed requirement.

Please note that not all current themes will support this feature, so contact your theme designer and ask them for the latest version of your theme.

Performance Boosts
Among the Performance Boosts available in the latest release of WordPress are the following:

  • Faster WP_Query – Post queries have been optimized to improve performance, especially for sites with large databases.
  • Faster Translations – The number of strings loaded in the WordPress front end has been greatly reduced, resulting in faster front page load times for localized installations. Also provides better support for East Asian languages, right-to-left languages, theme translations, and more.
  • Themes API – Key procedures in WordPress (WP_Theme, wp_get_themes(), wp_get_theme()) are faster, uses less memory, and makes use of persistent caching.

For more information about WordPress see WordPress Codex – Updating WordPress

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Is W32.Flamer Evidence of Cyberwarfare Activities?

A number of commentators on the Net are suggesting that the recent malware infection in a number of Middle Eastern countries is evidence of Cyberwarfare Activities by a professional team

Flame, or W32.Flamer, or skywiper may have been developed by a nation state as part of cyberwarfare activities, and is targeted at information gathering, rather than distruction of data. Analysts who have been decoding the computer worm have been unable to identify the source, but they say only a professional team working for several months could have been behind it.

The CrySys Laboratory in Hungary was one of the first to attempt analysis, reported that: “The results of our technical analysis supports the hypothesis that skywiper was developed by a government agency of a nation state with significant budget and effort, and it may be related to cyberwarfare activities.”It is certainly the most sophisticated malware we have encountered. Arguably, it is the most complex malware ever found.”

According to Symantec, W32.Flamer is a worm that spreads through removable drives. It also opens a back door into the users computer and may steal information from the compromised computer. Symantec Security Response is currently investigating this threat but has classified the Threat Assessment in the wild as Low.

Damage
Damage Level: Medium
Payload: Opens a back door.
Releases Confidential Info: Steals information.

Although the rate of spread may be low, due to the propagation method, this malware is likely to attract a lot of attention and hot debate because of the potential for Cyberwarfare. Watch this space for more news as it emerges.

For more information see:

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Featured Blog Raspberry Pi

Our featured WordPress blog this month is the site of Raspberry Pi, the official home of for the Raspberry Pi Foundation.

This site is attracting interesting because it provides news and information about the amazing, innovative, low-cost Raspberry Pi mini PC, which is claimed to sell for $25, which at UK prices is £31.86 inc VAT and shipping.

For those of you who have not heard about this wonder of modern electronics, the Raspberry Pi is a fully programmable ARM computer which is claimed to run almost any Linux distribution. It makes use of an on board GPU which is capable of high definition video playback, fast 3D processing capabilities and outputs to an HDMI or RCA video port. For a device the size of a credit card that is truly amazing!

Anyway, back to the Featured Blog, Raspberry Pi. This site uses the standard Twenty Eleven theme which comes installed with WordPress. Among the plugins, installed are Search by Google, which adds a Google search form widget, which replaces the WordPress default search. There is also WP Comment Master which is an alternative solution to display long lists of comments.

OK, to be strictly accurate this site is more interesting for being the home site for the amazing Raspberry Pi, and the opportunity to bring Linux to the masses, than for WordPress. Anyway visit the site and make up your own mind. Meanwhile we are waiting for delivery of our first Raspberry Pi!

Links

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Browserling Interactive Cross-Browser Testing Platform

Have you ever wanted to see what your website looks like in an older (or newer!) browser than you are using? Then try Browserling interactive cross-browser testing platform

Warning: this program is seriously useful, and after you really get to like playing with the different versions there is a Time’s Up message which gives two options:

  • create an account for 10 minute sessions
  • buy a paid plan for unlimited sessions

We would recommend the developer plan as a starter, for $20/month, which is for designers, front-end developers, and freelancers who need to check their work against all the browsers. This option offers unlimited sessions, and ssh tunnels.

The Dedicated Plan is listed as $250/month and adds the following

  • Remote desktop access or use the browsers through a web interface
  • Includes 200 testling minutes per month
  • SSH tunnels to access localhost and intranet services

This plan contains their entire non-IE browser selection plus IE9. Additional versions of IE require additional dedicated resources at extra cost.

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How To View WMVs on a Mac

Someone sent us a link to an WMV video sample the other day and the technician was unable to view the file on his iMac workstation until the correct driver had been installed. As this is probably a common occurrence for new Mac converts, this post shows you how to view WMV files on a Mac

What To Do
To ensure that you can play WMV video files on your Mac, install one of the players or components listed below. We are using Flip4Mac™, also known as Windows Media® for QuickTime, which allows you to play Windows Media files (.wma and .wmv) directly in QuickTime Player and view Windows Media content on the Internet using a Web browser.

How To Install Flip4Mac™

  • Download the component from one of the Flip4Mac™ sources listed below
  • If the file does not open automatically, double click it to mount the disk image
  • Click the Flip4Mac WMV.mpkg file to run the installer
  • Follow the on-screen instructions to finish installation

You may need to restart any QuickTime-based applications, but now your Mac can view WMV files.

Alternatively
If you are looking for an alternative way to do this, check out Mediacoder from SourceForge or MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5. Whichever way you chose, you can now brows WMVs on a Mac and open them like all other Video files.

Resources

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How To Be An SEO Guru

Do you see yourself as a budding SEO Guru and want to spot the next big thing? Have you heard lots of conflicting SEO advice but are not sure which to follow? Have you ever wondered where SEO companies go for inspiration and great advice? Web Marketing and SEO are inextricably linked so that is why this post is titled How To Be An SEO Guru

If you want to be your own SEO guru, or take your first steps on the road to expert status, there are a few simple pieces of advice we wish that we had been given when starting out:

  • Read everything you can about SEO
  • Follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines
  • Study the best SEO examples you can find

Read Everything About SEO
It has been said that if you read ten books on a subject by different authors, you will own that subject. This is also true about SEO, except that you must keep reading in order to stay current. SEO books date very quickly, and techniques that were leading edge two years ago may not work now. Each SEO expert has their own slant on the subject, and can offer something to the jigsaw, but remember, no-one knows it all!

Read every article you can about SEO, watch every video by the SEO experts, and if you can, get to talk to them. Make sure you include Webmaster Guidelines on your monthly reading list, too.

Webmaster Guidelines
It should not need saying, but follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines. If you want to get your website to the top of the rankings for your chosen keywords then it is important to follow the Google Webmaster Guidelines. It is true that there are techniques that might give your site an unauthorized boost, so called “black hat” techniques, but they will not help you if it gets you blocked from the search engine results. The only reliable way to ensure that you stick to the rules is to read the guidelines from the people who wrote that particular book, Google.

When you have read this article follow the link below to Google Webmaster Guidelines and bookmark it, or bookmark this page.

Study the SEO Best
If you want to be the best at anything then you have to study the techniques of the people who are currently rated as the best. Train where the best SEO Gurus train. Attend the conferences and seminars where the SEO experts hang out and listen to them talk. If you can, sign up for at least one SEO training from a renown expert per year, and if possible more. When you are trained by an SEO expert you will get the chance to ask the important questions directly, and of course you get to hang out with them too.

What To Do Next
In the run up to the new year, and the New Year resolutions, how about making a pledge to help you on the way to being your own SEO guru?
Decide that you are going to market your website and boost its position for your chosen keywords
Commit yourself to sign up for tuition from an SEO expert in January
Act now, and look out for SEO tips in the New Year!

PS, where do we go when we are seeking inspiration? Try BrandSEO.com

Have a happy and prosperous new year!

SEO Resources: