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Must Have Features for MOTOCMS

MOTOCMS: Must Have Features

For the past two years,
we have been using WordPress as our platform to develop our website. Divi was
the theme used for our design because of its user friendliness and community
support. About two months ago, I decided as chief editor and designer to do a
revamp of our website. I thought I could just backup all my content, clean
install WordPress, and restore from backup. Little did I know that that rookie
mistake would cause me so much pain. I tried configuring my database wp-config
file and making a database that mirrored the original site. I was unsuccessful
in my attempt and pondered for a while about trying something other than
WordPress.
It was a hard decision
to try something new and out of my comfort zone because I’d become comfortable
with using WordPress and designing the site with Divi. There were a few things
that helped me decide to make the move to a new platform. Chris Lema wrote a
piece titled, “If you
use the Divi theme with WordPress, it better be forever.” At the time, I thought I’d use Divi for my
website and all of my clients’ websites, but as I got wind of other
alternatives, Chris Lema’s article made sense to me. Divi uses shortcodes that
make it hard to switch to other templates. In most cases, you would have to
redesign your website if you wanted to go outside using Divi (someone please
correct me if this is not the case). After I saw that I’d have to delete all
the shortcode from Divi when I tried using another theme, I decided to try the
Spectrum Business website template by MOTOCMS.
One reason I decided to
go with MOTOCMS is because of its easy drag and drop capabilities and the
quality of their web templates. I was impressed with the number of widgets and
blocks available to build the website I desired for my company. There were also
somethings that the MOTOCMS did not have that I miss having while using
WordPress. I will now tell you the features that I think will be needed for
MOTOCMS templates to give WordPress some serious competition.
Must Have Features
Here are a few features that I think MOTOCMS needs to
implement to really drive sales.
Plugins (Free and Paid)
Plugins are one of the
prized features of WordPress. There are several free options available to users
to bring an enhanced experience to a website. Of course, you run into security
risks by installing at-risk plugins that could cause one to hack into your
site. However, with the community base that WordPress has, you will be able to
find plugins that are recommended by the WordPress community.
MotoCMS does offer an Ecommerce
plugin for $99 and it has to be
installed by the technical support team. I do understand MOTOCMS’s stance on
doing this is due to security reasons. I do wish the price wasn’t as steep or I
wish they’d offer at least a free lite version of the theme. I do not mind
paying for a plugin but I do think that $99 is too much for one plugin. I do
think that the answer to plugins that MOTOCMS uses widgets. I’d like to see
more widgets available.
Some plugin or widget
features I’d like to be able to see implemented is a booking system to take
appointments,  and the ability to add an author bio at the end of blog
posts. This brings me to my next feature requests below.
More Blogging Features
The current blogging
system in MOTOCMS is okay, but I think that there are more features that could
be added to really make the experience much better. The ability to allow more
than one poster (author) and as noted above the ability to add an author bio at
the end of posts. I do enjoy the features I do have now, but I think that if
more features similar to WordPress were implemented, MOTOCMS would be a viable
alternative to WordPress.
Another feature related
to blogging I’d like to see is the ability to export and import blog posts from
WordPress or Blogger. Currently there is no way to bring in old content from
another blogging platform or export out any posts in the event you need to
switch themes.
Changing Themes
In WordPress, you can
change themes easily. You may have to tweak the new theme and manage the
content, but at least you have the content. With MOTOCMS, I am not sure how you
would migrate or even change themes to maintain content. That is something I’d
like to know how to do (MOTOCMS if you are reading this please leave a comment
🙂 ) I’d like to be able to use the current content with a new MOTOCMS theme.
Hopefully something is in the works!
Final
thoughts on MotoCMS Must Have Features
Don’t get me wrong, I value security over having
certain features. If there is a way to keep my website secure I am all for it,
but I do think that certain features should have been baked into the MOTOCMS
platform. One step would be to add more features to the blogging feature.
MOTOCMS does value the opinion of their users because they allow you to request
new features that may be implemented in a future update. It is my hope that
soon some of the features that users have requested will become a reality. I
really do like this platform and want to use it for years to come. I want
MOTOCMS to have its own identity but I would love to have similar features that
WordPress has. It doesn’t have to be the exact same thing, but something that
will make one who migrates from WordPress to MOTOCMS say: “This experience
is much better than WordPress.”
I do think in the coming months that MOTOCMS will
release some great features. For now I will be patient and stay with my current
MOTOCMS theme. I feel like the moment I go back to WordPress that all the
features I desired in MOTOCMS would come to fruition. In a few months, I will
be able to write an updated version to this blog entry and share all the new
improvements and features that have been implemented. I can only hope right!

Let us know your experiences in the comment
section!
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iBagbar Water Resistant Laptop Backpack Review

iBagbar Water Resistant Laptop Backpack Review

The iBagbar Water Resistant Laptop Backpack is a durable backpack made of water-resistant oxford material. This ensures that you laptop and gadgets are protected from moisture such as rain or accidental spills.  From the picture below, you can see the various compartments that can be used to store you items. I show more detail in my YouTube Video Review, which you can watch at the end of this post.
To make sure that your smartphone or tablet stays charged, there is a USB charging port. To charge the device, you will need to insert the USB cord into an external source such as a power bank charger. Doing so will give you the power source to charge that gadget or smart device.
This backpack is ideal for students on campus and those who embark on a road trip or hike. To give you a better visual of the backpack, I have prepared a YouTube video.

YouTube Video Review

Where to Buy

You can buy the iBagBar Water Resistant Laptop on Amazon.
Product URL: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XG7XWVK

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Meet Red’s $1,200 Plus Smartphone: Hydrogen

Meet Red’s $1,200 Plus Smartphone: Hydrogen

A few days ago RED, the maker of RED Digital Cameras, released an announcement on their website about their new smartphone-Hydrogen! The Hydrogen is one of a kind in that it touts to be the first holographic 2D/3D smartphone. In fact on the RED website, it states the following:

THE WORLD’S FIRST HOLOGRAPHIC MEDIA MACHINE. IN YOUR POCKET. NO GLASSES NEEDED.

RED is offering the Hydrogen at two price points, $1,195 for Aluminum build and $1,595 for the more durable Titanium build. Now you maybe wondering why the high price? I thought the same thing. Then I began to think about the quality of cameras that RED builds with digital cameras.

Here’s the reasons for the high price tag. I believe that the holographic feature will be like no other. Secondly, with the experience RED has the camera sensors and technology, the phone is bound have one heck of a camera on the smarpthone! I think that the camera sensor technology in the phone will the major reason why the price is high.

Who will the phone catch the attention of?

I imagine that it will catch the attention of high-profile bloggers, but more importantly photographers. If RED can create a smartphone with a camera with a depth of field that can capture images like DSLR, then they will have a home-run hit. For photographers this will allow them to have a device in their hands that will capture high-quality images without needing to pack around a DSLR camera and bag. Will this totally replace DSLR? No, but smartphone cameras are doing a fairly good job of creating quality images.
Another audience this smartphone would cater to is YouTube Creators! I’d use the phone for sure to record my video reviews for products and I’d Vlog a lot more. Think of the capabilities with this phone paired with your favorite smartphone camera rig! This will be a media machine that gives the users the best of both worlds–photography and media!

Any Additional Details About the Phone?

So far the specifications have not been revealed, but the Instagram page I found on Instagram showed a picture of what to expect if you pre-ordered the device. The one thing that stands out to me is the micro-SD slot. Most manufacturers are abandoning the SD storage with the exception of LG and others. So it’s good to see RED thinking about additional storage for those who will be using the smartphone for multimedia purposes.

**UPDATED INFORMATION**

Here are some additional details about what we know about the HYDROGEN smartphone by RED.
  • Display: 5.7″ Professional Hydrogen Holographic
  • OS: Android Operating System
  • Viewing Modes: AR, MR, VR, Holographic, H4V, 2D, 3D in Landscape or Portrait
  • Integrated support: RED Cameras – Monitor and Control
  • Cameras: Front and rear
  • Audio: 5.1 audio through headphone jack
  • Storage: Internal as well as expandable Micro SD Slot
  • Connection port: USB-C
  • Modularity:
    Attachments will be made available for shooting higher quality motion
    and still images (as well as HYDROGEN format holographic images)
So what I want to know: Will you be pre-ordering this smartphone? Let us know in the comments!


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Nintendo Switch First Look

Nintendo Switch First Look

Nintendo Switch Review
Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is Nintendo’s latest console to hit the market to date. Although the Wii U was a pretty good console, it did garner the amount of sales Nintendo would have liked. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to go hands-on with the Nintendo Switch.
First, the Nintendo Switch is not your normal console like the Xbox One S or PlayStation 4 Pro. The Nintendo Switch Console is about the size of a traditional hand-held game, but slightly larger. Where the Nintendo Switch succeeds is its portability. The controller that comes with the Switch is detachable and can be attached to the console. This allows you to have a portable gaming experience. In the background is the HDMI dock that will allow you to insert the console to output to your tv screen.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch Portable
If you fancy game cartridges, you can buy the cartridges and insert into the gaming console via the game card slot. If you prefer downloading games to your Nintendo Switch, you can do that too. Most people may prefer the digital download over the cartridges since it is readily available. That is assuming you have wi-fi at home to connect to to do so.
Nintendo Switch
Nintendo Switch Game Card slot and headphone port
Most of the games for the Nintendo Switch are ported from the Nintendo Wii U. It is my hope that Nintendo will make exclusive games for the Nintendo Switch that will make the gaming system an attractive option to buy by consumers. In my opinion, it is a pretty good gaming console, especially because of its portability! 
For a hands-on view of the console, check out the YouTube video my brother and I did.
Do you own the Nintendo Switch? If so what are your favorites things about and your dislikes? Comment below!
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World’s first e-Reading Lamp by BenQ

World’s first e-Reading Lamp by BenQ

“Designed
and powered by BenQ, a world-leading human technology and solutions
provider with an innovative vision in improving the experience of life
in every aspect since 2001.”

Lighting
is everything in the world of being a product reviewer. Having the
correct lighting can make or break the quality of your video review.
Natural light is ideal, but of course it does not stay light all day.
When the darkness falls, I often find myself trying to find the perfect
light setup to capture my footage for my reviews.
Today,
I am delighted to introduce to you the BenQ e-Reading LED Lamp. It has
some great features that I am excited to share with you-my readers. It
is my hope that you will be as excited as I was when I saw all that this
lamp has to offer.  So let’s take a look at some of the product
features.
Key Product Features
When
it comes to features, the BENQ e-Reading LED Lamp does not come short
of having them. There are plenty of features that will allow you to
maximize each setting you place the lamp in. Here are some of the key
features below:
  • EXTRA-WIDE
    AND EVENLY BRIGHTNESS DISTRIBUTION: An expansive coverage of 35 inches
    provides 150% wider than average lighting offered by a standardized desk
    lamp to light up every corner of your working space.
  • SMART
    E-READING MODE: Ambient-light sensor will be activated with a touch of
    the control ring to detect the brightness of surroundings. Contrast and
    reflective glare is reduced on your screen by adjusting for brighter
    illumination at the sides and dimmer in the center of the screen,
    providing you with the best lighting for e-Reading.
  • BI-COLOR
    LED: Enjoy different lighting moods for work or leisure reading, simply
    by turning the knob to switch easily from cool white tones to warm
    white tones. When you want to focus at work, turn to cooler tones; if
    you’re in a mood of relaxed reading, switch to warmer tones.
  • SLEEK,
    MODERN DESIGN: The unique lamp shade is designed to look like a
    smile-shaped curve to remind the user the beauty of a smile.
  • ENJOY FLICKER-FREE, GLARE REDUCED LIGHTING: Enjoy evenly-distribution, comfortable and safe illumination for any task at hand.
  • HASSLE-FREE ASSEMBLY: Assemble this lamp in 5 minutes with a screwdriver. No complicated instructions!
  • HIGH FLEXIBILITY: Easily adjust the lamp arm to the angles you need for the perfect lighting.

“When it comes to features, the BENQ e-Reading LED Lamp does not come short of having them.”

My
favorite features were the easy assembly, the touch control sensor
(metal control ring),  and the pressable knob (adjust brightness and
color temperature). I will go into more detail about my thoughts of each
feature I liked!
Easy Assembly
Upon
receiving the BenQ e-Reading LED Lamp, the first thing I noticed was
the large box. I’m not sure why I thought the lamp would be smaller.
Even my wife saw the package and thought this lamp must be massive.
Sometimes, we can imagine things worst than what they actually end up
being. This was one of those cases. I put off trying to assemble this
lamp based on what I perceived on the outside-without even opening the
box. I thought I’d have to use a lot tools to get the lamp to look like
what I saw in the pictures!
Boy
was I completely wrong! After I took the pieces out of the box, I
realized I could have put this lamp together two days ago in 5 minutes.
The assembly is really easy for anyone to use. You will need a mini
screw driver (I used a thin pair of pliers) to screw the hinge + LED
combo to the base. It is imperative that you make sure that the LED
light +hinge is secured to the base. The base is very heavy and you do
not want to land that on your foot. Luckily, there are warning stickers
on the base to warn you about this so please be advised!

Metal Control Ring Sensor
One
thing I struggle with as a tech geek is reading the instructions to a
new toy or gadget. After I plugged in the lamp, I immediately wondered
how do I turn this thing on. I couldn’t find an on or off switch. The
funniest thing happened when started touching various components: the
metal contrl ring turned the lamp off and on. I was amazed at this
technology because I am accustomed to pulling a string a lamp. I spent
an additional minute in amazement on how I used the control ring to turn
the e-Reading lamp on.
The Pressable Adjustable Knob
The
adjustable knob can be pressed in to toggle between adjusting the
brightness or temperature of the lighting. By default, you will be able
to adjust the brightness of the lamp by twisting the knob clockwise to
brighten the lamp and counter-clockwise to dim the light. If you press
the knob in, it will allow you to change the color temperature of the
lighting. In other words,  you can choose between a cool white tone or a
warm white tone. The cool white tone lighting is ideal for work and the
warm white tone lighting is ideal for a relaxed type setting. I see a
lot of ways I can use these settings for leisure and for work.
The Bottom Line & Where to Buy
After
spending some time with the BenQ e-Reading LED lamp, it is safe to safe
that it will be replacing my old desk lamp in my office. The main
reason is because I am able to change the light settings to a cool white
tone or a warm white tone. This lamp also will be helpful when I am
filming products for my reviews. It will help improve the quality of my
photos and videos when I am in low-light environments.

So I know the burning question is: “How much does this lamp cost?” Well, the lamp cost $249.00 on Amazon,
but it is well-worth the price.  To better convince you that this lamp
is worth your money, check out our hands-on video review of the LED lamp
below!

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Apple Lightning Cable Review

The Apple Lightning Cable is a 6.6 foot cable that will charge and sync your Apple mobile device.

Features include:
★ BUY WITH CONFIDENCE – Charge and sync all your Apple devices – This cable allows you to charge and transfer data from your Apple device. It is compatible with iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, iPhone 6, iphone 6 Plus, iPod Nano 7, iPod Touch 5, iPad 4, iPad 5, iPad Air, iPad Mini, iPad Mini Retina.

★ MFI CERTIFIED – Apple MFI Certified Lightning Cable ensures complete charge and sync compatibility with your Apple device. You won’t get warning or incompatibility messages. MFI certification means that the cable will work every time for a long time to come.

★ DURABLE DESIGN – Durable, long lasting design will not break or come apart and will work every time. Feel safe knowing that the cable will not come apart at the connector ends. Long 6.6 feet (2 meters) cable ensures enough length to reach an electrical outlet from a comfortable and convenient location. No more hovering over a power source.

★ FITS MOST CASES – The compact lightning connector head works with nearly all cases. This means you will not have to remove the case in order to charge your device. The lightning connector measures 1 in/2.5 cm in diameter.

Buy from Amazon: Buy now

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Atrico Rapid-Charging 6-Port Desktop USB Charger Review

The Atrico Rapid-Charging 6-Port Desktop USB Charger is ideal for one who has up to six smart devices. Check out some of the features below:

  • Atrico Multi Port Rapid Smart Charge Tower’s Unique Design Simplifies your Home or Office Décor by eliminating your messy clutter of Chargers and Wires. The Charge Tower combines all your charging needs into one simple neat Charging location. The Charge Tower also has a strip of rubber built into the base to improve stability.

  • The Atrico Charge Tower has the most current “Smart” Charging Ports Technology which allow you to efficiently charge various combinations of Smartphones and Tablets. Includes 2 Smart IC Ports for any device, 2 Smart Ports unique for Apple iOS devices and 2 Ports for any Smartphone. The Tower can put out a maximum of 8 Amps at once and a max of 2.4A per port.

  • The Tower Charger Puts Out 40 Watts and 8 Amps Total. The Ports Safely & Dynamically Alter Charge Output for the most efficient Charging times. Also includes “Active Charging” LED light to know when it is in use.

  • The Atrico Tower Charger is also a great Travel Charger option as it is capable of handling either 110v or 240v. Despite it’s Powerhouse Charging ability it is easily portable due to it’s small size – 4.1″ x 2.2″ x 0.9″
    For a visual of the product, I did a YouTube video: