Articles - Page 105

The Top 10 AI Tools for Small Business: From Automation to a Coordinated Team of AI Agents

matt-garrepy

<a href="https://www.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Weebly</a>, the world-famous website builder, has just made their iPad users' lives a whole lot easier.
Powering millions of websites worldwide, Weebly has built its reputation by enabling users to build good-looking websites via a drag-and-drop system, for free.
Weebly for iPad was the Weebly community's, “second most requested feature”, and it's not difficult to see why. Weebly's interface is ideal for touchscreens. This also means that Weebly is the first website builder to be completely functional on an iPad. Let's look at what it can do.
<h2>Weebly for iPad</h2>
According to the Weebly announcement:
<blockquote>“[We have brought] the drag and drop experience to life in a way you’ve never seen before with the ability to both create and edit a website on the iPad. It’s been a huge technical challenge to make every site ever created with Weebly editable on iPad.”</blockquote>
That's right. If you have a Weebly website, you can now edit it on an iPad, just as you can on a desktop, for free.
Here's a video demonstrating what Weebly for iPad is capable of.
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cAuKRyuHQcc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
Below are some of the Weebly for iPad features:
<ul>
<li>New interface and design language built specifically for touchscreen. Site Selector, Element Sidebar and Image Editing flows completely overhauled for tablet experience.</li>
<li>Any website created with Weebly is editable from the iPad (stores and blogs coming soon!)</li>
<li>Element Sidebar naturally collapses and expands while you work or with a swipe, maximizing screen real estate.</li>
<li>Powerful new editing capabilities optimized for the iPad, you can now edit images and customize font color with intuitive touchscreen motions.</li>
<li>Save and sync work across devices so you can pick up where you left off on desktop or mobile.</li>
<li>Offline mode captures updates made without an internet connection. Work anywhere!</li>
<li>Manage your website’s SEO right from your iPad</li>
<li>One of the first apps built uniquely for iOS 8, leverages the new operating system to create an experience unlike anything you’ve seen before on the iPad.</li>
</ul>
On top of these features, Weebly have announced that they will also release these functions, in due time:
<ul>
<li>Create and edit blogs and stores</li>
<li>Analytics and stats</li>
<li>Android tablet app</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/8107663_orig700x0.png" />
To download the Weebly for iPad app for free, <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/weebly/id511158309" target="_blank">visit the iTune store</a>. For more information, check out the <a href="http://blog.weebly.com/post/weebly-for-ipad" target="_blank">official blog announcement</a>.
Plus, explore more of <a href="/products/weebly/" target="_blank">Weebly via our CMS Directory</a>.

Weebly for iPad Goes Live

mike-johnston

Founded by Ali Fazelzadeh, Jaws is a small content management system that is capable of some pretty cool functionality. With some very interesting addons and high ease of use, it's definitely a platform worth looking at if your goal is to design something simple and fast. Today we're going to show you what makes it unique amongst the other industry players in this Jaws CMS Review.
To get started, you need to download the appropriate package from the <a href="http://www.jaws-project.com/" target="_blank">Jaws Project </a>website, extract it to your host and visit your domain, you will be presented with the following screen:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws11.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
After selecting your language:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws2.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
An interesting security procedure above, requires you to create a file called key.txt with the displayed code in it and upload it to your /install directory before the software will allow you to install. Once you've done this, you may proceed below:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws3.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
As usual, if you see all green.. you get to continue:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws4.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Once you've got your database details configured, you move on to entering your admin details:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws5.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Then proceed to:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws6.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Jaws uses gadgets which you can place anywhere within your layout (drag and drop style).. this option gives you a chance to enable a default gadget.. I would recommend the ‘Static Page' one.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws7.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Now you have the option to view the site or enter the control panel. Since your site will be completely void of any gadgets or content at the moment.. I'd recommend you enter the control panel first:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws8.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Note the section entitled “Disabled Gadgets”, this is where you get to select which ones you wish to install. Each of these gadgets once enabled will add a new icon to the control panel with which you can administer them. You can also then add them to various blocks on your new page using the Layout icon in the control panel.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws9.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
To enable, just scroll through the list above and click install. Once you've selected the ones you want to install.
Once installed, you'll see the new icons created in the control panel:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws111.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
You can then move to the Layout icon which will allow you to begin placing gadgets and applying a theme to your site:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws10.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/jaws12.jpg" alt="Jaws CMS Review" />
Once you have the applicable gadgets added, you will be able to check out your new site and see how it looks.
You can find a few sites running Jaws at the <a href="http://wiki.jaws-project.com/doku.php?id=jaws:showcases:important" target="_blank">Jaws Showcase</a> page.
Jaws is what it claims to be.. a user friendly CMS.
It is not something I could see myself using to build massive corporate websites.. but it is something I could see using for a personal site or to create a quick web presence. I like the gadget concept and think that as the project matures, it would be nice to see these get a bit more refined.
They have recently added a forum to their project page which was desperately needed and it's seeing a fair amount of activity.
There is a lot of potential in Jaws.. don't go to it expecting perfection because you won't find it.. but do go to it if you are willing to contribute and help enhance it into something amazing.
Overall Ratings:
Community 7/10 – With the addition of the forums, it is growing rapidly.
Expandability 7/10 -There is a ton of potential here to create new gadgets and build upon the existing functionality.
Themability 7/10-Easy to theme with a reasonable selection of themes installed by default
Useability 8.5/10 – Very easy to use, highly recommended for new users or people looking to create a simple homepage, blog or web presence.
<h2>Overall Score: 7/10</h2>

Jaws CMS Review

Today is a big day. Mike Johnston and I (the CMS Critic team) are joining forces to launch a project that we have been toiling over behind the scenes.  
 We have compiled a number of the world’s best website builders in order to review, compare and demonstrate their abilities via real and replicable examples. 
 We wanted to reach out to the less-tech savvy world of individuals and businesses looking for a professional online presence, and guide them towards not only the best products on the market, but also towards the best products for their project.  
 Introducing, <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank"> Website Builders Critic</a>.
<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wbclogojpg.jpg" alt="Website Builders Critic" /></a>
 Along with simple and unbiased reviews, entrepreneurs and businesses alike can expect to find <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/websitebuilderscriti">video tutorials</a> for each major website builder. Such videos will illustrate how each website builder can be used to construct different website types, including blogs, online stores and business websites. 
 The best part? These reviews and video tutorials weren't written or recorded by just anybody. Both Mike and I have worked hard to craft each piece of content, guaranteeing that our knowledge of the website builder industry remains the key ingredient throughout.  
 After all, thanks to our years of work through CMS Critic, it's fair to say that we know these products inside out. We've seen what they're good at, and what they're bad at. 
At the time of launch, Website Builders Critic will have a focus on the following products:
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/squarespace/" target="_blank"> Squarespace </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/weebly/" target="_blank"> Weebly </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/wix/" target="_blank"> Wix </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/lightcms/" target="_blank"> LightCMS </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/website_builders/reviews/strikingly/" target="_blank"> Strikingly </a></li>
</ul>
All of the website builders above have been selected for their quality in terms of user friendliness, functionality and end product creation. Collectively, they serve up a range of website building options, from online stores to one-page websites. 
 So, if you want to find the best website builder for your project, you'll want to check out our demonstrations and insights into the best of the bunch. 
<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/">Visit Website Builders Critic</a>

Introducing Website Builders Critic: Unbiased Reviews & Video Tutorials

Not long after the <a href="http://www.opencart.com/index.php?route=feature/blog/info&amp;blog_id=74" target="_blank"> first beta </a>  release, OpenCart 2.0 has now been officially rolled out. 
OpenCart is a well-known free eCommerce solution which offers thousands of themes and hundreds of payment gateways. 
Version 2.0 of OpenCart comes with a responsive, Bootstrap based admin and front end, custom form fields, and even more payment gateways. Let's take a closer look.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/logo-1.png" />
<h2>Bootstrapped UI &amp; Admin Notifications</h2>
Users will be happy to hear that the user interface of OpenCart (including the front and back end) has been completely revamped. Twitter Bootstrap has been utilized, making everything look cleaner and more usable.  
 Plus, a new extension installer makes installing OpenCart extensions much easier and pleasant, as a progress bar now keeps you updated throughout installation. 
 The final major update comes in the form of a notification button on the new admin top menu. It notifies admins about product stock shortages, reviews awaiting approval, and so forth.  
 Notably though, the OpenCart team have said that:
<blockquote>
“OpenCart 1.5.6.* is still considered to be the most stable version of OpenCart available and will continue to be supported for the next six months. As OpenCart 2.0 has only just been released, many modules aren't compatible with it just yet.”
</blockquote>
So, OpenCart users may wish to hold back for a while, if their stores are heavily reliant on modules. 
 To find out more about OpenCart 2.0, as well as to download it, <a href="http://www.opencart.com/index.php?route=feature/blog/info&amp;blog_id=75" target="_blank"> check out the official announcement </a> .

OpenCart 2.0 Released

The team behind <a href="http://www.imcreator.com/" target="_blank">IM Creator</a> claim that it's ‘not your typical drag-and-drop website builder’- which is a bit of a bold statement in a DIY website creation market that’s practically bursting at the seams.
But, after having a good look through the <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">site</a>, they just might be onto something.
<h2>XPRS</h2>
IM Creator have turned their website into something very special with their XPRS system and their new proprietary Polydom web building software. Unlike other website builders, IM Creator builds its sites using dynamic objects that are automatically responsive. These objects shift to match the screen they are displayed on, so they’re about as responsive as you can get.
Whilst other sites are still using a combination of HTML and CSS, IM Creator have skipped ahead of the field with this innovation and it really is something to behold.
The system allows for near infinite variations on their templates and it seems like it’s a big step ahead of most other CMS web builders I’ve reviewed so far.
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
When you first <a href="http://xprs.imcreator.com/">log on to the site</a> the very first thing that strikes you is the design aesthetic. Everything is extremely sleek, smooth, and ‘alive’. The site pops off the screen and all of the elements on the screen are moveable. It really shows the Polydom system's advantages over CSS and HTML.
Logging in, or signing up, is a very simple process.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Clicking on ‘Login’ takes you to a very simple and sleekly designed window that allows you to create a new profile in a matter of seconds. It’s an extremely streamlined process that gets right down to business. You can access the site in any number of languages too, which is a great feature.
The very next screen takes you to the Theme Selection page.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/themes622x0-is.png" />
There are a wide range of beautiful themes available and all of the sites have an extremely modern, contemporary, and ‘premium’ feel that makes them barely seem like templates at all.
The selection shows you the desktop version and the responsive version – which is a nice feature. You can also scroll down through the preview to get a better look as it isn't just a static element.
A single click takes you straight to the site editor.
<h2>The Editor</h2>
The XPRS editor is excellently designed. You can view the site exactly as it would be displayed online – whether that’s via the browser or on a smart device.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/editor697x0-is.png" />
There’s also a handy tool tip function that guides you through the intricacies of the site in a non-intrusive way.
From here, you can access their apps, web elements, and other features. And the drag-and-drop feature is smooth and high end. One thing I did note is that the system is a bit of a resource hog if you’re on an older browser or an older machine, which slows it up quite significantly. But on a new machine, it runs like a dream – smooth and lag free.
IM Creator makes it simple to add new sections or edit the ones that are already there. You simply click on the blue ‘+’ signs to add a new section or click on an existing element to change it.
When you want to add a new element, there’s a wide selection available.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements691x0-is.png" />
All of their elements are superbly designed and will fit your theme like a glove.
The social media section is a little lacking – as you can only add links to your pages and nothing else, and I’d like to see custom <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/?lang=en">Twitter </a>feed widgets included. But it’s not a massive issue.
All of their features are ‘native’, which means you’re a little limited in your choices but the choices you do have are pretty decent.
I did find that some of the back-end elements were difficult to navigate, and I was unsure of what was free and what was premium. The access to the back-end was also a bit confusing at times, and I felt that certain elements of this were a little outside my grasp.
Another thing that really tripped me up was the process for changing templates. If you’ve already built a site, changing templates means you wipe your existing work and start from scratch – which would probably get a bit tiresome.
Aside from those minor issues, it’s a beautifully designed editor that stacks up well against their competitors on both ease of use and functionality.
<h2>Features</h2>
IM Creator is a little light on apps and widgets. On their main editing page, you only add the very basics to each ‘stripe’ and there isn’t much on offer in terms of third party extensions. This fits with their design aesthetic but might leave the uber-customizers amongst you a bit disappointed.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/elements_2592x0-is.png" />
One feature that really caught my attention was the 4min site creator. This option, which is available on their theme startup page, gives you a range of pre-built and pre-populated templates that are ready to go straight out of the box. You simply click, edit some text and contact details, and you have a beautiful site ready to go.
This Surf School (hey, a girl can dream) theme I picked is absolutely gorgeous, modern, and practically ready to go live.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/site_sample651x0-is.png" />
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/instagram_sample629x0-is.png" />
These themes come pre-populated with guide text, video, photographs, and custom fields like <a href="https://www.instagram.com/">Instagram</a> and others. It’s a fantastic feature for businesses or individuals in a rush with getting their site up and running. You can quickly and easily add a sign-up sheet, a contact form, or other apps to these ‘pre-built’ sites.
<h2>Design</h2>
As I’ve already mentioned, everything on this site is superbly designed, right down to the My Account Page. It really is one of the most aesthetically pleasing sites out there.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/account_screen644x0-is.png" />
Their templates are fantastic too, and I’d rate them as some of the best I’ve seen.
Everything seems to be very focused on the user experience and driven towards getting you to the site editor as quickly as possible.
One negative that comes to mind is that the site is a tad overpopulated with content. Their front page is packed full of promotional material, videos, and webm files, which is fine – but it was a little overkill. There was so much to take in that I didn’t really take in any of it, and I felt like I was being pitched a little too hard.
<h2>eCommerce</h2>
The ecommerce integration is very well done. With just a few clicks, you can have a web store added to your site in a matter of seconds. The layout is clear, clean, and very nicely designed. They have a decent range of payment options also. The ecommerce functionality is available on their basic premium package and it’s well worth it.
<h2>Blogging</h2>
The blogging section can be easily added to the site with just a few small clicks on the element page. Users have a range of font choices and different styles to choose from, and it's simple to add media files, embedded video, and images.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
IM Creator has a lot of pricing options for a wide range of possible customers.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing697x0-is.png" />
Their first paid option is for the regular, hosted business customer and it seems quite reasonable.
$7.95 gets you full access to all their themes, their eCommerce plugins, and the ability to hook up your own custom domain. It’s a really good price for the quality of themes you get access to. The pricing is pretty competitive in comparison to other website builders on the market. There's a free plan for students, artists, and non-profit organizations, which I thought was a nice touch.
IM Creator also has a white label function that would be perfect for web designers and other creatives to ‘resell’ their templates on their own servers, and it’s available for $250 a year.
The Pros and Resellers tab is a little confusing for the new user – and may put some businesses off. It’s the first menu item that looks like it might be about prices (it’s got Pro in the name, which led me to think ‘Premium').
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/pricing_2685x0-is.png" />
Prices range from $250 a year to $25,000 a year and they allow users to have full control over the entire Polysom system.
Is the free plan worth a try? I don’t know. The UI design made it difficult to discern what the free option actually was. So I can’t really recommend it.
<h2>Overall</h2>
IM Creator have done a fantastic job with this site builder. It’s incredibly powerful, sophisticated, and intuitive. If you’re an advanced user, it lets you delve deep into customization to get exactly what you need. If you’re a basic user, you can get a beautiful site in 4 minutes that you only pay $7.95 a month for.
There are a few issues, like the template change content wipe, the limited apps and widgets, and the unclear pricing. But once you get to grips with it, it really is a stellar option for almost any business.
<h3>Pros:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Fantastically responsive templates that look like custom made sites.
</li>
<li>
Beautiful template designs.
</li>
<li>
Extremely competitive pricing for their regular business premium package.
</li>
<li>
Excellent WYSIWYG editor
</li>
<li>
A brilliant 4-minute website builder
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Cons:</h3>
<ul>
<li>
Unclear pricing and confused UI when it comes to actually buying a premium theme
</li>
<li>
Cluttered front page is distracting.
</li>
<li>
Changing templates wipes your content completely
</li>
<li>
Limited apps and widgets.
</li>
</ul>

IM Creator Review 2016

grainne-logue

Brandcast is the only end-to-end web design platform for professional designers, allowing users to design, host, manage, and publish custom websites without being limited by code and generic templates.
It’s full of professional-grade tools, allowing you to make your design vision a true reality. The streamlined workflow makes it possible to have multiple projects open and going at the same time, boosting your design time and efficiency, so you can publish to a custom domain right away with just one click. 
I decided to check out Brandcast for myself. Keep reading for my full review of the platform. 
<h2>Getting Started</h2>
Signing up with Brandcast is definitely simple. It’s easy to sign up, log in, and get started. Here’s how it went:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_1.png" />
Once you are signed up and logged in, you are presented with a helpful tutorial that walks you through all the processes and steps necessary to design your website.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_2.png" />
You can enter in a custom domain for your website, and then enter a description about your website. From there, you can publish your website, upload a favicon and social images, add a password to make your site private, and add in your meta tags for your SEO.
<h2>Building Your First Website</h2>
The tutorials and lessons offered by Brandcast for new users are remarkably straightforward and helpful. You can watch the videos, and then try it yourself.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_3.png" />
The tutorials walk you through each step, from picking your background image to adding text. It’s a very basic drag-and-drop format, which makes it fast and easy for both the professional and amateur designer.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_4.png" />
Designers can add video and images, either from their own library or the provided Media Library offered by the platform.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_5.png" />
The platform is very easy to use, and you can have a great website designed in a short amount of time. You can also have multiple website projects going, so you can tab back and forth to work on them all at once.
<h2>Usability</h2>
If you watch the tutorials first, it’s SUPER easy to find what you need, and to use all of the features. Simply drag the image/video/text box onto the page, and then double-click the area to begin working.
If you have an image to add, drag and drop it, and then click the Match Browser Height button to have it automatically formatted for you.
You can also copy different sections, pages, or websites to use as a foundation for new designs or to create templates. This significantly boosts design efficiency and saves time!
Users can also instantly publish a live version of the site they have created at any time. They can batch website changes, and then publish with just one click of the mouse.
If you do get stuck, and aren’t sure how to proceed, the tutorials will prompt you and walk you through it. If you prefer to get help from a live person, there is customer support readily available to help you.
Without the tutorials, it can be overwhelming and a bit difficult to figure out if you are not a designer.
<h2>Optimization and Responsiveness</h2>
Brandcast lets you see how your website will appear across all devices, and is automatically responsive.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_6.png" />
The platform’s advanced web infrastructure and accelerated mobile device compatibility allows your sites to load as fast as possible, while still looking fantastic on any device.
This is a big problem with a lot of websites, and Brandcast has found a way to circumvent this issue so designers don’t have to worry about coding and optimization.
<h3>Features</h3>
Brandcast definitely has no shortage of features!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_7332x0-is.png" />
The list of features available for the basic account is comprehensive, and covers every aspect of website design and functionality you could need. If you upgrade your account, you gain access to a whole host of special features that are most definitely worth paying for, including automatic SSL protection for your custom domains.
Even with a basic account, they offer a high level of security that is nothing to scoff at. Brandcast regularly updates their database systems and stores your data across multiple AWS availability zones. With Brandcast, data loss is never an issue you need to worry about.
<h2>Pricing</h2>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_8788x0-is.png" />
The Designer Edition, which is best if you just have one or two websites to work on and you work independently, is completely free. You have access to the full design studio, as demonstrated in the previous sections. You also get free hosting and that convenient one-click publishing.
If you work with teams, have clients, or need to juggle multiple projects at once, the Team Edition is the way to go. It starts at $99 per month, and has a HUGE list of features that definitely make it worth the investment.
Here’s a comparison of the features:
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/brandcast_review_-_9564x0-is.png" />
<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>
Regardless of whether you’re new to website design, or have been doing it for years, Brandcast is an easy-to-use, versatile platform that I highly recommend.
<a href="https://brandcast.com/contact/">Request a FREE TRIAL</a> and check it out for yourself!

Brandcast: A Web Design Platform Worth Investing In

<a href="http://hotarucms.org/" target="_blank">Hotaru CMS</a> has just released version 1.6.4, bringing about a number of core changes. 
Hotaru allows users to build social bookmarking and social media websites. With over 4,200 members, they have a decent sized and <a href="http://forums.hotarucms.org/" target="_blank">tightly-knit community</a> residing in the Hotaru forums too.
Version 1.6.4 is the latest in a flurry of updates coming after the release of Hotaru CMS 1.6.0, which went live on September 19th 2014. Here's a look into what's new, since then.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" />
<h2>All Hotaru CMS Fixes From version 1.6.0 to 1.6.4</h2>
The Hotaru CMS team has been busy in these last few weeks, releasing no less than 4 updates. Here they all are, in order.
<h3>Version 1.6.0</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fixed problems with new install that existed in beta </li>
<li>Please read ReadMe file for install and upgrade instructions</li>
</ul>
<h3>Version 1.6.1</h3>
<ul>
<li>Critical Updates for Admin – plugin management </li>
<li>Icon updates with FA</li>
</ul>
<h3>Version 1.6.2</h3>
<ul>
<li>Replaced CSRF with new code </li>
<li>Replaced PEAR Mail with PHP Mailer</li>
<li>Admin Template updates</li>
<li>Comments css updated</li>
<li>CSRF fix for post_images plugin</li>
<li>hotaru shortlink call for update post imge</li>
<li>admin styling</li>
<li>add fields for forum username/pwd in admin settings</li>
<li>auto check for plugin update stage 1</li>
</ul>
<h3>Version 1.6.3</h3>
<ul>
<li>A number of admin page fixes</li>
<li>Plugin version number updates coming direct from Forum Resources to Admin Dashboard now</li>
<li>Hotaru Version umber update also coming direct from Forum area to Dashboard</li>
</ul>
<h3>And Finally, Version 1.6.4</h3>
<ul>
<li>Fix for Pages url link for sites not using friendly urls</li>
<li>A few extra startup plugins included in this package also</li>
</ul>
To download Hotaru CMS, or if you just want to learn more about them, check out the <a href="http://hotarucms.org/" target="_blank">Hotaru CMS website</a>, or <a href="http://forums.hotarucms.org/" target="_blank">join their community</a>.

Hotaru CMS 1.6.4 Released

Weglot - The easiest way to translate a website

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Today was Day Two of Liferay's West Coast Symposium 2011 here in Anaheim, California and it began with one of the most interesting talks I've ever had the pleasure of listening to. The topic? “The History of Open Source” by freelance journalist, Dana Blankenhorn. 
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/vopggzde_i3libj.png" alt="Dana Blankenhorn presenting The History of Open Source @ Liferay WCS 2011" /><figcaption>Dana Blankenhorn presenting The History of Open Source @ Liferay WCS 2011</figcaption></figure>
 This is one man who has a presence on stage and I personally found it a fascinating and engaging talk. If you ever have a chance to hear Dana speak, I'd highly recommend it. Some of the other topics covered today included:
<ul>
<li>Backend Integrations with James Min</li>
<li>Industry Insights from the Trenches: Why Liferay Makes Sense in a Hyperactive Digital World</li>
<li>Creating an Enterprise User Experience Platform Using Liferay Portal</li>
<li>Liferay's Open Source Community: Past, Present and Future</li>
</ul>
<a href="http://www.cignex.com">Cignex Datamatics</a> won Liferay's Partner of the Year for 2011 (congratulations guys!) 
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/logo-digital-factory-2_1_fypasx.png" alt="Cignex Datamatics receiving Liferay Partner of the Year - 2011 @ WCS" /><figcaption>Cignex Datamatics receiving Liferay Partner of the Year - 2011 @ WCS</figcaption></figure>
 Brian Chan (Chief Architect and Founder) gave the closing notes today. It was a fascinating opportunity to hear his insights into the future of the company and it's successes. 
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/lr4-450x359.jpg" alt="Brian Chan - Chief Architect and Founder - Closing Notes Liferay WCS 2011" /><figcaption>Brian Chan - Chief Architect and Founder - Closing Notes Liferay WCS 2011</figcaption></figure>
 Check out the rest of the pictures on Flickr here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmscritic/sets/72157627731654628/">Liferay WCS 2011 Day two pictures from CMS Critic</a>

Liferay’s West Coast Symposium – Day Two – #LRWCS2011

With an estimated attendance of 300+ people, this year's West Coast Symposium has seen tremendous growth from the previous year.
Day One of their symposium started off with a great keynote from Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Cheung in which he highlighted some of Liferay's successes such as their recent presence in Gartner's Magic Quadrant for Horizontal Portals where they were positioned in the Leader's Quadrant.
Liferay 6.1 was also introduced to us for the first time. You can read our recent post on the 6.1 release here: <a href="/liferay-announces-6-1-release-at-west-coast-symposium/">Liferay announces 6.1 release at West Coast Symposium</a>.
There were also a number of excellent talks from various speakers on topics such as:
<ul>
<li>AlloyUI and Liferay Themes: Q&amp;A with the Directory of UI Engineering with Nate Cavanaugh</li>
<li>Web Services Supercharged: Consuming Web Services the Right Way with Brett Swaim</li>
<li>Games, Intranets and Harnessing Employee Creativity with Josh Asbury</li>
<li>Using Liferay as a Platform for Social Applications with Rich Sezov and Manish Dixit</li>
<li>Building a Social Platform: OpenSocial and Liferay with Dennis Ju</li>
</ul>
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/liferay-audience.jpg" alt="Liferay WCS 2011 - The Audience" />
Check out the rest of our pictures from the event on Flickr here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmscritic/sets/72157627607337725/">Liferay WCS 2011 Pictures from CMS Critic</a>
Following a full day of talks, <a href="http://www.cignex.com/">CIGNEX Datamatics</a>, a Liferay Partner, put on an amazing after party with a beer tasting from the <a href="http://widmerbrothers.com/">Widmer Brothers Brewery</a> in Portland, Oregon.
I've got to hand it to the guys at Cignex, they put on one heck of a party and it was an absolute blast. Perhaps it's because I'm Canadian but I can't think of any other type of party that could possibly top a beer tasting one. Oh and thank you for the Pretzel necklaces as well guys, good idea!
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-28_qgbfxn.png" alt="Liferay West Coast Symposium - After Party" />
Check out the rest of our pictures of the After Party on Flickr here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/cmscritic/sets/72157627607454939/">Liferay WCS 2011 After Party Pictures from CMS Critic</a>
On the East Coast? You're in luck! There's an East Coast Symposium coming up. Stay tuned to <a href="http://www.liferay.com">Liferay's website</a> for details on the time and place.

Liferay's West Coast Symposium - Day One - #LRWCS2011

With the People's Choice CMS Awards coming to a close in the next 10 days or so, it's time now to announce the judges for this year's Critics' Choice CMS Awards. This is the portion of the awards that are selected by our panel of judges.
This year, we've mixed things up a bit and added a new judge to the mix. First, let's get the obvious part out of the way. Your judges this year include myself and two others. Here are the profiles of the judges.
<h3>Judge #1:</h3>
<h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cmscritic_1408494048_7796x0.jpg" /></h3>
<h3>Mike Johnston Founder of CMS Critic and Co-Founder of Website Builders Critic</h3>
Mike founded CMS Critic in 2008 and has since developed it into the premier website for content management system reviews, articles and coverage. He has assisted hundreds of companies and individuals in their quest to find the perfect CMS for their needs. He is also the co-founder of the recently launched <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com">Website Builders Critic</a> alongside CMS Critic writer, Kaya Ismail. Mike can be found traveling the globe covering web development and content management conferences, speaking at events and spreading the word about the amazing products within the industry. You can reach him at mike@www.cmscritic.com.
<h3>Judge #2:</h3>
<h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/cms396x0.png" />Kaya Ismail CMS Critic Writer and Co-Founder of Website Builders Critic</h3>
Kaya has been a writer with CMS Critic for a number of years and has developed a wide knowledge of the products in the industry. His passion for the world of CMS has shone through and he's helped take CMS Critic to new heights within the market. Kaya has also joined forces with Mike Johnston to co-found the newly launched, Website Builders Critic, a project aimed at furthering the resources we can make available to those in the market for a solution. Kaya can also be found writing on his personal blog, <a href="http://www.employtheinternet.com/">Employ The Internet</a> where he discusses employing the internet to expand his career in freelance writing and blogging. You can reach him at kaya@www.cmscritic.com.
<h3>Judge #3:</h3>
<h3></h3>
<h3><img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/me.jpg" /></h3>
<h3>Barb Mosher Zinck Digital Content Strategist and the Founder and Editorial Director of Digital Tech Diary</h3>
For those of you who have been in the industry for a while, you know Barb. She is the former editor of CMS Wire (and also a fellow Canadian!) that has been in the industry for years. Barb has coordinated teams of writers to produce content management related articles for years and as the editor, has an in-depth knowledge of the industry. She now is a digital content strategist and the Founder and Editorial Director of <a href="http://www.digitaltechdiary.com" target="_blank">Digital Tech Diary</a>, an online resource for marketing technologists. She spends her days learning how to build better customer experiences, translating what she’s learned into actionable strategies for her clients and practical guidance for her magazine audience. As a former Application Architect, Barb is able to understand the value of technology and translate it into guidance and strategies for today’s practitioners. Residing in Nova Scotia, Canada, Barb and her husband spend most of their time in hockey arenas and dance studios with their three kids. You can reach her at barb@digitaltechdiary.com.
I am very pleased to have Barb and Kaya ias judges this year and can't wait to see what we come up with together as this year's Critics' Choice CMS Awards get under way. Stay tuned for the announcements as we begin the deliberation process.

Announcing this Year's Judges for the 2014 Critics Choice CMS Awards

Nuxeo have officially launched their latest update in the form of Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3, bringing with it a host of new improvements for administrators, general users and also developers.
The open-source platform is primed for building content-centric business applications, with an aim to integrate and align with existing IT infrastructures which many organizations may already have in place.
The 5.7.3 update offers features that can help users and administrators get work done quicker as they use the platform's interface, whilst also offering some more technical improvements.
<h2>Enhanced User Interface &amp; Workflow Features</h2>
One of the ways in which Nuxeo have improved the user interface, is through some simple, yet effective ways. A “Form Submit Shield” for example deters errors and unhappy users who wish to crazily click the “Submit” buttons more times than necessary. Now, the interface will simply present the user with a message telling them that their request is being processed.
Another handy feature comes in the form of an inactivity screen, which alerts users to the fat that their session has expired, and that they need to log back in to continue.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-1.png" alt="Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3" />
Additionally, some interesting Workflow improvements have been added. Workflow tasks can now be specifically assigned to other users, and a clever multitasking feature creates a different task per assignee.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/sshot-2.png" alt="Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3" />
Nuxeo also further enhanced Workflow by implementing a visual graph, allowing users to visualize the tasks at hand, their context, relevance and structure. All of these useful improvements will almost certainly streamline tasks and make life easier for all Nuxeo users.
<h2>Automation, Widgets and Much More</h2>
As well as all the new interface and Workflow enhancements detailed above, Nuxeo have piled on quite a few more updates which may pique the interest of developers and technically minded Nuxeo users.
The Nuxeo REST API provides several new endpoints for documents, users, groups and more. Additionally, users can now enable tracing of Content Automation call using the Automation trace feature.
What's more is, UI/UX frameworks have been re-worked, Select2 widgets have been integrated, and much more has been done behind the scenes, to help the entire platform run smoother than ever before.
To find out more about Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3, or to get a better understanding of the new enhancements discussed above, check out <a href="http://www.nuxeo.com/en/about/news/nuxeo-releases-a-new-fast-track-version-of-the-content-management-platform" target="_blank">Nuxeo's official release notes regarding the update</a>. You can also utilize our <a href="/products/nuxeo/" target="_blank">CMS Directory to explore Nuxeo further</a>.

Nuxeo Platform 5.7.3 Released

Over the years, content management systems have evolved in a number of different ways. Depending on your needs, you can find a CMS that works just about any way you can imagine–push versus pull architecture, open source versus proprietary, hosted versus installed, out of the box versus fully customizable, unlimited pricing models versus those based on pages or users or sites, and any variety of coding languages supported by a CMS. As long as you do the research to figure out what your organizational needs are, there is a Content Management System out there for you.
The problem now is that there’s a whole lot more to having an effective web presence than just being able to create and publish content. There’s social media, there’s search engine optimization, there are analytics, there are visitor journeys and customer personas, there’s paid search, and there’s email marketing. There are a heckuva lot of other things that you need to do with your content other than just getting it on the web.
That’s where content marketing software comes in. There are a ton of fragmented applications out there than can help you optimize your content, promote it and see how well it’s performing. The key is to find one platform that pulls everything into one place and works with your CMS.
Whether you work at a large or small organization, there is no reason to piece together content marketing solutions when there are a number of platforms that bring them all together under one roof. The benefits of this go well beyond not having to remember a dozen passwords. Having social media, email marketing, landing pages and forms, pageviews, campaigns and visitor identification all in one single platform means that all these things can work together, sharing information with each other.
For example, when someone fills out a form on your site, you can automatically enter them into a campaign to receive your monthly newsletter without having to import their email address into your email marketing application. Additionally, when a lead comes to your site via a tweet you sent out that was retweeted by a member of your community, you can trace the exact source of this traffic back to that original tweet because your social analytics, visitor identification and forms are all talking to each other.
When you have a blog post that is generating a ton of leads for you, the only way you’ll be able to tell is if your pageview data is linked to individual visitors and leads, as opposed to just viewing the data in aggregate, like in Google Analytics. And when a page is under-performing, one way to assess the reason is to use a tool that integrates your page analytics with SEO metrics and keyword densities. Having everything is one place is the only way to get a comprehensive understanding of how your marketing efforts are working.
One of the biggest reasons that companies invest in content management systems is to allow their less technical users to manage content. The CMS alone is a big investment, a much bigger investment if you also factor in the human resources costs of hiring and training content contributors. It only makes sense, then, to equip these contributors with complementary tools to help them promote this content, optimize it, measure it, and perfect it. The best way to have an effective content strategy is to be thoughtful about it and provide the necessary tools to support your authors and editors.
So, the next time you seek out a new content management system for your organization, be sure to consider your content marketing needs as well. Cascade Server (2013 Best Enterprise CMS Nominee) is the only content management system that comes with a full content marketing platform, which not only integrates with the CMS but also integrates with SalesForce, the leading CRM on the market.
For more information about how Cascade Server’s content management and content marketing solutions can help you go beyond just managing your content, <a href="http://www3.hannonhill.com/content-lifecycle-cms-critic-hannon-hill-cascade-page">get in touch with us</a>, and one of our solutions consultants will be happy to discuss the full content lifecycle at your organization and how we can help. 
<a href="http://www3.hannonhill.com/content-lifecycle-cms-critic-hannon-hill-cascade-page"><img style="display:block;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/hannonhill.png" /></a>

Why It’s Not Enough to Just Manage Your Content Anymore

For those of you who have always wondered what the difference was between Squarespace and WordPress and how they compare, check out our latest article on Website Builders Critic entitled “<a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/squarespace-vs-wordpress/">Squarespace vs WordPress</a>“.
The question of <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/out/squarespace">Squarespace</a> vs WordPress isn't a straightforward one. 
 WordPress isn't a website builder in the same way that Squarespace is. At the same time, Squarespace isn't as flexible as WordPress, nor is it well known for building large websites like WordPress can. 
 However, WordPress rivals Squarespace in terms of being being simple and user friendly. So, when somebody wants to build a small, simple and good looking website quickly, the question of WordPress vs Squarespace can crop up. A lot.
<img src="https://cmscritic.com/ms-content/uploads/2023/08/wordpress-or-squarespace.png" />
In the article, Kaya compares six flash points aimed to help you decide between the two.
The items he compares are as follows:
<ol>
<li>User Friendliness</li>
<li>Themes and Design</li>
<li>eCommerce</li>
<li>Blogging</li>
<li>Pricing</li>
<li>Maintenance and Support</li>
</ol>
Check out the full article here: <a href="http://www.websitebuilderscritic.com/squarespace-vs-wordpress/">Squarespace vs WordPress: The Full Comparison</a>

Squarespace vs WordPress

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Call Tracking + AI that Turns Calls into Leads

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