• Screen size: Screens are smaller and content on your pages need to be arranged differently than your standard website. Mostly, you need to organize information in a vertical fashion, but avoiding as much as possible the need to scroll down.
• Images: All pictures on your pages should be correctly resized and made smaller and lighter to ensure fast page loading.
• Connection speed: Your mobile site should be optimized to have fast-loading pages and to deal with connection drops or other issues related to connection speed. This is particularly important for a mobile site that sells products as no user wants to be worried of connection drops in the middle of a transaction.
• Widgets and plugins: All extra component like widgets, plugins and add-ons may slow down your mobile site and, most importantly, may not work at all on mobile phones. For example, Apple devices do not support Flash, so if you are creating a mobile website for them, avoid all Flash-based elements and, where possible, go for HTML5 instead.
• Sensors: Last-gen phones have physical sensors like accelerometers, gyroscopes, light sensors and other bells and whistles built-in. On one hand, you should know very well if these sensors may cause extra issues for mobile navigators and, on the other hand, you should understand how to leverage these sensors to offer a superior navigation experience.

• Custom domain: Create a specific URL that identifies your mobile blog site.
• Ready-made templates: Style your mobile-optimized website with readily-available templates.
• Mobile analytics: Supervise traffic, revenues, entrance keyword and other data of your mobile blog site.
• Ad integration: Integrate third-party ads in your mobile blog layout.
• Automatic redirection: Redirect your readers to a mobile-optimized page of your site when they are visiting your blog site with a mobile phone.
• Price: Cost of the mobile website builder tool.
• Pro features: Advanced features present in pro / paid accounts.

Best Tools To Convert Your Blog Into a Mobile Site - Comparison Tables

Best Tools to Convert Your Blog Into a Mobile Site

1. Mobify

   Mobify is a web-based service that you can use to convert your blog into a mobile site. Starting with the free version of Mobify, you already have the ability to optimize and design your mobile site for thousands of mobile devices. You also have the ability to choose a custom domain for your mobile site and install a plugin on your blog that automatically redirects visitors to the mobile version when using their phones to reach your site. By switching to a pricing plan (starting from $249/mo) you also get advanced support, mobile analytics and custom branding. No ad integration, nor ready-made templates are available. http://mobify.me/
   
   
   
   
   

2. MoFuse

   MoFuse is a an online service that lets you mobilize your website. MoFuse allows you to convert your blog into a mobile site for more than 5000 supported mobile devices while taking care of displaying your content according to screen dimensions and connection speed. With the first step of its pricing offer ($7.95/mo), the service also provides mobile SEO and analytics, automatic redirection and standard support. If you go for a professional plan (starting at $39/mo) you also receive advanced features like custom mobile CSS, Google Analytics integration, mobile sitemaps and more. No custom domain, ready-made mobile templates, nor ad integration are available. http://mofuse.com/
   
   
   
   
   

3. MobiSiteGalore

   MobiSiteGalore is a web-based service that allows you to create a mobile-based version of your own blog. With pricing plans starting from $7.99/mo, MobiSiteGalore offers you a custom domain, basic mobile analytics, SEO and automatic redirection. Taking one step forward, for $11.99/mo you can also remove MobiSiteGalore logo from your mobile site, integrate ads on your pages, have advanced analytics features, include web widgets and more. No ready-made mobile templates are supported. http://www.mobisitegalore.com/index.html
   
   
   
   
   

4. DotMobi Instant Mobilizer

   DotMobi Instant Mobilizer is an online mobile website builder that allows you to optimize your blog content for mobile viewing. For prices around €1.51 - 1.81/mo, DotMobi Instant Mobilizer promises custom branding, improved search engine discoverability, custom domain name for your mobile site, automated Google Maps directions and more. No ready-made templates, ad mobile analytics, ad integration, nor automatic redirection are available from DotMobi Instant Mobilizer. http://instantmobilizer.com/
   
   
   
   
   

5. WireNode

   WireNode is a free mobile website creator that allows you to turn your blog into a mobile site. You can build mobile-optimized websites for most mobile phones on the market, analyze the statistics of your blog, have mobile SEO, integrate mobile widgets and support automatic redirection without spending a dime. If you want also to have a custom domain for your mobile site, remove third-party ads from your pages and get 20 SMS credits, you must switch to the first pricing plan, available for €15/mo. No ads integration, nor ready-made templates are supported. http://www.wirenode.com/
   
   
   
   
   

6. Onbile

   Onbile is a free online platform for creating and managing the mobile version of your blog. With a few clicks you can customize and build the pages and sections of your mobile site using one of the ready-made templates available. Then you only have to set an automatic redirection that brings visitors to your mobile site when landing your standard website using a phone. No custom domain, mobile analytics, ads integration, nor ready-made templates are supported. http://www.onbile.com/
   
   
   
   
   

7. Mippin Mobilizer

   Mippin Mobilizer is a free service that allows you to mobilize your blog or website. To start building your site, you must submit the URL of your blog or RSS feed, then you can use one of the ready-made templates available to style your mobile site. You can also fine-tune your mobile layout and choose to integrate a third-party ad service like AdMob to monetize your mobile pages. No custom domain, mobile analytics, nor automatic redirection are available. http://mippin.com/web/maker/mobilize.jsp

Best Tools to Visualize Your Mobile Site

1. FeedM8

   FeedM8 allows you to visualize your mobile site. Just enter the URL of your blog site and FeedM8 will automatically generate a URL that you can use to reach a mobile version of your site, free of charge. You can also receive your mobile URL via SMS by entering your phone number (only available for the US and Canada). http://www.feedm8.com/web/
   
   
   
   
   

2. Mowser

   Mowser is a free service by DotMobi that allows you to visualize how your blog is rendered onto a mobile phone. No custom URL is generated to reach your mobile site, since the service is only for testing purposes. http://mowser.com/
   
   
   
   
   

3. Google Mobilizer

   Google Mobilizer is a free service from Google that allows you to check how a standard mobile phone would display your website. You just have to enter the URL of your website and select if you want images to be hidden. http://www.google.com/gwt/n
   
   
   
   
   

4. MobileAppsAmerica

   MobileAppAmerica is a web-based service that allows you to visualize and convert your blog into a mobile site. You can just type the URL of your blog and the service will convert it to a mobile-optimized version that works with more than 2000 mobile devices, including iPhones, Blackberries and Android phones. If then you want to save your converted website, you will have to pay a $4.99/mo fee. http://www.webtosmartphone.com/index-already-lp.php
   
   
   
   
   

5. WPtouch Pro

   WPtouch Pro is a popular plugin for the WordPress blogging platform that lets you create a mobile version of your WP blog and also automatically redirect visitors to the mobile version when needed. WPtouch is highly customizable and it is priced at $29. http://www.bravenewcode.com/products/wptouch-pro/
   
   
   
   
   

6. PadPressed

   PadPressed is a plugin for WordPress that allows you to convert your blog for the iPad. The plugin not only optimizes your blog layout for iPad viewing but it also lets your mobile site support touch-based controls and sensors present inside Apple's new mobile device. PadPressed can even automatically redirect visitors to the mobile version of your WordPress blog for those browsing from iPad models. PadPressed is priced at $49.99 and all updates are free forever. http://padpressed.com/
   
   
   
   
   

7. Blogger Touch

   Blogger Touch is a free widget that allows you to generate a mobile version of your Blogger blog and takes care also of redirecting mobile visitors to the mobile-optimized version of your site. Blogger Touch even allows you to redirect vistors to a mobile domain of your choice. http://bloggertouch.sopili.net/

• Screen size: Screens are smaller and content on your pages need to be arranged differently than your standard website. Mostly, you need to organize information in a vertical fashion, but avoiding as much as possible the need to scroll down.
• Images: All pictures on your pages should be correctly resized and made smaller and lighter to ensure fast page loading.
• Connection speed: Your mobile site should be optimized to have fast-loading pages and to deal with connection drops or other issues related to connection speed. This is particularly important for a mobile site that sells products as no user wants to be worried of connection drops in the middle of a transaction.
• Widgets and plugins: All extra component like widgets, plugins and add-ons may slow down your mobile site and, most importantly, may not work at all on mobile phones. For example, Apple devices do not support Flash, so if you are creating a mobile website for them, avoid all Flash-based elements and, where possible, go for HTML5 instead.
• Sensors: Last-gen phones have physical sensors like accelerometers, gyroscopes, light sensors and other bells and whistles built-in. On one hand, you should know very well if these sensors may cause extra issues for mobile navigators and, on the other hand, you should understand how to leverage these sensors to offer a superior navigation experience.

• Custom domain: Create a specific URL that identifies your mobile blog site.
• Ready-made templates: Style your mobile-optimized website with readily-available templates.
• Mobile analytics: Supervise traffic, revenues, entrance keyword and other data of your mobile blog site.
• Ad integration: Integrate third-party ads in your mobile blog layout.
• Automatic redirection: Redirect your readers to a mobile-optimized page of your site when they are visiting your blog site with a mobile phone.
• Price: Cost of the mobile website builder tool.
• Pro features: Advanced features present in pro / paid accounts.

• Trout Unlimited chapter bookkeeper embezzles $10K, convicted: http://bit.ly/coYBdi #

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Technorati Tags: fishing, Fly Fishing

Thanks to Alert Underground Reader Eric for a pointer to this stunning fishing-related soccer goal celebration, which is apparently making the rounds:

The Best Fishing Related Soccer Goal Celebration Ever:

Special Underground Thought For The Day: Today’s fly fisher insists on performing noisy, look-at-me demonstrations after catching a fish. Wouldn’t the sport be better served by imaginative post-catch celebrations like the above – instead of the lame “high-five” stuff that permeates the new wave?

I know. The mind boggles at the very thought.

Thank god fly fishing has me.

Technorati Tags: fishing, soccer goal celebration

It’s another 90 degree day in Mount Shasta – a good 5-6 degrees warmer than “normal.”

In fact, it’s been far warmer than “average” the last couple weeks, and while the heat feels good – especially after winter decided it was never going to leave – I am starting to wonder at the effects of sustained high temperatures on the trout.

The leading edge of last night's thunderstorm... which missed us to the North (damn).

For example, the water temps on the Upper Sacramento River (at the Delta – the warmest stretch) have oscillated between 65 and 70 degrees.

Trout tend to stop feeding at water temperatures much above 65 degrees (I’ve seen 68 degrees listed as the magic number), and 75 degree water is typically fatal to trout, who simply won’t get enough dissolved oxygen to breathe.

Note that I’m not advocating anglers avoid the Upper Sacramento River; the Upper Sacramento and Lower McCloud are essentially tailwaters, so temperatures on the upper/middle stretches of both will remain nicely fishable year-round.

But what happens to the lower stretches of the Upper Sacramento – or my beloved small streams – if our current heat wave continues?

With temperatures swinging between 65-70 degrees, I don't know if I'd fish the lowest stretch of the Upper Sacramento River (click image for latest flow/temp info)

I’m not sure, though I’m taking a water thermometer on my next small stream trip.

I’ll probably discover temperatures are plenty low on the nearby small streams, which are running slightly higher than normal.

Still, if the current heat wave continues, things could get a little grim come mid-August. Will we come to the point on some waters where the Undergrounders stop fly fishing voluntarily?

Or should California Fish & Game follow Montana’s lead and institute water-temperature-based closures?

Local fly fishing guide Craig Nielsen offers a surprising (to me) admission:

“I already closed my season on the Klamath River. In fact, when fishing for rainbow trout, I tend to stop fishing stretches of water when the temperature goes over 65 degrees. You get temperatures in the higher 60s, and the mortality goes way up.”

Note that legislating closures would be difficult on waters like the Upper Sacramento, where temperatures vary widely over the length of the river. Close just the bottom five miles?

Unlikely.

Thoughts from the Undergrounders?

See you tapping the thermometer, Tom Chandler

Technorati Tags: Fly Fishing, fly fishing the upper sacramento river, high water temperatures, upper sacramento river

WASHINGTON, DC: Draft standards that will help minimize the potential negative impact freshwater trout aquaculture can have on the environment and society were released today for the first of two public comment periods. The freshwater trout aquaculture industry is responsible for producing most of the freshwater trout eaten worldwide.

THE owner and skipper of a French fishing vessel are the latest to pay a heavy penalty for a series of mainly technical  related offences.

Hornfisch angeln

Hallo Angelfreunde!!

Der Raps blüht und pünktlich zu dieser Zeit sind  die Hornhechte an unseren Küsten angekommen. Der Hornhecht ist ein wilder Kämpfer und der Marlin in Kleinformat. Die Fanggründe auf Hornhechte liegen oft nur 30 bis 60 Meter vom Strand entfernt. An manchen Tagen kommen sie sogar bis ins knietiefe Wasser. Ihr könnt die Entfernungen zu den Hornfischen mit einer schweren Süßwasser-Spinnrute mühelos erreichen. Wenn ihr keine speziellen Meeresgeräte zum Hornfischangeln habt, könnt ihr auch eine Karpfenrute, wie z.B. zum Boilieangeln einpacken.

Hornhecht Köder
Schlanke Blinker, womit man Meerforellen angelt, darauf beißen auch Hornhechte. Besser sind aber Fetzenköder, die aus Heringen oder dem Hornfisch (Bauchlappen) selber geschnitten werden. Das Angeln ist einfach, eine Wasserkugel wird weit ins Wasser hinausgeworfen. Der Biss vom Hornhecht ist leicht zu erkennen, die Wasserkugel ist einfach weg.

Angelausrüstung Hornhechtangeln
Spinnruten, Karpfenruten ca. 3 bis 4 Meter Länge, Schnur 25er bis 30er, Haken der Größe 4 bis 6, geangelt wird mit großer Wasserkugel oder Pose

Foto: mrjorgen

The Solar Roadway is a series of structurally-engineered solar panels that are driven upon. The idea is to replace all current petroleum-based asphalt roads, parking lots, and driveways with Solar Road Panels that collect energy to be used by our homes and businesses. Our ultimate goal is to be able to store excess energy in or alongside the Solar Roadways. This renewable energy replaces the need for the current fossil fuels used for the generation of electricity. This, in turn, cuts greenhouse gases literally in half.

Solar Roadways

[via Dale Allyn]