My Star Trek film plot predictions came true

Last night, there was huge excitement here in the Fabulous Photo Gifts workshop as we took a bit of time off from photo gift personalising and went to see the new Star Trek film.

Earlier in the day, as dizzy as a schoolboy, I made some general plot predictions. Bear in mind my only clues are the official movie trailers. I haven' read any other reviews!

A self confessed 'trekkie', writing a review with virtually no previous plot line intelligence apart from that gleaned from several trailer viewings, shouldn't be a problem.

How do you think I did?

Basically - it's gonna be great!

You want a little more detail? OK - here are a few suggestions for what is likely to happen during the film...

Kirk will get in a 'fisty-cuffs fight'

The Enterprise will face almost certain destruction

There will be a long slow camera pan around the Enterprise (I'll be most disappointed if there isn't)

Scotty will overcome technical issues with the engines

Time travel will be involved (all the really good episodes involved time travel)

Rules will be broken

The first officer will not give the captain a straight answer

and my other predictions....

more than one federation craft will be involved

the baddie will be defeated by a bluff / trick

no-one will complain about the food of life in the 'service' in general

the words "damm it Jim" will be uttered.

An affinity with local community magazines

Regular readers will know that we share a bit of a special relationship with several Community Magazines through our friends and contacts up and down the UK.

In fact we've helped several of them directly by designing and maintaining their websites.

These include All Things Local which covers our own Belper and Kilburn area, Living in Richmond & Kew (London) and Mags 2 Riches which is actually a 'start your own community magazine business opportunity' and it's new French counterpart - Kipubli.

So when we came across this collective directory of UK community magazines, we thought why not mention it here?

Find Local Magazines offers several different paid listings so depending on your budget, you can gain a listing in what is billed as an opportunity for national advertisers to find more local targeted advertising sources, whilst at the same time enabling smaller community magazines the opportunity to appeal to anyone searching for a local magazine in their area.

Sounds like a great idea to us and we wish them every success. They already have listings for over 150 local community magazines - their website can be found here by clicking here.

Make a fashion statement on Twitter - SEO article

Make more than just a fashion statement on Twitter - seo article

If you're using Twitter for any kind of commercial aspect - whether you're a large corporation, or a one-man adsense marketeer, the one thing you should be doing is customising your Twitter page with a 'branded' background.

Why should I change my background? What's wrong with a standard Twitter background?

The problem with standard Twitter backgrounds is they are just that. Thousands of other users will be using the same background and because information is minimal in your bio, there isn't enough to distinguish you from the crowd and make your Twitter page memorable.

Changing your background image means you can put more information in front of your Twitter page visitors (who'll hopefully be so impressed with your background they'll become followers - without seeing what you actually 'tweet' about (a tweet is a single post or comment you make on Twitter).

If you build your background image around your corporate look, and then change font and sidebar colours to suit, you should end up with a distinctive and professional Twitter home page like ours - http://twitter.com/fabphotogifts.

Now doesn't that look better?

P.S Oh and get yourself an avatar image as well - it's well documented that no-one likes following 'blank' avatars. Why not make our logo your avatar like this Twitterer - http://twitter.com/priceengines

(photo credit uaeincredible)

Reminder - Personalised Map Jigsaws need your full address

Hi photo gift givers. Technical department here with a little reminder for anyone ordering one of our fabulous personalised map jigsaws.

When personalising your order, we do need the full address including the postcode of the property / location you would like your map jigsaw centering on.

Some customers have only added their preferred postcode on previous orders.

Many thanks - we'll be able to get your personalised map jigsaw order to you in the shortest possible time if we don't have to contact you for missing details.

Fabulous Photo Gifts.

p.s Have we mentioned they make a great Father's Day gift idea but order early as the turnaround time on these popular and unique jigsaws is 14 days.

NEW - Personalised Office Mug - Never get the wrong drink again

Miracle of miracles, wonder of wonders. Now you'll never have to endure another drink that's the wrong shade, sweetness or even the wrong drink altogether.

Those clever people at Fabulous Photo Gifts have introduced the personalised Office Mug.

And it's so simple to get the right drink every time.... simply order our new Office Mug - personalise the front 'coffee house' design with your name (so they now who's drink it is) - then personalise the back of the mug with your preferred drink. 3 individual spaces to spell out the perfect cuppa from the following options:



Beverage:
Tea, Herbal Tea, Decaf Tea, Coffee, Decaf Coffee, Hot Chocolate

Milk:
No Milk, Little Milk, Milk, Milky, Very Milky, Soya Milk

Sugar:
No Sugar, 1 Sugar, 2 Sugars (up to 5 Sugars)



So utter "it's wet and warm" no more and look forward to a drink exactly the way you like it - every time!

Did we mention our 10oz Office Mug is dishwasher safe? Delivery is normally 10 days and costs just £9.99 +p&p. Visit Fabulous Photo Gifts now order one for yourself (or a colleague).

New Office Number

Please be advised that we can now be contacted on a new 0845 (local call rate for calls made in the UK) telephone number.

You can now contact Fabulous Photo Gifts by telephone on: 0845 003 4118.

Thank you.

phone box image credit: Elsie

A case of the Deaf leading the Flustered

Like all good stories, this one has a happy ending.

So, I'm in the bank, standing at the serving hatch and I notice the chap two cashiers down kept turning to a friend leaning against the back wall and 'chatting' in a very articulated sign language. Ah I thought, his friend is deaf.

They left as I continued to be served, whilst the next customer stepped up to the now vacated cashier and waved at a credit card still in the pin machine - obviously left there by the signing man.

Anyway, the cashier took the card and put it to one side - perhaps they'd realise and call back.

Now I don't know about you but when I loose something, I have a devil of a job remembering where exactly I had it last. So as I stepped outside the bank I thought if I spotted them on my walk back to the office, I'd tell them.

Well of course that was highly improbable wasn't it?

Well actually no it wasn't because the next shop I walked into, there were the two chaps so I tapped the chap who'd been at the counter and started to tell him I thought he'd left his card at the bank.

Oh dear - he was deaf too and as I don't know sign language, it could have been a problem. Rather startled by my own brilliance, I quickly whipped out my card and demonstrating a putting card into slot action, pointed to the bank across the road.

The penny dropped - he reached for his wallet, saw his card wasn't there and ran back to the bank to retrieve his card.

See - I told you this story had a happy ending.

Jonathan - Fabulous Photo Gifts

Say Hi to Pippa - Richmond & Kew Magazine

We'd like to pinch a bit of your online viewing time to tell you about our friend Pippa who publishes her very own monthly community magazine for the Richmond and Kew areas of London.

Called simply Living in Richmond and Kew, Pippa's magazine showcases local businesses to the local community with the emphasis on encouraging locals residents to use the businesses on their doorstep.

It's a very worthwhile read.

So if you live in the Richmond and Kew areas, then why not pay her newly re-designed website a visit where you can read both back and current issues, catch up with her online local business directory and interact with the magazine via the Richmond and Kew Blog.

Oh, and in case you used to live in the Richmond and Kew Area, but you've since moved away, maybe you'll recognise the famous local landmark shown above?

"customer delighted"

"Many thanks Mandy - it has just arrived and looks great" - M. (Boxed Photo Jigsaw).

"I received the mousemats and coasters; they were great, thank you very much." - V.B.

"Hi Mandy, It arrived! Thank you so much, i love it! Fingers crossed, so does the bride!" - P. (Photo Block)

"Hi Mandy. Many thanks, sorry to have bothered you it has come today the postman was just later than normal. It is lovely thank you very much. Best regards" - J. (Glass Photo Clock)

"Thanks for the fast service, the products look wicked! Deffo going to be recommending you to anyone who needs these kinda things. Cheers" - P. (Mug and Mousemat)

Another selection of your more recent comments about Fabulous Photo Gifts' products and service.

To experience our service for yourself, head over to Fabulous Photo Gifts now and choose from a wide selection of gift and present ideas you can personalise with your photographs, your address, a special date or a personal message.

And with Father's Day approaching, why not beat the queues and get your order in early to avoid disappointment. Our photo gifts are not the 'fast food' of the personalised gift world with some items on a 14 day turnaround time.Of course if it's urgent, then we have gifts that we can print and post much much quicker than that.

Drop us a line before ordering if you have a special request or delivery deadline and we'll do our best to help.

(photo credit: always2ndbest

Don't say you missed our Father's Day Newsletter?

Hands up if you missed our Fabulous Father's Day gift review newsletter yesterday?

Previous customers of Fabulous Photo Gifts and those that have asked to be added to our regular monthly mailing list received our latest mail out during yesterday. In it we high-lighted our Father's Day best sellers from previous years as well as showcasing some of the newer personalised gift ideas, we think would make smashing Father's Day gifts (June 21st).

A big thank you to all those who have taken the time and trouble to reply back (or order directly).

If you'd like to see what got our customers so excited, please click here to view a copy of our latest photo gift ideas newsletter.

If you'd like to be added to the next mail-out, please leave your email address in a comment below or contact Fabulous Photo Gifts directly.

The 'Cream' of Double Glazing

In an idle moment of web browsing (around midnight last night - honestly, the Fabulous Photo Gifts office has been that busy), we were intrigued to come across this little piece about cream coloured upvc double glazing.

5 Star Windows (in Kidderminster) offer a range of cream coloured windows and doors and very nice they look to.

Remember when you could only get white? Wood grain 'effect' light oaks and dark cherry finishes quickly became favourites when they were introduced.

Nowadays of course, we accept these as the norm' and some window manufacturers now offer what they refer to as 'foil finishes' - wood grain effect in a 'white' frame.

So if you're thinking of replacing your windows or doors soon, remember you don't have to settle for just white anymore.


"cream window picture courtesy of 5 Star Windows"

When did you last check your engine oil?

We spotted this in a recent email communication and thought it was worth sharing with you...

"An astonishing 17 percent of UK drivers - or 5.13 million - never check their oil level and, as National Oil Check Week 2009 (June 15-19) is announced in a bid to encourage motorists to take better care of their vehicles, car care specialist Comma has re-launched its campaign website, www.checkyouroil.co.uk.

A further 56 percent of the 3,800 surveyed admitted they either don't have the time or simply forget to check it regularly.
With the very real threat of an average £1,413 engine repair bill, motorists' laziness is costing British motorists up to £300 million a year.

National Oil Check Week will be held as motor racing hero Lewis Hamilton prepares for his home Grand Prix at Silverstone on June 21. Mobil 1, technology partner to Hamilton's Vodafone McLaren Mercedes F1 team, has pledged its support for the campaign, along with the UK's leading car accessory chain, Halfords."

The Fabulous Photo Gifts office.

Struggling for a Father's Day gift with a difference?

Struggling to find a Father's Day present with a difference? Fed up with giving bottles of plonk or DVD's? Then how about a personalised photo jigsaw?

We're famous for our photo jigsaws and they make smashing presents for Father's Day (well for any occasion really).

You can choose from either boxed jigsaws which come with the completed picture on the lid of the box - just like you'd buy in the shops! Or our wooden range which come in a presentation wallet.

Choose from up to 1000 pieces - with the largest range of boxed, wooden and novelty jigsaws including our new map / aerial photography jigsaws (based on your postcode) to our newspaper jigsaws, your bound to find the right gift for your Dad.



After all, he deserves it doesn't he.

Click here to ease your Father's Day present dilemma - visit Fabulous Photo Gifts today.

*Boxed jigsaws are currently on a 14 day delivery period so order nice and early to avoid disappointment.

Google Sitemap Schema - correct syntax - SEO article

Google Sitemap Schema

I've recently noticed that the schema used on Google Site Maps has changed.

It used to be:


Notice the google.com and sitemap/0.84 have changed to sitemaps.org and sitemap/0.9.

I believe it's merely part of a growing standardisation of the growing popularity and widespread use of the Google Sitemaps program.

Now, whilst looking into this change/update on Google's Webmaster Tools page, I've read on one or two websites where they've insisted that to make sure your Sitemap validates, apart from using the correct xml syntax (which is completely correct), they also mention that the sitemap file should have a capital S e.g: Sitemap.xml.

Now I've never been keen on anything other than all lower case for file names - no spaces etc and this intrigued me - could it be true? My own Sitemap and several I have created for other websites have always used a lower case s in the filename and they've always verified ok.

So I went in search of an answer from a higher authority. Here's what I found on the Sitemaps.org website (surely there can be no higher authority on this one?) -
You've guessed it! All references and code snippets they use show the Sitemap filename spelt with a lower case s e.g: sitemap.xml.

So where some of these other sites are getting their upper-case S information from I don't know. All I do know is the lower-case s is shown on Sitemaps.org website.

And whilst they validate - that's good enough for my Sitemaps.

Sunday Morning - Don't forget your Newspaper

Sunday morning - time to relax, take a leisurely breakfast and catch up with your favourite newspaper and a cup of tea.

So with Father's Day fast approaching, what better Father's Day present than a personalised newspaper gift?

For instance, you could choose a mug, t-shirt or even a framed print showing the front page of the Daily Mirror from your choice of date - a birthday, anniversary, even a historical date perhaps?

Or how about a luxury fine wine or vintage spirit boxed set incorporating a quality broadsheet - again from your choice of date.

Not forgetting our popular Times newspaper jigsaw puzzle. This 400 piece boxed jigsaw features the front page of The Times newspaper from your choice of date. It's possible to go back as far as 1888!



So if Dad likes his Sunday newspaper, why not give him a newspaper gift with a twist?

Visit Fabulous Photo Gifts now and choose from the a wide selection of personalised gift and photo gift ideas, suitable for any occasion and all pockets.

Phillip Schofield on Twitter

Oh Gawd! Not another Twitter post I hear you cry...

Ok so there have been a few but the whole Twitter thing is so darn useful, that it deserves a mention (or two).

Especially when you can 'chat' with real celebrities like Phillip Schofield.

Here's what happened...



So we had a laugh, shared a light-hearted moment, and generally left the experience feeling better than he had previously.

Thanks to Twitter (and Phillip Schofield).

P.S Celebrity follower? See what happened when I got Tweeting with Jonathan Ross...

Small is Beautiful

We'd be the first to admit we're not the largest personalised gift company in the UK, but that's not a bad thing...

Being smaller, we can jump quicker when you've an urgent enquiry or a special request.

Because our systems aren't automated, every photo you submit gets checked by hand (and very often adjusted by hand for the optimum print - colour, tone etc where possible).

So when you speak to us on the phone, you've got hold of someone with years of digital photography, computing and photo gift printing experience straightaway, without having to explain what you want 10 times over.

Finally, we really care about delivering the very best photo gift experience to each and every order - we know that's as important to you as it is to us. That's why so many customers come back to us again and again.

Fabulous Photo Gifts - doing our best to make your photo gift giving occasion fabulous.

(photo credit nutloaf)

Sports Trophy with a difference - engraved crystals

As one sporting season comes to a close so another begins. As football teams up and down the UK - from the premiership to the village football team 'sunday leagues' play their last few games, we'd like to congratulate them all - if only for turning up in the wet and cold week in - week out, to the Cricket teams taking to a fresh wicket.

So whether you want to mark the achievements of a team, or a single player, then we have the perfect trophy idea for you - Engraved crystals.



This isn't your typical engraving. We can engrave both text and photographs onto a range of different crystal blocks and shapes. And the prices reflect our large range, all hand picked to offer you the widest choice, all in one handy place.

We also have clocks, teardrops and even keyrings, in addition to more traditional bevelled blocks, pen holders and angled cubes.

So if you're in need of a sporting trophy with a difference, then visit our engraved crystals page right now.

Fabulous Photo Gifts - helping you celebrate your teams performance and outstanding individual contributions, whatever the sport, whatever the league, whatever the endeavour.

Vroom Vroom!

Last week, our hosting company completed an upgrade of their servers. They're now faster, more capable and the benefit is being felt already as visitors to fabulousphotogifts.co.uk will be appreciating the smoother, faster interaction with our website.

We'd like to take a moment out to thank our hosting team for keeping the downtime to an absolute minimum whilst they carried out, what by any standards, was a very smooth transition to new hardware.

If you were unfortunate enough to have your personalised photo gift shopping experience interrupted by these vital upgrade works, we'd like to apologise to you now.

Why don't you head over to Fabulous Photo Gifts now and add a little vroom vroom to your photo gift shopping?

(picture credit: cesarastudillo)

How to give your Blog a new look...amending a blogger template

Firstly I'd like to pass on a huge thank you to all those people who have commented on our new look blog to me since it went live early this week. Comments have come via Twitter, this blog etc - thank you all.

So if you have a standard blogger template blog and you'd like to spice it up a little but you're not so good with CSS or HTML, then this is the perfect place to start.

Much of the credit must go to another post I read at Blogger Buster who published a really easy to follow tutorial with all the clips of code you'll need to look for in your own template etc and amend.

If you've got a wider screen, then I found it really useful to have their guide window open as well as the Blogger template window open side by side.

You'll need access to a paint/draw program to design your own header image (it works best if you put your header text on the image directly as background images don't always work too well), a background image to tile (if you want to rather than choosing a plain colour) and that's about it.

It's OK to play around with the other template colours to get exactly what you want - just I'd suggest doing it at your least busy moment for traffic.

As always, when you first sign in to your blogger account, go to layout - tick the expand widgets and then back up and download your current blog - just in case you need to revert back to it later.

Have fun adapting your Blogger blog template to something a little more personal. It's a great way of applying a little corporate branding to your blogs image if you're a business blogger. I also amended the footer section's background colour, sidebar colours and headings colours to really bring the whole thing together. I also amended my original Blogger template (after backing it up first) to the basic Minima template - it just made finding the right bits of code easier to find for amending.

TIP: Check out the comments section for additional tips on making Blogger Busters code changes work. Particular reference to getting the background image to work - see Quiche's comment on the 29th january 2008.

Jonathan - Fabulous Photo Gifts - Technical Partner.