PunyPNG is an online service that allows you to upload your image where it is optimized and can then be downloaded with no loss of quality. How does it work?

Depending on the file, punypng will automatically convert your GIF into a PNG format and then further compress that. For JPEGs, sometimes it's better to make it a PNG, and other times it's better to keep it as JPEG and use jpeg-tran to optimize it. punypng makes all those decisions for you and ensures the best possible results.

In order to use the service you must have Flash installed. You can upload multiple images one at a time. After each is optimized, which takes mere seconds, it is offered as a download. A rather neat feature is the ability to download multiple optimized images packaged together in a ZIP file rather than individually.

So, how well does it work? I tested the service by uploading seven images. As you can see in the screen shot below the savings are quite substantial. (click image to enlarge)

If you have images in need of optimization give PunyPNG a whirl. You may be amazed at the results.

The dummy post pack is simply an XML file that can be imported into your WordPress dev blog. Once done, it will not only fill the site with content by creating 30 posts but will create pages, categories, sub-pages, sub-categories, tags and thumbnails via custom fields. Additionally, among the posts it creates is one that test various HTML elements such as <blockquote> among others.

Whether you are a casual user or a professional developer the dummy post pack is sure to be a huge time saver. Get it here.

The first method involves placing an empty index.HTML file in EACH folder you want to protect. If you prefer you can include a brief message in that file rather than using a blank one. Two important things to remember when using this method:

1. You'll have to place the file in EACH folder you want to protect. It will not shield subfolders.
2. Be sure NOT to use a blank PHP file in the plugin directory - it will bork the dashboard. That is why I suggest using a blank HTML file. And if you're going to use a HTML file in the plugin directory you may as well use them everywhere else.

The next two methods involve the use of a .htaccess file.

Method a: This is the easiest method of all. Add the following line to the .htaccess file that lives at root...

Options -Indexes

This will automagically turn off indexing for ALL folders/subfolders sitewide. If you add that line to a .htaccess file in wp-contents it will disable indexing not only for that folder but for the folders below it and so forth.

Method b: Add the following line to the .htaccess file that lives at root...

IndexIgnore *

The * matches all files in the directory. What is the difference between the two? Method b allows you to restrict only a subset of files from being viewed. For example, let's say for some reason you want the directory content to be viewable but block image files. You would do this...

IndexIgnore *.gif *.png *.jpg

For more .htaccess goodness check out Stupid htaccess Tricks by Perishable Press.

Validifier is an online tool that easily generates standards-compliant flash embed code. Simply paste your embed code in the form box and click "Validify It!" and let the tool do the rest. The generated output given you will be XHTML valid. It can't get any easier than that.

Thanks Nick!

We analyze your post through our proprietary natural language processing and semantic algorithms, and statistically compare its context framework to our preindexed database of other content.

It also offers a photo gallery of relevant images you can insert into a post if you wish. The suggested images have all been copyright cleared in case you're wondering with the bulk coming from Wikimedia Commons, Flickr and various stock photo providers.

If that's not enough the application also provides a list of suggested tags and links to use with your post.

As the service is new they currently use a list of about 300 media sources and blogs from which they derive the related articles and links from but more will be added as it grows. For the present, Zemanta supports WordPress, Blogger and Typepad.

The links you see in this very blog post and related articles at the end were all suggested by Zemanta and were automatically inserted with the click of a button. The suggested links and tags appear below the write post window while the related articles and images appear in the sidebar to the right of the write post window. The icon immediately following the end of the post was also inserted. While they maintain you can remove the icon if you wish they ask that you don't as they rely on it for exposure.

As the service grows and matures look for the efficiency and accuracy to improve.

Below are 2 screen captures. The first is the addition to the sidebar containing the related articles and images while the second is of the area directly below the write post window where you will find the suggested links and tags.

Related articles and images. (click to enlarge)

Suggested links and tags. (click to enlarge)