Joining a long list of sites that no longer offer support to Internet Explorer 6, WordPress can no longer be used on the dated web browser. The blog publishing platform is very popular with the general public as a primary tool for blog sites. WordPress announced this change as it rolled out its latest version, which features a simplified admin interface and a bevy of new user-friendly features.

If a user attempts to load up WordPress on IE6, they won’t be able to and will instead get a message prompting them to upgrade their browser. Other sites, like YouTube and Gmail, have abandoned their support of IE6 recently as well. Like these other sites, WordPress found it was taking too much backend work to get the tool to work with IE6, a browser that was initiated over a decade ago. Few professional website design companies want to keep supporting IE6, simply because it’s a clunky browser that doesn’t offer the user the best experience.

Even Microsoft, the founder and distributor of IE6, is eager for users to move on and use its newer versions. The technology conglomerate, however, is likely motivated by its desire for users to upgrade to Windows 7, its latest software offering, rather than an outright disdain for its older browser.

Here at DBurns Design, we encourage our clients to utilize newer browsers, like IE 9, Firefox or Chrome. These browsers give users a much more robust experience than IE6. They operate more in line with current web standards, easily showcasing all aspects of professional website design, and they are much more secure than IE6.

That being said, if you engage our professional website design services, we’ll make it so your site functions across all web browsers – even IE6, if you so desire.

LinkedIn has proved to be a valuable networking site for professionals across the spectrum of industries. Like a Facebook for professionals, LinkedIn can help you connect with others in your field – people you know and people you can get to know – through the site’s various features. Apart from individual benefits for the professional, LinkedIn’s newest features can really help you maximize the platform of your small business.

With LinkedIn’s new Company Pages feature, you can create a dedicated page for your business. Just like an individual social networking page, you can use this page to update others on your company’s latest offerings and news. It’s an easy way to keep the public updated on the happenings of your business, ensuring you stay at the forefront of their minds.

With LinkedIn’s beta LinkedIn Signal product, you can search public status updates for specific keywords. It allows a simple method for keeping an eye on your competitors – just search for status updates that feature competitors’ names to see what others are saying about them. It’s also a good way to keep your finger on the pulse of what others are saying about your company.

LinkedIn Skills is another way you can be made aware of trends and news in your industry. The tool is straightforward – it simply tracks and measures the rate at which certain skillsets are entered into the site. For example, if you see a rise in professionals in your field entering a particular skill, you’ll know that the industry is starting to trend that way.

As LinkedIn is constantly updating their site with new and exciting tools, it can be a valuable resource for your business. You just have to be diligent and stay on top of your accounts. It doesn’t look good to prospective clients and colleagues if your company’s page isn’t updated for weeks on end. It only takes a few minutes a day so make it a priority to put your company’s best face forward on LinkedIn.

With the advent of new mobile point-of-sale (POS) applications – that can be used on any smartphone – merchants can process sales transactions from anywhere. Most of these apps feature a separate card swiper that can be connected to most smartphones, though some of the apps simply require the merchant to enter the customer’s credit card information into the smartphone, using the phone’s keypad.

There are undoubtedly various benefits to these apps as they offer a whole new level of freedom in payment processing. The current mobile POS solutions are not truly mobile in that they operate wirelessly over dedicated connections. So while you can walk to a customer to process their payment, you have to stay within the realm of the wireless connection’s reach. The new, mobile POS solutions allow merchants to process payment virtually anywhere. This level of freedom could potentially revolutionize the POS industry – allowing anyone with a smartphone to sell their goods or services and process payment easily, without the added expense of a standalone POS solution.

While the increase in mobility is impressive, some experts are concerned about the security of these new POS apps. Since these apps download just like any other application on a smartphone, you’ll be processing payments without firewall protection. Since the apps are fairly new in the marketplace, it’s wise to proceed with caution until they’ve been thoroughly vetted.

In the interim, only choose apps from established and well-respected POS companies. If you opt to use a POS app, consider getting a separate set of smartphones for your employees – this way they won’t be processing customer payments on their personal devices. While it won’t provide complete security, it will add an extra layer of protection.

And whether you start using a POS app now or decide to wait until they’ve been tried and tested a while longer, keep your ears open for news from the PCI Security Standards Council. When they’ve determined that certain apps are trustworthy, they’ll release information on them.