Our "Cool Tools" web hosting service has made it easier than ever to create and edit websites. So if you are maintaining your own website through our service, or you have friends, colleagues, or family members who want to set up their own websites, please tell them about these features, as well as our free 10-day trial sites. 

One of the coolest new features is the Site Builder Preview, a spiffy new user interface that looks better and is better organized than the standard interface, making site editing setup and maintenance easier than ever before. To access this feature, log in to your Admin page. Then click the Site builder preview link under News and Updates.

What else is new? New design templates, improved logo handling and new logo designs, new backgrounds and background features, new groupboxes, social networking features, mailing list and landing page referral tracking, and automatic email responses when users fill out a form on your site. You'll also find new Ecommerce features, including an updated store home page, support for editing coupons, the ability to use multiple gift certificates upon checkout, and more. The Help and Tutorials also have been improved. For a detailed summary of the features described above, simply log into your Admin page and then click the System Update - ver. 4.15 [09/26/2009] link under News and Information.

Want More New Features?

Here are a few from an update installed 11/2009.

• More new template layouts
• The ability to hide the top banner
• The ability to update the top bar image for certain templates
• Improved Background design page, including a background gradient maker
• More control over the appearance of popup menus and the design layout width
• Seasonal logos (Thanksgiving and end-of-year Holidays coming soon)

For consulting help using these features, or to have us incorporate any of these features into your own website, please contact us. (Note: These features are available only to customers whose websites are built using our "Cool Tools" content management systems. Most Precision Computing Arts customers are on this newer system, but a few of our clients remain on an older Dreamweaver based system. Not sure which system you're using? Just drop us a line and we'll gladly let you know.)

There's always someone willing to part you from your hard-earned money or steal your identity. Domain name scammers are among them! These nasty Internet denizens will send you an official looking letter or email with dire admonitions that your domain is about to expire and you must renew or transfer your domain name with them (or risk losing it forever).

One of our customers got taken by this scam, and his domain expired anyway! That's because the company (Domain Renewal Group) did not renew or transfer his domain; they simply took his $30 check and cashed it! Fortunately, were were able to renew his domain with his official registrar. Our customer may have been lucky only to lose his money. Some of these scammers take much more because they are identity thieves, trolling for credit card and other valuable information!

Unless you are 100% sure they are legit, do not respond to these letters!

If you receive a letter about renewing your domain name — especially if you don't recognize the company as YOUR domain registrar — please contact us right away, before you send a check or give them your credit card information. We'll try to verify whether the communication is a legitimate message from your current domain registrar. (As an aside, most domain renewals cost about $10 per year. If yours costs significantly more, ask us about transferring your domain to another registrar.)

All this said, please do not ignore an expiring domain! You've invested time, money, and Goodwill in your domain name, so it's important to stay on top of expiration dates and keep your domain registration current. Also be aware that if a domain expires, no one can access your website until the domain registration is updated or the site is moved to a new domain name. And if someone happens to grab your domain after it has expired, you probably will be unable to retrieve it.

For some specific details about this domain scamming problem, check out this link or this one.

Want to know more about domain scammers? Search Google for "domain renewal scam" or type the name of the company that has sent you a letter (between quotation marks) and add the word scam, like this:

"Domain Renewal Group" scam

Precision Computing Arts welcomes two new websites for the same customer! Please visit Frederick Michael King's art-related websites at:

• Earth Fire Designs (www.earthfiredesigns.com) features hand carved ceramic murals, tile, architectural elements, and fireplaces.
  
• King Contemporary Art (www.kingcontemporaryart.com) features contemporary wall mounted metal sculptures and encaustic wax paintings for private, hotel, and corporate spaces.
  

We also invite you to visit the new website for Mr. Shrine (www.mrshrine.com). Ralph Wilson (aka Mr. Shrine) and his partner Kathleen McLeod create and teach others how to create folk-art shrines, mini-art car kits, pins and magnets on copper, painted luggage, and more.

For more details about these three sites and their special features, please visit our Artists & Painters portfolio page.

Referrals Appreciated!

Don't forget that we LOVE referrals from our existing customers. These three sites were made possible by referrals from existing customers — thank you Brian and Kathleen! In addition to earning our undying gratitude, referrals earn consulting fee discounts for our loyal customers. Please check out our Discounts On Consulting Fees page for details.