WordPress is a remarkably versatile platform that can be used to power all sorts of different sites. Because the content is separate from the layout, you can apply a range of different themes without having to rewrite your actual content. That said, you might not be able to find exactly the theme that you want.

While you could certainly hire a designer and a coder to make a custom creation for you, you may also consider using the Toolbox theme as a starting point. That’s because this WordPress theme has been designed specifically to work as a basic template for your own customizations. This way, you’re not coding from scratch.

Toolbox could be used the way that it is, but you’ll likely be making many different changes to suit your particular needs and preferences. All along the way, you can rest assured that you are starting with super clean code with an ultra-minimalist origin. Where you take it from there is completely up to you.

You can find Toolbox in the Free Themes Directory as a free download.

We’ve reached the end of another week, so let’s see what’s going on in the blogosphere.

Damien Riley has come across quite the interesting threat from Anonymous, a group that has already attacked several major sites and services. Apparently, they’re planning to hack and destroy Facebook on November 5, 2011. That could leave you with a little less than three months if they really do hold up to that promise.

Problogger has a guest post from The ClickStarter, continuing the discussion on hacking and security. In the article, we learn how to make WordPress 10 times more secure in just five minutes. These include moving the wp-config.php file and deleting the default admin account.

Free Money Finance discusses an article from the Wall Street Journal that states you should put your passwords in your estate papers. We have so much of ourselves online these days, but we’re also told we need to change our passwords regularly. This would also mean we’d need to update our estate papers more often.

Amber Weinberg has a post up on Freelance Folder, providing reasons to fire your client. Yes, that really does put the shoe on the other foot, but there are definitely times when a relationship with a particular client may no longer be worth the trouble, headache, or heartache.

Jeff Cutler finishes off this week’s list by sharing a couple of experiences he had related to the world of publishing. The first has to do with issues related to copyright, while the second has to do with finding the right publisher for your book. If you’re a writer, you’ll want to read about this.

The brick and mortar business certainly still exists. From restaurants to clothing stores, people still go to physical locations to buy many things. However, more and more business are looking to cut away the overhead and work exclusively as online-only entities.

Without getting into the pros and cons of such an approach, we must also ask another question. If your business is online-only, do you still need to have physical business cards? If so, would you still put your mailing address on them or is just the web address sufficient?

Realistically, it really depends on the nature of your business. If it’s the type where you are still shipping and receiving physical products, then you will likely still want to put a physical mailing address on there. If you are a web consultant or a graphic designer, on the other hand, a conventional mailing address may not be as necessary and it becomes a matter of personal preference.

To all the web-only business owners in the audience, do you still have business cards printed? What information do you choose to include on these cards? Do you include or omit the physical mailing address?

One of the most common items that a website visitor wants to find is a means to contact you. You may already have some great information on your site about your products and services, but they may want to know more before placing an order.

A contact page is a great start, especially if you have a contact form set up for e-mail communication. You might also list your phone number, but what if your customer is calling from another locale and doesn’t want to pay long distance? That’s where the Contact Call Plugin can come in very handy.

The biggest advantage here is that the plugin can embed a “call us” button right on your website. When a visitor clicks on that, they call you from within the web browser. It’s that simple. Your call can then be received via Skype, mobile, GTalk, or landline. It works through the Push2Call protocol.

Go to the WordPress Plugin Directory for more information on Contact Call, including an introductory video on the Push2Call service. Naturally, that page is also where you will find the free download link as well.

Referrals are the lifeblood of many businesses. It’s true of freelance writers, real estate agents, lawyers, general contractors, and all sorts of other professions. That’s why you want to make sure that all your customers have a positive experience, one that is so positive they’ll tell their friends about it.

A big part of this has to do with providing good customer service and delivering on your promises, but it also helps when you go the extra mile. This is especially true when the extra mile is completely unexpected.

For instance, I had a recent experience with a mortgage broker. They get paid for referring the business to the banks, so I (as the borrower) did not have to pay any fees to the broker. All I wanted was to get a good deal on my mortgage with the terms that I wanted. And she delivered in a timely, friendly, and efficient manner.

Shortly after signing the papers for the mortgage, I received a note in the mail. At first, I thought it was just a thank you note, which would have already been pleasant. Inside, though, was a $100 gift card to an electronics store. It’s not a huge gesture, but it was definitely positive and unexpected. Will I recommend this broker to my friends if they’re looking? Absolutely. It’s all about that extra mile.

Convergence devices are all around us. Your cell phone likely has a camera in it. Your portable GPS device might have a Bluetooth speakerphone. And this USB optical mouse has a digital scale in it.

This has to be one of the stranger spins on convergence, as I would never have thought to combine these two functions. On the surface, this looks like any other generic computer mouse. It has two buttons and a scroll wheel in the center, along with the USB cable for connecting to your computer.

Remove the cover toward the rear, however, and you discover a fully functional digital scale. It’s not going to weigh you, but it could come in handy for little trinkets. The scale only goes up to 500 grams, but it can also display weights in oz, gn, or ct. In this way, it might be handy for jewelry stores, for instance.

You can find the USB Optical Mouse with Pocket Digital Scale at Brando.com for the reasonable price of $22. Strangely, the scale appears to need its own AAA batteries, not running off of the supplied USB power.