Google Inc said it would shut down its three-dimensional virtual experience website by year end to focus more on its core search, advertisements and applications business.
The company said in its blog it supports experimentation but added: "We've also always accepted that when you take these kinds of risks not every bet is going to pay off."
Lively, which features real-time virtual world characters known as avatars and three-dimensional graphics to congregate in virtual rooms, was launched in July to match Linden Lab's popular Second Life.
"Between now and the end of the year we encourage you to capture all your hard work by taking videos and screenshots of your rooms," the blog said.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Google CEO Schmidt lays out US energy ideas
The United States should use part of any future economic stimulus package to connect wind turbines and solar energy to the nation's electricity grid, said Google Inc Chief Executive Eric Schmidt, an advisor to President-elect Barack Obama.
In a wide-ranging speech, Schmidt, who has been mentioned as a candidate to become Obama's chief technology officer, argued on Tuesday that the United States should begin investing heavily in bringing wind and solar power into the mainstream.
"There is no grid where the wind and the solar is. The people are in the cities. So the simplest thing that we have to do is we have to address the grid problem," said Schmidt, a member of president-elect Obama's economic advisory transition team, although not speaking in that role.
"You have a command and control (power) grid designed in the 1960s," Schmidt told a New America Foundation event.
Schmidt also said slowing the growth of energy consumption was important, and called for a plan to give matching funds to state utilities working to improve energy efficiency, and differential tax treatment for more efficient cars.
Senate Democrats have proposed a $100 billion economic stimulus package, although hopes are fading that it will passed during a short legislative session this week.
The bill, which Obama supports, would include $13.5 billion for road, bridge, mass transit and other construction projects and nearly $38 billion to help states pay Medicaid health-care costs for the poor.
Obama, who will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20, has said if Congress does not pass such a measure this year, it would be at the top of his agenda once he becomes president.
Through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, the company is backing start-ups designing wind, solar and geothermal technologies, which it hopes will eventually be cheaper than coal-based electricity. Google invested $45 million in such companies this year.
Schmidt pointed to the role that government grants to universities played in creating the Internet. "Why don't we do the same thing with the energy grid?" he asked.
"If you're going to spur economic growth you've got to focus on infrastructure research and development and energy," he said. "These are jobs programs."
And that grid should also power America's cars, he said. "Our dependence on imported oil is a huge drain. How many wars has oil created?" he said.
He said federal money for basic science has dwindled in recent years and that the private sector cannot do everything.
He called for a balanced approach to regulation, as opposed to the "extreme version of the free-market approach" of recent years.
In a wide-ranging speech, Schmidt, who has been mentioned as a candidate to become Obama's chief technology officer, argued on Tuesday that the United States should begin investing heavily in bringing wind and solar power into the mainstream.
"There is no grid where the wind and the solar is. The people are in the cities. So the simplest thing that we have to do is we have to address the grid problem," said Schmidt, a member of president-elect Obama's economic advisory transition team, although not speaking in that role.
"You have a command and control (power) grid designed in the 1960s," Schmidt told a New America Foundation event.
Schmidt also said slowing the growth of energy consumption was important, and called for a plan to give matching funds to state utilities working to improve energy efficiency, and differential tax treatment for more efficient cars.
Senate Democrats have proposed a $100 billion economic stimulus package, although hopes are fading that it will passed during a short legislative session this week.
The bill, which Obama supports, would include $13.5 billion for road, bridge, mass transit and other construction projects and nearly $38 billion to help states pay Medicaid health-care costs for the poor.
Obama, who will be sworn in as president on Jan. 20, has said if Congress does not pass such a measure this year, it would be at the top of his agenda once he becomes president.
Through its philanthropic arm, Google.org, the company is backing start-ups designing wind, solar and geothermal technologies, which it hopes will eventually be cheaper than coal-based electricity. Google invested $45 million in such companies this year.
Schmidt pointed to the role that government grants to universities played in creating the Internet. "Why don't we do the same thing with the energy grid?" he asked.
"If you're going to spur economic growth you've got to focus on infrastructure research and development and energy," he said. "These are jobs programs."
And that grid should also power America's cars, he said. "Our dependence on imported oil is a huge drain. How many wars has oil created?" he said.
He said federal money for basic science has dwindled in recent years and that the private sector cannot do everything.
He called for a balanced approach to regulation, as opposed to the "extreme version of the free-market approach" of recent years.
Microsoft to offer free security software
Microsoft Corp said Wednesday it will discontinue sales of its subscription PC security service and instead offer free software to help protect computers from viruses, spyware and other threats.
With the move, the software giant appears to be taking aim at McAfee Inc and Symantec Corp, its chief rivals in the PC security market.
Microsoft plans to halt sales of its Windows Live OneCare service on June 30. The service being discontinued costs $49.95 a year and covers up to three PCs.
The new security program, which the company has code-named "Morro," will be available as a free download in the second half of next year.
Morro is designed to work with smaller, less powerful computers, the company said, which should make it appeal to a wide group of consumers.
However, McAfee said the move is a sign of capitulation on the part of Microsoft. McAfee said OneCare managed to capture less than 2 percent of the market in the two years it has been out.
"Microsoft is giving up," a McAfee spokesman said. "They are now defaulting to a dressed-down free model that doesn't meet consumer security needs."
Microsoft has a history of butting heads with its competitors in the PC security space. In 2006 and 2007, Symantec and McAfee raised concerns that Microsoft had designed Windows Vista to deny them access to to the heart of the operating system, which they needed to protect it from certain kinds of malicious software.
After negotiations, and some prodding from antitrust regulators in Brussels, Microsoft said it would provide the information needed.
Shares of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft closed up 43 cents, or 2.2 percent, at $19.62. Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec finished at $12.40, up 24 cents, or 2 percent, while shares of Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee closed up 28 cents at $28.57.
With the move, the software giant appears to be taking aim at McAfee Inc and Symantec Corp, its chief rivals in the PC security market.
Microsoft plans to halt sales of its Windows Live OneCare service on June 30. The service being discontinued costs $49.95 a year and covers up to three PCs.
The new security program, which the company has code-named "Morro," will be available as a free download in the second half of next year.
Morro is designed to work with smaller, less powerful computers, the company said, which should make it appeal to a wide group of consumers.
However, McAfee said the move is a sign of capitulation on the part of Microsoft. McAfee said OneCare managed to capture less than 2 percent of the market in the two years it has been out.
"Microsoft is giving up," a McAfee spokesman said. "They are now defaulting to a dressed-down free model that doesn't meet consumer security needs."
Microsoft has a history of butting heads with its competitors in the PC security space. In 2006 and 2007, Symantec and McAfee raised concerns that Microsoft had designed Windows Vista to deny them access to to the heart of the operating system, which they needed to protect it from certain kinds of malicious software.
After negotiations, and some prodding from antitrust regulators in Brussels, Microsoft said it would provide the information needed.
Shares of Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft closed up 43 cents, or 2.2 percent, at $19.62. Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Symantec finished at $12.40, up 24 cents, or 2 percent, while shares of Santa Clara, Calif.-based McAfee closed up 28 cents at $28.57.
New Yahoo CEO must be willing to do Microsoft deal
To impress shareholders, Yahoo Inc's next chief executive needs just one qualification: the willingness to do a deal with Microsoft Corp.
That's because this remains Yahoo's best option, short of a dramatic turnaround plan, analysts said.
But if Microsoft does eventually buy Yahoo, shareholders should brace themselves for a price far lower than the $47.5 billion the software behemoth offered earlier this year.
Wall Street analysts estimate that Microsoft would not offer more than $17-$20 per share for Yahoo, whose stock has fallen below $12 from a high of $30.25 in February.
Online display advertising, a core Yahoo business, has also shrunk as corporate advertisers scale back on Web marketing promotions amid a global economic slump.
Under Chief Executive Jerry Yang, who on Monday agreed to step down from his role once the board finds a replacement, Yahoo searched for alternatives to being bought, exploring partnerships with Google Inc and Time Warner Inc's AOL unit.
But Google, which struck a search advertising deal with Yahoo in June only to abandon it as regulatory concerns grew, is unlikely to come back for more.
Meanwhile, Yahoo's months-long discussions with Time Warner about combining its AOL unit, have not led to a deal so far.
And Microsoft, for all its proclamations to the contrary, still needs Yahoo's assets to bolster its presence in online search and advertising, analysts said.
But the scales will be tipped in Microsoft's favor if and when the new Yahoo CEO does reach out to negotiate a new deal.
"It's not going to be Microsoft calling Yahoo saying, 'We're making a bid for $17 a share'," Needham & Co analyst Mark May said.
"Microsoft is done negotiating with Yahoo. If Yahoo wants to do a deal, its board needs to have full agreement" on the price they want to sell the company for, May added.
Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion on Jan. 31, which Yahoo rejected. It sweetened its cash-and-stock bid to $47.5 billion, but withdrew it after talks fell apart on price.
Microsoft later came back with a proposal to buy Yahoo's search assets, but Yahoo turned it down as well, choosing to team up with archrival Google instead.
Yahoo and Time Warner also began talking about a deal under which Yahoo would fold AOL's online content and advertising assets into its operations, with Time Warner taking a stake in the combined company, sources have told Reuters.
Despite advanced talks, a deal hasn't happened because of challenges to valuing the businesses given the weak advertising market and Yahoo's falling stock price, as well as concerns over integrating the platforms, the sources have said.
Analysts have been skeptical about such a deal because they don't believe it would dramatically improve Yahoo's earnings.
"Yahoo-AOL? What would that bring to the table? There's no point in having a marriage of convenience. It's not going to last," said Mukul Krishna, global digital media director at Frost & Sullivan, a research and consulting firm.
Krishna said Yahoo's shareholders are looking for something more tangible to offset the stock's losses.
Yahoo needs either a substantial turnaround plan, complete with cost-cutting and a "roadmap to profitability," or an acquisition by Microsoft to satisfy investors, Krishna said.
"Microsoft will be only too happy to restart the conversation, but it will be calling the shots," he said.
Activist investor Carl Icahn's presence on Yahoo's board may help bring Microsoft to the table, analysts said.
Icahn, a major Yahoo shareholder, has publicly reiterated hopes of a Yahoo-Microsoft deal several times. He did not return calls seeking comment.
Analysts said they expect Microsoft to eventually come back because it needs Yahoo nearly as much as Yahoo needs it.
"Microsoft wants Yahoo's search audience, the traffic, the clicks," Needham's May said. "They want to have as much as Google does. So it's important for Microsoft to have a big presence in search and display."
But Cowen & Co analyst Jim Friedland said Microsoft is unlikely to want to rush into talks with Yahoo even with a new CEO knocking on its door.
Both companies are seeing declines in their Web businesses due to the global economic downturn, and as Yahoo's "only potential buyer," Microsoft can take its time, he said.
That's because this remains Yahoo's best option, short of a dramatic turnaround plan, analysts said.
But if Microsoft does eventually buy Yahoo, shareholders should brace themselves for a price far lower than the $47.5 billion the software behemoth offered earlier this year.
Wall Street analysts estimate that Microsoft would not offer more than $17-$20 per share for Yahoo, whose stock has fallen below $12 from a high of $30.25 in February.
Online display advertising, a core Yahoo business, has also shrunk as corporate advertisers scale back on Web marketing promotions amid a global economic slump.
Under Chief Executive Jerry Yang, who on Monday agreed to step down from his role once the board finds a replacement, Yahoo searched for alternatives to being bought, exploring partnerships with Google Inc and Time Warner Inc's AOL unit.
But Google, which struck a search advertising deal with Yahoo in June only to abandon it as regulatory concerns grew, is unlikely to come back for more.
Meanwhile, Yahoo's months-long discussions with Time Warner about combining its AOL unit, have not led to a deal so far.
And Microsoft, for all its proclamations to the contrary, still needs Yahoo's assets to bolster its presence in online search and advertising, analysts said.
But the scales will be tipped in Microsoft's favor if and when the new Yahoo CEO does reach out to negotiate a new deal.
"It's not going to be Microsoft calling Yahoo saying, 'We're making a bid for $17 a share'," Needham & Co analyst Mark May said.
"Microsoft is done negotiating with Yahoo. If Yahoo wants to do a deal, its board needs to have full agreement" on the price they want to sell the company for, May added.
Microsoft offered to buy Yahoo for $44.6 billion on Jan. 31, which Yahoo rejected. It sweetened its cash-and-stock bid to $47.5 billion, but withdrew it after talks fell apart on price.
Microsoft later came back with a proposal to buy Yahoo's search assets, but Yahoo turned it down as well, choosing to team up with archrival Google instead.
Yahoo and Time Warner also began talking about a deal under which Yahoo would fold AOL's online content and advertising assets into its operations, with Time Warner taking a stake in the combined company, sources have told Reuters.
Despite advanced talks, a deal hasn't happened because of challenges to valuing the businesses given the weak advertising market and Yahoo's falling stock price, as well as concerns over integrating the platforms, the sources have said.
Analysts have been skeptical about such a deal because they don't believe it would dramatically improve Yahoo's earnings.
"Yahoo-AOL? What would that bring to the table? There's no point in having a marriage of convenience. It's not going to last," said Mukul Krishna, global digital media director at Frost & Sullivan, a research and consulting firm.
Krishna said Yahoo's shareholders are looking for something more tangible to offset the stock's losses.
Yahoo needs either a substantial turnaround plan, complete with cost-cutting and a "roadmap to profitability," or an acquisition by Microsoft to satisfy investors, Krishna said.
"Microsoft will be only too happy to restart the conversation, but it will be calling the shots," he said.
Activist investor Carl Icahn's presence on Yahoo's board may help bring Microsoft to the table, analysts said.
Icahn, a major Yahoo shareholder, has publicly reiterated hopes of a Yahoo-Microsoft deal several times. He did not return calls seeking comment.
Analysts said they expect Microsoft to eventually come back because it needs Yahoo nearly as much as Yahoo needs it.
"Microsoft wants Yahoo's search audience, the traffic, the clicks," Needham's May said. "They want to have as much as Google does. So it's important for Microsoft to have a big presence in search and display."
But Cowen & Co analyst Jim Friedland said Microsoft is unlikely to want to rush into talks with Yahoo even with a new CEO knocking on its door.
Both companies are seeing declines in their Web businesses due to the global economic downturn, and as Yahoo's "only potential buyer," Microsoft can take its time, he said.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
MySpace Japan bets on world demand for J-Pop
Banking on the global appeal of Japanese pop and video games, social networking site MySpace said it would more than double the number of artists on its Japanese pages to get more clicks internationally.
The growth of new sign-ups and page views is slowing in Japan for rival networking services such as mixi Inc, but Myspace, which launched its Japanese site two years ago, aims to buck the trend by expanding the range of sales artists can make on its site.
This, allied with growing interest in J-Pop music and Japanese video games in other parts of the world, will help the site grow rapidly, said the Japanese head of MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
"Until now, Japanese artists catered primarily to the home market, but the home market is no longer big enough," MySpace Japan CEO Atsushi Taira said in an interview with Reuters. "Demand for Japanese music and games is strong abroad, and we are now uniquely positioned to clear barriers posed by language."
The number of artists that have registered with the Japanese version of MySpace has doubled in the last six months to a little under 90,000 people, Taira said.
"I think we can easily double that in a year's time," as more artists use MySpace to sell their music and T-shirts next year, he said. "Once we have a large group of artists using MySpace, the content will win more fans and other users."
MySpace recently went into business with music labels such as Sony BMG Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group that allows users of the website to stream and download music, grab ringtones and buy concert tickets.
The service will be available in Japanese next year.
Popularity of social networking sites is waning in Japan, where they are often used to reinforce existing friendships, rather than to expand networks, according to market research firm Synovate, which conducted a poll in October that found 55 percent of Japanese users saying they were losing interest.
The growth of new sign-ups and page views is slowing in Japan for rival networking services such as mixi Inc, but Myspace, which launched its Japanese site two years ago, aims to buck the trend by expanding the range of sales artists can make on its site.
This, allied with growing interest in J-Pop music and Japanese video games in other parts of the world, will help the site grow rapidly, said the Japanese head of MySpace, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.
"Until now, Japanese artists catered primarily to the home market, but the home market is no longer big enough," MySpace Japan CEO Atsushi Taira said in an interview with Reuters. "Demand for Japanese music and games is strong abroad, and we are now uniquely positioned to clear barriers posed by language."
The number of artists that have registered with the Japanese version of MySpace has doubled in the last six months to a little under 90,000 people, Taira said.
"I think we can easily double that in a year's time," as more artists use MySpace to sell their music and T-shirts next year, he said. "Once we have a large group of artists using MySpace, the content will win more fans and other users."
MySpace recently went into business with music labels such as Sony BMG Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group that allows users of the website to stream and download music, grab ringtones and buy concert tickets.
The service will be available in Japanese next year.
Popularity of social networking sites is waning in Japan, where they are often used to reinforce existing friendships, rather than to expand networks, according to market research firm Synovate, which conducted a poll in October that found 55 percent of Japanese users saying they were losing interest.
Nokia sees world cellphone market falling in 2009
The world's top cellphone maker Nokia Oyj said the mobile phone market would be weaker than it expected in the fourth quarter due to the economic slowdown, and was set to fall further in 2009.
It forecast 1.24 billion phones being sold worldwide this year, down from its previous estimate of 1.26 billion.
"In the last few weeks, the global economic slowdown, combined with unprecedented currency volatility, has resulted in a sharp pull back in global consumer spending," Nokia said in a statement.
"Industry mobile phone volumes will be lower in the fourth quarter 2008 than previously expected. We now estimate fourth-quarter 2008 industry mobile device volumes will be approximately 330 million."
Nokia also said it estimated that handset volumes will be down in 2009 compared with 2008.
The phone maker said it expected its market share in the fourth quarter to be at the same level or slightly up from the third quarter but that sales and profitability in key devices and services would be hurt.
It forecast 1.24 billion phones being sold worldwide this year, down from its previous estimate of 1.26 billion.
"In the last few weeks, the global economic slowdown, combined with unprecedented currency volatility, has resulted in a sharp pull back in global consumer spending," Nokia said in a statement.
"Industry mobile phone volumes will be lower in the fourth quarter 2008 than previously expected. We now estimate fourth-quarter 2008 industry mobile device volumes will be approximately 330 million."
Nokia also said it estimated that handset volumes will be down in 2009 compared with 2008.
The phone maker said it expected its market share in the fourth quarter to be at the same level or slightly up from the third quarter but that sales and profitability in key devices and services would be hurt.
Microsoft's new Windows Live aims to be hub for Web
Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday its next release of Windows Live online services will integrate e-mail, instant messaging, photos and Web applications from other companies into a single platform.
Microsoft aims to position Windows Live with its widely-used e-mail and messaging services as the hub for a growing number of Internet applications and incorporate new features similar to those found on popular social networks.
The strategy puts Microsoft into competition with social networking sites Facebook and News Corp's MySpace, which started to open their fast-growing websites to outside software developers last year.
The new Windows Live service plans to feature a main profile page that updates users to their friends' activities within Windows Live and on more than 50 outside Web services including Yahoo Inc's Flickr photo site and career-oriented social networking site LinkedIn.
"It's a race to see who will work better and faster with everyone else," said Charlene Li, founder of consulting company Altimeter Group. "It's the recognition that you can't be an island of yourself."
Microsoft said Web users are overrun with accounts at multiple Internet sites, each requiring a password and each with a different set of friends. Its goal is to simplify the Web lives of its users who go to Microsoft's Windows Live e-mail or instant messaging accounts.
The company's Windows Live strategy is also central to its plans to wrestle away online advertising revenue from Google Inc, which has used its dominant search engine to expand into e-mail, online word processing and other businesses that compete directly with Microsoft.
Microsoft plans to roll out the new Windows Live services, which will include a revamped e-mail, calendar and a new photo application, in the United States over the coming weeks and then make it available in 54 countries early next year.
FILL IN THE SEAMS
In this third major release of Microsoft's Windows Live services, Microsoft said it aims to fill in the seams between its different Web services to create a unified experience.
Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, pointed to Microsoft's Outlook application, which brought together e-mail, calendar and contacts programs into a single integrated software suite, as a model for how it wanted to tie together a loose network of Web services.
He also noted that the latest Windows Live release is focused on creating a more polished user experience, which, in the past, may have been sacrificed in order to get new programs out quicker.
Other new services include an online movie maker program, a "groups" service that allows a group of users to create a joint calendar, share photos and documents or chat together online. Microsoft also plans to increase the size of its free storage service to 25 gigabytes from 20 GB.
Microsoft boasts more than 460 million Windows Live users and analysts said the goal for the company is to keep that audience in front of the company's websites for as long as possible and to prevent defection to other Web destinations.
"I don't think Microsoft is going to steal a whole lot of eyeballs from Facebook or MySpace," said David Card, research director at Forrester.
Facebook has 120 million active users and many of those rely on its mail and chat applications to communicate with friends instead of traditional e-mail and messaging services offered by Microsoft and Yahoo.
Microsoft and Facebook are pursuing the same strategy, according to analysts, albeit from different sides and areas of strengths. Last year, Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in privately-held Facebook.
Microsoft aims to position Windows Live with its widely-used e-mail and messaging services as the hub for a growing number of Internet applications and incorporate new features similar to those found on popular social networks.
The strategy puts Microsoft into competition with social networking sites Facebook and News Corp's MySpace, which started to open their fast-growing websites to outside software developers last year.
The new Windows Live service plans to feature a main profile page that updates users to their friends' activities within Windows Live and on more than 50 outside Web services including Yahoo Inc's Flickr photo site and career-oriented social networking site LinkedIn.
"It's a race to see who will work better and faster with everyone else," said Charlene Li, founder of consulting company Altimeter Group. "It's the recognition that you can't be an island of yourself."
Microsoft said Web users are overrun with accounts at multiple Internet sites, each requiring a password and each with a different set of friends. Its goal is to simplify the Web lives of its users who go to Microsoft's Windows Live e-mail or instant messaging accounts.
The company's Windows Live strategy is also central to its plans to wrestle away online advertising revenue from Google Inc, which has used its dominant search engine to expand into e-mail, online word processing and other businesses that compete directly with Microsoft.
Microsoft plans to roll out the new Windows Live services, which will include a revamped e-mail, calendar and a new photo application, in the United States over the coming weeks and then make it available in 54 countries early next year.
FILL IN THE SEAMS
In this third major release of Microsoft's Windows Live services, Microsoft said it aims to fill in the seams between its different Web services to create a unified experience.
Brian Hall, general manager of Windows Live, pointed to Microsoft's Outlook application, which brought together e-mail, calendar and contacts programs into a single integrated software suite, as a model for how it wanted to tie together a loose network of Web services.
He also noted that the latest Windows Live release is focused on creating a more polished user experience, which, in the past, may have been sacrificed in order to get new programs out quicker.
Other new services include an online movie maker program, a "groups" service that allows a group of users to create a joint calendar, share photos and documents or chat together online. Microsoft also plans to increase the size of its free storage service to 25 gigabytes from 20 GB.
Microsoft boasts more than 460 million Windows Live users and analysts said the goal for the company is to keep that audience in front of the company's websites for as long as possible and to prevent defection to other Web destinations.
"I don't think Microsoft is going to steal a whole lot of eyeballs from Facebook or MySpace," said David Card, research director at Forrester.
Facebook has 120 million active users and many of those rely on its mail and chat applications to communicate with friends instead of traditional e-mail and messaging services offered by Microsoft and Yahoo.
Microsoft and Facebook are pursuing the same strategy, according to analysts, albeit from different sides and areas of strengths. Last year, Microsoft paid $240 million for a 1.6 percent stake in privately-held Facebook.
Cell phone shopping makes wallets redundant in Japan
Japanese office worker Satoshi Tada pays for shopping, wins free food and gets store discounts all by waving his cell phone.
"I use it pretty much every day," the 25-year-old said. "You can charge money on it right there if needed, and you don't have to run around trying to find an ATM. You can even get points because it's linked to credit cards."
The world's top firms such as Visa Inc and Nokia are still mostly testing phone use for payments, but in Japan, more than 50 million, or about half of all cell phone users, already carry phones capable of serving as wallets.
Japan has pioneered not just the technology but also the business models that will pave the way for wallet phones to become a standard payment method in the future. Some 700 million people worldwide are expected to own such phones by 2013.
"You can't deny that having such applications on a phone is convenient, and that will likely be the way that mobile phones are going worldwide," said JPMorgan Securities analyst Hironobu Sawake in Tokyo.
"People always carry cell phones on them, and they would find it useful to have a financial function there."
Success in Japan and in trials abroad have shown that the technology is ready for cell phones to replace credit cards, cash as well as serve as transportation and movie tickets and electronic keys for homes and offices.
But there are other hurdles; from breaking the psychological barrier for consumers skeptical about using phones as credit cards, to working out new business models as the lines blur between banks, financial institutions and cell phone companies.
Japan is leading the way in this regard.
KDDI, for example, is a Japanese telecom operator that has recently set up a bank along with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest wireless carrier, offers credit cards and lending services as part of a tie up with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's third-largest bank.
Outside Japan, telecom industry and financial players are still in the midst of working out how the wallet phone payment business would operate, who would get a cut and when.
"Traditional financial industry met telcos by going mobile. Now telecom operators want to play a part in that chain. These talks are well under way," said Gerhard Romen, Director for Strategic Alliances & Partnering at Nokia.
The world's biggest payment card company, Mastercard, said last month it was in talks over commercial launches of phone wallets with several banks, and during the next two years it expects to see substantial activity from retail-focused banks.
"Now banks say: I have no doubt in the technology. We need to solve the business model between mobile and payments industries. It's not a trivial task," said James Anderson, a Vice President at Mastercard's mobile business.
"There is a very strong consumer pull for this service," Anderson added.
COUPONS
Tada, the Tokyo office worker, rarely pulls out his leather wallet these days as his cell phone does the job instead.
"For shopping, I use it everywhere I can ... and I also use coupons such as Gourmet Navigator Touch wherever possible," Tada said, citing services at some restaurants that offer coupons and free gifts when customers wave their phones at reader terminals.
NTT DoCoMo began the so-called "wallet phone" service in 2004 and rivals KDDI Corp and Softbank Corp have followed suit. Overseas, Nokia also has such phones on the market.
Nevertheless, despite Japan's relative success with payment phones, still only one-third of wallet phone holders use their cells for purchases.
Consumers in their 20s and 30s are the main users of wallet phone services. Research shows that once they start using, they tend to use frequently and repeatedly, making it a useful tool for companies to track their customers and shopping habits.
"For young people the phone is more important than the card when they leave home," said Nokia's Romen.
McDonald's Japan and 7-Eleven convenience stores have been testing mobile discount coupons, and FeliCa Networks, a joint venture of Sony and DoCoMo, have launched a mobile platform for retailers to offer such services.
"With many cell phones around and most of them being wallet phones, we cannot ignore them as marketing tools," McDonald's Japan spokesman Kazuyuki Hagiwara said. McDonald's plans to widen its mobile discount coupon offering nationwide next year.
EXTRA CHIP
The world's top cell phone maker Nokia has started selling wallet phones, though growth is hampered by costs stemming from an extra chip needed in phones for data security. As a result, Nokia's near field communications (NFC) version of devices costs far more than regular phones.
Near field communications (NFC) enables contactless data transmission at high speed and enables many functions at once such as various electronic money services, keys and coupons.
In contrast to Nokia, Japanese makers install Sony Corp's FeliCa chips in new mobile phones by default, and prices are competitive with other cell phones.
Globally, research firm Juniper Research says there will be 700 million NFC-capable phones by 2013, from some 50 million in Japan now, offering major growth for the phone payment industry and the companies that provide the hardware and software.
Credit card network Visa is developing an application to allow in-store contactless payments by cell phone for Google Inc's Android operating system, and UK mobile operator O2 is also testing wallet phones.
Security concerns are high among potential users but DoCoMo says a remote-lock system will protect it from being used by other people in case of emergencies.
One of the remaining hurdles to attract more wallet phone users is to expand the system network.
"It would be so useful if we can use it everywhere. For now we don't know where we can use it and we have to carry both a phone and a wallet," UBS Securities analyst Makio Inui said. "If we can spend a day with just with a phone, that would be big."
"I use it pretty much every day," the 25-year-old said. "You can charge money on it right there if needed, and you don't have to run around trying to find an ATM. You can even get points because it's linked to credit cards."
The world's top firms such as Visa Inc and Nokia are still mostly testing phone use for payments, but in Japan, more than 50 million, or about half of all cell phone users, already carry phones capable of serving as wallets.
Japan has pioneered not just the technology but also the business models that will pave the way for wallet phones to become a standard payment method in the future. Some 700 million people worldwide are expected to own such phones by 2013.
"You can't deny that having such applications on a phone is convenient, and that will likely be the way that mobile phones are going worldwide," said JPMorgan Securities analyst Hironobu Sawake in Tokyo.
"People always carry cell phones on them, and they would find it useful to have a financial function there."
Success in Japan and in trials abroad have shown that the technology is ready for cell phones to replace credit cards, cash as well as serve as transportation and movie tickets and electronic keys for homes and offices.
But there are other hurdles; from breaking the psychological barrier for consumers skeptical about using phones as credit cards, to working out new business models as the lines blur between banks, financial institutions and cell phone companies.
Japan is leading the way in this regard.
KDDI, for example, is a Japanese telecom operator that has recently set up a bank along with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group. NTT DoCoMo, Japan's biggest wireless carrier, offers credit cards and lending services as part of a tie up with Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Japan's third-largest bank.
Outside Japan, telecom industry and financial players are still in the midst of working out how the wallet phone payment business would operate, who would get a cut and when.
"Traditional financial industry met telcos by going mobile. Now telecom operators want to play a part in that chain. These talks are well under way," said Gerhard Romen, Director for Strategic Alliances & Partnering at Nokia.
The world's biggest payment card company, Mastercard, said last month it was in talks over commercial launches of phone wallets with several banks, and during the next two years it expects to see substantial activity from retail-focused banks.
"Now banks say: I have no doubt in the technology. We need to solve the business model between mobile and payments industries. It's not a trivial task," said James Anderson, a Vice President at Mastercard's mobile business.
"There is a very strong consumer pull for this service," Anderson added.
COUPONS
Tada, the Tokyo office worker, rarely pulls out his leather wallet these days as his cell phone does the job instead.
"For shopping, I use it everywhere I can ... and I also use coupons such as Gourmet Navigator Touch wherever possible," Tada said, citing services at some restaurants that offer coupons and free gifts when customers wave their phones at reader terminals.
NTT DoCoMo began the so-called "wallet phone" service in 2004 and rivals KDDI Corp and Softbank Corp have followed suit. Overseas, Nokia also has such phones on the market.
Nevertheless, despite Japan's relative success with payment phones, still only one-third of wallet phone holders use their cells for purchases.
Consumers in their 20s and 30s are the main users of wallet phone services. Research shows that once they start using, they tend to use frequently and repeatedly, making it a useful tool for companies to track their customers and shopping habits.
"For young people the phone is more important than the card when they leave home," said Nokia's Romen.
McDonald's Japan and 7-Eleven convenience stores have been testing mobile discount coupons, and FeliCa Networks, a joint venture of Sony and DoCoMo, have launched a mobile platform for retailers to offer such services.
"With many cell phones around and most of them being wallet phones, we cannot ignore them as marketing tools," McDonald's Japan spokesman Kazuyuki Hagiwara said. McDonald's plans to widen its mobile discount coupon offering nationwide next year.
EXTRA CHIP
The world's top cell phone maker Nokia has started selling wallet phones, though growth is hampered by costs stemming from an extra chip needed in phones for data security. As a result, Nokia's near field communications (NFC) version of devices costs far more than regular phones.
Near field communications (NFC) enables contactless data transmission at high speed and enables many functions at once such as various electronic money services, keys and coupons.
In contrast to Nokia, Japanese makers install Sony Corp's FeliCa chips in new mobile phones by default, and prices are competitive with other cell phones.
Globally, research firm Juniper Research says there will be 700 million NFC-capable phones by 2013, from some 50 million in Japan now, offering major growth for the phone payment industry and the companies that provide the hardware and software.
Credit card network Visa is developing an application to allow in-store contactless payments by cell phone for Google Inc's Android operating system, and UK mobile operator O2 is also testing wallet phones.
Security concerns are high among potential users but DoCoMo says a remote-lock system will protect it from being used by other people in case of emergencies.
One of the remaining hurdles to attract more wallet phone users is to expand the system network.
"It would be so useful if we can use it everywhere. For now we don't know where we can use it and we have to carry both a phone and a wallet," UBS Securities analyst Makio Inui said. "If we can spend a day with just with a phone, that would be big."
Dell quells rumors about music player
Dell Inc, struggling to recharge its lineup of consumer product offerings, indicated Monday that a digital music player is not in the computer maker's near-term plans despite speculation that such a product is in the works.
Although Dell declined to comment specifically, the company said in a blog posting that its digital entertainment strategy "has never been about a music player."
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported earlier Monday that Dell has decided to postpone the launch of a music player.
"As we said a few months ago, our strategy focuses on content offerings and delivery platforms that mix Zing software, remote access and pre-configured media bundles across all of our devices, including licensing agreements with entertainment distributors," the blog posting said.
In 2007 Dell acquired Zing, whose software allows handheld devices to receive streaming audio and video feeds wirelessly. The acquisition spurred speculation that the company was set to have another go at the music player market, which it abandoned in 2006 after failing to find any success against Apple Inc and its iPod family.
There were other hints that Dell was interested in relaunching a music player. The company has been increasing its presence at rock festivals, seeking to promote its brand among music-lovers and the consumer public in general.
Dell and much of the personal computer industry is confronting the prospect of a bleak holiday season. Last month, the company said it was seeing soft demand for PCs as the global economy slows.
Dell is the world's second largest computer company by units shipped, although third-ranked Acer Inc is gaining ground fast on the strength of its netbook offerings. which Dell has been slower to embrace.
The Round Rock, Texas-based company has been retooling its operations to confront slower demand. In August Dell said it had slashed 8,500 jobs out of a planned 8,900 headcount reduction.
Shares of Dell closed down 69 cents, or 5.5 percent, at $11.86 on Nasdaq.
Although Dell declined to comment specifically, the company said in a blog posting that its digital entertainment strategy "has never been about a music player."
The Wall Street Journal, citing sources, reported earlier Monday that Dell has decided to postpone the launch of a music player.
"As we said a few months ago, our strategy focuses on content offerings and delivery platforms that mix Zing software, remote access and pre-configured media bundles across all of our devices, including licensing agreements with entertainment distributors," the blog posting said.
In 2007 Dell acquired Zing, whose software allows handheld devices to receive streaming audio and video feeds wirelessly. The acquisition spurred speculation that the company was set to have another go at the music player market, which it abandoned in 2006 after failing to find any success against Apple Inc and its iPod family.
There were other hints that Dell was interested in relaunching a music player. The company has been increasing its presence at rock festivals, seeking to promote its brand among music-lovers and the consumer public in general.
Dell and much of the personal computer industry is confronting the prospect of a bleak holiday season. Last month, the company said it was seeing soft demand for PCs as the global economy slows.
Dell is the world's second largest computer company by units shipped, although third-ranked Acer Inc is gaining ground fast on the strength of its netbook offerings. which Dell has been slower to embrace.
The Round Rock, Texas-based company has been retooling its operations to confront slower demand. In August Dell said it had slashed 8,500 jobs out of a planned 8,900 headcount reduction.
Shares of Dell closed down 69 cents, or 5.5 percent, at $11.86 on Nasdaq.
Microsoft CEO pours cold water on Yahoo interest
Software giant Microsoft Corp dismissed speculation it might still be interested in a takeover of Internet firm Yahoo Inc.
"We made an offer, we made another offer ... We moved on," Microsoft Chief Executive Steve Ballmer told a business luncheon in Sydney on Friday when asked for the firm's plans after a partnership between Yahoo and Google Inc fell through this week.
"We tried at one point to do a partnership around search ... and that didn't work either, and we moved on and they moved on. We are not interested in going back and re-looking at an acquisition. I don't know why they would be either, frankly," Ballmer said.
He added that he thought there were still opportunities for some kind of partnership around search.
Ballmer's comments came two days after Yahoo's shares surged on a rumour posted on a blog that said Yahoo and Microsoft were in advanced talks to sell Yahoo for between $17 and $19 a share. The blog also reported that Yahoo's chief executive, Jerry Yang, would step down.
Yahoo officials later said the report was untrue.
Microsoft abandoned an unsolicited $47.5 billion bid for Yahoo in May. The software company had been looking to fill a hole in its repertoire by acquiring an Internet search engine as it battles with market leader Google.
In June, Google and Yahoo, Nos. 1 and 2 in the Internet search market respectively, announced their planned partnership, which Yahoo had struck as a way of fending off Microsoft.
The two delayed implementation to allow the Justice Department to review it but Google later said it pulled out of the deal rather than face a protracted legal fight after regulators had concerns.
Yang told the Web 2.0 Summit in San Francisco on Wednesday that he believed a deal between Microsoft and Yahoo was still the best option for Microsoft.
Yahoo shares ended Thursday at $13.96, far below the $31 a share Microsoft originally offered, and Yahoo has come under severe criticism from investors for turning down the offer.
Microsoft posted stronger-than-expected quarterly results last month and cut its outlook by less than investors had feared amid the economic slump.
Pity the Bluetooth headset this holiday season
So what's the least desired electronic gadget this holiday season?
Well, flat-screen TVs and mobile phones are still in, but cash-strapped shoppers are likely to shun anything closely linked to entertainment in the home or car because such electronics are seen as dispensable in an economic crisis.
That includes audio speakers and desktop computers and even GPS navigation systems made by companies such as TomTom NV and Garmin Ltd.
A popular item as recently as last year, GPS may fall by the wayside, since they can be pricey and not viewed as essential, according to Stephen Baker, an analyst for research firm NPD.
"GPS may have some demand issues," he said. "If you are looking at necessity versus discretionary, that is a category that is not very well-penetrated, which is in its favor. But the negative part is people saying: 'Do I really need this'?
A recent national survey says the dubious distinction of least desirable holiday gift belongs to Bluetooth Headsets, those thumb-sized devices beloved by some for their convenience and ridiculed by others as odd looking.
The online survey conducted last month on behalf of auction site eBay Inc also found that only 5 percent of those who wanted personal electronics desired a Blu-ray disc player. Even so-called "retro video game" systems and one game in particular -- "Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party II" -- got the thumbs-down.
Digital picture frames, the sleek devices that can scroll dozens of pictures and even update remotely via an Internet link, may feel the pinch if shoppers' budgets force them to decide on one electronic product or another, Baker says.
"A lot of people think of frames as a neat thing to do, but may end up saying: 'I probably really need a new digital camera.'"
STORES OFFERS CLUES OF LOSERS
Electronics stores are already gearing up for the holiday rush, hoping consumers snap up deeply discounted devices. But there are clues to how some stores -- who give hot items premium placing and downplay the laggards -- feel about certain products.
On a recent visit to a suburban New York Circuit City, this reporter crossed through the threshold and saw four products placed prominently: flat TVs on the left, digital audio players on the right and straight ahead, mobile phones and -- oddly enough -- high-end Dyson vacuum cleaners.
Scanning the huge big-box store, it was hard to locate home audio speakers, car radios and cordless phones, which were either hundreds of feet away from the front door, beyond eyeshot, or on shelves below eye-level.
At a Best Buy store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, the rear of the lower level, far from the bustle, is where you will find Logitech International's $149 Harmony programmable remote controls, not far from Bose's $329 bookshelf speakers and Sony Corp's $399 770-watt home theater receiver and a host of computer printers.
Tim Herbert, an analyst for the Consumer Electronics Association, suggests the rapidly changing -- and cost-saving -- nature of consumers' use of certain products is also affecting shopping habits.
"For example, in the category of cordless phones and answering machines, in years past that was always a very hot category, but more and more people are moving toward a cell phone-only model of communication," he said. "Or the answering machine capabilities are built into a service that you get with your carrier or phone service."
But that will not stop shoppers from spending freely on a great deal. For example, Wal-Mart says its holiday sales include a basic Compaq laptop for $298 and a Sanyo 46-inch LCD high-definition television for $898.
"Consumers are going to be more mindful of their budgets," said Herbert. "It's a tough question to say morally whether it is right to spend on the holidays this year when they may be feeling economic strain, but historically, its somewhat in our nature."
Well, flat-screen TVs and mobile phones are still in, but cash-strapped shoppers are likely to shun anything closely linked to entertainment in the home or car because such electronics are seen as dispensable in an economic crisis.
That includes audio speakers and desktop computers and even GPS navigation systems made by companies such as TomTom NV and Garmin Ltd.
A popular item as recently as last year, GPS may fall by the wayside, since they can be pricey and not viewed as essential, according to Stephen Baker, an analyst for research firm NPD.
"GPS may have some demand issues," he said. "If you are looking at necessity versus discretionary, that is a category that is not very well-penetrated, which is in its favor. But the negative part is people saying: 'Do I really need this'?
A recent national survey says the dubious distinction of least desirable holiday gift belongs to Bluetooth Headsets, those thumb-sized devices beloved by some for their convenience and ridiculed by others as odd looking.
The online survey conducted last month on behalf of auction site eBay Inc also found that only 5 percent of those who wanted personal electronics desired a Blu-ray disc player. Even so-called "retro video game" systems and one game in particular -- "Dance Dance Revolution Hottest Party II" -- got the thumbs-down.
Digital picture frames, the sleek devices that can scroll dozens of pictures and even update remotely via an Internet link, may feel the pinch if shoppers' budgets force them to decide on one electronic product or another, Baker says.
"A lot of people think of frames as a neat thing to do, but may end up saying: 'I probably really need a new digital camera.'"
STORES OFFERS CLUES OF LOSERS
Electronics stores are already gearing up for the holiday rush, hoping consumers snap up deeply discounted devices. But there are clues to how some stores -- who give hot items premium placing and downplay the laggards -- feel about certain products.
On a recent visit to a suburban New York Circuit City, this reporter crossed through the threshold and saw four products placed prominently: flat TVs on the left, digital audio players on the right and straight ahead, mobile phones and -- oddly enough -- high-end Dyson vacuum cleaners.
Scanning the huge big-box store, it was hard to locate home audio speakers, car radios and cordless phones, which were either hundreds of feet away from the front door, beyond eyeshot, or on shelves below eye-level.
At a Best Buy store on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, the rear of the lower level, far from the bustle, is where you will find Logitech International's $149 Harmony programmable remote controls, not far from Bose's $329 bookshelf speakers and Sony Corp's $399 770-watt home theater receiver and a host of computer printers.
Tim Herbert, an analyst for the Consumer Electronics Association, suggests the rapidly changing -- and cost-saving -- nature of consumers' use of certain products is also affecting shopping habits.
"For example, in the category of cordless phones and answering machines, in years past that was always a very hot category, but more and more people are moving toward a cell phone-only model of communication," he said. "Or the answering machine capabilities are built into a service that you get with your carrier or phone service."
But that will not stop shoppers from spending freely on a great deal. For example, Wal-Mart says its holiday sales include a basic Compaq laptop for $298 and a Sanyo 46-inch LCD high-definition television for $898.
"Consumers are going to be more mindful of their budgets," said Herbert. "It's a tough question to say morally whether it is right to spend on the holidays this year when they may be feeling economic strain, but historically, its somewhat in our nature."
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Five mistakes every Web site should avoid.
But let’s go beyond bad font choices, graphics, and animation. What are the biggest usability mistakes that aren’t as obvious? Here are five, with tips on how to avoid them.
1. Having a confusing or counterintuitive site structure. Nothing drives users away faster than a site that forces them to click around aimlessly until they stumble upon the right page. An expert user should be able to get where she wants to be in no more than three clicks.
2. Making the menu too complicated. Menus are the rough equivalent of a Web site’s spine. You want to keep them clear, straight, and strong. Navigation is normally found running horizontally across the top of a page in a tab-like orientation or stacked vertically along the left side of the page. No funny coding. No funny scripts.
3. Lapsing into industry jargon. An overabundance of marketing-speak and technical or industry jargon is a very common mistake. Your goal should be striking that balance between efficient search engine optimization and easy-to-read copy.
4. Overpromising, or even under-promising, what you can deliver. A Web site becomes unusable, and thus irrelevant, when it tells users that it will do something and then does not do it. That will drive those visitors away. Permanently.
5. Not closing the sale. If the site doesn’t call the user to some sort of action, whether it be phoning, faxing, e-mailing, or forming an order or at least a question, the user won't be drawn to jump through the hoop.
1. Having a confusing or counterintuitive site structure. Nothing drives users away faster than a site that forces them to click around aimlessly until they stumble upon the right page. An expert user should be able to get where she wants to be in no more than three clicks.
2. Making the menu too complicated. Menus are the rough equivalent of a Web site’s spine. You want to keep them clear, straight, and strong. Navigation is normally found running horizontally across the top of a page in a tab-like orientation or stacked vertically along the left side of the page. No funny coding. No funny scripts.
3. Lapsing into industry jargon. An overabundance of marketing-speak and technical or industry jargon is a very common mistake. Your goal should be striking that balance between efficient search engine optimization and easy-to-read copy.
4. Overpromising, or even under-promising, what you can deliver. A Web site becomes unusable, and thus irrelevant, when it tells users that it will do something and then does not do it. That will drive those visitors away. Permanently.
5. Not closing the sale. If the site doesn’t call the user to some sort of action, whether it be phoning, faxing, e-mailing, or forming an order or at least a question, the user won't be drawn to jump through the hoop.
Saven pages every Web site should have
Don’t look now, but your Web site might be missing a few pages—very important pages. You’re not alone. Most small-business sites are a work in progress—constantly being revised, improved, and updated. So invariably, something is always missing. But some pages are so important that not having them could hurt your bottom line. Here are seven pages every business Web site must have, and where they need to be:
1. Contact Us. Every small-business site should have a Contact Us page and it should offer visitors a complete list of ways they can contact you – from e-mail addresses to toll-free numbers to a physical address. 2. Testimonials. Many companies skip the Testimonials page because they consider it too self-serving, While having a page like that may seem self-promotional, people will look for it. And when they don’t find it, they might begin to make assumptions.
3. Privacy policy. Web users are more conscious about safety and privacy then ever, so a good privacy policy is an absolut must. Linking to this page on any page where you request personal information is a trust-builder and will decrease from abandonment. Not only that, but many companies require that you have a privacy policy before they do business with you.
4. FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are frequently forgotten, too. Why is an FAQ page so important? Mostly, they’ll ensure you won’t have to answer the same questions over and over. But it also is a convenience for site visitors.
5. A "gimme" page. Want readers to sign up for your newsletter or regular special offers? Add a section where users can be persuaded to give up some of their personal information (such as their names and e-mail addresses) in exchange for … well, something else. In many cases, this is an informative report, a keychain, a chance to win tickets to a ballgame, or a cash prize.
6. About Us. But just because you can do business with people you might never meet doesn’t mean they don’t want to know about who they’re doing business with. The most effective About Us pages are succinct and use no jargon.
7. Confirmation. A decent confirmation page that acknowledges an order and thanks the visitor for his or her business is essential—and often lacking.
1. Contact Us. Every small-business site should have a Contact Us page and it should offer visitors a complete list of ways they can contact you – from e-mail addresses to toll-free numbers to a physical address. 2. Testimonials. Many companies skip the Testimonials page because they consider it too self-serving, While having a page like that may seem self-promotional, people will look for it. And when they don’t find it, they might begin to make assumptions.
3. Privacy policy. Web users are more conscious about safety and privacy then ever, so a good privacy policy is an absolut must. Linking to this page on any page where you request personal information is a trust-builder and will decrease from abandonment. Not only that, but many companies require that you have a privacy policy before they do business with you.
4. FAQ. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are frequently forgotten, too. Why is an FAQ page so important? Mostly, they’ll ensure you won’t have to answer the same questions over and over. But it also is a convenience for site visitors.
5. A "gimme" page. Want readers to sign up for your newsletter or regular special offers? Add a section where users can be persuaded to give up some of their personal information (such as their names and e-mail addresses) in exchange for … well, something else. In many cases, this is an informative report, a keychain, a chance to win tickets to a ballgame, or a cash prize.
6. About Us. But just because you can do business with people you might never meet doesn’t mean they don’t want to know about who they’re doing business with. The most effective About Us pages are succinct and use no jargon.
7. Confirmation. A decent confirmation page that acknowledges an order and thanks the visitor for his or her business is essential—and often lacking.
The basics of Web site security
1. Choose a respected and established Web hosting first line of defense. Don’t be afraid to ask questions
2. Be sure that your Web host maintains tight physical servers. It should also perform regular backups running even if a server goes down. For instance, Microsoft Office Live Small Business, it is stored
controlled locations.
3. Watch out for unusual activity on your Web usage may be a tip-off that a hacker has infiltrated
4. Consider hiring an IT or security professional defenses. This is especially important if you customers’ health information or financial data.
5. Restrict employee access to your Web site. able to update it should have the password Change the password on a regular basis.
2. Be sure that your Web host maintains tight physical servers. It should also perform regular backups running even if a server goes down. For instance, Microsoft Office Live Small Business, it is stored
controlled locations.
3. Watch out for unusual activity on your Web usage may be a tip-off that a hacker has infiltrated
4. Consider hiring an IT or security professional defenses. This is especially important if you customers’ health information or financial data.
5. Restrict employee access to your Web site. able to update it should have the password Change the password on a regular basis.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Any DWG to PDF Converter
It is a batch converter that allows you to convert DWG and DXF to PDF without the need of AutoCAD.
Key Features
* Stand-alone utility - AutoCAD NOT required.
* Convert DWG and DXF to vector PDF in batches.
* Supports paper space and model space.
* Supports every version of DWG/DXF files (Supports R2.5/2.6 to R2005/2006/2007/2008/2009 formats)
* Very easy to use.
* The "Pro" version supports command line.
Key Features
* Stand-alone utility - AutoCAD NOT required.
* Convert DWG and DXF to vector PDF in batches.
* Supports paper space and model space.
* Supports every version of DWG/DXF files (Supports R2.5/2.6 to R2005/2006/2007/2008/2009 formats)
* Very easy to use.
* The "Pro" version supports command line.
Download free trial version * Download Any DWG to PDF Converter* Download Any DWG to PDF Converter Pro (Command line support)
Free PDF to Word Doc Converter
Free PDF to Word Doc Converter version 1.1 Free PDF to Word Doc Converter Offcial Review from their site:
How to edit PDF files without purchasing an expensive PDF editor? How to extract text/images from PDF files? What you need is a PDF to Word Converter.
Free PDF to Word Doc Converter is such a desktop document conversion tool to convert Adobe PDF file to Mcirosoft Word Doc file - and it's totally for FREE!
The program can extract text, images, shapes from PDF file to Word Doc file and preserve the layout. It can convert all the pages, or any pages range of the PDF file.
And it is a standalone program - you can convert PDF to Word Doc without Adobe Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Word installed!
Key Features:
* Convert PDF to Word and preserve the original layout of your PDF in an editable Word Document.
* Extract text labels, graphics, shapes from PDF file into Word Doc file.
* Convert all the pages, or partial pages of PDF file to Word file.
* Support Adobe PDF 1.0 - 1.6 formats.
* Can automatically open the output Doc file when the conversion is done.
* Several PDF to Word conversion options are available for a better result.
* Convert in a high speed.
* Easy to use software.
* Totally for Free!
Download Link
How to edit PDF files without purchasing an expensive PDF editor? How to extract text/images from PDF files? What you need is a PDF to Word Converter.
Free PDF to Word Doc Converter is such a desktop document conversion tool to convert Adobe PDF file to Mcirosoft Word Doc file - and it's totally for FREE!
The program can extract text, images, shapes from PDF file to Word Doc file and preserve the layout. It can convert all the pages, or any pages range of the PDF file.
And it is a standalone program - you can convert PDF to Word Doc without Adobe Acrobat Reader or Microsoft Word installed!
Key Features:
* Convert PDF to Word and preserve the original layout of your PDF in an editable Word Document.
* Extract text labels, graphics, shapes from PDF file into Word Doc file.
* Convert all the pages, or partial pages of PDF file to Word file.
* Support Adobe PDF 1.0 - 1.6 formats.
* Can automatically open the output Doc file when the conversion is done.
* Several PDF to Word conversion options are available for a better result.
* Convert in a high speed.
* Easy to use software.
* Totally for Free!
Download Link
Nokia Mobile Phone Secret Codes
On the main screen type in:
*#06# for checking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).
*#7780# reset to factory settings.
*#67705646# This will clear the LCD display(operator logo).
*#0000# To view software version.
*#2820# Bluetooth device address.
*#746025625# Sim clock allowed status.
#pw+1234567890+1# Shows if sim have restrictions.
*#92702689# - takes you to a secret menu where you may find some of the information below:
1. Displays Serial Number.
2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture
3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was purchased (MMYY)
4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)
5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)
*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation. Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster though.
*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone receives less signal from network.
*#4720# - Half Rate Codec activation.
*#4720* - Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will automatically restartIf you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this code reset: *#7370925538#Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask you the lock code.
Default lock code is: 12345Press *#3925538# to delete the contents and code of wallet.
Unlock service provider: Insert sim, turn phone on and press vol up(arrow keys) for 3 seconds, should say pin code. Press C,then press * message should flash, press * again and 04*pin*pin*pin# \*#7328748263373738# resets security code.Default security code is 12345Change closed caller group (settings >security settings>user groups) to 00000 and ure phone will sound the message tone when you are near a radar speed trap. Setting it to 500 will cause your phone 2 set off security alarms at shop exits, gr8 for practical jokes! (works with some of the Nokia phones.) Press and hold "0" on the main screen to open wap browser.
Thanks.
*#06# for checking the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity).
*#7780# reset to factory settings.
*#67705646# This will clear the LCD display(operator logo).
*#0000# To view software version.
*#2820# Bluetooth device address.
*#746025625# Sim clock allowed status.
#pw+1234567890+1# Shows if sim have restrictions.
*#92702689# - takes you to a secret menu where you may find some of the information below:
1. Displays Serial Number.
2. Displays the Month and Year of Manufacture
3. Displays (if there) the date where the phone was purchased (MMYY)
4. Displays the date of the last repair - if found (0000)
5. Shows life timer of phone (time passes since last start)
*#3370# - Enhanced Full Rate Codec (EFR) activation. Increase signal strength, better signal reception. It also help if u want to use GPRS and the service is not responding or too slow. Phone battery will drain faster though.
*#3370* - (EFR) deactivation. Phone will automatically restart. Increase battery life by 30% because phone receives less signal from network.
*#4720# - Half Rate Codec activation.
*#4720* - Half Rate Codec deactivation. The phone will automatically restartIf you forgot wallet code for Nokia S60 phone, use this code reset: *#7370925538#Note, your data in the wallet will be erased. Phone will ask you the lock code.
Default lock code is: 12345Press *#3925538# to delete the contents and code of wallet.
Unlock service provider: Insert sim, turn phone on and press vol up(arrow keys) for 3 seconds, should say pin code. Press C,then press * message should flash, press * again and 04*pin*pin*pin# \*#7328748263373738# resets security code.Default security code is 12345Change closed caller group (settings >security settings>user groups) to 00000 and ure phone will sound the message tone when you are near a radar speed trap. Setting it to 500 will cause your phone 2 set off security alarms at shop exits, gr8 for practical jokes! (works with some of the Nokia phones.) Press and hold "0" on the main screen to open wap browser.
Thanks.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Ewoo iPod Docks (an iPod speaker system)
The HandMusic (pictured above) comes with a remote control that is "specifically designed to match that of the player". It is compatible with A/V equipment, and it has a 1.8 inch color LCD display for S-Video viewing. It should be available soon for about $200.
The eFizz dock has an added bonus of sound for the increased price. It comes with a 2.1-channel sound system, with speakers and subwoofer that can put out 70W of RMS power. You should be able to get this for about $600.
The eFizz Travel is designed for just that, as it can play up to 20 hours worth of playback on a single charge. This one is available for $200.
Friday, September 19, 2008
All publisher’s program.
There are many sites which publish advertisement and also help you to get ads. If you want to publish ads in your page then you are termed as publisher. If you want to advertise your product to various website then you will be termed as advertiser.
In this post I want to mention the most common list of Available Advertising Network Companies.
1)Adsense by Google - Without any doubt google adsense is the biggest and the most profitable publisher’s program. You can get them at https://www.google.com/adsense/login/en_US/
2)Adlandpro- Adlandpro offers a lot of advertising method. You will also paid $5 per 1000 impressions of your referral page, and $2 per 1000 impressions of referral’s custom page. You can get them at http://www.adlandpro.com
3)Adbrite - Best alternative for adsense and day by day it is increasing popularity. You can get them at http://www.adbrite.com/zones/publisher_dashboard.php
4)Bidvertiser - Another alternative for adsense and it's lay-out is like adsense. You can get them at http://www.bidvertiser.com/
5)Clicksor - It is also good and pays a good amount to the publisher. You can get them at http://clicksor.com
6)Advertising.com - One of the biggest and pioneer in publishers advertising network. You can get them at http://advertising.com/publishers.php
7)24/7 Real Media - It has both Advertiser and publisher program and is best for american audience. You can get them at www.realmedia.com
8)Burst Media - Another publishers advertisement program paying in CPM. You can get them at www.burstmedia.com
9)Commission Junction - Big advertiser and affiliate network available wordwide. You can get them at www.commissionjunction.com
10)Knoodle - This site pays upto 50% of ad revenue. Their website is https://kanoodle.com
11)Linkshare - Another big affiliate network for publishers. Their website is www.linkshare.com
12)Valueclick - This great program is best for bloggers. Their website is www.clickvalue.com
13)Yahoo Publisher Network - Created to compete google adsense. Not available worldwide. However you can get them advance in http://publisher.yahoo.com/
14)MSN Adcenter - Microsoft-own publisher network. Still on beta. You can get them in advance at
http://advertising.microsoft.com/publisher
Other available advertising networks.
1) Accelerator Media - Accelerator is an intelligent ad network that features predictive ad serving technology.
2) AdAgency - The leading provider of Internet direct-response adverytising solutions
3) Adynamix - AdDynamix has evolved into a full-spectrum interactive provider delivering ad management, video and digital media services to agencies, entertainment clients and direct marketers.
4) Adengage - Engaging internet advertising
5) Agenta - Agenta is an easy and powerful way for you to unlock the revenue potential of your website or blog.
6) Adknowledge - Expand your reach beyond Google and Yahoo by accessing Adknowledge’s multi-channel behavioral targeting network.
7) Adpepper - The e-advertising network.
8) Adsmart - Digital marketing made clear
9) Adtegrity - Get paid for your hard work! Maximize the value of your traffic and build revenue with us.
10) Affiliatefuture - If you are responsible for a website and want to increase its earning potential, join AffiliateFuture’s network to earn more revenue from your visitors.
11) Affiliatesensor - Get the ease of Pay-Per-Click publishing
12) Azoogleads - The leading performance-based marketplace
13) Bannerconnect - Advertising without boundaries. Many company use them and is becoming popular.
14) BardzoMedia - BardzoMedia is a world wide focused advertising network that can help you monetize your U.S, Canada and Europe internet advertising inventory on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis.
15) BlinkAds - BlinkAds is an online media company dedicated to client services
16) BlueFN - Blue FN, LLC. is the financial services industry’s leading Cost-Per-Action (CPA) Advertising Network with a targeted high-quality publisher base and top brand name financial services advertisers.
17) BlueLithium - BlueLithium is the data driven performance marketing company.
18) Casale Media - Advertising online is better here.
19) Chitika - See how you can fulfill your brand advertising and direct marketing goals in one program. This is becoming popular day by day.
20) ClickBooth - Publisher CPA and affiliate networks.
21) Clickshare - In the Click-Share advertising marketplace, you decide where to target your ads and what price you want to pay per click.
22) ClickXchange - Turn your site traffic into cash!
23) ContexWeb - Online advertising exchange solutions.
24) CPX Interactive - CPX Interactive is a progressive online ad network, dedicated to optimizing revenue generation for both its Advertisers and Publishers.
25) Enhance - Expand your pay-per-click search campaigns now.
26) Esource Media - As Publisher Partner you get access to over 50,000 advertisers and earn 70%.
27) Etype Europe - eType is the UK’s leading online advertising sales house
28) Etype USA - eType USA holds exclusive advertising contracts with a number of the world’s largest and most respected websites.
29) Expoactive- Start Advertising Your Website With ExpoActive In 5 Minutes!
30) Fluxads - Guaranteed on-time payments.
31) Hyperbidder - The Only Ad Auction Network where all bidders win!!!
32) IncentaClick - Their Goal is to bring your online advertising campaign to the next level
33) Industry Brains - You can try of it.
34) Interclick - Transparent ad network.
35) JoeTec - JoeTec is a full service online marketing company. We specialize in display advertising and lead generation for our many clients across many different verticals.
36) Kontera - Leader in content link advertising.
37) Mamma Media Solutions - With Copernic Media Solutions you’ll find the Internet advertising and marketing tools you need to boost your site traffic and drive revenue. MaxBounty Affiliates - with MaxBounty earn revenue from advertising sponsors on a pay-for-performance basis.
38) Mirago 2 revenue streams - Geo-targeted organic / Pay-Per-Click (PPC) search and contextual results.
39) MIVA AdRevenue Xpress - Earn more Revenue from your web site with MIVA MC.
40) Nixxie - UK’s first contextual advertising company.
41) Oridian - Online media solutions.
42) Oxado - Oxado enables you to insert contextual ads on your website within minutes.
43) Paypop-up - According to them every Visitor to your Site is a Potential Customer!
44) Popup Traffic - Popuptraffic is the intelligent way to make extra cash from your website traffic.
45) Quigo - This one is content-Targeted Ad Serving and Search Engine Marketing Solutions
46) RealCastMedia - They say they represent over 500 Web sites and serve 300 million monthly impressions.
47) RealTech - This is average for both publisher and advertiser.
48) Revenue Pilot - Good for monetize your site.
49) Righmedia - Interactive advertising and transparent marketplace.
50) Searchfeed - A leader in pay per click search engine advertising, Searchfeed.com helps online advertisers attract targeted leads while offering Web publishers a greater opportunity to monetize Internet traffic.
51) Share A Sale - This site is for real time reporting - On time payments.
52) TargetPoint - Increase your advertising profits
53) TextLinkAds - For text based ads this is good one.
54) Tremor - Come gradually in the world.
55) Tribal Fusion - Many one says this is good one.
56) Valueclick Media - Quality, control and a robust publisher platform make ValueClick Media a trusted partner to earn the most revenue from every form of online advertising.
Less Popular
1)Adserverplus: You can try them. You can get them at http://adserverplus.com/
2)Adster: You can get your daily incomes through e-mails. You can get them at http://adster.com/
Hope this list will help to find out your dream company!
In this post I want to mention the most common list of Available Advertising Network Companies.
1)Adsense by Google - Without any doubt google adsense is the biggest and the most profitable publisher’s program. You can get them at https://www.google.com/adsense/login/en_US/
2)Adlandpro- Adlandpro offers a lot of advertising method. You will also paid $5 per 1000 impressions of your referral page, and $2 per 1000 impressions of referral’s custom page. You can get them at http://www.adlandpro.com
3)Adbrite - Best alternative for adsense and day by day it is increasing popularity. You can get them at http://www.adbrite.com/zones/publisher_dashboard.php
4)Bidvertiser - Another alternative for adsense and it's lay-out is like adsense. You can get them at http://www.bidvertiser.com/
5)Clicksor - It is also good and pays a good amount to the publisher. You can get them at http://clicksor.com
6)Advertising.com - One of the biggest and pioneer in publishers advertising network. You can get them at http://advertising.com/publishers.php
7)24/7 Real Media - It has both Advertiser and publisher program and is best for american audience. You can get them at www.realmedia.com
8)Burst Media - Another publishers advertisement program paying in CPM. You can get them at www.burstmedia.com
9)Commission Junction - Big advertiser and affiliate network available wordwide. You can get them at www.commissionjunction.com
10)Knoodle - This site pays upto 50% of ad revenue. Their website is https://kanoodle.com
11)Linkshare - Another big affiliate network for publishers. Their website is www.linkshare.com
12)Valueclick - This great program is best for bloggers. Their website is www.clickvalue.com
13)Yahoo Publisher Network - Created to compete google adsense. Not available worldwide. However you can get them advance in http://publisher.yahoo.com/
14)MSN Adcenter - Microsoft-own publisher network. Still on beta. You can get them in advance at
http://advertising.microsoft.com/publisher
Other available advertising networks.
1) Accelerator Media - Accelerator is an intelligent ad network that features predictive ad serving technology.
2) AdAgency - The leading provider of Internet direct-response adverytising solutions
3) Adynamix - AdDynamix has evolved into a full-spectrum interactive provider delivering ad management, video and digital media services to agencies, entertainment clients and direct marketers.
4) Adengage - Engaging internet advertising
5) Agenta - Agenta is an easy and powerful way for you to unlock the revenue potential of your website or blog.
6) Adknowledge - Expand your reach beyond Google and Yahoo by accessing Adknowledge’s multi-channel behavioral targeting network.
7) Adpepper - The e-advertising network.
8) Adsmart - Digital marketing made clear
9) Adtegrity - Get paid for your hard work! Maximize the value of your traffic and build revenue with us.
10) Affiliatefuture - If you are responsible for a website and want to increase its earning potential, join AffiliateFuture’s network to earn more revenue from your visitors.
11) Affiliatesensor - Get the ease of Pay-Per-Click publishing
12) Azoogleads - The leading performance-based marketplace
13) Bannerconnect - Advertising without boundaries. Many company use them and is becoming popular.
14) BardzoMedia - BardzoMedia is a world wide focused advertising network that can help you monetize your U.S, Canada and Europe internet advertising inventory on an exclusive or non-exclusive basis.
15) BlinkAds - BlinkAds is an online media company dedicated to client services
16) BlueFN - Blue FN, LLC. is the financial services industry’s leading Cost-Per-Action (CPA) Advertising Network with a targeted high-quality publisher base and top brand name financial services advertisers.
17) BlueLithium - BlueLithium is the data driven performance marketing company.
18) Casale Media - Advertising online is better here.
19) Chitika - See how you can fulfill your brand advertising and direct marketing goals in one program. This is becoming popular day by day.
20) ClickBooth - Publisher CPA and affiliate networks.
21) Clickshare - In the Click-Share advertising marketplace, you decide where to target your ads and what price you want to pay per click.
22) ClickXchange - Turn your site traffic into cash!
23) ContexWeb - Online advertising exchange solutions.
24) CPX Interactive - CPX Interactive is a progressive online ad network, dedicated to optimizing revenue generation for both its Advertisers and Publishers.
25) Enhance - Expand your pay-per-click search campaigns now.
26) Esource Media - As Publisher Partner you get access to over 50,000 advertisers and earn 70%.
27) Etype Europe - eType is the UK’s leading online advertising sales house
28) Etype USA - eType USA holds exclusive advertising contracts with a number of the world’s largest and most respected websites.
29) Expoactive- Start Advertising Your Website With ExpoActive In 5 Minutes!
30) Fluxads - Guaranteed on-time payments.
31) Hyperbidder - The Only Ad Auction Network where all bidders win!!!
32) IncentaClick - Their Goal is to bring your online advertising campaign to the next level
33) Industry Brains - You can try of it.
34) Interclick - Transparent ad network.
35) JoeTec - JoeTec is a full service online marketing company. We specialize in display advertising and lead generation for our many clients across many different verticals.
36) Kontera - Leader in content link advertising.
37) Mamma Media Solutions - With Copernic Media Solutions you’ll find the Internet advertising and marketing tools you need to boost your site traffic and drive revenue. MaxBounty Affiliates - with MaxBounty earn revenue from advertising sponsors on a pay-for-performance basis.
38) Mirago 2 revenue streams - Geo-targeted organic / Pay-Per-Click (PPC) search and contextual results.
39) MIVA AdRevenue Xpress - Earn more Revenue from your web site with MIVA MC.
40) Nixxie - UK’s first contextual advertising company.
41) Oridian - Online media solutions.
42) Oxado - Oxado enables you to insert contextual ads on your website within minutes.
43) Paypop-up - According to them every Visitor to your Site is a Potential Customer!
44) Popup Traffic - Popuptraffic is the intelligent way to make extra cash from your website traffic.
45) Quigo - This one is content-Targeted Ad Serving and Search Engine Marketing Solutions
46) RealCastMedia - They say they represent over 500 Web sites and serve 300 million monthly impressions.
47) RealTech - This is average for both publisher and advertiser.
48) Revenue Pilot - Good for monetize your site.
49) Righmedia - Interactive advertising and transparent marketplace.
50) Searchfeed - A leader in pay per click search engine advertising, Searchfeed.com helps online advertisers attract targeted leads while offering Web publishers a greater opportunity to monetize Internet traffic.
51) Share A Sale - This site is for real time reporting - On time payments.
52) TargetPoint - Increase your advertising profits
53) TextLinkAds - For text based ads this is good one.
54) Tremor - Come gradually in the world.
55) Tribal Fusion - Many one says this is good one.
56) Valueclick Media - Quality, control and a robust publisher platform make ValueClick Media a trusted partner to earn the most revenue from every form of online advertising.
Less Popular
1)Adserverplus: You can try them. You can get them at http://adserverplus.com/
2)Adster: You can get your daily incomes through e-mails. You can get them at http://adster.com/
Hope this list will help to find out your dream company!
10 Secrets for Healthy Computer
You can keep your computer healthy applying 10 important steps.
Step1 Make certain that your computer is located in a well ventilated area and that all air vents are unobstructed to prevent overheating and premature failure to any internal components.
Step2 Clean out the dust build-up at least every 6 months from the inside of the computer case including case vents, power supply vents, and all visible circuitry with a few cans of compressed air that can be purchased from any major computer store or electronics outlet. This will help reduce the chances of overheating and circuitry damage.
***Before cleaning just be certain to always unplug the computer from the wall outlet and never physically contact the circuitry inside the computer case to prevent damage.
Step3 Be prepared for an unsuspected failure by always making backups of any important data that you do not and can not afford to lose.
Step4 Purchase and install a well known anti-virus program that can be regularly updated with the latest virus definitions and ran during boot-up to help protect your computer from being the victim of an unwanted infestation.
Step5 Every few months or so run your computer’s “Scandisk” program followed by the “Defragmenter” program to maximize the efficiency of your hard drive.
If you are not certain of how to use these utilities and being that the steps to execute these programs varies slightly from one operating system to the other it would be easiest to simply use the “Help” option that can be found by clicking on the START button found on your computers desktop.
The START menu will open up a drop-down-box that should display the “Help” option. By going here you can enter the keywords that deal with the answers to the subject you are searching for.
Step6 Run your computers “Disk Cleanup” utility every week. If set the “Disk Cleanup” utility will automatically empty the recycling bin and recover some wasted disk space by removing the internet temporary files that seem to always accumulate.
Step7 Never smoke near a computer because the cooling fans will pull the smoke into the case where it can coat the inside parts of the computer with a residue which in turn can damage sensitive components.
Step8 Place the computer case in an area where it will not be accidentally kicked or bumped to prevent the loosening of cables and damage to internal parts.
Step9 Invest in a high quality surge protector to provide your computer and monitor against voltage spikes or “surges” that can dramatically shorten the life of your system. Just like most items in a store, “You get what you pay for”. So don’t skimp out on this important device!
It’s also not a bad idea to invest in a surge protector that includes what is called a “Data Line Protector” which allows you to connect your telephone lines to and serves the same purpose for the telephone line to your modem just like the surge protector does for the electrical household current lines.
Step10 If you plan on being away from home for more that a few days at a time or if there is a thunderstorm brewing in your area it is a very wise decision to always unplug all electrical lines and modem telephone lines from your system. Even with a surge protector installed it is possible that such a large voltage spike such as one caused by a lightening strike could prove fatal to any computer system.
Apply 10 steps, you computer will healthy and wise !
Step1 Make certain that your computer is located in a well ventilated area and that all air vents are unobstructed to prevent overheating and premature failure to any internal components.
Step2 Clean out the dust build-up at least every 6 months from the inside of the computer case including case vents, power supply vents, and all visible circuitry with a few cans of compressed air that can be purchased from any major computer store or electronics outlet. This will help reduce the chances of overheating and circuitry damage.
***Before cleaning just be certain to always unplug the computer from the wall outlet and never physically contact the circuitry inside the computer case to prevent damage.
Step3 Be prepared for an unsuspected failure by always making backups of any important data that you do not and can not afford to lose.
Step4 Purchase and install a well known anti-virus program that can be regularly updated with the latest virus definitions and ran during boot-up to help protect your computer from being the victim of an unwanted infestation.
Step5 Every few months or so run your computer’s “Scandisk” program followed by the “Defragmenter” program to maximize the efficiency of your hard drive.
If you are not certain of how to use these utilities and being that the steps to execute these programs varies slightly from one operating system to the other it would be easiest to simply use the “Help” option that can be found by clicking on the START button found on your computers desktop.
The START menu will open up a drop-down-box that should display the “Help” option. By going here you can enter the keywords that deal with the answers to the subject you are searching for.
Step6 Run your computers “Disk Cleanup” utility every week. If set the “Disk Cleanup” utility will automatically empty the recycling bin and recover some wasted disk space by removing the internet temporary files that seem to always accumulate.
Step7 Never smoke near a computer because the cooling fans will pull the smoke into the case where it can coat the inside parts of the computer with a residue which in turn can damage sensitive components.
Step8 Place the computer case in an area where it will not be accidentally kicked or bumped to prevent the loosening of cables and damage to internal parts.
Step9 Invest in a high quality surge protector to provide your computer and monitor against voltage spikes or “surges” that can dramatically shorten the life of your system. Just like most items in a store, “You get what you pay for”. So don’t skimp out on this important device!
It’s also not a bad idea to invest in a surge protector that includes what is called a “Data Line Protector” which allows you to connect your telephone lines to and serves the same purpose for the telephone line to your modem just like the surge protector does for the electrical household current lines.
Step10 If you plan on being away from home for more that a few days at a time or if there is a thunderstorm brewing in your area it is a very wise decision to always unplug all electrical lines and modem telephone lines from your system. Even with a surge protector installed it is possible that such a large voltage spike such as one caused by a lightening strike could prove fatal to any computer system.
Apply 10 steps, you computer will healthy and wise !
Purchasing a New Computer
For starters you’ll need to decide what you want to do with
your computer. Are you into the video game scene or are you
some one who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally
do some book keeping with simple word processing software?
If you’re into video games you’re going to want a machine
that can handle the high level of graphics and superior
sound quality. On the other hand if you’re not into all
that high adrenalin stuff you can probably get by with a
less expensive system. Although, if you want to stay on the
safe side I would recommend going with something more
“high-end” so you don’t have to spend another large chunk of
change to upgrade the system you just bought.
Two basic routes you can take when purchasing a
new computer.
1) Purchase a “Brand” Computer
2) Purchase a “Clone” Computer
A “BRAND” computer is one that is manufactured by a
company that is recognizable by name.
Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Brand” computers:
Advantages:
Customer Support- If you are experiencing problems with your
computer you will have the option to contact a
representative of the company that you purchased the PC from
to get help in solving your problem.
Customer support is probably the best reason to buy a
brand computer.
Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as
a type of security blanket for you.
In case a part on your computer should damage you should be
able to get the item fixed at no replace just as long as the
warranty has not expired.
Must read and understand a company’s warranty policy BEFORE you
purchase a computer from them.
This way you’ll have a good understanding of the procedures
to follow in case a problem should arise.
Pre-installed Software- Many companies will include software
packages that are all set up and ready to go for you on your
computer.
Although, a disadvantage of buying a brand computer
with software pre-installed is that you usually end up with
more than fits your needs and usually just results with the
wasting of space on your storage device.
Additional Support- Most brand computer companies are
also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you
with current software updates, user manuals, or basic
troubleshooting help.
Disadvantages
The use of Proprietary parts- the term Proprietary refers to
products that are unique to an individual company and that
company only.
So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after
warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go
to your local computer store and purchase any old part even
if it was intended for the same function as the item that
failed.
You would be forced to buy the exact same item that came out
of the computer or else the computer would more than likely
cease to function correctly.
Having to buy proprietary parts usually involves the need to
place an order which means you’ll have to wait for the part
to arrive or you’ll have to send your computer into the
company or an authorized dealer of that company for
repairs.
People with a home based business would probably not be too
happy with that situation at all.
Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you
hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a
particular part such as the modem or sound port where you
plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer
main board (Also known as the Motherboard).
This means that if any of these items should fail, you can’t
just remove them from the computer and replace them with a
new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main
board and are stuck there.
Although, some computers do provide a way to disable a
malfunctioning device which will allow you to install your
own store bought device to take the place of the broken
part.
From a computer technicians point of view this is not always
easy to do.
It just depends on what brand of computer you currently
have. Meaning some are easier to work on than others.
A “CLONE” computer is a clone or a copy of its brand
counterpart with the exception that instead of company
specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a
clone computer are from several different companies instead
of only one.
Let’s say that if you were to go to a local company that
builds “clone” computers, and you tell them what you need,
chances are they don’t use parts that are specific to only
that type of computer like the brand computer companies
do.
This is a good thing because it means that they will
probably use components that are interchangeable with many
different brands and are easy to come by if needed.
Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Clone” computers include:
Advantages:
Cost- compared to brand computers the clone will
generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one
with similar features as its brand counterpart.
This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not
offering the high-end customer service. Although, that may
not be the only reason for the lower prices.
Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone
computer was built with parts that are not any one company
specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can
be used even if the brand is different from the one that was
in the computer when you originally bought it.
NOTE: Before you buy any parts, it is necessary to make sure
that the replacement parts are compatible with your
particular computers system requirements.
Either consult the manual that should have came with your
computer or get help from a knowledgeable friend or repair
person.
Disadvantages:
Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will
typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would
with a brand computer company.
Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the
warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty
covers before you make the purchase.
Customer Support- With brand computer companies you are
usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you
can call if you have questions or concerns with your
computer.
Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a
24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only
be able to call during regular business hours.
Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one
website that you can go to in order to find out information
concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.
For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to
the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some
research on the individual parts that went into the computer
and visit the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting
tips.
Finally, if all else fails you can certainly take what you
have learned from this article and being that you know what
you need now, but don’t know where to go and get that
“Perfect Computer”, the best resource at your disposal are
the very men and woman that work at your local electronics
shop.
It is their duty to help you get hold of that “Perfect
Computer” that best fits your needs. All you need to do is
tell them what you plan on using that computer for and they
should be more than happy to help you from there.
your computer. Are you into the video game scene or are you
some one who likes to just surf the internet and occasionally
do some book keeping with simple word processing software?
If you’re into video games you’re going to want a machine
that can handle the high level of graphics and superior
sound quality. On the other hand if you’re not into all
that high adrenalin stuff you can probably get by with a
less expensive system. Although, if you want to stay on the
safe side I would recommend going with something more
“high-end” so you don’t have to spend another large chunk of
change to upgrade the system you just bought.
Two basic routes you can take when purchasing a
new computer.
1) Purchase a “Brand” Computer
2) Purchase a “Clone” Computer
A “BRAND” computer is one that is manufactured by a
company that is recognizable by name.
Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Brand” computers:
Advantages:
Customer Support- If you are experiencing problems with your
computer you will have the option to contact a
representative of the company that you purchased the PC from
to get help in solving your problem.
Customer support is probably the best reason to buy a
brand computer.
Warranty- Having a warranty is always nice since it acts as
a type of security blanket for you.
In case a part on your computer should damage you should be
able to get the item fixed at no replace just as long as the
warranty has not expired.
Must read and understand a company’s warranty policy BEFORE you
purchase a computer from them.
This way you’ll have a good understanding of the procedures
to follow in case a problem should arise.
Pre-installed Software- Many companies will include software
packages that are all set up and ready to go for you on your
computer.
Although, a disadvantage of buying a brand computer
with software pre-installed is that you usually end up with
more than fits your needs and usually just results with the
wasting of space on your storage device.
Additional Support- Most brand computer companies are
also able to provide you with web sites that may provide you
with current software updates, user manuals, or basic
troubleshooting help.
Disadvantages
The use of Proprietary parts- the term Proprietary refers to
products that are unique to an individual company and that
company only.
So if a part was to malfunction on your computer after
warranty and you needed to replace it you could not just go
to your local computer store and purchase any old part even
if it was intended for the same function as the item that
failed.
You would be forced to buy the exact same item that came out
of the computer or else the computer would more than likely
cease to function correctly.
Having to buy proprietary parts usually involves the need to
place an order which means you’ll have to wait for the part
to arrive or you’ll have to send your computer into the
company or an authorized dealer of that company for
repairs.
People with a home based business would probably not be too
happy with that situation at all.
Integrated/On-board parts- In the computer world when you
hear the word integrated or on-board it means that a
particular part such as the modem or sound port where you
plug in your speakers, is built-in or part of the computer
main board (Also known as the Motherboard).
This means that if any of these items should fail, you can’t
just remove them from the computer and replace them with a
new part. They are usually soldered directly to the main
board and are stuck there.
Although, some computers do provide a way to disable a
malfunctioning device which will allow you to install your
own store bought device to take the place of the broken
part.
From a computer technicians point of view this is not always
easy to do.
It just depends on what brand of computer you currently
have. Meaning some are easier to work on than others.
A “CLONE” computer is a clone or a copy of its brand
counterpart with the exception that instead of company
specific or proprietary parts, the items used to make a
clone computer are from several different companies instead
of only one.
Let’s say that if you were to go to a local company that
builds “clone” computers, and you tell them what you need,
chances are they don’t use parts that are specific to only
that type of computer like the brand computer companies
do.
This is a good thing because it means that they will
probably use components that are interchangeable with many
different brands and are easy to come by if needed.
Some Advantages/Disadvantages of “Clone” computers include:
Advantages:
Cost- compared to brand computers the clone will
generally be easier on your pocket book when purchasing one
with similar features as its brand counterpart.
This is most likely due to the money that is saved by not
offering the high-end customer service. Although, that may
not be the only reason for the lower prices.
Easily Accessible Replacement Parts- Since the clone
computer was built with parts that are not any one company
specific, you can buy parts for the clone computer that can
be used even if the brand is different from the one that was
in the computer when you originally bought it.
NOTE: Before you buy any parts, it is necessary to make sure
that the replacement parts are compatible with your
particular computers system requirements.
Either consult the manual that should have came with your
computer or get help from a knowledgeable friend or repair
person.
Disadvantages:
Warranties- Unless you purchase a service plan you will
typically not have as an attractive warranty as you would
with a brand computer company.
Whatever you do just make sure you understand how long the
warranty is for and as to what kind of repairs the warranty
covers before you make the purchase.
Customer Support- With brand computer companies you are
usually provided with a 24-hour toll free number that you
can call if you have questions or concerns with your
computer.
Clone computers are more than likely not going to have a
24-hour help service, but rather you will be forced to only
be able to call during regular business hours.
Also, it is more than likely that there will not be any one
website that you can go to in order to find out information
concerning troubleshooting questions you may have.
For service it may be necessary to take the computer back to
the store that you bought it at or you may have to do some
research on the individual parts that went into the computer
and visit the manufacturer’s website for troubleshooting
tips.
Finally, if all else fails you can certainly take what you
have learned from this article and being that you know what
you need now, but don’t know where to go and get that
“Perfect Computer”, the best resource at your disposal are
the very men and woman that work at your local electronics
shop.
It is their duty to help you get hold of that “Perfect
Computer” that best fits your needs. All you need to do is
tell them what you plan on using that computer for and they
should be more than happy to help you from there.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Add meta keyword and description to blogspot
simple you follow this steps.
Sign in to your blogger dashboard>click the 'layout' button.Click on the 'Edit html' tab.
Add your mata after this one < data="'blog'" name="'all-head-content">
Thats all
enjoy it!
Sign in to your blogger dashboard>click the 'layout' button.Click on the 'Edit html' tab.
Add your mata after this one < data="'blog'" name="'all-head-content">
Thats all
enjoy it!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Google's Chrome browser fast but glitchy
First tests of Google's "faster, safer" browser have revealed embarrassing glitches which prevent basic web features from loading.
Online speculation suggests that the errors are based on the Javascript foundations of the browser, which can affect everything from pop-up windows to login modules.
Google Chrome is being touted as a sleeker and more reliable alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with Google saying a sophisticated testing system was used to prevent bugs from occurring on popular websites.
However this morning, some computers running Chrome failed to load Google services such as iGoogle and Google Docs, and others – such as GMail's login page – only loaded part of the text, without images or a login form.
One user told news.com.au that a YouTube video had crashed the whole browser in a matter of seconds, contrary to Google's promise of isolating crashes. Yet an exclusive pre-release version of the browser seemed to load Google Docs fine, according to CBS News.
The Chrome browser is designed to automatically update itself without user approval, Google said.
Bloggers have speculated that the errors are based in the browser's open-source foundation, known as WebKit, which Apple's browser Safari is also based upon.
Aside from this significant issue, Chrome can load large websites much faster than other browsers.
While today's release is a test version, the problems with it and the PR fiasco would suggest Google did not originally intend to release the browser today.
Online speculation suggests that the errors are based on the Javascript foundations of the browser, which can affect everything from pop-up windows to login modules.
Google Chrome is being touted as a sleeker and more reliable alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with Google saying a sophisticated testing system was used to prevent bugs from occurring on popular websites.
However this morning, some computers running Chrome failed to load Google services such as iGoogle and Google Docs, and others – such as GMail's login page – only loaded part of the text, without images or a login form.
One user told news.com.au that a YouTube video had crashed the whole browser in a matter of seconds, contrary to Google's promise of isolating crashes. Yet an exclusive pre-release version of the browser seemed to load Google Docs fine, according to CBS News.
The Chrome browser is designed to automatically update itself without user approval, Google said.
Bloggers have speculated that the errors are based in the browser's open-source foundation, known as WebKit, which Apple's browser Safari is also based upon.
Aside from this significant issue, Chrome can load large websites much faster than other browsers.
While today's release is a test version, the problems with it and the PR fiasco would suggest Google did not originally intend to release the browser today.
Google's Chrome browser fast but glitchy
First tests of Google's "faster, safer" browser have revealed embarrassing glitches which prevent basic web features from loading.
Online speculation suggests that the errors are based on the Javascript foundations of the browser, which can affect everything from pop-up windows to login modules.
Google Chrome is being touted as a sleeker and more reliable alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with Google saying a sophisticated testing system was used to prevent bugs from occurring on popular websites.
However this morning, some computers running Chrome failed to load Google services such as iGoogle and Google Docs, and others – such as GMail's login page – only loaded part of the text, without images or a login form.
One user told news.com.au that a YouTube video had crashed the whole browser in a matter of seconds, contrary to Google's promise of isolating crashes. Yet an exclusive pre-release version of the browser seemed to load Google Docs fine, according to CBS News.
The Chrome browser is designed to automatically update itself without user approval, Google said.
Bloggers have speculated that the errors are based in the browser's open-source foundation, known as WebKit, which Apple's browser Safari is also based upon.
Aside from this significant issue, Chrome can load large websites much faster than other browsers.
While today's release is a test version, the problems with it and the PR fiasco would suggest Google did not originally intend to release the browser today.
Online speculation suggests that the errors are based on the Javascript foundations of the browser, which can affect everything from pop-up windows to login modules.
Google Chrome is being touted as a sleeker and more reliable alternative to Microsoft's Internet Explorer, with Google saying a sophisticated testing system was used to prevent bugs from occurring on popular websites.
However this morning, some computers running Chrome failed to load Google services such as iGoogle and Google Docs, and others – such as GMail's login page – only loaded part of the text, without images or a login form.
One user told news.com.au that a YouTube video had crashed the whole browser in a matter of seconds, contrary to Google's promise of isolating crashes. Yet an exclusive pre-release version of the browser seemed to load Google Docs fine, according to CBS News.
The Chrome browser is designed to automatically update itself without user approval, Google said.
Bloggers have speculated that the errors are based in the browser's open-source foundation, known as WebKit, which Apple's browser Safari is also based upon.
Aside from this significant issue, Chrome can load large websites much faster than other browsers.
While today's release is a test version, the problems with it and the PR fiasco would suggest Google did not originally intend to release the browser today.
Remove top border from Blogspot
Step 1:On your Dashboard, select Layout. This will take you to the Template tab. Click Edit HTML. Under the Edit Template section you will see you blog's HTML.
Step 2:
Look for tags #header-wrapper and #header as below and change border to 0 then SAVE Template
#header-wrapper {
width:660px;
margin:0 auto 10px;
border:0px solid $bordercolor;
}
#header {
margin: 5px;
border: 0px solid $bordercolor;
text-align: center;
color:$pagetitlecolor;
}
Step 3: Add this code anywhere...
#navbar-iframe {
height:0px;
visibility:hidden;
display:none
}
Thats all!
Enjoy it!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Happy Tenth Birthday Google But...
One day this month will mark Google’s official tenth birthday. They’ll most likely celebrate with a blog post and a special logo (this one was tweaked based on an earlier one). And we’ll see a slew of articles about how much they’ve accomplished in those ten years. A few publications couldn’t wait and got out there with their Google tributes last month.
So all we need to know is when to celebrate! Almost certainly on September 27. But the real answer is way more complicated than that.
Google is actually nearly 13 years old if you go by their own corporate history page: “By January of 1996, Larry and Sergey had begun collaboration on a search engine called BackRub, named for its unique ability to analyze the “back links” pointing to a given website.”
But if you go by when the Google.com domain name was registered, they’ll turn 11 on September 15.
However, the date Google celebrates as their birth month is September 1998. They celebrated on September 7, their date of incorporation, until 2005. Since 2005 (and also randomly in 2002), they’ve celebrated on September 27.
So why do they celebrate it on the 27th? According to Danny Sullivan, who wrote about this mess last year, they pushed the birthday date forward in 2005 to all for the announcement of a index size milestone.
At least Google is consistently inconsistent: “Google opened its doors in September 1998. The exact date when we celebrate our birthday has moved around over the years, depending on when people feel like having cake.”
So Happy 10th, 11th and/or almost 13th Birthday Google! First three people who sing happy birthday to Google in a video comment below (all the way through, full volume, GO for it) get a TechCrunch t-shirt.
So all we need to know is when to celebrate! Almost certainly on September 27. But the real answer is way more complicated than that.
Google is actually nearly 13 years old if you go by their own corporate history page: “By January of 1996, Larry and Sergey had begun collaboration on a search engine called BackRub, named for its unique ability to analyze the “back links” pointing to a given website.”
But if you go by when the Google.com domain name was registered, they’ll turn 11 on September 15.
However, the date Google celebrates as their birth month is September 1998. They celebrated on September 7, their date of incorporation, until 2005. Since 2005 (and also randomly in 2002), they’ve celebrated on September 27.
So why do they celebrate it on the 27th? According to Danny Sullivan, who wrote about this mess last year, they pushed the birthday date forward in 2005 to all for the announcement of a index size milestone.
At least Google is consistently inconsistent: “Google opened its doors in September 1998. The exact date when we celebrate our birthday has moved around over the years, depending on when people feel like having cake.”
So Happy 10th, 11th and/or almost 13th Birthday Google! First three people who sing happy birthday to Google in a video comment below (all the way through, full volume, GO for it) get a TechCrunch t-shirt.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Turn Off Vista's Useless Junk And Speed Up Your PC
There are over 100 background services running in Vista. Most of them do nothing but slow you down!
Any frequent reader of my Hubs knows that I am far from Windows Vista's greatest fan. I may actually be one of the loudest and most persistent critics of this misbegotten excuse for an operating system (OS).
I am currently receiving a measure of vindication as more and more people are finding stubborn and often insurmountable problems with drivers, applications, and worst of all, the sheer sluggishness of this monstrous OS which requires a jaw-dropping 15GB of free hard drive space just to install. And if you ever want to uninstall it, you're better off just reformatting the disk or you'll be weeks just trying to put all the pieces back together.
There are well over a hundred services inside Vista's innards, and most of them do absolutely nothing for the common, average user other than slow down his PC to a crawl and require outrageous amounts of hard drive space, RAM and CPU cycles. If you are even remotely considering using Vista, you had better have an uncle in the PC business as you're going to require a system with some truly massive power. All the people who think that just because their Centrino 512MB RAM laptop has a sticker that says it's "Vista Ready" that you'll actually be able to do something with it. Lots of luck!
There is so much sheer unadulterated trash gumming up the works on Vista that the average, normal user is truly well off by just turning the vast majority of it off. The readers of my Hubs are not generally the top multinational enterprise administrator types, but regular men and women who just use their computers for everyday common uses. I can assure you that well over 99% of these readers do not have any need whatsoever for the following Windows Vista services running all the time and turning your speedy computer into a mud bog slogger:
KTMRM for Distributed Transaction Coordinator
Network Access Protection Agent
Peer Name Resolution Protocol
Pen Service
PnP-X IP Bus Enumerator Service
Remote Access Connection Manager
Remote Registry
Secondary Logon
SL UI Notification Service
SSDP Discover Service
Tablet PC Input Service
TCP/IP NetBIOS Helper
UPnP Device Host
Virtual Disk
WebClient
Windows Management Instrumentation
Windows Media Center Extender Service
WinHTTP WebProxy AutoDiscovery Service
and let's not even mention Aero! (Gag!)
Connect to Internet with Your BlackBerry without Paying For Data Plan
If you have a Blackberry phone you have asked this question at least once (maybe thousand times). The BlackBerry phone comes with many fancy add-ons, they have an eye-candy look but there is one problem with them. You have to purchase a data plan for internet access. (As far as GSM services tell) This sounded little weird for me because I could access internet even with my old nokia. The trick is GSM services push you to buy a data plan and BlackBerry also doesn't give information for internet access without data plan, but the phone is capable of accessing internet without a data plan.
I own a BlackBerry Pearl (so the details will be told for Pearl but I guess it applies to most of the models) and I am using internet with my Pearl without paying for data plan. To do this you have to make some settings with your phone. First of all you have to set up your tcp settings. In your BlackBerry menu go to => Options - Advanced Options - TCP and enter your APN information for your GSM Service. You can find TCP APN settings in the list below.
When you finish the settings you need a browser to surf the net. The best one is Opera Mini Browser. You download the Opera Browser to your BlackBerry and in the Opera Browser menu you go through automatic network setup. Once the Opera Browser finds out your settings you are ready to surf the net from you BlackBerry for free. (Excluding standart connection charges from your GSM service provider)
Way To Earn Minimum $5000 Per Month
Google Knol will Help You Make Money Online
Google officially launched a new web authoring tool called Knol on Jul 23. Google Knol is free and opened to everyone. It is a content sharing network where you can write and publish articles in most of the topics. Each article page or content page you created is called a Knol.
Publishing a Knol is quite similar to publishing a blog post except the tone is more formal. You can insert related picture or image to your Knol and once your Knol created, readers are allowed to comment and rate your article in the Knol.
What Benefits You'll Gain from Publishing Google Knols?
AdSense Ads is Allowed in Knols
Google said that the authors can choose to include AdSense ads in all their Knols. So, each of your Knols that attract traffic may earn you some AdSense ad revenue. But, if you are actively creating Knols that share useful content, it is possible to earn a nice AdSense income every month as you will have more Knols gaining traffic.
Get Free Google Traffic
The Google knol homepage http://knol.google.com gained thousands of quality backlinks in less than a week. It is expected that it will gain decent of backlinks just like the other two content sharing networks, Hubpages and Squidoo. Because of the huge amount of backlinks Hubpages and Squidoo have gained, they are now getting million of visitors from search engines like Google and Yahoo every month (I believe most are from Google).
This will happen to Google Knol as well. Google Knol will soon gain huge amount of backlinks and many of the Knols created by different authors will start ranking high on Google search engine and enjoy free Google traffic. Those who manage to get their knols ranked on a competitive keyword will receive steady traffic. They can include links in their Knols to direct these Google traffic to their website or blog or choose to monetize their Knols with AdSense ads so that these Google traffic can be converted into AdSense revenue.
Google Knol has their own content policy and term of service. You should read and understand them before creating a Knol to publishing your content. Google doesn’t allow spamming, any Knol that against their policy will be deleted.
Google officially launched a new web authoring tool called Knol on Jul 23. Google Knol is free and opened to everyone. It is a content sharing network where you can write and publish articles in most of the topics. Each article page or content page you created is called a Knol.
Publishing a Knol is quite similar to publishing a blog post except the tone is more formal. You can insert related picture or image to your Knol and once your Knol created, readers are allowed to comment and rate your article in the Knol.
What Benefits You'll Gain from Publishing Google Knols?
AdSense Ads is Allowed in Knols
Google said that the authors can choose to include AdSense ads in all their Knols. So, each of your Knols that attract traffic may earn you some AdSense ad revenue. But, if you are actively creating Knols that share useful content, it is possible to earn a nice AdSense income every month as you will have more Knols gaining traffic.
Get Free Google Traffic
The Google knol homepage http://knol.google.com gained thousands of quality backlinks in less than a week. It is expected that it will gain decent of backlinks just like the other two content sharing networks, Hubpages and Squidoo. Because of the huge amount of backlinks Hubpages and Squidoo have gained, they are now getting million of visitors from search engines like Google and Yahoo every month (I believe most are from Google).
This will happen to Google Knol as well. Google Knol will soon gain huge amount of backlinks and many of the Knols created by different authors will start ranking high on Google search engine and enjoy free Google traffic. Those who manage to get their knols ranked on a competitive keyword will receive steady traffic. They can include links in their Knols to direct these Google traffic to their website or blog or choose to monetize their Knols with AdSense ads so that these Google traffic can be converted into AdSense revenue.
Google Knol has their own content policy and term of service. You should read and understand them before creating a Knol to publishing your content. Google doesn’t allow spamming, any Knol that against their policy will be deleted.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Google Chrome
SITTING halfway in between a traditional browser and an operating system, Google's new Chrome web browser has been built with a big emphasis on online applications.
Google has latched on to the popularity of tabbed browsing
Users can drag, drop and reshuffle tabs in whatever order they wish in Chrome
Users are warned of a potentially harmful website in Chrome
Type in your search query in the address bar and it automatically suggests related queries and popular websites.
Google claims Chrome -- www.google.com/chrome -- beats its competitors' offerings in speed, stability and search. On the speed front at least, Google has got it right. There’s no drag when loading web pages or additional Chrome browsers and when tested for page load times against Mozilla’s Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer it was able to outpace both of them. Google has latched on to the popularity of tabbed browsing, a feature made popular by Mozilla's Firefox browser and also incorporated in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Tabbed browsing enables users to open multiple screens in one browser window. Google, however, has taken tabbed browsing a step further. Not only can users drag, drop and reshuffle tabs in whatever order they wish, but they can also pull a tab out from its existing window to create a new browser window all to its own. Although impressive, it’s not Chrome’s secret to stability. Previously, tabs had been treated by browsers as shared resources that have the tendency to dramatically suck away a computer's CPU resources and slow down computer performance. But Chrome has upended this process to allow a computer to treat each tab as an individual and isolated process. The benefit of treating tabs as individual processes means that if an application running on a website unexpectedly crashes, it won't take the browser down with it. Instead, Chrome isolates the crash to the affected tab and ceases operation of the troublesome application. Chrome’s other trump card and Google’s big area of expertise is search and search features strongly in the browser’s design. The address bar has been integrated with Google's popular search engine to simplify the browsing experience -- type your search query in the address bar and it automatically suggests related queries, popular websites and the option to search for that particular query using the search engine of your choice. Although both the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer have similar functionality built in, they don’t execute it with the same level of success -- especially if Google is used as the search engine of choice. Even though Google says Chrome is application agnostic and has no tie-in to any other Google service, it’s a no-brainer that the browser works best with the search giant’s web applications. In particular, its integration with Google Gears (software that enables offline access to online services) means you can download desktop icons for several Google apps including Gmail, Picasa and the Google Docs online word processor and spreadsheet. At the moment Google Chrome is only available on Windows XP and Vista, however the search giant says that making compatible versions for Mac and Linux operating systems is a high priority.
Google has latched on to the popularity of tabbed browsing
Users can drag, drop and reshuffle tabs in whatever order they wish in Chrome
Users are warned of a potentially harmful website in Chrome
Type in your search query in the address bar and it automatically suggests related queries and popular websites.
Google claims Chrome -- www.google.com/chrome -- beats its competitors' offerings in speed, stability and search. On the speed front at least, Google has got it right. There’s no drag when loading web pages or additional Chrome browsers and when tested for page load times against Mozilla’s Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer it was able to outpace both of them. Google has latched on to the popularity of tabbed browsing, a feature made popular by Mozilla's Firefox browser and also incorporated in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer. Tabbed browsing enables users to open multiple screens in one browser window. Google, however, has taken tabbed browsing a step further. Not only can users drag, drop and reshuffle tabs in whatever order they wish, but they can also pull a tab out from its existing window to create a new browser window all to its own. Although impressive, it’s not Chrome’s secret to stability. Previously, tabs had been treated by browsers as shared resources that have the tendency to dramatically suck away a computer's CPU resources and slow down computer performance. But Chrome has upended this process to allow a computer to treat each tab as an individual and isolated process. The benefit of treating tabs as individual processes means that if an application running on a website unexpectedly crashes, it won't take the browser down with it. Instead, Chrome isolates the crash to the affected tab and ceases operation of the troublesome application. Chrome’s other trump card and Google’s big area of expertise is search and search features strongly in the browser’s design. The address bar has been integrated with Google's popular search engine to simplify the browsing experience -- type your search query in the address bar and it automatically suggests related queries, popular websites and the option to search for that particular query using the search engine of your choice. Although both the latest versions of Firefox and Internet Explorer have similar functionality built in, they don’t execute it with the same level of success -- especially if Google is used as the search engine of choice. Even though Google says Chrome is application agnostic and has no tie-in to any other Google service, it’s a no-brainer that the browser works best with the search giant’s web applications. In particular, its integration with Google Gears (software that enables offline access to online services) means you can download desktop icons for several Google apps including Gmail, Picasa and the Google Docs online word processor and spreadsheet. At the moment Google Chrome is only available on Windows XP and Vista, however the search giant says that making compatible versions for Mac and Linux operating systems is a high priority.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Prevent Online Identity Theft.
Security is an alarming issue for computer users. Below are step to help us prevent online identity theft.
Step1 *Obtain Security software *
Download security software such as McAfee and ensure that they are frequently updated. There are free security software and some require membership, so if you have an annual fee to renew your subscription when you are notified.
Step2 *Password*
Most people tend to use one password for everything they do online, this is the biggest mistake most of us make. If a person manages to gain access to your computer, then they automatically get a free access to all your information and accounts.
Ensure that you password have a combination of letters , symbols and numbers, and change your password at least every 2 months, especially if you use other computers that is not your personally computer, such as computer from a cafe, work etc
Step3 *Downloading*
Not every thing that comes to our email we need to download. Most free offers that you download come with spyware, and this how our information sometimes are stolen.
If you need to download free software go to website such as download.com
Step4 *Check Web Address*
There are many emails that are sent from so called company pretending e.g bank of America. Telling you to reset your password. If you don't look carefully, you would not have notice that the email said info@bankofamerica.net or .org.
If an e-mail message asks you to update your password, account number, or other information, don't take the bait, check to ensure that information requested is coming from the company itself. If in doubt call the company customer service to verify the information.
Step1 *Obtain Security software *
Download security software such as McAfee and ensure that they are frequently updated. There are free security software and some require membership, so if you have an annual fee to renew your subscription when you are notified.
Step2 *Password*
Most people tend to use one password for everything they do online, this is the biggest mistake most of us make. If a person manages to gain access to your computer, then they automatically get a free access to all your information and accounts.
Ensure that you password have a combination of letters , symbols and numbers, and change your password at least every 2 months, especially if you use other computers that is not your personally computer, such as computer from a cafe, work etc
Step3 *Downloading*
Not every thing that comes to our email we need to download. Most free offers that you download come with spyware, and this how our information sometimes are stolen.
If you need to download free software go to website such as download.com
Step4 *Check Web Address*
There are many emails that are sent from so called company pretending e.g bank of America. Telling you to reset your password. If you don't look carefully, you would not have notice that the email said info@bankofamerica.net or .org.
If an e-mail message asks you to update your password, account number, or other information, don't take the bait, check to ensure that information requested is coming from the company itself. If in doubt call the company customer service to verify the information.
Avoid Online Frauds and Scams
Nine main types of internet fraud
Step 1 LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com is a fraud education and prevention website jointly run by federal agencies, like the FBI and the Post Office, and private businesses, like Target. (see Resources, below, for direct links).
Step 2 The six main categories of frauds and scams identified by LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com are listed in the steps that follow.
Step 3 Pharmacy Fraud. If you're thinking about purchasing medicines online, think again. Many online drugstores do not keep the same standards as brick and mortar pharmacies. You can loose your money, and worse, receive counterfeit or illegitimate drugs.
Step 4 Identity Fraud/Identity Theft. America's fastest growing crime, the internet is rife with schemes for getting your private information, and running off with your identity. Learn about hacking, phishing, spoofing, spyware and other nasty tricks of the trade at the Resource links, below.
Step 5 Auction Fraud. Buy something online. Don't get it. Never hear from the auction site again. You've just been robbed.
Step 6 Sweepstakes and Lottery Fraud. If you've won millions, you really think they're going to notify you through email (and with bad spelling, to boot)? Steer clear of these scammers.
Step 7 Counterfeit Payments Fraud. At first, these really do look too good to be true...someone sending you real money orders or cashiers checks, and all you have to do is deposit it for them, send them most of the cash, and keep some for yourself. But, whoops...it's all a scam, and you'll wind up owing a ton of money instead. Read how it works at the Resource links, below.
Step 8 Other Financial Fraud. Ponzi schemes, Nigerian 4-1-9 scams, charities fraud, romance schemes, fraudulent debt elimination. There's no end to the clever ways scammers try to separate you from your money.
Step 9 See the Resource links, directly below, for excellent information about online fraud, and tips for staying safe. Be careful out there.
Step 1 LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com is a fraud education and prevention website jointly run by federal agencies, like the FBI and the Post Office, and private businesses, like Target. (see Resources, below, for direct links).
Step 2 The six main categories of frauds and scams identified by LooksTooGoodToBeTrue.com are listed in the steps that follow.
Step 3 Pharmacy Fraud. If you're thinking about purchasing medicines online, think again. Many online drugstores do not keep the same standards as brick and mortar pharmacies. You can loose your money, and worse, receive counterfeit or illegitimate drugs.
Step 4 Identity Fraud/Identity Theft. America's fastest growing crime, the internet is rife with schemes for getting your private information, and running off with your identity. Learn about hacking, phishing, spoofing, spyware and other nasty tricks of the trade at the Resource links, below.
Step 5 Auction Fraud. Buy something online. Don't get it. Never hear from the auction site again. You've just been robbed.
Step 6 Sweepstakes and Lottery Fraud. If you've won millions, you really think they're going to notify you through email (and with bad spelling, to boot)? Steer clear of these scammers.
Step 7 Counterfeit Payments Fraud. At first, these really do look too good to be true...someone sending you real money orders or cashiers checks, and all you have to do is deposit it for them, send them most of the cash, and keep some for yourself. But, whoops...it's all a scam, and you'll wind up owing a ton of money instead. Read how it works at the Resource links, below.
Step 8 Other Financial Fraud. Ponzi schemes, Nigerian 4-1-9 scams, charities fraud, romance schemes, fraudulent debt elimination. There's no end to the clever ways scammers try to separate you from your money.
Step 9 See the Resource links, directly below, for excellent information about online fraud, and tips for staying safe. Be careful out there.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Save Youtube video on your PC
Some people don't know how to save Youtube videos on there computer so ill tell in some simple step-by-step instructions
Step1 Copy and paste the URL of the Youtube video you want to save.
Step2 Open another browser and type in the web address "www.binodon4all.com/youtube"
Step3 There will be a Video URL text box at the page, insert your URL in that space and then click download Video.
Step4 Then under the text bar, where you placed the URL, there will be a download box with your video, pick your quality and then it will have your download. Make sure you save it with the file .MPEG, at the end of the name of the video.
Step1 Copy and paste the URL of the Youtube video you want to save.
Step2 Open another browser and type in the web address "www.binodon4all.com/youtube"
Step3 There will be a Video URL text box at the page, insert your URL in that space and then click download Video.
Step4 Then under the text bar, where you placed the URL, there will be a download box with your video, pick your quality and then it will have your download. Make sure you save it with the file .MPEG, at the end of the name of the video.
Speed up your PC
Is your computer slower than it used to be? You can speed it up to what it used to be with these tips. In this how to we are going to disable unwanted windows services. Windows has many services which help in many different situations, sadly half of these you will never need but still low down your PC. Follow these steps to disable the unneeded services on your PC and benefit from increased speed.
Step1 To enter service manager, go to Start > Run > Type services.msc and hit enter.
Step2 To toggle the startup type of a service between Automatic, Manual and Disabled, double-click on the required service and choose the specific option from the listbox titled ‘Startup Type’ in the General tab.
Step3 If you are unsure about a service or for some reason, think it's important, leave it alone or turn it to manual instead of disabling. It will help protect from damage.
Step4 Uneeded Windows services that you can turn off:
* AdobeLM Service: Not all computers have this service, still it is useless, just disable it if you have it.
* Alerter: Disable this one if you are not on a network because you will not receive alerts.
* Application Management: Set this to manual.
* Automatic Updates: Disable it if you don't require auto updating and patching of Windows. It is pretty useless if you use auto-patcher by NeoWin to update your Windows OS. Thus, you will save bandwidth.
* ClipBook: Disable this if you are not on a network, since you don’t need to share anything.
* Computer Browser: Disable this too if you are not on a network, as you don't need to browse and monitor connected computers.
* Cryptographic Services: Set this to manual if you are not sure you need it.
* Distributed Transaction Service: Set this to manual.
* DNS Client: Set this to manual if you are not on a network.
* Error Reporting Service: Disable this useless service for reporting errors to Microsoft, because they will hardly even reply to you for any error you get. Also saves lots of bandwidth.
* Fast User Switching Compatibility: Disable it if you have only a single user on your computer, or if you do not use fast user switching feature much. That is, if you completely log-off and then allow other users to use your computer, then you do not need this. Note that this service is completely useless for low memory computers.
* FTP Publishing: Disable this if you do not use FTP.
* Help and Support: Set it to manual or turn it off if you do not use the help feature often. You can turn it on again when you want help.
* HTTP SSL: Set it to manual.
* Human Interface Device Access: Turn it off if you do not use hot-keys or remote systems on your computer; if you use them sometimes, it is better turn it to manual.
* IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service: Set this to manual to save memory and time. Do not turn it off if you have a CD writer or a DVD writer attached to your computer.
* Indexing Service: Turn it off, it uses lots of CPU. If you are an avid searcher, like a maniac, on your computer, leave it on since it will help you. If you know where your files are and do not use search that often, then disable it for your good.
* InstallDriver Table Manager: Disable it, it does no harm in doing so.
* IPSEC Services: Set this to manual.
* Windows
Step5Close down the services window and restart your PC. You should notice a difference in speed immediately.
Warnings
Theoretically this method of speeding up your PC is risk-free, but before you disable a service make sure you don't use it. If something stops working after you have restarted your computer find the required service and enable it.
Step1 To enter service manager, go to Start > Run > Type services.msc and hit enter.
Step2 To toggle the startup type of a service between Automatic, Manual and Disabled, double-click on the required service and choose the specific option from the listbox titled ‘Startup Type’ in the General tab.
Step3 If you are unsure about a service or for some reason, think it's important, leave it alone or turn it to manual instead of disabling. It will help protect from damage.
Step4 Uneeded Windows services that you can turn off:
* AdobeLM Service: Not all computers have this service, still it is useless, just disable it if you have it.
* Alerter: Disable this one if you are not on a network because you will not receive alerts.
* Application Management: Set this to manual.
* Automatic Updates: Disable it if you don't require auto updating and patching of Windows. It is pretty useless if you use auto-patcher by NeoWin to update your Windows OS. Thus, you will save bandwidth.
* ClipBook: Disable this if you are not on a network, since you don’t need to share anything.
* Computer Browser: Disable this too if you are not on a network, as you don't need to browse and monitor connected computers.
* Cryptographic Services: Set this to manual if you are not sure you need it.
* Distributed Transaction Service: Set this to manual.
* DNS Client: Set this to manual if you are not on a network.
* Error Reporting Service: Disable this useless service for reporting errors to Microsoft, because they will hardly even reply to you for any error you get. Also saves lots of bandwidth.
* Fast User Switching Compatibility: Disable it if you have only a single user on your computer, or if you do not use fast user switching feature much. That is, if you completely log-off and then allow other users to use your computer, then you do not need this. Note that this service is completely useless for low memory computers.
* FTP Publishing: Disable this if you do not use FTP.
* Help and Support: Set it to manual or turn it off if you do not use the help feature often. You can turn it on again when you want help.
* HTTP SSL: Set it to manual.
* Human Interface Device Access: Turn it off if you do not use hot-keys or remote systems on your computer; if you use them sometimes, it is better turn it to manual.
* IMAPI CD-Burning COM Service: Set this to manual to save memory and time. Do not turn it off if you have a CD writer or a DVD writer attached to your computer.
* Indexing Service: Turn it off, it uses lots of CPU. If you are an avid searcher, like a maniac, on your computer, leave it on since it will help you. If you know where your files are and do not use search that often, then disable it for your good.
* InstallDriver Table Manager: Disable it, it does no harm in doing so.
* IPSEC Services: Set this to manual.
* Windows
Step5Close down the services window and restart your PC. You should notice a difference in speed immediately.
Warnings
Theoretically this method of speeding up your PC is risk-free, but before you disable a service make sure you don't use it. If something stops working after you have restarted your computer find the required service and enable it.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Cliphanger for cell phones, iPhones and iPods, now with flashlight
One of Popgadget''s favorite accessories, Cliphanger, now has a very simple yet useful add-on, a little flashlight for those moments when you need just a little bit of light.
The original Cliphanger is a very lightweight clip shaped somewhat like a large paper clip that you attach to the back of your cell phone ($12.95 for one, but cheaper by the pack). You can then clip it onto a belt loop, purse strap, dashboard (or any surface using the included autohook that you attach to the surface). The Cliphanger Light version is $16.95 for a single purchase.
It now comes in 16 different colors, including the 6 lighter colors shown above. Cliphanger also makes 50 different kinds of shields with attached Cliphangers, including the one below for the iPhone 3G (for $19.95). All can be purchased directly from the Cliphanger website. Some versions are also available at Amazon.
Eco-friendly packaging for 3G iPhone
For those of us plagued by thoughts of waste when contemplating ditching our old iPhones to upgrade to the 3G iPhone, there''s a bit of good news, as it turns out that the packaging for the new iPhone to be released on July 11th is made of recyclable potato starch. Dutch company PaperFoam, maker of carbon-friendly packaging, is providing millions of paperfoam packages to Apple.Via The Register, by way of textually.org.Google Maps Mobile now has Voice Recognition
Google has moved its popular Google Maps Mobile application one step ahead and added Voice Recognition to it. This allows users to easily search for their desired location by just saying where they want to go. This is a beta version for test purposes and it is currently available on a limited range of handsets including Blackberry Pearl 8110, 8120, or 8130.
Here's how you use it. You simply hold the left soft key, say you search and release the key and Google happily searches your desired result for you. Blackberry users can get the update here http://www.google.com/gmm
Source: Mobile Crunch
Ubuntu Hardy Heron At a Glance
Pros
* Clear look with new Human theme
* More support for drivers, it has detected my dell BCM 4328 card automatically
* It has detected appropriate and maximum screen resolution for my laptop automatically which I had to do in gutsy by installing proprietary xorg fglrx driver. But I installed fglrx driver to use the maximum 3D output from my ATI Radeon 1400. I can also use compiz fusion now.
* Blazing fast, really!
* Integration of Wubi (Well, ubuntu is my primary OS and I have only one OS in my machine, but it is very good for those who want to give it a try from windows)
Cons
* so far there is only one con and that is it comes with Firefox 3 beta 5. I really dont like this version of firefox caus all my favorite extensions breaks in it.
So in overall I am very happy to using the new ubuntu Hardy Heron. Give it a try.
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
* Clear look with new Human theme
* More support for drivers, it has detected my dell BCM 4328 card automatically
* It has detected appropriate and maximum screen resolution for my laptop automatically which I had to do in gutsy by installing proprietary xorg fglrx driver. But I installed fglrx driver to use the maximum 3D output from my ATI Radeon 1400. I can also use compiz fusion now.
* Blazing fast, really!
* Integration of Wubi (Well, ubuntu is my primary OS and I have only one OS in my machine, but it is very good for those who want to give it a try from windows)
Cons
* so far there is only one con and that is it comes with Firefox 3 beta 5. I really dont like this version of firefox caus all my favorite extensions breaks in it.
So in overall I am very happy to using the new ubuntu Hardy Heron. Give it a try.
http://www.ubuntu.com/getubuntu/download
Top 15 Rapidshare Search Engines
1. Filez.com: Rapidshare Search - Note: Search Results Contains Adult Adshttp://www.filez.com/
2. http://fileshunt.com
3. http://rapidshare-search-engine.com
4. http://www.rapidshare1.com
5. http://www.rapidsharelink.com
6. http://rapidlibrary.com
7. Rapidshare-Search-Engine.comhttp://rapidshare-search-engine.com/
8. Rapidshare1.comhttp://www.rapidshare1.com/
9. Rapidsharelink.comhttp://www.rapidsharelink.com/
10. RapidFox.Comhttp://www.c3k.net/
11. FilesTube.comhttp://www.filestube.com/
12. Filesbot.comhttp://filesbot.com/
13. Hellafiles.comhttp://www.hellafiles.com/
14. Searchshared.com - Supports almost all major one click file-hostershttp://www.searchshared.com/
15. Oneclickfiles.comhttp://www.oneclickfiles.com/
2. http://fileshunt.com
3. http://rapidshare-search-engine.com
4. http://www.rapidshare1.com
5. http://www.rapidsharelink.com
6. http://rapidlibrary.com
7. Rapidshare-Search-Engine.comhttp://rapidshare-search-engine.com/
8. Rapidshare1.comhttp://www.rapidshare1.com/
9. Rapidsharelink.comhttp://www.rapidsharelink.com/
10. RapidFox.Comhttp://www.c3k.net/
11. FilesTube.comhttp://www.filestube.com/
12. Filesbot.comhttp://filesbot.com/
13. Hellafiles.comhttp://www.hellafiles.com/
14. Searchshared.com - Supports almost all major one click file-hostershttp://www.searchshared.com/
15. Oneclickfiles.comhttp://www.oneclickfiles.com/
Top ten & most popular wordpress plugins
Here is a list of top 10 Wordpress plugins by blogohblog.com:-
1. Google XML SitemapsAn excellent plugin that generates XML sitemaps for your blog and lets the search engines index your blog quickly.http://www.arnebrachhold.de/projects/wordpress-plugins/google-xml-sitema...
2. All in One SEO PackThis plugin lets your put titles, descriptions, keywords in all your individual posts and is extremely handy for SEO.http://wp.uberdose.com/2007/03/24/all-in-one-seo-pack/
3. WP-CacheWordpress is one blogging CMS that can bring any kind of server to its knees and is notorious for its high CPU usage. WP-Cache plugin lets you cache your blog pages for faster access. Earlier this plugin was not included with the Wordpress installation but now it installs along with Wordpress and all you have to do is activate it.http://mnm.uib.es/gallir/wp-cache-2/
4. Cforms IICforms is a convenient way to add quick feedback/contact forms to your website. The plugin allows you to have multiple forms which you can call from anywhere using a piece of code.http://www.deliciousdays.com/cforms-plugin
5. My Page OrderUsing this plugin, you can manually set order to all your pages and sub-pages. It arranges the page names in an AJAX list from where you can move the pages up and down. The inbuilt page ordering system of Wordpress is not very maneuverable and this plugin was developed to overcome that drawback.http://geekyweekly.com/mypageorder/
6. Sidebar Page (and other sections)How many times have you wanted to rename those text widgets for easy identification? This plugin lets you do just that and also create unlimited number of widgets.http://thephppro.com/plugins/tppSidebarPageSections/
7. No-ping WaitWhen posting news to your blog, this plugin can handle all the ping load effectively. If you have a long ping list, this plugin will remove the delay between your posts.http://onemansblog.com/2007/04/15/no-ping-wait-wordpress-plugin/
8. Adsense DeluxeA perfect solution to integrate Google Adsense into your blog. This plugin enables you to create different Adsense blocks and allows placing them within your template or individual posts.http://www.acmetech.com/blog/2005/07/26/adsense-deluxe-wordpress-plugin/
9. Exec-PHPA real godsend. Allows you to place and execute any PHP code within your posts.http://bluesome.net/post/2005/08/18/50/
10. Admin Drop Down MenuWhen navigating the admin menu in Wordpress, this plugin lets you reach any admin page in one click, instead of first clicking on the first level link (”Manage” for example) and then only on a sub-menu link (”Comments“). Very helpful.http://planetozh.com/blog/my-projects/wordpress-admin-menu-drop-down-css...
WordPress Plugins » Most Popular (by wordpress.org)
AkismetAkismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet
Wordpress Automatic upgradeWordpress automatic upgrade allows a user to automatically upgrade the wordpress installation to the latest one.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade/
All in One SEO PackAutomatically optimizes your Wordpress blog for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
cformsII - contact formcforms II is the most customizable, flexible & powerful ajax supporting contact form plugin (& comment form)!http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/cforms
WP-DB-BackupOn-demand backup of your WordPress database.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/
WP Super CacheA very fast caching engine for WordPress that produces static html files.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-super-cache/
Google XML SitemapsThis plugin will create a Google sitemaps compliant XML-Sitemap of your WordPress blog.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
ShareThisShareThis plugin allows users to add your post to many social bookmarking sites, or to send your post link via email, AIM, Facebook, MySpace and more.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/share-this/
WordPress.com StatsYou can have simple, concise stats with no additional load on your server by plugging into WordPress.com's stat system.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/
NextGEN GalleryNextGEN Gallery is a full integrated Image Gallery plugin for WordPress with a Flash slideshow option.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/nextgen-gallery/
1. Google XML SitemapsAn excellent plugin that generates XML sitemaps for your blog and lets the search engines index your blog quickly.http://www.arnebrachhold.de/projects/wordpress-plugins/google-xml-sitema...
2. All in One SEO PackThis plugin lets your put titles, descriptions, keywords in all your individual posts and is extremely handy for SEO.http://wp.uberdose.com/2007/03/24/all-in-one-seo-pack/
3. WP-CacheWordpress is one blogging CMS that can bring any kind of server to its knees and is notorious for its high CPU usage. WP-Cache plugin lets you cache your blog pages for faster access. Earlier this plugin was not included with the Wordpress installation but now it installs along with Wordpress and all you have to do is activate it.http://mnm.uib.es/gallir/wp-cache-2/
4. Cforms IICforms is a convenient way to add quick feedback/contact forms to your website. The plugin allows you to have multiple forms which you can call from anywhere using a piece of code.http://www.deliciousdays.com/cforms-plugin
5. My Page OrderUsing this plugin, you can manually set order to all your pages and sub-pages. It arranges the page names in an AJAX list from where you can move the pages up and down. The inbuilt page ordering system of Wordpress is not very maneuverable and this plugin was developed to overcome that drawback.http://geekyweekly.com/mypageorder/
6. Sidebar Page (and other sections)How many times have you wanted to rename those text widgets for easy identification? This plugin lets you do just that and also create unlimited number of widgets.http://thephppro.com/plugins/tppSidebarPageSections/
7. No-ping WaitWhen posting news to your blog, this plugin can handle all the ping load effectively. If you have a long ping list, this plugin will remove the delay between your posts.http://onemansblog.com/2007/04/15/no-ping-wait-wordpress-plugin/
8. Adsense DeluxeA perfect solution to integrate Google Adsense into your blog. This plugin enables you to create different Adsense blocks and allows placing them within your template or individual posts.http://www.acmetech.com/blog/2005/07/26/adsense-deluxe-wordpress-plugin/
9. Exec-PHPA real godsend. Allows you to place and execute any PHP code within your posts.http://bluesome.net/post/2005/08/18/50/
10. Admin Drop Down MenuWhen navigating the admin menu in Wordpress, this plugin lets you reach any admin page in one click, instead of first clicking on the first level link (”Manage” for example) and then only on a sub-menu link (”Comments“). Very helpful.http://planetozh.com/blog/my-projects/wordpress-admin-menu-drop-down-css...
WordPress Plugins » Most Popular (by wordpress.org)
AkismetAkismet checks your comments against the Akismet web service to see if they look like spam or not.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/akismet
Wordpress Automatic upgradeWordpress automatic upgrade allows a user to automatically upgrade the wordpress installation to the latest one.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wordpress-automatic-upgrade/
All in One SEO PackAutomatically optimizes your Wordpress blog for Search Engines (Search Engine Optimization).http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/all-in-one-seo-pack/
cformsII - contact formcforms II is the most customizable, flexible & powerful ajax supporting contact form plugin (& comment form)!http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/cforms
WP-DB-BackupOn-demand backup of your WordPress database.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-db-backup/
WP Super CacheA very fast caching engine for WordPress that produces static html files.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-super-cache/
Google XML SitemapsThis plugin will create a Google sitemaps compliant XML-Sitemap of your WordPress blog.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/google-sitemap-generator/
ShareThisShareThis plugin allows users to add your post to many social bookmarking sites, or to send your post link via email, AIM, Facebook, MySpace and more.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/share-this/
WordPress.com StatsYou can have simple, concise stats with no additional load on your server by plugging into WordPress.com's stat system.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/stats/
NextGEN GalleryNextGEN Gallery is a full integrated Image Gallery plugin for WordPress with a Flash slideshow option.http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/nextgen-gallery/
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