Thursday, November 26, 2009

Depressed woman loses benefits over Facebook photos

A Quebec woman on long-term sick leave is fighting to have her benefits reinstated after her employer's insurance company cut them, she says, because of photos posted on Facebook.

Nathalie Blanchard, shown here on a beach holiday during her sick leave. Nathalie Blanchard, 29, has been on leave from her job at IBM in Bromont, Que., for the last year and a half after she was diagnosed with major depression.

The Eastern Townships woman was receiving monthly sick-leave benefits from Manulife, her insurance company, but the payments dried up this fall.

When Blanchard called Manulife, the company said that "I'm available to work, because of Facebook," she told CBC News this week.

She said her insurance agent described several pictures Blanchard posted on the popular social networking site, including ones showing her having a good time at a Chippendales bar show, at her birthday party and on a sun holiday — evidence that she is no longer depressed, Manulife said.

Blanchard said she notified Manulife that she was taking a trip, and she's shocked the company would investigate her in such a manner and interpret her photos that way.

"In the moment I'm happy, but before and after I have the same problems" as before, she said.

Blanchard said that on her doctor's advice, she tried to have fun, including nights out at her local bar with friends and short getaways to sun destinations, as a way to forget her problems.

She also doesn’t understand how Manulife accessed her photos because her Facebook profile is locked and only people she approves can look at what she posts.
Insurer confirms it uses Facebook

Her lawyer Tom Lavin said Manulife's investigation was inappropriate.

"I don't think for judging a mental state that Facebook is a very good tool," he said, adding that he has requested another psychiatric evaluation for Blanchard.

"It's not as if somebody had a broken back and there was a picture of them carrying …a load of bricks," Lavin said. "My client was diagnosed with a major depression. And there were pictures of her on Facebook, in a party or having a good time. It could be that she was just trying to escape."

Manulife wouldn't comment on Blanchard's case, but in a written statement sent to CBC News, the insurer said: "We would not deny or terminate a valid claim solely based on information published on websites such as Facebook." It confirmed that it uses the popular social networking site to investigate clients.

Insurance companies must weigh information found on such sites, said Claude Distasio, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association.

"We can't ignore it, wherever the source of the information is," she said. "We can't ignore it."

Blanchard estimated she’s lost thousands of dollars in benefits since Manulife changed her claim.

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How bandwidth hungry is your iPhone?

Pretty much anywhere you live, it would appear that the iPhone consumes at least 50% of all mobile data traffic. Whereas the Android has a little catching up to do with just 11% of that mobile data bandwidth consumption.

Of course, the iPhone entered the restaurant first and is already on pudding while Android devices are still nibbling at the starters so to speak. Still, that's more than RIM (BlackBerry) on 7% and eclipses Windows Mobile phones which consume just 3%.

Only Symbian devices are seriously in the bandwidth consumption fight on 25% (a drop of 4% from the previous figures) which could be important if you use this as a metric of real world popularity of smartphones. The Palm Pre dropped 5%, for what it is worth, to 5% of traffic.

The figures come from a new report by AdMob, a mobile advertising specialist, which has billions of adverts on more than 15,000 mobile websites and uses the data from its ad-serving network to produce the figures.

Of course, the numbers might show that iPhones are popular but also that they consume a lot of bandwidth thanks to the success of all those apps. And that is proving to be problematical for some networks which are struggling to cope. Here in the UK, by way of example, O2 has recently announced that it will be building 1500 new network sites across the UK in 2010 with a total investment of hundreds of millions of pounds.

Derek McManus, Chief Technology Officer for O2 in the UK, says "In the past 12 months the mobile industry has seen an unprecedented change in demand. To put this in context, watching a YouTube video on a smartphone can use the same capacity on the network as sending 500,000 text messages simultaneously. We are now aggressively accelerating our network growth programme to ensure we have significant headroom for the future..."

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

10 Great Photoshop Tutorial Websites

Imagining present times without Adobe Photoshop can be quite difficult. Not only does this extremely versatile software let you fix that grainy picture you want to use as your new Facebook profile picture but you can also use it to create your own digital artwork.

However, using Photoshop, and by that I mean using it properly to its full potential, is hardly a cakewalk! To say that almost everyone who is new to Photoshop finds himself or herself a little confused is an understatement. So, to make your foray into digital art and photography a little easier, I will share 10 Great Photoshop Tutorial Websites with you.

Psdtuts+ is a great Photoshop tutorial website which updates its content regularly. Also, this a great website if you take a fancy to a wide variety of photo-manipulations. From tutorials on Applying Textures to uneven surfaces to Creating an original pin-up girl, Psdtuts+ not only has a vast range of Photoshop tutorials, but also explains these lessons in a friendly manner that is easily understood by all. Although complete access to all the material that can be downloaded, including all PSD files of tutorials is accessible only to paying members, the instructions can be seen by all visitors to the website.

Another great website for Photoshop tutorials is Tutorial9. All the Photoshop tutorials provided by this website are created by experienced teachers and are completely free. Tutorial9 also has an excellent stock of Photoshop tutorials. Some of the interesting lessons include those on how to Design an Epic Fantasy Scene with Photoshop, Create a Clean and Colorful Web Layout in Photoshop and How To Create An Abstract Floral Explosion in Photoshop among others.

PS Hero also offers great Photoshop tutorials for free. If you are starting out with Photoshop, this would be a great place to look for lessons as there are tutorials on many simple image manipulations that can be used to great effect, for instance, learning to create A Scrap of Notebook Paper or Grunge Photo Edges.

PSD Learning is a relatively new Photoshop tutorial website which has a wonderful stock of tutorials that will suit the requirements of not only those seeking to perfect their digital art but also novices who are only starting out with their game.

Another excellent Photoshop tutorial website that has started out recently is 10Steps.SG. With friendly navigation and fantastic content organized into categories, this is another great website to turn to for Photoshop tutorials.

If you want to learn how to create Incredibly Realistic Water Text in Cinema 4D and Photoshop and other interesting image manipulations, then you would love Abduzeedo. Not only do you have extremely helpful Photoshop tutorials for a host of advanced Photoshop functions but you are also provided with design inspirations that you can make use of while coming up with your own creations.

However, if you would rather master the simpler tricks first then Photoshop Contest has extremely helpful lessons.

You could even head to Photoshop Tutorials for more tutorials on the various Photoshop techniques.

If you are looking for Photoshop tutorials on creating Wordpress layouts then you could visit PSD Vibe which has excellent tutorials for these among other lessons on interesting techniques.

Finally, in your quest for learning Photoshop skills, you could also try out the tutorials at Pxleyes.



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10 Places To Find Free Fonts For Windows And Mac OSX

If you are designer you may frequently want to try and use different fonts in your designs, though there are 1000s of fonts available, not everyone of them are free. Though font usage and download is not just restricted to designers and many people use them in their day to day life too.

Here are some resources for you to find free fonts that you can use without having to pay any royalty for both Windows and Mac OSX. If you are not accustomed to installing fonts, we have a mini guide at the end of the post that will help you do it.

Fawnt – Fawnt is a font resource for designers, developers, and anyone that appreciates the web’s highest quality fonts. It currently has 9348 free fonts you can use and download for Windows and Max OSX.

Abstract Fonts – Abstract Fonts has a listing of 11849 free fonts in their database. The site has a nice navigation and user experience with proper categorization of fonts.

Free Fonts – Free fonts has over 12000 free fonts which you can download and use for Windows or Mac OSX. The site has a clean navigation making it easier to browse the fonts.

Dafont – dafont is another nice site to find free fonts, they list over 10000 fonts, most of which are free to use for personal use on Windows and Mac OSX. Licensing terms are clearly marked above the download buttons.

Urban Fonts – Another site which lists over 8000 free fonts. The fonts are segregated into different easy to find categories, and can also be alphabetically browsed.

Font Reactor – Font Reactor lists freeware fonts in graffiti, gothic font, old English fonts etc. Most of the fonts are freeware, but there is no clear indication before downloading, so this adds to a bit of hassle.

Daily Free Font – Daily Free Font is a site that has over 4500 freeware fonts listed in its directory. The licensing terms for font usage is clearly marked.

Font Freak – Font Freak has a database of 5000 free fonts, they store a mix of both free and commercial fonts, so check the licensing before you download the fonts.

Simply The Best Fonts – This site lists thousands of free fonts in well segregated categories, the licensing if clearly marked, telling you whether a font is free or not.

Free-Fonts – This site is more like a search engine for fonts and lists over 55000 fonts in their database, the only problem with the site is that, there is no option to browse the fonts and you need to remember the names of the font to search for it.

How to Install Fonts?

Unzip the files you have downloaded, then follow the instruction for your OS:

Windows Vista : Right-click on the font files > "Install"
Windows XP: Put the font files into C:\Windows\Fonts
Mac OS X: Double-click the font file > "Install font" button



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Tuesday, November 24, 2009

35 Amazing Softwares That Are Free

Many good softwares are either too costly or simply unaffordable, but that does not mean every good software out there requires you to shell out absurd amounts of money. There are 100s and 1000s of softwares that are completely free and perform as good as if not better than their paid counterparts.

This is the 700th post for us and we thought to make it worthwhile for you. In this post we will look at more than 35 amazing softwares that can be used for different purposes and are absolutely free to use.  These softwares provide you solutions that make your computing life much better without costing you a penny.

Productivity Suites

OpenOffice.org

One of the best alternatives available for Microsoft Office Suite, OpenOffice.org has not only received several awards and accolades, it is one of the best alternatives to managing your document, spreadsheets, presentations and more.

With Open Office you can do everything you can with Microsoft Office and with the software being open source you can expect 100s and 1000s of cool software engineers contributing to make it better.

Download OpenOffice.org | Learn more about OpenOffice.org

Other worthwhile mentions
Thunderbird

Maintaining several email accounts in a single place has always been a forte associated with Microsoft Outlook. Thunderbird on the other hand is a alternative which is as good as Outlook if not better, providing you with the many of the same features to manage multiple email accounts at no cost at all.

Thunderbird lets you manage your POP and IMAP accounts with ease. Thunderbird also allows you to extend the basic functionality by allowing you to add useful add-ons and extensions making it just too good to resist.

Download Thunderbird | Learn more about Thunderbird


Dia

A good software is always conceptualized by defining the exact way in which it should work with process diagrams and flowcharts. If you have been paying out of your pocket for Microsoft Visio it is high time you switched to Dia a open source software that allows you to create structured diagrams and flowcharts for free.

Download Dia for Windows | Learn more about Dia


Sunbird

Though not one of the most talked about product, Sunbird definitely is a great alternative to managing your appointments and events without having to use Microsoft Outlook.

And if you would frown about having to use two different applications to manage emails and calendars you should definitely try out Lightning that combines Thunderbird with Sunbird to create a great productivity application.

Download and learn more about Sunbird

Browsers, Instant Messengers, Remote File Management, Shell and Linux Emulation


Firefox

Firefox is not only the best open source browser available today, it also provides you with a much safer and faster browsing experience. It is really much better than Internet Explorer and not many would say otherwise.

Well if you have been reading us for sometime you may already know how much we love Firefox. You can definitely check out the ultimate list of tips and tricks for firefox 3 and while your at it don’t forget to see the Firefox extensions we have put up for you.

Download Firefox 3 | Learn more about Firefox

Other worthwhile mentions

Digsby

Digsby is much more than just a just a multi-protocol IM client. With Digsby you can communicate with your friends over AIM, Yahoo, MSN, GTalk and more without having to install separate clients, as well as check your emails from multiple providers.

If that was not enough you can also use Digsby to update your social networking statues in Facebook, Twitter and MySpace.

Download Digsby | Learn more about Digsby


Other worthwhile mentions

WinSCP

Remote file management is always a challenge and though there are several softwares out there our preferred one is WinSCP, a incredible and versatile software that makes file management quite a breeze.

WinSCP is not only allows you to transfer files but they do it by providing you a way to securely do them, using the SFTP protocol instead of the regular FTP protocol.

Download WinSCP | Learn more about WinSCP

Other worthwhile mentions
uTorrent

If you are looking to download files using torrents, look no farther than uTorrent, one of the best softwares to manage torrents. Not only is it lightweight it also can be managed using the browser by accessing the uTorrent site and the best part is it runs out of the box without requiring any installations.

Download uTorrent | Learn more about uTorrent

Other worthwhile mentions

Free Download Manager

Managing your downloads with browsers have never been that easy and download managers definitely allow you to download files in a much better way. Free Download Manager allows you to download files from multiple sources, accelerating your download process, along with allowing you to pause and resume them.

Free Download Manager makes your download management much better and also comes with inbuilt support to download torrent files.

Download Free Download Manager | Learn more about Free Download Manager


Other worthwhile mentions

Putty

Ever wanted to manage Linux servers from your Windows machine using shell. Putty is one of the best way to access shell environment. As far as we know there is not competition to Putty.

If you have been using Putty, don’t forget to check out how you can manage your putty sessions in a database and work in a tabbed interface or minimize it to a tray so that you are not overwhelmed with the number of open windows.

Download Putty | Learn more about Putty


Cygwin

Ever wanted to emulate a Linux system on your Windows PC or just wanted to practice few skills before you actually installed Linux as you main system? Cygwin is one of the best Linux emulator you will ever find using which you can get your hands dirty without worrying about screwing up a actual operating system.

Download Cygwin | Installation Instructions | Learn more about Cygwin


System Management, File Management, System Maintenance, Anti-virus, Anti-spyware and Firewalls

Having paid for a software like Windows does not mean that you get the best of everything, there are several pieces of softwares that help you maintain your system so that it runs properly for a long time and is optimized to the T.


AVG Free Anti-virus
Symantec no doubt has a huge market in the anti-virus industry with Norton, with support from computer manufacturers who bundle the trial version of Norton in factory shipped desktops and laptops, that obliviouslydoes not mean it is the best.

Norton has had huge complaints of considerably slowing down PCs and using considerable system resources. AVG on the other hand is a real good alternative which is free and does not tax you system as much as Norton does. The latest version of AVG also comes with several new features such as Anti-spyware, Anti-rootkit and more.

Download AVG 8 | Learn more about AVG


Other worthwhile mentions

CCleaner

Your PC accumulates several temporary files and traces that are not useful to you. These temporary files and traces slows down the PC along with taking up unwanted disk space.

CCleaner is a cleaning robot for your computer, which is smart enough to know which places to look for unwanted files and traces. CCleaner can also cleanup several applications along cleaning temporary and unwanted files created by Windows.

Download CCleaner | Learn more about CCleaner


Defraggler

Your PC is not the smartest thing in the world and it has a tendency to spread fragments of files all over the place. Defraggler allows you to sort out the mess and make your PC run faster and much better. The good thing about defraggler is that it allows you to choose the files you want to defrag making the process much more easier and faster.

Download Defraggler | Learn more about Defraggler


Comodo Firewall Pro

Windows inbuilt Firewall is good but not really one of the best things around, there are several alternatives which you can definitely try out but our personal favorite is Comodo

which packs in all the features of a professional version as a free software.

Download Comodo Firewall Pro | Learn more about Comodo Firewall Pro


Other worthwhile mentions

 
Recuva

“Oops I deleted that important file” is a statement many users have right after using Shift + Delete option for a file.If you thought that you could never recover the deleted file you are in for a surprise. There are several softwares that will allow you to recover deleted files.

Recuva is one of the best alternative that is available today, not only is it very reliable, you will not have to spend a penny for it as it is completely free.

Download Recuva | Learn more about Recuva


Imaging Tools, Graphics, 3D Software, Image Managers

Gimp

Gimp is undoubtedly the best alternative available for Photoshop. Edit your images with ease without having to worry about paying a fortune for Photoshop. Gimp also can be used in conjunction with plugins bringing a host of new features to the core software.

Download Gimp | Learn more about Gimp

Other worthwhile mentions


Blender

Creating 3D applications is not that easy but even more harder is spending thousands of dollars to get a software that allows you to create 3D animations.

Blender is a great application to work with 3D modeling with a great interface at a unmatchable price, Free.

Download Blender | Learn more about Blender


Picasa

Picasa is definitely one of the best tools available for managing your photos. With Picasa you can import your pictures from your camera and edit them to change contrast, remove red eyes and more. You can also upload your pictures to your online album and share them with family and friends without having to upload each and every file individually.

Download Picasa | Learn more about Picasa


Other worthwhile mentions


Video Softwares, Audio Softwares, 3D Softwares

VLC Player

VLC Player is one of the best video softwares available to view different files and formats. VLC player supports multiple codecs out of the the box allowing you to play almost all kinds of file formats without having to install any additional softwares or codecs.

Download VLC Player | Learn more about VLC Player


Miro

Miro allows you to convert your PC into a Internet TV. You can use it to watch Internet video channels and play any video file. You can play files from YouTube and more and you can play almost any types of file with it including HD videos.

Download Miro | Learn more about Miro


PicLens

PicLens is a Firefox add-on that transforms your browser into full screen 3D browser allowing you to browse images and videos in full screen.

Learn more and download PicLens


Audacity

Audacity is one of the best free tools available for audio editing and recording for several operating systems.

You can record live audio, convert tapes into digital recordings, cut, copy, splice or mix sounds together and more.

Download Audacity | Learn more about Audacity

Development Tools, Editors

Eclipse

Eclipse is one of the best development IDE available for building robust enterprise applications, embedded software development and more with support for several languages.

The Eclipse project has been supported by several well know companies and also has a very large open source community to help develop and test the product.

Learn more and download Eclipse


Other worthwhile mentions

Notepad++

Notepad++ is not just a mere notepad replacement, it will allow you to modify several file types and has been getting better by the day with new features like auto complete and more.

If you are stuck with notepad this is definitely one software you should give a try.

Learn more and download Notepad++


Other worthwhile mentions


CD / DVD Writing Softwares, DVD Ripping, Virtual CD / DVD


Handbrake

Handbrake is a DVD Ripper that will allow you to rip DVD files and convert them to MPEG-4 format for Mac OS, Linux and Windows.

Download and learn more about Handbrake


CDBurnerXP

CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface.

Download CDBurnerXP | Learn more about CDBurnerXP


MagicDisc

Several softwares and games can be downloaded as image files like ISO, BIN etc. If you do not have a CD / DVD writer those files may be practically useless to you. With MagicDisc you can easily mount those image files as Virtual CD / DVDs and install the software, copy them and do more.

Download MagicDisc | Learn more about MagicDisc


Utilities

Foxit PDF Reader

Foxit PDF Reader is no doubt one of the best alternative to the Adobe PDF reader. It is much more faster and robust than the reader provided by Adobe.

There are several features that you make you completely ditch Adobe PDF reader, if you have not already done that.

Download Foxit PDF Reader | Learn more about Foxit PDF Reader

7Zip

7Zip is one of the best open source software which allows you to manage several types of archives with simplicity and ease. 7Zip supports all the popular archive formats such as zip, rar, gzip, tar and more.

It is by far a much better alternative to the dominating WinZip and WinRar softwares that require you to purchase licenses.

xPlorer2 Lite

Windows explorer is definitely not the best to manage files, with you have to open several windows just to perform a simple task of copying and pasting files.

xPlorer2 Lite is a very handy utility when it comes to managing files in Windows. The tabbed interface saves you lot of times and hassles simplifying the task of managing files.

Download xPlorer2 Lite | Learn more about xPlorer2 Lite

 

Launchy

Loading applications has never been more easier than it is with Launchy. This is probably one of the best software that makes your life much more easier when it comes to opening applications without having to go through the pain of creating a desktop shortcut or searching for them.

Download and learn more about Launchy

Google Desktop

If you thought Google only worked online then you are in for a surprise. Google Desktop

is one of the best indexing and desktop search tools for your PC with results as accurate as their web based search.

With Google Desktop Search you can search your files, emails, chat conversations and more. The handy sidebar also allows you to add gadgets so that you can access information quickly and easily.

Download and learn more about Google Desktop


Windows Live Writer

One of the best tools to manage your blogs offline, Windows Live Writer has grown to become one of the most loved applications from Microsoft.

You can manage multiple weblogs and post to them with ease, save drafts online and offline, edit images, add watermarks to them and more.

Download and learn more about Windows Live Writer

 



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Social Networking Untuk Para Traveler

Ditengah pertumbuhan internet yang masif, social networking tentu menempati posisi yang cukup krusial, kemarin saya mereview salah satu social networking di Indonesia, kini saya juga akan bercerita tentang social networking yang baru saja meluncurkan versi beta mereka. Another social networking ?

Jika pertanyaan itu muncul dari anda, tenang, mungkin anda belum meilihat bentuk dan aplikasi social networking yang merupakan partner AirAsia ini, dia adalah Koolred.

Nuansa niche terasa sekali di social networking ini, sepertinya strategi melayani niche tertentu dalam social networking akan semakin besar, Koolred adalah social networking untuk para traveler, kenapa demikian?

Koolred memiliki hampir semua aplikasi standar yang dimiliki oleh social networking, seperti blog, foto, video, music, group, forum dan event, kegunaannya juga untuk berjejaring dengan para user yang mempunyai minat sama, berbagi informasi dan membentuk komunitas.

Keunikan pertama dari situs ini adalah pendekatan demografi user. Koolred memposisikan sebagai ASEAN’s premier social networking site, dan memfokuskan pada para user di sekitar ASEAN, meski juga membuka peluang untuk para user dari negara lain.

Keunikan kedua yaitu pendekatan travel sebagai unsur utama dalam social networking ini. Koolred menyediakan beberapa fungsi yang akan memanjakan para traveler, seperti travel advisor yang sesuai namanya memberikan sebuah tempat dinama user bisa saling memberikan saran atau mendapat saran tenang tempat tujuan wisata atau detail yng diperlukan dalam melakukan perjalanan ke suatu tempat tertentu.

Kemudian ada travel host, dimana user bisa menemukan voulenter untuk dijadikan guide dalam berwisata, dan siapa tau bisa juga menyediakan tempat untuk menginap, dan ada juga travel buddy, dimana user bisa menemukan tidak hanya teman dunia maya, tapi juga teman untuk berwisata. Selain itu ada kolom travel reviews serta travel destination sebagai penampung informasi untuk para user sebelum melakukan trip.

Bisa jadi ini mengingatkan kita akan Dopplr, sebuah situs yang juga memudahkan para traveler dalam melakukan trip. Fokus user Asean mungkin yang membedakan dua situs ini.

Ditengah bertumbuhnya social networking, apakah kita membutuhkan social networking baru?

Kalau melihat dari keunikan serta ceruk pasar user yang disasar, serta partnership yang dilakukan situs ini dengan AirAsia, rasanya itu sudah cukup menjelaskan visi situs ini, mengingat traveling kini menjadi trend, dan ASEAN adalah salah satu tujuan travel yang paling asik.

Dengan peluncuran versi beta tanggal 18 November kemarin, kita tinggal menunggu, perkembangan jumlah user serta kerjasama lain seperti apa yang akan dilakukan Koolred.

Anda suka travel? Atau punya pendapat tentang artikel ini, jangan lupa untuk share di kolom komentar.

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Kehebatan Google Chrome OS

Minggu ini Google telah meluncurkan sistem operasi berbasis open source bernama Chrome. OS ini akan segera menyambangi pasar pada musim liburan 2010 mendatang.

Sayang, Chrome OS hanya akan berjalan pada piranti keras yang memang ada kerjasama dengan pihak Google. Tentunya piranti yang cocok adalah sebuah netbook.

"Mungkin piranti yang cocok adalah sebuah netbook, yang memiliki SSD, konektifitas WiFi, serta full size keyboard," ujar Sundar Pichai, Vice President Google untuk manajemen produk, seperti dikutip detikINET dari PC World, Selasa (24/11/2009).

Lebih lanjut, Pichai membeberkan 5 keuntungan memakai Chrome OS:

1. Booting yang Cepat
Pichai menyebutkan bahwa Chrome OS sama seperti sebuah televisi saat dinyalakan. Tidak memiliki jeda waktu booting yang lama, karena tak memiliki aplikasi lokal yang membatasi ruang gerak hardware.

2. Masalah Keamanan
OS ini diintegrasikan dengan Chrome browser. Dengan demikian maka selayaknya browser, OS ini akan langsung mengupdate sistem keamanannya secara default. Hal ini masih ditambah lagi dengan penyimpanan data secara fisik dalam storage yang kini dirancang minimalis. Pasalnya semua data dapat disimpan secara online.

3. Dukung Arsitektur X86 dan ARM
Google berjanji untuk mengaplikasikan baik arsitektur X86, ARM dan code-code populer bagi netbook lainnya.

4. Menu Aplikasi
Sebuah aplikasi web yang baru kini dapat ditemui dalam menu aplikasi secara permanen pada Chrome OS ini. Hal ini akan membantu pengguna untuk mencari sebuah aplikasi baru langsung secara online. Selain memudahkan pengguna menu aplikasi ini juga menguntungkan pihak pengembang.

5. Akur dengan Microsoft Office
Walau Microsoft dengan Windows-nya merupakan pesaing berat mereka, namun Chrome OS ini ternyata juga mendukung dijalankannya dokumen office. Saat peluncuran Chorme OS, Pichai juga mendemokan bahwa Chrome dapat membuka sebuah dokumen via Microsoft office live. Microsoft office live adalah sebuah aplikasi web gratis bagi pengguna Windows live.

Saat pengguna membuka sebuah dokumen berekstensi .xls, Chorme OS akan langsung membuka Excel via Microsoft Office Live secara online. ( fw / faw )

Sumber : http://www.detikinet.com/read/2009/11/24/090822/1247513/317/5-kehebatan-google-chrome-os?topnews



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Friday, November 13, 2009

Alternatif Search Engine

Banyak hal menarik yang terjadi jika kita mengamati persaingan antara bing dan Google, perbandingan dua mesin pencari ini terus diperbincangakan, meski secara kuota hasil pencarian Google masih jauh unggul, tetapi Bing selalu disebut sebagai salah satu pesaing terkuat Google.

Tapi jika anda bosan menggunakan dua mesin pencari ini, anda bisa mencoba beberapa mesin pencari lain. Yang satu mesin pencari yang membandingkan hasil pencarian Bing dan Google secara langsung, yang satu lagi memperlihatkan hasil pencarian dari berbagai mesin pencari, bahkan dari berbagai situs foto, bahkan e-tailers. Dua situs itu adalah bing-vs-google serta Panbee.

Situs pertama: bing-vs-google

Situs ini dibuat oleh Domagoj Pavlesic seorang web developer dan IT journalist dari Kroasia. Dalam sebuah artikel di Techcrunch, disebutkan bahwa Domagoj membuat situs ini dalam waktu kurang dari 6 jam. Antara takjub dan ragu, karena bisa jadi dengan waktu yang cukup singkat, situs yang dibuat tidak terlalu sempurna.

Situs ini pada intinya adalah membandingkan hasil pencarian dua search engine dalam satu kesempatan atau secara sederhana dalam satu tampilan sehingga kita bisa langsung membandingkan hasil pencarian dari dua search engine ini. Tampilannya bisa dirubah secara horisontal maupun vertikal.

Situs kedua: Panabee.

Secara tampilan Panabee jauh lebih baik, dengan warna yang kalem serta icon panda, situs ini lebih berpeluang untuk menarik user betah berlama-lama.

Panabee juga membandingkan kemampuan dua mesin pencari, Bing dan Google dalam satu halaman. Tampilannya seperti kolom koran, bisa diatur untuk tampilan hanya Bing saja atau hanya Google saja.
Tapi Panabee juga dilengkapi hasil pencarian dari beberapa situs pupoler lain, seperti Twitter, Wikipedia serta Yahoo dengan hanya sekali klik. Selain itu Panabee juga menyediakan aplikasi search yang clustered, dimana jika anda mencari barang di penjual internet, misalkan anda akan mencari barang elektronik dan memilih aplikasi e-tailers, maka hasil pencarian bisa dilakukan di Amazon, e-bay, buy.com, Zappos dll.

Intinya situs ini memang untuk membandingkan hasil pencarian di beberapa mesin pencari, e-tailer, penyedia foto, video, dll, serta kemudahan pencarian dengan sekali klik, untuk membandingkan hasil pencarian dari berbagai situs itu.

Search engine masih menjadi lahan pertarungan dari beberapa perusahaan besar di internet. Meski keakuratan hasil pencarian masih memegang peran paling penting dalam pertarungan, tapi pengalaman user dalam melakukan pencarian juga menjadi bagian penting dalam mengelola user experience. Tampilan dengan warna menarik, hasil pencarian dari berbagai sumber, bisa menjadi pilihan lain dalam melakukan pencarian.
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Google Rilis Chrome Untuk Mac Dan Linux

Google baru saja mengumumkan rilis beta dari produk browsernya Google Chrome untuk platform Mac dan Linux. Namun sayangnya rilis engine Chromium ini ditujukan untuk para developer di Google Code dan bukan untuk end-user.

Hal ini disebabkan Google Chrome (dan Chromium) di versi Mac dan Linux masih belum sempurna dan masih dalam tahap pengembangan dan testing. Bahkan Google juga menyarankan kepada pengguna agar jangan dulu mengunduh dan menggunakan Google Chrome kecuali sudah siap untuk kecewa. Bahkan plugin Adobe Flash saja belum berjalan dengan baik.

Dengan dirilisnya kode Chromium ini ke publik (open source) maka setidaknya penantian untuk rilis Chrome di Mac dan linux tidak akan lama lagi. Meskipun masih banyak hal yang harus dikerjakan untuk Chrome, namun pengembangan untuk versi Mac dan Linux ini direncanakan memiliki beberapa fitur tambahan juga.

Juru bicara dari Google juga menyatakan bahwa pihaknya tidak ingin ada end-user yang mengalami crash atau efek lain dari versi unstable ini, namun jika anda tertarik untuk membantu mencoba Google Chrome dan juga siap menghadapi crash sana-sini, silahkan unduh dan coba.

Saya sih sudah mengunduhnya dan menginstallnya di Ubuntu Jaunty saya, dan untungnya sampai saat ini belum ada crash sama sekali. Masalahnya ya karena belum support Flash jadi agak repot kalau ingin menonton YouTube :D Saya sudah mencoba menggunakan Chrome di Gmail dan Twitter dan beberapa situs lain dengan extensive Javascript execution dan semuanya berjalan dengan lancar, bahkan postingan ini saya tulis diatas browser Chrome juga.

Dan seperti di versi Windows, Chrome ini memang salah satu browser paling cepat dan juga ringan. Namun ya saya baru menggunakan Chrome ini kurang lebih 1 jam, jadi mungkin belum bisa terlihat bug-bug itu di komputer saya.

Untuk anda yang ingin mencobanya silahkan unduh disini, install di Linux anda dan sampaikan pendapat anda di kolom komentar.
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iPhone exploit in the wild and stealing user data

Over the weekend news broke that a worm had started infecting Jailbroken iPhones in Australia. Nobody really took the exploit too seriously as all the 'ikee worm' did was change the phone wallpaper to a picture of 80's pop singer Rick Astley in a kind of warped tribute to the RickRolling Internet meme of last year.

However, I warned at the time that "as code variants continue to appear it is only a matter of time, and probably not that much of it, before a malicious party uses it to deliver a payload that is a whole lot more troublesome than Rick Astley" and my gloomy prediction has now borne fruit.

One researcher, Peter James of Mac security specialists Intego, has revealed that a new exploit is taking advantage of the same vulnerability that the ikee worm did, the often unchanged default SSH password of Jailbroken iPhones. iPhone/Privacy.A, as Intego have creatively named it, will allow hackers to "silently copy a treasure trove of user data from a compromised iPhone: e-mail, contacts, SMSs, calendars, photos, music files, videos, as well as any data recorded by any iPhone app".

The hacker would first need to install the tool onto a computer which would then scan for any Jailbroken iPhones connected to the networks it discovers, and assuming that the root password has not been changed it can then quietly go about its business. Although there is a chance of the thing being installed on a computer in shop, for example, and scanning for devices within range as people mill about, the actual overall risk is pretty low.

For a start it requires a Jailbroken device, either iPhone or iTouch, and it is estimated that something less than 10% have actually been modified in this way. Although this does mean a couple of million or so devices at risk, you also have to bear in mind that many of those who have gone through the Jailbreak process will be of a technical mindset. Exactly the people who read the newsfeeds, who frequent forums such as DaniWeb, who will be all to aware of ikee and the need to change the default SSH root password. All of the time the number of devices that are at risk is being reduced.

So perhaps the 75% of people who took part in a Sophos poll which asked if the ikee worm author had done iPhone users a favour by alerting them to a significant problem in a harmless way and agreed that he had were right after all. Better to get a grinning pop star on your iPhone as a wake up call to a vulnerability than have your data stolen right off the bat. That said, the ikee worm also alerted the bad guys to the vulnerability and it has not taken them long to get right out there and exploit it.

Personally I would have preferred it if the ikee chap had approached Apple with the discovery and let them get it patched before going public. That kind of disclosure is the responsible way to do it and, assuming that Apple acted quickly enough, the problem could have been corrected without any data stealing tools or faded singers being involved. Of course, Apple might say that if you breach the terms and conditions of usage of your hardware device by modifying it in this way then you deserve everything you get.

Certainly, as far as the Apple campaign against Jailbreaking goes this kind of bad publicity is actually pretty good for the company. It can, quite rightly, proclaim that legitimate users have nothing to fear and warn that the security risk is just one more reason that they should not be tempted down the Jailbreak road.

That said, some researchers are also warning that non-Jailbroken iPhones could be compromised if the bad guys look away from this particular access route and start exploiting other avenues such as the SMS hacking trick revealed at Black Hat earlier in the year.
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Google Tries Transparency with New Dashboard

If  we went into an “evil room” and had an “evil light” shined on us, and we then behaved in an “evil” way we would be destroyed… there is a fundamental trust between Google and its users.”
~Eric Schmidt, Google CEO

Google released an exciting new product today called the Dashboard. I don't usually call Google products exciting because it makes me sound like I'm writing their marketing literature, but the Dashboard provides a way to see an overview of all your activity across every Google product you use. And if you're like me, that's a lot. Instead of guessing what information Google has, you can now see it all in one convenient place.

Getting To The Dashboard

Accessing the dashboard is a simple matter. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Google.com.
2. Click Settings > Google Account Settings and your account page opens.
3. At the top of the page in the right column labeled Personal Settings, click View Data Stored with Account (next to the Dashboard label). The Google Accounts page opens with all of the information across each of your Google accounts.

Why It's Great

I always loved that quote at the top of this post from Google CEO, Eric Schmidt above. It suggests that for some reason we should just trust Google with our data. It's an absurd notion of course, and even more so in that ridiculous quote, but Google Dashboard is a good first step. It gives users a one-stop shop to see all of their data and settings.

As individuals interested in accessing and understanding data, this is a huge step forward. For businesses, it's even more important, especially from a regulatory and compliance point of view. It gives everyone, big or small, access to their data in a simple fashion, which is as it should be.

Google's Free Tools Are Attractive and Scary

When I saw Marissa Mayer's presentation recently on the Google's new social search, one thing jumped out at me. You have to give Google information about your social networks in order for the search engine to display social search results. This seemed like a huge thing to ask users, and it goes directly to the heart of the problem many people have with Google. Yes, the tools are wonderful and free and available wherever you go, but any thinking person has to wonder about the portfolio of information that Google has on each of us -- our mail, our search history, what we read and the pictures we take, the videos we watch and the ones we add, and on and on it goes. And the social search would mean Google would have access to our friends too (whom we associate with).

All of this is a bit scary, so you'll have to pardon me if I don't trust Eric Schmidt's assertion that they won't ever step into that "evil room." But for starters, the Dashboard at least gives us insight into what information that Google has on us its databases, and gives us the opportunity to change our privacy settings and to delete services we don't want anymore. It may not be a panacea for paranoia, but it's a start, and I'll take it.
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A Linux Free For All

Have you searched for Linux distributions that are 100% free? Did you find more than one that suited your needs? Well, here's a list of nine from which you can choose your favorite. Free means freedom to alter, redistribute, sell or release as a different product with no restrictions on you or your new distribution.

1. BLAG - Blag is an operating system. Blag has a suite of graphics, internet, audio, video, office, and peer to peer file sharing applications. Based on Fedora, Blag has just about everything you'd ever need for productivity and fun.

2. Dragora - Dragora is an independent distribution of GNU/linux based on the concept of the simplicity. It aims to be a multipurpose, stable and powerful operating system while maintaining the simplicity of Unix. The initial release of Dragora was June 13, 2008. Dragora GNU/Linux 1.1 was released October 8, 2009.

3. Dynebolic - A GNU/Linux distro that focuses on audio/video production with a host of applications such as Jack, SuperCollider, Csound, Fluxus and of course Pure Data with a great collection of externals (PDP, PiDiP, Gem, GridFlow, RRadical, PixelTango).

4. gNewSense - a GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian and Ubuntu, with sponsorship from the FSF. This is the distribution that Richard Stallman himself uses--so you know it's good because he could use any of them.

5. Kongoni - Kongoni is the Shona word for a Gnu (also known as a Wildebeast) the animal which inspired the name of the GNU operating system. The name represents the spirit and history of Kongoni, a GNU/Linux operating system of African origin. Kongoni is a desktop-oriented operating system with a strong belief in being truly free software. This means that Kongoni will neither include nor ship any software not under a license approved by the Free Software Foundation.

6. Musix GNU+Linux - Based on Knoppix and oriented toward audio production, Musix contains a giant repository of free software. Don't let the website fool you; Musix is available in a variety of languages including English.

7. Trisquel GNU/Linux - Based on Ubuntu, with all proprietary and non-free software removed, Trisquel is a free and easy to use operating system with multi-language support.

8. Ututo - The first fully free distribution recognized by the GNU Project. This one is Gentoo based and is actively developed in Argentina.

9. Venenux - VENENUX GNU/Linux is a free/libre operating system primarily for people in Ibero-America. It aims to cover the needs of any type of user, with software for almost every necessity while remaining fast and easy to install. VENENUX is the fruit of the work of a group of people of different Hispanic countries.

There are a few distributions that come close to free but still contain non-free and proprietary software, allow you to install non-free software or advertise non-free software during the installation process. These will be listed in an upcoming post so watch carefully for that. In the meantime, if you can check out these nine very capable distributions and report back to me on how you like them.
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My 5 Favorite Free iPhone Apps

One of the great things about the iPhone is of course the App Store, which is a growing eco system of interesting applications. I tend to stick to the free ones, and not long ago I went and downloaded a bunch of new freebies. These are my favorites from that bunch:

Louvre

This is one cool app for art lovers. It opens to a picture of the outside of the Louvre with famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) glass pyramid, then displays a cover flow with the different parts of the app. You can explore Louvre artwork, take a tour, or explore rooms inside the museum. It's amazing, comprehensive and the navigation is elegant and simple. You can even bookmark favorite places, so you can find your way back easily.

Nasa

If you want to keep up with news from Nasa, this app is a must-have for Nasa fans. It has information on missions and includes images and educational video. For instance, this month it features a video on the Crab Nebula, which is visible in the November sky using a telescope. Like the Louvre app, it's fun and educational, but it also is a very smart move by Nasa because it lets people know what they're doing with our tax dollars (and a lot of it is pretty neat, let me tell you).

ESPN Score Center

I don't know how I missed this one before because it's an essential application for any (American) sports fan. It takes a while to load the first time you open it (I mean several minutes), but once it's ready to go, you can customize the interface to include only the sports you're interested in. What's more, you can define your favorite teams, so they appear prominently at the top of the list of the scores. It also has a ticker with the latest sports news (like you see on ESPN Sports Center) at the bottom of the screen. You cycle through the different sports by dragging across the screen to reveal the next page (in a similar fashion to the Weather app when you add multiple cities). The navigation is not quite as elegant as some of the others, but it's very useful for keeping up with the latest sports news.

The Weather Channel

The standard iPhone Weather app gives you temperature and a general forecast, but if you want a more detailed weather picture, this app is for you. The first time you load it, it asks if it can find your location and then customizes the weather for your location without having to enter any information. You can see the current weather details, an hourly, 36 hour or 10 day forecast. What's more you can view the weather map, video and severe weather alerts for your area.

Yelp

I've been using the Around Me app to find restaurants, but a friend recently recommended Yelp and it offers a similar functionality, but with the user reviews front and center. Once again, it asks to find your location so you can use it wherever you are, then click one of the selections such as Restaurants to find the ones in your vicinity. You can filter by distance, price and whether it's open. I would also like to filter by restaurant type and which ones reviewers liked best (number of stars), but in spite of these limitations, it provides a good starting point for finding food or other stores in an area. Also includes a "Talk" client where you can post questions to people who happen to be online.

So there you have it: my five recent free favorites. Leave a comment and let me know some of yours.
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

5 Ways to Keep Visitors Coming Back

A lot of successful websites depend on returning visitors to account for a major part of their traffic. Returning visitors are easier to convert into paying customers because the more often they return to a site, the more trust they have in that site. The credibility issue just melts away. Hence, keep your visitors coming back to your site with the following methods:

1) Start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox

When you start a forum, chatroom or shoutbox, you are providing your visitors a place to voice their opinions and interact with their peers — all of them are visitors of your site. As conversations build up, a sense of community will also follow and your visitors will come back to your site almost religiously every day.

2) Start a web log (blog)

Keep an online journal or more commonly known as a blog, on your site and keep it updated with latest news about yourself. Human beings are curious creatures and they will keep their eyes glued to the monitor if you post fresh news frequently. You will also build up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is also a real life person behind the website.

3) Carry out polls or surveys

Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction that you should definitely consider adding to your site. They provide a quick way for visitors to voice their opinions and to get involved in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are strongly relevant to the target market of your website to keep them interested to find out about the results.

4) Hold puzzles, quizzes and games

Just imagine how many office workers procrastinate at work every day, and you will be able to gauge how many people will keep visiting your site if you provide a very interesting or addicting way of entertainment. You can also hold competitions to award the high score winner to keep people trying continuously to earn the prize.

5) Update frequently with fresh content

Update your site frequently with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something to read on your site. This is the most widely known and most effective method of attracting returning visitors, but this is also the least carried out one because of the laziness of webmasters. No one will want to browse a site that looks the same over ten years, so keep your site updated with fresh bites!
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What Is The Best Way To Get Traffic On The Internet Today?

You may not believe this, but even though traffic from searches is still very good, there are other excellent options open to you. Having spent a great amount of time targeting search engine traffic, I became quite familiar with the subject of search engine optimization and although many marketing experts would suggest it is difficult, it really is not the case. Nonetheless I am pleased to say there is a way of finding a mix of traffic without having to completely rely on the work of the search engines to get results.

Blogging is a super way of getting traffic, but this has to be done in the right way and needs to be updated at regular intervals. When you blog, you must, of course, social bookmark your post to the top directories, and for your guidance, some of these are listed below.

1. Digg
2. Onlywire (with this method you will get into twenty two directories with one simple click)
3. Propeller
4. Stumbleupon

Carry out a Google search for The Authority Black Book. When you download this information, which is free of charge, make sure you read and understand it. This will tell you all you need to know about using blogging to drive excellent quality traffic in high numbers on a daily basis to your blog.

Another way of getting great traffic is to use Article Marketing. These days if you write for traffic and get your articles into a few of the best article directories, there is no worry about duplicate content penalties.

The top 5 article directories for your articles to appear in are as follows:-

1. Ezinearticles
2. AssociatedContent
3. Goarticles
4. IdeaMarketers
5. SearchWarp IdeaMarketers

No doubt by now you will have noticed the theme taking place here. It’s the theme of getting traffic from your social booking marking directories and from article directories too.

The job of search engines is to give their searchers new and relevant material. You can easily do this for your visitors without having to be concerned with the search engines now or at any time in the future.

It’s a great feeling when you know you are getting traffic every day and will continue to do so even if Google were to totally rearrange the top ranked sites in the blink of an eye, as this will not affect you and your traffic at all.
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How To Use SEO And Blogging To Generate Traffic

If you have a website and market a product or service, or just want to get more traffic to your content site, then you have one thing in mind- traffic. One of the best ways to get traffic to your site is by using blogs to post articles related to your topic. This method is so effective because the big search engines out there love blogs because of their fresh and new content. The most important part about blogging to generate traffic is in optimizing the content of the blogs, a process that is easy to master and can prove very beneficial to your website.

The big search engines absolutely love blogs, especially WordPress. This particular service allows you to setup as many free blog sites as you want, and Google loves it. The search engines index blogs quickly and often and, if you choose to take the extra step in keyword optimizing the content on your blog, then you are going to attract a lot of attention. Make sure you always include a carefully crafted backlink to drive people to your actual sales or content page and you will begin receiving traffic in no time.

Blogging has many aspects that make it an effective marketing tool. Because the popular blog suppliers are so highly ranked themselves in the search engine page rankings, everything they are associated with (linked to) gets spidered and indexed as well. Also, the search engines love all of the new and fresh content that is circulated on such sites, causing them to hang around and spider and index their (your) blogs more often. In addition to sustained traffic generation, if you select your tags and popular keywords carefully, you may also see sudden urges of traffic. All of this traffic can then be directed to your sales or content sites, delivering you the success you want.

Blogs are very popular and easy to maintain, as the website portion is already taken care of and all you have to do is add useful content. Products such as Microsoft Office 2007 also make it easy to update blogs, as you can choose new blog post, type it up and, by adding your login info, it can seamlessly integrate your new content into the blog. This is pretty powerful stuff, considering the value of such sites. With blogs you can add posts as often as you like. Obviously, the more you post, the better for the site, but you can find your own friendly medium and watch the site grow.

Another great way to get attention to your blog is to post comments on other, related blogs. By posting on other niche blogs, you can include a signature file that links to your blog or main site. Once you have that down, the best way to create traffic through blogs is to have multiple blogs on different niches. Each site can be optimized for a different keyword, all pertaining to your main site or product. You can use each blog to promote for that keyword only and then find a way to funnel all traffic to your main site and product pages. This is the power behind blog marketing and can be very effective in creating the success you desire.
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Publish PR to Get Traffic to Your Website

Using press releases (PR) is one of the greatest ways of marketing your website and Internet business. It gives you backlinks, it gets the word out about you in an exciting and informative way, and if you write the PR piece correctly you will never come off as just marketing a product or service; rather, you’ll simply make headlines, and people are very attracted to newsworthy stories.

PR pieces that are well-written really capture people’s attention. Some PR websites require a fee for you to publish there, while others are free. Generally speaking, the paid-for sites give better exposure. They are sites that journalists, bloggers, researching writers, and website owners looking to add or link to interesting content for a new post all frequent.

PR pieces are also a great way of making yourself quotable. You should include quotes from yourself or from someone authoritative about the topic in a PR piece whenever possible. This lends your piece an air of authority and authenticity. A great quote can spread like wildfire on the Internet and really generate a lot of interest in you as a person, which is the best way of generating interest in your business.

A PR piece should follow a specific format and formula to be successful. First, begin with a catchy headline (title). Remember, this should sound like a newspaper headline and be quite informative but punchy at the same time. Read some front page headlines to get a feel for how yours should sound.

Next you may want to consider writing a catchy summary of your article to appear just below the headline. But this is optional.

Your next step is to give a “dateline”. This is where you write the location where the story is generated–it may be the World Wide Web–and the date, written out in full (So, for instance, July 14, 2008). This is followed by a long dash, and then you want to write a sentence that really grabs the reader’s attention but, again, sounds like news and not like one of those midway-hawker online marketing splash pages. This opening sentence should contain very relevant and important information and compel the reader to feel like she’s about to learn something very important if she continues reading. If you need it to be so, feel free to make this sentence quite long (but be sure it’s not a fragment or a run-on).

Most important about that opening sentence is that it’s powerful WITHOUT sounding even remotely like a sales pitch and that it’s chock-full of vital information that makes the reader desire to read more. One of the best ways to achieve this is to open with “[Yourself, your business, or the producer of a product you are promoting] today announced that [latest and greatest event, such as the launching of a hot new product].”

Next, proceed to outline everything someone should know about the newest event. Use straightforward language always, not overly-emotional or hyped. Try to remember your essay-writing classes from high school or college. Save anything emotional for a direct quote from you or someone authoritative like a product producer.

Finally, at the bottom of the PR piece include a brief, informative summary about you or your product, and then follow it up with Contact Information with a link to your website. Go to a site such as “PR Newswire” or “Marketwire” to see models.
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Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Adsense Tips, Layout Optimization Tricks for Higher CTR

Google Adsense is most likely the best way to attract advertisers from across the planet to your blog or website. Submitting your blog to Google for approval and if google approves, you will get you to place their ads codes linking to products/services likely to appeal to the viewers of your blog or website. Each time a viewer clicks a link, the advertiser pays Google , and Google shares the revenue with you.
How to Make Money with Google Adsense easily and without any hassle?

The 26 best Google Adsense Tips and Tricks for earning more from Google adsense program.

Tip 1.
Strictly follow the rules/regulations mentioned in Adsense policies. Trying to cheat the adsense policies results in lifetime ban from adsense.

Tip 2.
Dont ever modify the Google Adsense javascript code as this will result in immediate ban from adsense.

Tip 3.
Don’t ask anyone to click on the ads voluntarily. Do not include incentives of any kind for users to click on ads. Dont write anything near the google ads that may push users to click on the ads.”.

Tip 4.
One of the basic rules is never to click on your own ads – Google is much smarter than you think. google can track all the clicks so you will get busted. You should not reload your pages excessively.

Tip 5.
Ads should not be placed in popup windows, 404 error pages or even pages which has no content.

Tip 6.
Don’t be intimidated by lists of high paying words, you should only blog about what you are good in. Just try to get unique contents.

Tip 7.
For short articles, CTR is best when ads are placed just above the content

Tip 8.
For long articles, CTR improves if ads are placed somewhere in middle of the content.

Tip 9.
Use Text Ads instead of Image Ads as users get more options. Text ads have a better conversion rate. If you still want to display image ads, consider ad formats that support image ads. Image ads ususalyy pay on a number of impressions basis.

Tip 10.
Google Ads without background color and borders always perform better. Make the border color and background color same as your page background color.

Tip 11.
Always put ads above the main fold. Make sure that the ad unit with the highest clickthrough rate is the first instance of the ad code that appears in the HTML.

Tip 12.
Try to put the add url link to a lighter colour .

Tip 13.
Try using the 336×280 large rectangle, 300×250 medium rectangle, or 160×600 wide skyscraper as they have proved to have the best conversion rate.

Tip 14.
Dont ever place adsense ads next to images as this is against the adsense policy which may result in a warning or ban.

Tip 15.
Make ad links look as navigation links on your webpage. Ad links have a great conversion rate if put correctly on the webpage.

Tip 16.
Try to experiment, move your adsense ads through your webpage. You will get a better understanding about your CTR.

Tip 17.
A maximum of 3 adsense ads , 2 AdSense for search boxes, 1 adlink unit and 1 referral button per product is allowed and known to have great conversion without being cumbersome.

Tip 18.
Try to get a good description of your website in the first few lines as this will be determining the ads shown on your page.

Tip 19.
When generationg the google search box code choose to open the results window in a new page so as you have your website open in the viewer’s browser.

Tip 20.
Best place to put adsense search box is top right corner.

Tip 21.
Don’t syndicate full content in your RSS feeds, just put an overview or a brief description so that vuewers will be interested in coming to your site rather than reading everything from the syndicate.

Tip 22.
Use URL channels to determine performance of individual pages. I track my most popular pages with Google Analytics, Statcounter and create a channel for each of the URL. You can even track Adsense Clicks with Analytics

Tip 23.
For low CTR pages, try changing titles or adding more content to get better focused ads.

Tip24.
Try using Free adwords keywords tool to get an estimate of the CPC and according that try to block low paying advertisers.

Tip 25.
The AdSense for search Top Queries report shows you what your users are looking for, by listing the 25 most common searches conducted through your AdSense for search boxes. Use this report to identify additional topics to add to your site, or to keep track of your most sought-after information. Focus and improve that content.

Tip 26.
Not everyone has a RSS reader. Use RSS to Email services like FeedBlitz, Bloglet or Rmail to let users subscribe to your blog by email.

You are the one who can judge what is the best for your site. Try experimenting and you will surely get the best results eventually.
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Where to Place Ads on Your Web Pages and a Profile of Bloggerparty

Deciding where to place your Google ads on your web pages so that they will be most profitable, this is one of the best parts of the whole Google AdSense experience. No one else gets to make this decision except you. It’s your page. You get to decide how many (up to 3 ads per page), what colours and shapes you will use and on what part of the page the ad will be placed. Should you place your ads at the top or bottom, in the middle of the text, to the left or right?

The most important decision should be based on the needs of the visitors to your site? What are they looking for? Are they there to read or merely to browse? If they are there to read an entire article, say, you might try placing your ads at the bottom of the page so they will have something to do next. Some publishers swear by placing the ads at the top left of the page because they think customers look there first.

The fun thing is experimenting with all the possibilities. Try different ad locations and different colours for a week and note the differences in your reports. When you hit on something successful, you’ll see the difference.

Profile of bloggerparty for those who may want to use it for Google ads

Blogger party is another blog hosting website where you can make money with Google AdSense. You create an account and use the publisher id you got when you created your account. If you have not done that yet, that is the first step to making money with your blogs.

At bloggerparty, targeted Google ads will be displayed on your blog pages. Fifty percent of that time, the ads will have your Google publishers ID and the other fifty percent of the time they will have blogger party’s AdSense ID or split between them and the person who referred you. That’s right; referrals get 25% of the ad time, which comes out of blogger party’s share and not the original blogger’s or the referrals.

Blogger party promises ‘party points’ any time you write something or comment on someone else’s blog. They don’t do anything as yet, but later you will be able to trade them in for prizes according to blogger party’s admin.

Why do I need Google AdSense?

Because it’s there, it’s fun and it’s free. If you’re reading this, you obviously have some interest in the internet. You don’t even have to have your own site, although the more sites you use ads on, the more money you will make. For example, anyone can write a blog even if it’s just your own opinion on something.

You can also make money referring other people. By placing a referral button on your site you increase your earnings potential. When a publisher that you referred makes their initial $100.00 within 90 days of sign-up and is eligible for payout, your account will also be credited $100.00. Additionally, they must never have registered for an AdSense account before.

Don’t be intimidated by the html code. It’s already formatted. All you have to do is choose the language and kind of button you would like, and copy and paste the html code to your site. Look for the referral code and more information under support.
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The Benefits of Google’s Adsense to Webmasters

AdSense is a program from Google that you can use to generate advertising revenue on your website. Google runs this ad allocation program that allows webmasters to generate revenue by displaying ads on their sites. The content of these ads is determined by the content on your website which is determined by Google.

They sift through your site’s content and place very relevant ads automatically on your site. They provide text, image and video advertisements that appear on participating websites. These ads appear based on the keywords and content present on the website in question. Adsense is a great way to get more out of your site, by creating an alternative revenue stream.

AdSense is definitely worth pursuing, and the best way to benefit is to build a high quality website rich in content. There are thousands of advertisers willing to pay big money to get exposure for their products online thus providing another benefit to Webmasters by providing another opportunity to monetize their traffic.

This program is all about high quality, targeted content and the more targeted your content, the more harmonized the search engines’ ads will be to your website and its content. Therefore, if your advertisements are targeting your visitors the more likely they will be to click on the ads because they find them interesting with this translating into more profit from your website.

Adsense is also particularly useful for testing a new site to see if it’s going to make the money that was projected during the initial research. This can help determine if any changes need to be made to the site to make it more profitable and whether or not it’s worth the expense to continue with the website in its current format. Another benefit to Webmasters is that Google AdSense is free.

Google does all the work in the sense of supplying the ads and determining which ads would be more relevant to your website. However when it comes down to the final decision it’s up to the website owner as to which ads go and which ones stay. This is another benefit to the webmaster, as well as the fact that he or she can also determine the final look of the promotion in terms of the color and how it fits into the website’s overall scheme.

Another benefit Google’s AdSense is that it rewards you for creating sites rich in high quality, focused content, which in turn makes the Web a better place for everyone concerned. The key to making great money with this program is to place ads on pages that are receiving high traffic for high demand keywords. Once it is enabled, Google will automatically crawl the content of your pages and deliver ads that are relevant to your audience and your site content.

These ads are so well matched that your visitors will actually find them interesting. AdSense has become a popular method for placing advertising on a website because the advertisements are less intrusive than most banners and the content of the advertisements is often relevant to the website.

This program has been particularly important for small websites who do not have the budget or resources for developing advertising sales programs and sales people to deliver advertising revenue. Google’s AdSense is a superb revenue generating opportunity, which offers many benefits for small, medium and large websites online today.
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Why Tuscany Paintings Are So Popular

Tuscany is an amazing place in Italy, well known for it’s history of art and the spectacular landscapes that you will find there. These two reasons, correlate really well with the idea of Tuscany Paintings and Tuscany landscape paintings.

If you’ve never been to Tuscany, you might have seen “Under The Tuscan Sun”, a very popular and romantic movie. There you would have seen the sights of Tuscany, and how amazing they really are.

There are many talented artists that make artwork based on Tuscany, whether it be the homes, landscapes, villages, everything in general about the place is serene. it is a place so unique to this world.

Whether you are looking to get a painting of Tuscany for decorating your home, or for the simple love of art, you will never be dissatisfied with the final product. It’s hard to ruin something that is so fantastic.

Having Tuscany paintings on your wall are sure to add bright colors, a definite point of focus to your room, or wherever you so put it. The picture itself will speak its own words, you do not need to explain it.

To see the landscapes of Tuscany in a movie, and then Tuscany landscape paintings, they are two completely different things, one is actual footage of the place, while the other in an interpretation from an artist, whether it be exact or dramaticized, however it may be.

if someone loves to travel, one place that is a must travel destination is Tuscany, simply because you will not see another place in this world like it.

Tuscany consists of ten provinces, all of which are special in their own way. The land consists of about two thirds consistent hills, not mountains, but not flats. Suttle hills that accentuate the most dazzling sunsets one will ever see.

About a fourth of the land is mountains, which are not as travelled as the hills, or the rest of the land which is flat. The mountains are definitely the least seen, but not to be mistaken.

Out of all the provinces, Florence is the most populated, next to Prato, and then Livorno in a close third. The entire population of the land reaches into the millions.

Tuscany first started to pick up its history in the Bronze and Iron Ages, starting at around 1,100 B.C. A lot of controversy between religion was brought up in the early times of Tuscany, and eventually the land was essentially split into two.

Each province having it’s own strength, for instance, one in banking, another having a dock, specializing in silk, and more. But that time is when Florence rose to the top as the cultural capital, and still holds the title for the most populated province.

Back to the subject. Overall, Tuscany paintings are a great asset to anyone’s home, simply because of the beauty and power that the image holds. Especially in the United States, where you won’t find anything close to what Tuscany has to offer in environmental beauty, having a frame on the wall is a close second though.

Hopefully this article will help you make your decision on purchasing Tuscany landscape paintings, and that you now know a little history to tell your friends and family if they do happen to ask.
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Great Works Of Art Can Take Many Forms

When many regular people think of the word “artwork,” they tend to think of great works of art in a museum, such as a Van Gogh painting or the famous “Mona Lisa.” As many know, however, nothing could be further from the truth, and great works of art are in reality created by people across the world every day. Really great artwork has one single characteristic: it celebrates what makes us human, and it celebrates the different interpretations of different objects and concepts that we all have. Even many modern art contests are starting to appreciate this fact, with categories for amateur artists that award prizes to painters, photographers and sculptures who are able to show a truly unique artistic vision.

As the tools of creating art became more and more accessible to the common man during the twentieth century, the realm of art no longer belonged only to the aristocrat or well-educated crowds. Instead, the masses finally had available to them a medium with which they could express themselves to their brethren and celebrate the uniqueness of their common, and often poverty-ridden, everyday lives. And with the introduction of photographs, and amateur photo contests, the common artists were awarded with a new tool to record the artistic aspects of the less polished world around them. Almost anyone could afford a simple camera, and with that tool they could eternally record the heartbreaking scenes are art that surrounded them in their environment.

And while painting and drawing was always available as an outlet for the more creative among us, the art form or writing was for many years limited to the aristocratic groups who were lucky enough to learn reading an writing. As society has advanced and education has become to be considered a fundamental right of every human being, writing has become an art form that any person, no matter what their background, can excel at and truly express their experiences with. A quick look at the entries in any of hundreds of annual writing contests will show you a diverse number of entrants from people of all castes, income levels, locations and backgrounds. Writing and poetry is one of the most common forms of artwork in the world, although many people don’t realize that it often rises to the level of true art.

Thank goodness that art as a method of expression exists in so many possible forms, and that so many methods of expression are available to people across the world. Rich or poor, a truly creative person has an unlimited number of options available to them when it comes to expressing their feelings, hopes and dreams. And that is what makes art one of the most representative hallmarks of humanity.
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Monday, November 2, 2009

Help Your Child To Avoid Adult Health Worries

We see far too many parents these days willing to keep their child subdued with food treats in the hope that they will be still and quiet, needing less attention. This is lazy parenting and quite clear that the parents either don’t know or don’t care about the knock on effects that this behaviour brings about.

Some parents think that they will score points with their offspring, bringing favour and unconditional love if they give their child everything they ask for. This is not showing love to a child. Sometimes saying no is more loving than giving in.

So, what are the knock on effects and are they really that bad? Given that the incidents of childhood obesity have doubled in the last 25 years, the physical effects of obesity in childhood and later life cannot be ignored.

This is the reason that health insurance companies request information on weight, height and diet. Weight is a serious issue and responsible for a great many health problems that the health insurance companies may well end up paying out for. The higher the weight, the more the health insurance premiums will cost and the higher the risk to your overall health and length and quality of life.

This all begins in early childhood and the diet we receive from our parents is vital in determining our health later on in life. Fat cells are manufactured in the first few years of life to accommodate the amount of fat consumed. At some point the body stops making fat cells and we then have the amount of fat cells that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. They will expand or shrink depending upon the amount of fat we consume but we cannot change the amount in existence.

Massive studies have been conducted throughout various countries and it has been observed that thirteen is a bit of a turning point when it comes to the age of a child’s obesity causing lasting effects. For children that are obese, the risk of adult coronary heart disease was proportionally higher. If a child is obese at the age of seven, a sensible diet and exercise plan will reverse some of the damage done. If a child is still obese by the age of thirteen then the chances that they will suffer coronary heart disease between the ages of 25 and 60, are up by 33%.

Of course, there are other factors that can contribute to a child being overweight, but if the reason is purely taking in more energy than is being expended, then this child is exposed to the risk of heart disease, diabetes, vascular abnormalities, thrombosis, stroke and premature death. Health insurance companies are well aware of these factors because they pay out for health care to try and put it right all the time.

In the UK alone, one in ten children six year old children are considered obese. This has doubled in the last twenty five years and this is the time when parents need to nip it in the bud. The government are rolling out initiatives to educate parents and children about healthier lifestyles and diets and it takes a concerted effort for us all to stick to.

If we could take a look inside our bodies at what we are doing, if we could take a look into the future and see not only the health problems that will be avoided but all the heartache that goes with it, we may think twice before we shut our babies up with more food.
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Switch To HEPA Filters And Breathe Easier

Having a respiratory illness can, at times be debilitating and leave the sufferer feeling uncomfortable and unable to breath properly without difficultly. If you have breathing problems then you will understand just how problematic it can be to be in an environment that is stuffy and stale with dust particles and other debris floating around. Just a few minutes spent in a room that is poorly ventilated can be agony and leave the sufferer feeling ill for some time. One of the best ways in which to avoid situations like this is to use a good filtration system.

Today the best filter that is around and can be a massive a help for anyone with breathing problems and allergies is a HEPA filter. HEPA or high efficiency particulate air filters are the only filter that can eliminate 99.995% of all airborne particles, leaving the air fresh and clean without any pollutants. This makes them the ideal choice for anyone who has trouble breathing, suffers from allergies or begins to feel unwell when in an atmosphere that is stale with little ventilation.

When HEPA filters were first developed they were primarily used in hospitals to aid health and prevent the spread of airborne bacteria. These filters were also fitted with ultraviolet, high energy light units which were designed to kill any remaining bacteria that were attached to the filters. Although these type of filters are not needed in the home or office they are still used in hospitals to stop the spread of illnesses.

If you are looking to change the filters in your home or workplace to HEPA ones you are making the right decision as HEPA filters will make the world of difference to the air quality in your home or office. You can fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system which will mean that the risk of breathing problems due to dust, dust mite faeces, pollen and other irritants is reduced significantly. You can easily fit HEPA filters into your air conditioning system without the need to replace anything else or incur extra cost other than that of the filters.

Perhaps you would like to have even greater protection from other allergy inducing particles such as pet dander or dust and mites in carpets and upholstery. If this is the case you should invest in a HEPA filter vacuum cleaner which will get rid of 99.995% of the particles hidden in fabrics which also contribute to poor breathing.

One thing is for sure, when you switch your regular filters in your air conditioner to HEPA filters you will soon be breathing the cleanest air you can, and you will feel much better for it. So if you value your health and the health of your family or workforce use HEPA filters. If you need assistance with changing your filters in your air conditioning system get in touch with your local HVAC professional who can help you with a filter solution to meet your needs perfectly.
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Dieters and Diabetics No Longer Need to Swim Against the Current

Most of us have heard about the benefits of eating certain kinds of seaweed. But recently, scientists have discovered a type of carotenoid called Fucoxanthin that is being haled as the new miracle food. It’s an antioxidant that experts believe promotes weight loss, and can even help to treat diabetes and cancer.

Fucoxanthin is found in wakame and hijiki, two kinds of brown seaweed, as well as some forms of red and green seaweed. This is the same seaweed that consumers find wrapped around most of their sushi rolls. At one billion years old, wakame is one of the oldest types of ocean plants ever discovered that still exist today. Asians have been consuming it for thousands of years and visibly benefit from it.

Some animal testing in labs has determined that Fucoxanthin will help treat diabetes in the near future. The supplement can diminish insulin and blood glucose levels by promoting the development of DHA in the body. DHA, otherwise known as omega-3, has proven to decrease bad cholesterol, balance insulin production and improve metabolism.

The improvement of triglycerides, and thus metabolism, instigated studies at the Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used as a weight loss tool. It turns out that Fucoxanthin promotes fat burning by escalating the use of thermogenin. This stimulates a protein called UCP1, which turns energy to heat by oxidizing body fat.

The process of metabolic thermogenin is when the body burns fat for use as energy. This is the same process that is used by bears to stay warm in the winter when they hibernate. In other words, a person could stay perfectly still for a long time, and still burn fat while taking Fucoxanthin as directed. It also seems to have a positive effect on the kind of fat that attaches itself to the heart, abdomen and other organs thus reducing heart disease and helping to control diabetes. In studies, rodents lost about 10% of their body fat when given Fucoxanthin as 2% of their diet.

The other use found for Fucoxanthin is quite astonishing. There has been some test-tube evidence that Fucoxanthin may help fight tumors. This particular use is inconclusive, but more research is being done to find out if Fucoxanthin can be used to help fight tumors in cancer patients along with other medical treatments.

Rich in vitamin C, beta-carotene, riboflavin, vitamin B12 and B6, among others, wakame is a very wholesome food. Although it’s tempting to go to your local sushi bar and load up on sushi and sea weed salad, it is important to know that sea weed actually contains fairly large amounts of iodine as well. Consuming large portions of it can lead to iodine poisoning which can harm the thyroids.

While this does not mean that eating seaweed is unsafe, it is much safer to get Fucoxanthin in the form of a pill or supplement rather than gorge yourself on Japanese food. There seems to be no known negative side effect of taking Fucoxanthin as a dietary supplement.

Susan Chadwick writes for Global Health News, covering topics in all areas of health, from weight loss to internal cleansing.
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