computermining

Manage your IT in the right place.

2014-03-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

The rapid development of technology now forces all companies do not miss the vatal result for the company's future .

Many ways in which to keep updated on any developments , but not a few companies that failed and finally prustasi caused by limited human resources . All costs have been prepared and issued ultimately wasted without getting the expected results .

Nowadays you do not have to be afraid anymore and do not need to bother to manage your IT company , since many IT consultants who can provide the best solutions in managing the company's technology and are ready to help you to be ready to compete in the era of globalization .

LookingPoint is " IT Consulting Firms " , which has been supported by experienced and skilled professionals who are experts in their field , ready to help your company's business communications and to always adopt the latest technology to provide the highest quality support , also helps power companies from the IT burden and freeing companies to conduct outourcing of the burden of managing the technology that the company is more focused on running the business .

LookingPoint not only as the "IT Consulting Firms", but also provide other IT services which you can choose according to your company's business needs, such as : Network Consultants, IT Service Providers, IT infrastructure consultants, security consultants, etc. .

Before you make a choice enterprise IT consultant who will handle it, you should carefully beforehand so that everything is not wasted, we recommend submit all of your company's IT needs to LookingPoint .

Promote Your Site with Facebook

2012-05-08T00:31:00.002-07:00

Right now who is not familiar with facebook. Ranging from children, teenagers to grandparents in general know. Many of the benefits we can get it from there, either to find a friend or to run a business.

Facebook is one of the best Social Networking sites for website promotion. You can expect a big increase in your website business from the effective use of Facebook.

Your Facebook page should be the focal point for your business's brand the place where you project your company's image to your customers and prospects. This is your chance to show the world what you're business is all about.
Many people go to Facebook to connect to family and friends and people they have not seen in a long time.

First, although Facebook has the option of creating a business account, it is better for you to set up a Personal Profile for yourself that will be solely used for the purpose of promoting your business.
According to its description of Business Accounts, Facebook states: "Business accounts are designed for individuals who only want to use the site to administer Pages and their ad campaigns. For this reason, business accounts do not have the same functionality as personal accounts. Business accounts have limited access to information on the site. An individual with a business account can view all the Pages and Social Ads that they have created, however they will not be able to view the profiles of users on the site or other content on the site that does not live on the Pages they administer. In addition, business accounts cannot be found in search and cannot send or receive friend requests."

Setting up your Profile
It is very important that you familiarize yourself with Facebook's Terms of Rights and Responsibilities in order to make sure you are following their rules.
Once you have created an account for your business, fill out your profile as completely as you can. This is your best advertisement and will help you start to establish your brand. Be sure and include your contact information along with your personal web site or blog URL. Remember you are your brand so you want to pay attention to all of the details that will help build your brand.
Be sure to include content that will build your brand strategy. This includes :

Regularly posting helpful links, suggestions and notifications
Choosing a profile image that portrays your company's branding, and is easily recognizable
Posting photos that represent your business's "personality" (remember, people buy from people, so include photos of yourself or your employees)
Encouraging sharing and interaction among your Facebook followers
Quickly responding to feedback in a professional way

Managing your Settings
As soon as you get your profile started, you need to go into the settings in your Facebook account and set your preferences that allow you to keep parts of your profile private. You don't want to take the chance of something inappropriate appearing on your Facebook page.
Next, when setting up your page, Facebook offers 20 + pages of Applications such as the Blog RSS Feed Reader Ap, which you can customize to look like a mini version of your actual blog or web page, that allows you to integrate feeds from your company's blog if you have one as well as to other social networking accounts that you have set up. Use the information tab of your profile to provide links to specific pages on your website such as your contact form or products and services page, along with information on how your readers can subscribe to your blog or newsletter.

Begin Networking!
15 key steps that are relatively simple but will allow you to have maximize your success with using Facebook to promote your website:

Vanity URL: Now that you've gotten your Facebook up and running you can reach out and connect with potential customers and business affiliates. Facebook has added a Vanity URL feature that you can use to create web address which is specific to your page, is static and can be used to help others find your profile easier.
You can include your Social Networking URLs in the signature line on all of your emails as well as posted on your website. In addition, you can feature this unique URL on all of your business supplies such as business cards and letter head.
Search Feature: Use the Search feature at the top of your Facebook pages, using key terms such as Business Networking, Business Marketing, Intellectual Property and so on to look for people and businesses in your industry that you can connect with. A list will generate featuring People, Pages, Groups, Applications, Events, Web Results, Posts by Friends and Posts by Everyone found as a result of your key term search. Try multiple search terms, including pluralities of words to make the most out of your searches. Search often as new profiles are added to Facebook each and every day.
Start sending Friend Requests: Click on the link for People and scroll through the list looking for potential leads and contacts. Send friend invites to anyone who you feel would be a good contact for you and your business. As your list grows, you will also see that every time you refresh your home page, Facebook gives suggestions of others who you may potentially want to connect with based on those already in your friends list. Check there every time you fresh your homepage to see if there are others who may be of potential interest that you can also connect with.
Join Networking Groups: From your original search list, click on the link for Groups. Search for groups and fan pages that you feel are relevant to your business and industry that may be of interest to you or who's fans you feel would benefit from your products and services.
Click the link to become a fan and then post a quick hello in the Write Something box to introduce yourself to others in the group. Go back often to the groups you join and post things that you feel will of interest to the group.
Create a Group(s) of Your Own: Go to your home page and click on the Groups link on the left hand side of the page. A list of the groups you are a fan of will pop up. There you can create a group or groups of your own that is pertinent to your industry and will be searchable based on the terms you feature in the title and within the posts that you and your "fans" post to the group. Make sure it is set so that your group members can invite their "friends" to join the group as well. Be sure and mention your Facebook group on your main Facebook page, in your blog and on your website. As more people come to your group, they will invite others to the join the group and the group will continue to grow.
Create a Discussion Board: Facebook features a Discussion Board Application that you can use in conjunction with your Facebook page. Featuring a Discussion Board allows you the opportunity to post interesting topics pertinent to your business and in turn enables your customers and potential prospects to tell you what they think, feel and desire. It will help you get to know your customers better putting you in a better position to customize your products and services to your customers needs.
Keep a Calendar of Events: If you are planning to attend or host a business function that will be open to the public or perhaps you will be traveling to a specific part of the country, post a calendar on your Facebook page (they have one in the 20+ pages of available applications) letting your readers know. Post upcoming events including webinars, conferences and any other upcoming events you will or someone from you business will attend or host.
Stay Active and Current: And post regularly on your Facebook Profile Page, Group(s), Fan Pages and on your Discussion Boards in order to keep your group members interested and coming back for more. Post interesting tidbits that are relevant to your field. Remember as each person connects with you, you have the potential to connect with everyone they are connected with.
Build Awareness: Facebook offers very affordable, targeted cost-per-click advertising options that can be laser-targeted to the city you do business in. You only pay per click, so costs are minimal. Also, a Facebook page or group can be created to help get the word out about your organization.
Distribute Information: Local businesses need to affordably communicate events, news, products and services. Facebook allows you to leverage your personal and professional contacts to share information-- for free.
Create Community: Social networking serves to bring people together. Your local business can brand, build, and boost business by creating a Facebook page or group so your local contacts can converse with each other. Let your community become your best sales people and free focus group. Listen to the conversations and allow raving fans to share and get in on the conversation.
Offer Additional Customer Service: Through Facebook, you can answer questions, receive free feedback, promote events, and provide news to be of additional service to your locally-based audience. Facebook gives your prospective and current customers an additional web option to find and connect with you.
Boost Sales: Local businesses have to fight harder than ever to survive in this tough economy, but your business can have a competitive edge with Facebook. Tapping free social networking tools like Facebook to build awareness, share information, educate, build community, increase connection, and enhance customer service will all work in unison to make sales.

Promote Your Site with Twitter

2012-02-23T01:25:00.007-08:00

You may already be on Twitter, but are you using it for promoting your website - and to get targeted visitors to your site? Twitter is a real powerhouse of traffic if you take a little time to learn how to do it.

How Does Twitter Work?

Twitter allows users to post messages up to a total of 140 characters, which includes punctuation and spaces. Not only can you tweet via your computer but also through your mobile telephone networks as well. And given that most telephone services limits texting on your cell phones to 160 characters, Twitter opted to limit it to 140 leaving you with 20 characters for your username. The messages that you post are public and can be read by anyone who signs up to “follow” your twits.

Create your company profile

Go to twitter.com and click sign up now. Enter your company name just as you want it to appear in the “Full Name” field. This is your user name or “handle” by which you will be known on Twitter. Use the shortest name that describes your company. Preferably your company or website name (without the .com) if its available and not over 20 characters.

Note :

Be sure to read through the Twitter Rules and Terms of Service to stay out of trouble.

Learn the Twitter lingo

Although Twitter seems easy enough, understanding the special terms used to communicate will make using this social network much more effective. Read Twitter 101 ( http://business.twitter.com/twitter101/learning) to learn about each of the terms used in with your Twitter account.

Personalize your profile

Go into Settings and give your company or website a face. Upload a picture, such as your logo or homepage screenshot. Then add the names of those who will be tweeting on the account. Its especially important to pay attention to to bio section. It is limited to 160 characters so you need to determine the best way to describe your website and/or what you do. Use some of your most important keywords. Space is limited to one line in the bio section, but you can go to the design tab and utilize the background image on your profile to post additional information.

Begin tweeting

Remember Twitter allows you to post messages only up to 140 characters long, including punctuation and spaces. Its also best to use a casual, friendly tone, or even some humor to keep your tweets from being too dry or boring. a good idea is to make your followers feel like insiders with behind the scenes looks at your company. Write tweets about breaking business news, post links to your website, as well as to other sites or articles you think your followers may be interested in.

Retweet Posts

Especially tweets by others that you feel will be of interest to your followers. Always make sure your retweets provide value to your followers. This will eventually make you more visible to others who may not have found you otherwise.

Make Connections

Twitter isn’t just an advertising medium, its a Social Medium. Get out and communicate. Use the search box on your Twitter homepage to search for other professionals in your field. Use key terms, specific to your website such to search for mentions of these keywords by other websites, your visitors and potential visitors. When you find interesting tweets you can choose to follow those individuals who posted the tweets. Say hello to be personable. Twitter also has a Find People section to search for specific people, companies or websites by name.

Find out what people are saying about you

Type your company name, website name or products into the search box on your Twitter home page and discover where your company and products are mentioned.

Building Relationships

Respond immediately to any complaints posted and send thank you notes to those who give praise. Offer helpful hints and quickly answer any questions or issues about your site or services.

Promote your Twitter account

Promote your twitter account wherever you can. Post a Twitter badge on your website, connect your Twitter and Facebook accounts. Add your Twitter URL to your signature line for your email.

Tips to help you get the most out of Twitter

Be sure your posts are interesting! Its just as easy to choose to un-follow you as to follow you.
Follow others. The more people you follow, the more people will follow you.
Know your goals. Knowing your goals helps you determine what to post and when to post it.
Use shortened URL’s. You only have 140 characters, and can often use more than the allotted space for the URL alone. Use the Bit.ly (http://bit.ly) to shorten the links you post.
Use DMs (Direct Messages). to send private messages to other Twitterers who are following you to personally address concerns.
Retweet Often, but make it good stuff! Retweeting is a common form of communicating on Twitter.
Pay attention to the Trending Topics on your Twitter search page. These most mentioned terms show you what most people are paying attention to right now and can be used for topics on your own Tweets.
Don’t spam people by sending unsolicited @messages or DM’s.
Don’t post the same messages to a multitude of accounts, or tweet the same things over and over, or to a multitude of accounts.
Do not “follow churn” or follow and unfollow the same people over and over.
Ask for feedback. ask friends and followers to give you feedback on your website or products/services.
Put a Twitter icon on your homepage.

Update your Sitemap

2012-01-09T18:53:00.000-08:00

Updating a SitemapPrint Google recommends initially submitting your Sitemap using Google Webmaster Tools. This will ensure that your Sitemap details are readily viewable on the first tab of the Sitemaps page in Webmaster Tools. In addition to Webmaster Tools, you can also submit (and resubmit) your Sitemap using the following methods :

Sending a HTTP request to Google Including your Sitemap location in your robots.txt file

Resubmitting a Sitemap using Webmaster Tools On the Webmaster Tools Home page, click the site you want.

Under Site configuration, click Sitemaps. Select the Sitemap you want to resubmit, and then click Resubmit.

Resubmitting a Sitemap by sending Google an HTTP request.

If you do this, you don't need to resubmit it using Webmaster Tools. The Submitted column will continue to show the last time you manually clicked the link, but the Last Downloaded column will be updated to show the last time our system has fetched your Sitemap.

To resubmit your Sitemap using an HTTP request :

Issue your request to the following URL:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=sitemap_urlFor example, if your Sitemap is located at http://www.example.com/sitemap.gz, your URL will become:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=http://www.example.com/sitemap.gzURL encode everything after the /ping?sitemap=:

www.google.com/webmasters/tools/ping?sitemap=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.yoursite.com%2Fsitemap.gzIssue the HTTP request using wget, curl, or another mechanism of your choosing.

A successful request will return an HTTP 200 response code; if you receive a different response, you should resubmit your request. The HTTP 200 response code only indicates that Google has received your Sitemap, not that the Sitemap itself or the URLs contained in it were valid. To obtain status information about your Sitemap, resubmit it using Webmaster Tools account. We recommend that you resubmit a Sitemap no more than once per hour. An easy way to do this is to use the Sitemap Generator to set up an automated job to generate and submit Sitemaps on a regular basis.

Note :

If you are providing a Sitemap index file, you only need to issue a single HTTP request that includes the location of the Sitemap index file; you don't need to issue individual requests for each Sitemap listed in the index.

Including your Sitemap location in your robots.txt file

To tell search engines about the location of your Sitemap, include the following line in your robots.txt file (updating with your own path and filename) :

sitemap : http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

Three Key Steps in Writing Meta Tags

2011-11-09T00:55:00.000-08:00

Here are three good step in the writing meta tags :

1. Adhere to character limits

Title tags are critical because search engines not only use them when deciding what a web page is about, but they also appear in search results as the first line “Title” of your listing. Think of title tags more as a "Title Keyword Tag" and include keywords that users would likely search for to find the content on that page. Keep them short and sweet. They are the first thing people searching for your site will see, and can never be more than Google’s limit of 69 characters, including spaces.

Description tags are right behind title tags in importance. Each search engine allows for a specific number of characters (including spaces) to be shown beneath your page title in search results listings. These bits of your web page that appear in search results are known as “snippets.” Description tags will often be the text search engines choose to display as your snippet, and can have a big impact your search traffic. Writing your description tag to be completely within Google’s limits means you have control over what appears. Aim for one that is between 100 and 156 characters- so that it both reads well, and fits well.

2. Use Your Keywords

The keywords used in your title and description tells your targeted audience this page is what they are looking for. Users searching for particular words will naturally first examine page titles, but if they still cannot determine which site best addresses their needs, they then turn to the most relevant page descriptions. By placing 1 to 3 keywords into both your title and description (which will appear in bold in the description tag if they match the search term), you’re assuring search users that your site isn’t in their results by mistake, but because it’s what they are searching for. You should always write them, and the page they are on, with 1 to 3 very specific keywords or key phrases that are also used within the content of that page.

The title and description tags should always be specific to the page they are on and contain key words or phrases also found in the page heading, and the first one or two paragraphs of that page. Google compares words and phrases in your title tag and description tag with page content to be sure they are “relevant.” It will ignore your tags if they are not.

3. Write with flair, but be accurate.

Your primary goal is to write something that will entice people to click thru to your website from your listing in Google. Your tags need to be attention getting, as well as an accurate description of what users can expect to find on that particular page. One easy way to do this is to have your title and description tags mirror the opening paragraph of the page they are on, but be shorter: more concise and more dramatic.

Most Famous Breaches of Email Security

2011-10-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

It seems that nobody is safe these days when it comes to the internet. After a number of hacks taken out on social networking sites like Twitter and multiple user outlets such Sony’s Playstation network, it would seem that internet trolls are just one step closer to getting into our personal email accounts. But it’s not just us that are at risk – celebrities, businesses, public services and government organisations are the prime target. I mean, who wouldn’t want to know what gossip-worthy gems lurk inside Britney Spears’ mail Inbox? Unfortunately, it is extremely unnerving to know that there’s a chance our medical records and bank details might be viewable to the public if certain email accounts were hacked, not to mention national security.

Web companies such as http://www.sslpost.com/ are doing their very best to ensure that our email accounts are well protected with encryption methods and secure delivery services , especially for businesses who are constantly sharing contact numbers and financial info inside messages. Unfortunately sometimes one little hacker can slip through the net - quite literally – if we’re not careful.

Here we look at some of the most famous breaches of email security.

Gone Phishing

One of the most well-known ways that hackers managed to compromise email accounts in recent years has been the conception of the Phishing site. Whilst nowadays, most email providers offer software to spot these menaces, they can occasionally be so convincing that we fall victim.

Basically, how phishing works is that a website or email appears legitimate but is actually an imitation created by the hacker to resemble the official website. An email will usually require you to click a link where you’ll be asked to re-type in your email password or enter personal details. This will then be intercepted or sent to the hacker who will use your information for doing bad, bad things. Hundreds were lured in by these scams after they made their appearance in the mid- 2000’s and caused a whole new revolution in the way email providers handled their security.

Sarah Palin

American politician and Republican Sarah Palin caused quite a stir when she ran for Vice President of the United States in 2008. During the Presidential Election, then-teenager David Kernell hacked into the private Yahoo! account belonging to Palin and then posted her details on image board site 4Chan. However, the way he did it could not have been simpler. All he had to know was her email address, birthday and zip code.

By researching details about her life such as the high school she attended and the place she met her husband on Google, Kernell was able to use the password retrieval function to answer her secret questions. Kernell was lateracquitted of his crimes after appearing in court but maintained that he never found anything of note except some boring ‘clerical emails’ from when she was a governor.

Gmail

Google is probably the most-used search engine in the world so you’d assume that having a Google mail or Gmail account would be as save as houses. Apparently not…

In June 2011 a huge hack into the Gmail accounts of senior government officials from the US, China and South Korea was exposed by an internet blogger.

The alleged ‘cover up’ had been reported by Mila Parkour, an IT worker based in Washington, DC. Unsurprisingly, this was explained to be another phishing scam where the login page of Gmail had been replicated almost perfectly. The difference this time was that important military and government personnel’s accounts had been compromised. In result, China was blamed for what was described as ‘purely political’ attack on Google who had previously clashed with the Chinese government over censorship issues.

Though there is no solid proof that China are solely responsible for the hacks, the origins traced to the Shandong province and the attack caused a panic among US officials who labelled it as an “act of war”.

As techies worry that the world may be drawn into a technical arms race for information, Gmail have attempted to warn all users about such scams by improving their security systems and posting a ‘spot the difference’ page to deter people from entering details into phishing sites.

Climategate

In 2009 a controversy surrounding The Climactic Research Unit at the University of East Anglia emerged when a server was hacked and thousands of emails and computer files were copied.

But why were CRU, of all organisations, targeted?

Anonymous sceptics believed that the documents which were exchanged by the scientists at CRU contained evidence that climate change was a hoax and a ‘scientific conspiracy’. Emails were said to withhold evidence of manipulated data and discussions between scientists in which they supressed the claims of their critics. Believed to be achieved by a hack into CRU’s back up mail server the emails were released as a smear campaign prior to the Copenhagen Summit on climate change in order to dissuade those attending the summit.

The incident was investigated extensively though to this day the hackers have never been caught and CRU have been forced to rebuild their reputation to sustain the message on climate change.

HBGary

Almost ironically, technology security company HBGary Federal suffered a hacking scandal in February 2011 when chief executive Aaron Barr claimed he was going to reveal names of the hacker group Anonymous. In response they gleefully hacked the HBGary Federal site and, according to Forbes magazine, stole 71,000 emails. The emails were posted online and exposed ‘dirty tricks’ offered to clients such as blackmailing, forged documents and other cyber-attacks showing a more sinister side to the HBGary organisation. Many clients distanced themselves from the company during the fallout whilst Barr and his family suffered anonymous threats. Barr was later forced to resign from his newly tainted company.

R-Pattz gets bitten by hackers

If you’re going to hack a few government officials you might as well go for the big daddy. Although playing a pasty, Nancy boy vampire in films and complaining about how you’re constantly stalked by girls is not a justification for an unfortunate invasion of privacy, it didn’t stop us from cracking a tiny smirk when actor and British heartthrob Robert Pattison’s email account was hacked by a fan in March. Following Pattison’s admission of a 17 year old girl infiltrating his account, Famous magazine then twisted the tale in a deceiving headline that implied Rob’s emails were rather incriminating. Unfortunately, all it revealed was that the former Harry Potter star is just as boring as we expected and that some teenagers really are a tad crazy.

Easy Steps SEO to the Top 10

2011-10-24T20:27:00.000-07:00

SEO companies are making a fortune by doing the menial work that is overlooked by many designers. It is easy steps to do most of the work done by most SEO companies, all you have to do is create good habits.

There are 9 main points you should focus on :

Keywords

Keywords are the most important aspect of good SEO, this is where you tell the Search Engines what your site is about. Search Engines use an algorithm to determine the "Keyword Density" of your site, this formula is:

Total Words ÷ Keywords= Keyword Density

Use this formula on your competitors web site and see how they score, then aim to beat that score.

Choose keywords that best relate to the information, products or services that you are offering. For instance, if I am designing a site about "Web Design", I want my site to include the words "Web Design" as many times as possible.

However, most people don't just search for just one word, they type phrases, so you should consider the phrases that best suit your sites target market. For example, if I am creating a site about "Web Design" in New Orleans, I would include "New Orleans web design" in my keywords. Another way around this is to not separate my keywords with commas, just use spaces, and the Search Engines will make the phrases for you. The most important thing to remember is that the content of each page is different, so only use keywords pertaining to that page.

URL Text

When you name a new page you have the option to call it anything you could possibly think of, why not se a keyword? After all, the URL address is the first things a search engine comes across when indexing your pages. You have to remember content doesn't come easy to everyone, so you gotta slip in your keywords when the process gives you an easy one.

Description Meta tags

These tags are dwindling in importance since Search Engines are now looking at content, but every little bit counts.

Optimize your meta tags to match your content, products, and services, and the Search Engines that still look at meta data will reward your efforts.

Title Tags

Title tags are the tags that tell the Search Engine the title, or formal description of the document or page. This is the word or phrase that is seen at the top of the browser window. The most important rule about title tags is, don't put anything in the title tags but keywords. Once again this is an easy time to slip in your keywords, so don't miss out.

Image Names

As I said before, content doesn't come easy to everyone, so slip in your keywords whenever possible, this applies to image names. If you are saving a picture of a guy working on a computer for your web design web site, don't call it "some_dude.jpg", call it "web_site_design.jpg". The Search engine will look at the code for the site and see the image pertains to the content of the site and this will be another relevant element on that particular page. You have to take the easy ones when you are given a chance.

ALT tags

Alt tags are keywords that you can attach to images, giving more weight to the image since Search Engines can't analyze the content of the image itself. Here is a chance to slip in more keywords without writing great content, use it.

Heading tags

Heading tags are associated with the bold font that leads into a section of text.

Web Design

Web Design Inc. offers custom web site designs.

Your heading tags should only be keywords, and should be presented in the order that your Meta tags follow.

H1= first meta tag, H2= second meta tag...

Try to utilize all 6 heading tags on each page to ensure maximum page optimization.

Content

As every expert will tell you, "Content is King." Each web page should have at least 350 words on it, and the more the better, but keep in mind the formula for keyword density. You don't want to fill a page with 1500 words of jibba-jabba and only 5 keywords in it. Some people get hung-up on how browsers display text, and use images with text in them because they want a cool font, but browsers can't read the text embedded in images, so this content ads no weight to the page in a Search Engines eyes.

Linkbaiting is the new trend among high ranking sites. Linkbaiting means writing quality content, or articles that other web sites can display on their pages as long as they give credit, and a link to your site.

You don't have to be a vi or emac expert to write good web content, just be thoughtful of how you word things and incorporate your keywords.

Hyperlinks

Hyperlinks are text links to other pages on your site. The rules of SEO and hyperlinks are easy:

• Use hyperlinks so the Search Engine will have a text link to follow to the next page
• Don't use one word links, use long link phrases, preferably keyword phrases
• Use bullets, or some sort of small image that you can attach an ALT tag to, this will ad more importance to the link, and throw in a couple of free keywords for you.

Keep these 9 aspects in mid when designing a site, and you are sure to have a leg up on the competition.

Good luck and success always for you.

Roulette number review – can a software really beat the odds?

2011-10-23T22:04:00.000-07:00

Roulette number is a software that is based around progressive betting, that is somewhat related to the martingale system. It is a way that ensures you will always end up winning and cover all your previous losses eventually. The bad thing about the martingale and other similar systems is that in order to come out winning in the end, you would have to have unlimited funds and no minimum and maximum bets. The roulette number software avoids that, by utilizing a very unorthodox and yet simple approach. As you are about to learn from this roulette number review, this is probably the only software, that will never lose you money – at worst, you will simply cover your losses.

Is it really possible to win an odds-based game?

Not only is it possible, but it is actually easy, provided that you stick to a working system like this one. Keep in mind that the roulette number software is not a magic wand, but a proven and working system, which anyone who wants can use to be profitable when playing the roulette. Look at it this way – usually, when you play the roulette without any system, you turn out either loosing or winning. With a proven system, like roulette number you will always end up either winning, OR just clearing your losses.

One of the most shocking things is how much ‘hidden’ information there is on a simple game like the roulette. On first glance, it might seem that it is simply a chance-based game, and you either win or lose, based on your ‘luck’. There are literally principles, that you can apply, which will always make you profitable in the end. Most people however, do not know about those principles. They are the elusive obvious.

A common flaw of most roulette systems is that they only work with odds higher than 1 in 37. If you play using martingale for example (which is rarely possible today, because of some added rules to the game), and you assume your odds will be 1 in 37, you would not be profitable, because in order to just cover your losses, you would have to bet millions. That’s where the roulette number software comes in – it is a way to maximize your chances of winning exponentially, by following an extremely simple system that is proven to work, as you have learned in this roulette number review.

Tips to get traffic from Google

2011-09-15T23:50:00.000-07:00

Google has created a set of guidelines (requirements and recommendations) to help small businesses get more search traffic. Meeting these guidelines has a dramatic effect on your Google traffic, and traffic from the other top search engines as well. Your easy-to-use SEO Checklist makes it easy.

First we analyze every page of your site to calculate your Google Site Score.

This "Overall Site Score" grades your site on how well it meets Google's guidelines. It's made up of individual "Tool Scores", one for each critical guideline. The individual Tools help you zero in on exactly the issues that need attention.

Your Essential SEO Checklist tools:

1. Google Blacklist Check

The first step is to check to be sure your site is not being penalized by Google or other search engines. Most sites don't know if they are on Google's so-called blacklist. Getting on the list is easier than you may realize. Something as simple as linking to the wrong site can do it.

This tool checks Google's banned domain name list to see whether or not your site is currently being penalized, banned or blacklisted by Google. If it shows that your domain is blacklisted it will also offer you tips and information on how to get the ban lifted. We recommend you perform this check at least once a month.

2. Get In Google

Automatic creation and submission of a Google compliant XML Sitemap gets more of your pages listed in Google within 72 hours. New sites get listed within 24 hours. Guaranteed!

You'll know exactly when Google acknowledges receiving your Sitemap submission, and exactly when Google reads it and visits your site to begin listing your pages.

3. Link Building

One of the best ways to build valuable links is through listings in high quality "authoritative" directories. Your free Attracta Business Directory listing gives your site prominent links and important "business directory citations" that are referenced by all major search engines. You also receive an additional SEO boost from a Google recommended HTML sitemap and an optional Google Location Map.

4. Social Networking

Social networking increases search rankings, builds traffic to your site and helps your gain "authority" within your area of business. This tool verifies that you are promoting your site through Facebook and Twitter, the two most important social sites. See our SEO Tips section for step-by-step instructions on using these two powerful social media sites to increase your search rank and traffic.

For more information, please visit http://www.attracta.com/

Source :

http://www.attracta.com/

SEO Principle

2011-08-22T00:17:00.000-07:00

Search Engine Optimisation otherwise known as SEO is the means for improving a website's ranking in Google, Yahoo, and Bing. The more time and money a company spends on SEO, the more chance they have of being the first search result listed by Google - which is of course the ultimate goal of any website; to be easily found by their potential customers.

One of the simplest techniques is altering the text, or 'content' on a website. To do this an SEO company must first understand the website's target audience, who are they and what words do they type into Google when they are looking for this particular website? If you are in the automotive business, then people might be searching for your services under 'auto shop Auckland'. But there are many possibilities, and it is the job of a good SEO expert to investigate those options for you and compile a list of your best keywords and phrases.

Once those keywords and phrases have been researched, your content can then be structured effectively so that it is 'optimized' and SEO friendly. It is usually best to have professional help with this, so talk to your web development company about what they would recommend. Other methods include linking, (both internal - within your own site, and external - other websites linking to yours) and implementing meta-tags, subheads, and website descriptions throughout your web pages. As a general rule with search engine optimization, 'content is king', so much of your success will depend on the quality of the content on your website.

Other important SEO principles come into play with techniques like 'Black Hat' and 'White Hat' SEO strategies. These two methods have very different principles behind them, and it helps to understand the differences before talking to a web development company about tactics for your website so you can make well-informed decisions.

Search engines cater for SEO companies to a certain extent and regularly publish ways to increase a company's search engine visibility through good design, carefully crafted content, and good internal and external linking strategies. Many SEO strategists follow these guidelines. They are known as 'White Hats' and are generally accepted to achieve more long lasting, effective results for website rankings.

'Black Hat' SEO companies use methods that search engines don't approve of or even deception to increase a website's visibility. Examples would be hiding bulk keyword rich text on your website by using a background font color or small font size. Search engines often impose penalties on Black Hat SEO companies - pushing their websites down in search result rankings and occasionally removing their sites from there databases altogether.

Be aware of these differences between Black Hat and White Hat strategies, and make sure that you entrust a reliable NZ web design or development firm with the task of increasing your website's SEO effectiveness by using tried and tested SEO principles. You'll be amazed at how powerful the results of good search engine optimization can be for your business!

If you can follow SEO strategies properly of course you may get good web presence in search engines. Some of the SEO NZ companies following a good SEO strategies and gets results. Search Engine Optimization nz companies will help your web presence more stronger.

Social Bookmarking

2011-07-25T20:14:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of "Social Bookmarking".

What is "Social Bookmarking" and what is the use of "Social Bookmarking"?

Social Bookmarking is an act of publicly saving favorite urls for people to see and use.

Social bookmarking is a great way to share and store important or favorite website urls with family, friends, colleagues, and the world.

Many people use their navigator toolbar to save all the website urls they want to visit at a later time. However, when they come across a really useful site and they want to share with others, they e-mail all of their friends to tell them about the site. Instead of having to e-mail an entire address book there is a new trend in sharing websites, it is social bookmarking.

Social Bookmarking

Using a social bookmarking service helps users in saving and tagging their favorite sites. This is useful because the next time a user needs to find a particular bookmark, they can search for a tag word to find the website. Also, using a bookmarking service is helpful for everyone online since bookmarking is sharing information.

Advantages of Social Bookmarking

Bookmarking from a service is easy to use. Users never have to worry about having to be on their personal computer to access their bookmarks. The services allow access to bookmarks from any computer hooked up to the internet.

Bookmarking is a great way to share favorite bookmarks with family, friends, and colleagues. Especially in a work environment, the ability to collaborate about an important website becomes much easier from a bookmarking service where the website url is already stored, ready for use.

Bookmarking doesn’t have to be only shared with users circle of acquaintances but with a much broader audience. Not only is user’s favorite website urls stored for everyone they know to see but also to every user online to view as well. Then users comment and vote on their favorite bookmark. Now it becomes a great marketing tool, too.

Disadvantages to Social Bookmarking

Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to social bookmarking. One of the most common complaints is that there is no controlled vocabulary or subject headings. Sometimes tags are misspelled or tagged inappropriately.

Another disadvantage is that there is no standardized structure, such as using singular or plural forms when tagging bookmarks. There are no subject headings and occasionally some websites are not tagged at all. This can be particularly frustrating.

Advantages for Bookmarking a Personal Website

Personal websites are created to be viewed by online users. However, the conundrum of every owner is how to drive more traffic to their website? Social bookmarking answers this question with their service. Users are more likely to trust a friend who recommends a website then a search engine.

Personal websites will see an increase in link popularity when they are added to a bookmarking service. Search engines will discover the personal website link on the social bookmarking service, thus adding to the link popularity.

Personal websites can gain in popularity also if the owner connects with other website owners and promotes each other’s products. This is called cross-social bookmarking.

SEO Rules

2011-07-21T20:47:00.000-07:00

As a practice and industry, SEO is constantly evolving. Sites are seemingly at the mercy of the search engines, who usually can't be bothered to give the site owners a heads up before they update their algorithm. Every few weeks it seems like someone is heralding the death of SEO, but evolution does not equal demise. Over time, tactics and methods change to work inside the guidelines of the search engines and to meet the needs of the online user, but the core fundamentals of SEO have remained the same.

Here are 7 basic rules of SEO :

1. Understand User-Intent

Keyword research is the cornerstone of any SEO campaign. Understanding user-intent when conducting and selecting your keywords is critical to getting your SEO off on the right foot and helping the right audience find your site. For instance, are "gym shoes," "sneakers" and "tennis shoes," the same thing? For some consumers those three words are completely interchangeable. But if a tennis player were looking for a new pair of shoes, they would search using "tennis shoes" and expect a very specific result. It doesn't matter how you would search for your brand/products, it only matters how your target audience searches. Targeting the wrong keywords because you failed to understand the intent of the search means you'll miss out on potential traffic and customers.

2. Don't Rush Your Link Building

It is crucial for the search engines to see a diversified approach to link building that slowly grows over time. A blended approach demonstrates your commitment to white hat link building and building your online presence naturally. The search engines are very aware that they are playing a game with spammers and black hat SEO users, and they don't plan on losing. If you develop too many links too fast, even if they are good quality links, this can raise a red flag with the search engines and your site could be penalized.

3. Content is King

Content is anything that is public and shareable. This includes blog web page content, blog posts, articles, podcasts, videos, whitepapers and more. It is also the most important factor of a website's long term SEO success. Content should always be written for the end user, not for the search engines. You have to remember that the search engines are not going to be the ones purchasing your products or services, people are. Optimize your content so the search engines can find it, but don't forget that it has to be human friendly first.

4. Be Strategic, Not Spammy

This is especially important in regards to social media marketing and social SEO. If you really wanted to, you could create a hundred different Twitter profiles to promote your content through. But what kind of real value are you getting from those profiles other than a link? You don't have to tackle every aspect of SEO at once. Frankly, there just isn't enough time in a day to take on that much work upfront. Pick and choose your battles so you don't overdo it. Flooding the online market with low-quality SEO doesn't help build your brand or reputation.

5. SEO is Long Term

This is probably the hardest thing for those new to SEO to wrap their heads around. SEO is not a quick fix to your online marketing. No, you won't be ranking on the first page of Google for all your keywords by tomorrow, next week, or even next month. This is especially true if you recently launched your site. It takes a long time to build up your trust factor with the search engines.

SEO builds upon itself over time, but that doesn't mean that once you have reached the first page in the search engines that you get to pack it up and call it a day. The Internet is continually growing and evolving. If you want to stay at the top, you have to keep working for it. It doesn't take long for your site to slip down in the results pages if you abandon your SEO.

6. Follow Search Engine Guidelines

Google, Bing and Yahoo want you to do well with your SEO because it helps clean up their search results. A better SERP makes for a happier search engine user. Search engines are in the business of pleasing the customer, just like everybody else. If your site can't help them do that, you won't ever rank well. That's why every site owner and marketer has to read the Google and Bing Webmaster Guidelines. Consider those guidelines your SEO line in the sand. If they call something black hat, then treat it as such and avoid it. It can be very tempting to test out the black hat side of SEO, especially when you see your competition doing it and seemingly getting away with it. Just don't! Sooner or later the search engines catch on and your site will be penalized.

7. Integrate Everything

Just about all your marketing online (and offline marketing) efforts can be leveraged for SEO. One of the biggest mistakes you could make is keeping your actions in separate silos. SEO works best when it is incorporated into the mix, becoming an essential component of your marketing online. If your company has a large marketing department, don't segregate the SEO guy back to the IT department. Bring him aboard the marketing team and you'll achieve greater online success.

The Best Photo Printer

2011-07-19T21:14:00.000-07:00

Have a nice printer, with good print results are of great importance to us who want it. For that we need to be careful in your choices.

Identifying the best photo printer can seem like an overwhelming task with the choices that are now available to consumers. However with a little planning and research individuals can find the right device for their needs.

There are several factors that an individual may need to consider before buying a photographic printing device. It is highly recommended by some experts that the person take the time to note what they are looking for in a piece of equipment. Different people have different needs. For instance, People who travel will have different needs from someone who is using this equipment for work related reasons.

Researching manufacturers may also be helpful. Some manufacturers will be known for making certain types of devices. For example, compact printers may be made by a manufacturer who is known for having the best portable printers for travel. While another manufacturer may specialize in printing devices for professionals.

Affordability is important for those who want to stay within a budget. Models can vary in price due to features, specifications, and various other reasons. Individuals who have a price range in mind and know what they want before they set out to buy a device may be able to find the deal that best suits them and their needs. It is also important to note that the more features the device has the more it may cost. Individuals will need to consider what features they need that are essential and then look for a device in their price range with those features.

Brands also will play a large role in a persons final decision. If a person is already using technology from a particular brand they may also decide buy the same brand for the printer. However, comparing two different brands may still be necessary if they are similar in price and features but have more specifications.

People may also want to consider how well known a particular brand is too. Popular brands have a proven track record for the types of equipment they manufacturer. Also it will be easier for the individual to find reviews of a particular model or brand by visiting online consumer sites where people provide insight into what they experienced with a piece of equipment they bought.

Features of a certain brand or model will vary for individuals. Depending on the types of situations the person plans on using the device, certain features may be more important than other such as Wi-Fi connectivity and how many pages the device prints per minute.

Most of these types of equipment will also include extra features such as memory card slots, extra displays for viewing pictures and other features. Depending on the model and type, these features may cost more than basic model brands.

With a little planning and comparing a person can find the best photo printer for their needs without going over their budget. The more information that a person can obtain on the device they want, the more likely they will be able to succeed in buying the printing device that meets or exceeds their expectations.

And do not forget, feedback from friends, family and other associates are also very necessary to assist us in determining who we will choose a printer.

SEO Specialist's Tips

2011-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

Whether you have an effective SEO plan for promoting your website?

Recheck your plan.

Roughly, any SEO has to make the following vital steps:

Choosing the right keywords
Optimizing your site's content
Cleaning and organizing your site's structure
Finding places to get backlinks from
Building a wide network of quality links
Monitoring website rankings over time

1. Choosing the right keywords

Keywords can make or break your website promotion campaign. Ideally, a good keyword meets these requirements :

It describes your business, product or service — or some part of it.
It is frequently used by people when they make searches in Google or other search engines.
Online competition for this word is not too tough (not too many websites are already optimizing for this keyword).

2.Optimizing your site's content

Before getting down to any off–site activities, you've got to make a persuasive, good–looking and search engine friendly webpage.

Any webpage has two sides. One is informative and user–oriented content that will keep customers spending money on your site. This is not part of SEO so we're not talking about that now.

The second side is smart usage of your keywords in each element of your page's HTML code (this is what we call onpage optimization). The result is, Google, Yahoo! Bing and other SEs look at your webpages, understand that they are topically related to your keywords and start showing these pages to visitors who search for these words.

3. Cleaning and organizing your site's structure

So that your every single SEO effort hits the point and brings in maximum effect, you need to make sure that your site works fine as a system.

Before you start promoting any of individual webpages, you need to optimize the entire website so that there're no issues which might prevent the site from ranking well.

Therefore, you need to check every single area where your site's performance might fall short — and fix it.

This includes:

* Broken links
* HTML code errors
* Duplicate content
* 404 and other server response code errors
* Not indexed webpages
* Missing or too long titles and meta descriptions

and all other issues that interfere with your site's rankings

4. Finding places to get backlinks from

That's where off–page optimization starts. You need to get lots of links pointing from other websites to yours (aka backlinks). Here are the essentials of a good link:

* The link should come from a thematically related source

* This source should be a well–established site trusted by search engines

* The link should use your keywords in its visible part (called "anchor text")

Although it is not 100% necessary for the link to comply with all these requirements, the closer your links are to this ideal, the better. The quickest and most reliable way to find good links is to see where your top–ranking competitors are getting them. As soon as you know your competitors' link sources, you can try to get links from there as well — and up you go in your Google rankings!

5. Building a wide network of quality links

How do we get all the links we need? Some sites buy links, some have very useful and popular content and get links without even stirring a finger. Millions of sites exchange links with one another.

Quite often we have to ask for a link. It's nice to contact the owners of some really important websites in person — send an email explaining why they should link to you and how your website's content could be useful to their own users.

6. Monitoring website rankings over time

The easiest way to see if your SEO efforts are bringing results is regularly checking your website positions in search engines.

When you know each change in your rankings you're able to figure out which activities are the most profitable for you. You can notice mistakes and take quick action to correct them.

SEO Tips

2011-07-03T23:25:00.000-07:00

Don't let your website is not listed in search engines.

Here are some important things you should consider that your site listed in search engines.

1. Page Title

Forget using 'Welcome to my website as your page title, if you really want to attract target media specify your keywords and list your product keywords separated by an | (hold Shift + backslash key) symbol (eg: Digital Cameras | Video Cameras) will boost the strength of your chosen keywords, in this case Digital and Video Cameras.

2. Page Filenames

Still naming your page filenames as products.htm or aboutus.php, why not add some weight to your website and help the SE distinguish from the multitude of pages with generic names and again utilise your keywords into your filenames (eg: paper_back_novels.htm) for a Book selling site with this link to the list of Paper Back Novels.

3. ALT Tags

Again keywords play a huge part in the design of your site and another area to include these words is in your image 'ALT" tags.

4. Header Tags

Getting back to your Page Title, there is no point in making the heading text "Welcome to my Website" especially if you are selling Garden Tools. Using , and tags to emphasize your Products and Services in order of importance, lets the SE's.

5. Bold Text

Got something to say?, say it in Bold Text, this tells the SE that this text is important and relates strongly to your content and keywords and should be taken notice of.

6. Keywords

Some say they aren't that important anymore to getting results in the SERPS (Search Engine Result Pages) but using them correctly can add to your sites overall effectiveness. Concentrate on 3 - 4 keyword phrases (eg: "custom website design" or "web site design" for web site designers) and make sure they are used in the first and last paragraphs of your home page content.

7. Google Toolbar

Not only a search tool the Google Toolbar displays each sites Page Rank according to Google on it popularity and web presence.

8. Alexa Toolbar

Download the Alexa Toolbar from Amazon and sign up to their affiliate program, the toolbar is an essential tool in gauging the popularity and hit results of how your website ranks in the www.

9. RSS Feeds

Want to increase traffic? well consider starting a RSS Feed on your website with important news items relating to your business and your chosen profession then link these to your articles.

10. Article Writing

Article writing is another way to cross promote your site with helpful information for others and with links back to your site.

10 Useful Tips for New Sites

2011-06-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

As SEO experts are bound to point out, it's a process that needs to be carried on over time and considered whenever you make any changes to your site. As a new site you'll need strategies to assist you in climbing the ladder to good Internet ranking placement as quickly as possible.

The way you link, both internally and externally from your site, is crucial for achieving results in today's competitive market. Getting help from an SEO Agency can give you the advantage you need when it comes to search engine ranking and those all-important hits on your site.

Here are 10 very useful tips on links and linking architecture for anyone with an interest in SEO, and if you're involved in marketing of any kind over the Internet, then that's you.

1. Think About Who Links to You

You'll already know the value of reputation when it comes to marketing your product or service. If sites that are associated with good quality products are clearly seen by users and search engines to link to your own then this will reflect well on you.Pay close attention to the number of .com and .co.uk sites that link to you, for example, and think carefully about ways in which you can encourage others to do likewise.

2. Think About Who You Link to

The same rules as before. Linking to good quality sites reflects well on your own. Keep up to date with innovations and developments and stay relevant with fresh links on your pages. Try to develop a balanced portfolio of links on your site.

3. Avoid Broken Links

As part of ongoing site maintenance for SEO you should be aware of any links that are no longer in use and remove them from your site.

4. Think About Relevance

This is very important. Link to sites with a clear relevance to your own only. Search engines pay special attention to this, as do users, and every irrelevant link on your page is detrimental.

5. Internal Links

Think about internal links and whether your site is user friendly. Make the most of internal links and get some advice from SEO experts about ways to link internally that will benefit your site's ranking.

6. Maps

Think about linking back to homepage and site maps. Make your site as easily navigable as possible. This will encourage users and benefit your site as search engines see these links when they probe it. A map is a useful way to introduce internal links and make the site easier to get around.

7. Link Building

Think about the use of exact match terms for link building. Build links using exactly matching anchor text. Remember though, don't get carried away - an excess use of keywords can be as bad as a lack. Using terms you want to rank for and that summarise the topic referred to, in moderation, can strengthen the ratings of your site by search engines.Find a balance and use your senses. If you feel that you've gone overboard with repeated words or phrases in your internal links then you probably have.

8. Avoid Cloaking

Search engines are increasingly sophisticated at detecting 'black hat' or unscrupulous SEO techniques. While it may be tempting to improve your popularity on the net by attracting unwitting visitors to your site, be aware that techniques that accomplish this can get you into trouble.Users and search engines are alike in their approach to cloaking - they don't accept or tolerate it. Stay within the boundaries to avoid problems.

9. Strategise

Have a solid strategy for linking to, from and within your site. Think before you link and use every intelligent strategy at your disposal. Getting advice from website optimization specialists can really help.

10. Look at Where Your Competitors Link

This is legal and it can give you an advantage or at least level the playing field somewhat when it comes to links. Go to Yahoo and type in link: www.competitorsite.com to get access to useful tools for viewing your competition's linking activity. Remember that knowledge is power.

The Best Computer Microphone

2011-06-30T00:42:00.000-07:00

Sometimes abbreviated as mic, a microphone is a hardware peripheral originally invented by Emile Berliner in 1877 that allows computer users to input audio into their computers. To the right is a visual example of a USB headset from Logitech with a microphone. A popular solution for computer gaming.

There are quite a few top quality computer microphones available today but which one gives you the best value for your money? This article will look at the 3 best microphones on the market so you make a more informed decision before you part with your cash. This way you'll know that you'll be getting the best computer microphone to suit your needs.

USB mics have had a bit of a bad reputation in the past but recent technological advances have improved the quality of recording significantly. With these three mics you can now hear the clarity with minimal background noise to offer pro sound quality. User demands are varied and these three mics encompass every requirement from recording vocals and instruments to podcasts, speech and even VoIP.

So long as there is USB port on your PC, all three of these mics will work on both Windows and Mac. The issue of compatibility is nil for the users of these microphones. Not one of the microphones needs any extras to be installed so using them couldn't be easier.

The first one that comes to mind is the Blue Yeti mic, attractive and with professional sound quality. This is the universes 1st THX-certified USB microphone and uses Blue's proprietary three capsule science to make sure your sound is the nearest to studio-quality that's possible. The Yeti has a headphone input allowing you to monitor your recordings and also has controls that let the user adjust headphone levels, mute and microphone output gain enabling real-time recording control. For a range of sounds it has the option to choose 4 different polar patterns.Stereo mode uses both the left and right channels. Cardioid mode records sounds that are right in front of the mic. If you want to capture sound from every direction, the omnidirectional pattern is good for including ambient sounds. Bi-directional position records from the rear and front of the capsule.

It comes complete with an adjustable stand that allows freedom to change the direction of recording. For a complete bundle, the features are plentiful in a single microphone. Its old fashioned appearance gives it a "groovy" feel and it will look great at the side of your PC.

Another quality product comes courtesy of CAD and their amazing CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone. This microphone permits budding engineers to record studio-quality audio straight into a computer smoothly. There is no software or driver to install so it is simply a case of plugging it in and starting recording straight away. If you're looking for rich and warm recordings, the large diaphragm mic is the one most often used for vocals and instruments. To reduce ambient noise and unpleasant background sounds, there is a bass "roll-off" button.

Other modes offer the feature to vary the sensitivity giving you the option to capture ambient sounds if you want. The generous 10-foot cable allows for maximum flexibility when choosing where to place it as having it next to your PC or laptop may not always be possible. Apart from the cheesy appearance of the CAD U37, this microphone does does it all and does it quite well. It has the ability to pick up the full texture of sound in a room in order to fully capture ambiance.

These 3 products fit 3 different price-ranges according to one's budget. Blue Microphone's Yeti is the most pricey out of the three but is surely worth it in terms of the features and sound quality. The CAD U37 Studio Condenser Recording mic and the Samson Go Compact mic both retail for around the same price and they are considerably cheaper than Blue's Yeti. Depending on the type of user, this is a very good value - the CAD or the Yeti for home recordings and the Samson being ideal for the type of user that is always on the move.

The Samson Go Compact USB Microphone is the last on the "best-buy" list. We hear that good things come in small packages and this wee mic follows that rule. It is custom built so that it can clip directly onto your laptop which means you can record on the go. It's really good for recording songs, podcasts and Skype should that application ever come along but the ability to capture sound in the field is superb. For different kinds of recording it features both the Cardioid and Omnidirectional pattern choices. The omnidirectional mode allows users to capture an entire room - ideal for impromptu band practice wherever. Since this mic still offers superior sound for such a small size makes this microphone a must for anybody who needs to record in different places.

Windows XP and Vista Uptime

2009-02-13T13:12:00.000-08:00

If you leave your computer running 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week), you might be interested in determining the amount of uptime that has accumulated since your last reboot. Luckily, it's very easy to find that information in both Windows XP and Vista. Let's take a look!

Tracking Uptime in Vista

To find Vista’s uptime, right click on your taskbar and select Task Manager.

Now, with the Task Manager open, click on the Performance tab and you'll see the amount of uptime listed under the System section.

Tracking Uptime in XP (Professional edition only)

To find the uptime in XP, go to Start, Run, type in "cmd" and then click OK.

That will bring up a command prompt. Type in “systeminfo” (without the quotes) and then hit Enter. It will take a few minutes for the analysis to complete and get your results, but when it's finished, you'll see your uptime listed in days, hours, minutes and seconds.

Find your uptime today!

Password Protect Folders in XP

2009-02-12T09:11:00.000-08:00

Do you share a computer with other users and want some extra security on your folders? There are two ways to password protect a folder built into Windows XP (for other Windows flavors, there are some freeware/shareware programs out there).

#1: If you have a log in password for your account, this can be used to protect folders from other users. Your hard drive must be formatted using NTFS (which it probably is unless you're dual booting with another operating system). Here's what to do...

Right-click the folder that you want to make private and choose "Properties" (or Alt+Double-click). Go to the "Sharing" tab and check the "Make this folder private" box.

Click Apply . If you do not have a password on your account, a box will pop up asking if you want to assign a password. This must be done if you want to make the folder private, so click Yes . You will need to use your password to log on to your computer from then on.

Type in a password then confirm it. Click the "Create Password" button then close the Password window.

Click OK in the Properties dialog box.

Now anyone else logged on to your computer can't access that file without knowing your password.

#2: If the Folder is Zipped you can give it a unique password.

Just double-click the zipped folder. In the top menu select File then click "Add a Password".

Type a password into the Password box. Then again in the "Confirm Password" box.

Now, you are the only person who can access files in this folder. The folder can be opened allowing the files to be seen, but you are the only one who can access them.

Google Knol

2009-02-11T14:24:00.000-08:00

According to Google, a knol is "a unit of knowledge, an authoritative article about a specific topic." The Google Knol service just reached 100,000 articles and it's finally being recognized as a potential competitor to Wikipedia. If you'd like to learn more, here’s how you can get started reading and contributing to Google Knol!

Reading It

Reading a Knol is simple! All you have to do is point your Web browser to http://knol.google.com and search for whatever you'd like to read about. The search is powered by Google, so you know it’s good!

As you can see, there are a lot of Knols (774) about Barack Obama, ranging from his foreign policies to buying cheap Obama memorabilia. Knols can be written by anyone, so the content varies quite a bit.

Writing Your Own Knol

To write a Knol of your own, go to http://knol.google.com again and click on Write a Knol.

Click on the Write a Knol button again. You’ll then see the basic structure for writing a Knol. You can choose your license as well, which I think is great! Pick from three Creative Commons licenses (saying that people can use it, but with conditions) or All Rights Reserved (only under limited circumstances can people use it).

Happy Knolling, my friends!

Pictures From Phone to Computer

2009-02-11T00:02:00.000-08:00

We all know that cell phones are one of today's big crazes. An even bigger one is camera cell phones. Before we know it, all cell phones will probably have camera abilities, because the world today likes to see real images rather than just words. So, it may be a good idea to know what you can do with the pictures you take on your phone after the shooting is done.

Picture Messaging

A common way that people transfer photos from their cell phones to their computers (that doesn't really have any additional cost from your regular monthly bill) is picture messaging. It works pretty much the same as text messaging; you just have to have text messaging enabled on your cell phone. If you don't, this method will not work.

Note: Expect this method to be a little different for various phone models, but the following directions are pretty basic and similar for all phones.

If you would like to send a picture to another person's cell phone or if you want to e-mail a picture to a friend or even to yourself, you just need to open your phone and go to the Menu. Find your phone's Media Gallery and then choose Pictures. At this point, you can pick the photo you'd like to send. Once you have it chosen, go to Options and choose Send in Message (like you're sending a text message). This is where you choose to send it to one of the Contacts listed in your phone or if you want to e-mail it to someone or yourself. Pick the person you're sending it to and push the OK button and then Send.

You can also send text with the picture if you want to do that. If you end up e-mailing the picture to someone, you will just have to type in their e-mail address and they will get it in their Inbox. You just need to make sure the person you're sending the picture to has picture capabilities too.

Data Cable

Another way you can transfer photos to other people is to put them directly onto your computer, so you can e-mail them to your friends or save them to a disk or a CD. So, to do that, you have to have some sort of a USB data connection kit, which comes with the cable cord that plugs your phone into your computer's USB port and the software that will help you in transferring the pictures from your phone. You usually have to purchase these kits separate from your phone. The store where you buy your phone should have them available and they will be able to tell you which one will work with your type of phone.

Once you have your phone and computer connected, you can start transferring the pictures. Again, keep in mind that these kits are phone specific, so you need to make sure that you get one that will be compatible with your phone model.

Bluetooth

Another way to handle the pictures on your cell phone that is becoming more popular every day is a wireless technology called Bluetooth. Bluetooth works with short-range wireless technologies that allow you to easily send photos from your phone to a laptop or desktop computer. The computer you are sending them to just has to be equipped to accept the pictures.

The most difficult (but it can sometimes be fairly easy) part about Bluetooth is matching the phone to the computer, so they are both compatible with each other. But, once that it is done, sending the images couldn't be easier.

As long as your phone has the Bluetooth software on it, you can send the images without any extra charges billed to you. You can also send photos to other Bluetooth users' phones without any wires or additional charges. This seems to be the most versatile way to go if you're looking to maybe spend a little more money up front for the Bluetooth works, but it will save you money in the long run when you don't have to pay any extra charges when sending your pictures back and forth.

E-mail

Another way for you to send pictures between your friends and family is to e-mail them. Your cell phone has to have e-mail capabilities for this to work, but a lot of the phones these days come with that ability. You can e-mail them to other people or, as mentioned above, to yourself. You just have to type the e-mail address in the To: field just like you would if you were using Outlook Express and it will be sent.

If you see something while you're out and about that you just have to take a picture of, you can snap the photo on your phone, send yourself a quick e-mail and when you get home, the picture will be on your computer waiting for you. You can then send it off to other people or do something like set it as your desktop wallpaper.

Removable Memory Cards

Another new technology that is presenting itself with camera phones is an external memory card for your phone. The phone just comes with a slot for the card and you can transfer the shots to your computer in a snap. You will need to purchase an external memory card reader so it will all work, but it's one of the easiest ways to go if you takes several pictures with your cell phone.

When you have the card reader installed, you just remove the memory card from your phone, insert it into the reader and your computer will recognize it as another drive. You can then drag and drop the photos wherever you want them to go, e-mail them to others, etc. The options are pretty endless with this choice. You can then get rid of the existing pictures on your phone (since they're on your computer and not lost) and go out and take more. It's that easy!

Just one more reminder: all of these applications work differently with different phones, so make sure you refer to your phone's manual before doing anything you're not sure of. But, all in all, this is all really cool when you think about it. Who would have thought we could do so much with a little phone? Technology is just out of this world!

Google Earth 5

2009-02-10T08:16:00.000-08:00

It seems like not that long ago, I was telling you about the release of Google Earth 4. Well, lucky for you, Google has been on top of their game and they just released the next version, Google Earth 5. The new Beta version has some really cool new features you just have to check out!

If you've used Google Earth before, you probably already know about many of the features, such as being able to look up anywhere on the planet and see awesome aerial satellite photos. Well, version 5 even introduces something you've never seen before! With Google Earth 5, you can go below the ocean and explore the sea floor. How cool is that?!

Other than looking into the ocean, you can also look into the past. With the new version of Google Earth, you can click on the clock icon and see how places looked in the past and how they have changed over time. That feature is awesome for looking at progress while something was being built, such as a stadium or sky scraper.

If you think you might like all of the new features, you can check out Google Earth 5 for yourself right here. Enjoy!

Opera 9.6: Speed Dial

2009-02-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

Here's another dose of the Opera Web browser for you! If you didn't already know, the people over at Opera recently released the new Opera 9.6 and it's now available for download here. Opera claims to be the only browser that comes with everything you need to be productive, safe and speedy while online. Let’s take a quick look at the Speed Dial feature available in the new version. Here we go!

Speed Dial is a new method of quickly browsing to your favorite Web sites. When you hit the New Tab button, instead of the usual blank page, you'll see a 3 x 3 grid. The grid takes up the full screen and it's laid out in the fashion of a telephone dial with numbers from 1 to 9. Each number can be populated with a different URL, selected from either your existing favorites or entered manually. Now, I know you might be thinking that nine speed dials is not nearly enough. Well, lucky for you, there's an easy way to increase the number of speed dials. Let's check it out, shall we?!

1.) Open Opera and go to Help, About Opera. That will open a page that shows the version information, as well as, other useful information about Opera. Check the Paths section and copy the path for the Opera Directory.

2.) Close Opera and paste the path into the Run dialogue box. Hit OK and you'll then see the Opera profile directory.

3.) You’ll see the “speeddial.ini” file in the folder. Open the file in Notepad and add the following lines to the end of the file:

[Size]

Rows=4

Columns=5

In the above code, 4 and 5 are just examples. You can replace them with your desired numbers.

4.) Save the file and open Opera again. Now, you’ll be able to see more speed dials in Opera!

Excel Cells to Word with Usable Results

2009-02-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Have you ever tried to copy and paste cells from MS Excel to MS Word?

What happened?

I bet you went to Excel, highlighted the cells, copied the cells, went to Word, pasted the cells and poof, there they were!

Sounds great, doesn't it?

Yes, and it can be, but if you're using Word and Excel 97, there are some slight problems.

You might notice that you can't seem to easily move the cells.

Oops! No handles to grab means no easy moving.

In addition, if you're looking to make the whole thing bigger, you're going to have to go through a bit more trouble. With no handles, there's no easy click and drag option to change the size.

One more thing: for those of you who like to embed the cells into your text with text wrapping, you're out of luck there too.

Now, if you're using a newer version of Excel and Word, things aren't as bad!

You can move the table using the four way arrow that appears in the upper left hand corner when you click on the cells. Plus, there's a resizing box in the lower right hand corner.

I even found that you can wrap text around them.

But I also found that the resizing wasn't what I had in mind.

When I used the resizing box, the whole thing got bigger, but it just didn't look "pleasing" to me. The text stayed the same small size and everything seemed spread apart.

That's not really the effect I was going for. When I resize, I want the whole thing to scale larger or smaller. I don't want to have to do a lot of reformatting to get the end result.

I'm a "grab the resize box, drag and drop" sort of girl. I have no patience for all the rest!

So, what's the solution?

I mean, I love to use Excel to create my tables and then take them to Word. (After all, it's already broken into a grid, so I don't have to draw one).

Well, one idea is to copy in Excel and then use the Edit menu (Home tab on the ribbon for 2007), Paste Special choice in Word.

In the Paste Special window, you should then select Microsoft Excel Worksheet Object as the type and click OK.

Voila! Your Excel data in Word is formatted in a way that allows for easy resizing and text wrapping.

I should also mention that the data can be edited from Word. Simply double click on the data and it will convert it to an Excel worksheet for editing.

It's just one more way to have the best of both worlds!

Computer Problems

2009-02-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

When your computer is creating mess for you and you can not find right solutions, you set out in search of experts to pull you out. And the first choice is always the manufacturer. Then, you notice that your warranty with the manufacturer has expired and your computer is no more eligible for free computer support or repair from them. In such case the best thing you can do is search for online computer help and support.

Outlined below are some tips you can follow to narrow down on the most appropriate computer support vendor who can offer you the best value for your money.

1. Always shop around before settling on any particular source: Shop for different support companies and go ahead with the one which has better array of support services along with appropriate charges. It is completely futile to pay a hefty amount of money for something which you will use just once or twice.

2. Get credentials from experienced people: Do not sign up for any software support services if you are facing problems with your computer hardware. At times, computer users get baffled among which services to choose from. If you are facing a software issue, it will be more advisable to contact hardware service companies instead of software solution providers.

3. Look out for trail support packs: See if any trail pack is available with any good computer support company. Also never compromise on the quality of support services. Do not end up paying too much for something which was least useful. Ensure about terms and conditions with the computer service provider.

4. Always give out minute details of your computer problems and never shy to ask your computer support technician anything you feel suspicious about. Do not let them experiment with your computer; it can lead to more loss than the actual problem Also, do not expect computer experts to guess everything happening on your PC.

5. Check for different packages on different websites if you are considering availing remote computer support online support. If you have been facing regular problems with your PC, it will be better to sign up with long term plans.

Daisy is a technical and security specialist associated with multiple tech firms including iYogi. iYogi is synergistic ally aligned to offer computer repair,computer support, microsoft support,hp support, dell support, pc repair, desktop support,PC help services ,tech support, online technical support, computer tech support to its clients in US, UK, Canada and Australia by Microsoft certified technician.

Always shop around before settling on any particular source: Shop for different computer support companies and go ahead with the one which has better array of support services along with appropriate charges. It is completely futile to pay a hefty amount of money for something which you will use just once or twice.

Get credentials from experienced people: Do not sign up for any software support services if you are facing problems with your computer hardware. At times, computer users get baffled among which services to choose from. If you are facing a software issue, it will be more advisable to contact hardware service companies instead of software solution providers.

Look out for trail support packs: See if any trail pack is available with any good computer repair and support company. Also never compromise on the quality of support services. Do not end up paying too much for something which was least useful. Ensure about terms and conditions with the computer service provider.