News

Why Google’s Social Search Is Too Much, Too Soon

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 17:31:26 +0100

Google’s recent change to its search engine is losing in the public opinion arena.

Analysts have suggested the new feature, Google Search, plus Your World, “Pushes Google+ over Relevancy,” and “just made Bing the best search engine.” Twitter called it “bad for people.”

Meanwhile, about 2,000 Mashable readers have answered the poll question, “Would you prefer that Google, etc. go back to their old ‘natural’ search methods or do you find that inclusion of...

Happy new year from us all at Juiced Media!

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 18:07:31 +0100

We wish all our clients past, present and future a happy new year and a prosperous and healthy new year in 2012.

We are back in the offices on the 3rd of January, ready for 2012 and all it brings.

Why not start the year with a refreshed website or renewed brand to get the most out of 2012? Call Juiced Media on 0844 3574 669 or email studio@juiced-media.co.uk and one of our team will be happy to discuss how we can help.

Happy new year!

4 Ways Small Business Websites Can Drive More Sales

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:30:10 +0100

A scenario: You envision a phenomenal idea, put all of the necessary pieces into place, and now run your own successful business. You’ve got a functioning website, but you’re struggling with 60% bounce rates, and users don’t seem to be completing the necessary conversion processes.   

SEE ALSO: How will Digital Change Small Business in 2012?

You don’t have the resources to invest in a web designer or consultant, so how do you go about optimizing your website on your own? Try the fol...

Facebook 2012: What the Future Holds for the Social Media Powerhouse

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:42:40 +0100

What do you do after your site grows to 800 million users and expands to 1 trillion pageviews per month? Why, plan a $100 billion IPO, of course!

Going public is clearly the biggest thing on tap for Facebook in 2012, but the world’s most populated social network and its users have a lot to look forward to over the coming year. From the maturation of Mark Zuckerberg as a leader to Facebook’s growth as a media platform to a looming collision with the world’s biggest tech c...

5 Steps for Finding New Customers

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 09:31:25 +0100

Ronald Brown is a successful startup CEO with an extensive background in technology and consumer marketing. His new book, Anticipate. The Architecture of Small Team Innovation and Product Success is available via iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

The subject of finding customers is one of the most mysterious in business development. I’m often asked how the most successful companies do it, maybe in the hope that there’s a secret or shortcut to success. Sorry to say,...

Apple's Jonathan Ive gets knighthood in honours list

Sat, 31 Dec 2011 08:35:29 +0100

Jonathan Ive, Apple's head of design, has been awarded a knighthood in the New Year Honours list.

Mr Ive, who can now style himself Sir Jonathan, has been made a Knight Commander of the British Empire (KBE).

Raised in Chingford, Mr Ive began working for Apple in 1992 and since then has been the brains behind many of its products.

He described the honour as "absolutely thrilling" and said he was "both humbled and sincerely grateful".

Mr Ive added: "I am keenly aware that I benefit from a wonde...

GoDaddy faces boycott over SOPA anti-piracy law support

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

A boycott of US hosting firm GoDaddy looks set to go ahead even though the firm has said it no longer supports the policy that sparked it.

Customers were angry with GoDaddy over its backing of the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA).

29 December has emerged as the day on which customers would transfer sites and domains away from GoDaddy.

The proposed boycott forced a U-turn from GoDaddy, but many remain committed to transferring.

Neutral stance

SOPA, which has yet to be voted on by t...

Man sued for keeping company Twitter followers

Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

A man is being sued for keeping Twitter followers that he attracted while working for a US mobile news website.

Noah Kravitz tweeted for Phonedog as @Phonedog_Noah, but later changed his username when he left the company - taking 17,000 followers with him.

The company is now seeking damages of $2.50 (£1.60) per user, per month - a total of $370,000.

Mr Kravitz said his former employer had given him permission to continue using the account after he left.

He told the New York Times that Phoned...

Internet Explorer: Microsoft plans 'silent' updates

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 16:06:13 +0100

From January, Internet Explorer (IE) users will be automatically updated to the latest version of the browser.

Microsoft said it was starting the project to update millions of machines to improve security online.

Future updates to the browser would be applied without a user's knowledge to help beat scammers catching people out with fake updates.

Those who did not want their browser updated could opt out or uninstall the software, said Microsoft.

"The Web overall is better - and safer - when m...

The new twitter : All you need to know

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:51:54 +0100

Twitter is dead. Long live, Twitter!

The Internet’s most popular microblogging service got a major upgrade today, rolling out a brand-new look and a bunch of new features. The update is the most comprehensive and wide-ranging change Twitter’s ever done, revamping its website, its apps for both iOS and Android, and even its recently acquired social-media integrator, TweetDeck. Here’s a closer look at what Twitter’s done and why.

What’s Different

When you visit the new Twit...

Apple Picks Instagram As The “iPhone App Of The Year”

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:40:42 +0100

Apple released its iTunes Rewind 2011 and App Store Rewind 2011 today, the company’s annual lists detailing of the top selling apps, music, TV shows, movies and podcasts for the year. This year, the biggest winner on the apps front was Angry Birds, which ran away with the number one spot on the iPhone and iPad in all categories except top free iPhone app, which was awarded to Facebook.

Apple also selects its own favorite applications, and one of our preferred apps, Instagram, won...

Twitter launches Brand Pages

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:34:53 +0100

Twitter on Thursday announced a program for Facebook-style brand pages.

The announcement, which was coupled with the introduction of a major redesign, will expand the number of brand pages on the platform. Launch partners for the pages include American Express, Best Buy, Bing, Chevrolet, Coca-Cola, Dell, Disney, General Electric, Hewlitt-Packard, Intel, JetBlue, Kia, McDonald’s, Nike, PepsiCo, Staples, Verizon Wireless, NYSE Euronext, Heineken, Subway and Paramount Pictures, specifical...

Twitter Blog: The new twitter pages

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Update - 3:15pm PT
More news: Read about enhanced profile pages, on the advertising blog, and embeddable Tweets, on the dev blog.

Today we introduce a new version of Twitter. We’ve simplified the design to make it easier than ever to follow what you care about, connect with others and discover something new. You’ll see this new design both on Twitter.com and mobile phones, so that you’ll have a familiar experience any time, anywhere. We’ve also updated TweetDeck to be consistent w...

Juiced Media launches "The Design Library"

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 16:06:43 +0100

The all new design library went live last week on the Juiced Media website. This new service from Juiced Media provides visitors with a catalogue of low cost web design templates as well as general graphic design elements such as business cards and logos to full blown business identity packages that include letterhead and compliment slip designs.

The idea is to offer high quality template design products to businesses on a limited budget without compromising on the quality of design. On th...

7 Ways to Create a Memorable Customer Experience With Social Media

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:59:48 +0100

There’s bad news and good news about the way consumers interact with brands on social media.

The bad news? When customers complain on social media, those complaints can tarnish your brand’s name for a wide audience faster than ever.

The good news? Just as complaints travel at light speed thanks to social media, so do compliments.

If you think you’re not “on” or “doing” social media, you’re wrong. Your company may not be active, but I guarantee your fans and your non-sup...

How to Enable the New YouTube Design Now

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:55:37 +0100

Word on the street is that YouTube has a slick new design. It’s a revamped homepage with some pretty tight Google+ social integration and content discovery features.

But if you’ve fired up your trusty Internet machine and the new YouTube hasn’t yet appeared for you, don’t fret. Our friends at The Verge have figured out an easy way (via Google+ user Mortiz Tolxdorff) to turn on the new features right the heck now.

At present, the trick only seems to work in Firefox and ...

How to Use Google Search More Effectively

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 15:47:25 +0100

Thanks to the folks at HackCollege, a number of “secrets” are out. The infographic below offers a helpful primer for how to best structure searches using advanced operators to more quickly and accurately drill down to the information you want. This is by no means an exhaustive list of search operators and advanced techniques, but it’s a good start that will help set you on the path to becoming a Google master.

Click to view the Google Search Infographic

Infographic via HackCollege...

Email spam 'Block 25' crackdown readied in South Korea

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:21:32 +0100

South Korea is lobbying its internet service providers to sign up to a national plan to tackle spam.

The plan requires ISPs to restrict email to official computer gateways by blocking another common route that messages travel over.

It is hoped this will thwart spammers who hijack home PCs and use them to send junk mail.

Critics say the block could do more harm than good to businesses and hit home workers.

South Korea's Internet and Security Agency has been trying for months to persuade its ne...

Web privacy tools to warn of internet tracking cookies

Mon, 14 Nov 2011 20:18:48 +0100

Internet users will receive a warning if sites do not respect their privacy thanks to new tools being developed by the web's standards setting body.

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) wants to help users control how their personal data is managed.

It is designing controls to shield personal data and reveal when sites do not honour privacy requests.

The W3C now wants users, browser makers and businesses to help finish and implement the specifications.

"Users have the feeling they are being be...

Boost for move to new net addressing scheme

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Efforts to shift the internet to a new addressing system have been boosted by US internet service provider Comcast.

The firm has begun switching some customers over to a system built around the net's new addressing scheme, called IP Version 6 (IPv6).

The change is needed because the older version has almost exhausted its pool of available addresses.

Some small UK ISPs have also begun putting domestic customers on a network that uses the new system.

Comcast is carrying out a trial in Pleasanto...

Facebook 'to seek consent for privacy changes'

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Privacy campaigners have welcomed a report that Facebook is to ask users to opt into any changes in the way it uses their personal information.

The social network previously announced alterations to its members' settings without asking for fresh consent.

The website is changing its policy after an investigation by the US Federal Trade Commission, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

Facebook is not commenting on the story at this time.

The report suggests the site has also agreed...

5 Steps for a Successful QR Code Marketing Campaign

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

While the debate rages on whether QR codes are a passing fad or a marketing phenomenon, those little suckers continue to pop up all over the place. From product packaging to retail signs and even to food, almost any surface in the universe seems fair game for a QR code.

However, if brands deploy QR codes merely to claim they are using the latest social media marketing tool, then QR codes are doomed to fall in the “fad” bin, never to realize their full potential. The task for marketers ...

Valve's online game service Steam hit by hackers

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The Steam video game service, used by 35 million people, has been compromised by hackers.

Its owner and operator, Valve, uncovered an intrusion into a user database while investigating a security breach of its discussion forums.

The attackers used login details from the forum hack to access a database that held ID and credit card data.

Valve said that, so far, it had no evidence that credit cards were being misused or Steam accounts abused.

Losing trust

The defacement took place on 6 Novembe...

Google+ Circles Get a Boost With Katango

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google has acquired Katango, a startup that has developed advance people-sorting algorithms, in order to improve the quality of Google+ Circles.

“Katango was founded a little over a year ago to develop social algorithms that improve people’s online social interaction,” the company said in an announcement. “We’re excited to join the Google+ team and carry on fulfilling that mission. Google+ is seeing tremendous momentum, so it’s a perfect time to join and make Circles smarter for mill...

.wales and .cymru internet domain names find support

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:42:56 +0100

A survey of Welsh businesses and consumers suggests a majority of both support the nation getting its own domain name.

The move would offer website owners the chance to end their address with .wales and .cymru, instead of .uk.

Internet regulator ICANN will allow countries and other organisations to apply for the new names from January.

Supporters say it could help with branding, but critics warn it may increase the opportunity for fraud.

The poll was commissioned by the not-for-profit domain ...

Adobe abandons work on Flash plug-in for mobile devices

Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:36:45 +0100

Software developer Adobe Systems is halting development of its Flash Player plug-in for mobile devices.

The multimedia software is used to run movies, games and other applications.

Adobe says it now believes the alternative HTML 5 technology offers the "best solution" because it is "universally supported".

The Flash plug-in works on Android devices and Blackberry's Playbook tablet, but Apple barred it from iPhones and iPads.

"We will no longer continue to develop Flash Player in the browser t...

Stuart's Movember

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:15:48 +0100

Subsea Protection Systems Director, Stuart Gibbs is taking part in the annual Movember Challenge and will be growing his facial fur in aid of prostate and testicular cancer charities. You can support the soon to be handlebar sporting chap here. Good luck Stuart!

New look Juiced Media website launched

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:04:06 +0100

The Juiced Media website enjoyed a refresh this month with the new look website launching on the 1st November.

As well as a new look, the new site was rebuilt from the ground up to incorporate the latest version of our in-house content management system, MODE CMS. With the new foundations in place, we are excited to announce that we will be launching additional services from the website which will provide a more streamlined and beneficial service to our clients including a dedicated su...

Smartphone scams: Owners warned over malware apps

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:47:03 +0100

A national computer security campaign is urging smartphone users to do more to protect themselves from unwittingly downloading malware applications.

Get Safe Online says that there has been an increase in smartphone malware as the market has grown.

Criminals are typically creating Trojan copies of reputable apps and tricking users into installing them.

Once on the phone, the app can secretly generate cash for criminals through premium rate text messages.

Get Safe Online, a joint initiative be...

Google+ social network lets firms have their own pages

Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:39:32 +0100

Google has started allowing businesses and brands to set up their own pages on its new social network.

The US firm says the Google+ Pages facility will help companies and campaigns engage with their audience.

Organisations will not be charged to use the scheme and Google says it will not put adverts on their pages.

It is a further challenge to rival network Facebook, which offers its own Pages service allowing businesses to promote themselves.

Burberry, Barcelona football club and the Muppets...

Adidas websites go offline after hacking cyber-attack

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Adidas has taken its website content offline after suffering what it described as a "sophisticated, criminal cyber-attack".

The German sportswear maker said it had no evidence that its consumers' data had been impacted, but that it was taking down the affected sites to protect visitors.

The news follows a series of attacks against Sony earlier in the year.

Millions of users details were compromised.

A statement from Adidas said that it discovered the incident on 3 November.

The firm said it ...

Claremont Pier Website Live

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 12:35:37 +0100

The Claremont Pier website went live today. You can visit the new site at www.claremontpier.co.uk.

Green Website Hosting

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 19:22:39 +0100

Many of Juiced Media’s clients have become more concerned with environmental and green issues in recent years and we want to do what we can to help address these without compromising the quality of service Juiced Media has become renowned for throughout the industry. At the same time we wanted to do this in a genuine and honest way as we are aware that not all environmental initiatives are equal. Our green hosting initiatives consist of both carbon offsetting as well as improvements in ...

Who might buy Yahoo?

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 13:20:50 +0100

Google, Microsoft and China's Alibaba have all expressed interest in buying the technology giant Yahoo, which has been the focus of intense speculation since the sacking of chief executive Carol Bartz last month.

Duncan Clark, the chairman of consultants BDA China in Beijing, gives his view on whether Yahoo's board will end up agreeing to a sale and if so who might be best positioned to buy.

Follow this link to video.

Source: BBC News
...

Groupon set to launch a roadshow to attract investors

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The US discount sales website, Groupon, launches a roadshow this week to persuade investors to buy into its stock market debut.

It says it plans to raise more than $620m from investors, paying between $16-18 per share.

That values the company at $11.4bn, a far cry from the $30bn valuation that was being talked about before the stock market turmoil this summer.

Caroline Hepker reports from New York.

Follow this link to video.

Source: BBC News
...

Whatever happened to the Digital Economy Act?

Fri, 21 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The UK's Digital Economy Act (DEA) was meant to make pirates quake in their boots, but so far it has failed to shiver any timbers.

Parliamentarians, policymakers and industry leaders gathered at a seminar in London this week to ask why.

The guilty-looking elephant in the room turned out to be the DEA itself.

It is currently languishing in Brussels, waiting for the European Commission to approve changes to who should should pay for implementing it.

Meanwhile the code drawn up by Ofcom a year a...

Camera can snap now, focus later

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Users can choose what they want to focus on after the image is taken

A digital camera that allows photographers to focus their pictures after taking them has gone on sale.

Rather than recording a single version of an image, the Lytro captures data about the intensity and direction of all the light entering its lenses.

That information can be reorganised later with the option to change which parts are blurred and which are sharp.

The "light field" technology was developed by...

Apple shares fall after iPhone sales miss forecasts

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The world's most valuable technology company, Apple, has reported an 85% rise in its full-year results.

Net profit for the year ending 24 September was $25.9bn (£16.5bn).

However, its shares fell more than 5% in after-hours trading after fourth quarter iPhone sales were weaker than experts predicted. The new 4S model was launched after the period.

Overall revenues totalled $28.27bn for the three months. That was more than $1bn shy of Wall Street forecasts.

It is the first time that Apple has...

Intel shares boosted by 17% rise in quarterly profits

Wed, 19 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Intel shares rose 4% after the chipmaker reported a 17% gain in third-quarter profits.

Intel's net income for the three months to September was $3.47bn (£2.2bn) compared with $2.96bn last year.

The figures beat market expectations and defied concerns that global demand for PCs and laptops has been hit by growing sales of tablets.

Intel's chips are used in four-fifths of the world's PCs but the firm has yet to succeed in the mobile market.

Devices like Apple's iPad and Google's Android smartp...

Google backs net safety campaign

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google has said that its future success depends on users continuing to feel safe on the internet.

The search firm is launching a campaign to increase awareness of online threats, in partnership with the Citizens Advice Bureau.

It covers topics such as choosing a password, scam emails and using two factor authentication.

The company said future campaigns may deal more extensively with how Google uses people's personal data.

An information booklet touches on the way search information is used t...

Samsung seeks iPhone 4S embargo in Australia and Japan

Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Samsung electronics has raised the stakes in its current legal battle with Apple by seeking a ban on sales of iPhone 4S in Australia and Japan.

This follows similar pleas by the Korean manufacturer in France and Italy claiming patent infringement by Apple.

The move comes after a court in Australia temporarily banned the sales of Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1.

The two companies have been involved in a bitter legal battle involving smartphones and tablet PCs.

"Apple has continued to violate our pat...

EU plan to spend billions on boosting broadband speeds

Sat, 15 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The European Commission is set to propose investing almost €9.2bn (£8bn) in a massive rollout of super-fast broadband infrastructure and services across the European Union.

The plan is partly aimed at stimulating further investment in rural broadband.

It is hoped the initiative will also help to create a single market for digital public services.

The Commission has already set targets for improving the speed of home internet connections across the region.

It aims to get all European househ...

Google+ Traffic Falls 60% From Post-Launch Highs

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Traffic to Google+ spiked 1,200% in the first few days following its public launch Sept. 20, but has since plummeted by 60%, according to a report from a data analytics company.

Chitika tracked Google+ traffic before and after the social networking service opened its gates to all users.

“The data shows that, on the day of its public debut, Google+ traffic skyrocketed to peak levels. But, soon after, traffic fell by over 60% as it returned to its normal, underwhelming state,” Chitika says of...

Steve Jobs, Apple 'visionary', dies aged 56

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Steve Jobs, co-founder and former chief executive of US technology giant Apple, has died at the age of 56.

Apple said he had been "the source of countless innovations that enrich and improve all of our lives" and had made the world "immeasurably better".

Mr Jobs had announced he was suffering from pancreatic cancer in 2004.

Tributes have been made by technology company bosses and world leaders, with US President Barack Obama saying the world had "lost a visionary".

"Steve was among the greate...

BT turns up broadband speed dial

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

BT is to launch a fibre optic service that will deliver speeds of up to 300Mbps (megabits per second) to some UK homes by spring next year.

The service is only likely to be made available to a minority of people with others promised speed boosts of up to 80Mbps.

The UK government welcomed the news.

But broadband figures reveal the UK still has a long way to go to achieve its goal of being the fastest in Europe by 2015.

BT said it will begin trialing the super-fast technology known as Fibre-to...

Apple unveils refreshed iPhone 4S, but no iPhone 5

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Apple has unveiled the latest iteration in its iPhone range, but there was no sign of the widely rumoured iPhone 5.

The iPhone 4S, as the model will be known, boasts an improved camera and significantly extended battery life.

It will run the latest iOS5 operating system, which is set for release on 12 October.

The event was the first major announcement for new boss Tim Cook who took over from Steve Jobs in August.

The iPhone 4S, which will go on sale on 14 October, will be available in 16GB, ...

Bing denies copying Google search results

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:53:47 +0100

Google's search experts have labelled rival search engine Bing as a "cheap imitation" after claiming that its results "increasingly look like an incomplete, stale version of Google".

Google planted 100 synthetic terms into its algorithm after suspecting results were being copied and it found that these queries were showing on Bing within a week of appearing on Google.

In a blog post, Google's Amit Singhal said suspicions were raised last October when there was "a significant increase in how o...

Google restores missing Gmail accounts

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:52:45 +0100

Google has spent the past week restoring the accounts of over 40,000 Gmail users after a software bug wiped them completely.

It has said on its Apps Status Dashboard that the problem should be resolved, adding: We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and continued support. Please rest assured that system reliability is a top priority at Google, and we are making continuous improvements to make our systems better."

It did urge anyone still having problems to c...

Google adds Instant Preview to Android and iOS

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:50:34 +0100

Google has added its Instant Preview feature to Android and iOS operating systems for mobiles.

It's already available for Desktop PCs and laptop computers. You can use it by hovering your mouse over a search result, rather than clicking it, to get a preview image of the page it links to.

The mobile version shows a magnifying glass in the same way as the desktop one does but then shows a side-by-side comparison view of the webpage previews for the first page of search results. You ...

Samsung to pay Microsoft royalties over Android

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:44:33 +0100

Samsung is to start paying Microsoft royalties for every sale of its smartphone and tablet computers that run the rival Google Android platform.

Microsoft has long accused Android of violating its patents.

Google said its US rival Microsoft was "resorting to legal measures to extort profit from others' achievements and hinder the pace of innovation".

Meanwhile, Samsung has received support from T-Mobile in its continuing legal fight with Apple.

IP wars

Google said Microsoft was resorting to ...

PayPal & eBay Get Friendly With Facebook

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 09:40:45 +0100

Auction giant eBay and Facebook are quietly forging stronger ties with a secret joint partnership and the addition of Facebook exec Katie Mitic to eBay’s board of directors.

Mitic, the current director of platform and mobile marketing at Facebook, will now become the twelfth member of eBay’s board of directors. She will join a board of directors that includes founder Pierre Omidyar, Marc Andreessen (Netscape, Andreesen-Horowitz), Scott Cook (Intuit) and William Ford, Jr. (Ford Motor Company)...

Facebook Gives $10 Million in Free Advertising to Small Businesses

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Facebook is cozying up to small businesses in a big way with a new program that gives away $10 million in free advertising.

The program, Facebook Marketing Solutions, which includes a partnership with the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will roll out over the next few months. In early 2012, Facebook will give each qualified business at least $50 of free advertising on Facebook.

The social network also promises free resources and information on how t...

Facebook fixes ID cookie glitch

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Facebook has said that it has "fixed" cookies that could have tracked users after they logged out of the site.

The issue was brought to light by an Australian blogger who has conducted a year-long analysis of the social network's use of cookies.

He concluded the company might still be able to track members' web browsing after they logged out, albeit only on websites that integrate with Facebook.

The Australian privacy commissioner is reportedly investigating the issue.

In a statement, the fir...

Amazon Kindle Fire to enter tablet computer market

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Amazon has unveiled a colour tablet computer called the Kindle Fire.

The $199 (£130) device will run a modified version of Google's Android operating system.

Until now, the company has limited itself to making black and white e-readers, designed for consuming books and magazines.

As well as targeting Apple's iPad, Amazon is likely to have its sights on rival bookseller US Barnes & Noble, which already has a colour tablet.

The Kindle Fire will enter a hugely competitive market, dominated ...

Google boosts London's Silicon Roundabout

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google is to provide office space and assistance to new technology companies in London's "Silicon Roundabout".

The company has leased a seven-storey building in the Old Street area, where many start-up firms are based.

Prime Minister David Cameron has signalled his desire to turn the area into "one of the world's great technology centres".

About 300 companies are now working in the area, according to Tech City, the body set up to promote the initiative.

Google said that the building, in Bonhi...

Happy Birthday Google: Celebrate With All the Anniversary Doodles [PICS]

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

This month marks Google’s 13th anniversary. The exact date Google celebrates this occasion has changed over the years, according to the company, “depending on when people feel like having cake.”

However, in recent years Sept. 27 is the day the celebratory Google Doodle appears; since 2002 Google has put up a different doodle each year. To celebrate, we’ve taken a look back at every birthday doodle posted — starting with today’s.

Source: Mashable
...

Searchable Dynamic Content With AJAX Crawling

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google Search likes simple, easy-to-crawl websites. You like dynamic websites that show off your work and that really pop. But search engines can’t run your JavaScript. That cool AJAX routine that loads your content is hurting your SEO.

Google’s robots parse HTML with ease; they can pull apart Word documents, PDFs and even images from the far corners of your website. But as far as they’re concerned, AJAX content is invisible.

The Problem With AJAX

AJAX has revolutionized the Web, but it ...

Quick Stat: Facebook Display Ad Revenue Growth More Than Yahoo!, AOL, Microsoft an Google Combined

Mon, 26 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

According to eMarketer data from January through June, Facebook’s share of US online display ad revenues will grow to 17.7% in 2011, up from a 12.2% share last year. Facebook is expected to see $978 million in additional display revenues in 2011—more than display revenues will grow this year at Yahoo!, AOL, Microsoft and Google combined.

US display advertising revenues at Google will top $1 billion for the first time in 2011, as the company’s share of overall US display revenues gr...

Improving The Online Shopping Experience, Part 2: Guiding Customers Through The Buying Process

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Part 1 of “Improving the Online Shopping Experience” focused on the upper part of the purchase funnel and on ways to get customers to your website and to find your products. Today, we move down the funnel, looking at ways to enable customers to make the decision to buy and to guide them through the check-out process.

Ways to improve the online shopping experience and to reduce the drop in the purchase funnel. Part 1 covered points 1 to 3.

Enable The Customer To Decide

Inform and reinforce...

Google launches its mobile wallet

Wed, 21 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google has officially rolled out its mobile payment system Google Wallet in the US, following a successful trial in New York and San Francisco earlier this year.

Google Wallet is a near field communication (NFC) application that allows mobile phone users to pay for items by waving their handset in front of a compatible card reader. It works wherever the Mastercard ‘Pay Pass’ is installed.

The NFC-enabled handset hooks up with MasterCard’s PayPass system, allowing users to link their...

Google+ opens its doors to all

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Last week, discussing the current state of the social networking landscape, I described Google+ as a "niche forum for the geek community."

Tonight the search giant is showing how determined is it to change that by throwing open the doors to all-comers.

And by introducing a raft of new features to its social network, it's throwing down the gauntlet not just to Facebook but to other media players.

Both Apple and Skype, for instance, might need to take a close look at the "mobile hangout" feature...

CSS3 Flexible Box Layout Explained

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The flexible box layout module — or “flexbox,” to use its popular nickname — is an interesting part of the W3C Working Draft. The flexbox specification is still a draft and subject to change, so keep your eyes on the W3C, but it is part of a new arsenal of properties that will revolutionize how we lay out pages. At least it will be when cross-browser support catches up.

In the meantime, we can experiment with flexbox and even use it on production websites where fallbacks will still rende...

Advertising on Social Media: Good for Small Business?

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

If you have yet to buy an ad for your small business on Facebook, the social-networking giant has a new incentive in the works.

Facebook will unveil a plan this week to offer free $50 advertising credits to up to 200,000 small businesses, according to an article on USA Today’s website. It quotes the company’s chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, saying that every small firm should have a presence on Facebook, particularly those that can’t yet afford to build their own sites.
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Updates improve Facebook and Twitter connections

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Facebook members will soon be able to pipe their profile directly to a connected Twitter account.

The social networking giant said it was working on the feature in a document sent to developers about upcoming changes.

Before now linking to Twitter was only possible from Facebook pages which are meant for bands, public figures and businesses.

Facebook said linking was coming "soon" but gave no specific date.

The mention of the forthcoming connection to Twitter came as Facebook unveiled its "su...

YouTube Down? Video Service Sees First Disruption Since May

Sun, 18 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Having trouble watching that video a friend just sent you? That’ll be because YouTube is experiencing its first service interruption in months, and its first significant downtime of the year.

YouTube.com itself appears to be working, but links to individual videos are extremely sporadic. Downrightnow.com has called a “likely service interruption” since roughly 4 p.m. ET. Pingdom.com shows several outages over the course of the previous hour. This is a shame, as the Google-owned video servi...

Microsoft drops Flash from IE on Windows 8 tablets

Fri, 16 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

The Metro interface is designed for when Windows 8 is being used on a tablet

One of the web's most widely used technologies is going to be absent from some versions of Windows 8.

Microsoft is to drop support for Adobe Flash from the web browser that works with the Metro interface on Windows 8.

The Metro user interface is most likely to be used on tablets as it displays applications and programs as easy to touch coloured tiles.

Flash will still be supported in the Windows 8 desktop interface...

Improving The Online Shopping Experience, Part 1: Getting Customers To Your Products

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Amazon turned sweet sixteen this year, and, by extension, so did online shopping as we know it. As online shopping has grown over the past 16 years, so have user needs and expectations related to the online shopping experience. Setting up shop online is easy, but creating an experience that satisfies target users is a different story altogether.

In the traditional journey of a purchase, commonly depicted as a funnel, a business loses potential customers as they move closer to the purchasing stag...

Twitter launches new web analytics tool

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Twitter has announced the launch of a web analytics tool to help brands and marketers know exactly how much traffic the micro-blogging site is driving to their websites.

Twitter Web Analytics will help website owners measure the amount of traffic from Twitter and the effectiveness of Twitter integrations on their websites.

In a blog post introducing the new web analytics tool, Christopher Golda a member of Twitter’s product team said: “People have struggled to accurately measure the amount ...

Microsoft unveils new Windows 8 operating system

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Microsoft has taken the wraps off the next generation of its Windows operating system.

Windows 8 is designed to run on tablet computers, as well as desktop and laptop PCs.

The software, which is due to be released in 2012 will work on the popular ARM-designed low power processors for the first time.

Unveiling Windows 8 at the Build developers' conference in California, Windows division president Steven Sinofsky said: "We re-imagined Windows. From the chipset to the user experience."

Follow li...

Intel and Google in Android chip-making partnership

Wed, 14 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Intel has set up a development partnership with Google to help improve how the Android operating system runs on its processors.

The move is aimed at giving Intel greater access to the fast-growing mobile devices sector.

Intel is the world's biggest chipmaker in the computer and server market.

However, it has so far played second fiddle to Cambridge-based designer ARM Holdings in the market for low power consumption chips.

'First-class citizen'

Demand for mobile phone and tablet computers has...

Mobile internet set to overtake PCs by 2015

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

By 2015, more people in the US will use mobile devices to access the internet than PCs or other fixed-line devices, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

The IDC predicts that as smartphones begin to outsell more basic phones, and as media tablet sales explode, the number of mobile internet users will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 16.6% between 2010 and 2015.

The company also forecasts that the number of people accessing the internet on PCs in the US will first...

Mozilla calls for web wide security check

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Web certificate authorities have been told to audit their security or risk being dumped from Firefox by the browser's developer Mozilla.

The demand follows a breach at Dutch certificate issuer DigiNotar which led to scores of bogus authentications being created.

Belgian security firm GlobalSign also stopped issuing new certificates amid fears it too may have been compromised.

Mozilla wants proof that other companies have protected their systems.

Attack pattern

Security certificate issuers ha...

Microsoft online services hit by major failure

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Millions of Microsoft users were left unable to access some online services overnight because of a major service failure.

Hotmail, Office 365 and Skydrive were among the services affected.

Microsoft was still analysing the cause of the problem on Friday morning, but said it appeared to be related to the internet's DNS address system.

Such a major problem is likely to raise questions about the reliability of cloud computing versus local storage.

Especially embarrassing is the temporary loss of...

Google ponders 'privileged' access to Android

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Court papers have thrown light on how Google gives some firms early access to Android technology.

The documents detail an internal Google discussion about how to make the most of the mobile operating system.

They explain the quasi-open nature of Android and reveal why it lets firms that keep to Google's specifications put products on sale first.

The policy assumes new significance given Google's bid to buy Motorola's mobile unit, say analysts.

Cashing in

Excerpts from the court papers were p...

HTC sues Apple after Google sells tech patents

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Taiwanese smartphone firm HTC has fired a fresh salvo in its continuing war with Apple over patent infringement.

HTC has used patents it bought from Google last week to lodge a fresh complaint against Apple with the US International Trade Commission (ITC).

It has alleged that Apple's computers and mobile devices infringe patents involving wi-fi capability and processor communication technology.

This is the third complaint that HTC has filed against Apple.

"We are taking this action against Ap...

.XXX web domain registration begins

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Companies and celebrities are being given the chance to protect their names from porn hijacking ahead of the launch of the .xxx web domain.

Brands can now request to have their name blocked from use with the new suffix, which goes live next year.

Existing adult entertainment sites can also submit their application to reserve a spot on .xxx

The "red light" suffix is intended to make it easier to find or avoid sexually explicit material online.

ICM Registry, which is administering the launch, s...

GlobalSign stops secure certificates after hack claim

Wed, 07 Sep 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Belgian security firm GlobalSign has temporarily stopped issuing authentication certificates for secure websites.

It comes after an anonymous hacker claimed to have gained access to the company's servers.

If confirmed, it would be the second security breach at a European certificate authority in two months.

Hundreds of bogus DigiNotar authentications were issued following an intrusion into its systems.

Certificate authorities (CAs) are companies or public bodies whose job is to confirm that s...

Mobile internet use nearing 50%

Wed, 31 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Almost half of UK internet users are going online via mobile phone data connections, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Some 45% of people surveyed said they made use of the net while out and about, compared with 31% in 2010.

The most rapid growth was among younger people, where 71% of internet-connected 16 to 24-year-olds used mobiles.

Domestic internet use also rose. According to the ONS, 77% of households now have access to a net connection.

That figure was up 4% from the pre...

Amazon back online following 'hardware failure'

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Amazon sites in Britain, France, Germany, Austria and Italy went offline for around half an hour on Sunday night.

Shoppers were faced with an error message which read: "We're sorry. An error occurred when we tried to process your request. We are working on the problem and expect to resolve it shortly. Please note, if you have placed an order, it will not have been processed at this time. Please try again later."

Amazon told Web User that the downtime was caused by a 'hardware failure' and all...

Designing For Android Tablets

Tue, 09 Aug 2011 00:00:00 +0100

More than ever, designers are being asked to create experiences for a variety of mobile devices. As tablet adoption increases and we move into the post-PC world, companies will compete for users’ attention with the quality of their experience. Designing successful apps for Android tablets requires not only a great concept that will encourage downloads, usage and retention, but also an experience that Android users will find intuitive and native to the environment.

The following will help des...

Pumps4All Site Launched!

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

With a focus on keeping clients up to date with the latest news and products, Pumps4All needed a redesigned, modern website to replace their existing site.

Features

MODE CMS

php/mySQL

XHTML/CSS3

MATCH Mothers Site Goes Live!

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

MATCH is a charity that offers non-judgemental support and information to mothers apart from their children in a wide variety of circumstances. They believe that children have a basic human right to continue to be part of a loving, nurturing family network for life, no matter how many times that family re-makes itself, no matter where their mothers live.

Features

MODE CMS

MODE Membership Plugin

MODE Forum Plugin

php/mySQL

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Jenna Carruthers Site Launched!

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Jenna's work is perfectly showcased on her minimal designed site which allows her photography to stand out for all to appreciate.

Features

WordPress

XHTML

CSS

Google Chrome launches Gmail Desktop notifications

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

Google has added a feature to its Chrome browser that shows Desktop notifications in a pop-up window every time a chat message or new email arrives in your Gmail account.

The service can be turned on by clicking Settings in Gmail and then selecting which messages you want to receive these notifications for. It's available for chat, email and priority inbox messages - or you can select everything.

The feature is only available on Google Chrome at the moment, though Google has said that it's "w...

JL Plant Site Launched!

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0100

JL Plant sales supply East Anglia's construction industry with heavy duty plant machinery at 'light prices'. This is acheived via their new website recently designed and developed by Juiced Media.

Features

E-commerce / Online Payments

PHP/mySQL

XHTML

CSS

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HTML5: the language aiming to make the web wider

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Just 20 years after it took its first tentative steps into the world, the web has become a revolutionary phenomenon.

Almost 2 billion people are now online globally, and internet connections are now a vital part of international trade, communication and even politics.

Despite the web's rapid growth, however, the technology underpinning it has changed surprisingly little - in many cases remaining more or less the same as when Sir Tim Berners-Lee built the very first web pages in his lab in Switz...

Google reveals Chrome OS notebook

Tue, 07 Dec 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Google has unveiled a branded netbook which is run on its Chrome operating system. But it won't be on general release until next year.

Instead the search engine is launching a pilot scheme of the notebook to a select few 'early adopters, developers and users who are used to using beta software'.

Chrome OS was announced in July 2009. It was designed as a lightweight open-source system targeted at the netbook market. A Chrome browser was released in March last year.

Speaking at the announcemen...

Two-speed internet gets government support

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Controversial plans to introduce a two-speed internet that could see internet service providers giving preferential speeds to companies who pay extra has received government backing.

The proposals put forward by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey could put an end to 'net neutrality'.

Net neutrality is the principle that the internet should be free of restriction and not governed by any one body or organisation, and that all web traffic should be equal. All content, whether video from the BBC or a p...

YouTube launches first mobile ads

Tue, 09 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

YouTube has added adverts to its mobile platform for the first time this week with Samsung Galaxy Tab displays.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab ads sit at the top of the screen above the video and appear when surfers use YouTube on their mobile handsets.

The ads were incorporated following a revamp of the platform in July. It is the first time the video-sharing site has displayed adverts on its dedicated mobile site.

Top 10 best YouTube tools

The Samsung Galaxy tablet computer was released on Mon...

Google privacy breach: Damage to brand 'substantial'

Mon, 08 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Google was found guilty last week of breaching privacy laws after its Street View cars inadvertently collected private information from Wi-Fi networks.

Yet the search engine escaped a fine and was told by the investigating Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) to simply delete the data when legally able to. It also gave Google nine months to review its privacy policy.

Jack Adams, SEO consultant at Greenlight told Web User that although Google seems to have been "let off lightly", he belie...

Susan Gunn Site Launched!

Sun, 07 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

A First Class BA Hons graduate from Norwich University College of the Arts, Susan Gunn has exhibited widely over the past decade including exhibitions in association with Candlestar, London; Arts Council England-East, Rollo Contemporary Art, London, The Fine Art Society, London, & Salthouse Church, in conjunction with the North Norfolk Exhibition Project. She received international recognition when she was awarded the Sovereign European Painting Prize in 2006.

Features

MODE CMS

php/m...

Ange & Co Site Launched!

Tue, 02 Nov 2010 00:00:00 +0100

At Ange & Co buying and selling your home will be a smooth transition as you’ll be in hands of people you can rely on to deliver a personal yet professional service and sell your property for the right price and within a realistic timescale.

They offer a tailored service to suit your needs and your budget with fixed fees and advice on every part of making the move...

With local estate agency experience/knowledge and dedication of delivering quality customer service, Ange & c...

1st Photo Site Launched!

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

1^st Photo is a new family run company, a husband and wife team each with over 25 years PE teaching and coaching experience. They have over this time captured the achievements of thousands of youngsters as they follow their chosen sporting activities and events. These are one offs, unrepeatable moments in time and deserve to be recorded and looked back on for years to come.
...

Equinox HR Site Launched!

Sun, 31 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

John Burgess is the Director of Equinox HR Ltd. He spent 25 years in HR management in local government, latterly as Director of HR Services for the London Borough of Ealing.

Since leaving Ealing, he has spent the last six years as an independent HR consultant, working in the public and not-for-profit sectors.

If a project requires additional resources, he has a wide network of associates with whom he can collaborate.

Flexible and versatile, with excellent organisational and inter-personal sk...

Electrifying Cycles Site Launched!

Thu, 21 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Electrifying Cycles specialise in folding bikes and electric bikes and sell high quality bikes and a wide range of accessories.

Features

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php/mySQL

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Windows Phone 7 handsets launch in UK

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 +0100

You can now get your hands on handsets running Windows Phone 7, Microsoft's brand-new mobile operating system.

Windows Phone 7 was officially unveiled last week by Microsoft with five handsets going on sale in the UK on Thursday.

Network operators 3, Orange and T-Mobile are all offering Samsung's Omnia 7, a handset with a 4in AMOLED (active-matrix organic light-emitting diode) screen, a 5-megapixel camera and the ability to record video in HD.

O2 will be exclusively stocking the HTC HD7, w...

Captcha Studios Site Launched!

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Born from 3 friends who felt that there 3 combined professions could aid each other better. Along with a joint passion in working together, Captcha was created with the aims of combining and being able to supply the client with the key skills of graphic design/branding, animation/videography and photography/image management all under one roof.

Features

MODE CMS

php/mySQL

XHTML/CSS3

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Forces 4 City Site Launched!

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Forces4City are a unique business specialising in the retraining and subsequent placing of service leavers into roles within the city, commerce and industry.

City and major institutions are keen to recruit service leavers and retrain them in many disciplines as they are aware of discipline and hard work ethic as a major asset in fighting the 'war on talent' and are offering significant career advancement for all.

Forces4City is a sister company of Forces4Energy and does more than just find yo...

Judith Lockie Site Launched!

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Born in London, Judith studied Design and travelled widely before going to Japan and studying woodblock printing in Tokyo, with Yoshisuke Funasaka. A scholarship was awarded in 1990-91 by the Japanese government, for her further studies in printmaking.

Now based in Suffolk, Judith teaches workshops in many parts of the country in woodblock and general printmaking, at Suffolk New College.

Features

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SPS Site Launched!

Fri, 03 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Yarmouth based Subsea Protection Systems design and manufacture a comprehensive range of products for the Stabilisation, Crossing, Protection and Scour Control of subsea pipelines, cables, structures and other assets including concrete mattresses and subsea pipeline protection.

Features

MODE CMS

php/mySQL

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