Entries Tagged 'Net News' ↓
January 30th, 2012 — Net News
InstaBG is a simple to use program that allows users to pull in various Instagram photos to create awesome Twitter backgrounds for their personal accounts. By simply giving the program access to your Twitter profile you can not only create a nice background but have it auto-updated with fresh picture content each day.
I personally find that InstaBG is great for photographers who want to showcase their most recent digitally stored photographs with very little effort.
To get started you’ll first visit InstaBG.com where you will be greeted with the following display:
Once you have clicked ‘Sign in with Twitter Account’ you will need to sign into your Twitter account or given the program permission if you’ve already signed in.
Once signed in you are met with a display screen full of options used to create your Twitter background. The first option will be your most important if you plan to make use of your own Instagram account to showcase your photos. At this point use the “User ID” field and put in your InstagramID. This will tell the program to pull all of your pictures.
The next option is to allow for Auto Update either once a day or with no update. If you plan to upload photos regularly or you just want the Twitter background that’s generated to place your photos in a different order every single day you will want to leave this option “On.”
Next you can use the “New” feature setting to showcase your newest photos or the Popular setting to group by how many people like photos or the Random option to show various photos from your collection each da.
For the Layout I have always chosen the “Small” option because I like the look a bunch of small photos give to the page.
For spacing I have also always chosen “No” because I like the collage look with no spacing however this will be up to your personal preference.
Finally you can display “Date” of the photo being uploaded or the “# Of Likes” a photo has received which fits right in with the most popular option.
Once you have chosen all of your options and click “Preview” the box to the right will show you what your finished Twitter account will look like. Finally just click the “Set This Image To Twitter” button that will appear at the bottom of the preview pane and you’re in business.
As for the final product? Here’s my personal @TechObsessed Twitter account which utilizes InstaBG functionality:
So there you have it using InstaBG you can literally have a self-updating photography profile right on your Twitter account with almost no work on your part.
January 9th, 2012 — Net News
While we’re opening up about blogging—I have an odd obsession with my blog contacts. People hear that I am a blogger and many instantly ask me where I guest post and how they can get involved. I am a huge blog enthusiast, so I love to hear that more people are becoming interested. I think blogging is a great way for people to connect with other like-minded people, and I love getting to know other bloggers. However, I find that I am very territorial over my editor contacts, and this is why:
Why I Hate Giving Out My Blog Contacts
- It takes a long time to find a quality website that allows guest posts. It’s hard work, and I don’t think I would appreciate these sites quite as much if someone just handed the contact over.
- It is difficult to get your article posted on a blog, so why would I want even more competition? You never know if someone else is writing about something similar and there may be a select number of guest posts allowed per month.
- Finding a great editor isn’t easy. I have worked with some wonderful editors, and some editors who were not so wonderful. This had made me appreciate my relationship with each and every one of them for what it is. In fact, this is one of my favorite parts about the job. I think going through these experiences is important for a blogger.
So when someone comes to me and says, “I’m starting a small business. What are some good websites that will allow guest posts?” I have a hard time giving up all of my information. I know how many links my contacts allow, how long it will take them to publish my article, and what specific details they like in an article, but it is only because I went through a back and forth with them.
When it comes to the sites that have all of their guidelines explicitly listed on their webpage, I really get irritated. I usually will just point people to that page, but part of being a blogger is being resourceful. If you want to know what sites I contribute to, visit my Google+ page. If you want to know how to submit a guest post, visit the website’s requirements page.
However, after all of the hesitancy and negativity is over, I realize that giving away some of your contacts may not be the worst thing in the world for a few different reasons:
Why Giving Out My Blog Contacts Is for the Best
- The more people you know on a site, the better. If you have a personal relationship with other writers on a website, you can certainly help each other out with comments and social sharing. This will not only help you look good in the eyes of the editor, but it will help ensure that your content gets out to more people. It’s a “the more the merrier” attitude.
- If you give out your contacts to someone, they should be willing to do the same. Once they get more familiar with the process, they will be able to find quality sites on their own. In the end, both people could benefit greatly.
- When I look back to when I was a new blogger, I remember it being somewhat overwhelming. It truly is tough to even know where to begin. I was grateful that I had someone to help get me going, and there is no reason I shouldn’t help others
It may seem a little bit immature to have such a debate about something so simple, but who doesn’t have those moments in their career? It’s easy to fall into this selfish pattern and mindset, so it’s good to take a second and consider whether or not it’s really worth it. What are your thoughts on blog contacts?
Photo Credit: writetodone.com
Amanda DiSilvestro is a writer on topics ranging from social media to employee background checks. She writes for an online resource that gives advice on topics including blogging advice to small businesses and entrepreneurs for the leading business directory, Business.com.
January 3rd, 2012 — Net News
Photo Source: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/223760
When you think of a third world country, chances are you aren’t thinking of Internet access. You might be surprised to learn that many developing countries are working hard to provide Internet to their populations, often in surprising ways. The majority of these countries, particularly India and African countries, are also receiving a helping hand from the West, with Americans and Canadians helping to develop the technology required to access the Internet, even with a minimal infrastructure.
While only about 20% of people living in third world countries use the Internet (compared to 69% in the Western world), that figure varies greatly depending on the country. For example, India’s population features just 8% Internet users, while China has a whopping 36% of the population online. Brazil is pushing 40%, all according to TheEconomist.
Why Internet is Scarce in Developing Countries
There are a few reasons as to the scarcity of Internet access in many third world countries. In India, according to The Economist, infrastructure is missing, making it more difficult to integrate access.
While Europeans enjoy a whopping 90,000 or so bits of bandwidth, in Africa, it is still around 2,000 bits, according to the latest ITU stats. This means access is very limited and very slow. Combined with first world pricing that could be the equivalent of a week’s salary or even more, depending on the country, you have the recipe for a country with virtually no access to online information.
Photo Source: http://www.tweaktown.com/news/11294/google_sets_up_internet_bus_in_india/index.html
Google Steps In
Interestingly enough, in India, Google is making an effort to bring Internet access to the masses. The Internet giant has sent the Google Internet bus to drive through India, providing free access to a mobile cyber cafe. The effort has introduced approximately 1.6 million people to the Internet since 2009. The idea is to get kids and young people interested in getting online. Then they sign up for an Internet connection through Google’s state-owned partner, BSNL. The company provides, for $5 a month, limited access broadband to its users.
Country Infrastructure Advances
The Economist also looks at what the government is doing for the people of India. At the moment, a plan is underway to provide Internet access to the country, starting with the village councils, of which there are 250,000. These will each have fiber optic broadband connections and from there, the state will continue to expand, providing village councils with computers, as well as access.
Mobile access is often more developed in third world countries than other types of communication, and according to SteveBratt of the WorldWideWebFoundation, that could be a good start. It’s possible to get online using mobile phones, but the Internet in most developing countries is not very useful for local searches. With so few people online, the content is simply not there yet. However, the pricing for broadband is insanely expensive, making it virtually impossible for the average person in some countries to get online. Bratt suggests that an intermediate solution be made available, where people could spend $5 and call in to ask questions such as where to find a doctor or where the best place to sell their crops is.
InternetWorldStats shows that Costa Rica, one of the more developed countries in Central America, has a good IT infrastructure in place, providing broadband, Internet, and digital television, along with VoIP.
CBCNews explains that Raja Singh Tuli and Suneet Singh Tuli, Indian brothers raised in Canada, have a plan for making it easier for those in more remote areas to get online. They formed a company called DataWind and created a tablet, the UbiSlate, which picks up internet using mobile signals. This is not a new idea, but the brothers have made it a solid, affordable option, planning to retail the tablet for about $60 in India. If their plan works, the tablet could go worldwide. The tablet is designed to work faster and more efficiently so that it can run at decent speeds even on the slower mobile networks.
Photo Source: http://www.androidos.in
It’s obvious that first world countries have a lot to offer developing areas of the world. With more resources at hand, it is often easier for those in first world countries to develop the technology like the UbiSlate to help those in developing areas. The end result will be economic growth across the board as those in poorer countries are able to access sites like eBay and even to set up their own websites. Language learning possibilities expand, as well, and connections can help those with skills and products reach hundreds of thousands of potential clients.
Third world countries are still considerably behind in many areas, including IT infrastructure, but with the help from both governments and first world countries, access to the Internet is fast becoming a reality. Experts expect to see access increase drastically over the next several years as technology makes it possible to use the minimal infrastructure to provide access to more people, even in more remote areas.
December 31st, 2011 — Net News
Twitter on Friday received a long awaited brand endorsement when athletic apparel and equipment maker Nike finally joined the social network with the account @Nike.
At the time of this post Nike has managed to amass 19,395 followers during the accounts first day in existence.
Almost immediately following the Twitter accounts release major athletes began following the brand including Tiger Woods, Lance Armstrong and Steve Nash among others.
The move to Twitter shows Nike’s dominance over the market after the company managed to rack up more followers than Adidas in less than a 24 hour period.
The compaines first Tweet came from an Instagram of company founder Bill Bowerman and his quote
“If you have a body, you are an athlete.”
At the time of writing this post Nike appears to have jumped into the social media sites functions almost immediately, responding quickly to customer questions and engagement with various Tweets.
Do you think Nike will be able to successfully harness the power of Twitter as their account grows and takes on new followers?
December 30th, 2011 — Net News
The last Friday Focus of the year goes back in time before we move into the future. Happy New Year to everyone!
Designs of the Week
Celebrate Christmas at Biltmore
Beautiful graphic touches and type. This site is first split into “Day” and “Night”, then into “Awe”, “Inspiration”, “Joy”, and “Stories”. Each is further broken down into sub-slideshows. Every section on this site slides into the framed panel either vertically or horizontally.
Ramiro Delgado
I like the bold colors and the big graphics put together, but I’m not too sure about using two different script fonts on the same page.
The Cottonseed Oil Tour
Another strong set of colors at play here, not to mention lots of different things grabbing your attention at once, which could be a bit of a turn off for some.
Alien Abduction Lamp
The texture/quality of the text isn’t quite the same as the photo but I like the skewed edges on the boxes and the lighting effects everywhere.
AdPacks
Lots of elements that drive the look home such as the sparkles, sunbursts, 3D box, and of course the cursive font. I really like the arrow/button although the alignment of the text is a little off.
Maratona Makeover
Love the idea of using patterns to replace the hair sections! There’s quite a bit of folding going on here, as well as stripes as backgrounds and shadows, and the blue that grounds everything makes the photos pop all the more.
Lather Bee Rich
Even the slideshow and dropdown menus carry the dirt and smudges you see all over the page. There’s also a significant number of typefaces being used here in a way that’s not chaotic at all.
Shipment App
There’s not a lot going on here, but it’s a wonderful look. The background illustration is perfect while the signup form in the foreground has a good number of details to look like a real ticket. I think my only question is if it’s a good choice to keep that form up there instead of the usual center alignment you see on “coming soon” pages. Once you hit submit (Notify) the whole box flips over to signal confirmation.
Social Media Weekly
User Experience – Beyond Bandwidth: UI Performance
“UI performance tips have been disseminated throughout the community for years, but often as an aside, with bandwidth and latency concerns much more at the forefront.”
Design – A simpler and faster alternative to wireframes
“In my opinion there’s a better, faster, and easier way to accomplish that goal: prioritized lists.”
Typography – Public Service Announcement: Watch Your @font-face font-weight
“The problem is the font is muddier than you originally saw it, and it’s all about font-weight.”
December 24th, 2011 — Net News
We all have trouble focusing from time to time. With the massive time waster that is the Internet tempting us with endless pages of Lolcats, YouTube videos, social-networking sites and Netflix, it is practically turning us all into creatures with the attention span of a goldfish. When was the last time you actually got through a task without checking Facebook? Or sending a text? I bet you can’t even remember.
It is no surprise that an avalanche of free applications has been released by developers for the Mac that helps to combat the lack of productivity that sometimes occurs in our everyday lives. Whether the issue is that there isn’t enough time in a day to get it all done or you just don’t seem to know where the time is going, these apps can help.
You might not realize how much productivity you lose in a day just by the tiny interruptions you allow yourself. RescueTime allows you to see it all listed for you, so you can see just how much time you spend doing what and what it is costing you. It will also give you little warnings when you have exceeded a certain amount of time on any nonproductive task – for example, if you have spent an hour that day, even broken up, on Twitter.
It is easy to overwork yourself, which can cause serious problems. Headaches, painful muscles and joints, tiredness and general irritability are among the most common issues. But spending too much time working without a break can hurt your overall efficiency, as well. Time Out Free is an annoying – but effective – program that reminds you to take breaks, small and large. It is fully customizable and can really help to eliminate some of those nasty effects of staring too long at a screen.
To copy and send files takes some time, especially across networks or machines. This application lets you do it all with one program by simply dragging and dropping it into the Drop Zone. You can even copy on one machine and paste on another. It is so fast that you’ll be hard-pressed to know how you got along without it.
Keep track of every call that comes in with this advanced phone log. It allows you to categorize calls and place notes on each one. Details go directly into the app, with a built-in reminder system. There is a professional option for a fee, but the basic call log application is free of charge.
This is an easy-to-use reminder application that runs in the background as a calendar and then pops up when you have set an event, including monthly needs like paying bills, buying groceries or keeping appointments. It was designed to quickly add tasks to save time, making it a better program over most that require a lot of initial organization.
This is essentially an application-launching program that puts together all of your browser icons in one place, along with other applications, to let you pick and choose without going through all of your files. Unlike other launchers, this one is genuinely simple.
One of the most popular applications ever made, Evernote lets you make notes, save web pages, attach images and PDFs, set reminders, make shopping lists and more. Then, it automatically syncs with all of your Mac products, from your computer to your iPhone and more. This makes them accessible from anywhere and links them all up in a simple-to-use way. Now, it is compatible with Windows, all Internet browsers and various mobile phone brands, such as Android, BlackBerry, Windows and Palm WebOS.
If you have an Inner Fence Merchant account, this is a must-have application. It works by connecting your financial account to your cell phone, turning it into a credible card terminal so you can accept payments, send invoices and more while on the go. It works very well, though if you don’t have an Inner Fence account, you will have to get one – that does cost money, though the app is free.
Sometimes you just have to sketch something, which is why many artists carry around a tablet with a stylus. With SketchBook Express (and SketchBook Pro), you can draw to your heart’s content, using professional digital tools and saving your images to your Mac. It has layers for building up a drawing, a ton of preset brushes and pens, the ability to import images and more.
How much time would it save to just be able to compress files rather than send multiple zips? StuffIt lets you compress, decompress, share and browse other public zips. It also opens files from other zip programs, such as WinZip, RAR, Rucksack and more.
Conclusion
You don’t have to feel like you are drowning under your own lack of productivity anymore. There are plenty of tools to help you stay focused and make the best of the time you have. What are some of your own favorite apps? Let us know in the comments.
Sonia Tracy is the content editor for PsPrint and editor of PsPrint Design Blog. PsPrint is an online commercial printing company. You can follow PsPrint on Twitter @PsPrint.
November 24th, 2011 — Net News
Google Plus is the social media service that Google has recently released and it has been suggested that this service is a direct move against Facebook which is the leading social media website today.
Much praise should be given to the Google team for the constant innovations they seem to bring out; moreover the smooth roll out of Google Plus was also slickly done. Instead of launching it to the entire world, they selected certain countries first of all and then as and when issues arouse they solved them in a timely manner.
Also rather than launching the finished product with all its features, they did the release of Google Plus in a more progressive way so that people could get used to the new social media service without getting confused by to many features.
Latest Development
Initially Google Plus was specifically for people and it did not cater for business’s which is a huge drawback for any social media service as Twitter and Facebook are utilised by many businesses as a way to communicate to customers more directly.
Over the past few weeks we have seen this change as Google Plus will now allow for business pages on Google Plus and so this will draw a lot of attention from business owners who will be aware that Google’s organic search results will take into account Google Plus business pages and ‘+1s’.
What this means is that a website can now create a Google Plus business page for themselves just like on Facebook and then other users can choose to give a ‘+1’ to the business if they like it. Many people get a little fed up with Facebook when they ‘like’ a company because their feed then gets clogged up with promotional material from that company, however it appears Google may have solved this issue with their social media service.
So for example if you liked a football retail company on Facebook then you might receive promotional offers for football shirts they are trying to promote like the latest Chelsea shirt or new Manchester United football kit. With Google Plus this doesn’t happen because when you ‘+1’ a companies Google Plus page you don’t ‘follow them’ or as Google calls it ‘join their circle’, meaning you can show your support for a business without having to hear from them all the time.
A Few Issues
While Google has done a superb job with their social media service they still need to continue to refine and develop it to compete with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Also with the introduction of Google Plus business pages they need to develop a way to make sure the businesses verify their own company name.
At the moment anyone can create a business page, however they cannot be allowed full use of the service until the page is ‘verified’ by the corresponding company website, though time will tell if this solution works effectively as a valid verification process.
Jonathan is working along side first rate football shirt and football kit retailer Soccerbox which sells quality football kits such as the Chelsea kit, Arsenal kit, Manchester United football kit, Barcelona football kit and many more.
November 21st, 2011 — Net News
It seems that every year a new handful of hyped up marketing techniques become the latest craze. That is in addition to older classics of the web such as SEO, which are still a staple today despite the changes made in search engines to curtail abuse in the area. In the end, it is best to keep a fair share of these methods brewing at once to give you the best overall results possible.
But one has never stopped being true, even if for some companies it went out of style: the customer is always right. Or, more specifically, customer satisfaction for loyalty building.
It is as true today as it ever was that getting a new customer is about ten times more costly than keeping one that you have already sold to. What you might not know is that it goes beyond that. It is also less important to make a sale than it is to ensure the happiness of that customer.
This is what we refer to as relationship marketing, and it is really what it sounds like: fostering a relationship with each consumer to ensure they are satisfied with the service they are being provided. Focusing on this element, it has been shown to increase profit by generating brand loyalty, an important part of any business model.
The main problem that companies seem to have lately is forgetting this principle. With so much competition thanks to the Internet – both a blessing and a curse for the sales world – there is too much focus on sale by sale transactions. Many think that just offering a small discount once in awhile is enough to bring people back. But this is wrong, and it ends up costing the company a lot more in the long run.
What you want is establish yourself as the brand of choice. This means making sure that each customer chooses to return for more in the future, and that is where relationship marketing comes in to play.
Unfortunately, if you are reading this now, you are probably not getting the most out of the method that you could be. In fact, you might be doing the opposite and ruining your chances. Here are some ways that you can increase your odds of properly utilizing relationship marketing for your business.
Business Transparency Is Not Necessary…Usually
Let’s say you run a multi-billion dollar organization that has dominated the business world. With the current anger over the bail outs, executive bonuses in the financial sector and an increased interest in corporate responsibility, transparency is a good idea. It will help to show customers that yours is a positive business where they can buy in confidence.
But if you are a small or mid-range business with no political ties, chances are it is unnecessary. In fact, transparency might just work against you. It might be interesting (and for some, infuriating) to see how much a Wall Street tycoon makes in a year, yes. Though it is doubtful that your meager or average salary will generate much interest.
Social Networking For Updates, Not Intercommunication
You will never be able to convince me that social networking like Twitter and Facebook (especially the latter) are not brilliant marketing platforms. There is endless potential for generating interest and keeping consumers informed of upcoming products, changes, and of course offering special discounts for those loyal enough to join your page.
But when it comes down to it, many businesses make a misstep here and use it as a chat platform. The only communication you should have is official; handling complaints, taking suggestions and providing details. Anything else is too easily misconstrued. Not to mention pointless, because who actually wants to have a conversation with a business? That is what customer service is for, and no one actually relishes calling it.
Don’t Think Of It As a Relationship, Even A Business One
Yes, it has ‘relationship’ in the name. But really what you are focusing on is building brand loyalty, which is all about the history the customer has had with your company. Which is what you need to set your eye on: how often they have bought, how they plan to buy in the future, and how you can increase the odds of that happening.
Fostering a professional relationship to this end is important, but it should not be overly personal. Which is the same mistake made with social media sites mentioned above.
In the end, the whole point is to make it so they want to come back for a long term customer relationship. Not to be buddies.
Conclusion
Alright, so this is your ultimate goal: to get the customer to keep buying. Not to buy once and walk away. Not to get five people to buy once and then walk away. But to get that one person to keep buying every time they need that item, and then do the same with the next customer, and the next. That is relationship marketing: focusing on this goal rather than just on sales alone.
After all, you could sell to a dozen people easily enough. But then you would have to find another dozen people, and then another, and it would just keep going on. Wouldn’t it be better if with each dozen, you have a constant sales pool generating new profits on a regular basis?
Personal touches are good, and they make people feel like sticking around. Making it about them is the best way to go about it, by showing each one that they are more than a number of a dollar sign. Just don’t get too hung up with the personal aspect, as it should still be more about the marketing and less about being friends with the customer.
All you have to do is show them that you are the best, and you’re golden.
Annie is a business blogger for Life Insurance Finder, the free source of insurance-related information for Australians
November 10th, 2011 — Net News
When it comes to tablet based devices these days most manufacturers have scrapped the bottle of the barrel in terms of processing power, however Asus hopes to change that fact with their newly announced Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime, the first Google Android based tablet to feature a quad-core Nvidia Tegra 3 chip.
Teased to consumers in October the $499 (32GB) and $599 (64GB) models will arrive this December and they promise to pack quite the punch.
Aside from the quad-core processor setup the Transformer Prime also offers an 8-megapixel rear facing camera with LED flash (upgraded from 5-megapixels on the older model) while coming in at a relatively small .33 inches thick and 1.29 pounds. The tablets 10.1? Super IPS+, 1280×800 display that houses the camera lens also comes equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack for easy compatible headset listening while the system is powered on 1GB of LP DDR2 memory.
According to Time’s Techland section the devices 12-core processor already has developers excited as they have begun to optimize their software for the Tegra 3 processor. Among the most excited developers is Rockstart Games which is porting Grand Theft Auto III to Android and iPad devices.
The tablet currently features Android 3.2 however Asus promises a free Android 4.0 upgrade (Ice Cream Sandwich edition) in late December. With Ice Cream Sandwich Transformer Prime users will receive built-in photo editing, improved speech-to-text and a system wide spell checker.
For power users the system also features a $149 keyboard and trackpad dock is also available which also added six hours of better life to the devices already impressive 12 hour charge cycle while also bringing with it a full-sized USB port and SD card slot capabilities.
For connectivity users will find a built in GPS receiver along with WIFI B/G/N and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.
With various tablets for Android available on the market Asus appears to be the only manufacturer pointing at a quad-core tablet release in time for the holiday shopping season.
Here is quite possibly the most infuriating teaser trailer to date for a tablet based device (pay attention to the very end):
Will you be heading out to pick up the Asus Transformer Prime when it arrives?
November 9th, 2011 — Net News, Strategy
Every week on Devlounge we feature inspiring designs and ideas, give you tips on what works and what doesn’t, and share useful resources to improve your site. Don’t you wish the efforts you’ve done towards building your site would be recognized? If you want a critique of your own blog while gaining a valuable promotional link back to your site, you might be interested in submitting your URL to one of the top blog directories, Blog Search Engine, which just got relaunched this week.
How to Get Featured
All you need to do is sign up to become a member. Choose from one of the four subscription packages, for as low as $14.99, via PayPal. Right now one of our sister blogs BloggingPro is running a promotion where you can win a Platinum Package Subscription worth $99.99, so you might want to take advantage of that.
In addition to getting a review on BSE, you also get the following promotional perks:
Win a Platinum Package Worth $99.99!
Send out a tweet with the URL http://bit.ly/rqPTDL then share the link of your tweet in the comments section on BloggingPro on or before November 11. Winners will be announced there on November 14.
