What's Behind the First 3D Super Bowl Ads

by Mark Hachman

Who or what is InTru3D? That's the message of one of the first two Super Bowl ads to be displayed in 3D, which will feature Intel, DreamWorks, and Sobe.

Two spots will debut on Sunday: a 30-second trailer for the DreamWorks animated movie, Monsters vs. Aliens, and a second spot highlighting Sobe LifeWater energy drinks. A 3D-encoded version of the NBC show "Chuck" will be shown the day after the Super Bowl.
The 3D advertising block will air at the end of the second quarter of the Super Bowl, Intel said. Over 125 million pairs of free 3D glasses, which use a new type of 3D technology, were created by Intel and distributed by PepsiCo through their brand SoBe Lifewater.

The glasses include the InTru3D logo, although it's unclear how high profile Intel and DreamWorks will make the brand. Intru3D represents a "premium 3D cinema experience," an Intel spokesman said.

And how important is 3D to DreamWorks? It's the future of moviemaking, according to DreamWorks chief executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, whose support was documented in a video blog shot by an unnamed Intel representative during the Consumer Electronics Show in January.

"The whole enchilada," Katzenberg replied, when asked if the studio's films would be made in 3D following the release of Monsters vs. Aliens. "[It's] all 3D from here on out for us."

InTru3D represents the fruits of a partnership Intel and DreamWorks struck last July, where DreamWorks said that Intel microprocessors would be used as the rendering engines to create DreamWorks films. Intru3D is a "new set of rendering and animation tools that run on top of Intel hardware," according to an Intel spokesman.

The Intel spokesman referred to what DreamWorks refers to internally as Shrek's Law, where the processing power needed to calculate clothes, hair, backgrounds, and other scene components in the Shrek movies with the appropriate visual fidelity doubles with each film. "With 3D, you're quadrupling your processing requirements," the Intel spokesman said.

DreamWorks used Intel's Xeon processors to render the film, and will move to "Nehalem" processors, the Intel spokesman said; the first Xeon server chip will be known as the Nehalem-EP, Intel executives have said previously. DreamWorks will also be a future test site for "Larrabee," Intel's upcoming multicore graphics processor for PCs and rendering farms, the Intel spokesman said.

Most of the 3D glasses people are used to wearing use a technology called anaglyph, which can create stereoscopic images from opposing colors – usually red and blue – that are slightly offset in order to create the illusion of depth. The problem is that any red and blue colors in the image get filtered, meaning that colors often have to be de-saturated to achieve a believable 3D image.

The new spots use a technology called "ColorCode," which will display a normal-looking 3D image when viewed without the glasses. However, the minute color offsets included in the image will translate into a 3D image when viewed with the glasses on.

"We are doing a bit of a stunt; this is the first time in history with a 3D broadcast in Super Bowl," Katzenberg said. "And there is a process that is just really come into own, called ColorCode. Instead of red and blue lensing, there is a different set of colors that is used, and it broadcasts with a different set of filters. And the result of that is that it…retains a lot of the color. If you look at something red and blue it turns to gray. And so now through this new lensing it doesn't leave all of the color out of the image, so right away it makes what you're looking at much much more compelling.

"And the second thing is that there is a greater level of precision in terms of the broadcast signal: the right eye-left eye stuff that is needed," Katzenberg added. "A lot of the fuzzy, blurry kind of stuff is cleaned up a lot. It puts out both a better signal and we translate better through these glasses. So relative to what people have seen before, this is a very good quality experience and obviously we feel good putting out our name and brand on it."

That, however, will differ dramatically from what viewers will see with the actual Monsters vs. Aliens movie in the theaters, Katzenberg added. "It's like a Rolls Royce to a razor – there's no comparison to it."

And how important is the Super Bowl ad? Well, it depends on how sloshed its viewers are, apparently. "One hundred million people are going to be introduced at the Super Bowl to InTru3D and Intel and Dreamworks through this presentation," Katzenberg said in the Intel video blog. "And since most of them will have had a couple of beers or so, they probably won't even notice. They'll be seeing it in 3D whether they put the glasses on or not."

Source : http://www.pcmag.com

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Inside Windows 7 Device Stage

by Jeremy A. Kaplan

Through hands-on testing with a variety of devices, we'll show you how Windows 7's Device Stage makes interacting with your gear easier—and more fun.

For the upcoming Windows 7 operating system release, Microsoft is polishing more than just the kernel itself. The company aims to ease interaction between you and your cell phone, printer, camera, and more, through a new feature called Device Stage.
Microsoft's Brandon LeBlanc describes the technology pretty well on The Windows Experience Blog, calling it a "new visual interface that makes it easy to find the things you want to do with your devices on your Windows 7 PC." With Device Stage, a photo-realistic picture of your gadget can live in your taskbar, providing one-click access to relevant apps, services, and information.

For Device Stage to work, Windows 7 loads a set of custom XML files (and possibly custom drivers) when you first connect a printer, scanner—whatever. And that's not just USB connections either; LeBlanc points out that Device Stage" works not only for devices connected to a Windows 7 PC via USB, but also Bluetooth and Wi-Fi as well. In many cases, software installation isn't required for Device Stage—with any additional drivers that might be needed automatically retrieved from Windows Update." Maybe in the final iteration things will work that smoothly, but it's proved a bit of a challenge for me so far.

The Reasoning Behind Device Stage
So where'd the idea for this come from, anyway? We can find some clues in a WinHEC presentation by Dennis Flanagan, group program manager at Microsoft. In it, Dennis noted the problems with devices in Vista:

* Inconsistent views and entry points
* Views are of functions, not devices
* Limited brand and function extensibility for partners
* Many partners are building similar applications for common tasks
* There's no recommended path to on-board and present services

That's a complicated way of explaining that each device works in its own way in Vista, since Microsoft really hasn't offered guidance to device manufacturers on this front. To check the ink levels in your printer, you probably have to access a custom-written app from Brother, HP, or whichever. Copying music to your phone more than likely involves a custom app from Motorola or Nokia. Flanagan underscores Microsoft's inconsistencies in Vista with a screenshot:


You might not have noticed, having simply adjusted to the way things are, but there are 17 Control Panel applets that all aim to help you "do stuff with your stuff." Want to adjust your modem? We've got a special panel for it. Need to sync your PDA? Go to the Windows Mobile Device Center. Got a tablet PC? You'll appreciate the Pen and Input Devices Control Panel. Ugh.

source : http://www.pcmag.com

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How Many SEOs Does It Take To Rank A Web Page?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

Are you game for a good joke? Here goes: How many search engine optimization experts does it take to rank a web page? Answer: Only 1; you’ll never find two SEOs who’ll agree on anything.

OK, it may not be funny, but there is some element of truth to it. There are thousands of search engine optimization consultants out there and you’ll be hard pressed to find a few who will agree on every aspect of SEO. In fact, sometimes it is difficult to find two SEOs that agree on any aspect of SEO. That’s why I always caution against working with two SEOs at the same time.

There are business people who shop around for a service by having two or more service providers work a project and see which one gets better results. I don’t recommend that approach because what will likely happen is you’ll get two SEOs whose style are completely different and you’ll get conflicting messages about what it is you’re trying to get accomplished. You’ll likely end up more confused than you were when you started. A better approach is to work with one SEM expert or firm at a time. If you find one that doesn’t work for you, fire them and get another firm, but don’t waste your time trying to work with two search engine optimization experts at the same time.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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Does Traffic Affect Your Search Rankings?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

Internet marketing legend Sugarrae wrote a blog post about a new site launch from which she concluded that traffic matters in search engine rankings. Of course, to some of us this isn’t really news. But she does provide some food for thought.

First, the whole idea that is search engine optimization is still important but doesn’t run the show is itself a controversial statement. There will be some who disagree and for good reason, but you have to understand her point. In this age of social bookmarking and social networking, it is highly possible that a website can rank well in the search engines based on its social proof alone. There will be a tendency by some to say that those websites rank based on inbound links, but not necessarily. There are some good reasons to believe that traffic to a website can influence search rankings.

First, the fact that her website was mentioned by TechCrunch is a big clue. The value in being mentioned by TechCrunch, a highly authoritative site, is the traffic that it can deliver. Yes, the link likely gave Sugarrae’s site a real good, quality link, but that only goes so far and one authoritative link isn’t going to be enough to rank 300 pages in record time and get the site ranked well. But a site that can deliver you thousands of visitors in a short period of time will do you some good. What happens after that, however, is a really big deal.

I believe Sugarrae is onto something. Google has said over and over again that its primary task is to deliver value to searchers. If we consider that its backlinks policy started as a measurement of value as measured by the votes of others, isn’t that was traffic is? And bounce rates? And RSS subscriptions? It is wholly feasible that these measurements could be considered important by Google in terms of measuring website authority and value, which could be translated into search rankings.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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3 Types of SEO And When To Employ Them

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

Search engine optimization comes in different flavors. Which type to use for your website depends on what your goals and aims for your site are.

Here are three different types of SEO and when you should use them:

* Reputation Management - Reputation management is optimization that is identity focused. You want to protect a name or a brand so the keywords that you target are related to the brand name, corporate name, or personal name whose reputation you are managing. It should start the moment you realize you have a brand or a name to protect and is ongoing.
* Keyword-Targeted SEO - This is traditional SEO. You want to build a website that attracts targeted traffic through the search engines and social circles that your target audience frequents. The focus is on attracting your target market by targeting the keywords that they are likely to use to search for information related to your product or service. When you build a website where lead generation or sales related to a specific keyword niche then you should use keyword-targeted SEO.
* Influence Peddling - Sometimes you just want to be an influencer. You are attempting to persuade or guide conversations with regard to a particular topic, subject, or niche. You are not selling anything other than your ideas and influence. This type of SEO relies on using relevant and broad semantically charged ideas. Your target audience may find you through search engine results pages, through social media outlets, or by word of mouth. But you are not necessarily targeting your market through keyword-targeted content. The actual ideas you convey are more important than the individual keywords you wish to target. Your audience will find you based on your ability to promote your ideas through a variety of personal and professional connections.

Before you build your next website, think about each of these types of optimization. Which one is more appropriate for your website? Maybe a little of all of them. But if you know the most appropriate type of search engine optimization needed for your website, you’ll be better capable of achieving the results you want.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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The Definitive Guide To SEO For Google

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

If you’re looking for the definitive guide to good search engine optimization techniques for Google then there is only one source that I’d recommend. It’s a free source. Anyone can use it. Anyone can download it. It’s easy to understand and you can get it right now. At Google.

Yes, it’s called The Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide and it was published in November 2008. Fairly new, right? So you’d think it would have the latest information available, right? It does. And even better, it contains all the old tricks too. That’s because optimization has changed relatively little in 15 years, but Google tells you everything you need to know to get started with a solid search engine optimization strategy for your website. Notice that it isn’t an advanced guide to SEO, but it is a great resource for beginners who want to get started and do it the right way.

To download your free Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, just go to Google Webmaster Central’s blog and click the link labelled “Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide”. Read it all the way through and do everything it says for a good start.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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How Google And YouTube Can Improve Your SEO

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

One recent bit of news from Google is that they are phasing out Google Video. Surprised? I’m not. Why else would the search engine have purchased YouTube?

There is no doubt, online video will affect the future of the Web. You don’t need a crystal ball to see that. And both Google and YouTube will play a part in that. Besides the obvious links from YouTube to your website for videos that you upload, there are other ways that you can use video to better your site’s long term search engine optimization efforts. Even if you don’t upload videos yourself.

The first way to improve your search engine optimization through video is to include a video sitemap that is separate from the HTML and SML sitemaps for your website. You should have a separate landing page for each video on your website and make sure that the search engines can crawl your site and find those videos.

Also make sure that each video has an adequate title and description. That is, each video’s landing page. Start thinking of individual videos and landing pages as one and the same. This will be very important to the formative years of video optimization.

But what if you don’t upload videos yourself? What if you just want to republish videos that you find on YouTube? We’ve recently discovered that those videos that you republish on your site can be found through the search engines. If you do the above well and optimize your video landing pages properly then it’s quite possible that YouTube videos you publish on your site could be found in the search engines before they are found on YouTube, the original source. You could land traffic through these videos that you weren’t counting on.

All the ways of improve video optimization have not come to light yet. This is a part of SEO that is still in its infancy and we are sure to see many changes before video optimization matures to the point that traditional SEO has reached. Still, there are many reasons to believe that YouTube videos will improve your site’s performance and user experience.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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Is Google Falling Down On The Job?

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

There was an interesting story in Wired Magazine’s online edition yesterday. The Huffington Post is being accused of stealing content from smaller, local online news organizations. I won’t get into the details of that, but I would like to point out one thing that I believe may have exacerbated this conflict and it’s Google’s fault.

If you copy and paste a sentence from the original article at Chicago Reader you’ll find The Huffington Post’s story at No. 1. in Google. The Huffington Post’s story, as it were, is an exact duplicate of Chicago Reader’s. But Google’s stated policy on duplicate content is to index the original story and not the duplicates. Google has clearly failed to do that in this case. The question that begs, is why?

Here are some possibilities:

* Perhaps it was just an oversight on Google’s part and not caught by the Google team
* There is something amiss about Google’s duplicate content algorithm
* Google favors larger sites with more content even if it finds duplicate information where the original appears on a smaller site
* Google favors sites with higher authority even in duplicate content matters (The Huffington Post is a PR4 and Chicago Reader is PR0)
* A combination of the above

The first two of these possibilities are easily fixable. Google can just find a better way to do its job and improve its ability to return the correct results. But if the third or fourth possibilities reflect reality then the entire Web community has a problem. What do you think it is and should we be concerned?

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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Can You Use PPC To Drive Traffic To Your Blog?

Writing by Brick Marketing

You’ve heard of landing pages as we’ve spent considerable time discussing them here at the Pay Per Click Journal Blog. You know that a well-optimized landing page coupled with a well-optimized PPC ad that is focused on driving traffic to a well-converting page will lead to great rewards. But what about your blog? Is PPC a good tool for driving traffic to a website that changes every day?

Well, first, you must ask what is the monetization plan. You can use pay per click advertising to drive traffic anywhere. But if you expect to realize a profit and see some ROI from your efforts, you’ve got to have a monetization plan in place.
There are, of course, more than one way to monetize a blog. Your blog could be a membership site like Brian Clarks. Or you may offer a free download wherein you make your sales offers, or build an opt-in list that allows you to follow up with future marketing messages. All of those OK monetization plans, though not the only ones. The bottom line when it comes to PPC advertising is to have a plan for monetization and make that plan work for you.

source : http://payperclickjournal.com

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Is Blogging Good Search Engine Optimization?

by Nick Stamoulis

So you’ve decided that you need to start a blog. Everyone else has one. The competition has two. You think they’re cool (now that you know what they are) and you’d like to start one. Is it good for Search Engine Optimization?

The real answer is, Yes, blogging is good for Search Engine Optimization - if you do it right. If you don’t do it right then it can water down your Search Engine Optimization. Here’s what I mean.
First, the two types of blogs for Search Engine Optimization: On Site and Off Site.

You can put a blog on the same domain name as your website and build your search engine saturation. That means the number of pages you have indexed at the search engines and potentially ranking for your keywords. Every blog post is a separate web page to the search engines so after you’ve written one year’s worth of blog posts (assuming you blog every day), you now have 365 additional web pages. But are they optimized?

With this type of blog, you have to use keywords, alt tags, anchor text, and other SEO elements in order to ensure that you gain the necessary mojo to rank for your keywords.

An off site blog is different. With an off site blog, you’ll still gain search engine saturation, but it will be for the blog itself, not your website. You can, however, build links to your website from your blog and that helps with link building.

Keep in mind, though, that most people in your industry will more than likely link to your blog posts before they’ll link to your company website. If your blog is on your company website, you may or may not get that link love. If your blog is on a separate URL then you’ll likely get link love - if your blog posts are well written and draw attention from other bloggers. That will tend to push your blog higher up in the PageRank scale. If you are linking profusely from your blog to your website then that PR will transfer to your website with each link.

That’s it in a nutshell. Blogging is good for Search Engine Optimization when done correctly. Most bloggers, however, are missing the beat here. To be the most effective blogger, you should learn the principles of Search Engine Optimization.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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Essential SEO Elements Of A Blog Post

Writing by Nick Stamoulis

One of the best ways to increase content is through a blog. A short carefully worded post every day is going to generate over 300 pages per year - that’s allowing for the occasional day off. Posting content alone is not enough; each blog post is a page and requires a search engine optimization program like any other page on your site.

Unlike normal web pages, blog posts are easier to create and do not require extensive knowledge of HTML to create a search engine friendly page. All that is requires is a blog application such as WordPress. However, each post still needs to include several SEO elements to help it rank.
Assuming you have done your homework and developed a list of keywords and keyword phrases, all that is left is to optimize those keywords for the search engines.

Title: Try to work a keyword or keyword phrase into the title. It also helps to place the keyword as close to the start of the title as possible.

Content: From a search engine optimization perspective, you should scatter keywords or keyword phrases throughout the post. From the readers perspective, keep it natural, don’t stuff a keyword in where it doesn’t fit the flow of the sentence. How many times? There is no hard and fast rule as to how many times you use the keyword. General consensus: Once in the first paragraph, as close to the beginning as possible; once in the last paragraph, as close to the end as possible; and once in paragraph - if it fits naturally.

URL: There are blog plugins for WordPress that enable you to craft the URL. Try to include the keyword or keyword phrase into the URL.

Tags: Whilst tags may not help your search engine optimization efforts directly, they may have an indirect effect as social media sites such as Technorati often rely on tags.

Description: Another blog plugin can help provide a description for the page’s meta tags. This is the snippet that may appear in the search engine results so word it in such a way that it draws the user to your site.

These are fairly easy steps to undertake and only take a minute or two to complete prior to publishing your post. The effect is similar to a standard web page that has been optimized. The finished result will have unique meta tags for that page followed by keyword rich content.

To put the final polish to your post’s search engine optimization strategy for your blog, use keywords to link both internally and externally to information that is relevant to the post’s content. Encourage a good range of inbound links and your page will start to rank well. How well? It depends on the competition and your use of keywords.

source : http://www.searchengineoptimizationjournal.com

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10 Web Sites That Will Matter in 2009

You've probably never heard of many of them, but chances are you'll be using some of these Web sites by the end of this year.

By : Mark Sullivan

Arguably, 2008 was the year of Twitter, Facebook, and Hulu. Come January of next year, I wonder what Web sites we'll agree were the ones that really mattered in 2009. In fact I'll do more than wonder: I'm going to stick my neck out and try to make a few educated predictions. And I'll choose them from among the sea of new or up-and-coming sites you may not even have heard of yet.

While most are flying below the radar today, these ten Web sites and services have a good shot at emerging as the fastest growing and most buzz-worthy of 2009.

TV.com
Back in May 2008, we predicted Hulu's rise to prominence, and it has fulfilled our expectations. This was a huge tactical win for NBC Universal, which owns part of Hulu (along with News Corporation). CBS is not taking this lying down. In its takeover last year of the tech Web site operator CNET, it bought the rights to the TV.com URL and has now added a good amount of full-length prime-time shows and movies (not just clips) to the site from major content partners like Sony (a wealth of great premium content), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and PBS. Content from CBS-owned Showtime is available there too.
TV.com relaunched with full-length programs (movies and prime-time TV shows) early this month. Before that, the site offered only promo clips, cast profiles, interviews, and discussions--yet it had 16.5 million viewers per month even then. That number should begin climbing steadily over the course of 2009 with all the new video content.

Still, TV.com is no Hulu. Why? The video quality, even the HD stuff, just can't match the surprising clarity of Hulu's offerings. That will have to improve if CBS wants to dethrone Hulu as "Web video central" this year. (http://www.tv.com/)

Qik
Qik provides a platform where you can easily stream and share live video from your mobile or cell phone camera. When visiting the site, it's easy to find live video streams being shot by Qik members from around the world. This is great for family stuff, like Grandma in America watching her baby grandson in Italy in real time, for example.

After you are finished streaming your video live over Qik, the video is automatically archived at the site. And, if you set it up to do so, Qik sends the videos to YouTube, your blog, or to your page on Facebook. Using Qik does not require a fancy smart phone--an inexpensive Java-based cell phone will do. Qik has found a niche and is exploiting it well. I'm predicting that many more video enthusiasts will flock to Qik this year because of its simple, straight-forward design and ease of use. (http://www.qik.com/)

Boxee
With the Internet video landscape becoming large and more scattered, many of us would welcome a well-designed tool to help us make sense of it all. Boxee gathers video from all over the Web (Hulu, YouTube, CNN.com, and many others) and puts it in a very neat and easy-to-use interface that can be accessed on your PC or on the TV in the living room. This creates something like a programming guide for Internet video, such that you don't have to surf around to different video sites--all your favorite Web video is right in front of you. Boxee also accesses and organizes the video, images, and music that you have on your hard drive.

As Web video destinations become more numerous and diverse, they all must effectively answer the user's basic problem--"What do I watch when I don't know what I want to watch?"--in order to keep the eyeballs. Boxee's main means of doing this is letting you get viewing suggestions from perhaps the best source you have--your friends. You form friend groups with other Boxee users, and you can see what they've been watching or they can proactively suggest stuff to you.

The current version of Boxee runs on Intel-based Macs, Apple TV, and Linux machines (it works particularly easily on Ubuntu distributions). A Windows version should be ready soon, Boxee says. (http://www.boxee.tv/)

Blackberry Application Storefront
Research in Motion had a big year in 2008, releasing smart phone after smart phone in a valiant effort to keep all those "CrackBerry" addicts from jumping ship and buying iPhones. The devices and the software that runs on them have become sexier-looking more entertainment-oriented; RIM has added an element of fun to a device that's traditionally been a business tool.

RIM is also taking a page from the iPhone playbook by opening up a store for independently developed BlackBerry apps, called the BlackBerry Application Storefront. Current BlackBerry users (and prospective ones) will no doubt be eager to see what those new apps look like; and it's a safe bet that the site where they are displayed and sold will be a popular place on the Web in 2009.

However, the Storefront isn't open yet. Keep an eye on PCWorld.com or the BlackBerry signup page on the Storefront for updates.

Loopt
A major theme in mobile applications now and in the coming months is the ability to detect the location of the user, and to use that information in useful and compelling ways. Loopt fits this bill perhaps better than any other mobile app out there now, mainly because of the way it mixes location awareness with social networking.

Loopt shows you a map, and your position on it, and also the positions of your mobile friends who are in the vicinity. Now you need something to do--somewhere to get together. Loopt detects businesses in the area and makes suggestions based on your interests or specific queries ("beer, pizza, bowling"). You can read what any of your friends have said about prospective meeting places, or read reviews from Yelp to help you decide.

When you've found an agreeable destination, you can then invite your friends, and access directions for getting there, as can your friends. You can also search out new friends by looking for other Loopt users who have similar interests (favorite bars, say) to yours. (http://www.loopt.com/)

Blip.fm
I'm not the first to make this comparison, but Blip.fm really is like Twitter for music. What you see at the site is a scrolling list of people's song choices with their short comments about them. These are called Blips. You can listen to the "blipped" songs as they come up, or skip up and down the list to songs you like. If you like a particular user (called DJs here), you can give them "props" for the songs they play, or you can choose to "follow" that DJ. After you have found a decent number of DJs to follow, you can switch to a mode where you see only that group's blips.

If you think of a song you want to blip, you just search for it (you can find almost anything), make your selection from the search results, write a little comment about it, hit send, and then your blip is added to the stream of other blips. The site then shows you the other members who have also blipped that artist. It's surprisingly engaging and fun, especially if you find good DJs to follow, or if your own real-world friends sign up and participate. (http://www.blip.fm/)

Power.com
There aren't many sites with 5 million users that we haven't heard of, but Power.com is just that, and it's a name you might be hearing a lot more of this year. The "social inter-networking" site, as the company calls it, operates on the premise that many of us now belong to several social networking sites and that it's a hassle to log into and post to each one separately.

Power.com lets you log in once, then view (and post to) any of a long list of social networking sites that you sync the service up with--all from one place. You can see the posts, status changes, and so on, of your friends on multiple social networks, and simultaneously send new messages or updates to all of those sites (similar to Ping.fm). You can also automatically log into, and instant message using MSN from within Power.com--cool.

Actually, Power.com worked a little too well for Facebook's comfort. In late 2008 Facebook started complaining about Power's ability to store Facebook users' passwords and access Facebook users' content. After all, Facebook has its own scheme for connecting to multiple networks at once, called Facebook Connect. Facebook eventually filed suit when talks with Power.com failed to yield an agreement. Power.com says the two companies are now working out their differences. It's likely that Power will still support Facebook, but will have to use Facebook Connect to connect. Without a workable agreement with Facebook, Power.com's utility would be seriously limited. (http://www.power.com/)

Tweetag
Twitter proved itself during 2008 and will keep growing in 2009. Millions of people around the world are adding content (in short dispatches called "tweets") to the Twitter stream every day. Some of this content is worth reading--serious discussions, not just idle chatter.

Tweetag is a sort of search engine for "tweets." It allows you to look for trends in what is being publicly discussed on Twitter, and, more importantly, find discussions of things that matter to you.

On Tweetag's front page you can see a tag cloud showing the most discussed topics on Twitter right now (as I write this, the biggest tag is "Inauguration"). You can search for Twitter messages containing a particular keyword. Once you've done that, Tweetag suggests other keywords to help you narrow down your results. Using tabs, Tweetag organizes the tweets in your search results based on whether they are "re-tweets" (another Twitterer seconding an idea), or replies to tweets, or if they contain questions or links. (http://www.tweetag.com/)

Hi5
Believe it or not, Hi5 is the third largest social network in the world. Yet it's virtually unheard of in the United States. That could change. Hi5 typically has 60 million unique visitors every month, most of them from abroad (40 percent comes from Spanish-speaking countries). Word has it that more and more people in the U.S. are discovering the site, a trend line that will likely keep bending upward in the next 12 months.

The site's music and video applications rival those of other, more popular social networks, and Hi5's mobile app (pictured) is first rate. Hi5 won't be bigger than Facebook in the U.S. by the end of the year, but it will have grown significantly, and it will have given many of us an attractive alternative to try out. (http://www.hi5.com/)

Tripit
Tripit's goal in life is to be your personal, full-service travel assistant. For me, a typical trip (business or pleasure) involves a number of modes of travel--planes, trains, taxis, and so on--and things like restaurants and hotels. It adds up to a lot of details to keep track of. My usual method is to make a hard copy of all my reservations, staple them together, and carry the whole bundle with me.

Tripit aggregates all those details, and throws in some handy tools like maps, local attractions, dinner reservations, and weather reports, and wraps it up in an easy-to-use master itinerary. For me, much of the stress of travel can be cured by having the right information at the right times, and that, in a nutshell, is what Tripit does. I think a lot of new users will arrive at this conclusion in 2009. (http://www.tripit.com/)

So there you go. I hope you've enjoyed my predictions of the biggest sites of 2009. Of course, some of them will miss the mark, while others will live up to the hype. I hope you'll go check some of them out today, rather than waiting for your friends to nag you into it later, when the sites start getting popular. And if you do, please let me know your impressions in our Forums, or sign in to enter a comment.

Source : pcworld.com

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Windows 7 Security Features Get Tough

By : Rob Vamosi



Two years after Windows Vista debuted, many companies have yet to upgrade. And in many instances their reluctance to migrate to Vista stemmed from concern about security.

Microsoft hass responded with its latest operating system, Windows 7, currently in public beta and expected to ship later this year. In Windows 7, new security features have been added, popular features expanded, and familiar features enhanced. Here's a look at a dozen or so security improvements that we expect will convince even the most recalcitrant corporate clients to upgrade.
Improved Migration Tools

Microsoft says that Windows 7 will be faster and easier to roll out across an enterprise than previous OS migrations were. Much of the credit for the anticipated improvement goes to new tools such as Dynamic Driver Provisioning, Multicast Multiple Stream Transfer, and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure.

With Dynamic Driver Provisioning, drivers are stored centrally, separate from images. IT professionals can arrange for installation by individual BIOS sets or by the Plug and Play IDs of a PC's hardware. Microsoft says that reducing the number of unnecessary drivers installed will help avoid potential conflicts and will accelerate installation. With Windows 7, as with Windows Vista, IT professionals can update system images offline, and even maintain a library of images that includes different drivers, packages, features, and software updates.

Rolling out any particular image across the entire network--or even installing individual images on desktops--is faster in Windows 7, thanks to the new Multicast Multiple Stream Transfer feature. Instead of individually connecting to each client, deployment servers "broadcast" the images across the network to multiple clients simultaneously.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), another desktop deployment model, allows users to access their desktops remotely, thereby centralizing data, applications, and operating systems. VDI supports Windows Aero, Windows Media Player 11 video, multiple-monitor configurations, and microphone support for voice over IP (VoIP) and speech recognition. New Easy Print technology permits VDI users to print to local printers. But use of VDI requires a special license from Microsoft, and doesn't offer the full functionality of an installed operating system.
Protecting Corporate Assets

Once the OS is installed, organizations may protect their assets with authentication for log-in. Windows Vista included drivers for fingerprint scanners, and Windows 7 makes such devices easier for IT professionals and end-users to set up, configure, and manage. Windows 7 extends the smart card support offered in Windows Vista by automatically installing the drivers required to support smart cards and smart card readers, without administrative permission.

IT professionals may further protect the contents of their Windows 7 volumes with BitLocker, Microsoft's whole-disk encryption system. Windows Vista users have to repartition their hard drive to create the required hidden boot partition, but Windows 7 creates that partition automatically when BitLocker is enabled. In Windows Vista, IT professionals must use a unique recovery key for each protected volume. But Windows 7 extends the Data Recovery Agent (DRA) to include all encrypted volumes; as a result, only one encryption key is needed on any BitLocker-encrypted Windows machine.

BitLocker To Go is a new feature that lets users share BitLocker-protected files with users running Windows Vista and Windows XP. The BitLocker To Go desktop reader provides simple, read-only access to the protected files on non-BitLocker-protected systems. To unlock the protected files, the user must provide the appropriate password (or smart-card credentials).

Application Control

Windows 7 also introduces AppLocker , an enhancement to Group Policy settings that lets organizations specify which versions of which applications users have permission to run. For example, a rule might allow users to install Adobe Acrobat Reader version 9.0 or later, but it might block them from installing legacy versions without specific authorization. AppLocker contains a rule-generation wizard to make the process of creating policies much easier, and it includes automatic rule making for building a custom white list.

System Restore, first introduced in Windows ME, gets a much needed update in Windows 7. First, System Restore displays a list of specific files that will be removed or added at each restore point. Second, restore points are now available in backups, giving IT professionals and others a greater list of options over a longer period of time.

The Action Center is a new, integrated Control Panel feature that gives Windows 7 users a central spot for locating tasks and common notifications under a single icon. The Action Center includes alerts and configuration settings for several existing features, including the Security Center; Problem, Reports, and Solutions; Windows Defender; Windows Update; Diagnostics; Network Access Protection; Backup and Restore; Recovery; and User Account Control. Popup alerts are gone in Windows 7, replaced by a new task tray icon (a flag with an X) that provides streamlined access to the problem directly or to the Action Center for more information.

Perhaps the most famous and most annoying form of Windows Vista notification comes from the User Account Control (UAC) feature, which flashes administrative warnings whenever you need to configure a system setting. In Vista the choices are stark: Endure the messages, or turn off UAC. In Windows 7, you have additional options. A slider bar configures the appropriate notification level for your computer, and by default UAC will notify you only when programs try to make changes to your PC.
Better Performance

Windows Defender, Microsoft's antispyware product, gains a much-needed performance enhancement in Windows 7. But Microsoft has removed the Software Explorer tool, asserting that the utility doesn't affect spyware detection or removal. That might be true, but Software Explorer would allow you to see what programs and processes are running, including ones that you may not know about or want. Perhaps Microsoft will reverse this decision by the final build.

Another new feature of Windows 7 is the Windows Filtering Platform (WFP), a group of APIs and system services that allow third party vendors to tap further into Windows' native firewall resources, thereby improving system performance. Microsoft stresses that WFP is a development platform and not a firewall in itself, but WFP does address a few of Windows Vista's firewall problems.

In Vista, Microsoft introduced the concept of profiles for different types of network connections--home, network, public and domain. This, however, bound corporate IT professionals whenever a remote user accessed their corporate VPN, because the firewall was already set as either "home" or "public," and corporate network settings could not be applied later. Windows 7 and WFP in particular permit multiple firewall policies, so IT professionals can maintain a single set of rules for remote clients and for clients that are physically connected to their networks. Windows 7 also supports Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC), newly established protocols that give organizations greater confidence that DNS records are not being spoofed.
Features for Mobile Users

Windows 7 has two enhancements designed for mobile users. With DirectAccess, mobile workers can connect to their corporate network any time they have Internet access--without needing a VPN. DirectAccess updates Group Policy settings and distributes software updates whenever the mobile computer has Internet connectivity, whether the user is logged on to a corporate network or not. This ensures that mobile users stay up-to-date with company policies. And with BranchCache, a copy of data accessed from an intranet Web site or from a file server is cached locally within the branch office. Remote users can use BranchCache to access shared data rather than using a connection back to headquarters.

Windows 7 also makes enhancements to event auditing. Regulatory and business requirements are easier to fulfill through management of audit configurations, monitoring of changes made by specific people or groups, and more-granular reporting. For example, Windows 7 reports why someone was granted or denied access to specific information.

Source : pcworld.com

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Six Apple executives you need to know about

With Steve Jobs taking a leave of absence, these executives will become even more important.

By : Macworld Staff

The story of Apple's strong management may begin with Steve Jobs, but it certainly doesn't end there. Apple enjoys a deep bench of executive talent-one of the reasons the company has thrived in recent years.

A complete list of the people critical to Apple's success would fill page after page. We've focused on just a half-dozen executives-if you don't already know their names, you probably should learn them now.
The story of Apple's strong management may begin with Steve Jobs, but it certainly doesn't end there. Apple enjoys a deep bench of executive talent-one of the reasons the company has thrived in recent years.

A complete list of the people critical to Apple's success would fill page after page. We've focused on just a half-dozen executives-if you don't already know their names, you probably should learn them now.

Tim Cook, chief operating officer

Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer
While Steve Jobs enjoys a reputation for having a hand in everything that happens at Apple, behind the scenes Tim Cook is just as involved in the details. Apple's chief operating officer is responsible for every aspect of Apple's supply chains, sales, and support services in addition to overseeing the Mac division. An October 2006 profile in the Wall Street Journal described Cook as a "low-key operator making sure the company runs smoothly behind the scenes." He joined Apple 10 years ago, taking charge of Mac manufacturing and smoothing out the inefficiencies in the process. As the years went on, Cook added more responsibilities before becoming COO in October 2005. The fruits of his labors can be seen in Apple's sales figures-the company has sold a record number of Macs in four of the last five quarters.

Eddy Cue, vice president of Internet Services

How do you know when somebody's a go-to guy within Apple? When Steve Jobs calls on that person to fix a high-profile product whose launch was marred by technical glitches and widespread user complaints. That's the situation Eddy Cue finds himself in with MobileMe. After Apple's rebranded version of .Mac stumbled out of the gate, Jobs, in a memo acknowledging that MobileMe "was simply not up to Apple's standards," turned responsibility for the subscription-based service to Cue, who now holds the newly created title of vice president of Internet Services. "Eddy has been brought in to fix it," wrote former Apple employee Chuq Von Rospach in a blog post about Mobile Me, "which means it's going to get fixed." And Cue has a track record at Apple-he's spent the last several years heading up the iTunes team at a time that the online store has become a dominant force in digital music.

Scott Forstall, senior vice president of iPhone software

A few days before this year's Worldwide Developers Conference keynote-the venue where Apple would unveil the iPhone 3G as well more details about the iPhone 2.0 software update-the company had another announcement to make. It promoted Scott Forstall to the newly created position of senior vice president of iPhone software. The timing was not coincidental: The iPhone has grown into a critical part of Apple's business, and Forstall has emerged as one of the key figures in the product line's development. When it's time to discuss the intricacies of iPhone software at an Apple event like this year's WWDC keynote or the March unveiling of the iPhone SDK, Steve Jobs turns the stage over to Forstall. Of course, Forstall has earned that trust-he's an 11-year veteran of Apple and one of the original architects of Mac OS X and the Aqua interface. His last job before coming to Apple? Working at NeXT, under the watchful (and apparently approving) eye of his current boss, Steve Jobs.

Jonathan Ive, senior vice president of industrial design

In the consumer electronics and computer markets, Apple is famous for its attention to design. While the popular perception might be that Steve Jobs himself is responsible for all of Apple's products, in recent years it's been the notoriously publicity-shy Jonathan Ive who has played the major role in shaping the company's iconic look and feel. Ive and his team were the force behind the eye-catching industrial design of such prominent projects as the iMac, iPod, and iPhone. Given Apple's emphasis on the marriage of form and function, and the visceral reaction that its products evoke in users, Ive's hand is keenly felt in everything Apple makes, from the placement of screws to the boxes the hardware comes in. Ive has won nearly every design accolade you can name, including a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for his contributions to the design industry.

Ron Johnson, senior vice president of retail

Since moving to Apple from Target in 2000, Ron Johnson has presided over the roll out of more than 200 Apple Stores across the world, including the company's first store in China. After Steve Jobs, Johnson is one of the most outwardly charismatic members of Apple's executive team and is a common sight at Apple Store openings. Under Johnson's watch, Apple's retail operations have risen to become the envy of the company's competitors, bringing in almost $1.5 billion in net sales in Apple's last quarter and routinely drawing new customers to the Mac platform. Apple Stores have become not only attractive places to shop, but also outlets for expert tech support and personal training, as well as social landmarks.

Greg Joswiak, vice president of worldwide iPod and iPhone product marketing

Greg Joswiak is a longtime Apple veteran who rose through the ranks as a product manager in the company's PowerBook line of laptops. After becoming the company's chief product marketing manager for Mac Hardware products, he transitioned over to the then-fledgling iPod line-with more than 100 million iPods sold, that product line is anything but fledgling now. Joswiak now manages all product marketing for both Apple's iPod and iPhone product lines, when he's not making cameo appearances in iPod-based poker games.

source : pcworld.com

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Windows 7, Linux Battle for Netbook Supremacy

By : Shane O'Neill

Possibly Microsoft's most important strategic goal for Windows 7, in addition to redeeming the brand damage done by Windows Vista, is to dominate netbooks, now the fastest selling segment of the PC market.

This may not bode well for the Linux operating system. With netbooks, the open-source OS with a highly tech-savvy audience found a market where it could legitimately threaten Windows. But Linux will face an uphill battle in this category now that the sleeping software giant has been awoken to the opportunity that netbooks present, say industry analysts.

Top netbook vendors Asus and Acer, which together account for the majority of the netbook market, run Linux on roughly 30 percent of their Eee PC and AspireOne netbooks respectively-a figure that dwarfs Linux's nearly 1 percent share of the higher-end PC market. Hewlett-Packard, Dell and Lenovo released netbook products in the fourth quarter of 2008, all in the US$400 price range and offering a choice of either Windows XP or some flavor of Linux.

But Microsoft designed Windows 7, unlike notorious resource hog Vista, with netbooks in mind (Click here for a video demo of the Windows 7 pre-beta running on a netbook). According to Microsoft's Windows Consumer Product Managing Director Parri Munsell, "Windows 7 has been optimized and engineered to run on anything, from the smallest notebook to the most loaded laptop or desktop."

Netbooks Crept Up on Microsoft

Why is making Windows 7 small form-factor friendly a necessity for Microsoft? The company was caught off guard by a sudden netbook spike in popularity in 2008 that bit into its bottom line.

In its last quarterly earnings report in October, Microsoft pointed directly at explosive netbook sales in 2008 as one of the main reasons for sluggish year-over-year growth for Windows Vista. Because Vista's hardware requirements and licensing costs are too much for netbook OEMs, Microsoft had to get Windows XP running on netbooks to curb the Linux momentum, analysts say.

Initially, netbooks only ran Linux and the OS was able make significant headway before and after Microsoft put XP on them. Asus and Acer executives have been quoted recently as saying that Linux should sustain a netbook market share of 20 to 30 percent.

Linux Lacks Marketing Muscle

But despite reports from bloggers that Linux on netbooks could undercut Windows, industry analysts remain doubtful that Linux can keep up the netbook momentum now that these lightweight, inexpensive laptops have become more mainstream-particularly when the competition is Microsoft, a marketing giant.

"I don't think Microsoft is really worried about Linux on the client side," says Roger Kay, president of research and consulting firm, Endpoint Technologies. "Most attempts to get Linux moving on the client side have gone nowhere and I think its share of the netbook market will decline when Windows 7 arrives."

A bigger problem than Linux, says Kay, is that Microsoft is running "a trailing edge technology [Windows XP] on netbooks" and that Vista is too resource-heavy for that market.

"If Vista could be trimmed to run on netbooks, Microsoft would do it. But for now it must use old material with XP," Kay says.

Analyst Rob Enderle, president of technology research from The Enderle Group, agrees that Microsoft doesn't see Linux as much of a threat and that refocusing on the netbook market is more about "Microsoft addressing the problem of having to keep shipping Windows XP long after its expiration date."

Enderle says that getting XP on netbooks was clearly a response to Linux gaining traction, but that Microsoft is not afraid of consumers or OEMs having a preference for Linux.

"The problem was that Linux could run on a netbook and Vista couldn't, not any consumer or OEM love for Linux," he adds.

Will Google Bring Linux to Netbooks?

The netbook market is forecasted to stay red-hot. In December, research firm IDC raised its projection for global shipments of netbooks to 11.4 million units for 2008 and 21.5 million in 2009. Market research company DisplaySearch predicts that netbooks will own roughly 16 percent of the notebook PC market by 2011.

Microsoft is likely to promote Windows 7 on netbooks right away with full force. Kay says he expects Microsoft "to roll out a netbook-specific version of Windows 7 to keep the price point right and keep things proportional."

The only way for Linux stay in the game, says Enderle, is if a vendor with capital pushes a Linux-based OS on netbooks. Enderle mentioned that Google may just be the company for the job.

"No one has yet created something like the MacOS using Linux for a netbook, but the rumor is Google will do so shortly with Android," he says.


source : pcworld.com

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The PC World Challenge: 72 Hours of Windows 7

By : David Murphy

The Challenge

Switch from Windows Vista to Windows 7 completely. No going back to work with compatible programs. No jumping ship if a driver keeps you away from your Warhammer Online character. No tears. Windows 7 is your new home for 72 hours, starting from your initial download of the software.
The Spoiler

Microsoft doesn't know how to manage digital downloads. Nor does Microsoft know how to title its own applications--this isn't Windows 7, not by any means. It's Windows Vista SP2.


The Tribulation

Having completed my 72 hours in Windows 7 land, I'm going to adopt the same mindset and cap the writing of this post at one hour's length. Having seen no less than 40 different articles about Windows 7 over the past three days (if not three months), I'm not about to bore you with a list of the 89 most important features Windows 7 brings to the table. What I am going to chat about is what the actual process of jumping to Windows 7 is like. What happens? How do the new features of Windows 7 affect the general usage patterns of an operating system? What's the speed like? Why would I buy this to replace Vista?

I'll start with a cursory note that this article was actually supposed to run Monday morning--the whole concept of "72 hours in Windows 7 Land" being a fun little weekend activity that I would write up and post for all the people who gave up on downloading the beta on its horrible Friday release. About that. Seeing as Microsoft has no idea what "busy servers" entails, and apparently refuses to release its beta clients across a peer-to-peer distribution method a la Blizzard game patches, I waited. And waited. And waited, until I finally acquired a copy of Windows 7 well into Saturday afternoon. Leading the charge into the digital future, that's Microsoft.

Ahem.

I fired up Windows 7 on a drive I had pre-partitioned in preparation for the event. On one half sat a fresh installation of Windows Vista featuring all the latest updates and drivers I could get my hands on. On the other would sit Windows 7, as I wanted to compare the two's initial performance before installing a ton of my typical junk on either. I fired up my Windows 7 ISO and let 'er rip.

The Installation

Installing Windows 7 (x64) brought a tear to my eye, for I do love nostalgia and this installation routine is virtually a carbon-copy of Windows Vista's. Save for the addition of a new setup screen for establishing a Homegroup--Windows 7's answer to network file-sharing--there's nothing dramatic about the installation in the slightest. Compared to Windows XP, both Vista and 7's installation procedure (side note: I hope this never becomes the nickname for the operating system) are a godsend. But I'd love to see a more streamlined installation: Perhaps a way to set all the options you need to set up-front, so you can just sit back and let the 24:01-minute process do it's thing. I love making customized slipstream OS installation discs for this very fact. Convenience, Microsoft. Convenience!

Both installation processes forced two resets on my computer. And for those keeping score at home, the Vista installation took all of three minutes, twenty-six seconds less time than the Windows 7 installation. That's not a lot minute-wise, but it's still 16 percent more time than its predecessor. I'm also running a pretty souped-up PC--a stock-clocked Intel QX9650 running at 3.0GHz, four gigabytes of RAM, a speedy Western Digital terabyte hard drive, and an ATI Radeon HD 4850 video card. I can only imagine how long Windows 7 might take for a machine of less prowess.
Getting Started

As mentioned, my first act upon installing Windows 7 was to fire up some benchmarks to get a direct, bare-bones impression of OS performance between Vista and Windows 7. I ran PCMark Vantage on an untouched Windows 7 installation and an untouched Vista SP1 installation (both fully updated with all relevant drivers installed). Go figure, Windows 7 is the faster operating system--10 percent faster than Windows Vista, with a PCMark Vantage score of 6557 to 5919 respectively.

A nice touch of Windows 7 is that it installed with more drivers configured than its predecessor. My Windows Vista installation came with five unknown devices attached, requiring me to find and install drivers for the video card and Ethernet drivers for the motherboard in particular. Windows 7 set itself to the highest resolution my monitor supports using what appeared to be Microsoft-friendly ATI drivers. My Internet connection "worked" immediately, allowing me to fetch whatever I needed without having to first find the CD that came with my motherboard. Nice.

(Ethernet woes aside, I like how Windows 7 now gives you a "files processed per second" time instead of a "Megabytes of speed" value.)
Further inspection of the Ethernet drivers revealed that these were less than stable for my system. I had horrific problems trying to make multiple connections to either the Internet or my network devices. The operating system froze up every time I tried to grab more than one batch of files from my NAS, download files from the NAS and Steam at once, or generally do anything but surf the Web. Frustrated, I went back to the my motherboard's CD drivers and that seemed to fix the problem just fine. This now-stable OS was ready to get used!

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iPhone Gets New Browser Options

By : Daniel Ionescu

New Web browsers for the iPhone started appearing in Apple's App Store, contrary to the company's previous policy of denying applications that duplicate functionality of its own software. Four new Web browser implementations became available over the last day in the App store. Still, other popular browsers are not expected to follow suit.

Although Apple didn't officially acknowledge dropping its functionality duplication policy, four new Web browsers for the iPhone became available yesterday, bringing new features such as tabs and private browsing. However, the new browsers are just different user interface implementations of the built-in iPhone rendering engine - WebKit. So basically, the code in the new apps rendering the web pages is still Apple's.


The new so called Web browsers range in price from free to $1.99 and bring some features missing from Apple's Safari App. Edge browser (pictured above), a free app, removes Safari's address and navigation bars, leaving more screen real estate for the page you are browsing. Another browser, WebMate:Tabbed Browser ($0.99), as the name suggests, brings tabbed browsing to the iPhone by queuing up all the links you click on and then displaying them in an orderly fashion. The other two browsers, Incognito and Shaking Web (both $1.99), offer untraceable browsing and respectively compensate the small hand shaking for easier reading with the help of a sophisticated algorithm.

Apple has been criticized before for group delays of certain application categories, such as the fart generators, and it seems that even the browsers in discussion have been submitted to the App Store from as early as October last year. Regardless, the new apps are a step ahead for Apple in becoming a more open platform for web browser developers, even though we shouldn't expect other big players such as Firefox or Opera being allowed to release browsers featuring their own rendering engines for the iPhone.

source : http://www.pcworld.com

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Your Backup Resolutions: Five Strategies to Back Up Your Data, Now

We help you find the perspective and the technology to put yourself on the path to smoother backups.

By : Melissa J. Perenson

Every year you say you'll be better at keeping your data backed up, but then life happens. You get busy. You get distracted. And the number of files in your digital life grows exponentially--all while you continue to relegate this critical task to the "I'll get to it" pile.

Sound familiar? Thought so. Backup is essential, yet most people neglect it, despite adding ever more files to their digital stockpiles. According to the Consumer Electronics Association, the average U.S. adult with online access has an average of 1800 digital files. And growing.

We've found the tech that can help you get a handle on your backups--and help you stick to a plan. You'll find many options that lead to the same result. Part of your challenge is picking the ones that are best for you.

1. Devise a Backup Plan of Attack

Survey your backup needs, and think about what you have that is "live" data--your ongoing, working library of files--versus what is archival data, files that don't require changes or additions. Live data might include your collection of digital music and your business documents, while archival data might include your digital photos from the past five years. Think about whether you want all of your data to reside in a single place, or whether you want to spread your backups across multiple devices. Also consider your habits: Do you need prompting to back up, or do you want to invoke a backup at will?

Having evaluated your files and needs, you can better decide on a backup strategy--and on which combination of technologies makes sense for you. You'll likely settle on a strategy that encompasses various devices and services, selected from among USB flash drives, external hard drives (see our latest Top 10 External Hard Drives chart or peek at the newest portable external hard drives), network-attached storage (see our most recent Top 5 Network-Attached Storage Devices chart), and online backup.

Many hardware devices now include a backup utility as a matter of course; but whether you'll find that backup utility (be it a separate application or one that's integrated with the drive) useful will depend in part on the backup approach you've chosen. Do you want to back up all of your files? Or are you aiming to do larger, more-current sets while leaving the file archive to reside on a NAS or on a dedicated 1TB hard drive attached to your system?

In steps two through five, we'll identify some of the best technologies for helping you with your backups--and what situations and needs those technologies are most suited for.

2. Organize Your Files

Various software programs--including the traditional backup programs we rounded up recently, such as NovaStor NovaBackup Professional, EMC Retrospect Backup, and NTI Backup 5 Advanced--will find specific file types on your hard drive and back up those file types per your instructions. But it helps to devise an organized structure for the files on your hard drive; that way, you know exactly where to begin when you establish a backup routine in the aforementioned software, or if you ever do a quick-and-dirty manual backup (in which you simply drag and drop files from one drive to another within Windows Explorer).

3. Try Set-It-and-Forget-It Backup

Let's be blunt: Sometimes, deciding on what to back up, and where, makes the process overwhelming. And though acknowledging that fact doesn't negate the need for steps one and two described on the previous page, occasionally you want everything you own to be saved, with no brain activity required to get the process going.

A handful of devices make jump-starting your system backups dead simple. Among the most notable faces in the crowd is the Clickfree Portable Backup Storage Appliance, which makes backup supereasy. Connect this $180, 320GB USB drive (also available in 120GB and 250GB capacities, with up to 500GB coming sometime in 2009) to your Windows-based PC, and it will back up your data files, including your music, movies, pictures, and e-mail. The drive's built-in backup software kicks in as soon as you attach the drive to your PC; the software supports up to 350 file types. You can configure some basics, or just let the drive do everything--your choice. The drive can safeguard up to 20 PCs, and it does its backups incrementally (meaning that it does a full backup the first time, and then on subsequent occasions finds the new files and backs those up). Restoration is simply a matter of pressing the Restore button; the drive's built-in software will then return data to its original location.

If you have only enough data to fill a DVD or three, Clickfree sells DVD discs with the same backup software loaded. And the HP SimpleSave Photo utility uses an HP-branded version of the software for its discs.

Rebit Disk Drive Backup is even simpler to use. Just plug in the drive (available in capacities up to 500GB for $220), give the built-in software permission to back up, and off it goes, continually protecting you in the background. By the end of January, the drive's software will get an update that supports managing backups for up to six PCs to a single drive (a good setup for people backing up smaller sets of data, but not for users who have multiple PCs packed with multimedia collections). The company also now offers its easy-to-use software on CD, for use with any external hard drive; the CD costs $50 at its Web site.

Memeo's Autobackup software and NTI's Shadow are competing stand-alone applications that you can buy for real-time file backup; they can require more intervention on your part, however, than either Clickfree (which is not real-time backup) or Rebit (which is real-time, much like the Apple Time Capsule for Mac OS computers).

4. Use a Flash Drive

USB flash drives are ubiquitous, but nowadays 4GB is a baseline capacity, not the high end. And larger capacities--16GB, 32GB, and greater--are becoming more commonplace.

The benefits to using a flash drive can be multifold. You can store your files--perhaps both your critical documents and your multimedia files--on a drive the size of your index finger, and you can keep your data close to you, in your pocket or on a keychain. Many drives offer software encryption and password protection; still more include a file-synchronization utility. The SanDisk Cruzer Titanium Plus goes one step further by letting you sync the drive with Web-based storage.

SanDisk is going all out, however, with its newest offering (announced this week at CES), the SanDisk UltraBackup USB Flash Drive. The drive is expected in April, in capacities of 8GB to 64GB ($40 to $200). It has a retractable USB connector that slides inside, so you needn't worry about caps (or cables, as you would with an external hard drive). The integrated software requires no installation; instead, it just asks you for the file types you want to back up, and it initiates a backup when you plug the drive in; a button on the unit lets you launch a backup, too.

5. Send Data to an Online Backup Service

Online backup makes sense in some circumstances but not others. Certainly, Web-based services (such as the Webroot Secure Backup service) provide off-site redundant storage that can keep your data safe against natural and unexpected disasters (such as flooding, earthquakes, or fire). But online backup may not be appropriate if your data measures into the tens of gigabytes, or even terabytes (yes, snap-happy digital photographers and devoted music gurus, I'm looking at you). Content creators with high-capacity needs may prefer to keep their files on NAS drives and hard drives locally (or on drives located at secondary sites) rather than deal with the ongoing fees of Web-based backup.

That said, many sites offer some free online backup, as much as 2GB (Mozy.com and Fabrik.com, for example). Two gigs can go a long way for basic Word and Excel documents, PDF files, and PowerPoint presentations (the ones light on multimedia, at least). For your files currently in play, online backup can be both convenient (get it anywhere you find a Wi-Fi connection), and economical.

It's all about strategy--and what type of data you need to protect. Feel free to comment below, or visit the PC World Forums, to tell us about your approach to backing up.

Source : http://www.pcworld.com

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Windows 7 Beta Download Delayed Due to Overwhelming Demand

By : JR Raphael

Microsoft has delayed the public release of its Windows 7 beta download due to an overwhelming demand that its servers couldn't handle.

Windows 7 Beta Delay

The announcement was made late Friday afternoon in a posting at the official Windows 7 Blog. (click on image for full-sized view of Microsoft's message to downloaders.)

"Due to very heavy traffic we're seeing as a result of interest in the Windows 7 Beta, we are adding some additional infrastructure support to the Microsoft.com properties before we post the public beta," the message explains.

The post does not give a definitive time for when the Windows 7 beta will be made available again.

"We want to ensure customers have the best possible experience when downloading the beta, and I'll be posting here again soon once the beta goes live," it says.

Overwhelming Demand

Reports as early as Friday morning indicated that Microsoft's servers were being crushed by the demand for Windows 7, even before the files were initially posted. Microsoft had planned to allow only the first 2.5 million users to download the operating system. The company has indicated it would like to have the software fully tested and ready for its final release by the end of the year.

More on Windows 7 Beta

You can read more about PC World's first impressions of the Windows 7 public beta in this report from the floor of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. We've also put together some considerations on whether the beta is worth trying, along with a slideshow tour of the new operating system and a video presentation detailing its features.

Source : pcworld.com

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Your Guide to the Windows 7 Beta OS

By : JR Raphael, PC World

Microsoft Windows 7 beta is available once again for public download. Microsoft was forced last week to halt the download availability of Windows 7 beta code after a rush of Internet traffic crippled its servers.

Over the weekend Microsoft resumed download availability of Windows 7 beta code. Originally Microsoft was going to limit the number of total downloads of its beta code to 2.5 million. But because of the SNAFU Windows communications manager Brandon LeBlanc said the company would allow unlimited downloads of the OS for the next two weeks.



Below we've compiled all the information you need to understand what's different with the Windows 7 beta and decide whether it's the right option for you.

Windows 7 Beta Download

Microsoft initially released the Windows 7 beta Friday afternoon, but the massive user response caused Microsoft's servers to buckle under the pressure. Following the addition of extra "infrastructure support," the files are now back online in the following locations:

• Windows 7 beta: Official Microsoft page

Microsoft's complete collection of Windows 7 news, videos, Q&As, and official download information.

• Windows 7 beta TechNet download page

The official download site for Windows 7 via Microsoft's TechNet Evaluation Center.

For a more detailed FAQ on how to get Windows 7 beta read on here.

All About Windows 7 Beta

Here are some stories that may help paint a better picture of the Windows 7 beta operating system and what you can expect to experience:

• Windows 7 Public Beta: First Impressions

A detailed look at what's new in Windows 7 beta and some first day impressions by PC World's Robert Strohmeyer.

• Microsoft Windows 7: A Closer Look at Your Next OS?

A slideshow tour of the new Microsoft operating system, featuring images released shortly before the beta announcement.

• Windows 7 Beta: Should You Try It?

Some things to consider as you weigh whether it's worth installing the Windows 7 beta.

• Video: A Tour of Windows 7 Beta

PC WorldSenior Editor Denny Arar takes you through the changes and features in the Windows 7 OS.

• Windows 7: Less of a Resource-Hog Than Vista

Some technical information about Windows 7's stripped down resource requirements compared to the Vista operating system.

• Under the Hood, Windows 7 is Vista's Twin

One writer's impression that Windows 7 is basically Vista with a new face.

• Windows 7's Better Backup Features

A positive review of Windows 7's revamped file backup system.

• Bloggers Sneak a Peak at Windows 7

Early impressions of the new beta, based on leaks tested by various bloggers.

• Windows 7 First Look: A Big Fix for Vista

An exhaustive, in-depth analysis of what's ahead for Windows 7's first full release.

Of course, the real judge of Windows 7 is you. If you decide to give the beta version a test drive, let us know what you think. You can leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

source : http://www.pcworld.com

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Information and Communication Technology

Industry information and communication technology (ICT) has become a new flag for Norway. Currently, ICT industry is a land-based industry the second largest in Norway based on the change that occurred (turnover), and not only create wealth but also a vital supplier to the business sector and other common. This industry consists of various types of high company that created new types of telecommunications, hardware and software ICT, electronic products for industry, and provide consulting services.

Norway is one of the users of ICT per-capita in the world, with the infrastructure system that includes a well developed network and fiber optic cable for transmission dijital. Capacity communications network Norway experienced a rapid development, and telecommunications sectors have been delivered by researchers and companies that can compete in the international scale. Series of products available, including satellite communication system, a system of global, mobile phone systems, network management systems, transmission systems and fiber optic technology.

The hardware is a Norwegian group of innovative, and have developed a variety of special products, such as through a video conference system, multimedia equipment, transmiter radio dijital, data storage solutions, credit card terminal and the provider of electricity.

Norwegian software revolution triggered by the development of traditional industries, like oil, shipping services and fisheries. Needs of the sector, and the ability to create and finance the high-technology solutions with the press has been pushing the cost of software development and integrated. Currently, there are many companies in the ICT industry that supply solutions and modular software (including data, customer relations, administrative, and financial management systems) to nearly all private and public sectors. Norwegian companies have also become a pioneer in the field of telemedicine and distance learning. Solutions start Dilirik advanced by international buyers.

Internet being used in Norway, and continues to experience growth quickly. Norwegian company is in the forefront of Internet technology, including development of multi-function site and Intranet, Web browsers are very fast, on-line games and e-commerce solutions. Norwegian ICT industry in winning menemulkan solution that is easy to use, which prioritizes the user and interaction between individuals.

source : http://www.norwegia.or.id

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