May 2010

Thursday, May 20, 2010 | 1:36 AM | 0 Comments

Web 2.0 Technology overview

Web 2.0 draws together the capabilities of client- and server-side software, content syndication and the use of network protocols. Standards-oriented web browsers may use plug-ins and software extensions to handle the content and the user interactions. Web 2.0 sites provide users with information storage, creation, and dissemination capabilities that were not possible in the environment now known as "Web 1.0".

Web 2.0 websites typically include some of the following features and techniques. Andrew McAfee used the acronym SLATES to refer to them:

Search
    Finding information through keyword search.
Links
    Connects information together into a meaningful information ecosystem using the model of the Web, and provides low-barrier social tools.
Authoring
    The ability to create and update content leads to the collaborative work of many rather than just a few web authors. In wikis, users may extend, undo and redo each other's work. In blogs, posts and the comments of individuals build up over time.
Tags
    Categorization of content by users adding "tags" - short, usually one-word descriptions = to facilitate searching, without dependence on pre-made categories. Collections of tags created by many users within a single system may be referred to as "folksonomies" (i.e., folk taxonomies).
Extensions
    Software that makes the Web an application platform as well as a document server.
Signals
    The use of syndication technology such as RSS to notify users of content changes.

While SLATES forms the basic framework of Enterprise 2.0, it does not contradict all of the higher level Web 2.0 design patterns and business models. And in this way, the new Web 2.0 report from O'Reilly is quite effective and diligent in interweaving the story of Web 2.0 with the specific aspects of Enterprise 2.0. It includes discussions of self-service IT, the long tail of enterprise IT demand, and many other consequences of the Web 2.0 era in the enterprise. The report also makes many sensible recommendations around starting small with pilot projects and measuring results, among a fairly long list.

A more powerful web in more place

Today at Moscone West in San Francisco, we’re kicking off our largest developer conference of the year, Google I/O. Over two days, 5,000 people from 66 countries will hear from 200 speakers, see 180+ developer demonstrations and participate in more than 90 technical sessions, breakouts and fireside chats to meet engineers from Google and partner companies.

At last year's I/O, we demonstrated the potential of HTML5. Since then, the web has moved from a promising platform to a compelling setting for developers to build apps. This week we’ll celebrate this ongoing evolution of the web and share some of our latest work in moving the web forward and keeping it open.

Today we're announcing Google App Engine for Business, which offers new features that enable companies to build internal applications on the same reliable, scalable and secure infrastructure that we at Google use for our own apps. For greater cloud portability, we’re also teaming up with VMware to make it easier for companies to build rich web apps and deploy them to the cloud of their choice or on-premise. In just one click, users of the new versions of SpringSource Tool Suite and Google Web Toolkit can deploy their application to Google App Engine for Business, a VMware environment or other infrastructure, such as Amazon EC2.

There are already lots of great apps out on the web, but there hasn’t been one destination where you could easily find them. Our new Chrome Web Store is an open marketplace for web apps that helps people find the best web applications across the Internet and allows developers to reach new users. We also joined other web companies in announcing WebM, an open web media format project and open-sourced VP8, a high-quality, web-optimized video codec, that we are contributing to the project under a royalty-free license.

We’re pleased to share some updates to our APIs too. Last year, we announced the Google Maps API v3, which was designed to be faster and optimized for mobile devices. Today this API is graduating from Code Labs and is enterprise-ready as part of Google Maps API Premier. We’re also announcing new ways for publishers to improve the relevance of their AdSense ads, a brand-new version of the Feed API with push updates that make the latest PubSubHubbub-enabled feed data available without requiring visitors to refresh pages, and a library of high-quality open-source web fonts, accessible to everyone through the new Google Font API.

Finally, last year we introduced a new way to communicate and collaborate called Google Wave. Today we’re opening Wave to everyone — no invitation necessary — at wave.google.com, as part of Google Labs. Google Apps administrators can also enable it for their domains and help groups of people work together more productively. To learn more about this, our many new API features and more open-source code for developers, visit the Wave Developer blog.

Multiple Data Center Hosting - Benefits of Multiple Data Center Hosting

Multiple data center housing provides a very cost-effective means of accessing a secure hosting environment. Most companies that provide this specific service help small businesses and websites by saving them time and money. It has been reported that the cost of utilizing a company that offers multiple data center hosting is a bit more expensive than utilizing the services of an average web hosting company. Choosing multiple data center hosting should be seen as the same as choosing to “green” your home with energy efficient appliances: the upfront costs may seem excessive and overwhelming, but it saves a significant amount of money in the long run and definitely evens out.
Multiple data center hosting companies are providing their clients with super-fast service that will help the quality of their business. Many companies that offer this service are also providing high speed connections through multiple carriers in order to prevent downtime. Many also have a guaranteed power supply that incorporates UPS for short-term combined with an onside diesel generator and sub-station for any extended power outages that may occur.
Other popular features include the deployment of new machines within 24 hours in case of technical emergency or equipment malfunction and the use of electronic access security and security guards to protect all equipment. It’s important to understand that these data centers assist countless small businesses and websites and it’s of the utmost importance to them to keep their clients happy, because if not it will greatly affect their livelihood. In other words, it’s in their best interest to make you happy so you can rest assured that you will be well taken care of.
Multiple data center hosting may not be for everyone. Surely there are those who prefer local web hosting companies whose services and performance more than meets their needs. If you want to expand your client base, quicken your load time, and provide your future clientele with a positive online experience, then multiple data center hosting may be for you.

Multiple Data Center Hosting - How Will Multiple Data Center Hosting Help Your Online Business?

Some things can be taken at face value, they are black and white; multiple data center hosting is not one of those things. Utilizing this new type of web hosting is not just about improving load time. Business owners need to think more critically when it comes to the image they hope to project to their clients -- old and new alike -- and the online experience with which they provide them.
Today's competitive marketplace requires that online businesses and websites use the most efficient and reliable web hosting services available. After all, what will it say to your clients if you don’t care enough to ensure that they have a positive experience on your website? What does that say about the service you will provide them with?
Aside from the speedy response we’ve already discussed, multiple data center hosting also offers a number of other important benefits to fledgling businesses considering making the switch to this type of service. For example, multiple data center hosting offers multiple links to the Internet, backup power supplies and generators, electronic security systems, and 24-hour-a-day hardware and network technicians on site.
This last feature is particularly important for an online business. Nothing can be more frustrating than paying a company on a monthly basis and not being able to get through to customer service for hours, and then having to pick up the pieces after the damage is done. As stated previously, the company you’ve chosen -- and not the multiple data hosting center -- will still be held completely responsible for site administration and any problems that may arise. But for minor technical difficulties or glitches that have to do with the data center, it’s especially nice having technicians available at your disposal no matter what the day or hour.
It’s possible to create an online business that’s thriving, but one of the downfalls is that weekends don’t keep people off the Internet as they keep them out of the office. This is why it’s so important to make sure that the web hosting you choose provides support 24 hours a day, seven days a week. After all, technical problems can occur at any time, day or night.

Multiple Data Center Hosting - How It Works

Essentially, multiple data center hosting affects the speed at which websites can be accessed. Aside from a very small percentage of large, international web hosting companies, most U.S.-based web hosting companies provide services to local businesses. Some of the largest data centers are located in the United States, and many of those web hosting companies use their own dedicated servers.
Some businesses and sites located overseas utilize the services of American companies, and unfortunately for them, their websites tend to load much slower and overall performance is lacking. It is for this reason that businesses targeting local customers often utilize local web hosting providers, which use unreliable small data centers in their country.
Multiple data center hosting can be considered an outsourcing solution. Many web hosting companies are relocating their own servers to new data centers. Whatever company you choose to provide your business or site with multiple data center hosting will still be held completely responsible for site administration and any problems that may arise, but the new data center itself provides the server cabinet space, bandwidth, routing, and electricity, among other things.
Multiple data center hosting is not reselling. Web hosting companies who choose to move their servers to these data centers still own their servers, as well as a good percentage of the routers and switches that connect the servers to the data center’s Internet connections.
Many now consider multiple data center hosting as the solution for this problem. This type of service gives small business and website owners the ability to choose the option they feel will work best for them. Clients get to pick from three existing data centers, and whatever center they choose will be the one responsible for hosting their website. The theory is that the website owner is technically controlling the speed at which their site loads, but only if they understand that the speed will be controlled by choosing the data center that is physically closer to the majority of their clients.
For example, business owners should not expect to be able to pick a center in Illinois because a majority of their clientele is located in Chicago. Keep in mind that there are only three main data centers being utilized, so the best option would be to choose a data center located in the United States -- as opposed to choosing a center located in Europe. The location of a majority of your clientele is key when determining which data center to utilize. While webmasters from Norway may choose a Swedish data center, Canadian customers may prefer US data center.
It goes without saying that website speed can make or break even the most successful of online businesses. It doesn’t matter if your company offers the most dependable services or appealing goods; it doesn’t matter if your site utilizes the most cutting-edge technology and graphics; if it takes minutes for your site to load, no one is going to see it.
Online users have become accustomed to accessing everything online at lightning speed. Dial-up is practically non-existent, with most people utilizing cable/DSL Internet services. We’ve become a country that wants what they want when they want it, and if someone finds your site online and is met with a slow loading time, you can be guaranteed that you’ve lost a customer. During these hard economic times, there isn’t a company or website in the world that can afford to lose even a single customer.
Those who have websites and online businesses should consider website speed to be a very important marketing factor. As mentioned previously, it should come as no surprise that multiple studies have found that people leave websites that take too long to load and not only that, but their opinion of the business itself is lowered. Small business owners or those with fledgling online businesses should really consider multiple data center hosting. Some may dismiss it at a ploy for web hosting companies to drum up more business, but it really does increase loading time, which can lead to happy customers and more sales. What’s to lose?

Multiple Data Center Hosting

What exactly is multiple data center hosting? Why does it exist? Is it expensive? Can it help your business? Should you even be looking into it? These questions and more will be answered by this article.Like all things technology-based, you don’t need to know the exact specifics of how it works. You just need to know the basics: what does the program/practice/software do, why is it important, how can it help you?
Obviously, it’s not enough to know that something exists; you have to know why it’s being used and whether or not it can be used to improve your business, cut costs, make your life easier, etc., etc.
This is especially true for multiple data center hosting. If you have or hope to have an online business or website, chances are you use a web hosting service. Essentially, a web hosting service is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their own website accessible through the World Wide Web.
Web hosts are companies that provide space on a server they own for the use of their clients as well as providing Internet connectivity, typically in a data server. Web hosts can also provide data center space and connectivity to the Internet for servers they do not own to be located in their data center. This is called collocation, and enables multiple data center hosting. So, is this important? Let’s find out.

Web Hosting Technology Overview - Website

Once the user’s computer receives a response from the server, it can interpret what to do with it. The majority of the time, it will simply display the web page in a standard HTML format. However, there are plenty of alternatives. For instance, when people download files online, they take the same kind of request form as a normal web page, but obviously they are not interpreted as such.
The way that a response is interpreted depends on the user’s browser. Internet Explorer, Firefox, and Safari can all interpret responses in different ways. Although the ways are typically very similar, web pages will actually look different when interpreted differently by various browsers. It is the job of website developers to ensure that these interpretations are as close together as possible.
There are plenty of responses that can be sent other than plain HTML pages. Many web pages include bits of code called JavaScript or Flash ActionScript. Users may choose to disable these options, but if they do not, then the user’s experience may change as they watch the page. They could watch animations, interact with characters on screen, or have pieces of the screen move around.
Even a normal HTML page is much more complex than it first appears. If you are unfamiliar with how websites work, then you should take a moment to open up the source code of any web page with which you are familiar. You will probably have absolutely no ability to understand it. This is the code in which developers write and browsers interpret. This code determines how the web page will appear in your browser.
Web pages also rely on image files being loaded simultaneously within your browser. The code contains links to these image files, which your computer downloads and then stores temporarily so that it can display them with the web page. That is why if you ever save a web page from the Internet it will likely include several files and folders, including quite a few images.
Overall, the amount of technology that goes into displaying a web page is quite impressive. It is even more impressive how many millions of times a day all of the technology functions in sync to bring users around the world the World Wide Web. Without years of work from countless people, we would not have the Internet as we know it today.

Web Hosting Technology Overview - Servers

When a server receives a request from a user to display a web page, there are several things that it has to take into account. First, it has to determine what the request means. Servers can serve many different purposes, and may send out information other than just web pages. It can tell what request is for which material based on what port the request is being sent over. Requests for web pages are sent over port 80.
On web servers, all requests over port 80 have to be handled by some kind of program. The most common programs are Microsoft’s IIS and Apache. The function of these programs is to interpret requests sent over port 80 as well as keep track of all of the files that are going into websites. They are basically the part of the computer that handles the request for a web page to be sent to a user.
Once the server has determined that it is being asked for a web page, it has to figure out which one the user is requesting. Servers often host more than just one website. It refers back to the domain name that the user originally requested. It then begins looking for the specified web page within the directory of files that belongs to that domain name.
Once it has found the specific file that is being requested, the server has to figure out what to do with that file. The server cannot simply send the file back to the requester; many files contain sensitive data that webmasters do not want sent out to the general public. Other files are specifically intended to be interpreted by the server before it sends a response. The server is configured to treat different file types in different ways; there is a rule for each of them.
Once the server has determined what to do with the file, it will figure out what to send back to the user. This is the interpreted file. Sometimes this will just be the file itself. Other times it may not send back anything at all; it will just block the request. Depending on what the server decides to send back, the user’s computer will then interpret the response and display something for the end user. Now, the web page has finally been sent back to the user.

Web Hosting Technology Overview - Domain Name

The first step in a user’s quest to load a web page is to type in the address of the page that they want. This address is known as the URL, and it refers to a “domain name.” The domain name is what specifies where the request for a web page will be sent. When you type in your website’s address, the request for the domain name is sent out, and then your computer begins to wait for the web page to come back to it.
The first stop in the request’s path is to figure out what the domain name means. Computers refer to other computers using “Internet Protocol addresses.” You can think of these addresses in the same way as physical mailing addresses. Each address is unique and can be used by any computer to find any other computer somewhere in the depths of the Internet. In order to get a web page, your computer needs to turn its request for a domain name into a request for an IP address.
There is a master list kept by a private company of all of the domain names on the Internet. This list is constantly being updated and redistributed around the Internet. It is one of the largest and most accessed databases online. It is truly impressive how dynamic it is, constantly being redistributed and updated. The list is actually a collection of hundreds or even thousands of separate databases maintained by different entities.
There is a different collection of domains housed for different reasons. Every country in the world has its own unique collection of domains that it maintains. There are also the standard collections, such as .com, .net, .org, and .gov. All of these lists are constantly floating around the Internet, receiving millions of change requests and access requests, just like the one that originated from the user’s computer.
Your computer’s request is sent to a specific one of these lists, which checks the requested domain name against the database and returns the IP address of the server where the website is being kept. Once the IP address has been obtained, the request can be directed to the individual server that hosts the website.

Web Hosting Technology Overview

Have you ever wondered how the technology that powers the Internet and the web actually works? There are specific protocols in place that allow web surfers to find the pages they're looking for and see them in the way their builders intended. Keep reading to find out how the net keeps running smoothly.Millions of people surf the Internet every day. There are literally billions of web pages opened up and read, all at the blink of an eye. The technology that drives the World Wide Web is simply incredible; humans cannot truly appreciate the magnitude and scope of it. There is simply too much going on all at the same time for us to imagine.
However, we do know how the technology that drives “web surfing” works. Most people do not take the time to stop and think about it, but the Internet was manufactured by humans. It seems to have taken on a life of its own, but it is still run and maintained by ordinary people all over the world.
The fact that the World Wide Web is man made does not detract from how amazing it is; in fact, it is even more incredible that we could have put something like this together in such a short period of time. It is also wonderful that it has become such an integral part of our lives that we do not even give it any thought. We take the Internet for granted: this wonderful combination of servers and databases that gives us websites is simply a tool that the vast majority of us use on a daily basis.
Sometimes it is hard to believe that the World Wide Web can be provided by machines sitting in cold rooms around the world. Anyone with a bit of networking and web experience knows the basic technology that goes into the process. However, without research, it is very difficult to translate that knowledge into the actual process. How is it possible that billions of page views can be handled by these machines?
There are plenty of other questions that arise for the uninformed. How do domain names work? What does a web server do with a page request? What does the user’s computer do with the page when it gets it? These are all questions that are easy to answer, but very few people actually take the time to look into them.

Good News for Technology-Oriented Start-Ups: Wall Street Journal Estimates that 30% of Angel Money Raised Is for Tech Sector Ventures

A recent article on "angel investors" in the Wall Street Journal cited investments of $11 billion in Q1 and Q2 of 2005. Of this $11 billion, approximately $3.3 billion went toward funding software and technology start-ups.

The importance of angel money in many start-up situations is significant: even if you raise $200,000 instead of $2,000,000 — it may be the funding which allows you to bring your product to market, or which funds salaries while you are in the client acquisition phase. The Center for Venture Research in Durham, NH specializes in analyzing venture funding. Venture or "angel" funders are often successful entrepreneurs who evaluate multiple opportunities and select several start-ups to back — anticipating that some of them will fail, and others will provide a substantial payoff, negating losses from the unsuccessful businesses.

There are some key steps in getting funded: first, if it is possible to prove your concept before seeking funding — showing prospective investors that there is, indeed, a market for your goods or services, you will find investors more receptive to your message.

Second, be sure to develop a range of materials describing your project: from detailed business plans which demonstrate that you have worked through a business plan from a to z, to executive summaries which are digestible over a business lunch.

Third, link in to resources designed to help bring together entrepreneurs and funders: many cities have organizations sponsored by local business schools, for example. In addition to getting you exposure to potential angels, you will be linked to a supportive peer group which can help you work through some common issues.

Fourth, think about team and track record when planning on your approach to potential investors. If you can partner with, or bring on board team members experienced in start-up environments angels may feel that there is a significantly better chance to see their investment pay off.

Finally, be willing to listen; not every investor will be willing to fund your venture — but every rejection, provided that you learn from it by listening to their perspective on your ideas, your presentation and your business plans — should get you one step closer to success.

Technology Sales Online: Product Review Sites Sel

With new technology developing at breakneck speed, consumers need trusted sources who can recommend the best in software, hardware and technological gadgets. Product review websites have become popular reference sources and have the potential to be profitable ventures when handled correctly.

Most technology review sites don't sell products directly: users' reviews link to the product manufacturer's site. The review site owner is paid based on either the amount of traffic redirected to the site, or sales generated through redirected traffic.

Given how people make money with technology review sites, some sites link to multiple products and give each product a glowing review in the hopes of making a sale, any sale. This is a bad idea for a number of reasons.

First and foremost, consumers canny enough to read product reviews before making a purchase are probably smart enough to notice if every review on a site scores highly. This deducts from the visitors trust of site reviews, ultimately hurting the site's chances of redirecting traffic. If a site claims to review portable media players, logic dictates some products will score lower in reviews than others.

To avoid losing credibility in the eyes of your customers, create a series of criteria for product reviews and stick to it, judging each product on the same merits. This set of criteria and regular updates of the reviews will build trust with site visitors, who are than more likely to act on your recommendations.

Link to all the products you review, even if you give the item a low review score. Remember, while you provide visitors with the information they need to make a decision, you don't make the decision for them. If a site visitor chooses to purchase a product you scored low, you still profit from it. Your responsibility is to review honestly, not to prevent individuals from making purchases.

When building a review site, the scope of the review is important. Are you going to review audio systems or all technological gadgets? Although technology websites can review all types of products, smaller sites are generally better off reviewing only specific types of technology. By focusing on one area of technology a website fosters a reputation for specialized knowledge. Also, sites that focus on specific topics tend to perform better in search engines than broader based sites.

Finally, as is the case with every successful website, a review site needs good quality content that is updated regularly. In addition to reviews of the latest products, a technology review site might include industry news, tutorials on product use, an explanation of the site's review process, interviews with industry leaders and other information that enriches and supports the reviews.

B2B Technology Sales: Ten Steps to Success

Business to business technology sales can be a profitable endeavor, but like all industries, hard work and patience are required to ensure success. Some business practices and attitudes work better than others when selling technology, and selling to other businesses differs markedly from selling to consumers. Nothing guarantees success in any business field, but the following steps go a long way toward building a successful B2B technology sales plan.

1. Research New Market Trends
Research in market trends and business needs is as vital when selling technology to other businesses as it is when selling to individual consumers. Gathering such research differs from researching consumer-marketing trends, however.>

Consumers may be willing to fill out surveys or respond to cold call interviews, but such strategies are less likely to work with businesses, where intrusions on their time cost the company money. Offer businesses some perks to participate in your marketing research. A small honorarium may attract businesses to focus groups, whereas a cold call is likely to be brushed off.

2. Customers' Needs vs. Customer Wants: Which Should Win?
There are two business maxims that often conflict when selling technology to business. One is the old rule that the customer is always right. The other is that what the customer wants isn't necessarily what the customer needs. To succeed, a business needs to address both of these concerns.

When selling technology to businesses, it's important to differentiate between wants and needs. A successful B2B technology business focuses on both. An ideal sale gives the customer both what is wanted and what is needed. Ideal sales situations are not always possible, however. Buyers may initially be happy with a product they think they want, but they'll quickly be disillusioned if the product doesn't deliver what they need. In such cases, the customer is likely to blame the seller.

A successful technology sales business takes the time to explain how technology gives the customer what they need. The customer's wants should not be ignored, but often the purchaser has a limited knowledge of technology. In such cases it is the responsibility of the seller to discuss and explore the buyer's needs, and promote the product that best fills those needs.

3. Follow-Up on Sales
No matter how happy a business seems with your technology, it's vital to follow-up on any sale to see how well it's working out. Following up shows businesses that your company values customer satisfaction, and gives the seller opportunity to gather valuable feedback from clients. Often, bad feedback is even more valuable than praise.

4. Customer Service and Support
Few businesses are willing to purchase expensive technology without receiving some form of support. The more specialized the technology, the more vital a good customer service and technical support center becomes. Even if the purchasing business should run in to serious difficulties, an effective customer service center can maintain, or even improve, your businesses reputation.

Depending on the nature of your business, customer service and support can be delivered in person, over the phone, by email, or even through website chat rooms. No matter how you chose to provide customer service, complaints and concerns should be addressed promptly.

5. Know your Limits
Any successful business knows its own limits. A small technology selling business is more likely to operate locally, and with fewer clients, than a business that employs several hundred people. Smaller businesses that focus on quality service to a limited number of clients are more likely to get repeat business than small companies that focus on selling without offering customer support.

6. Get Online, Stay Online
A technology business without a website is at a severe disadvantage in today's competitive market. Businesses expect that any company that sells technology will be web-savvy enough to have a well-designed, successful website with helpful features, including an online store. Once online, the website needs to be updated on a regular basis with new products, helpful content, and company press releases.

7. Get to Blogging
Blogging may have started as online entertainment writing, but now it is embraced by the online business community. A regularly updated web log improves business website rankings, and also provides a forum for site visitors and clients to leave feedback about company services and products. Businesses have gleamed valuable insights in their markets by paying attention to blog responses, and have begun dialogues with prospective clients that have ended in sales.

8. Stay Connected through the Internet
Staying connected with clients, and potential clients, is much easier if your business is online. In addition to a blog, a technology sales website can provide an opt-in newsletter, which is emailed out once a month. As the clients opt to receive the email, they are likely to be more receptive to it than unsolicited spam.

Online newsletters should be kept short, and deal only with topics that would be of concern to your clients. While its possible, and even advisable, to add personal touches to a company newsletter, the bulk of the newsletter should deal with industry news and client concerns.

9. Discover Really Simple Syndication
Companies can also make use of RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS provides instant access to any clients who have signed up for the business site's RSS feed. New reports added to the RSS feed allow the business to send new information, news, and website updates to clients faster than email. RSS readers are available for free through a number of websites, including Yahoo Widgets and Google Gadgets.

10. Old Fashioned Networking
The Internet receives so much attention as a marketing tool that people sometimes forget how important good, old-fashioned networking can be. By all means use the Internet to the utmost to promote technology sales, but don't give up on good, old-fashioned networking. Attending seminars, trade fairs, and business conventions is as important now as it ever was. Person-to-person networking gives your business a human face, the one element that is often missed with online marketing.

Success in business-to-business technology sales requires constant analyzing and re-evaluating of the market and client expectations. Companies that stay on top of technology changes provide excellent company service. And if they stay connected with clients after the sales are complete, they are well on the way to long-term success. Professional pride and willingness to stand by your product helps build your reputation and attracts new clients.

Technology Domains

How BuyDomains can help you take advantage of Web 2.0

BuyDomains, along with nearly all other preeminent Internet organizations, broadly defines Web 2.0 as both a set of recently-developed technologies and a new user-engagement paradigm. Web 2.0 is an evolving transformational tool that allows online businesses to build strong partnerships and engage customers by creating authentic and ongoing conversations. The nuances and most appropriate uses of Web 2.0 are well understood by BuyDomains' experts: our skilled and experienced domain specialists have assisted thousands of businesses to fully exploit its profit potential.

Web 2.0 Technologies

Blogs. Once a small niche where individuals posted their personal opinions on their areas of interest, blogging now ranks as one of the most popular and important activities on the Web across the entire spectrum of culture and politics, with over 100 million blogs worldwide. Today blogs are an integral part of international newspaper, magazine and broadcast media Websites, for example. Distinguished by the personal opinions of the blogger and by the feedback posted by readers (often turning into extended dialog or conversations), blogging Websites are perhaps the fastest growing area of today's online activity. Naturally, having the right domain name for a blog site — especially with so many out there — is crucial. Our experienced domain representatives can steer you to the right choice, based on your business needs.

Social Networking. Competing with blogging for the "fastest-growing" title are the social networking sites with domain names like "FaceBook" and "MySpace" (and their close cousins, online business networking sites such as "Linked-In" and "Plaxo"). The amount of traffic on these sites is enormous and growing every day. While the architecture and features of these sites are often similar, the type of visitor and amount of activity can vary widely, depending on how the site is positioned. The domain name chosen is a key component of a site's perceived positioning and "tone", so selecting the right one is something you'll want to consider carefully.

Multimedia. Hard to imagine, but a few years ago, YouTube did not exist as THE place to visit for millions of Web users. Yet today, the Queen of England herself has posted her annual Christmas broadcast to the British people on YouTube, and there's hardly a news story around the world that doesn't get its 15 minutes of fame on the site. What's more, the number of multimedia and video sites — and the traffic they generate — is growing by leaps and bounds, with sites for every special interest from humorous TV commercials to celebrity interviews, to pet tricks and news bloopers. Call us for help and we'll point you to the best domain choices for the area of interest that you're targeting.

The "Big Idea"...

What these and other 2.0 developments (such as "Wikis" and collaborative software technologies) have in common is 2-way communication and collaboration: what can be called a "feedback loop". Information and opinions are posted, commented on, approved of (or not), modified, replaced, enhanced — all at a pace that would have been hard to imagine just five or six years ago. Just as important, the truly interactive nature of Web 2.0 is now what most average Web users expect.

Web 2.0 and your domain.

When Shakespeare wrote "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet", he wasn't aware of branding, search engines and page rank. Today, your choice of domain is vitally important — especially when dealing with rich media and other Web 2.0 characteristics. Your domain name influences how the world will think of you and your business. It's part of your brand and your marketing plan — and it can make a large difference to the extent of your site's profitability. Considering what is at stake, it makes sense to take full advantage of the experienced help you can get when choosing the domain that's right for your needs. Our Domain Experts are skilled at helping customers pick the best combination of features to build brand, establish credibility and acquire a high volume of traffic.

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Bring simple, familiar Google Search to your small business intranet or website

Google-quality search - Bring familiar, easy search your public or private small business search needs.
Easy to purchase, deploy, and manage - Buy the Mini online, to set it up in minutes, and bring search to your operations with minimal IT workload.
Low TCO - Minimizes Total Cost of Ownership before, during, and throughout deployment. Learn more
Simple license structure - Hardware, software, and support costs are based on one simple data point: the number of documents you search.

Google Mini has been designed with small businesses in mind. If you are a larger business, or have advanced search needs, learn more about the Google Search Appliance (GSA), or view a comparison chart of the Mini vs. the GSA.

Website Search

Bring simple, familiar Google Search to your small business website.

Google-quality search – Indexes up to 300,000 web pages or documents with relevance and business-building results.
Familiar and easy to use – Intuitively recognized by site visitors so that they quickly, easily find the information they need to make decisions.
High ROI – Effective website search delivers relevancy that has been shown to increase engagement and conversion on all types of websites.
Secure – Allows password-protected access to let you manage data privacy.

Intranet Search

Drive engagement and increase conversions with the power of Google search.

Familiar, fast search – Indexes up to 300,000 pages of internal content to deliver information to the users who need it.
Feature set optimized for small business use – Tailored to search content and applications most likely to be needed in small to mid-size businesses.
High ROI – Easy deployment, maintenance, and use means fewer expenses – and lets you get real value out of your existing content and IT investment.
Secure – Integrates with document security systems to ensure user-appropriate access.

Google Search Appliance

The Google Search Appliance (GSA) provides fast, relevant search for your intranet or website. An on-premise, easy-to-deploy solution, the GSA provides your organization with high relevancy right out of the box, can be customized to meet your specific needs, and scales easily as your content grows.
New! The popular ROI JumpStart package has been extended for qualified new buyers of the GSA. Learn more

Google Search Appliance builds on its scalable architecture and adds key new features around search quality, access control and connectivity. Learn more about the new features, or read a technology review of the GSA from research analyst Butler Group.

Intranet
Search across websites, intranets, portals, fileshares, content management systems, and business applications to deliver true "universal" search for your organization. Learn more

Website
Convert your website visitors into satisfied customers by delivering the information they need to facilitate purchase decisions, streamline support, and engage fully with your online brand. Learn more

Demos
View an upcoming webinar about the GSA with live Q&A.

ViewSonic Introduces Green-Friendly PC Mini

ViewSonic has announced that its latest nettop, the VOT125 PC Mini, is now available for order. The VOT125 has a green-centric design, using 90 percent less plastic and consuming 90% less energy than ordinary tower PCs.

This nettop features an Intel ULV processor, Windows 7, 2GB internal memory, 250GB hard drive, four USB 2.0 ports, DVI/ HDMI outputs, and Ethernet connections. It also includes a mount kit that can be attached to the back of an LCD monitor, thereby saving more space.

The ViewSonic VOT125 Mini PC is available for only US$499. You can even customize the nettop with a wide range of Intel processors.

Sony Updates an Old, Old Machine

Just when you thought cassette and CD players are going to die a natural death, Sony pulled a surprising development as it updates its cassette/ radio/ CD player combo. The CFD-A110 is based on an old machine Sony unveiled 7 years ago. There aren’t really any difference. You would still get 2W x 2ch speakers, a Karaoke function, a microphone port, and a wireless remote control.

The only difference to this updated version is that it can no longer receive analog radio transmissions, in compliance to Japan’s plans to halt such transmissions beginning 2011. Make you wonder whether it would make much of difference anyway.

The Sony CFD-A110 will initially be available in Japan on June 21, costing about US$210. It is unclear whether it will be exported to other countries.

Viliv N5 to be launched in June

The debut of Viliv’s newest mobile Internet device, the N5, has been pushed back further from May to June.

This clamshell MID, with its 4.8-inch WSVGA touch screen display, is expected to feature an Intel Atom Z520 processor, Windows 7 Home Premium, 32GB SSD, 1GB DDR2 SDRAM, 1.3-megapixel camera, optical mouse, MicroSD slot, as well as a variety of connectivity options like WiFi, Bluetooth, HSPA, EVDO, and WiMax.

People in CrunchGear hope that the final product would not be as flimsy as the one they tried back in CES 2010. To them, it felt cheap to the point of being breakable.

Sony Unveils Compact Digital Cameras With Interchangeable Lenses

Sony has recently unveiled that it will be launching the Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 compact digital camera models with the quality of a digital SLR camera. It is equipped with Sony’s new Digital Interchangeable Lens system, and also will be dubbed as a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. Sony reports that this line may revolutionize the market by offering outstanding DSLR camera quality in a compact design that can fit into one’s pocket.
The Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 digital camera models will be the first interchangeable lens cameras that feature an APS-C sensor, allowing it to adjust focus and exposure even while recording video. They will also feature Full HD movie capture with Full HD 60i recording. The Sony NEX-5 and NEX-3 models aim to provide the convenience of a point and shoot digital camera as well as the quality of images that higher level DSLR users may be looking for in a compact digital camera. The Sony NEX-3 and NEX-5 digital camera models will be made available by July on Sony Style and may be priced between US$550 and US$650, respectively.

Wilson Electronics Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster

Most people get easily annoyed when they find themselves in an area with limited cell phone signal coverage especially when waiting for a very important phone call. Certain measures may be needed to avoid such problems. And in such cases, having a Wilson Electronics Sleek Cell Phone Signal Booster may come in quite handy.
The Wilson Electronics Sleek is a handy mobile phone cradle that also features a bi-directional signal amplifier as well as a battery charging port. The signal booster kit also comes with an external roof mounted antenna for cars to help receive and send signals to the cell tower. The Wilson Electronics Sleek cradle and its external antenna helps boost signals by increasing the phone’s output power in order to improve its ability to detect weak signals from cell sites in the area that it normally can’t. The Wilson Electronics Sleek is available at Amazon for US$130.

Resonance Speaker For iPhone and iPod

Most portable speaker systems for your iPhone and iPod works almost the same way. And in some ways they might also provide the same audio experience, give or take a few quality points here and there. But if you wish for a more unique sound experience when using your iPhone or iPod, you might consider using this resonance speaker from Chinavasion.
This unique iPhone/iPod resonance speaker produces sound by sending sound signals and vibrations towards any object in its surroundings. The sound that you hear will be coming from the objects themselves resonating the sound vibrations that this speaker sends its way. And with the different surfaces creating the sounds provides a unique and different audio experience altogether. The Resonance Speaker supports an iPod Nano as well as an iPhone 3Gs in its docking base. It is also equipped with a 3.5 mm audio jack to accommodate any other mp3 player and similar devices. The Resonance Speaker is available at Chinavasion for US$41.

High Capacity Solar Charger

Charging your various portable devices outdoors becomes more convenient if you have a handy solar charger to bring along. With many such devices now available, the better choices are usually those that offer better and faster charging times as well as support a variety of different devices. This new High Capacity Solar Charger from Chinavasion quite fits the bill.
This new High Capacity Solar Charger may just well be a valuable device for any frequent traveler. Aside from its solar panels that converts solar energy into electrical power, this device also is equipped with a powerful 20,000 mAh battery where the power can be stored. This device can also be charged through other conventional means aside from leaving it out in the sun. and more importantly, this High Capacity Solar Charger comes with 29 unique adapter tips to accommodate almost any type of device that requires some much needed charging on the go. This handy device is available at Chinavasion for US$148.

Hanvon Officially Launches its TouchPad B10

The CEO of Hanvon started the ball rolling with the company’s formal launch of the TouchPad B10 by smashing onto an apple ice sculpture for all the Chinese press to see, an obvious snide to the manufacturer of the today’s “trendy” tablet, the iPad. The 10.1-inch capacitive multitouch tablet PC runs on Windows 7 on a 1.3GHz Intel Celeron MULV743 processor and GMA 4500 graphics chipset.

Other noteworthy specs include 2GB of memory, choice of 250GB or 320 GB hard disk, 3.5 hours battery life, HDMI out, and WiFi.

Although the company is poised to become the “iPad Killer” with its TouchPad B10, we are still a bit worried about the fate of this gadget. This tablet costs about 500 euros (about US$635), but we are not sure where it will be sold though.

Source: Shanzai, via Engadget

Sony TX5 Gets Tested and Approved

Who says rugged gadgets have to look bulky? Sony’s latest compact digicam TX5 is highlighted with its 0.7-inch thickness, a three-inch touchscreen, and a rugged metal frame that makes the camera protected against water, dust, and sub-zero conditions.

The TX5 was recently reviewed by two prominent gadget blogs: Photography Blog and CNET Australia. Both reviews find the camera impressive to begin with, especially with its backlit Exmor R CMOS sensor, optical image stabilization, SDHC compatibility, and 720p movie mode. Photography Blog tells readers that while the TX5 may not provide the finest image quality in the market, but it does yield “some terrific high ISO performance, excellent handling of chromatic aberrations, and a versatility that allows you to take photos you might not otherwise get to with more conventional shooters.”

CNET, meanwhile, also has positive words to the TX5, except the fact that its lens position may invite stray fingers, its wrist strap is not adjustable and the camera tends to be slippery underwater. Both reviews also have a beef to the camera’s pricing—at US$319.99. Nevertheless, they admit that its assets overshadow its flaws.

Source: Photography Blog and CNET Australia, via Engadget

Updated HP Laptops Now Available

HP has just announced that an array of updated Pavilion and Envy laptops is now available for shipping.

The HP Envy 17 features a 17.3-inch full HD screen, Intel Core i5 or Quad Core i7 processors, one USB 3.0 port, optional Blu-ray, dual hard drive bays, backlit keyboard, HD webcam, and HDMI out, all encased in brushed aluminum chassis in carbon relic.

The Envy 17 costs US$1,399 on LogicBuy, where you could also check out prices and discounts of other HP models.

Source: CrunchGear

Wednesday, May 5, 2010 | 1:35 AM | 0 Comments

Did HP Cancel the Development of the Slate?

As techies are trying to get over the news about Microsoft ditching the Courier project, another soon-to-be-released tablet computer may end up shelved as well. According to TechCrunch, HP had stopped developing the Slate, thereby killing the project. Its sources claimed that HP was not thrilled about the performance of Windows 7 on the tablet. Add the fact that HP has recently bought Palm and expect some shakeup about to happen. Introduced last January, the Slate would have been released this June for US$549.
When reached for comment, representatives from HP refused to respond to the issue, saying that they “do not comment on rumors and speculation.”
Source: TechCrunch, via Engadget

Stanley Outdoor Wireless Remote

Many people would surely want to enjoy a number of conveniences. This is the reason why many devices sell well. Some devices know how to cater to a certain convenience that consumers would want to have. It does not have to be quite the unique device in order to get one’s attention.
Turning devices off around the house remotely would surely be a welcome convenience. There are devices like the Stanley Outdoor Wireless Remote that can handle this job quite nicely. It is composed of a wireless outlet that can be turned on or off using a wireless remote transmitter that can work through walls, windows and doors. You can then plug in your appliances into its outlet and you now have the convenience of turning them on or off even from 50 feet away using the transmitter. It is a simple device that can help you save electricity by giving you the convenience of turning off devices and appliances you don’t use even from afar. The Stanley Outdoor Wireless Remote is available at Amazon for US$13.18.

Google Editions E-Book Service Coming This Summer

A representative of Google has revealed that the company plans on selling digital books beginning late June or July, making the search engine giant geared up in battle against Amazon, Apple, and Barnes & Noble.
The service, called Google Editions, would allow users to access book from a wide range of websites using various devices. This is in contrast to its competitors that are focused on proprietary devices and software, such as the Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iPad.
Google would also let book retailers sell Google Editions on their own sites and “retain the bulk of the revenue.” The company plans on making between 400,000 and 600,000 books available with prices set by the publishers.
Source: The Wall Street Journal, via Engadget

TomTom and Star Wars to go Hand in Hand

GPS manufacturer TomTom has announced its partnership with Lucasfilm, voiceskins.com, and the Star Wars franchise. The company is set to provide voice options to its range of navigation devices featuring the vocalizations of memorable Star Wars characters such as Darth Vader, Yoda, C3PO, and Han Solo.
The Darth Vader option is the first to become available in the market, while the others will be released one a month until August. The voice options also include a variety of sound effects usually associated with the movie franchise.
The Darth Vader-voiced navigation from TomTom is only available in Europe, for now, costing £7.95 (about US$12). Customers can also download officially warning alert sounds voiced by the Dark Lord of the Sith, as well as start up screen wallpaper, and Lord Vader map icon—all for free.
Source: Pocket-Lint, via CrunchGear

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