ars technica

feature: True story: the making of the Terminator's laser-sighted .45 pistolOne of the most striking images from The Terminator was the weapon he carried and used in his first attempt on Sarah Connor's life: the .45 Longslide, with laser sighting. Who can forget the scene in the gun shop? The gun was likewise such a striking presence on screen it was used on the film's poster. There are T-shirts dedicated to the gun. Terminator was released in 1984, and while laser sights on weapons are common now, when the film was first shown the red laser was able to communicate something subtle and powerful to the audience: this is a machine, deadly accurate and futuristic. It made the Terminator seem other-worldly and terrifying. At a party during CES, Deputy Editor Jon Stokes and I bumped into some representatives from SureF
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:30 pm

HTC lawsuit came after warning by Apple to handset makersApple COO Tim Cook's warning from early 2009 wasn't the only one that handset makers received before Apple sicced the lawyers on HTC last week. According to a research note from Oppenheimer analyst Yal Reiner, Apple began warning top executives at companies such as HTC and Motorola in January that it wasn't too happy about seeing allegedly iPhone-related IP showing up in proposed new products. According to "industry checks," Cook's comments last January during the quarterly analyst call—that Apple "will not stand for having our IP ripped off, and we'll use whatever weapons that we have at our disposal"—were taken seriously by the likes of LG, Samsung, and even Nokia. Though the Palm Pre openly flaunted multitouch capabilities (what mos
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:25 pm

MRI's successes put the brain on trialA typical neuroscience paper (or a typical report on one) is a laundry list of structure:function relationships between brain regions and the mental tasks they perform. The amygdala deals with registering rewards, the hippocampus handles memory, and so on. These relationships have been the result of over a century of work, starting with rare cases of brain injury and building through modern medical imaging, which can detect ever-smaller lesions and associate neural activity with specific cognitive processes. Doctors routinely rely on the combination of brain imaging and structure:function relationships for diagnostic purposes, but is wider society willing to trust it in the courtroom, where it might make the difference between guilt and
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:24 pm

Facebook's location feature expected to launch next monthFacebook is allegedly planning to roll out location sharing capabilities next month, once again playing catch-up to other services that have gained popularity thanks to location data. The rumor comes courtesy of anonymous sources who have been "briefed on the project" speaking to the New York Times, who said that Facebook will announce the feature at Facebook's annual f8 conference in late April. The company's plans for such a feature have not been entirely secret—Facebook hinted at location features when it updated its privacy policy in November. Like other postings made to Facebook, location information will only be made available to the people you decide to broadcast it to. "When you share your location with others or add a location
» 9 Mar 2010, 3:10 pm

Microsoft browser ballot gives Opera, Firefox a boostThe Microsoft browser ballot released this month to Windows users in the EU is already doing Microsoft's rivals a favor. Two of the major competitors to Internet Explorer have seen an increase in downloads, while the other two are not willing to share data. We contacted the makers of Firefox, Chrome, Safari, and Opera; here's what they had to say. Opera, the Norwegian browser maker that first filed a complaint with the European Union in December 2007, accusing Microsoft of violating EU antitrust law by bundling IE with Windows, is pleased with the progress its browser is making. "Since the browser choice screen rollout, Opera downloads have more than tripled in major European countries, such as Belgium, France, Spain, Poland, and the UK,"
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:22 pm

The Internet of tomorrow: 100Gbps to your house by 2030Google's recent announcement of a 1Gbps fiber-to-the-home testbed has communities across the US salivating—but imagine what the Internet might be like if that connection to your home were even faster. Say... 100Gbps. In less than 20 years, such speeds will be possible, but only for companies who installed the right sort of fiber architecture. The UK telecoms regulator Ofcom commissioned a lengthy report on the future of fiber (PDF) (or "fibre," in this case) from the firm Analysys Mason. In it, the company sketched out the future of fiber capacity with a pair of handy charts. Both are clear: between 2025 and 2030, shared fiber tech will be able to offer 10Gpbs to each user; individual fiber can offer a full 100Gbps. Whether ISPs will sup
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:33 pm

FileMaker Pro goes to 11, admits people like spreadsheetsApple subsidiary FileMaker has released version 11 of its flagship FileMaker Pro database. The updated software purports to make building and maintaining databases even easier, while acknowledging that many users are accustomed to using spreadsheets for database purposes by including pivot table-like reporting and Excel-like charting features. FileMaker Pro Server has also been updated, dropping the simultaneous client access limit for the Advanced version. FileMaker Pro already laid claim to being one of the easiest cross-platform database tools available, but the company added additional features designed to enhance that ease of use. The Quick Start screen has been improved, offering clear ways to begin a new database. You can start from
» 9 Mar 2010, 12:06 pm

European Parliament unites against 3 strikes, ACTA secrecyThe European Parliament is fed up with the secrecy surrounding the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). Today, representatives from all the major parliamentary coalitions introduced a resolution demanding that the European Commission release all negotiating texts, inform Parliament about the negotiating process, and absolutely refuse to countenance any sort of "three strikes" Internet disconnection penalty for online copyright infringement. The measure comes up for a vote tomorrow and looks set to pass—it has the support of all the important groups in Parliament, including the EPP, S&D, ALDE, and the Greens/EFA. One notable supporter: Christian Engström, the Pirate Party's lone MEP in Parliament, who aligns with the Greens/EFA gr
» 9 Mar 2010, 10:38 am

Microsoft begins rolling out redesigned MSN homepageMicrosoft today began rolling out its new MSN homepage, but not everyone will be getting it at once: the update will trickle out over the next few weeks to the site's 100 million US customers. The software giant is touting the new version as "its most significant homepage redesign in over a decade." It comes with a new MSN butterfly logo (which complements the Bing logo), a larger Bing search box and tighter integration with the search engine, local information from a new feature dubbed MSN Local Edition, as well as the addition of three social network streams: the Windows Live "What's New" feed of course, Facebook, and Twitter. The above was previewed in November, but Microsoft says the redesign includes more than 30 updates that are base
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:51 am

Plans for .xxx top-level domain pop up againThe .xxx domain is back on the table. The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will reconsider the top-level domain during a meeting in Kenya this week, nearly three years after it was shot down and nine years after it was first introduced as a way to identify pornography sites and hopefully confine them to their own Internet red-light district. The .xxx domain was first proposed in 2001 and approved in 2005 for exclusive (but voluntary) use by the adult entertainment industry. The idea was to provide a place for porn sites online that would be explicitly obvious from the domain, which would not only help consenting adults find the sites, it would also help parents and corporations better block access to them.
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:07 am

"PowerPoint is evil" author to monitor stimulus spendingGovernment and industry bureaucrats addicted to spewing out mind-numbing PowerPoint presentations, be very afraid; Edward Tufte is coming to Washington, DC. The Obama administration has appointed Tufte to serve on the Recovery Independent Advisory Panel, which will suggest ways that the $787 billion stimulus program's watchdog accountability board can do its job. "I'm doing this because I like accountability and transparency, and I believe in public service," Tufte explained on his website on Sunday. "And it is the complete opposite of everything else I do." Read the comments on this post
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:35 am

Beppe Grillo

L'Aquila, città fantasmaL’Aquila è una città fantasma, lo è da 11 mesi, dal terremoto degli affari, delle risate nella notte degli speculatori, delle case di sabbia, dell’ospedale di cartone, degli studenti uccisi dall’incuria. L’Aquila è un un vetro rotto in mille pezzi e mai ricomposto. La città è scomparsa, lontana dagli occhi indiscreti, al suo posto sono sorti condomini di periferia, tutti uguali. Le case non sono solo "unità abitative", un posto per dormire, un tetto sopra la testa. Le case sono memoria, storia, affetti, comunità, tessuto civile. Gli aquilani sono dispersi da quasi un anno in tende, alberghi e in palazzine senz’anima. Solo 15.000 sono ospitati nelle nuove periferie celebrate da Bertolaso e da Berlusconi. Gli altri 45.000 s
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:25 am

Il voto di cartoneIn Iraq e in Afghanistan le elezioni durano un giorno e le urne sono trasparenti, anche grazie anche ai nostri militari. Da noi durano mesi e i voti sono interpretati. Richiamiamo in patria l'esercito!"Come diceva Don Abbondio, se uno...Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commenti (7) | Commenti piu' votati | Scrivi | Invia il tuo video | Iscriviti | Autenticati | Invia ad un amico | | GrilloNews | La Settimana
» 9 Mar 2010, 8:43 am

Chi tocca Napolitano muore (dal ridere)E' peggio Berlusconi che, secondo alcuni giornali, ha minacciato il noto costituzionalista Giorgio Napolitano o chi difende senza se e senza ma il presidente della Repubblica? Se il PDL fa il suo mestiere, il PDmenoelle fa la spalla. Totò e Macario, Gianni e Pinotto, Stanlio e Ollio, PDL e PDmenoelle. Napolitano non si tocca, è il padre di Bassolino, lo zio di D'Alema, il fratello gemello di Scalfari e dei suoi editoriali presidenzialisti, il nonno degli autoeletti rappresentanti del Popolo Viola. Per loro l'infallibilità di Napolitano è pari a quella di Ratzinger. E' un mistero della fede. Qualunque cosa firmi quest'uomo è eccezionale, Napo è una forza costituzionale mai vista. D'Alema:"Napolitano non poteva non firmare". Enrico Peon
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:54 am

Il futuro è adessoIl futuro è adesso."E' morto Alberto Ronchey. non che lo conoscessi bene ma l'avevo visto poche settimane fa da Fabio Fazio su Rai 3. Ronchey è morto a 84 anni e quindi c'era da aspettarselo per così dire. ma...Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commenti (26) | Commenti piu' votati | Scrivi | Invia il tuo video | Iscriviti | Autenticati | Invia ad un amico | | GrilloNews | La Settimana
» 8 Mar 2010, 10:40 am

Il ruggito dell'IslandaIn Islanda si è tenuto un referendum, promosso da 60.000 islandesi, per decidere se ripianare con soldi pubblici il fallimento della banca Landsbanki legato ai depositi Icesave. Il 93% degli islandesi ha votato contro il pagamento pubblico, solo l'1,8% a favore. Gli islandesi sapevano che il no al salvataggio della banca avrebbe messo a rischio l'ingresso dell'Islanda nella UE. La perdita di di 3,9 miliardi di euro di Icesave infatti ha colpito soprattutto risparmiatori britannici e olandesi. I governi di Gran Bretagna e Olanda hanno fatto forti pressioni per la restituzione dei depositi versati dai loro cittadini. Gli islandesi si sono rifiutati di pagare per gli errori di una banca privata e degli enti che avrebbero dovuto controllarla.
» 8 Mar 2010, 9:35 am

La firma di SarajevoBuongiorno, oggi mi sembra inevitabile parlare del Decreto Salvaliste, come lo chiamano nella è la solita truffa per dare un nome sbagliato a una cosa vergognosa e cercare di renderla meno vergognosa questo non è un Decreto Salvaliste, questo è un decreto, tanto per cambiare, Salva Berlusconi, mi scuso con quelli che hanno preso il mio libro, è già da aggiornare perché ad personam si forma all’ultima legge ad personam, ma l’ultima è sempre la penultima, quindi ne sta arrivando non solo questa, ma tra poco ne avremo una vagonata, non dimentichiamo che questo la prossima settimana dovrebbe essere licenziato definitivamente dal Parlamento in legittimo impedimento, quindi il firmatutto che siede al Quirinale sarà chiamato a un’alt
» 8 Mar 2010, 4:55 am

Grillo in CampaniaBelin, sono come Bartali. Sto facendo il Giro d'Italia in camper per sostenere le liste del "MoVimento 5 Stelle"."REGIONALI: BEPPE GRILLO, STRAORDINARI I RAGAZZI DEL MOVIMENTO NAPOLI (ANSA) -"Ormai in Italia lo stato di diritto è morto"... Beppe Grillo,...Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commenti (30) | Commenti piu' votati | Scrivi | Invia il tuo video | Iscriviti | Autenticati | Invia ad un amico | | GrilloNews | La Settimana
» 7 Mar 2010, 8:14 am

Fatto il decreto, denunciato il giudiceAnna Argento, presidente prima commissione Corte di assise di Roma, è stata denunciata per abuso di ufficio. Il giudice ha avuto il torto di applicare la legge elettorale. Anna Argento ha spiegato che nessuna lista era stata presentata in cancelleria e la successiva richiesta di integrazione del PDL per il Lazio non poteva essere accettata "in quanto non si può integrare qualcosa che non esiste". Prima il decreto interpretativo incostituzionale e poi la denuncia a chi ha applicato la legge senza interpretarla per il partito di governo. Anna Argento non ha mai rilasciato interviste in vita sua. Lo ha fatto ieri "per dimostrare di avere una coscienza" e spiegare la verità ai cittadini.Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commen
» 7 Mar 2010, 2:40 am

Egregio signor Magni, gentile signora Varenna...Il decreto interpretativo secondo Maroni: "non porta alcuna modifica di norme di legge", ma dà "una interpretazione corretta" alle norme. Chi decide l'interpretazione corretta? Lui e i suoi compari al Governo! Napolitano è più incerto, infatti per lui il decreto: "non ha presentato evidenti vizi di incostituzionalità". Vizio non evidente di incostituzionalità detto da Morfeo significa incostituzionalità certa. Al suo minimo dubbio in materia con lui non c'è alcun dubbio. Napolitano si è degnato di rispondere sul sito del Quirinale a due cittadini in rappresentanza dei milioni che lo hanno insultato.Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commenti (1639) | Commenti piu' votati | Scrivi | Invia il tuo video | Iscriviti | Aut
» 7 Mar 2010, 1:05 am

Democrazia al cloroformioIn Italia un colpettino di Stato tira l'altro. L'importante è non farlo sapere in giro, soprattutto agli italiani."Questo è un altro colpo di Stato. L'Italia è abituata ai "colpi"..Questo ha il colore dell'inchiostro. Negli anni, i colpi sono stati...Leggi e commenta il post su www.beppegrillo.it Commenti (14) | Commenti piu' votati | Scrivi | Invia il tuo video | Iscriviti | Autenticati | Invia ad un amico | | GrilloNews | La Settimana
» 6 Mar 2010, 10:28 am

Napolitano viene da lontanoNapolitano viene da lontano. Era migliorista e berlusconiano. Gli articoli del suo settimanale "Il Moderno" (con pubblicità Finivest anni '80) superano persino le poesie di Bondi al "caro leader"."Ad aprile del 1985 esce a Milano il primo numero de Il Moderno, mensile (poi settimanale) della corrente “migliorista” del Pci (la destra tecnocratica e filo-craxiana del partito, guidata da Giorgio Napolitano). Animato da Gianni Cervetti… all’insegna dello slogan “l’innovazione nella società, nell’economia, nella cultura” (p. 104)." "Intanto a Milano il numero di febbraio 1986 de Il Moderno… scrive che “la rivoluzione Berlusconi [è] di gran lunga la più importante, cui ancora qualcuno si ostina a non portare il rispetto c
» 6 Mar 2010, 8:56 am

Daily Kos

Open Thread for Night Owls: The War on (Some) DrugsAt High Country News, Charles Bowden writes about The War Next Door: Adam Smith's invisible hand meets magical realism on the border The man talking on the screen was recruited by the drug industry in Ciudad Juarez, sent to the state police academy, where he got around $150 a month as a student and around $1,000 a month from the drug industry as their sponsored law enforcement person. He was also trained by the FBI in Tucson, Ariz., (he told me the training was very good) and headed an anti-kidnapping squad in Juarez. And he also kidnapped people, almost all of whom died once their families were drained of money. I helped make the film the man is watching, and he knows this. He is mesmerized by the man talking. And he is angry at me, bec
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:16 pm

Open Thread and Diary RescueTonight's Rescue brought to you by ItsJessMe, YatPundit, dadanation, srkp23, claude, grog, and pico. Diary Rescue is all about promoting good writers, so remember to subscribe to diarists whose work you enjoy reading. Moving mountains (of coal ash) will not be easy, as DWG explains in this thoroughly researched analysis of the issue, the EPA, and coal in general. (claude) In a must-read diary, Ojibwa recounts the historical importance of water to Native American cultures in Dam Indians: Some Background. (dadanation) mark louis presents Another Clean Energy Option: Tidal Energy. (srkp23) terrypinder waxes philosophic about dinner with his relatives, religion and RH Heinlein character Nehemiah Scudder. (claude) In this installment of a we
» 9 Mar 2010, 8:00 pm

Time to stock up on "survival seeds"!With over 100 advertisers (and counting) abandoning Glenn Beck's show, it's obvious that what's left is the dregs of the world, like these guys. But the gold dealers dominating the ranks of his advertisers have new competition: Yup. All those Beck viewers are suckers, because their gold stockpile will be worth less than seeds! But that's not all! You know how Obama wants to steal your guns and shit? That's not all he's trying to confiscate! Phew! That's a relief. Because as we all know, the Second Amendment protects an American's right to bear arms ... and seeds! Then again, no seeds are truly indestructible. They are, after all, living things. The Glenn Beck patriots can't just wait for the apocalypse, and then plant them in the groun
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:16 pm

Credit, and when and where's it's dueAnother day, another parasitic rip-off of someone else's journalistic heavy-lifting. Must be another case of the traditional media complaining about riffraff bloggers living off its professional investigative work, right? Oh, wait. Here's Roll Call, presenting a lengthy hard news piece about Base Connect (formerly BMW Direct), a direct-mail fundraising firm that rips off right-wing candidates by pocketing 75% or more of the money they raise. Funny thing is, TPMMuckracker had an in-depth story on the company yesterday, with a follow-up today that highlights how Louisiana Republican Joseph Cao's campaign "suspended its relationship" with the firm after learning of Base Connect's background from Talking Points Memo. Yet Roll Call makes no me
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:30 pm

With Friends Like Rush Limbaugh ...Poor Eric Massa -- it only took a day to go from being Rush Limbaugh's hero: This story speaks for itself ... Massa says the White House and Emanuel went after him because of the health care vote ... Now, Massa warns us what we all know, but I think you need to hear it from a Democrat being forced out by Obama and Steny Hoyer and Pelosi ... So Congressman Massa, we're doing our part here to make it a national story ... This guy is as fired up as anybody I've ever heard anywhere opposed this, and the process and how they're getting it done. This guy is going to have so much support from people. ... to this: All I knew was this guy was telling great stories about Rahm Emanuel ... Here we have a legitimate kook ... Anybody who embraces t
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:56 pm

Goldman Sachs SuedThe International Brotherhood of Electric Workers is doing more than complaining about how much money bailed-out bank executives are making: Goldman Sachs Group Inc (GS.N) was sued on Monday by a large union pension fund that accused the Wall Street investment bank of overpaying its executives. The International Brotherhood of Electric Workers fund filed the lawsuit in Delaware Chancery Court, seeking to recover money for the company on behalf of other shareholders. It seeks to stop Goldman from allocating roughly 47 percent of 2009 net revenue as compensation, saying such allocations "vastly overcompensate management and constitute corporate waste." The lawsuit also wants Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein and others in management, rathe
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:20 pm

Roberts troubled by Obama criticism of Citizen United rulingSupreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts isn't happy with the President of the United States: Chief justice: Obama criticism 'troubling' From NBC's Pete Williams Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts today called President Obama's remarks about the court during the State of the Union message "very troubling." Speaking to a law school class today in Alabama, Roberts said while anyone is free to criticize the court, the sight of a president dressing down the justices in front of Congress was "very troubling." Roberts said he wonders if justices should attend State of the Union addresses anymore. I guess Roberts is entitled to is political opinions, but as long as he's inserting himself into the public discourse, he should keep in mi
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:40 pm

Massa then, Massa nowAs you can see in the video above, it turns out that Eric Massa, the right-wing media's newest darling, hasn't exactly managed to tell a consistent story on health care reform. In just a few months, he's gone from supporting single-payer even if opinion were 80-20 against it to saying he opposes reform because Democrats haven't done enough to forge popular consensus. Yesterday, he said he was being forced out of Congress because he opposed efforts to "ram this [health care reform] down the throats of the American people" when "the entire nation has said let's rewrite the health care bill. Let's find what we can agree on." But last August, speaking at Netroots Nation, Massa said on health care legislation, members of Congress should vote f
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:00 pm

Late afternoon/early evening open threadMarriage equality arrives in Washington, DC:
» 9 Mar 2010, 3:20 pm

Stupak and Backers Still Wrong on Abortion FundingShould health insurance reform allow direct government subsidies for abortion? Yes, it should. Should we drop the Hyde Amendment, the law that has, since 1976, barred spending of government money for abortions under Medicaid except in cases of incest and rape, and when the woman's life is at risk? Yes, we should. But, contrary to what Rep. Bart Stupak and his congressional disciples in the House have been saying, the health insurance reform bill - the Senate bill - does not subsidize abortion. To repeat, it does not. Stupak told the Associated Press yesterday that he is more optimistic than he was a week ago about getting this disagreement settled. "The president says he doesn't want to expand or restrict current law (on abortion). Neit
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:46 pm

When a Republican electoral victory is a good thingPhew. The top conservative activist on the powerful Texas Board of Education, who rejects evolution and has pushed for a revisionist right-wing U.S. history curriculum, is on the way out, after a moderate candidate defeated him in a tight primary last week. For months now, TPMmuckraker has been covering Don McLeroy as a major player in the battle over the drafting of nationally influential history textbook standards by the Texas board. Lobbyist Thomas Ratliff edged out McLeroy 50.4%-49.6% in a GOP primary for the seat McLeroy has held since 1999. Close as it was, Ratliff's win is significant because he represented a clear alternative to McLeroy, and he pulled through in a deeply conservative district. McLeroy's home county went 64-35 f
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:16 pm

Dosh Dosh

How to Create Successful Product Websites that People LoveYou just launched a new product. You want people to tell others in their social network. You want word of it to spread like a virus from person to person, eventually resulting in more buzz, attention and sales. And you want to do it using the internet. Purely online. No TV, newspapers or radio. No print [...]How to Create Successful Product Websites that People Love
» 14 Dec 2009, 6:45 pm

11 Ways to Influence People Online and Make Them Take ActionInfluence can be defined as the power exerted over the minds and behavior of others. A power that can affect, persuade and cause changes to someone or something. In order to influence people, you first need to discover what is already influencing them. What makes them tick? What do they care about? We need some leverage to work with when we’re trying [...]11 Ways to Influence People Online and Make Them Take Action
» 11 Nov 2009, 10:41 am

How to Achieve Your Goals by Changing the Way You Surf the WebEveryone has their favorite way of using the internet. Many of us search to find what we want, click in to a specific website, read what’s available and click out. That’s not necessarily a bad thing because it’s efficient. We learn to tune out things we don’t need and go straight for what’s essential. This goal-oriented way [...]How to Achieve Your Goals by Changing the Way You Surf the Web
» 5 Nov 2009, 8:38 am

An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to GetExperts have talked about this before. How many times have you read about the importance of ‘adding value’ for your audience? How many times have you read about ‘building trust’ with your readers/prospects?  Many, many times. You know it well. Every marketing guru has spoken about this topic. I’m sick of hearing it. But it STILL bears repeating. Because some people still don’t get it. [...]An Essential Marketing Principle: Give Before You Try to Get
» 18 May 2009, 12:31 pm

Twitter Marketing: Why You Don’t Need to Mass Follow UsersA few days ago Twitter announced on their status blog that all Twitter users are only allowed to follow a maximum of 1000 people a day. This rule was designed to cut down on ‘follow spam’, the act of following many Twitter users in order to get them to follow you back or click on your links. When combined with the already [...]Twitter Marketing: Why You Don’t Need to Mass Follow Users
» 22 Apr 2009, 10:34 am

Ad Swaps: A Smart and Easy Way to Get Free TrafficAfter yesterday’s post on marketing without search engines, I decided to follow up with a strategy you can use to get quality free traffic. One of the easiest ways to get visitors to your web site is to spend money. Nothing is more effortless then paying for traffic. But if you can’t afford it or [...]Ad Swaps: A Smart and Easy Way to Get Free Traffic
» 15 Apr 2009, 4:48 pm

Marketing Your Website Without Search EnginesI’m not old enough to remember what the internet was like without search engines. Apparently, there were lists of web-servers: they were manually updated and publicized in news updates like this. And then the search engines came crawling, indexing and sorting out pages. As the web expanded with more users and businesses putting up websites, search engines [...]Marketing Your Website Without Search Engines
» 14 Apr 2009, 12:09 pm

The Most Powerful Way to Presell Any Product or ServicePreselling is the art of conditioning potential customers and making them more likely to buy products/services. It is usually performed at your website before you send the visitor over to the vendor’s store or landing page. The goal of all presell tactics is to get prospects into a frame of mind whereby they not [...]The Most Powerful Way to Presell Any Product or Service
» 9 Apr 2009, 10:33 am

The Unhealthy Obsession With DoFollow Blog LinksIf you don’t know what ‘dofollow’ means, read this first before continuing. Many webmasters or bloggers are infatuated with dofollow blogs. Not everyone is obsessed with them, but there are many who spend time or money trying to leave keyword comments on dofollow blogs, in order to improve their website’s search engine rankings. They sell tools to [...]The Unhealthy Obsession With DoFollow Blog Links
» 6 Apr 2009, 2:06 pm

6 Fool-Proof Steps to Make More Money With Your WebsiteEvery website has a bunch of web pages which get more search traffic than others. These pages are constantly visited daily by new visitors, people who have never seen the site in question before. I call these ‘money pages’ because they are a reliable source of immediate and future income. But they’re not just ‘money’ because they bring [...]6 Fool-Proof Steps to Make More Money With Your Website
» 18 Mar 2009, 3:11 am

Gizmodo

How to Look Like a Gadget Lover Without Buying Any Real Electronics [Wtf]12 Full Color Printed VHS Video Boxes: $9. Full Scale Plastic Washer and Dryer Set: $139. 2 Piece 20" Wide Screen LCD Style Computer Package: $49. Outfitting your entire home with prop gadgets: Probably a bad idea. If you're like me and ever looked at one of those prop TVs in a store and wondered how much they go for, then the mystery is finally over. You can seek out Props By IDM, a company who sells such fake gadgets, and price check. [Props by IDM via Boing Boing]
» 10 Mar 2010, 12:35 am

What Would You Stick Under A Scanning Electron Microscope? [Qotd]Here's some tasty-looking hard candy. And here's that same tasty-looking hard candy scanned by an SEM. Tuns out that there's a company offering to stick almost anything under an electron microscope and we can't help but wonder: What to pick? SEM Elemental Analysis company ASPEX is offering this great service where people can submit their own samples to be viewed under a scanning electron microscope. They even post results—like these—on the site: gawkerGallery(5489644,4,''); Now, back to the big question: What would you want to see scanned by an SEM? [Aspex via Maria Popova]
» 9 Mar 2010, 11:06 pm

First Walking Lego Mecha Is Looking for Lego Godzilla [Lego]Lego biped robots are a dime a dozen, even while some look pretty sweet. This one is special: It's the first walking Lego robot. And, unlike your usual feet-dragging toy robots, it actually walks by raising its feet. This is definitely not easy to do with Lego or any other material. Maybe this guy should start thinking about building a Big Dog. [Flickr via Brothers Brick]
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:00 pm

ExiTool: A More Practical Approach To Escaping Your Automobile [Multitools]Here are a few things you don't have time to do when your car plunges into an icy lake: remove a Leatherman multitool from your glove compartment; unfold it; cut through your seatbelt; refold it; smash through your window. Thankfully there's the ExiTool, a clever little gadget that attaches to your seat belt for quick access when your shit goes "glug, glug, glug." It includes a high-carbon stainless steel slicer, a tungsten carbide smasher, and, just for good measure, an LED light. Sure, having an open blade attached to your seat belt all the time isn't ideal, but it's definitely more ideal than being trapped in your car at the bottom of some murky body of water. The ExiTool will be available soon for $27, so if you're the type of person th
» 9 Mar 2010, 8:20 pm

Pluto Fanboys Hate Mail [Science]If I were Neil deGrasse Tyson—host of the Pluto Files and director of the Hayden Planetarium—I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Not after reading the hate mail from thousands of outraged American kids. The kids wrote to de Grasse Tyson demanding an explanation about why scientists changed Pluto's classification from planet into a Kuiper Belt object. The Natural History Museum also retired it from their Solar System model, which logically got a lot of kids reaching for their pellet guns. Neil, they may sound sweet, but they are vicious, those beasts. [PBS]
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:40 pm

Zinnet's Brite-View LinkE Streams Content to Four Devices Over Powerline Networks [Zinnet]Sometimes Wi-Fi just doesn't do the trick when streaming something to several devices. Zinnet's Brite-View LinkE system will cover you there by allowing you to stream things over a powerline network to four ethernet devices and at up to 200Mbps. It's pretty simple: You plug an ethernet bridge into a wall outlet and connect it to a modem. Then you plug the four-port ethernet switch into another wall outlet and tada! You're able to stream content. The kit's even a pretty decent deal at $90, especially compared to $150-$170 kits. [PR Newswire via Engadget]
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:20 pm

The Google App Marketplace: Doing It All in the Cloud [Google]We just finished watching Google's live announcement of the launch of the Google App Marketplace. Keep reading for information on what they're offering users and developers. Oh, and know that the Marketplace is live today. Updating. The event is called "Google Campfire One" and it's all about how easy it will be to create, set up, and install apps using Google's App Marketplace. It appears that the big focus is on how everything—apps and existing Google products—will work together seamlessly and allow for all your tools and data to sit in the cloud. Right now the appeal is for business applications, but the potential seems incredible. The first portion of the announcement is about what developers will give and get in this whole deal. G
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:12 pm

This Happens to Me Every F*cking Single Day [Cartoon]Some days, it happens two or three times. I bet that you and most of your friends and family find themselves in the same situation too. [Loldwell]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:40 pm

Nexus Scooter Carry-On: The Most Fun Way to Get Arrested In an Airport [Concepts]For every time you've brought a scooter to the airport and wished it fit into the overhead compartment, I give you the Nexus: a battery-powered scooter that folds into a luggage-sized case. The TSA will love this. Nexus is a concept designed by Francisco Lupin, and if it were either for a) sale or b) not guaranteed to get me arrested, I'd own one already. Its two electric engines run on four 12V batteries, and can achieve speeds of up to 15 km/h. It'll last two hours on one charge, though if you make it two minutes before being tackled by bored security personnel you deserve some kind of special award. [Tuvie via Dvice]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:00 pm

Glowing Three-Inch Heels: The Adult Version of Light-Up Sneakers [Geek Fashion]As a kid I had a pair of Barbie sneakers that lit up with every step. Sadly those aren't made in adult shoe sizes, so I'll have to settle for something like these slinky illuminated heels. These shoes came from the minds of Rodarte, a two-sister design team, and are a beautiful example of how wearable tech can be integrated into our lives and into our three-inch heels. gawkerGallery(5489433,3,''); Now can someone tell me where I can get a pair? [High Snobette via Fashion In Tech]
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:20 pm

Playstation 3 First Console With HD Movies From All 6 Major Studios [Sony]Wow. The PS3 is getting HD purchases and rentals from all six major studios. A quick search turns up that Xbox is missing Fox and, duh, Sony. It's nice that Sony isn't handicapping the Playstation 3 in order to protect its blu-ray business.Sony's got deals with Fox, Disney, Paramount, Itself, Universal and Warner. I'm impressed. Now I just have to remember my login for PS network. From Movie Theater to Home Theater: PlayStation(R)Network Delivers High Definition Movies From Six Major Movie Studios in the United States PlayStation(R)3 Computer Entertainment System First to Have High Definition Movies for Purchase from All Major Studios FOSTER CITY, Calif., March 9 /PRNewswire/ — Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) today announced t
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:14 pm

huffingtonpost

Health Care: Final Push For Obama?WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama has chosen a suburban St. Louis high school to make his closing argument for a health care overhaul, pushing a new anti-fraud plan as he cranks up the pressure on skittish Democratic lawmakers to act fast. Obama is to speak Wednesday at St. Charles High School, his second health care address in three days. His speech comes as congressional Democrats stand on the brink of delivering the president a dramatic success with passage of his sweeping overhaul legislation – or a colossal failure if they can't get it done. Business groups that oppose the legislation are also stepping it up, with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce announcing a coordinated campaign to spend as much as $10 million on ads, start
» 10 Mar 2010, 1:02 am

Congress Gym Usually Tame, Insist LawmakersIt's no secret that members of Congress broker deals on the treadmill or in the weight room of the House and Senate gyms. But former congressman Eric Massa's accusation that White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel once berated him in the gym's shower over his vote against President Obama's budget left Washington watchers wondering how much business politicians conduct while naked. The answer, lawmakers revealed Tuesday, is not much. More on Rahm Emanuel
» 10 Mar 2010, 12:54 am

U.S. Shifts Iran Policy, Embraces OppositionAfter keeping a careful distance for the last year, the Obama administration has concluded that the Iranian opposition movement has staying power and has embraced it as a central element in the U.S.-led campaign to pressure the country's clerical government. Administration officials and some allied governments believe that a combination of domestic unrest and international sanctions targeting Iran's Revolutionary Guard offers the best hope for forcing Tehran to yield on its nuclear program, and could even lead to a change in the government. More on Mahmoud Ahmadinejad
» 10 Mar 2010, 12:49 am

No-Fly List Nearly Doubles Since Christmas AttackWASHINGTON — It starts with a tip, a scrap of intelligence, a fingerprint lifted from a suspected terrorist's home. It ends when a person is forbidden to board an airplane – a decision that's in the hands of about six experts from the Transportation Security Administration. The no-fly list they oversee constantly changes as hundreds of analysts churn through a steady stream of intelligence. Managing the list is a high-stakes process. Go too far in one direction and innocent travelers are inconvenienced. Go in the other direction and a terrorist might slip onto an airplane. It could take minutes to put a name on the list. Or it could take hours, days or months. That's because the list is only as good as the nation's intelligen
» 10 Mar 2010, 12:35 am

Obama: 'Bounty Hunters' Will Help Fight Health Care Fraud With Computer AuditsWASHINGTON — President Barack Obama said Tuesday he'll bring in high-tech bounty hunters to help root out health care fraud, grabbing a populist idea with bipartisan backing in his final push to overhaul the system. The White House announcement came as Obama prepared to travel to Missouri on Wednesday, taking his closing argument to the nation's heartland. The trip will be his second public appearance this week to rally support and fire up nervous Democrats. The White House released details of the anti-fraud plan hours after a fresh challenge to the administration from major business groups that unveiled a multimillion-dollar ad campaign arguing that under Obama's plan "health care costs will go even higher, making a bad economy
» 9 Mar 2010, 11:51 pm

US Military Hospital Ship USNS Comfort Leaving HaitiPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — The U.S. military hospital ship Comfort has completed its relief mission in Haiti and is heading home. The Comfort has been stationed off the country's coast for seven weeks treating victims of the Jan. 12 earthquake. But the U.S. military is scaling back in Haiti and it's time for the ship to head back to its homeport. A military spokesman says the comfort will leave Wednesday and be back in Baltimore on March 14. While in Haiti, the ship's personnel treated more than 800 patients. The total number of U.S. forces in Haiti is expected to drop to about 8,000 in coming days, down from a peak of around 20,000 on Feb. 1. More on Haiti Earthquake
» 9 Mar 2010, 11:44 pm

Payday Loans Exempt From Consumer Protection Rules Under Corker ProposalSenator Bob Corker, the Tennessee Republican who is playing a crucial role in bipartisan negotiations over financial regulation, pressed to remove a provision from draft legislation that would have empowered federal authorities to crack down on payday lenders, people involved in the talks said. The industry is politically influential in his home state and a significant contributor to his campaigns, records show. The Senate Banking Committee's chairman, Christopher J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, proposed legislation in November that would give a new consumer protection agency the power to write and enforce rules governing payday lenders, debt collectors and other financial companies that are not part of banks.
» 9 Mar 2010, 11:27 pm

Pity Bonus: Executives Who Miss Goals In Bad Economy Still RewardedMaybe you missed your earnings target last year or your stock was crushed. But if you're a corporate executive, that might not necessarily prohibit you from earning a generous bonus. Following an unprecedented period of economic turmoil, a number of corporate boards appear to have taken pity on executives last year. In some instances, they handed over millions of dollars in so-called discretionary bonuses to managers.
» 9 Mar 2010, 11:01 pm

Robson Rocha Costa DIES From Soccer Injury (VIDEO)Robson Rocha Costa, a 23-year-old Brazilian, died from an injury suffered during an indoor soccer match on Saturday. A wooden fragment from the court floor entered his thigh and penetrated his intestines. He died from hemorrhagic shock on Sunday. The incident is currently under investigation. WARNING: EXTREMELY DISTURBING FOOTAGE More on Soccer
» 9 Mar 2010, 10:30 pm

Michael Mukasey Slams Liz Cheney's 'Shoddy And Dangerous' Logic In WSJ Op-EdFormer U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey wrote an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal Wednesday attacking Liz Cheney's "Al-Qaida 7" logic as "shoddy and dangerous." While the former chief of the Bush Justice Department never mentioned Cheney by name, he made it clear that anyone would be wrong to automatically identify DOJ lawyers with the defendants that they represent. Mukasey wrote: This is all of a piece, and what it is a piece of is something both shoddy and dangerous. A lawyer who represents a party in a contested matter has an ethical obligation to make any and all tenable legal arguments that will help that party. A lawyer in public service, particularly one dealing with sensitive matters of national security, has the obligation t
» 9 Mar 2010, 10:30 pm

More Minority Babies Will Be Born In 2010 Than White Babies, Demographers PredictWASHINGTON — Minorities make up nearly half the children born in the U.S., part of a historic trend in which minorities are expected to become the U.S. majority over the next 40 years. In fact, demographers say this year could be the "tipping point" when the number of babies born to minorities outnumbers that of babies born to whites. The numbers are growing because immigration to the U.S. has boosted the number of Hispanic women in their prime childbearing years. Minorities made up 48 percent of U.S. children born in 2008, the latest census estimates available, compared to 37 percent in 1990. "Census projections suggest America may become a minority-majority country by the middle of the century. For America's children, the futu
» 9 Mar 2010, 10:06 pm

Lifehacker

Google Apps Marketplace Integrates Third-Party Cloud Apps with Google Apps [Google Apps]newVideoPlayer( {"type":"video","player":"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/v\/uJxbEQGWpeA&hl=en&fs=1&fmt=22","customParams":[],"width":500,"height":412,"ratio":0.824,"flashData":"","embedName":null,"objectId":null,"noEmbed":false,"source":"youtube"} ); Google just launched a new Google Apps Marketplace where users can discover and deploy third-party cloud applications that integrate with their existing Google Apps accounts.Give the video above a watch for a full overview of how Google Apps Marketplace apps work, or, summed up from the Google Apps Marketplace homepage: The Google Apps Marketplace offers products and services designed for Google users, including installable apps that integrate directly with Google Apps. Installable apps are easy to
» 9 Mar 2010, 7:34 pm

Can I Play HTML5 YouTube Videos in Firefox Right Now? [Ask Lifehacker]Dear Lifehacker, I've read about how HTML5 will change the way I use the web, but it seems like the biggest example of HTML5 in action is on sites like YouTube—which don't support my favorite browser, Firefox. What's the deal?I find myself, and I'm sure tons of others, caught in the Adobe Flash Player vs. HTML5 battle. Flash Player runs terribly on my iMac. Videos on different sites either tell me to install Flash components, show up as blank white areas, load perpetually (CNET TV) or tell me to adjust global storage, and so on. If they do play, I often get the stuttering/buffering that drives me crazy. I had the latest version of Flash Player, uninstalled that and installed the latest 10.1 Beta3, and it's just as bad. I considered signin
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:00 pm

Lifehacker's Looking for a New Writer [Announcements]Think you've got what it takes to join Team Lifehacker? That's good, because we're on the hunt for a new writer to join the crew.You could be a great fit if: You love and understand a lot about technology, and have a knack for tinkering with software and bending gear to your will. (Bonus points for command line/programming junkies in general.) You know how to slap together nouns, verbs, and the occasional em dash and enjoy a good href. You can deliver clean, crisp, and informed takes on everything from software and web sites to food and personal finance. You're creative, and you've got all kinds of ideas that would make for great Lifehacker features. (We particularly love a good how-to feature.) You're ambitious, looking to make a name for
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:59 pm

Remains of the Day: Google on Your TV Edition [For What It's Worth]Google dips its toe into TV programming searches, netbooks' market share is growing, Twitter and Facebook gear up for geolocation, and researchers make the case for fat as a sixth taste sense. The Rise of Netbooks Think netbooks are a dwindling fad? GigaOM's infographic designers look at the last three years and disagree. [GigaOM] Readability The very handy, text-focused reformatter we all know as a bookmarklet has arrived as a Firefox add-on, with a few unique features like auto-scrolling. [Firefox Add-Ons via gHacks] Google Testing TV Search Service On Android-Enhanced Set-Top Boxes Google employees with DirecTV are trying out a search app that scans TV programming and web video. It's powered in part by Android, and we're kind of hoping m
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:00 pm

SecondBar Puts a Menu Bar on All Your Mac's Monitors [Downloads]Mac only: Multiple monitors do great things for your desktop space, but your menu bar sticks to one screen. If you're looking for more menu access, free utility SecondBar puts one at the top of each monitor.As veteran Mac users know, each application's menu fills in the menu bar at the top of the desktop, not the window of the app itself, as in a Windows desktop. When you have a lot of apps open in different spots, it becomes inconvenient to access an app's preferences or deeper features with a mouse. SecondBar adds a customizable menu bar to your second, third, or tenth monitor, letting you keep your focus on one screen at a time. SecondBar has all the features of OS X's built-in menu bar, along with being drag-able and having the half-and
» 9 Mar 2010, 3:00 pm

Best VPN Tool: OpenVPN [Hive Five Followup]Last week we asked you to share your favorite VPN tool, then we rounded up the top five contenders for a vote. Now we're back with the results.Leading the pack was OpenVPN with 29% of the vote, followed closely by LogMeIn Hamachi (28%). Both are notable for being free, although only OpenVPN is open source. In third place, the built-in Windows VPN software grabbed 19% of the vote, followed by Cisco VPN with 13% and Shrew Soft rounding out the Hive Five with 4%. Check out the full Hive Five for additional information about VPNs and contenders. As always, if you have a great idea for a Hive Five, shoot us an email at tips@lifehacker.com with "Hive Five" in the subject line.
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:30 pm

Improve Meeting Efficiency with a 22-Minute Limit [Meetings]Meetings don't have to be the bane of the workday existence. Try scheduling them in 22-minute blocks to get more out of them and spend less time hating them.Photo by brianpobuda. Blogger Scott Berkun recommends latching onto Nicole Steinbok's 22-minute meeting idea as a good metric for sticking to agendas and keeping meetings from becoming a time-sink. Of course, even abbreviated meetings won't work if you don't make good use of the time. Do not, for example, show up at a meeting with a batch of handouts for everyone to dig into. Send required readings 3 days beforehand – The burden is on the organizer to make this small enough that people actually do it. Never ever allow a meeting to be "lets all read the documents together and penalize
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:00 pm

Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer Tweaks, Enlarges Your Superbar Thumbnails [Downloads]Windows 7: Hailing from the camp of "software that does exactly what its name implies", Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer fine-tunes the size, spacing, and margins of your Windows 7 Superbar previews.If you're unhappy with the size and spacing of application and folder thumbnails on your Superbar (less enthusiastically dubbed the taskbar in some circles), Windows 7 Taskbar Thumbnail Customizer adjusts them. Vertical size, spacing between the icons, and margins on the top and bottom of the icons are among the parameters awaiting your obsessive attention. This application won't change the spacing of icons on the actual bar itself, it alters the size and spacing of the preview thumbnails. See the two images below for comparison. The top i
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:30 pm

FCC Considers Dedicating Portion of U.S. Wireless Spectrum to Free Wi-Fi [Wi-Fi]The FCC is considering dedicating a portion of the wireless spectrum to "free or a very low cost wireless broadband service," according to Reuters. They didn't offer much in terms of details, and you can file this one under the believe-it-when-we-see-it category, but it's a nice thought. [Reuters via Gizmodo]
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:15 pm

Make an Appointment with Yourself for Distraction-Free Time Blocks [Distractions]Workplace distractions are nothing new, but if you can't seem to find time to do some serious distraction-free work for any significant chunk of time, consider time blocking an appointment with yourself.Over at business site Fast Company, our own Gina Trapani continues her Work Smart video series with a great piece on Time Blocking (embedded above). Recounting the days when she worked as a low-on-the-totem-pole programmer in a distraction-heavy office, Gina remembers: It got so bad that when I was on deadline, I'd book hour-long meetings in a conference room where I was the only attendee. I'd put the meeting in my calendar a day or two ahead of time so that I showed up as "busy" in Outlook. When the time came, I'd steal off to the conferenc
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:00 pm

Red and Black: An Office Makeover [Featured Workspace]If bold colors, a big desk, and plenty of well lit storage sounds like your kind of office, you'll definitely want to check out today's featured workspace.Sometimes after making do with an office that just doesn't fit, you have to dig in and commit to an overhaul. Lifehacker reader Vincent Vega was sick of an office with old carpet and eight years worth of mismatched furniture: After quite a bit of searching online I settled on IKEA for most of the furniture.The desk legs are Vika Annefors with a 78" Vika Amon tabletop. The cabinets are from the EFFEKTIV system. The EFFEKTIV stuff is all modular and has tons of options. I looked at several different lighting options but settled on the Inredia bookcase lights because they are so darn adjust
» 9 Mar 2010, 12:30 pm

Mashable!

Tweet Defense – Fight Zombies With the Power of TwitterWe’ve seen many, many iterations of the popular tower defense games over the years, but this one has a special meaning for all you Twitter fans out there.Based on a tried and true concept, Tweet Defense is an iPhone game that lets you fight zombies with various tower defense units, but with a social twist: it grabs your various Twitter stats – number of followers, friends and tweets – and calculates bonuses to your defense based on them. It’s like an infinite time sink which connects two enormous time wasters – Twitter and tower defense. In other words, it’s beautiful.Get Tweet Defense for $0.99 from the App Store.Tags: iphone, tweet defense, twitter
» 10 Mar 2010, 1:39 am

MySpace Co-Presidents Reveal Company’s Plan for the Future [INTERVIEW]We had a chance to step into MySpace HQ for a chat with new Co-Presidents Jason Hirschhorn and Mike Jones, who preside over the News Corp.-owned social network from a shared desk in Beverly Hills. The joint office speaks to how closely Hirschhorn and Jones are working together to create a unified vision of the future for the lately struggling MySpace, whose former CEO Owen Van Natta exited the company after only 9 months in the hot seat.Hirschhorn describes MySpace as a site that “lacked focus” as he and Jones were getting up to speed and learning about the business. He sees the pair’s role as instilling that much-needed focus as well as driving a re-imagination of the site from both a user interface perspective and in the development
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:44 pm

Phonebooth Free: An Alternative to Google Voice for Small BusinessesIn November, Phonebooth.com released the beta version of Phonebooth OnDemand, which is a full-featured phone service that lives in the cloud, but can communicate with both cellular phones and IP desk and conference phones. Today, that service — which costs $20 a month per user — is becoming generally available. Phonebooth.com is also leveraging its own private VoIP network to launch Phonebooth Free, a free version of its hosted phone system, which is very similar to Google Voice but aimed at small businesses.Phonebooth.com is a product from Bandwidth.com. While Bandwidth.com might not be as well-known as players like Comcast, Verizon and Cisco, in the business VoIP space it’s a pretty big player. Bandwidth.com has its own VoIP network
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:15 pm

Appboy Gets a New Design, iPhone App and Best Buy PartnershipBack in October we wrote about Appboy, a social network for mobile app developers and users. Since launching, Appboy has continued to evolve into a community for both developers and users to find and rate apps, as well as submit ideas for new mobile applications. Appboy has just rolled out a big update to its site which improves the design, adds stronger integration with Facebook and Twitter, and makes it easy to keep up with what your favorite app developers are doing. The site has also launched a new companion iPhone application and started a new partnership with Best Buy Mobile.New Look and FeelThe Appboy Profile pages have been given a total facelift. Now, in addition to displaying your user activity and favorite apps, users can link th
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:48 pm

Google Launches the Google Apps MarketplaceToday at the Google’s Campfire One event at the company’s headquarters in Mountain View the Internet search giant is launching its new app store for business, known as the Google Apps Marketplace.Last week, we broke the story that Google Apps Marketplace would launch today, reporting that it would be an app store integrated within Google Apps that would allow third-party developers to sell software directly to Google’s business consumers.Now, with developers gathered at the Googleplex, we’re about to learn how Google Apps Marketplace works and, more importantly, which apps are going to be available at launch.My live notes from the event are below:Google Apps Marketplace: The Details- Note: you can watch the live stream of Google Cam
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:05 pm

Twitter Takes on Phishing with New Security FeaturesSpam and phishing have been ongoing problems at Twitter for some time, and tonight the company announced that it is stepping up its efforts to stop them with some new features, described as being able to “detect, intercept, and prevent the spread of bad links.”In a blog post, Twitter writes that the protection works by “routing all links submitted to Twitter through this new service … even if a bad link is already sent out in an email notification and somebody clicks on it, we’ll be able keep that user safe.”How exactly they do that, we’re not sure, but Twitter notes that you’ll start seeing short links using its own “twt.tl” URL shortener in direct messages and email notifications. As users who have been victimized by
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:53 pm

Watch Out, Topeka: Greenville, SC, Also Wants to be Googletown, USAGoogle’s call for medium-sized cities to pilot its high-speed broadband network has attracted the marketing wit of another locale: Greenville, South Carolina.Citizens of Greenville have launched the “We Are Feeling Lucky” campaign –- an obvious play on Google’s “I’m Feeling Lucky” button — an effort that will culminate in citizens trying to form “the world’s first and longest human Google chain.” Glowsticks will apparently be involved in the event, scheduled to take place on the evening of March 20.The site makes heavy use of Google products and services — likely not a coincidence — in getting its message across. There’s also a social media component, with “We Are Feeling Lucky” having a YouTube channel f
» 9 Mar 2010, 3:19 pm

HOW TO: Prepare for Disasters Using Social MediaMollie Vandor is the Product Manager for Ranker.com and Media Director for Girls in Tech LA. You can find her on Twitter and on her blog, where she writes about the web, the world and what it’s like to be a geek chic chick.Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes — lately, it seems like there’s a new natural disaster wreaking havoc on poor planet Earth every week. From our television sets to our Twitter streams, it’s impossible to ignore the devastation these disasters leave behind. And, no matter where you’re watching from, it’s hard not to feel just a little bit helpless in the face of such colossal catastrophes.But when it comes to natural disasters, modern technology is making it easier than ever to take control by creating your ow
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:48 pm

Lindsay Lohan Sues E-Trade Claiming Baby Ad Is a Parody of Her [VIDEO]The Super Bowl may be long over, but Brand Battle 2010 continues to rage on, as yet another commercial is bit by the controversy bug — this time one of those adorable spots from E-Trade featuring a talking baby named “Lindsay.”According to the New York Post, actress Lindsay Lohan is suing the investment site on the grounds that the man-eating, substance-abusing baby in the commercial is based on her.Lohan’s lawyer, Stephanie Ovadia, is asking that the commercial be taken off the air and every copy of the offending spot be rounded up (which could now be more difficult given today’s coverage). The actress is also asking for $100 million.According to Ovadia: “Many celebrities are known by one name only, and E-Trade is using that kn
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:30 pm

Hulu Gets 400 Hours of NFL VideoHulu struck a deal to host content from The NFL Network in January, including eight shows and highlights from every team in the National Football League. The network has been adding new content to the site ever since, and this week Hulu has posted an impressive 400 hours of NFL-related videos.Fierce Online Video reports that Hulu plans to add 600 more hours before the next football season starts.Sports enthusiasts are seeing a big boom in web video coverage; the NCAA college basketball league just launched a website that streams shareable clips from countless March Madness plays.Meanwhile, Hulu is likely hoping deals like this one will — in tandem with its own in-house reality show If I Can Dream — help make up for the loss of two of it
» 9 Mar 2010, 1:12 pm

On Android, MySpace Reigns SupremeDespite CEO drama, plummeting traffic and even declining mobile website usage, MySpace Mobile for Android is the most popular social app in the Android Market and the third most popular downloaded application overall.While Facebook might dominate social networking apps on the iPhone, Facebook for Android leaves much to be desired. It’s not as bad as it was six months ago, but it still pales in comparison to the offerings for BlackBerry — let alone the iPhone.MySpace Mobile for Android on the other hand, integrates itself extremely well within the Google ecosystem and the Android platform. You can even update your status via voice, using a widget available in the MySpace app.AndroidStats, a site that tracks the rankings in the Android M
» 9 Mar 2010, 12:53 pm

Perez Hilton

Vintage Bieber!So cute! Justin Bieber was just a bb as he sat playing on the steps of the Avon Theatre in his hometown of Stratford, Ontario before he was famous. Loves it!
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:01 pm

Can You Spot What's Wrong With This Pic?A very Perezicious reader snapped the picture above of the season 5 Jon and Kate Plus Eight DVD on display at Wal-Mart. LOLs!!!! Someone in their stock room has a brazilliant sense of humor!
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:45 pm

Listen To This: Vibey!If Jamiroquai were still making music, they'd have released this song! Baby I'm Yours by Breakbot - featuring Irfane - is a soulful vintage-sounding romp, similar to the vibe Mayer Hawthorne is going for. It's fun, funky and you can dance to it! Enjoy Breakbot's lovely Baby I'm Yours (below).
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:30 pm

The McConaughey-Alves Fam!And out with new baby, too! Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves were spotted catching a flight out of LAX with both of their children, Levi and Vida. We're dying to see what Vida looks like, but it seems like they're keeping her to themselves for now! Wonder where they're off to? [Image via National Photo Group.]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:22 pm

Mariah Must LOVE Brazil!If she doesn't, she should! Mariah Carey's new music hasn't been fairing too well state-side, but in Brazil, she is an EPIC star. Her Foreigner cover, I Want To Know What Love Is, a song that barely got ANY airplay here in the US, has been on the Brazilian charts for 20 consecutive weeks - at the [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:15 pm

A Melrose Place Reunion We Actually Kind Of Want To Watch!!Ugh. This honestly makes us just want the old version back on soooo bad. The basically EFFED reboot of Melrose Place is gathering familiar faces from the original series for one last hurrah before the CW cancels this mess faster than they evicted ASSlee Simpson!! The March 30th episode reunites Amanda Woodward with other mid-90s favorites Jo [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:05 pm

Two Of The World's Oldest People Pass Away Only Hours ApartThis is kind of a bummer. Two of the oldest people in the world passed away this past Sunday - and only HOURS apart. What are the odds of that??! Mary Joesphine Ray, who was the oldest living person in the USA, died at 114 in New Hampshire. She apparently had remained ACTIVE until about two weeks [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:00 pm

Precious Actress Gets A New Job!!Oh!!! This sounds so good!! Suck it, Howard Stern! Gabourey Sidibe, the Oscar-nominated star of Precious, has just signed on to be a reccuring guest star on a new Showtime series starring Laura Linney and Oliver Platt!! The half hour dark comedy, called The Big C, revolves around Cathy (played by Linney) a Connecticut wife and mom [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:45 pm

Introducing: Elephant Dung Heels!Sometimes we think we've seen everything, but then something like this poops up and proves us wrong! London designer INSA created these shoes as a response to artist Chris Ofili's elephant dropping painting of the Virgin Mary and this is what he came up with! The crappy heels clock in at 10 inches and used poop "from [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:30 pm

Spartacus Star Diagnosed With CancerOh no! Andy Whitfield, the star of the HOMOlicious series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, has been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma! Poor thing!! So scary!! The actor discovered the cancer during a routine check up, and production of the show's second season has been postponed while he undergoes treatment. According to the Starz network, Whitfield was lucky enough to [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 4:22 pm

ProBlogger

How to Blog: Choose a Niche for Your Blog [Why Niches are Important]While I get many questions from bloggers asking for advice on ‘how to blog‘ perhaps one of the biggest questions a new blogger needs to ask themselves before they move on to the HOW to blog question is ‘WHAT will I blog about?’ There is no real right or wrong answer to this question as blogs [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. How to Blog: Choose a Niche for Your Blog [Why Niches are Important]
» 9 Mar 2010, 5:54 am

Feeling “Blogged Out?” [10 Pro Bloggers Share Their Advice on What to Do]A Guest post by Heather Allard from The Mogul Mom. If you’re a regular ProBlogger reader, you know that Darren dishes up heaps of incredible blogging advice 7 days a week, 365 days a year. His archives positively overflow with information on how to build a blog from the ground up, how to engage readers, how [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. Feeling “Blogged Out?” [10 Pro Bloggers Share Their Advice on What to Do]
» 8 Mar 2010, 6:08 am

What Do You Do With Your Blog to Make it Stand Out from the Crowd?Last week on Twitter I was asked by @southrngurl6489 the following question: If you had to pick only one thing that makes a blog stand out from its peers, what would you pick and why? I thought it’d be a good question to open up to a wider audience as its something I’ve touched on quite a [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. What Do You Do With Your Blog to Make it Stand Out from the Crowd?
» 7 Mar 2010, 5:26 am

7 Tips to Keep Your Family On-Board for Your Blogging JourneyA guest post by Dustin Riechmann of Engaged Marriage. My life is pretty typical for a 30-year old family man these days. I do my best to maintain a hectic schedule and the demands that come with balancing a wife, kids, a full-time career, a mortgage, church, community service, tee ball practice, my daughter’s [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. 7 Tips to Keep Your Family On-Board for Your Blogging Journey
» 6 Mar 2010, 6:00 am

9 Tips for Creating More Small Business Blogging IdeasA Guest Post by Mark Hayward. What the hell am I supposed to write about, I own a {insert your small business here}? Really, who cares about your flower shop, bike shop, auto parts store, or coffee house? Answer: Your customers certainly care. We all know by now that consistent small business blogging can drastically improve your Search Engine [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. 9 Tips for Creating More Small Business Blogging Ideas
» 5 Mar 2010, 5:33 am

How To NOT Repulse Readers And Send Them Running Scream… Um…I Mean Clicking AwayA Guest Post by Cori Padget from Write Syntax and Big Girl Branding. In a word? Engage. Engage, engage, engage, engage. Get it yet? ENGAGE! OK, I’m thinking you get it now, kinda sorta. But in case you don’t, let’s discuss it further. EN… Just kidding! If you’re a writer, or a blogger, or someone [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. How To NOT Repulse Readers And Send Them Running Scream… Um…I Mean Clicking Away
» 4 Mar 2010, 6:17 am

The BEST Way to Generate Lots of Comments on a Your Next Blog PostLast week on my Photography Tips site we published a guest post titled Three Lenses Every Photographer Should Own. The author of the guest post emailed me a few days later amazed at amazing amount of comments left on the post. While the average post on dPS gets a reasonable amount of comments this post is [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. The BEST Way to Generate Lots of Comments on a Your Next Blog Post
» 3 Mar 2010, 5:32 am

Lessons for Bloggers from ChatRouletteChatRoulette (warning: this is often NSFW) is a site that has caused a lot of buzz over the last week or so. It’s a webcam site where you login to chat with complete strangers – you are randomly matched with a stranger and you both have the opportunity to find a new person to chat with [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. Lessons for Bloggers from ChatRoulette
» 2 Mar 2010, 5:44 am

5 Tips for Getting Readers Viewing Your Old Blog PostsOver on Twitter last week @JapanNewbie asked me about how to get people viewing old posts on your blog once they drop off the front page. In this video I tackle the question with 5 suggestions including using: Best of Sections Autoresponders Related Links Best of Posts Repost Old Content I’d love to hear your suggestions on how you drive people [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. 5 Tips for Getting Readers Viewing Your Old Blog Posts
» 1 Mar 2010, 5:52 am

Stick Out Your Finger (Not That One!) and Create a Meaningful Blogging ExperienceGuest post by Jenny McCoy Sometimes it doesn’t matter where you’re going; you just kinda enjoy the ride. This is true of my blogging experience. After sharing my vision of church services optimized for screaming babies and their snoring grandparents, my drinking companion responded with glazed eyes and an outdoor voice, “You should write books or something. I’d [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. Stick Out Your Finger (Not That One!) and Create a Meaningful Blogging Experience
» 28 Feb 2010, 6:14 am

8 Reasons You Might Not Be Getting Many CommentsA Guest Post by Charlie Gilkey from Productive Flourishing. No matter how big their blog is, every blogger loves and wants comments. When you’re just starting out, there are few bigger thrills than writing something and having people comment and give you feedback about what you’ve written. Veteran bloggers love comments and also know that the [...]Post from: Blog Tips at ProBlogger. 8 Reasons You Might Not Be Getting Many Comments
» 27 Feb 2010, 6:39 am

Seth Godin

The factory in the centerOld time factories had a linear layout, because there was just one steam engine driving one drive shaft. Every machine in the shop had to line up under the shaft (connected by a pulley) in order to get power. That...
» 9 Mar 2010, 2:24 am

You rockThis is deceptive. You don't rock all the time. No one does. No one is a rock star, superstar, world-changing artist all the time. In fact, it's a self-defeating goal. You can't do it. No, but you might rock five...
» 8 Mar 2010, 2:07 am

Losing Andrew CarnegieCarnegie apparently said, "Take away my people, but leave my factories and soon grass will grow on the factory floors......Take away my factories, but leave my people and soon we will have a new and better factory." Is there a...
» 7 Mar 2010, 2:43 am

Spring reading list--big ideas for idea peopleReaders have told me that they enjoy my off-the-wall book lists. Here's another. Science fiction, Tom Peters, Krista Tippett and even a book for touring musicians. Enjoy them. And don't forget it's okay to share books. They don't wear out.
» 6 Mar 2010, 9:44 am

Pulitzer PrizefightingPeople are drawn to existing competitions like moths to a flame. It's precisely the wrong way to succeed. Lots of journalists take significant detours in their careers and their writing in order to win a Pulitzer. Maybe not to actually...
» 6 Mar 2010, 2:36 am

On self determinationI posted this eight years ago (!) but a reader asked for an encore. ...are we stuck in High School? I had two brushes with higher education this week. The first was at a speech I gave in New York....
» 5 Mar 2010, 2:52 am

Open buying and open sellingIf I can sell you something without a sales call or expensive ad campaign, I can sell it cheaper. If you want to buy a business development relationship but you're not willing to negotiate, do contracts and invest a lot...
» 4 Mar 2010, 2:40 am

Try differentThe usual mantra is to 'try harder'. Trying harder is impossible when you're already trying as hard as you can. But you can always try different. Years ago, I was creating trivia questions for a product we built for Prodigy....
» 3 Mar 2010, 2:29 am

"Be what losers call a loser."Think about that for a minute or two... Sort of turns the whole idea of 'cool' upside down. From an interview with David Horvath. And my favorite new blog in ages (from an old friend and sage): Alan Webber.
» 2 Mar 2010, 3:18 pm

SprezzaturaThis is an archaic Italian word for being able to do your craft without a lot of visible effort. It's a combination of elan and grace and class, sort of the opposite of loud grunts while you play tennis or...
» 2 Mar 2010, 2:55 am

I don't feel like itWhat's it? Why do you need to feel like something in order to do the work? They call it work because it's difficult, not because it's something you need to feel like. Very few people wake up in the morning...
» 1 Mar 2010, 2:52 am

Smashing Magazine

Entering The Wonderful World of Geo Location  I thought I could not be out-geeked. With a background in radio, and having dabbled in the demo scene on the Commodore 64 and hung out on BBSes and IRC for a long time and all the other things normal kids don't quite get, I thought I was safe in this area.Then I went to my first WhereCamp, an unconference dealing with geographical issues and how they relate to the world of Web development. Even my A-Levels in Astronomy did not help me there. I was out-geeked by the people who drive and tweak the things that we now consider normal about geo-location on the Web.Pulling out your phone, find your location and getting directions to the nearest bar is easy, but a lot of work has gone into making that possible. The good news is that because of
» 8 Mar 2010, 3:56 pm

Common Questions About Design Professionalism  The design profession is full of happy folks, and understanding why so many designers enjoy their work is not hard. But not all are so happy. If you’re not careful, the joy of getting paid to pursue your passion can be tainted by the less joyous realities of the professional world. You see, no matter how skilled you are as a designer, unless you are equally prepared in professional matters, your prospects will be limited and your circumstances compromised. This is true whether you work freelance, for an agency or in-house with a company.Every week I hear from designers who are struggling to come to terms with these realities. Unhappy with their current circumstances, they write to ask for advice on improving their lot. Usually, they e
» 8 Mar 2010, 1:48 am

Handy Tools and Tips for E-Commerce Websites  
» 6 Mar 2010, 2:47 am

Print Magazines for Web Designers, Digital Artists, and Photographers  Although much valuable information for all sorts of web and print professionals can be found online, it is often difficult to weed through all the noise and find good quality content. I believe it's vital that professionals in different creative fields supplement their online learning and research through well-edited and high-quality print publications. Print magazines, more often than not, are well-researched and are headed by top-notch editorial staff, usually containing information and resources on the cutting edge of their respective industries' trends and happenings. To that end, to help you fulfill part of your offline research needs, I've compiled a list of print magazines that are of interest to professionals in three different
» 5 Mar 2010, 5:32 am

Beautiful Illustrator Artworks By Artists Around The World  Adobe Illustrator is a powerful software for illustrating that allows users to produce beautiful artwork, technical illustrations, and even graphics for both print and the web. Adobe Illustrator is a multipurpose vector illustration tool and its versatility makes it the most preferred choice among many professional artists and designers.In the past, we've published a collection of Beautiful Photoshop Illustrations By Artists Around The World, and this is the latest post that will showcase the power of Adobe Illustrator. We present here hundreds of brilliant illustrations by artists from around the world that will surely mesmerize you and stir your imagination. Have a look, and feel the power of Illustrator!We recognize that there are ma
» 4 Mar 2010, 3:10 am

How To Market Your Mobile Application  App Store is a competitive environment. Against more than 140,000 apps, all screaming for attention, how do you make sure your app gets its time in the spotlight? What does it take to get good media coverage? How do you get people to talk about your app—and, ideally, how do you get them to buy it and show it to their friends?Following the simple rules laid out below, you will increase your chances in the battle for fame and glory. These tips might seem rudimentary or in-your-face obvious, but they are so often neglected in the heat of the moment.
» 3 Mar 2010, 3:59 am

Web Design Criticism: A How-To  Web design is a relatively young field. It's youthful, growing and made up of people from all kinds of backgrounds, many of whom lack formal design training. We have learned, and still are learning, as we go. I came into my first job as a Web designer for Boeing back in the mid-1990s, with no formal design training. I was lucky to get some training on the job, and I would guess that my experience there was similar to that of many who are reading this article.I had the opportunity to work with some very talented and highly experienced designers who all had made the jump from other design fields to the Web. It was there, as part of that training, that I learned about critiquing, both giving and receiving, through regular design reviews.
» 2 Mar 2010, 5:56 am

The Future Of CSS Typography  There has been an increasing and sincere interest in typography on the web over the last few years. Most websites rely on text to convey their messages, so it's not a surprise that text is treated with utmost care. In this article, we'll look at some useful techniques and clever effects that use the power of style sheets and some features of the upcoming CSS Text Level 3 specification, which should give Web designers finer control over text.Keep in mind that these new properties and techniques are either new or still in the works, and some of the most popular browsers do not yet support them. But we feel it's important that you, as an informed and curious Web designer, know what's around the corner and be able to experiment in your proj
» 1 Mar 2010, 2:20 am

Desktop Wallpaper Calendar: March 2010  Desktop wallpapers can serve as an excellent source of inspiration. However, if you use some specific wallpaper for a long period of time, it becomes harder to draw inspiration out of it. That’s why we have decided to supply you with smashing wallpapers over 12 months. And to make them a little bit more distinctive from the usual crowd, we’ve decided to embed calendars for the upcoming month. So if you need to look up some date, isn’t it better to show off a nice wallpaper with a nice calendar instead of launching some default time application?This post features 50 free desktop wallpapers, created by designers across the globe. Both versions with a calendar and without a calendar can be downloaded for free.Please notice:all images
» 28 Feb 2010, 2:43 am

Usability Review of Charity Websites Taking the Lead  Over the years designers have pushed themselves to create unique and inspiring designs. Companies have yearned to have websites which are innovative and make them stand out against their competitors. Yet charity websites have not progressed along with trends and expectations — they seem to have been designed for launch and then only updated with minor tweaks to suit the content.It has become a recent trend for charities to look at their online identities and branding; spending money on creating user experiences which suit their user base, and over time getting people involved with their campaigns and messages.Below we look at charity websites which have successfully developed their online brand using modern and creative ideas. We will
» 26 Feb 2010, 11:16 am