News.com is reporting that Google has just revealed a preview of its new “Friend Connect,” a user-friendly method of adding social features to web sites without needing extensive programming knowledge. Friend Connect is obviously an attempt to jump on the social networking Web 2.0 bandwagon, but Google is approaching it from a different point of view.
Instead of launching just another social networking web site like MySpace or Facebook, Google has created a series of social “plug-ins” that can be added to any web site without needing programming or technical knowledge. This in itself is a pretty clever innovation, and could conceivably take off big, assuming that it is user-friendly enough, and that Google markets the new Friend Connect service in the right way.
Imagine having MySpace or Facebook connectivity available on a huge variety of web sites, from Amazon.com to flyfishingweekly.com (or whatever you are into). That is exactly what Google is attempting with the Friend Connect service. This way, you don’t need a centralized social networking site and all — you can simply have your Facebook-type social interface and connections anywhere you go online.
Users of the service will be able to interact with and view the activities of all their friends on existing sites, including Facebook, Google Talk, Orkut, Plaxo and others. The Friend Connect interface will use a secure authorization process to increase security, and keep your social network safe while surfing around various sites online.
For the time being, only a few sites are including the Friend Connect interface. Google is seeking feedback from webmasters and users about the functionality of the service before the official launch takes place– scheduled for later this year.
In effect, the Friend Connect interface is a type of widget that is easily included on any web page. Google expects the interfaces to be popular among a wide variety of web sites because of their ability to bring in increased Web traffic, and enhance surfers experience on a particular site. For example, if you’re reading a series of articles on the wired.com and decide to check in with your friends on Facebook, you don’t have to open a new web page at all — you can simply use the Friend Connect interface right on the page you are reading.
The beauty of the service is that your social connections and applications will all be immediately synced up with your MySpace or Facebook page. Assuming that the Friend Connect application is stable, it could prove a great success, and will likely be adopted by millions of web sites around the world. We will have to wait for the official launch of Friend Connect later this year to see how it plays out, and if the service can live up to the hype.
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The use of VoIP is fast becoming a helpful alternative among businesses to traditional phones. Because of its impressive features, VoIP has become an inevitable tool now enjoyed by many different people in different types of industries. Among the highlights of its features is that it can host several phone calls within a singular broadband connection. It also provides other features such as call forwarding and call conferences without the additional fees asked for by traditional telephone companies. In addition, secure phone calls are also made through VoIP.
But no matter how useful and how economical VoIP may actually seem to be, you should still consider some important things before you go off availing one. There are other things that must be considered which are surely going to affect you in the long run. Among the things you have to think about is the actual cost of savings which you are bound to get when switching to VoIP. You should be able to compare the rates you have to shoulder when using VoIP alongside the toll-free rates you will otherwise shoulder if you have to use the traditional method. What you should keep in mind is that you should not simply buy the VoIP system just so you can have a chance to experience this new technology.
As you finally consider getting your first VoIP equipment, keep in mind that the best way to go about it is to buy a brand new system. Although slightly used ones can be a bit tempting to actually indulge in, you should still consider getting something brand new so that you can work through functional issues much easier. Plus, if you get a brand new system you can save up on installation costs as you avail them together with your purchase. Also, brand new systems are surely updated with the latest VoIP technology in comparison with cheaper yet older VoIP versions.
When switching to VoIP, the initial budget is not the only cost which you need to shell out for the entire process to push through. You should also consider budgeting ahead for the future. At the start, you may initially save up as you consider only the basics in VoIP technology so in essence you can do away with the other more complex and complicated system. However, there will come a time when you will need to upgrade your system and this will spell costs for you. Prepare for this because when that time comes, you will definitely need to consider a bigger budget because you will be dealing with complex systems already.
Finally, investigate or initiate a background check with your VoIP vendor. Make sure that they are legitimate dealers of particular brands so that you won’t be ripped-off of your money’s worth plus the quality you expect. You should also check out if the systems being offered to you are all licensed. Make sure they are so you won’t get into any future trouble. You can check out your vendor’s credentials through your state’s board of electricity.
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The term Web 2.0 has gained much online controversy and notoriety. Since its declaration by Tim O’Reilly and subsequent inception in 2004, more and more people are becoming conscious of establishing their online presence under the flagship of Web 2.0 machinations and applications.
But what exactly is Web 2.0? Its fiercest critics say that Web 2.0 is a mere vague term for the evolution of the web in the twentieth century. They say that it is meaningless and useless to name all new changes to the web as Web 2.0. Still, a lot of people dig the concept of Web 2.0 and are tailoring their online operations to suit the Web 2.0 standards.
Superior Interaction
The websites that are under Web 2.0 standards are known for superior interaction between its web developers and the people who visit it. It is no longer a static avenue that users visit for unquestionable pieces of information. This is now an avenue where you can derive information and at the same time, have the ability to interact with the website maker. The applications of Web 2.0 removes the boundaries that keep Internet users from bridging the gap and really forming an authentic relationship with the maker of the website. From being a mere portal for research, the Web 2.0 applications have made it possible to merge different views together and keep the interaction alive and kicking in the page.
Social Networking
People who visit the Web 2.0 applications and websites tend to team up and make more meaningful ventures together in the future. While static traditional Web usage will not really allow for such tie-ups, the environment of Web 2.0 actually allows people with similar pursuits and interests to connect with each other and share more information that could be helpful to both of them.
Superb Customizable Quality
Another amazing thing about the Web 2.0 is that you will find it so easily customizable. It is not something generic. It unleashes each user’s individuality and uses those distinct characteristics to enhance what they have to offer. Being an owner of a Web 2.0 standard page is a real delight, since you will find more and more people really benefiting from your site and harnessing the power of the Internet to express themselves. It is a win-win situation for both the maker and the user.
Sharing
Sharing is very much encouraged in a Web 2.0 platform. You will find that more and more people will be drawn and inclined to share what they benefit so much from. There will be little need to advertise because the links shall naturally work for themselves as long as users are being satisfied and maintained in making use of the services in the famous Web 2.0 applications. Websites such as Wikipedia, thrive under this redefined way of using the Internet.
Simplicity
Most of the Web 2.0 sites are well-known for their simplicity. You will find that their functionality overrides the need to be fancy or impressive. The interface is friendly to cater to needs of users of all levels, ages and stages. You do not need to be a computer geek to be able to make use and take advantage of the Web 2.0 platforms because it is made as easy as possible for the users and as sophisticatedly simple and elegant for programmers.
Strength in Numbers
Web 2.0 designs thrive in numbers. You will find that the more famous a Web 2.0 site is, the more established and useful it becomes. It makes all people in the cycle of information dissemination grow. End users find themselves at an advantage with the variety of choices the Web 2.0 applications have provided them with. The makers of Web 2.0 experience a lot of support from their counterparts and their end users, and are perpetually motivated to be at their best.
These benefits make Web 2.0 so attractive for so many people. However, you will find that the term Web 2.0 can be quite vague. When will it stop? Will there be a Web 3.0 to continue the legacy of this summit? There are just so many questions being invited by this controversial issue. It is mainly due to the fact that the boundary lines for Web 2.0 and the traditional first version of the Web is just so blurred and not so clearly demarcated.
It’s funny how quickly we get used to new developments. Google Maps has become the de facto standard for finding a location or planning a trip, and their relatively new Street View feature can often be just as valuable. For example, while recently looking up the address of a new dentist’s office, I switched over to Street View to see exactly how the façade of the building looked from the street, and check if the street number was visible from the front of the office.
These kinds of programming details make Google Maps an insanely easy locator and trip planner, and Google is currently working to incorporate Street Views of all major metropolitan areas in the United States. But until now, there were no signs that “the Big G” was developing a European version of Google Maps Street View.
Rumors began circulating a few weeks ago of Google-marked vehicles traveling the streets of Milan Italy. The purpose of these cars, ostensibly, is to acquire Street Level images for incorporation into the powerful Google maps program.
Finding out that Google was already plotting out Street View functionality of Europe was not all that surprising really; but what is interesting is this: the Google vehicles being used in Milan also appeared to be using a type of panoramic laser scanner on board, which could (so the theory goes) produce a high quality 3-D model of the terrain surveyed.
When asked directly about the 3-D laser surveying of European cities, Google refused to comment, except to say that the described 3-D scanning technology would be “consistent” with Google’s general plans for both Google Maps and Google Earth. Google spokesman Larry Yu refused to elaborate further on the use of the technology or exactly how Google might implement 3-D imagery into Google maps or Google Earth.
One thing is for certain though; Google is certainly collecting an enormous amount of digital information in Europe. For example, News.com is reporting that Google recently hired more than 300 drivers to map out Switzerland for its Google Maps Street View service.
Collecting so many high-definition digital photographs, along with the equivalent 3-D imaging data ensures that Google will wind up with an enormous amount of information to store and process. But being Google, they should have no problem dealing with the challenge.
Still, it will be interesting to see how Google chooses to use the 3-D imagery gathered. Perhaps they will create a “virtual Paris” or a 3D world based on “the virtual Alps.” For now, Google’s not saying, but you can be certain they have something up their sleeves here. Collecting so much 3D data is a huge undertaking; it stands to reason that Google would only take on such a project if they were sure they could produce a profitable product or service from it.
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EverNote (www.evernote.com) is one of those ingenious software ideas that comes along ever so often and offers a totally new perspective on day-to-day life. In its simplest terms, EverNote is an online software database for collecting and storing any information that comes into your life — at least any information that can be digitized.
You can use EverNote like a massive digital scrapbook, collecting clippings, text files, e-mails, images and Web content– basically anything that can be rendered into digital format. But that’s just the beginning: EverNote allows you to tag each item entered into the database, and categorize it according to any number of self created folders.
EverNote also applies an automatic timestamp to each item entered, and Geo tags where applicable. Over time, users can create a huge library of information, with an unlimited number of categories that can each be cross-referenced. Every item entered into your EverNote database becomes easily searchable by content, tags, timestamp and category, making it easy to track down even the most obscure bits of information you have saved.
The user interface of EverNote is also quite clever, and allows the user to scroll vertically through their virtual notebook, or select any date on the calendar bar to jump to that point in time and view all information entered on that date. There are also several different ways to search and sort information within the program, and “to do” lists can be easily created by selecting an unobtrusive box next to each item.
But probably the most amazing feature about EverNote is its built-in digital image and handwriting recognition program. In its simplest terms, this allows any text within a digital photo (whether from the Web or your personal camera) to become part of your searchable database. For example, if you have a vacation photo of a sign saying “Welcome to the Canada,” those words would be recognized by the program and would be instantly searchable in your database — pretty cool, huh?
It’s not difficult to see how this technology could have very practical applications. For example, you could take a picture with your camera phone of a great little restaurant you find hidden among the back streets of Boston’s theatre district. Then just upload the photo to your EverNote database, and both the name of the restaurant and its geographic location become instantly searchable within your EverNote database.
Of course, there are millions of other uses for this technology, including categorization and organization of complex data for businesses purposes (keeping track of customers or orders, for example). And because EverNote is an online program, it is compatible with both Windows and Mac, and can be accessed from anywhere you may find yourself in the world. As long as there is an Internet connection, your “digital life” will be right there waiting for you.
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Trying to keep track of lots of different logins and passwords is a real hassle. As a web developer, I have been well aware of the modern annoyance known as “password fatigue” for a long time. But it was only recently that I discovered what a widespread problem this actually is.
A few weeks ago I spoke to a relative of mine who is an Air Force chief flight engineer. While talking, we began to discuss what our usual workdays consisted of. Surprisingly, he informed me that, as a chief flight engineer, he normally spent five to six hours every day retrieving information or inputting data on a computer.
It was even more surprising to both of us when we realized that, even though we have very different occupations, we both spend five or six hours per day staring at a computer screen, and we both experience password fatigue because of the many different logins and passwords we must keep track of in order to conduct our daily business.
This anecdote just goes to prove that more and more, nearly everyone is dealing with the same types of technology related annoyances — not just web developers such as myself or other computer “geeks.”
But Yahoo.com believes they have found a way to improve the lives of people who spend a great deal of their time online: a standardized web-wide identity.
Wired news is reporting that Yahoo will be introducing a new ID service that takes advantage of the so-called OpenID protocol, which can provide a single login for hundreds — or perhaps thousands — of different web sites. And while it may be premature to suggest that the Yahoo web-wide ID will ensure that we never have to create another login name or password, it is certainly a huge step in the right direction.
Although the OpenID concept has been around for some time, to date only a few of the big players in the industry have supported it. But Yahoo is now negotiating with the likes of AOL and other huge industry players to accept a single ID for all web sites.
Hopefully, the days of trying to remember a dozen or more separate logins and passwords will soon be a thing of the past. The Yahoo open protocol began to be implemented on January the 30th, though experts predict it may still be several years before the majority of sites online accept the web-wide ID concept.
Let’s hope that the new OpenID protocol spreads like wildfire, and puts an end to password fatigue once and for all.
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Digg.com has slowly transformed itself from a simple social bookmarking site into a voice of millions gathered together online. Information sharing and publishing has never been better with Digg.com. Even though you don’t have an account in this site, you can still learn a thing or two everyday just by browsing Digg stories.
But Digg.com doesn’t stop there; they released their own tools and released an API so that developers can create their own add-on for Digg. Although Digg.com’s tools are not quite as popular compared to blogging and SEO tools, any Digg.com user will find that most of the things they need could be provided by these tools.
We scouted the net and found five worth noting tools for Digg.com that could be useful even for less frequent users.
Digg Toolbar – a great option if you’re a frequent digg.com user. It works like Google.com in a sense that you can log-in to your toolbar and access your personal information in Digg.com. The Digg toolbar could also be used to search popular search engines. It also has a pop-up blocker that works like a common pop-up blocker. You can also find other information such as news from Digg.
Smart Digg Button – very easy to install and is very small in size (5kb). You will not see any changes in your webpage after this tool is installed. However, right click on any webpage and you’ll see more than copy and paste tools. Your right click will be transformed into a great Digg tool. You’ll be able to see how many people have Dugg (see? “Digg” is already a verb) the link, and if they are not Dugg yet. You’ll also have the ability to post it in your own Digg.com account.
Digg This! – works like Smart Digg, but very simple. If you like what you saw online, just right click on the link and you’ll be able to post it in Digg. However it has its fair share of problems and the last update was still in 2006. But compared to Smart Digg Button, it works really simple, and Smart Digg Button could eat a lot of your RAM power.
Digg Navigation Firefox Extension – you can find and download this tool from Wisegeek.com. Personally, I’m not a fan of right click extension since it will clog up my view of the webpage. But this “Me too” right click tool could convert your views in right click add-ons. Aside from right click, it can also be accessed in the Firefox options menu. If you’re in Digg.com, you can even access more information about users and posts such as related stories.
DiggNotify – it has been in beta version for the longest time but it doesn’t matter. This tool will notify you once someone actually Diggs the same story. Although it only works for the last 15 posts you did in Digg, it still useful as it monitors your posts constantly.
A toolbar, a right click tool and a notifier will be more than what you need to get you going in Digg.
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The Web 2.0 Summit is the gathering of the best developers in the internet that deals with Web 2.0 sites. The summit gathers experts in the technology that are related to these services. If you’re not familiar with Web 2.0, it’s a term described to websites that depend on user generated content.
One of those websites is Flickr.com. It’s probably the biggest photo-sharing website with users and hits that reach millions daily. Users will be able to upload their pictures for free and share them to friends. If you have a website, you’ll be able to use Flickr.com as your webhost for photos. You can also tag your pictures and compare them to other pictures with the same tag.
In the Web 2.0 Summit, Flickr.com has announced two key updates that should be implemented in a few weeks time:
The first update is the total revamp of the maps page. Right now, users will be able to use the maps page and see pictures taken in that place. You can see little pink dots and click on those dots to see the photos uploaded by different users. The new update will revamp this experience. Once the changes are implemented, the map’s page is guaranteed to load faster. That’s something everyone can thank for since as of this writing, pages have to load again and again before you can get the results you want.
The next update of Flickr is the new tool related to maps. The world of geotagging (tagging photos with places so they can be uploaded in the map), has become so complicated you can’t really see picture uploaded by other users. There will be a new classification in geotagging in Flickr: instead of places, they photos will also be categorized according to events. For example, users don’t just tag photos for New Orleans but also the events such as the Mardi Gras. That’s why Flickr.com will categorize the New Orleans photos and create another sub-category for events. Just give Flickr.com a few weeks and the new geotagging service will be available.
While you’re waiting for the new update of Flickr.com, give yourself a few things about geotagging. As a traveler, the last thing you wouldn’t forget to bring is your digital camera. All these traveling are for nothing if you don’t have a camera as a reminder and documentation that you were actually there. For bragging rights, you could show these to your friends and everyone else in the internet world. In flickr.com when you “geotag” your picture, it’s not going to show up from where you are but the picture will show up from where you’ve taken the shot. If you’re from Florida and have taken pictures of the Empire State Building, if searchers will go to Flickr’s map, they will see your photos posted in the map of New York and not in Florida.
For now, the Maps are not really that user friendly. If your internet connection is not that fast, expect the page to load real slowly. However, great things are coming so just hold on tight as Flickr.com will present a better and faster service…all for free.
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There’s always something interesting that we can find online. It could either be about a new technology, update on popular software, or another website looking to start a little bit of online debate. Most of these sites have articles that give their readers a chance to make a comment or two and oftentimes we as a reader give our two cents worth of idea, hoping the author would read it.
Nowadays most of the online articles that we find on the Internet are soliciting comments. In previous years the only sites that we can comment on are personal blogs of other users. Now it’s even difficult to find a big website which does not encourage its registered users to comment on their featured articles. Maybe the writers wanted to see how they fare with the reaction of the customers. Forget about stars ratings, comments are more personal, and could give high praises as well as regular insult you hear everyday.
You can actually get your comment to the next level. Instead of lazily commenting on a site, you can track down how your comment will fare. As a webmaster, you can also track how many comments have been added on your site today. Here are some sites that offer tools to help you with your comments and track them if they solicit some reactions from other users.
1. Cocomment.com – The website has just released their version 2.0 based on the recommendations from their devoted users. Cocomment.com has become a powerful comment tool; it can almost be defined as a social networking website. With the new functionality, aside from tracking your comments in a certain site, you will also be able to see the latest comments of your friends, community and groups in a certain website. There’s also a side bar where you can track your comments without visiting the website. Anytime you want to comment on something and share the site to others, you can easily do that by activating the sidebar and adding the link so that it can be viewed by your friends.
2. Co.mments.com – The website is really easy to use. Once you sign up for their service, you can enter a certain blog and see how many comments were generated in each of the article written. You can add up to 30 websites to track at the same time. Although it doesn’t have any widgets to add to your browser, you can easily add a site to your online interface.
3. Commentful – Commentful is one of the products of blogflux.com. Commentful is a web-based software that can easily track any blog that you created or any site you find interesting. Even though it’s just a part of series of services, the interface is really impressive. Although all it can do is to check the number of comments on the latest article (that’s what happened in my blog), it’s still pretty useful. Commentful could even e-mail you the results generated by the software tool.
Sign up in one of these sites and enjoy unlimited tracking of your comments. Whether if it’s for business or personal use; these sites will definitely give you more than just a comment in your website.
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In each website, personalization is a key feature so that visitors will remember your site easily. Aside from creative pictures and colors, a button or a badge could be used to personalize your website. These buttons or badges can be used as a link to another site. These badges can also be added to other websites. It’s like your ID so that others will easily recognize you faster. It’s also a good link exchange tool if you want your page ranking increased.
In this post, I’ll give you sites where you can personally design your own badge. Although it has limitations but these limitations are used to standardize all buttons in one way or the other. Best of all their basic service for creating a badge in these sites is free.
Kalsey.com – Adam Alsey has created a very simple tool that lets you create a simple button. You will have two boxes to fill in your name. You can change the color of the boxes using the HTML code for colors. If you’re not familiar with the codes, you can just click on the little button on the left and select your preferred color. As soon as you hit “submit,” your badge will be displayed on top of the customization page. Just right click the image and save the picture manually.
Blogflux Buttonmaker - This button maker tool works like Kalsey.com. The interface is clearer and the charts are bigger. There’s also an additional option in getting a bigger badge. Instead of the regular 80×15 button you can get something bigger with the size of 88×31. It also has an option of saving the image manually or you can just click on “save image.”
Buttonator.com – The basic version of the Buttonator is free. For $10 a month, you can gain access with the latest button or badge design plus they will host the button for you. You can customize the block of your badge according to their present colors. You can even add a very small image to your button for example; if you want the button to signify that it’s a shortcut for a shopping cart, you can add a cart image in your badge. You can also change the font type, size and make as bold, italized or underlined letter.
Buttonboost.com – The website is quite crowded and complicated to understand from the start but the website completely free so you have all the time to use it. You can use the quick start functionality and get the button immediately. It might take you more than an hour to fully understand how it works but once you’re there, you’ll have unlimited options of badges for your site.
Buttonbrowser.com – It works just like the first two sites but it gives you the ability to upload the image in ImageShack.com and host the image for free. You can also select from six present font sizes. Just make sure the size that you specified fits in the box you created.
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