These tips will dispel some common misconceptions and help you negotiate with your SEO.

Know Your Boundaries and Stick to Them

It’s important to know where you stand before ever getting to the negotiating table: identifying the things that you will not compromise on. Some individuals may urge you to hear the other side’s proposition before even outlining this list to account for and adjust to your SEO’s position… But that can lead to muddled results and an unhappy partnership.

So, before going to the table, think to yourself: What do I want out of the deal? What is the least amount of work I will accept, and what is the most that I will pay? Would I be willing to take a trade instead of money? At what point would I drop the contract and seek another SEO?

This reduces the stress of making potentially difficult choices on the spot: you know your target zones both for the good side and the bad, and know your zone of acceptable business. And, if in negotiating you reach a zone you’re not prepared for or haven’t set boundaries for, it is absolutely okay to request time to think on them. You are never obligated to make a decision on the spot, and any SEO who asks you to might not be the one for you.

Do Your Research. Really.

Everyone hears this advice at some point, but you might be shocked to learn how many people simply don’t put in the time to do research. Have you gotten comparable estimates from different SEO firms? How many? Have you compared the per-hour prices or wages, project prices, and retainer prices? Did you just look on the websites, request a simple free SEO quote, or did you speak at length with a representative? Have you looked only in your geographical area? Only sought out those who were recommended to you?

You need proof that your offer is realistic, proof that they’re a reputable company with a long list of happy clients, and clear measures of their efficacy. Did you pick a firm with very few testimonials and a small web presence?

Does the bigger firm charge double the smaller one because they have a lot more overhead, or because they’re delivering a better and more thorough product with better support? Do you know if you’d be getting any discounts for paying for a month or year upfront? If, like many, you haven’t even begun to dig deep in your research.

The bottom line is: if you do your research and have a lot of comparable data, data which you can show your SEO, you have given your arguments ammunition. It’s not just about knowing, but about having proof to assist in your negotiations and other offers to show while at the negotiating table.

Understand the Barriers on the Other Side of the Table

Before you get to the negotiating table, try to anticipate why your SEO might not want to consider your offer. Are they afraid of committing so much time when you want to pay in increments? Why might they be afraid to commit to you?

Try to think of great ways where you can reach out and address those fears. Demonstrate ways that they can trust you, and that you can be a good client. Offer to be flexible on certain deadlines, if you can afford that, or to give them a certain amount of flexibility that doesn’t influence your boundaries.

Remember to Be Fair

After doing a lot of research, have you found that the average prices for the project you’re wanting are significantly higher than what you want to pay? Gone are the days when good SEO was a bunch of backlinking accomplished anywhere on the ‘net: it’s expensive and time consuming, and the results won’t be quick if they’re done right. Always be aware that ‘what you think might be wrong’ could be happening on your end of the negotiating table.

The survey also showed the popularity of the Google Chrome app around the world. Google Chrome app is the second most used app in the US. This depicts the massive shift from desktop to mobile.

The survey claims that mobile app revenues surged by 70% in just one year over the period between 2013 and 2014. More than 64% of the Americans now have smartphones.

A month ago, Microsoft announced that it is shutting down its Internet Explorer browser because it has failed to grab the market and it could not compete with Google Chrome and Firefox. IE was becoming a trademark for sloppy performance, slow browsing.

Microsoft said that it is launching a new project Spartan as its new browser. But as the it is clear from the name ‘project’ , it was clearly not the brand name of a service rather a generic project. Today, during the much awaited Microsoft build developers conference 2015, the company announced that the official new browser of Microsoft will be called ‘Edge’. It was a surprise for everyone, including the major tech players.

This is a developing story and we will keep updating it as the details emerge.

]]> https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/04/29/forget-spartan-edge-is-the-new-microsoft-browser/feed/ 0 https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/04/02/microsofts-claims-about-project-spartan-browser-proven-false/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=microsofts-claims-about-project-spartan-browser-proven-false https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/04/02/microsofts-claims-about-project-spartan-browser-proven-false/#respond Thu, 02 Apr 2015 16:28:44 +0000 http://preview.socialmediaseo.net/?p=32069 Microsoft has launched the beta version of its new browser codenamed “Project Spartan” with high claims that it will remove all the problems and sloppy behaviors which were the trademark of Internet Explorer. Spartan is only available for the latest build of Windows 10 technical preview. Unfortunately, Spartan has failed to impress. Although this may seem as an early speculation, but the beta version is enough to depict the path which the software will take. An article on Laptop Mag said that Project Spartan browser was tested along with Internet Explorer, Google Chrome and Mozilla FireFox. Spartan failed pretty badly. It has a content view problem. It does not auto-adjust with your screen and if you zoom or cover up space on your screen with extra toolbars, you will have a difficulty in seeing the content.

However, the project Spartan passed the famous SunSpider JavaScript Benchmark by getting the second position. As expected, Google Chrome got the first position. SunSpider test is the best benchmark test to check the speed of any web application because it checks for the JavaScript commands and most of the modern web apps and software run javascript.

Spartan failed the test for HTML5, the key factor in testing the performance of any browser. IE is far better than Spartan in HTML5, but surprisingly, FireFox wins in graphics rendering and content spacing test.

Microsoft will have to work a lot on its new browser, otherwise this would be another embarrassment for the Redmond giant.

Internet Explorer is practically obsolete and irrelevant in the modern fast internet world. Google Chrome FireFox, Safari and other PC and mobile browsers have crossed Internet Explorer for years. Microsoft was persistent in its effort to improve Internet Explorer. Years after years of hard work, daily updates and feedback from users couldn’t improve Internet Explorer. The company has made a good decision by finally saying goodbye to Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer will remain in the Windows platform for some Enterprise apps, but the primary browser for Windows 10 users will be Spartan. Chris Capossela, marketing chief of Microsoft said that the company feels that by giving a new name and feel to the browser can do wonders in the user base. But apart from aesthetics, Microsoft could garner a massive popularity with its new browser.

The internet world is yet to see a good, clean, memory efficient and fast browser. Google Chrome is a memory hog and a number of users have reported that Chrome consumes a lot of RAM. Mozilla FireFox, on the other hand is not stable, crashes and creates issues for the users.

Spartan can be a game-changer for Microsoft and open new streams of revenue.

]]> https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/03/17/microsoft-finally-shutting-down-internet-explorer-bringing-a-new-browser-in-windows-10/feed/ 0 https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/02/23/google-has-shut-down-google-talk-for-windows-find-alternatives/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=google-has-shut-down-google-talk-for-windows-find-alternatives https://socialmediaseo.net/2015/02/23/google-has-shut-down-google-talk-for-windows-find-alternatives/#respond Mon, 23 Feb 2015 06:47:04 +0000 http://preview.socialmediaseo.net/?p=31960  

Google Talk, also called as GTalk, has been ignored by Google for a long time and now finally it has been shutdown recently on February 16. Google is now urging the users of GTalk to try Hangouts for Chrome app. The users can still use Google Talk service using Chrome browser though.

Google has been boasting about its Hangouts app for a long time as a better alternative for Google Talk. However, users of Google Talk kept using the app for file sharing and some other purposes until it was shut down by Google. This also means that the Google Talk support for third party apps has also ended now since Hangouts doesn’t support the required protocols of third party apps like Adium and Pidgin.

The users of Hangouts would disagree with the claims of Google since it is not that easy to use. It presents difficulties for messaging and contains a really confusing interface. The status of the availability of the contacts is also missing. The Chrome extension is not fast enough and crashes often.

Considering the disadvantages of Hangouts, you need to find better third party alternatives. Apps like Psi and Digsby were quite famous once, but don’t hold water now. Trillian is a great app in this regard for messaging your buddies. It supports many chat networks like Facebook, Yahoo, Twitter, and many more. Lighter option of Pidgin is also available. It might seem old, but serves the purpose very well.

You must find the app that best serves your requirements after the exit of Google Talk. The above mentioned apps are some examples.

If you are a US-based Google Chromecast user, we have good news for you. Several sources have reported that Google is offering a $6 Play Store credit to all the Chromecast users residing in U.S on Valentine’s Day.

Chromecast is simply a replacement for your HDMI cable. The added benefit is you can purchase movies from Google and watch them on your HD TV. Chromecast dongle streams media from your mobile to your HD TV screen and is one of the widely used streaming device in The United States. It costs just $35 and according to CNET, it has much free content available, so much that it is practically free.

What does Google want from this give away is obvious. This give away puts Google ahead of its rivals like Roku or Amazon’s TV play. Some sources also report the availability of this offer to Chromecast users in U.K. Google aims at increasing purchase of videos from its play store than other sources.

To receive the free credit, a user needs to meet a few requirements. Main requirements are having a Chromecast account and being a citizen of U.S. To claim this offer, you will just have to click on this link. There you are requested to confirm owning a Chromecast device and continue to check for available offers. Then you will join the network of your Chromecast gadget. If you are visiting this link from office, it won’t work. You have to be on the same network as you Chromecast streaming device is. There you will be asked to enter you Chromecast ID and verify it. After verifying your ID you will get a “redeem” button. Clicking it will add a $6 credit into your Play Store account.

This $6 credit is not compulsory to be used on movies. Once you have claimed the offer, the money is yours. You can spend it on anything in Play Store.

One of the newest things that Netflix has discovered is Netflix Hue where they try to match the light with what is happening on your TV or computer screen. There is a disconnect that happens when the lights an the screen are not in sync, and Netflix tries to fix this. Having the screen the same can reduce lag. This is one of the main features that Netflix has experimented with, and can reduce all these lagtime errors with syncing lights and screens together.

Netflix has also been experimenting with Occulus rift. This is not a new thing, but it can put videos in an impressive orb around the screen. This is one of the best things you will find with Oculus rift. This feature gives users a movie theater like experience when they are watching their pictures all around them. Another thing that Netflix hack day has come up with and new features that may shortly be part of Netflix is Netflix Mini. Use Netflix Mini to view a movie in a small window. You can get Netflix Mini simply by using and extension of chrome. You will have a very small floating window in which to do so. You can watch a movie in a small window and not have to worry about flipping back and forth. These are some of the great features of this product. All in all Netflix Hack Day should yield great results for consumers.

Check out the article and examples on the Netflix blog.

Developer Tal Ater observed a strange phenomenon related to the microphone permission policies of Chrome that enables the malicious sites to listen to the user’s offline activities. Such malicious websites can generate pop-ups hidden in the background that will keep listening to the user. Tal Ater revealed that a pop-up window still remains open even if he closes all the tabs of Chrome.

 The root-cause of the problem lies in the settings related to microphone in Google Chrome. Once the user enables the microphone for certain HTTPS-enabled website, the rule is applied to all the linked pages of the website. If a pop-up is integrated with the website, then it will also use a microphone to listen to the user. This activity doesn’t disturb the tasks of the computer, but it spies on the user. You will not have any idea about this hidden activity since everything is going on in the background. You will have to disable microphone as the only way of defense.

Google engineers have analyzed the problems in detail when the problem was first identified in September last year. They emphasized the fact that there is no immediate threat to the users of Chrome since they have to enable the microphone for speech recognition websites.

Beyond the influence of Chrome, the use of browsers like Hangouts causes significant destruction that doesn’t require reauthorization of microphone. In these cases, your microphone might be enabled forever until you disable it after noticing. Plethora of Apps has approached the market that requires threatening permissions for the users.

The bug of turning microphone on for malicious sites has become destructive with the innovation of apps that don’t ask for enabling the microphone in every new session. Keeping a close eye on the use of your microphone may be a good idea to avoid any hacker to listen to your offline activities.

The bug reported by Tal Ater was considered for the award of Chromium. The problem was eventually resolved by the engineers of Chrome. However, the fix of the problem couldn’t make to the user’s computer yet.

]]> https://socialmediaseo.net/2014/01/28/pop-up-behind-chrome-listens-to-users-offline-conversations/feed/ 2 https://socialmediaseo.net/2011/07/28/faster-internet-speeds/#utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=faster-internet-speeds https://socialmediaseo.net/2011/07/28/faster-internet-speeds/#respond Thu, 28 Jul 2011 19:38:37 +0000 http://preview.socialmediaseo.net/?p=25584

Before attempting to increase the speed of an internet connection, it helps to download a speed tester that can give an indication of how fast the connection is in general. With this reading, testing can be done for increases and decreases in speed. A speed tester can also indicate if a connection speed is already at its maximum for the highspeed internet connection type and provider.

Tip 1:  Take Care Of Your Router

First of all, the wireless router and the condition of a wireless network can have a big impact on a person’s internet connection speed. Certain routers have better performance and range than others, so it is important to do some research when choosing which router to buy.

The range of the wireless router, as well as any obstacles such as walls or doors can have an effect on a router’s connection, so it should not be too far away, or have too many solid objects to pass through. It is important to make sure that a router is clearly transmitting its signal, so it should not be near devices that emit signals such as wireless phones.

The security of a wireless network can have a big impact upon internet connection speed as well. If unauthorized users are tapping into a network, it will slow it down, so simply having a network securely protected from outside sources is essential to faster connection speeds.

Tip 2:  Keep Your Computer Cache Cleared

The second tip is to keep clearing the computer’s cache. Keeping the computer clean is a good way to increase internet speed. Every time a website is visited, the computer’s RAM and hard drive will save certain images that allow it to load the pages quicker the next time the site is visited.

This cache system is meant to help increase internet loading time. However, as more and more websites are visited, the cache can begin to slow down the computer. Therefore, either clearing a cache altogether, or eliminating files related to sites that are no longer visited can help web users obtain faster internet speeds.

Tip 3:  Get Rid of Resource Sucking Applications

Certain applications can be a factor in slow internet speeds as well. The third tip is to keep an eye on these programs. Often, software will automatically update in the background, without a user being immediately informed. By keeping an eye on what certain programs are doing, users can keep track of automatic updates, and by either choosing to wait for the program to update, or commanding the program to hold off on updating until later, faster connection speeds can be achieved.

Furthermore, many applications will run quietly in the background without the user knowing. Peer to peer software, for example, will often continue uploading and downloading files even when the program has been exited. Many applications have hidden processes that can slow down the performance of a computer. Being sure that these programs are completely disabled while using the internet can be another excellent way to increase speed.

Tip 4:  Chose The Right Browser (Like Chrome)

Another tip concerns which web browser is being used. The web browser is a major factor in how quickly a person’s internet connection speed is. Different web browsing programs have differing strengths and weaknesses. Some are geared towards quick browsing, while others specialize in the integration of programs such as social networking or media software.

No matter what web browser is chosen, though, it won’t matter if it isn’t kept up to date, as newer browsers will load pages quicker than older ones. In order to maximize the efficiency of a web browser it is important to check for updates often. Updated software will not increase the speed of the internet connection itself, but does increase the speed at which pages can be viewed.

I personally recommend you use Google Chrome.  It is by far the fastest, most efficient web browser available.  Some people will say that Firefox is the best.  However, I’m afraid that most of that camp probably hasn’t tried Google Chrome.  I can open and close Chrome 5 times before Firefox loads once on my computer.

I’m just saying…

Tip 5:  Chose The Right Internet Provider

The last tip for obtaining higher internet speeds is to simply go with a new internet provider. A person with dial up internet can only achieve a certain amount of speed. Upgrading to a better type of internet service can help, but the provider can be just as much of a factor.

The further away a connection is from the source of its provider, the slower the connection will be. Looking around for not only the best deals, but also for the best location is of major importance in increasing the speed of an internet connection. Before abandoning a provider all together, though, it can sometimes help to get in touch with customer support to see if there is any possible way to increase the connection speed without having to drop them.

Often times, small interferences can go unnoticed, and as a provider is in a competitive business, they should be more than happy to lend some sort of help to those in need.

Have more tips that we missed?

So what about you?  Are there other tips that you’ve found that improve the internet speed and and efficiency of your computer?

Share your tips in the comments below.

While the first day of the Google I/O 2011 Developer Conference was all about Android, during the second day it was all about Chrome.

The keynote was kicked off with were Chrome, Googles web browser was at in the amount of users which is at 160 million. The company also announced a new version of Chrome with improved speeds. The companies also announced that the Chrome Web Store is now going to be available in 41 languages. The store will also allow for in application payments this will allow users to try out an application and then purchase the application if the user wants to. Rovio the company responsible for the highly addictive game “Angry Birds” announce that it would be available in the Chrome Web Store.

Kan Liu Product Manager for Chrome OS announced some new features for Chrome OS (operating system). For those of you that don’t know what Chrome OS is, it is an operating system that is web browser. And all of your applications are on Google’s servers and not on your local hard drive. While during the keynote a couple of updates were made to Chrome OS was a media player, which will allow users to view and play videos and music. Another update for the Chrome OS was a file manager, which will allow users to organize their file and share them online.  Kan Liu also announced that Hulu, Amazon and Netflix were announced to be available for Chrome OS.

But the showstopper of the keynote was the announcement of Googles “Chromebooks”. Google has partnered with Acer and Samsung to bring two Chromebook models to consumers.

The Samsung Chromebook will have a 12.1-inch screen, an Intel Atom Dual-Core processor, Wi-Fi, HD webcam, noise canceling microphone, 2USB ports, a 4-1-memory card slot and a Mini-VGA port.  The Acer Chromebook comes with an 11.6-inch HD LCD screen, an Intel Atom Dual-Core processor, HD webcam, and a noise canceling microphone, 2 USB ports, a 4-in1 memory card slot and an HDMI port.

The Samsung Chromebook is going to cost $429 for the Wi-Fi only version and $499 for the 3G versions.  The Acer Chromebook will cost $349 for the Wi-Fi only model. If you’re wanting to get a 3G version you will have to pay a monthly data fee from Verizon.

Also during the conference Google announced a subscription model for the Chromebooks for businesses the cost for each machine would be $28 a month and $20 a month for schools. Now those fees would cover hardware, administrative support, warranty and hardware upgrade. Samsung Chromebook will be sold through Best Buys website and Amazon.com, while Acers Chromebook will be sold through Amazon.com. Both are going to be available on June 15^th.   For more information on the Chromebooks go to Googles website. To read about the Android keynote go here.

In that book, Gates described a paperless society in which computer systems would be managing all of the menial tasks that people “used” to do by hand.

I’m starting think that, as ironic as it may be, Google is leading the way in bringing Bill Gates’ vision into reality.

Google just released their Chrome beta 10 browser and it is lickity split fast!

With a new speed boost that we previewed in December, Chrome’s JavaScript engine V8 runs compute-intensive JavaScript applications even more quickly than before. In fact, this beta release sports a whopping 66% improvement on the V8 benchmark suite over our current stable release.

Another interesting feature that the new Chrome browser brings to the table is synced passwords.

This means, you can sync your passwords for sites that require logins across multiple computers simply by logging into the Chrome browser.

Here’s a graph that Google provided with their announcement of Chrome beta 10:

For the first time ever, Mozilla’s Firefox has overtaken Microsoft’s Internet Explorer as the #1 web browser in Europe.

According to StatCounter, a web analytics firm, Firefox dominated with a 38.11% web browser market share while Internet Explorer came in second place with a 37.52% market share.

“This is the first time that IE has been dethroned from the No. 1 spot in a major territory,” said Aodhan Cullen, StatCounter CEO. “This appears to be happening because Google’s Chrome is stealing share from Internet Explorer while Firefox is mainly maintaining its existing share.”

So really, the cause of the fall of Internet Explorer is Chrome, Google’s web browser. Which tells me that in due time, Chrome may even overtake Firefox to become the #1 web browser.

In the United States, Internet Explorer still holds the #1 web browser position.

Thoughts?

via TheStreet

Last month, Google allowed people to request a free netbook (called the Cr-48) running their Chrome OS. Google wants to get feedback from users on the new Chrome OS, and figured that getting free ones out to users would be the best thing.

On a side note – I requested several of these and haven’t received any yet (sucks to be me…).

Anyway, now that the Cr-48 has been in people’s hands for about a month now, people have already figured out how to load other operating systems onto it.

For example, you can read here how people have successfully installed Windows OS onto the Cr-48.

And below, you’ll see a video of someone who successfully installed Mac OS 10 Snow Leopard:

via Geek.com

Finally, a true cloud computer is on its way in the Chrome OS netbook.

Google has an ambitious goal indeed – offer a web based OS alternative to Windows OS and Mac OS.

The Chrome OS is said to boot up in 6 seconds flat from an off status. And you can simply close the netbook and the computer shuts down. Open the netbook and pow – the OS is back online and ready to go.

Google believes that the cloud is the future of personal computer usage.

Instead of having local drivers and local storage on a computer, Chrome’s OS wants to push everything to the cloud (to the web).

Instead of buying software that has to install on your hard drive and resides locally in your files, Chrome OS will provide apps that can purchased (or for free) from their own Chrome Apps store.

The release date of the Chrome OS netbook is expected to be at the end of this month (December), and I’ve already received an invitation from Google to request / text beta Chrome OS netbooks.

Here’s a recent video of Google CEO Eric Schmidt talking about the relevance of the Chrome OS netbook:

via eWeek

Various news outlets and tech blogs are reporting to have received invites to a Google news event this coming Tuesday, December 7th in San Francisco where Google is expected to present their much anticipated Chrome operating system.

A Chrome OS netbook will more than likely be the device used to present the new operating system.

Promoted as an OS designed for fast boot up and fast access to the web, the Chrome OS is going directly for the market that is fed up with the Microsoft Windows OS.

The email invite received by the media outlets reads, “On December 7, we will host an event in San Francisco where we plan to share some exciting news about Chrome.”

Of course there will be plenty of images and videos hitting the web on Tuesday, so stay tuned for more information.

Perhaps Google has been timing the release of the Chrome OS netbook for now so that it’s just in time for the Christmas holiday, and perhaps can take some attention away from other devices such as the Apple iPad.

Thoughts?

Facebook is deciding to improve the performance of the Facebook Chat feature. One of the main ways they are doing this is by no longer supporting Internet Explorer 6.

This is funny, and ironic at the same time.

Yesterday, Facebook put out some info regarding the improvements made to Facebook Chat.

Primarily, Facebook wanted to respond to all of the negative feedback they were getting regarding the Facebook chat feature.

Things such as constant interruptions, moving slow and being unresponsive.

First the funny part.

This made me chuckle a bit when Facebook said this:

The biggest improvements come from changes that aren’t supported on older web browsers. After evaluating the alternatives, we’ve decided to make rapid improvements and provide the best Chat experience possible, which means we will no longer support Internet Explorer 6 browsers.

Notice these phrases – biggest improvements, rapid improvements, no longer support Internet Explorer 6.

I find that funny because to me, it’s a direct shot at Microsoft and their famous web browser.

I’m hoping that Steve Ballmar is listening and starts putting some of their cash reserves into creating (or rebuilding) the Microsoft brand.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Microsoft, I just wish they’d put some engineering power to work and start releasing amazing products again…. instead of being the doormat of the tech industry.

Now the ironic part

This is really more unfortunate than anything, because I’m really a big fan of Microsoft.

But one of the things I tell people all the time is this – get rid of Internet Explorer and use something like Firefox or Chrome.

And then I tell people that I use Chrome more than any other browser, and that Internet Explorer is probably the last browser I’d ever use.

And now Facebook is killing IE6 – how ironic…

For those of you that follow technology news have probably have heard of Google’s Chrome operating system. And for those that may have never heard of Chrome OS let me explain it to you. Chrome is Google’s open source operating system that is design to work with web-based applications. Google’s Chrome operating system is built around the web browser with software ranging from video editing applications to photo editing applications. Since Chrome is based around the web browser, external severs will handle the computer processing tasks for applications.

According to Retures Google’s Chrome OS is coming out in late fall. And Google is eyeing Microsoft, as it’s main competitor in the desktop operating space. Microsoft own’s about 90% of the computer market share. In an attempt to shrug off Google’s open source operating system Microsoft stated that software developers would have to create different versions of the same application for different brands. Sundar Pichai Google head of the Chrome project responded to the statement from Microsoft by saying “ Chrome OS is one of the few future operating systems for which there are already millions of applications that work.” He also stated “You don’t need to redesign Gmail for it to work on Chrome. Facebook dose not need to write a new app for Chrome.”

Since the Chrome operating system is open source companies such as Acer could create their own versions of the software. While using the Chrome source code from Google to fit the companies needs. This is a way that the interface may differ from each company.

I guess this is similar to the way Android, Google’s mobile operating system’s user interface is different from each cell phone manufacture. For example HTC’s Sense user interface for Android is different from Motorola’s user interface for Android. But underneath the user interface is still the Android mobile operating system.

Source: Retures
Josh Uhlemeyer
Former Author of Mobile News Now
Twitter:twitter.com/joshuhl
Facebook: Josh Uhlemeyer Facebook page

Chrome Web Store – Google Chrome’s Official Web Apps Marketplace

An open marketplace for web apps

Google has announced the Chrome Web Store today at the Google I/O event in San Francisco. If you visit the Chrome Web Store page online you’ll actually find a spot where a video presentation will be uploaded after the Chrome I/O event is finished.

Google has stated that the Chrome Web Store will be open later this year and it will be a place where people can discover new and amazing web applications for their web browser. The Chrome Web Store will also be a place where developers will now have a marketplace upon which to gain exposure for their new applications, and potentially reach millions of users.

Chrome Web Store FAQ

Does this only work in Google Chrome?

Because web apps listed in the Chrome Web Store are regular web applications, built with standard web tools, they can be used by anyone using a modern browser that supports these web technologies. Users accessing the Chrome Web Store through Google Chrome will have the ability to create convenient shortcuts for easily accessing their apps.

Are applications in the Chrome Web Store different from other web apps?

No. Web apps listed in the Chrome Web Store are regular web applications that are built with standard web tools and technologies. The same web applications will run in other modern browsers that support these technologies.

What’s the advantage of “installing” an app from Chrome Web Store?

When Google Chrome users “install” a web application from the store, a convenient shortcut is added for quickly accessing the app. Installed web apps can also request advanced HTML5 permissions. For more information, read the preliminary documentation about installable web applications in Chrome.

How will I add my web application to the store?

We will invite developers to start adding their web apps later this year before the Chrome Web Store opens. To find out how to prepare your web app for the store, read our preliminary documentation and join our developer discussion group.

When is the Chrome Web Store opening?

The Chrome Web Store will be available for users and developers later this year. Subscribe to our developer discussion groupand the Chromium blog for updates.

The Chrome Web Store & The Future of Web Applications

Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt has said multiple times before that the future of the web is made up of 2 things specifically:

1) The future web will be mobile

2) The future web will consist of web apps

The Chrome Web Store is right in line with Google’s vision of a future web that runs almost exclusively on fast, powerful web apps with a high degree of utility – meaning, web apps that are useful and productive to the end user.

My guess is that a majority of the popular web apps that will be found in The Chrome Web Store will not only be designed for desk top web application, but also for mobile phone utilization as well.

I will make sure I update this article with The Chrome Web Store video once it’s released from the Google I/O event.

Stay tuned…

1.  Biking directions for Mobile.

According to Google’s blog, since 1956 May has been recognized as National Bike Month in which “Bike to Work” day falls during the week of May 17-21.  In an effort to make it easier for bikers, Google added a new feature to Google Maps: Biking directions for Mobile users.  Using this feature, mobile users can receive customized bike routes, bike-only-trails, roads with bike lanes, and more.  It is essentially a new layer in the Google Maps API in which users can see these new features.

2.  Gmail Drag and Drop Images into your messages.

Yesterday night Google posted news to the Gmail blog that now, users can drag and drop photos from their computer into their Gmail messages.   This function only works to its fullest in Chrome at the moment but if you are accessing Gmail in Chrome you can send pictures to your contacts by simply dragging and dropping them from your desktop.  You can resize them too.

3.  Social Search

This is probably the biggest.  If you are not already aware of it, then you will be soon.  It is nothing new but it is changing the way SEO practicioners work and has shifted the weight of the Google search algorithm to social.  Be sure to check out this article on Google’s social search for SMO and Search Engine Journal’s take on the changes happening to search.

For more information on how to use Google’s tools such as the new social search and Google maps for your business consult the Art of Social Media Optimization blog, The Social Capitalist.

Google’s New Look Coming

I actually wrote this article back in February of this year. I noticed a beta version of this new Google look in my browser on February 4th, 2010 and wrote to see if anyone else was seeing what I was seeing.

Anyway, here’s what I wrote back in February about Google’s new look.

I just noticed this… and let me know if I’m either the first one in the world to notice, or if I’ve been blinded by this until now.  This is something that I only see while using the Google Chrome browser, and it’s only when I’m not logged into my Google account.   So do me a favor, open your Google Chrome browser (click here if you don’t have Chrome), then go to Google.com (without being logged into Google).  And tell if you don’t see this:

Screen shots below:

First, the home page and logo itself

There is no trademark symbol in the upper right hand corner (TM).  This is clearly present on all other browsers.  And to me, it’s also present when I’m logged into my Google account even on Chrome.

Next, the search options and and suggestions:

Notice on how the search options (News, Blogs, Videos, etc…) are options that are along the left hand side, and the text and logos for each option is even different.  It’s look more “Yahoo’ish” than the standard Google search options I remember.

here’s what is looks like without clicking the drop down menu:

Finally, the number of search results:

When the search results pull up, the number of results is in a log smaller text, non bold, and sort of tucked away on the right of the search bar.  Obviously showing how these numbers are not really relevant except to a few SEO types (like me…).

These numbers are typically in bold, and placed along the right hand side of the screen above the search results.

So is this a new look for Google?

Is this something I’ve overlooked until now, or are we seeing a new look being tested by Google in the Chrome browser?

Google Chrome Review – Why Is Google Chrome So Fast? (Video)

When it comes to web browsers, there are none that can stand up to the speed and efficiency of the Google Chrome browser.

I’ve been places where my WiFi connection would only get one bar of a signal strength, fire up Google Chrome, and be browsing on the web at lightning fast speeds.

The Google Chrome browser is definitely the web browser of choice going forward, and all other browsers – including Firefox – are now in “catch up” mode trying to prevent Google Chrome from absolutely dominating the browser landscape.

But why is Google Chrome so fast?

Here’s a video from Google Chrome engineer answering that question:

Google Incognito

There has always been one feature of Internet browsing that users have wanted, and that is using the Internet without leaving a history, or a trace of the web pages you visited.

Google Incognito gives you all of the stealth web browsing you want!

You are probably already familiar with privacy or private browsing mode of other popular web browsers..

Google Chrome web browser offers what many users believe is a better, more trusted private browsing experience with Google Chrome Incognito mode.

Google Incognito is a special mode on the Google Chrome browser that allows users to surf the web without leaving a trace of their activity.

Incognito is basically stealth internet surfing mode which prevents data from being recorded in the browser during your web browsing.

For times when you want to browse in stealth mode, for example, to plan surprises like gifts or birthdays, Google Chrome offers the incognito browsing mode.

Here’s how the incognito mode works:

* Webpages that you open and files downloaded while you are incognito aren’t recorded in your browsing and download histories.
* All new cookies are deleted after you close all incognito windows that you’ve opened.

Changes made to your Google Chrome bookmarks and general settings while in incognito mode are always saved.

Google Chrome Language Translation

Google Chrome is quickly becoming my favorite browser.  And to make things even better, the Google Chrome team has announced today a cool new feature in Chrome called Google Translation. The translation tool will allow you to instantly convert any webpage, in any language, to your native language.

Check out the Google Chrome Language Translation video:

Google Chrome for  Mac

Here’s Google’s official Chrome for Mac video:

Pop quiz — what’s your favorite web browser?  Add your answer in the comments below:

Screen shots below:

First, the home page and logo itself

There is no trademark symbol in the upper right hand corner (TM).  This is clearly present on all other browsers.  And to me, it’s also present when I’m logged into my Google account even on Chrome.

Next, the search options and and suggestions:

Notice on how the search options (News, Blogs, Videos, etc…) are options that are along the left hand side, and the text and logos for each option is even different.  It’s look more “Yahoo’ish” than the standard Google search options I remember.

here’s what is looks like without clicking the drop down menu:

Finally, the number of search results:

When the search results pull up, the number of results is in a log smaller text, non bold, and sort of tucked away on the right of the search bar.  Obviously showing how these numbers are not really relevant except to a few SEO types (like me…).

These numbers are typically in bold, and placed along the right hand side of the screen above the search results.

So is this a new look for Google?

Is this something I’ve overlooked until now, or are we seeing a new look being tested by Google in the Chrome browser?

Here’s a video showing the Google Chrome OS UI for Tablets:

Here are some of the specs that are being considered for a Chrome OS driven tablet device:

Here’s the

• Keyboard interaction with the screen: anchored, split, attached to focus.
• Launchers as an overlay, providing touch or search as means to access web sites.
• Contextual actions triggered via dwell.
• Zooming UI for multiple tabs
• Tabs presented along the side of the screen (see Side tabs)
• Creating multiple browsers on screen using a launcher

And here are a series of pictures released from Google’s Chromium blog:

One of the major initial problems that someone had with Weave Sync is once they installed the add on, they were immediately presented with an Author Unverified warning.  I could understand this if the add-on was created by an independent developer, but it was actually created by Mozilla Labs.

Another major issue that people are claiming is that Weave Sync is not supported on Windows 7, 64 bit encryption.

Not to be all negative here, some people are finding Weave Sync to be useful.  But if you visit the forum and read the feedback, I think you’d agree that the majority of people are having issues with the initial release.

But don’t worry – Firefox has a large crowd of developers that will surely work through these issues.

As an alternative to Firefox’s Weave Sync, you could try Google Chrome’s bookmark sync.  I’ve been using this for about a month now and it works extremely well – very smooth, easy, and carefree.

The other feature coming with Chrome OS is it’s own media player, one that will truly rival the popular Windows Media Player!  [read more at eWeek.com]

Make calls, send SMS, and click to call, all from your Chrome browser

The Google Chrome browser just got a whole lot cooler with the addition of the Google Voice extension!  I’ve been using Google Chrome a lot more lately simply because of it’s speed and fluid browsing capabilities, but now with the Google Voice extension, I’m a lot more excited about the Chrome browser.

The Google Voice extension for Chrome is so new that it’s not even found in their Extensions directory (as of this writing).

Some of the best features of the Google Voice extension are:

*  Click to call phone numbers from webpages that display a phone number.  This means, if you are looking at a web page with a phone number on it, just click it, Google Voice will first call your phone number, and then connect you to the number you clicked.

*  SMS / Text message from your browser:  with the Google Voice extension for Chrome, you can now send free, unlimited text messages right from your Chrome browser.  I’ve been starting to use SMS / Text messaging from my Gmail with the Google talk app, but with it now at the top of my Chrome browser, I’m super psyched!

*  Get quick access to your messages and message transcriptions.  This allows you to quickly view the text version of your voice mails, and also see if there are any new voice mail available.

Here’s more from the Google Voice extension page:

Features:

– Adds a button to the toolbar, which displays the number of unread messages in your Google Voice inbox.
– Gives you quick access to your most recent messages with transcripts.
– Lets you initiate calls and send free text messages by just typing any number or contact name.
– Makes phone numbers on websites callable via Google Voice by just clicking on them.

Known issues:
– When switching between tabs in the extension popup, the popup doesn’t automatically resize to fit. This is a known bug with Chrome itself that will be fixed soon.
– Extensions on Macs still have issues. Might not work perfectly on Mac, but you can try it.

Coming Soon to Google Voice extension:

Google also says that you’ll be able listen to new voice mail right from the extension module in your browser!  Now that will be a very handy tool indeed.

All of this seems to be an effort by Google to keep you engaged on the web, and more specifically, directly on their Chrome browser.  And as long as they keep building great apps and extensions like this, I’m happy to oblige!