Web Design Ireland

posted by Robert on Nov 7

When Microsoft announced its desire to spend $500 million on a datacenter in Chicago, fellow WebProNews writer David Utter referred to that sum as “Monopoly money” in Microsoft’s eyes.  And now there’s word that Microsoft will plunk down another hotel - er, datacenter - in Ireland.

At $500 million, the price of this second datacenter will be identical to the first.  Otherwise, it may not give too much of a boost to the local economy; Shawn Pogatchnik reports, “Microsoft Ireland’s managing director, Joe Macri, said the data center would employ an additional 15 to 20 people, reflecting the high level of automation involved, while subcontracts would employ five to six times as many people.”Still, this development will confer certain bragging rights upon the Grange Castle Business Park and all of Ireland; despite recent appearances, it’s not every day that Microsoft opens a new datacenter, and the one in Ireland will actually be the company’s first outside the U.S.  The datacenter will also have the distinction of dealing with Windows Live services for all of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

So why was Ireland chosen?  The country’s beautiful scenery, fantastic climate, and tasty beer are enough to tempt me, but its low taxes were probably what swayed Microsoft.

In any event, construction on Microsoft’s $500 datacenter is due to be complete by the middle of 2009.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Sep 17

According to the Hindustian Times, Google plans to release an offline version of Gmail. I think that it’s safe to assume that it will be running on Google Gears, much like Google Reader’s offline feature.Obviously the lack of offline email reading is the one huge downside to using web mail. If Google implements this correctly it could be a pretty big deal, but we will see if the functionality of a browser based offline solution can compare to an actual desktop client.

It should be noted that Windows Live also currently has their Live Mail Desktop client available right now (one of my favorites, by the way). Whether Google goes browser or client based with their offline functionality, this is what they have to compete with.

Source: http://www.news.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 22

Microsoft just released Tafiti, a Silverlight- and Live Search-powered search engine experiment. TechCrunch asks the question that matters: Will people use it? Their answer: Probably not.

But it’s worth checking out, because beneath its glitzy UI there are a some cool experiments that could easily be implemented on a more plain-Jane search site. I like the “shelf” on Tafti, where you can drag search results that you want to save or look at later. And I like the stack of search queries that Tafti collects as you use the site; other engines record your search histories, but Tafti shows us that it can be done better.

Tree view: Just because you can, it doesn’t mean you should.

(Credit: CNET Networks)

More prosaic (but still pretty) features include a secondary “filter” field that lets you easily winnow down search results, and different display formatting for results from the Web, books, news sites, and RSS feeds. There are also “blog this” and “email this” options for results you save in your shelf.

There’s also a highly experimental — borderline silly — “tree view” of search results. This view goes into my running list of weirdo search technologies.

Tafiti is a Microsoft open experiment, not a Google killer. But Google should take notice: With Tafiti, Microsoft is telling us that a search site can be useful without being dull.

Source: www.news.com.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 22

It’s interesting how Google handles potential litigation. While its rivals are sidestepping it where they can (it seems), Google invites it. Just as Google is sued (again) for allowing competitor trademark keyword bids, Microsoft is set to disallow such practices.

Microsoft follows Yahoo by updating its competitor keyword policy. Yahoo was relatively swift about it, disallowing the practice after Mazda’s much debated direct plea Google users seeking information about Pontiacs in early 2006.

That left both Google and Microsoft without such assurances in place for trademark owners – that is, until the end of this month or so.

At the Search Engine Strategies Conference in San Jose California, Microsoft’s Director of Marketplace Quality for AdCenter, Mary Berk, said AdCenter would be updating its trademarked term policy in late August or early September.

Under the policy update, advertisers will not be allowed to use a competitor’s trademark in the ad copy.

Berk said the update would include a verification process with editorial review, clear-cut rules for advertisers. She also said the policy would result in increased relevancy for branded terms.

Earlier this month, American Airlines sued Google for “vicarious” trademark infringement for allowing competing airlines to bid on their brand keywords. Though the plaintiff’s argument seems a bit thin (in practical application it would prevent resellers from advertising competitor offers), and other companies have tried unsuccessfully under similar auspices, AA is the largest company (read: they have more expensive lawyers) to file suit.

Both Yahoo and Microsoft have sidestepped similar issues by disallowing the practice altogether.

Source: www.webpronews.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 21

Last week, Yahoo! announced an overhaul to their Yahoo! Local service where improvements would harness the voice of their millions of user reviews, ratings and other consumer generated content to bolster the value of the service and give local businesses a real chance of search exposure.

We’ve speculated in our own research that local search services such as Google Maps, Yahoo! Local and MSN Local, rely on factors such as reviews and listings on other local sites to determine their local rankings. Now Yahoo! have openly acknowledged that their new overhaul includes a revised algorithm which will use the valuable contributions of users to influence their results.

According to the announcement post:

“We’ve completely overhauled the site to make it easier to contribute your opinion and through a new, updated algorithm, we’re making sure that search results take your ratings and reviews into account. We want to make sure that people’s contributions to Yahoo! Local count in more ways than one.”

Not only will the new enhancements rely on user reviews to help determine which local businesses are best and accordingly rank higher (a debate they are happy to let their users decide), but they’ve also rolled some additional features that will make it easier for users to contribute to the debate and make the local search experience more interactive.

The key new features as outlined on the post are:

• Commenting on User Reviews - No longer will it feel like shouting into the wind when you write a review. Now the people who benefit from your tips can reply back. You’ll also be able to track comments on your reviews from your My Local page.
• Weekender - Offers a weekly selection of events, movies (including show times and reviews), dining picks, and more to help you plan your weekend.
• More “Local Buzz” - Shows the top-moving search terms in your hometown with a new search cloud and exposes the most recent reviews of businesses in your area to see what people are buzzing about.
• Best Local Events - Taps into the Upcoming social events database to surface the best events in your hometown.
• Most Popular - Highlights the best of a city in the key categories of Restaurants, Health & Beauty, and Home & Garden.
• My Local Improvements - A new “save for later” feature so you can quickly archive those hidden gems you uncover along with your recent reviews, tags, and collections.

So as the local search juggernaut continues to gather momentum, developments such as this latest overhaul by Yahoo! mean that small businesses with a local focus need to jump aboard and start building their online local profiles. It now means encouraging customers to contribute reviews to help them build a reputation.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 17

The other day we listed the top 40 Yahoo blogs. Amongst the list entering at position #16 was the Yahoo Local and Maps blog. On Tuesday, Yahoo! (YHOO) launched an updated version of their Local Search product that will now feature more user-generated content, including reviews. The new and improved Yahoo Local provides search mechanisms for leisure activities, such as movies and events in city-specific weekend guides.

According to Yahoo!, the new Yahoo! Local is:

where opinions of the people in the community take center stage. Now it’s easier than ever to share your local business experiences with your neighbors and discover hidden gems in your city.

Here are some of the great features of Yahoo! Local:

• Local City Guide - where you can review the most popular search for your city, check out the current events such as music, performing arts etc taking place, review maps and find out the buzz about yout city.
• Weekend Guide - plan your weekend and put all of your options in one convenient place so you can maximize your time off.
• Featured AD Listings on Yahoo! Local - Get ahead of the competition with a featured listing on Yahoo! Local. Attract more attention with bigger, better placement, photos, and more.
• Browse by Category
• Recent Reviews Near You - you can write a review of a local business and “help out your neighbours”
• Neighborhood Groups - need a recommendations? Using neighborhood groups you can as a neighbor in a local group near you.
• Neighborhood Collections - Discover interesting places to go by browsing lists of local favorites.
• Area Maps - view your whole city in a new way with the satellite view of maps. Also see what traffic looks like and find Wi-Fi hotspots with the area maps section.
• City Resources - near the bottom of my Yahoo local home page there are three sections featuring local resources, Advertiser Resources and Kelowna Resources. Within the Kelowna resources I can see items for sale, jobs, movies, news, people search, personals, Kelowna real estate etc.

I really like the improvements to the Yahoo Local. The addition of the social community aspect just makes sense doesn’t it? Great stuff from Yahoo! Here’s what the Yahoo Local page looks like for Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 17

Google’s debut of the Ad Traffic Quality Resource Center closely follows the arrival of a similar service from Yahoo.

Google Opens Traffic Quality Center

Click fraud persists in plaguing advertisers and the search advertising companies that sell ad space. High-profile lawsuits have happened as a result of businesspeople contending not enough is being done to keep their budgets from being tapped with illicit clicks.

With trust occupying an important part of any online advertising product, Google and its competitors have to work hard to stay ahead of the various grifters, thieves, and assorted criminals who would loot their ad clients. They haven’t always been very communicative about their work, claiming that the bad guys would profit from information about anti-click fraud efforts.

That position hasn’t satisfied advertisers nor the many third party companies that attempt to track click fraud independently of the search companies. Google and others generally refuse to give up information on their anti-fraud efforts, citing the benefit of such transparency to those who would game the system.

Room for improvement in discussing the click fraud issue has existed for some time. Yahoo opened a Traffic Quality center last week, and now Google has followed suit.

Much of the information Google presents in its Ad Traffic Quality pages has been seen before. Google claims it proactively finds all but about .02 percent of what turn out to be invalid clicks. Advertisers who find and report invalid clicks can be reimbursed by Google after those clicks have been confirmed invalid.

Google suggested a way advertisers can help themselves against click fraud. “Advertisers should have a working definition of ROI that is trackable. For advertisers that are not selling products directly online, try to define some intermediate step (e.g. filling out a form) as a proxy for a conversion,” they said.

Another section of the Traffic Quality center focuses on some of the technical discussions on click fraud. It includes articles by Google staffers about click fraud, and references to official and unofficial blogs by Google and by people like Matt Cutts and Shuman Ghosemajumder, both noteworthy Googlers on the topic of click fraud.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 15

It’s interesting to see the Google browser rumors make their way to the surface again. Netconcepts search strategist Chris Smith recently shared his thoughts on the possibility of the search company entering the browser wars, and several of his points are attention grabbers.

First up is the noted fact that Google had registered a “Gbrowser.com” domain name, which would lead one to believe that some sort of interest exists in such a browser. On the other hand, Google CEO Eric Schmidt has said in the past that the company would build a browser only if there were a real user benefit.

So, would there be a user benefit? Yes and no. As Google comes up with more and more applications, the usefulness of a browser of their own increases both for the user, who can then access more intensive applications with higher speed, and Google, who can then deliver these more intensive applications. In other words, the “thin client” model can only go so far.

Google recently began offering a version of its Google Earth application that runs in browsers as opposed to the downloaded application, reducing complete dependence upon the Google Earth application.

Add to Google Earth the Google word processor, spreadsheet, slide presentation program, and the many other browser apps in development, and it really starts to seem like a good possibility that Google would build their own browser. Along with support for applications, they could also increase security for those apps and monetize it all on several levels.

The benefits, then, would lend themselves to both the end user and Google. But before any assumptions are made, it’s worth noting that Google is already very influential with regard to the development of the Firefox browser. It’s hard to imagine that Google couldn’t get support for their applications built into Firefox. At the very least, Firefox could offer plug-ins that would support them. In a sense, one might say Google already “owns” Firefox, to some degree.

Will there be a Google browser anytime soon? I think there are good arguments for it, but nothing’s for certain. It will be yet another fascinating development to watch–from the perspectives of both the browser wars and SEO (search engine optimization).

Source: http://news.com.com

Sphere: Related Content

posted by Robert on Aug 10

Google users can boost their available storage for Gmail and Picasa Web Albums to as much as 250GB for an annual fee.

Hours after Microsoft opened its Windows Live SkyDrive online storage product beta to all comers, Google followed up with the announcement of its Shared Storage service.

Unlike SkyDrive, Google Shared Storage orients toward expanding the capacity for the Gmail and Picasa Web Album services. The service doles out storage to the product that needs it under someone’s Google account.

Google’s Ryan Aquino posted some basics about the service at the official Google blog. He noted that the entry level price of $20 per year for 6GB of storage was $5 less than what had previously been charged for extra Picasa Web Album storage.

Gmail currently offers about 2.8GB of free storage, a figure that has been gradually increasing over time. Picasa’s free storage tops out at 1GB, a figure that an active photographer with lots of high-resolution images can fill pretty fast.

Storage purchased under Google’s plan will be used by whichever service needs it. The storage can’t be allocated to just one service, though it’s easy enough to open a new Google account, activate Gmail or Picasa Web Albums, and purchase storage to be used only by that service.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/

Sphere: Related Content

posted by admin on Aug 7

Google and YouTube will have to deal with several more complainants in a lawsuit that accuses the video site of copyright infringement.

YouTube Lawsuit Gains More Plaintiffs

There is an important point to accusations made by the English Premier League and all of the new parties joining a lawsuit against YouTube. The word ‘encouraging’ has been carefully chosen to describe YouTube’s role in copyright infringement.

As Reuters noted the addition of the National Music Publishers’ Association, the Finnish Football League, and ‘Ishmael’ author Daniel Quinn add their names to the plaintiff list, we see a decision ultimately coming down to a court’s determination of the encouragement, or lack thereof, of copyright infringement.

Encouragement gains importance thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision in MGM v Grokster. The justices concluded the defendants encouraged use of their service as a way to get around copyright laws to share work.

Google and YouTube have long held the position that the Digital Millennium Copyright Act protects their operation. When a content owner complains of something wrongly placed on YouTube, the service takes it down.

The court will have to decide if YouTube’s encouragement of sharing video is tantamount to saying, “go ahead and violate someone’s copyright.” Mark Cuban has long believed this, as do the plaintiffs in this suit.

If a judge believes this, we can’t see how YouTube or any video site could continue to allow any content uploading without checking every single posting. That possibility centers on how the court interprets encouragement to use the service.

posted by: Web Design Ireland

source: www.webpronews.com

Sphere: Related Content