Category Archives: Internet

Best Website Builders of 2024, Wix, Shopify, and More

Website builders are software tools that allow anyone to create a website without any coding or design skills. They are popular among small businesses, freelancers, bloggers, and anyone who wants to have an online presence. Website builders offer various features, such as templates, drag-and-drop editors, e-commerce functionality, SEO tools, and more.

However, not all website builders are created equal. Some are more suitable for certain types of websites than others. Some are more affordable, user-friendly, or feature-rich than others. Some are more reliable, secure, or scalable than others.

In this blog post, we will review some of the best website builders in 2024 based on our research and testing.

WIX

Wix website builder

Best for No-Code Customizations

Wix is one of the most popular and versatile website builders on the market. It offers a drag-and-drop interface that lets you create stunning websites without any coding skills. You can choose from over 800 templates or start from scratch with a blank canvas. Wix also has a powerful app market that allows you to add extra functionality to your site, such as e-commerce, booking, blogging, and more.

Key Features

– Drag-and-drop editor with over 800 templates
– App market with hundreds of add-ons
– Wix ADI (Artificial Design Intelligence) that creates a website for you based on your answers to a few questions
– Wix Corvid (formerly Wix Code) that lets you customize your site with advanced coding tools
– Wix SEO Wiz that helps you optimize your site for search engines
– Wix Ascend that provides marketing and customer management tools

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Pros:

  • Easy to use drag-and-drop editor
  • Over 800 templates in various categories
  • Artificial design intelligence feature
  • E-commerce functionality
  • App market with various integrations
  • Free plan available
  • Affordable and flexible. You can start with a free plan and upgrade to a premium plan that suits your needs and budget
  • Versatile and scalable. You can create any type of website with Wix, from personal blogs to e-commerce stores. You can also grow your site with more features and apps as your business expands

Cons:

  • Free plan has ads and subdomain
  • Templates are not interchangeable
  • Loading speed can be slow
  • Limited storage and bandwidth on all plans. You might need to upgrade to a higher plan if you have a lot of content or traffic on your site
  • Wix does not allow you to change your template once your site is live. You have to start over if you want to switch to a different design
  • Wix does not have native backup and restore options. You have to use third-party apps or manually save your site if you want to restore it to a previous version

Plans and Pricing

Wix plans and pricing

Wix offers four premium plans for websites and three premium plans for e-commerce stores. All plans include a free domain name for one year, SSL security, unlimited pages and access to premium apps.

Website Plans

  • Combo: $16/month. Ideal for personal use or small businesses. Includes 3 GB of storage, 2 GB of bandwidth, 30 minutes of video hours and no Wix ads.
  • Unlimited: $22/month. Ideal for entrepreneurs and freelancers. Includes 10 GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, one hour of video hours and $300 ad vouchers.
  • Pro: $27/month. Ideal for complete online branding. Includes 20 GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, two hours of video hours, professional logo, social media logo files and analytics app.
  • VIP: $45/month. Ideal for priority support. Includes 35 GB of storage, unlimited bandwidth, five hours of video hours, professional logo, social media logo files, analytics app and VIP support.

E-commerce Plans

  • Business Basic: $27/month. Ideal for accepting online payments. Includes all features of Unlimited plan plus 20 GB of storage, five hours of video hours and e-commerce features.
  • Business Unlimited: $32/month. Ideal for growing your online store. Includes all features of Pro plan plus 35 GB of storage, 10 hours of video hours and e-commerce features.
  • Business VIP: $59/month. Ideal for scaling your online store. Includes all features of VIP plan plus 50 GB of storage, unlimited video hours and e-commerce features.

Overall Conclusion

Wix is a great choice for anyone who wants to create a website quickly and easily without any coding skills. It offers a wide range of templates, features and apps to suit any type of website and business. It also has affordable and flexible plans that can be upgraded as your site grows.

However, Wix also has some drawbacks that you should be aware of before choosing it as your website builder. It has limited storage and bandwidth on all plans, which might affect your site’s performance and speed. It does not allow you to change your template once your site is live, which might limit your design options in the future. It does not have native backup and restore options, which might put your site at risk of data loss.

Therefore, we recommend Wix for anyone who wants a simple and easy way to create a website with no coding skills. However, if you need more control over your site’s design, performance and security, you might want to look for other alternatives.

Web.com

web.com website builder

If you are looking for a simple and affordable way to create a website for your business or personal project, you might want to consider Web.com website builder. Web.com is a web technology company that offers various services, such as web design, hosting, marketing, and domain names. In this post, we will focus on their website builder tool, which allows you to build your own website using drag-and-drop functionality and ready-made templates. We will cover the key features, pros and cons, plans and pricing, and overall conclusion of Web.com website builder.

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop builder: You can easily create and customize your website by dragging and dropping elements, such as text, images, buttons, forms, etc. You can also edit the layout, colors, fonts, and other aspects of your site.
  • Free domain name: When you sign up for Web.com website builder, you get a free domain name for one year. You can choose from various extensions, such as .com, .net, .org, etc.
  • Optimized for mobile: Your website will automatically adjust to different screen sizes and devices, such as smartphones and tablets. You can also preview how your site looks on mobile before publishing it.
  • Options for any business: Web.com offers over 150 professionally designed templates for various industries and niches. You can also use ready-made content blocks to add relevant information to your site.
  • Free 1-hour website design support: If you need help with creating or designing your website, you can get one free hour of web design support from Web.com experts. They can assist you with setting up your site, adding features, or optimizing it for SEO.

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Pros:

  • Easy to use: Web.com website builder is designed for beginners who want to create a website without coding or technical skills. You can simply drag and drop elements and use the intuitive interface to customize your site
  • Affordable: Web.com website builder is one of the most affordable options in the market. You can start with a free plan that includes a subdomain and 25 MB of storage space. The paid plans start from $1.95 per month and include a free domain name and more features
  • Reliable: Web.com is a reputable web technology company that has been in business since 1999. They have served over 3 million customers worldwide and manage over 9 million domain names. You can trust them to provide reliable hosting and customer service for your website

Cons:

  • Limited features: Web.com website builder does not offer some advanced features that other website builders do, such as eCommerce functionality, blogging tools, social media integration, etc. If you need these features, you might want to look for another option
  • Limited customization: Web.com website builder does not allow you to access or edit the HTML or CSS code of your site. You are also limited by the templates and content blocks that they provide. If you want more creative control over your site, you might find Web.com website builder too restrictive

Plans and Pricing

web.com pricing

Web.com website builder offers four plans to choose from:

  • Website: This plan which runs for $4.95/mo, includes a 25 MB of storage space, 5 GB of bandwidth per month, and access to the drag-and-drop builder and templates. This plan is suitable for testing out the tool or creating a simple personal site.
  • Website+marketing: This plan costs $7.95 per month for the first year and $21.99 per month thereafter. It includes a free domain name for one year, 300 MB of storage space, unlimited bandwidth, email accounts, SSL certificate, Social & Email marketing tools, and one free hour of web design support. Additionally, you get some selling services and access to an AI writing tool.
  • Online Store: This plan costs $13.95 per month for the first year and $24.99 per month thereafter. It includes everything in the previous plan plus 500 MB of storage space and priority customer support, secure checkout and social media selling options.
  • Online Marketplace: This plan costs $19.95 per month for the first year and $39.99 per month thereafter. It includes everything in the previous plan plus 1 GB of storage space and also bulk editing and automation tools, alongside a direct selling access to some of the biggest e-commerce websites such as amazon, Etsy, eBay and more.

You can also get a custom quote for a more tailored solution if you need more features or services.

Overall Conclusion

Web.com website builder is a simple and affordable tool that allows you to create a professional-looking website without coding or technical skills. It offers a drag-and-drop builder, free domain name, mobile optimization, and various templates and content blocks for different industries and niches. It also provides reliable hosting and customer service from a reputable web technology company.

However, Web.com website builder also has some drawbacks that might make it unsuitable for some users. It does not offer some advanced features that other website builders do, such as getting access or edit the HTML or CSS code of your site or customize it beyond the templates and content blocks that they provide.

Therefore, we recommend Web.com website builder for users who want a simple and affordable way to create a basic website for their e-commerce/business or personal project. If you need more features or customization options, you might want to look for another option.

Shopify

Shopify online store

If you want to create a stunning e-commerce website in minutes, you might want to consider Shopify, one of the best website builders for online businesses.

Key Features

  • A fully customizable website builder with thousands of themes, apps and integrations
  • A free 3-day trial with no credit card required
  • A no-code website builder with drag-and-drop functionality
  • A custom domain name registration service
  • A reliable website hosting service with added security
  • An online store builder with unlimited products and access to POS
  • A CMS with insight into your customers and their behavior
  • A global network of Shopify Experts who can help you with design, marketing and development

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Pros:

  • Easy to use and set up
  • Flexible and scalable for any business size or type
  • Offers a lot of features and functionality for ecommerce
  • Has a large and active community of users and developers

Cons:

  • Can be expensive depending on the plan and add-ons you choose
  • Has some limitations on customization and control over your website
  • Charges transaction fees for using third-party payment gateways

Plans and Pricing

Shopify offers four main plans for its service:

  • Basic Shopify: $29/month. Includes the option to manage a store with 1000 inventory locations, sell on social media, chat with customers, send invoices and accept payments., and two staff accounts, discount codes, abandoned cart recovery and more.
  • Shopify: $105/month. Includes everything in Basic Shopify plus five staff accounts, gift cards, professional reports, lower transaction fees and more.
  • Advanced Shopify: $399/month. Includes everything in Shopify plus 15 staff accounts, advanced report builder, third-party calculated shipping rates, lower transaction fees and more.
  • You can also choose Shopify Plus, a custom plan for large enterprises that offers more features, support and scalability.

Start for free, then enjoy $1/month for 3 months.

Overall Conclusion

Shopify is a great choice for anyone who wants to create a professional and successful ecommerce website without much hassle or coding. It offers a lot of features, functionality and support for online businesses of all sizes and types. However, it can also be costly and limiting depending on your needs and preferences. Therefore, we recommend that you try out the free trial before committing to a plan and compare it with other website builders to find the best fit for you.

Squarespace

Squarespace web builder

Best for Creatives

Squarespace is another popular website builder that is known for its elegant and professional designs. It offers over 100 templates that are optimized for mobile devices and various industries. Squarespace also has a rich set of features that enable you to create blogs, portfolios, online stores, and more.

Key Features

– Responsive templates with modern and minimalist aesthetics
– Built-in e-commerce platform with inventory management, payment processing, and shipping options
– Blogging platform with multiple authors, categories, tags, and comments
– Portfolio platform with customizable layouts, galleries, and video backgrounds
– Marketing tools such as email campaigns, SEO, analytics, and social media integration

More :

  • Designs: Squarespace has dozens of modern and minimalistic templates that can be easily modified and tailored to your wishes. You can also switch templates anytime without losing your content. All templates are responsive and mobile-friendly, ensuring a great user experience on any device.
  • Rich Image Manager: Squarespace allows you to add and organize images via drag and drop builder. You can also edit images with tools like cropping, resizing, filters, and more. Squarespace also optimizes your images for fast loading and SEO.
  • Blogging: Squarespace lets you design and manage your blog with features like categories, tags, comments, RSS feeds, social sharing, scheduled posts, and more. You can also import your blog from other platforms like WordPress, Tumblr, or Blogger.
  • Commerce: Squarespace enables you to sell your products through an online store with features like inventory management, product variants, coupons, taxes, shipping, abandoned cart recovery, and more. You can also use Point of Sale (POS) to accept payments in person with Squarespace’s mobile app and card reader. Additionally, you can manage subscriptions, donations, bookings, memberships, and other business needs with Squarespace’s extensions.
  • Analytics: Squarespace provides you with detailed analytics where you can track traffic, popular content, sales, conversions, audience behavior, and more. You can also integrate with Google Analytics for more insights.
  • Connected Services: Squarespace allows you to extend your website’s functionality by connecting with third-party services like Mailchimp, Stripe, PayPal, Google Workspace, Instagram, Facebook Pixel, Zapier, and more.
  • SEO: Squarespace gives you everything you need to have an SEO-ready website without requiring any plugins or coding. You can customize your site title, meta description, URL slug, alt text, sitemap, robots.txt file, and more. Squarespace also supports SSL encryption for security and ranking benefits.
  • Ad-free: Squarespace does not show any ads on your website unless you want to make money by placing your own ads through services like Google Adsense or Mediavine.
  • Support: Squarespace offers fast and friendly support via email and live chat 24/7. You can also access their extensive knowledge base, video tutorials, webinars, community forum, and help guides for self-help.

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Pros:

  • Ease of use: Squarespace has a user-friendly interface that allows you to create and edit your website with simple drag and drop actions. You don’t need any coding skills or technical knowledge to use Squarespace. You can also preview your changes in real-time before publishing them
  • Quality: Squarespace delivers high-quality websites that look professional and elegant. The templates are designed by experts and follow the latest web standards and trends. The websites are also fast-loading and secure thanks to Squarespace’s hosting and SSL certificates
  • Flexibility: Squarespace gives you the freedom to customize your website according to your needs and preferences. You can change fonts
  • Beautiful and high-quality designs
  • Ideal for creative professionals and businesses

Cons:

  • Price: Squarespace is not the cheapest option when it comes to website builders. The plans start from $12 per month for personal websites and go up to $40 per month for advanced commerce websites. There are no free plans or trials available, although you can use a 14-day free trial to test the platform before committing
  • Control: Squarespace does not give you full control over your website’s code or hosting. You cannot access or modify the source code of your website or use custom plugins or themes. You also cannot migrate your website to another hosting provider or platform easily
  • Learning curve: Squarespace may have a simple interface,
    but it also has a lot of options and features that can be overwhelming for beginners. It may take some time to learn how to use Squarespace effectively and make the most out of its capabilities
  • Learning curve: Squarespace may have a simple interface,
    but it also has a lot of options and features that can be overwhelming for beginners. It may take some time to learn how to use Squarespace effectively and make the most out of its capabilities
  • Compatibility: Squarespace may not be compatible with some third-party services or tools that you may want to use on your website. For example, you cannot use Google Adsense or Mediavine on Squarespace unless you have a Business plan or higher. You also cannot use WordPress plugins or themes on Squarespace

Plans and Pricing

Squarespace has four plans: Personal ($16 per month), Business ($23 per month), Basic Commerce ($27 per month), and Advanced Commerce ($49 per month). All plans include a free domain name for one year, SSL security, unlimited bandwidth and storage space, SEO tools, analytics, and customer support. The Business plan adds e-commerce functionality, marketing tools, and premium integrations. The Commerce plans add more e-commerce features such as abandoned cart recovery, customer accounts, subscriptions, advanced shipping options, and lower transaction fees.

Webflow

Webflow website builder

Webflow is a website builder that combines the power of code with the simplicity of visual design. It allows you to create responsive websites using a drag-and-drop interface that generates clean HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. You can also use Webflow’s CMS (Content Management System) to create dynamic content such as blogs, portfolios, e-commerce products, and more.

Key Features

  • Visual editor that lets you design websites without writing code
  • CMS that lets you create and manage dynamic content
  • E-commerce platform that lets you sell products online with custom checkout flows
  • Hosting service that provides fast loading speed, SSL security, etc.

More

  • Drag-and-drop interface: You can design your workflows using a simple and intuitive interface that lets you drag and drop actions, conditions, loops, and variables.
  • Pre-built templates: You can choose from hundreds of ready-made templates for common use cases, such as sending email notifications, creating invoices, updating CRM records, and more.
  • Workflow editor: You can edit and customize your workflows using a powerful editor that gives you access to advanced features, such as branching logic, error handling, data mapping, and debugging tools.
  • Workflow triggers: You can trigger your workflows based on various events, such as time, date, webhooks, form submissions, email attachments, and more.
  • Workflow variables: You can use variables to store and manipulate data in your workflows, such as text, numbers, dates, lists, files, and more.
  • Workflow actions: You can perform various actions in your workflows, such as sending emails, posting messages, uploading files, creating tasks, calling APIs, and more.
  • Workflow integrations: You can integrate your workflows with over 1000 apps and services using built-in connectors or custom API requests.
  • Workflow analytics: You can monitor and analyze the performance of your workflows using dashboards and reports that show you metrics such as run time, success rate, errors, and more.

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Pros:

  • Beautiful and high-quality designs
  • Beautiful and high-quality designs
  • 24/7 customer support via email and live chat
  • Easy to use and does not require coding skills
  • Flexible and customizable and can handle complex scenarios
  • Scalable and reliable and can handle high volumes of data and transactions
  • Affordable and offers a free plan and a pay-as-you-go plan

Cons:

  • No free plan or trial available
  • Editor can be confusing and restrictive at times
  • Expensive compared to some competitors
  • Does not have a native mobile app or a desktop app
  • Does not support offline mode or local storage
  • Workflow does not have a built-in testing or debugging environment

Plans and Pricing

Webflow pricing

Workflow offers five plans for different needs and budgets:

  • Free plan: You get 1 domain and can create up to 50 workflows submissions and run up to 50 CMS items per month for free. You also get access to basic features and integrations, plus 1GB of bandwidth.
  • Basic plan: You can custom your domain and can create 500 form submissions for $14 per month. You also get access to advanced features and integrations, plus 50GB of bandwidth.
  • CMS plan: You get a custom domain and can create 2000 form submissions for $23 per month. You also get access to advanced features and integrations, plus 200GB of bandwidth, and 3 content editors. You also get access to premium features and integrations.
  • Business plan: You get a custom domain and can create 10,000+ form submissions for $39 per month. You also get access to advanced features and integrations, plus 400GB of bandwidth, and 10 content editors. You also get access to premium features and integrations.

There’s also an enterprise plan to choose as an option.

Overall Conclusion

Workflow is a powerful and user-friendly platform that can help you automate and optimize your business processes. It can help you save time, reduce errors, improve efficiency, and enhance collaboration. If you are looking for a solution that can handle your workflow needs without coding or complexity, you should give Workflow a try.

Godaddy

Godaddy web builder

If you’re looking for a simple and easy way to create a website, you might have come across GoDaddy. This company allows you to build a website without any coding or design skills. But is it a good option for your needs?

Key Features

  • A drag-and-drop interface that lets you customize your site with different elements, such as text, images, videos, buttons, forms and more.
  • A library of templates that are designed for different industries and purposes, such as business, portfolio, blog, online store and more.
  • A mobile-friendly design that automatically adapts to different screen sizes and devices.
  • A built-in SEO tool that helps you optimize your site for search engines and rank higher on Google.
  • A free domain name for the first year when you sign up for a paid plan.
  • A free SSL certificate that encrypts your site and protects your visitors’ data.
  • A 24/7 customer support team that can help you with any issues or questions.

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Pros:

  • Easy to use and suitable for beginners who have no coding or design skills
  • Affordable and offers a free plan with limited features and a 14-day free trial for the paid plans
  • Has a variety of templates that can suit different needs and preferences
  • Offers a fast and reliable hosting service that ensures your site is always online and secure

Cons:

  • Has limited customization options and does not allow you to access the HTML or CSS code of your site
  • Has limited integrations with third-party apps and services, such as email marketing, analytics, social media and more
  • Has limited e-commerce features and does not support advanced functions, such as inventory management, shipping options, tax calculations and more
  • Has limited blogging features and does not support comments, categories, tags or RSS feeds

Plans and Pricing

GoDaddy Website Builder offers four plans to choose from: Basic, Standard, Premium and Ecommerce. The prices range from $9.99 to $16.99 per month when billed annually. Here is a summary of what each plan includes:

  • Basic: This plan is suitable for personal or hobby websites. It includes 1 GB of storage, 150 GB of bandwidth, a free domain name for the first year, a free SSL certificate, basic SEO tools and 24/7 support.
  • Standard: This plan is suitable for small businesses or professional websites. It includes everything in the Basic plan plus 10 GB of storage, 500 GB of bandwidth, advanced SEO tools and email marketing tools.
  • Premium: This plan is suitable for growing businesses or websites that need more features. It includes everything in the Standard plan plus unlimited storage, unlimited bandwidth, social media integration tools and online appointment scheduling tools.
  • Ecommerce: This plan is suitable for online stores or websites that sell products or services. It includes everything in the Premium plan plus e-commerce features, such as product catalog, shopping cart, payment options, order management and more.

Overall Conclusion

GoDaddy Website Builder is a good option for anyone who wants to create a website quickly and easily without any coding or design skills. It offers a simple and intuitive interface, a variety of templates, a mobile-friendly design, a free domain name and SSL certificate, a reliable hosting service and a 24/7 support team. However, it also has some limitations that might affect your website’s performance and functionality. It does not allow you to customize your site’s code or integrate it with many third-party apps or services. It also does not offer advanced e-commerce or blogging features that might be essential for some websites. Therefore, we recommend GoDaddy Website Builder for simple or basic websites that do not require much customization or integration. If you need more flexibility or functionality for your website, you might want to look for other alternatives.

Weebly

Weebly website builder

Weebly lets you create professional websites with no coding knowledge. It’s one of the simplest and most affordable site builders on the market, offering a free option as well as premium plans starting at $10 per month with annual billing.

Key Features

  • Drag-and-drop editor that allows you to customize your site with ease
  • Unlimited storage and bandwidth for most of its plans
  • SEO, email and social media marketing tools to help you grow your online presence
  • Mobile-responsive sites that look great on any device
  • E-commerce features that let you sell products or services online

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Pros:

  • Free forever plan that lets you create a basic website with a Weebly subdomain
  • Competitively-priced premium plans that offer more features and remove ads
  • Easy to use and no programming skills required
  • Free SSL security that protects your site and visitors

Cons:

  • Site has Square ads unless paying for the Professional plan and above
  • Limited customization options compared to other site builders
  • Phone support only available on Professional plan and above

Plans and Pricing

Weebly offers four plans: Free, Personal, Professional and Performance.

The Free plan lets you create a website with a Weebly subdomain, 500 MB of storage and basic features.

The Personal plan costs $10 per month with annual billing or $13 per month with monthly billing and lets you connect your own domain, remove Square ads and get unlimited storage.

The Professional plan costs $12 per month with annual billing or $16 per month with monthly billing and adds phone support, site search, video backgrounds and password protection.

The Performance plan costs $26 per month with annual billing or $29 per month with monthly billing and adds e-commerce features such as inventory management, shipping labels, coupons and abandoned cart emails.

Overall Conclusion

Weebly is a great option for anyone who wants to create a professional website or online store quickly and without a steep learning curve. It offers a free option as well as affordable premium plans that suit different needs and budgets. It has a user-friendly drag-and-drop editor that lets you customize your site with ease. It also has SEO, email and social media marketing tools to help you grow your online presence. However, it has some limitations in terms of customization options and phone support compared to other site builders. If you’re looking for more flexibility and control over your site design, you might want to consider other options such as Wix or Squarespace.

WordPress

Wordpress website builder

WordPress is a popular website builder and content management system (CMS) that offers a lot of flexibility and customization options.

WordPress has thousands of themes and plugins that allow users to create unique and functional websites. Users can also access and modify the code of WordPress to achieve more advanced customization. WordPress is an open source platform, which means it is constantly updated and improved by a large community of developers and users.

Key Features

  • Full site editing: Users can now edit their entire website using blocks, including headers, footers, sidebars, and templates.
  • Collaboration: Users can now co-author content with other users in real time, using features like comments, revisions, and workflows.
  • Multilingual: Users can now create and manage multilingual websites using core WordPress features, without relying on third-party plugins or services.

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Pros:

  • Free: WordPress itself is free to use, although users need to pay for web hosting and domain name
  • Flexible: WordPress can be used to create any type of website, from blogs to e-commerce stores to portfolios
  • Customizable: WordPress offers a high level of control over the design and functionality of websites, with thousands of themes and plugins to choose from
  • Scalable: WordPress can handle high traffic and large amounts of content, with options to optimize performance and security

Cons:

  • Complex: WordPress has a steep learning curve for beginners, and requires coding knowledge for more advanced customization
  • Costly: WordPress can be expensive to maintain, as users need to pay for web hosting, premium themes and plugins, backups, updates, and support
  • Risky: WordPress can be vulnerable to plugin conflicts, hacking, spamming, and other issues that can break or compromise websites

Plans and Pricing

Wordpress plans and pricing

WordPress itself is free to use, but users need to pay for web hosting and domain name. WordPress.com itself is offering additional features and premium plugins and services for additional fees, with prices range between Free and up to $45 per month for the commerce website. Alternatively, there are many web hosting providers that offer WordPress hosting plans at different prices and features. Some of the popular ones are:

  • Bluehost: Starts from $2.95 per month for shared hosting with free domain name, SSL certificate, automatic WordPress installation and updates, and 24/7 support.
  • SiteGround: Starts from $4.99 per month for managed WordPress hosting with free SSL certificate, CDN, email accounts, daily backups, staging tool, and 24/7 support.
  • WP Engine: Starts from $25 per month for managed WordPress hosting with free SSL certificate, CDN, staging tool, automated backups and updates, 24/7 support, and access to premium themes.

Overall Conclusion

WordPress is a powerful and versatile website builder and CMS that can suit the needs of different users and projects. It offers a lot of customization options and features that can help users create unique and functional websites. However, it also has some drawbacks that users need to consider before choosing it as their platform. Users need to have some technical skills and budget to use WordPress effectively and securely. WordPress is not ideal for everyone, but it is definitely one of the best options available in 2024.

What is a Website builder?

A website builder is a tool that allows you to create a website without coding or hiring a developer. You can choose from a variety of templates, customize them with your own content and images, and publish your site online. Some of the key features that you should look for in a website builder are:

  • Ease of use: The website builder should be user-friendly and intuitive, so that you can create your site without any hassle or frustration.
  • Design flexibility: The website builder should offer a wide range of templates and themes that suit your niche and style. You should also be able to customize them with your own colors, fonts, logos, and other elements.
  • Functionality: The website builder should provide you with the tools and features that you need to make your site functional and engaging. For example, you might want to add a blog, an online store, a contact form, a newsletter sign-up, social media integration, etc.
  • SEO: The website builder should help you optimize your site for search engines, so that you can rank higher and attract more visitors. This includes features such as mobile responsiveness, fast loading speed, SSL encryption, meta tags, etc.
  • Support: The website builder should offer you reliable and helpful customer support, in case you encounter any issues or have any questions. You should also have access to tutorials, guides, forums, and other resources to help you learn and grow.

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Disclosure: Please note that we may receive affiliate compensation for some of the links below, at no expense to you, should you decide to purchase a paid plan. This blog does not provide financial advice, it is purely for entertainment and fun.

20 Best Podcasts to Listen to in 2024

Podcasts are a great way to learn new things, get inspired, or simply enjoy some quality entertainment. Whether you are looking for something to listen to on your commute, during your workout, or while relaxing at home, there is a podcast for every occasion and interest. Here are 15 of the best podcasts to listen to in 2024 in all categories, from comedy to science to history and more.

Technology

The Vergecast

The Vergecast is the flagship podcast of The Verge, one of the leading tech news and media platforms. Hosted by Nilay Patel, Dieter Bohn and other Verge editors and reporters, The Vergecast covers everything from gadgets, apps, software, hardware, social media, gaming, entertainment and more. The Vergecast is known for its lively and informative discussions, interviews with tech leaders and experts, and deep dives into the most important topics in tech. The Vergecast is released every Friday and has a runtime of about an hour.

How I Built This

How I Built This is a podcast by NPR that tells the stories of how some of the most successful entrepreneurs and innovators in the world built their businesses and products. Hosted by Guy Raz, How I Built This features interviews with founders and CEOs of companies like Airbnb, Shopify, Spotify, Instagram, Slack and more. How I Built This is inspiring, educational and entertaining. You can learn from the challenges, failures and successes of these tech pioneers and get insights into their vision, strategy and mindset. How I Built This is released every Monday and has a runtime of about 45 minutes.

CodeNewbie

CodeNewbie is a podcast for anyone who wants to learn how to code or improve their coding skills. Hosted by Saron Yitbarek, CodeNewbie features interviews with developers, programmers, engineers and educators who share their stories, tips, resources and advice on how to start or advance your coding journey. CodeNewbie is friendly, supportive and inclusive. You can find episodes on topics like web development, data science, machine learning, cybersecurity, game development and more. CodeNewbie is released every Wednesday and has a runtime of about 30 minutes.

TechCrunch Mixtape

TechCrunch Mixtape is a podcast by TechCrunch that explores the intersection of tech, culture and society. Hosted by Megan Rose Dickey and Henry Pickavet, TechCrunch Mixtape covers topics like diversity and inclusion in tech, social justice and activism in tech, ethics and regulation in tech, emerging technologies and trends in tech and more. TechCrunch Mixtape features interviews with tech leaders, influencers, activists and thinkers who share their perspectives and opinions on the current and future state of tech. TechCrunch Mixtape is released every Thursday and has a runtime of about 40 minutes.

AI Today

AI Today is a podcast by Cognilytica that focuses on artificial intelligence (AI) and its impact on various industries, domains and applications. Hosted by Kathleen Walch and Ron Schmelzer, AI Today covers topics like AI use cases, AI best practices, AI challenges and opportunities, AI research and innovation, AI ethics and governance and more. AI Today features interviews with AI experts, practitioners, researchers and thought leaders who share their insights and experiences on how AI is transforming the world. AI Today is released every Tuesday and has a runtime of about 25 minutes.

Business and Entrepreneurship

If you want to learn from successful entrepreneurs, get insights into the latest trends and innovations, or get motivated to start or grow your own business, these podcasts are for you.

The Tim Ferriss Show

This podcast is hosted by Tim Ferriss, the author of The 4-Hour Workweek and other best-selling books. He interviews world-class performers from various fields, such as sports, entertainment, science, and business. You will learn their secrets, habits, routines, and tips for achieving excellence.

Masters of Scale with Reid Hoffman

This podcast is hosted by Reid Hoffman, the co-founder of LinkedIn and a legendary investor. He interviews some of the most influential entrepreneurs and leaders in the world, such as Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Sara Blakely, and more. You will learn how they scaled their businesses from zero to billions of users or customers.

Health and Wellness

If you want to improve your physical and mental health, boost your energy and mood, or learn more about nutrition, fitness, or mindfulness, these podcasts are for you.

The Doctor’s Farmacy with Mark Hyman

This podcast is hosted by Mark Hyman, a renowned doctor and author who specializes in functional medicine. He explores the root causes of chronic diseases and how to prevent and reverse them using food as medicine. He also interviews experts on topics such as gut health, brain health, aging well, and more.

The Happiness Lab with Laurie Santos

This podcast is hosted by Laurie Santos, a professor of psychology at Yale University who teaches a popular course on happiness. She reveals the science behind happiness and well-being and how we can apply it to our daily lives. She also interviews guests who share their experiences and challenges on their happiness journeys.

The Mindbodygreen Podcast with Jason Wachob

This podcast is hosted by Jason Wachob, the founder and co-CEO of Mindbodygreen, a leading media platform for wellness. He interviews some of the most influential and inspiring figures in the wellness space, such as Deepak Chopra, Brené Brown, Gwyneth Paltrow, and more. You will learn about their philosophies, practices, and tips on how to live a healthier and happier life.

Entertainment

If you want to have some fun, laugh out loud, or get immersed in fascinating stories and conversations, these podcasts are for you.

Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend

This podcast is hosted by Conan O’Brien, the famous comedian and late-night talk show host. He interviews celebrities, comedians, musicians, authors, and other interesting people who he wants to be friends with. You will enjoy their hilarious banter, personal stories, and insights into their lives and careers.

The Daily Show with Trevor Noah: Ears Edition

If you love the witty and hilarious commentary of Trevor Noah on The Daily Show, you will love this podcast version that features highlights from the show, as well as exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content. The podcast covers the latest news and current events with a dose of humor and satire.

99% Invisible

This podcast is about design, architecture, and the hidden stories behind everyday things. Hosted by Roman Mars, 99% Invisible reveals how design shapes our world and our lives in ways that we often don’t notice or appreciate. You will discover the history and meaning behind objects such as flags, coins, maps, bridges, and more.

Comedy Bang! Bang!

This podcast is a comedy show that features improv games, sketches, characters, and celebrity guests. Hosted by Scott Aukerman, Comedy Bang! Bang! is unpredictable, absurd, and hilarious. You will laugh out loud at the antics of regular guests such as Paul F. Tompkins, Jason Mantzoukas, Lauren Lapkus, and more.

Society & Culture

Serial

This is one of the most popular and acclaimed podcasts of all time, and for good reason. Serial is a true crime podcast that investigates a single case over multiple episodes, revealing new twists and turns along the way. The podcast is hosted by Sarah Koenig, who is a master storyteller and journalist. The first season focused on the murder of Hae Min Lee in 1999 and the conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed. The second season explored the case of Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier who was captured by the Taliban and later released in a controversial exchange. The third season delved into the criminal justice system in Cleveland, Ohio.

Radiolab

This podcast is a blend of science, philosophy, and art, exploring the mysteries and wonders of life and the universe. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, Radiolab features stories that are fascinating, surprising, and sometimes mind-blowing. You will learn about topics such as memory, language, morality, time, and more.

Stuff You Should Know

This podcast is exactly what it sounds like: a show that teaches you stuff you should know about various topics. Hosted by Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant, Stuff You Should Know covers everything from history to science to culture to pop culture. You will learn about things such as how vaccines work, why we have daylight saving time, what is deja vu, and more.

The Joe Rogan Experience

This podcast is one of the most popular and influential podcasts in the world, featuring long-form conversations with guests from different fields and backgrounds. Hosted by comedian and UFC commentator Joe Rogan, The Joe Rogan Experience covers topics such as comedy, sports, politics, philosophy, psychology, health, and more. You will hear honest and unfiltered opinions and insights from Joe and his guests such as Elon Musk, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Bill Burr, and more.

This American Life

This podcast is a classic and one of the most respected and beloved podcasts in the world. Hosted by Ira Glass This American Life features stories that are true personal and captivating. Each episode has a theme
or topic such as love, fear, family or secrets. You will hear stories that are funny, sad, touching or shocking.

TED Radio Hour

This podcast is a collaboration between NPR and TED, featuring ideas and stories from some of the most inspiring and innovative speakers in the world. Each episode explores a theme or topic from different perspectives, such as happiness, creativity, or courage. You will learn something new and be amazed by the power of ideas.

Step by Step on How to Set Up Your Business Blog

The beauty of the blog is its ability to connect a business with its audience. That could be its customers, its stakeholders, its clients or even its employees. A blog is an excellent choice of online content that can drive traffic towards your product or your services, entertain readers and promote your brand.

If your business doesn’t have one, it could be that you haven’t known where exactly to start.

Come up with your idea

An idea might be good, but if you don’t believe in it, will you put the work in to make it a success? Your blog premise should be coming from your heart, something that you are passionate about, compliments your product and entertains the reader.

Something ground-breaking wouldn’t hurt, but it doesn’t always have to be complicated. Straightforward content like answering frequently asked questions or listicles, articles in the form of a list, are often useful.

Decide on your platform

If you already have your own website, you will probably want to start your blog there, on a new page. Make sure it is evident from the home page and a distinctive part of your brand – the blog could have a slightly different font or web design to the more “business” parts of your site.

If you’re creating your blog from scratch, there are several easy to use platforms you can choose from, for example, Blogger or WordPress.

Choose your writer

Maybe you are a wordsmith yourself, and within your business, you have the time to sit down and get creative. If you do, fantastic. If not, you might want to hire a blog writer or, if that isn’t financially viable, pay writers on a freelance basis to do so. If there is a budding blogger in your ranks already, offer them the opportunity to show off their knowledge and flair.

Alternatives to in-house writing are explained by Click Intelligence with guest blogging a popular option. Whoever it is uploading on your blog, their content should be tailored to your company, creative and engaging.

Promote your blog

Once your blog is up and running, you want people to read it. You’ve had the bright idea, your product is golden, and your writer is talented. That’s all going to waste if nobody is paying any attention.

Improving your social media presence will help provide you with a platform on which you can share your blog. If you already have an active social media channel, use it to share out your blog using hashtags and linking to relevant pages. This will improve the chances of your post being seen and, hopefully, clicked on.

Getting guest writers or doing interviews is another excellent way to promote your blog. If somebody has been interviewed for one of your articles, they are sure to share it in their circles and increase your reputation. You should also post regularly so that people don’t click on your blog and see that it hasn’t been updated in months and forget about you.

Conclusion

Blogs are an easy but exciting way to converse with your audience, drive traffic to your website and keep your brand fresh. Remember to be creative and produce a varied range of content. Once there is a decent number of posts on your blog, your audience is more likely to come back again, or spend longer clicking around your website. Most of all, make it a fun part of your business.

Download Managers: How to manage Internet Content Transfers

Download managers are a great way to manage content transfers from the Internet. Very useful, always, in the current era of increased traffic by telework, tele-study and leisure consumption imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, its use is advisable to improve transfers.

It allows you to take full advantage of the performance that the Internet connection you have contracted allows, whether you have a faster fiber optic connection or an ADSL. Although the acceleration of transfers is its strong point, download managers have other advantages as they allow you to automate transfers, schedule them, resume them, and generally better manage and administer content. In this article we are going to review the operation of the software and offer a  few existing free options.

How download managers work

These types of applications use mirror websites ( multiple mirrors ) with similar to speed up the download or automatically choose between several servers that have the file available, opting for the one that offers better stability and performance.

Another important point is its ability to resume deliberately paused downloads or interrupted by server or line error without losing the part of the files that had been downloaded until then. Additionally, it prevents an unfinished download from being corrupted if there is an accidental disconnection.

They also allow us to automate and schedule downloads or uploads at the time that interests us most, usually outside of the working day or at night when the networks are less saturated, in addition to downloading a large number of files at the same time prioritizing performance over those We are more interested in or limit the download speed so as not to saturate the connection and allow us to use the equipment in functions such as navigation

Other added benefits of download managers is file type management and more accurate information on transfer speed and download times. Some applications integrate antivirus for malware checking or a viewer for video and audio preview.

Download managers for browsers

This type of software has enough performance, administration and control advantages to keep a dedicated application installed. But if you think that you will only use it in these times of confinement due to traffic congestion, you can start without having to install independent applications by activating some of the existing plugins for the main web browsers, such as:

1. DownThemAll (Firefox)

It is the manager that we like the most for the Mozilla web browser and one of the best absolute integrators you can find. Its integration with Mozilla is perfect and it is even integrated in the Firefox download menu. It is capable of detecting all the media links on a web page (with the corresponding filters), automatically downloading at high speed and allowing them to be summarized.

2. Video Download Helper (Firefox and Chrome)

Ideal if you are looking for a program for occasional video downloads on the web. It does not work with some YouTube videos as it usually happens with these managers.

Chrono Download Manager (Chrome). Exclusive to the Google browser, it integrates very well with the interface and use of its download system. Includes the “Chrono Sniffer” function that detects all links, images, audio and video on a web page.

3. Fruumo Download Manager

Without as much integration as the previous one, it does its job as a manager in the Google browser with an intuitive interface. Very simple, but download, pause and resume downloads like the rest.

4. EagleGet

Without the power of the installable version, you can integrate it into Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Opera.

ALSO READ: Bollywood Box Office Collections and Verdict Report

Independent download managers

For those who want to keep browsers as clean as possible and the most complete options in download managers, independent applications are the ones that work best. We leave you some of the most interesting:

1. JDownloader

One of the most used especially when we work with direct download services and multiple files. An open source platform written in Java with a lot of plugins to use with the options of the previous ones, such as the separation in packages to allow to pause and continue the downloads individually.

It has captcha recognition, allowing batches of downloads without user intervention. In addition to Windows, it has versions for Linux and Mac. If you use many direct download servers, it’s a reference.

2. FlashGet

A classic download manager that has been with us for nearly 20 years and that promises to speed up transfers “between 6 and 10 times”. It includes the general characteristics of a download manager including virus checking. You can download from websites, from FTP and even .torrent files although in this case it is always better to use a dedicated P2P client.

To start a download, simply drag the download link into a small window that acts as a minimal interface. An interface that could use an update, although for many it is still the best in the industry. It also has a portable application.

3. Free Download Manager

Another good download manager (free alternative to the well-known Internet Download Manager) that can also be used in a portable version on all your Windows devices without the need for installation.

Like the previous download managers, it increases the download speed by dividing the file into pieces and connecting from various mirror sites, it allows you to resume and schedule downloads, a video and audio viewer before the download is finished, and a long etc. It includes the HTML Spider function that allows you to download entire websites.

4. EagleGet

Simple and efficient, it promises to increase the download speed by up to six times what it would take for simple direct download from a web browser.

It is multilanguage, has pause and resume capabilities, day and time programming, integrity checker, malware checker and even video format converter.

5. BitComet

You probably know it more as a client for BitTorrent, but it also includes support for HTTP and FTP protocols, which allows it to act as download managers.

 

Please let us know if you ever used any download manager, and which of the ones is your top most favorite.

Why Your Site Desperately Needs Search Engine Optimization

You have probably heard about search engine optimization (SEO). From a scientific point of view, search engine optimization is a series of steps aimed at increasing the site’s search results. By using SEO, you can list new user sites quite high on search engine sites. High-ranking websites can be found on the first available search engine page, while lower-ranking websites can be found several pages down.

Today, Internet users are impatient and refuse to search for information for more than a few minutes. Content that cannot be found is useless. Your site needs information that can be found easily. According to HigherVisibility, it is important for online companies to optimize their website SEO.

6 Important Elements of SEO

• Your Target Audience & Niche

• Research Keywords

• Intent of User

• Analytics and Reporting

• Mobile and Technical  SEO

• Crawling and Indexing

Why optimize your company’s SEO?

The Internet has been used mainly to collect information, but the situation has changed significantly. The growing number of Internet users and new technologies is a good marketing tool with many other factors. The growth of e-commerce, for example, shows that Internet technology can benefit website owners.

For any Internet user seeking similar goods or services, online advertising may be useful. Statistics show that more than a third of Americans are Internet users. With an online presence, a company is more attractive and accessible to the public. Consider this, there may be thousands of people every day looking for your products, but because your website lacks SEO, they buy from your competitors instead of you.

This is not necessarily because your competitors are better, their site has just found an effective way to top search engines. As hard as it might look, high rankings are not rocket science. Your website can also use search engines to get lots of traffic. It only requires a little optimization.

Does my site have to be the first result on search engines?

The answer, yes. There are many reasons why you need your site to rank in the top 5 sites. First and foremost, being highlighted on search engines in this way links your business to being one of the most famous companies in your city. A customer often gets a great first impression and can plan to visit your business based solely on the visibility of your site.

Your prestigious rank gives customers greater confidence in your company, even if they have never experienced your service personally. This method seems stereotypical but works almost 100 percent of the time. That is why SEO supports and often uses this stereotype to its advantage. Major sites are usually seen as the most prestigious company with the best service.

Secondly, many people will be interested in a first-page ranking site simply because Internet users are impatient. It is well known that 95% of Internet users do not look beyond the first 10 sites on the results page, so the higher the rank, the bigger the traffic. With a website on the fourth page of your search engine, you’re almost guaranteed to have a failed online business. The fourth page typically attracts less than 2 percent of Internet users. Consistently aim for the top five search results, and you can’t go wrong.

Why does the list of requirements matter?

The optimization of search engines requires time and money and the involvement of a number of experts, including customer experts. Your site cannot be on a competitive market to ensure rapid results. The promotion doesn’t stop, even after a site is secured in the top ranks. The content must be updated regularly.

Search engines also rank sites according to how much time a user spends on a page, but a large amount of text does not attract visitors. Actually, it’s known to do the opposite. Some good ways to keep your visitors’ attention would be to use thematic videos, high-quality photography and info-graphs to divide the articles into blocks. Quality content must be created, but you don’t have to do all the work alone. Experts, authors, publishers, designers, and photographers are available on freelance websites to help you add a new online article with at least 5,000 characters or more every two weeks.

What We Can Learn from Google Updates to Improve Our Marketing Strategies and Performance

Some digital marketers might yearn for life without Google updates because they think that it would be easier for them to attain the marketing goals. However, is it so? Those who are even slightly aware of the good that the updates can do for marketers would prefer to take its advantage for taking their marketing initiatives to new heights. The updates are the early signs of things to come and the sooner you can pick the signals, gain knowledge and stay prepared; you stand to make good gains in SEO. You will experience improvement in search rankings and traffic flow that promises of higher conversions and sales

Updates will happen

Google has to keep launching updates, which are nothing, but algorithmic changes, most of which are minor and few major ones. The Google search algorithm undergoes regular and continuous changes because of Google’s commitment to serving users with the best experience in searching. Indeed, this is not the only reason because the need to stay updated with the technological advancements compels Google to update the algorithm time and again. On an average, Google releases 500 to 600 updates in a year, and this has been happening ever since its inception. It points to the fact that Google works relentlessly to provide the best platform for online marketers.

Staying updated

The continuous changes happening in the technological arena like the advent of the social media, the popularity of mobile devices and similar developments impact the behavior of users. As user behavior keeps changing, Google adjusts its algorithms to suit the behavior of providing them the best experience.  As a result, marketers receive new directives in the form of updates. A typical effect of Google update resulted in providing a guide for real backlinks when the focus shifted to the quality of backlinks and not its quantity as it used to be earlier. In this article, we have discussed the reasons that prompt Google to release updates. We will also evaluate the benefits marketers derive from updates.

Updates can do much good to marketers

Although there are reservations among some marketers about Google updates, there is no good reason for it. Google wants to keep improving its game and marketers who can adjust to the changes as quickly as possible, would reap the rewards.  There is a wrong perception about updates that marketers look upon it as some penal action, which it is not.  Taking the updates in the right spirit would elevate the marketing campaign, as marketers can derive lots of benefits from updates. It is the unnecessary fear that arises from ignorance that holds back marketers from taking advantage of Google updates.  However, marketers have no choice but stay tuned to the updates or algorithmic changes because being on the wrong side would spell the doom for the marketing campaign.

The motivation for creating high-quality content

Content is the prime mover of the marketing campaign, and it is not for nothing that people consider content as king in marketing.  Despite admitting the need for quality content, marketers often tend to lose direction in marketing and fall back upon low quality and thin content hoping to make gains in link building. However, with the release of Google Panda update, there is no place for any low-quality content in the campaign. As low-quality content drives you nowhere, the update compels marketers to create high-quality unique content that is long enough to provide its inherent strength.

Well-researched, informative and relevant content creates better user engagement, reduces bounce rates, drives more traffic and improves conversions. Long content attracts Google too, as it looks upon it as value providing content that is capable of improving search rankings. In-depth, innovative and educational content that we now see around us is the result of Google Panda update.

Keep the content fresh

Google updates have helped to do away with stale content. Marketers eager to remain in the good books of Google have understood how important it is to maintain a steady pipeline of contents so that they can serve fresh content to viewers. Whenever you publish fresh content on the website, Google not only indexes it but also awards a score for it. To keep earning the recognition of Google, marketers have no choice but keep producing fresh content on a continuous basis that ultimately pushes up search rankings. At least, one new content every week is the norm today.

Increased brand awareness

Some of Google’s algorithmic changes have compelled marketers to give more emphasis on branding.  The trend of stuffing internal links with keyword rich anchor text is now gone. Instead, including brand names in the anchor text has helped marketers to give the brand building exercise a boost.

Updates are good for marketers provided you can understand it in the right perspective.

 

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About the author: Derek Iwasiuk is a Google webmaster who has acted as a guide for real backlinks in several top-notch SEO projects.  His knowledge and experience have helped many marketers to change their fortunes. Derek is fond of books and reading thrillers is what excites him most.

This Amazing Public WiFi Chart Shows a Massive Access Growth in Europe

Over the last five years, public WiFi has become far more accessible throughout Europe. From 16 million public hotspots in 2013, there are now more than 100 million across the continent, with countries such as Italy, Norway and Austria drastically improving their WiFi availability in that time. However, the Irish government has come under fire recently for substantial delays in the implementation of broadband availability to remote regions of the country.

While great strides have been made in public WiFi availability since 2013, the EU continues to work towards grandiose medium-terms to improve the service further. Within the next two years, it intends to have free WiFi in every municipality in Europe and a minimum download speed of 100MB per second in all households. By 2025, it hopes to introduce 5G broadband throughout the continent, although progress on this remains slow for the short-term.

In an increasingly digital age, the need for reliable public WiFi has never been greater, even though international roaming charges have largely been abolished. The infographic below, which was created by Paradyn, shows how substantially European public WiFi has grown and why this growth shows no sign of stalling.

How To Write An Email People Will Actually Open

 

Despite email lists being an age-old technique, it is still one of best marketing assets that you have from a business perspective. In fact, almost 59% of all B2B marketers state that this is their preferred method when it comes to developing interest, and fishing for leads.

But… it’s not that easy.

Out of the millions of email campaigns out there, the highest industry open rate is a mere 28%, the worst part about that? Only 5-percent of this 30% actually bothered to click on the links in the email (the place where the magic happens).

Woah…

Enough of the statistics! Let’s get into our tips to help you write emails that capture the attention span of potential leads and drive them down your sales funnel.

Your Subject Line Will Either Make Or Break Your Email Campaign

The attention span of your perfect customer is eight-seconds. That’s it. In this time, your email needs to stand out against the crowd in their inbox. It needs to create interest, and desire to open the email, and find out what all the buzz is about.

Subject lines need to be short, descriptive and to the point. Remember, what you can see on your computer – is not necessarily what you will be able to see on a smartphone (where majority of consumers spend their time).

Typically, you should aim to keep your subject lines under 50 characters. That’s the safe zone. Also – studies have shown that the subject line should only have the first letter of the first word capitalized. Leaving the rest lowercase actually has an impact on your open rate.

The Preheader Text – Furthering Your Net

The next thing you want to pay attention to is the first couple of lines in your email. This is also known as the preheader text. From an inbox standpoint, the first sentence (roughly 8-10 words) is shown right next to the subject line.

It is important that this matches your subject line, which will further the intrigue you create. Leading them down the yellow brick road to clicking your email and giving it a quick read.

Personalization Is The Way To Go

In the digital era, segregation is crazy. More people are spending their times feeling connected while being isolated in their home then actually going out and enjoying social experiences. This all leads to the craving to feel like they are a part of a community.

Which is why your email campaigns need to include some form of personalization.

For example, your lead generation tool should capture the email address, and at least the first-name of the individual signing up. This will mean you can send a nifty “Hey John Doe”, which consumers appreciate.

Another great idea.

Make use of your list segregation. This is a great way to not only lead your customers through the sales funnel. But also, to build brand trust, and create desire behind the product or service that you have on offer.

Send Through An Awesome Video To Improve Lead Conversion And Click Through Rates

You hear it all the time. Including images and videos in your email marketing campaigns is a big no-no.

Well, it’s partly true.

It all depends on the engagement that you have on your email lists. The reason why some consider this as a no-no is because these emails are more likely to end up in the spam folder. But if you have loyal subscribers that look out for your email on a regular basis – this is not a problem you need to worry about.

Which is where you can take full advantage of videos in your email to improve lead conversions. It could be anything really. For example, a cool animated video explaining exactly how your service works. There are companies that can help you record and send video, while minimizing the risk of ending up in the “no mans land” spam folder.

Be Consistent With Your Email Newsletters (Probably The Most Important Part)

Marketing in modern society is based on the AIDA principle. Which is essentially creating awareness of your brand, driving interest to your product/service, instilling a desire into potential customers, which then turns into an action when they purchase what you have on offer.

The entire ideology behind a marketing campaign is to take them from “being interested” to having enough “desire” to actually click through and pay you for your product/service.

But if they never know when to expect an email, you are losing half of your influence.

Which is why being consistent is super important. Now, we are not saying you need to worry about posting on a daily basis. But we would recommend having a specific day of the week, at roughly the same time when subscribers can expect your email.

Time Your Emails Properly

The next important part of getting your emails opened is the timing. Which still falls under the being consistent flag.

For example, if you have a blog that focuses on healthy recipes for breakfast. Sending a newsletter in the evening wouldn’t exactly help, now would it?

Make sure you know where the majority of your audience is, and what time best suits them for the type of content you will be sending their way. Keep these tips in mind and you’ll be sending better emails in no time.

 

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Author Bio: Susan Ranford is an expert on career coaching, business advice, and workplace rights. She has written for New York Jobs, IAmWire, and ZipJob. In her blogging and writing, she seeks to shed light on issues related to employment, business, and finance to help others understand different industries and find the right job fit for them.

Amazon Echo Vs. Google Home: Which Is Best?

Many of you will be thinking about buying a smart speaker. You may have read articles and looked at prices, but you’re left a bit confused when one person says they prefer the Amazon Echo and says Google Home is superior. This infographic from Half Price takes you through how the two compare in different areas.

Let’s look at the voice assistant feature and according to the infographic the Echo wins because of an extremely comprehensive skills category. Skills are essentially smartphone apps and can help you do things like learn a new word.

However, for music and movie playback, it looks as if the Home is the clear winner. It allows you to listen to audio from Google Play Music and of course YouTube. You can also stream music and movies to the speaker or even connect to other speakers in the house if you’re using a Chromecast.

The reality is that both devices are always improving, and it will be interesting to see how they develop over the next few years. Find out more in the infographic.

How to Recover Your Lost Data?

More and more often we find ourselves thinking about where we saved a specific file or folder. After all, between the PC, laptop, smartphone, tablet, and so many other gadgets, it’s easy to forget. However, even though this might be a pain, the truth is that the worst thing that can happen is that you figure out where you saved that file or folder and when you try to access it, it’s just not there. So, what happened to this file or folder? You just need it back at all costs.

The truth is that when you’re using a PC or a Mac, the first thing you need to do is to open the Recycle Bin or the Trash, respectively. And now, you suddenly discover that it’s not there. Your work is all gone. So, don’t get in despair right away. There are always solutions, and one of the best software to recover deleted files is EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free.

Simply put, EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free is a very easy to use free data recovery software that helps you retrieve all those deleted files from different drives. You can now recover deleted files from your PC, Mac, laptop, but also from your SD cards, USB, digital camera, among so many others. And for free.

In order to recover deleted files, the first thing that you need to do is to install EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free on your computer or Mac. They have a different version for each operating system, which is really great. So, just download the free data recovery software, install it, and run it.

The first thing that you’ll be asked to do is to select where you lost your data. In case it was on your laptop, just click the Local Disk. In case you can’t find it on a USB drive or an SD card, just make sure that you already have it connected to your computer and that you select it. Then, just press Quick Scan. This feature will probably allow you to recover deleted files. However, in case it doesn’t, you still have the option to use the Deep Scan. However, please notice that this will take a lot longer. Even though, you can always pause it and resume later.

One of the best things about the EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free is the fact that you can easily import and export the scanning results.

At last, when you get a list with all the files and folders that this free data recovery software was able to find, you can simply move them to your hard drive again. One thing that might be useful is to preview them before you recover them to make sure they are the files and folders that you’re looking for.

As you can see, there is nothing to be afraid of when you just notice that you deleted some files or folders by mistake or that you lost them when you needed to format your computer or laptop. With EaseUS EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard Free, you will be able to recover deleted files with ease. In addition, this free data recovery system works very well for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

How Huawei and Fortune 500 Companies are completing the Digital Transformation Journey?

Yan Lida, President of Huawei Enterprise Business, Huawei Connect 2017 (credit: Huawei)

We live in an era of unprecedented technological innovation.

According to Forrester Research, only 12% of the Fortune 500 companies from 1955 remain Fortune 500 companies today.

Why?

Most likely because, as Forrester research discovered, only 27% of businesses have a coherent digital transformation strategy for creating customer value in place. Yet, many companies are placing digital transformation at the center of their strategies through 2020.

Over the last few years, digital transformation has become an industry megatrend. Legacy enterprises are forced to embrace this critical shift out of fear of becoming obsolete.

Innovation and growth are no longer optional to the enterprise.

Today, enterprises use ICT technology to improve working efficiency, create business innovations, and provide better customer service.
For many of these Fortune 500 companies, the challenge is to develop new business models that increase connection and engagement. What’s needed is a digital transformation platform that connects intelligence, data, and devices, enabling them to increase engagement with partners and develop applications that foster innovation.

Cloud computing, Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, and other new technologies are driving the human society into the smart era. The most striking feature of a smart society is the connection and fusion of the physical world and the digital world. The problems of the physical world are now being solved by the digital world.

As enterprises are constantly striving to attain new business value, the speed of innovation is crucial.

Companies need to be swift, agile and leverage all aspects of technological innovation. A truly digital enterprise uses emerging technologies as a strategic effort to go leaner, focus on agile business processes and enhance the business analytics of the enterprise. A digital enterprise relentlessly searches out, identifies and develops new digital business models, always ensuring that customers and employees are at the center of its innovation.

Digital Transformation

Digital innovation has become an essential catalyst and a driving force of economic growth. It’s a journey, not a sprint.

Designing a digital transformation framework for success is focused on innovation and attaining new business value, aimed at a creating an optimal user experience. To the point that the needs of the end-user need to be integrated into the service model. Consumers today, demand a faster, simpler, and enhanced digital experience that provides the best product and combines it with stellar service and most advanced technology.

The Digital Transformation Journey for Enterprises

Digital transformation is a massive undertaking, especially for larger, established companies. When done right, it will result in a business that is more aligned with customer demands and resilient in the fast-moving digital future.

Embracing digital transformation at the enterprise level requires a strategic approach that factors in all of the goals, people, technologies and required integration to form a proper strategy.

Digital Transformation, Disrupt and Innovate

A core function of any business is to continually advance and improve its operations, products, and services. Enterprises that adhere to a digital transformation framework are not only focused on improving, they are the key drivers of innovation and disruption. Equipped with disruptive and innovative strategies, these companies can compete in today’s fast-paced market that is being driven by consumer demands, new technologies, and new business models.

Why Embark in Digital Transformation?

Many legacy enterprises have built their business on certain methods of operation. It is these operating systems that have enabled the company to prosper and survive until today. The digital realities of today, however, are forcing these companies to reconsider and reimagine the fundamental systems that have been the keys to their success. The technological environment is changing, highlighting how ill-equipped these companies are to adapt and change.

Speed is essential in digital transformation.

While the speed of digital transformation may vary with industry, stagnation is the antithesis of the digital mindset. A company maintaining a static mindset in the digital era is paving their path to failure.

With external pressures – customer demands, emerging technologies, lean startups and disruptive business models- pushing the business towards innovation, the classic methods of operation are no longer delivering the expected results. As the impetus for change increases the need to design a strategic path towards digital transformation becomes inevitable.

While many companies may opt to slowly tweak specific inefficiencies, a true digital transformation requires a revolutionary approach. An all-encompassing digital revolution can revitalize an enterprise and pave the road to future success.
A digital transformation framework will guide the leaders and direct the business towards a path of progress. Businesses need to be in a state of constant evolution. Building a momentum and a rhythm reflects a shift in the mindset. It is a sign of a new reality and creates a paradigm shift for the entire industry.

Breaking the Silos

Digital transformation with its customer-centric marketing and business processes requires the ability to work across business verticals and silos. In fact, digital transformation focuses on cross-vertical collaboration, restructuring the organization to create methods that break down the silos. In a digitally focused enterprise, the goal is to encourage cross-department interface and to create an environment that is fertile for consumer-focused innovation.

Huawei: Strategic Digital Transformation Partner

Huawei Connect, Shanghai 2017

 

Over the past six years, Huawei has quickly developed into a global leading digital transformation facilitators. The rapidly changing digital landscape has enabled Huawei to take advantage of the new realities by providing new ICT solutions to customers, creating best practices for digital transformation, public safety, finance, electricity, transportation, education, and media.

Before enterprises choose an appropriate digital transformation strategy, IT and CT are now converging and transforming enterprises. There is no single technology alone capable to execute the digital transformation.

What is different about Huawei’s ecosystem?

Yan Lida, Enterprise Business Group, Huawei Connect 2017 (credit: Huawei)

 

During my experience at Huawei Connect 2017, I was able to learn about some of the company’s strategies and gain insights into how Huawei is developing this platform and ecosystem.

During his keynote speech, Yan Lida, President of Huawei Enterprise Business, highlighted Huawei’s ecosystem that is based on three primary characteristics:

  1. Huawei wants to become the customers’ most trusted partner. Huawei’s commercial model chooses to rely on the monetization of technology and services; it does not monetize user data. This is the biggest difference between Huawei and traditional Internet companies.
  2. Huawei abides by its own business boundaries and is committed to becoming a platform for the platform. There are many companies that through their own experience in a specific industry have transformed into an enabler platform for that industry. It is very common to see companies such as GE, which is now providing an industrial cloud platform for the aviation and manufacturing industries. Huawei believes that it must create an open, secure, and reliable ICT infrastructure platform within its business boundaries to become the platform for its customers and partners’ platforms. Huawei’s platform is a cloud-pipe-device collaboration full-stack ICT platform; it provides all-in-one ICT services for customers and partners. The upper layer platform does not need to bother with the lower layer’s complex software and hardware systems; it can focus on its own service optimization and innovation.
  3. Huawei is committed to becoming the ecosystem’s soil (the platform) to help customers grow quickly. This is why its plan for developers is called the ‘Developer Enablement Plan.’ This platform is the presence of Huawei in over 170 countries around the world. Developers and partners could use this platform for their global marketing and services. 

In order to enrich this ecosystem, Huawei has laid out the plan of establishing OpenLabs, which cover all areas of jointed innovation with customers and partners across industries: public safety, finance, power electric, and manufacturing.

In the next three years, Huawei will continue to invest $200 million to build and operate OpenLabs (currently 13 and grow to 20) in Asia, Europe, Middle East and Americas.

Huawei provides a one-stop cloud-side collaboration infrastructure platform that integrates all new ICT technologies to help businesses stay competitive in the digital age. Huawei’s business has achieved rapid growth via industry-leading customization solutions for government and associated industries.

By carrying out joint innovation with partners centering around the business needs of customers, Huawei focuses on creating a win-win ecosystem.

In the transformation process, customers, partners, and Huawei each have their own unique advantages: customers understand their businesses, partners know how to transform the business needs of customers into industry-relevant applications, and Huawei knows how to utilize hardware and software ICT infrastructures to deliver effective business support to customers.

Partnering on the Digital Journey

In the digital transformation journey, Huawei has embraced the vision that partnership and collaboration will be a bigger driving force than the technology itself. By partnering and guiding its customers in their digital transformation journeys, Huawei is strategically guiding each enterprise to their destination. The goal is to be connected, intelligent and cloud-based.

Huawei is uniquely positioned to take enterprises on this journey because the company is able to provide a holistic suite of solutions from devices, to infrastructure, to services based in the cloud equipped with Artificial Intelligent capabilities.

According to Mr. Lida,  “Huawei’s business positioning is to be a pioneer of digital social and intelligent social development processes, the industry’s digital enabler, and the best partner. In 2016, Huawei’s Enterprise business grasped the historical opportunities of digital transformation by focusing on infrastructure”.

Road to Digital Transformation Isn’t Smooth

Of course, the road of digital transformation from traditional ICT manufacturers to the enterprise market isn’t easy, even for Huawei.

Backed by six years of hard work, Huawei focused its ICT infrastructure and carefully chose partners with complementary strengths. By working together with its partners, Huawei has been able to deliver key industries with true digital transformation. The combined results have been to help public safety and government, finance, energy, and transportation enterprises to achieve digital transformation while still generating sales revenue of 40.7 billion yuan (about $5.9 billion) – a  47% increase from 2011 when the business was formed.

Smart Cities

In the field of smart cities, Huawei delivers ultra-wideband network, cloud computing, large data, Internet of Things and other facilities and technologies for cities to create a “nervous system” that enables all things to be interconnected in a smart way. Huawei has also been widely recognized for their participation in the smart city project through the “one cloud- two network- three platform”.

During the 2016 Barcelona Global Smart City Expo, Huawei was also awarded the “Southern Innovation Award” for the construction of a digital health system in Kenya.

To date, Huawei Smart City solutions have been successfully applied to more than 40 countries around the world and more than 100 cities.

Huawei Smart City (credit: Huawei)

At HUAWEI CONNECT 2017, Huawei and the Shandong Weifang Municipal Government ushered in a new generation of information technology. By including Internet of Things, cloud computing, and large data, Huawei is creating a NB-IoT city network and establishing the first city level based on the company’s OceanConnect IoT platform. Huawei has also used the Internet of Things to integrate various types of sensing devices to achieve data collection and management.

Public Security

In the field of public security, Huawei has continued to apply new ICT technologies such as cloud computing, large data, mobile broadband cluster, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence to the public security field. By working together with partners to build solutions to help cities achieve digital transformation, public security has improved and cities become more secure. Currently, Huawei’s safe city solution has served 80 countries, more than 200 cities and more than 800 million people in Europe, Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Technology and the Competition

As traditional industries enter a critical period of digital transformation to drive business innovation and growth, the cloud is at the foundation for enterprise digitization. To meet this growing demand, Huawei has launched a number of industry-leading ICT products and solutions.

Huawei IT products continue to innovate thereby expanding their role as a digital transformation leader.

With Huawei’s IT products and solutions serving more than 170 countries and regions worldwide, the company is setting a new standard for the future of digital innovation and outperforming its competition.

So far, 197 of the top Fortune 500 companies and 45 of the top 100 companies have chosen Huawei as their digital transformation partner. This list includes SAP, Accenture, Deutsche Telekom, Volkswagen, Oracle, Honeywell, GM, ABB, Intel, Sony, the Russian Federal Savings Bank and more.

 

5 Golden Rules for Introducing Your Business to Online Audience

The digital revolution in India has encouraged many businesses to opt for their website. Two major things can be observed here: First, even the brick and mortar businesses that earlier refused to go for online operations have also started investing on the digital presence, and secondly, the businesses don’t stop at just building their own website and social media pages. They want their websites to be professionally and strategically designed to market their business and eventually increase the revenue. In short, the website creation is not just an option for the Indian businesses that want to grow- it is the mandatory condition. So, let us see the best practices to adopt while designing or marketing a website geared to make your presence stronger and increase the revenue:

Don’t be just another site by overselling

Millions of websites float on the digital ocean just like a number of huge ships and small boats that are laden with a number of items they are hawking to sell. Right from the world tour to mundane industrial tools, these sites sell almost anything under the Sun.

Being exposed to 5000+ messages geared towards marketing the product the consumer today has actually developed contempt towards commercially motivated messages forcing them to buy the products he doesn’t want. Hence any attempt at over-selling will ironically diminish your chances to sell your products or services. Besides, when everyone is overselling and you also join the bandwagon with the similar semblance- where lays the uniqueness, the innovative appeal. Instead of selling the products sell the “purpose-designed content presented in most natural format. Let genuineness guide the content and ensure that the content should be captivating, interesting and above all informative.

Content is really the king – Respect it

The content should complement the products you offer and subtly reveal it to the clients during the natural course of reading. Three things that will offer you a distinct appeal will be – the language, media, and knowledge. In fact, the aim should not be to make sales or acquire a client but to establish a definite rapport with the reader that would start a long lasting relation. This approach will help you to acquire loyalty and eventually converts readers into client. Whether you are finalizing the content of the website or writing company blogs, always ensure that you should use the simple language, a beautiful flow and some genuine knowledge in your content.

Change with time

You also need to assess the present scenario identify the obliterated practices and shunning them the same time you can identify the present shift in trends and predict the futuristic strategy. That will offer eh cutting edge over your clients. For example, e current trend is to value images much more than content. People of today now need something quick that does not to be read while squinting but could be seen while effortlessly. Hence employing n infographic can be the best way pp enjoy the attention.

Graphics attract but is moderate

You should also ensure that the audience should get the swift entry while they type for any search. You can offer a number of infographics that will allow you the entry a well-designed calendar. Besides the mobile search have now surpassed he desktop search. Hence a having a mobile enabled infographic can be the best choice.

While design plays a key role in impacting the audience you need to be very careful while designing your site. The major objectives of a site are not to overstuff your site with design elements but to offer a design that is most relevant with r studying habits.

Minimalism is the Mantra

Go for minimalism when it comes to eh designing. Opt for the simple design with brand specific features. Whether it is design, content, colors or programming the minimalistic approach will offer you a good rapport with the audience and will play a major role in increasing your reach while widening the opportunities to sell. There should be a Concord symphony between the design and content. The design should caress the eyes while communicant g with the audience in a nutshell.

Blogging, Social Media and SEO within Google Chrome: 15 Best Extensions

 

When you’re a blogger, there are simply too many tasks you need to perform on a daily basis, from finding the right topics to link building and much, much more. However, the functionalities in your web browser can help in performing these daily tasks conveniently. Considering how Google Chrome is by far the most popular browser on the planet (according to StatCounter, almost 50% of people accessed the Internet using Chrome from October 2015 to October 2016), we’ll take a look at some of the most useful extensions, that will make your job easier.

Blogging Extensions

1. Pocket

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If you want to know just how good Pocket is, just look at its credentials: in 2014. Pocket won a Webbly award for best productivity and it now has a user base of over 15 million people worldwide. It’s a rather simple tool that allows to save numerous articles, videos and notes for later reference.

2. Grammarly

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While every version of Microsoft Word will keep your spelling in check, but when you write online, most of us make spelling and grammar mistakes regularly, mostly because we’re trying to type as fast as we can. Thankfully, Grammarly will ensure that you never make a typo again and end up looking stupid because of misplacing a couple of letters. It also scans your text for proper use of more than 250 advanced grammar rules in real-time.

3. Fireshot

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If you want something that will eliminate the mundane print-paste-edit routine, and quickly grab screenshots of websites and save them as a JPEG, GIF or a PDF from within Google Chrome, then Fireshot is the right extension for you. You’ll be able to capture both entire pages and just visible parts, and it’ll even allow you to add comments, blur selected areas and apply other effects to your captures.

4. Google Publisher Toolbar

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The Publisher Toolbar is designed to assist web publishers view data about their Ad Exchange, AdSense and DC for Publisher accounts from a single dashboard within the Chrome browser. You can also block any unsuitable creative you don’t wish to display on your site or blog. After you install GPT, all the ad units on your site will get an overlay that’ll display information like the buyer name and display URL.

5. Break Helper

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Sitting in our chair for prolonged periods of time is literarily killing us – sitting 6 or more hours each day increases risk of premature death up to 40%. Now, even if you don’t care about your health that much, you have to be aware that working at a stretch without taking a break can result in a sharp decline in productivity. Therefore, you should install Break Helper extension, and it will let you know when you need to take your next break, and let your overworked brain relax for a second.

Social Media Extensions

6. Rapportive

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Even though this part of our list is dedicated to social media, let’s talk about emails. I’m guessing many of your interactions still happen within Gmail, and while you’d like to start a conversation going on LinkedIn, you’re almost certainly stuck doing the delayed email back-and-forth with new contacts every other day. But Rapportive will provide you all the information you need about your email contacts, including their social profiles, which will allow you to easily add every contact on social media.

7. StayFocusd

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Even if you’re making money of your blog, it doesn’t mean that don’t suffer from bouts of procrastination from time to time. But even though technology is a source of distraction, it can also be a source of discipline you desperately need. StayFocusd will limit the amount of time you can spend certain site. It also lets you choose what to block – an entire website, a specific web page and even different types of content like videos and games.

8. RiteTag Social Media Optimizer

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Do you spent much time wondering which hashtag you should use for a certain story? Maybe you’re unsure whether adding a particular hashtag will add or diminish the value of your message? Thinking about these problems can be quite time-consuming, especially if you’re person that tweets more than ten times every day. However, Rite Tag provides analytics on hashtags you regularly use, which will help you save a lot of time.

9. Figure it Out

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One of the biggest challenges you face when working globally has nothing to with cultural differences or even language barriers. Your main challenge is figuring out what it is in a different geo-region without doing the math. With the Figure it Out extension, you’ll be able to add up to ten different time zones, which will help you schedule your posts and even set up meetings with people from different regions.

10. VPN Extension

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This item on our list is not only reserved for people who live in countries like China, Vietnam and Portugal, where the government blocks access to certain social media sites. It is also recommendable to anyone that likes to write from their dorm room or favorite coffee shop, because regularly block access to certain sites. Of course, there are many providers on the market and the selection of a VPN extension is all up to you, but we have to recommend ExpressVPN, because it offers a wide range of servers and unlimited bandwidth.

Search Engine Optimization Extensions

11. Open SEO Stats

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This is perhaps the most popular SEO extension for Google Chrome, marketers often use it see PageRank, Compete Rank and QuantCast Rank and get quick access to info about backlinks, indexed and cached pages, among other things. This basically means that Open SEO gives you a complete overview of any information about any website on the Internet.

12. iPage

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Google Toolbar is always great for [age ranking, but seeing how it isn’t available for Chrome, you’ll want an alternative. And luckily, iPage Chrome is just that. It allows to set your settings to show page rank in results, or show rank for individual pages and domains. All in all, it is a small, but nevertheless useful page rank checker extension.

13. Shareaholic

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Shareaholic might not be a “real” SEO extension, but everyone knows the importance of social media likes, shares and general presence in search engine ranking. So, you could easily use this app if you want to increase your ranking. The extensions allows you to share your article on multiple social media platforms at the same time, which will make your workload much quicker and definitely easier.

14. MozBar

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Moz Analytics one of the most popular analytics tools among SEO marketers, and MozBar is surely the favorite Chrome extension of almost all marketing professionals. Once you download and install this extension, you’ll instantly have access to almost any SEO tool you need, and see various metrics like Link Profile, KW Highlights, Domain and Page Authority.

15. SEO SERP Workbench

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You’ll never need to search the SERP position of any page manually once you get SEO SERP Workbench. The tool also allows you to see the ranking on the go, and it is great when you want to look up the SERP of multiple URLs. Last but not least, it supports multiple countries, so no matter where you’re from, you can check the SERP position of a particular website in your country.

While all of these extensions are great for bloggers, it doesn’t mean that you should download each and every one of them instantly. Instead, you should download at least couple of them, and see which ones suit your specific needs. After some trial-and-error, you’ll certainly find what you’re looking for.

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afp

By Adam Ferraresi 

Author Bio: Adam always loved the Internet, so much so that he knew that he knew that he was going to become a web developer when he was just 12. He also loves the outdoors, basketball and surfing are his passions, and you can read his insightful articles at wefollowtech.com

Is There a Real Future in TV?

 

Even though online television and streaming services have become very popular, television is still a big part of households across the globe. In fact, revenue for global television actually increased by 5% to $350 billion in 2014. This growth is being led by subscription TV revenues climbing by 5.4% to $179 billion (a little over half of the complete global television revenue).

Television is still the number one source of news for people worldwide. 53% of people choose television as their go-to-source for getting their news. Compare this to those sourcing their news from search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo (at 38%) and those utilizing the news feeds of popular social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter (at 33%).

For more fasts facts on the future of television, how the Millennial generation is watching television and a snapshot of television viewing around the globe; see the below infographic created by Frame Your TV.

Is-There-a-Future-in-TV-IG-Final

The Ultimate List Of Blog Post Ideas

 

I’m sure you all have already asked yourselves where do blog post ideas come from.

Are they simply read off to us by some mysterious all-powerful being that has a list on hand? If that were true, then there could only be so many ideas before we run out.

There are thousands of blog ideas out there, but you don’t want someone to spoon feed your posts, no, you want inspiration!

Haven’t started your own blog yet? No worries! It’s never too late to start a blog.

If you already have one then we need to start thinking ahead, because we’re in this for the long run! We’ve compiled a long inspirational, multi-faceted, mind-blowing ideas that will make your blog extremely popular.

I’ve Already Used All These Blog Post Ideas. How Do I Find More?

Are you serious? You’ve done all of these? Wow, okay, well then I suppose it’s time to take off the training wheels and show you how to find new ideas yourself. As the saying goes, teach someone to fish and they’ll never go hungry. I’ve given you over 151 fish though, so apparently this is a all-you-can-eat fish buffet of ideas.

When you need inspiration and you’ve exhausted all of the ideas here, use these tools and methods to find more:

1. Quora

This website is a great place to have any kind of question you can think of answered. That means it’s a great place to also find inspiration for blog posts, or simply ideas on how to come up with them. You can log in with your social media or create a free account. Once you’re in, try to look for something like “blog post ideas”and see the results.

2. BuzzSumo 

This tool gives you the unique ability to see which of your competition’s posts are doing the best in terms of social shares. By looking at data like this, you can see what people in your niche want to read. 

buzzsumo post ideas

 

 

 

 

 

Those ideas with a bunch of shares will work as great concepts for posts of your own!

3. Keyword Research 

There are numerous tools out there for keyword research. One such example is Keywordtool.io, which is one of the best in my opinion. Head on over there and type in your subject or niche to get a list of keywords that will easily inspire post ideas.

keywords-blog-post-ideas

Right there, I’ve already found some key terms I can use to find more ideas. This is the gift that keeps on giving.  Now, on to the list!

4. Impact Inbound’s Blog Title Generator

I’ve been using this nifty tool for a few weeks now and it’s helped me take a few broad topics and transformed them into concrete blog post ideas.

Plug in the topics you want to write about, you can literally pick anything, and it will spit out a headline that you can use to help spark some ideas. Customize the headline to your liking and save it to the handy notebook they provide.

When you have an idea of what your blog post headline is going to be, then you’ll be able let the words free flow and body of your blog post will be filled in effortlessly!

Now, let’s get to some physical blog topic ideas I’ve come up for you.

Post Ideas That Will Help Increase Traffic to Your Blog

You’re interesting, write posts about yourself!

Blogs were originally online journals, so why not go back to the roots of the whole equation? Create a personal journal, talk about your crush and then invite them to read it for ultimate awkwardness. Share your thoughts, speak your mind, it’s your soapbox, so use it!

1. Start a contest

You don’t have to give away a million dollars or anything, but why not give out some hats or a custom shirt?

People love the opportunity to win stuff, and if you make it fun and exciting, your incoming traffic will skyrocket!

2. Tell a secret about yourself

While this may not be easy, people love secrets. What’s something you’ve never told anyone before? What quiet truth are you hiding from the world?

Make a whole post about it, bring in some pomp and circumstance. Build up to the reveal and make your secret known to the world (If you secret is that you love to blog, maybe skip this one).

3. Examine a quote that speaks to you

Find something that somebody said that gives you chills. Something that changed your outlook on life and the universe, and share it with the world.

Start your post with the quote and talk about what did to you, and what it means to you. Here’s a good one: “roses are red, violets are blue, I love to blog, and I’m sure you do too.” – The guy who wrote this post.

4. Try something new, then blog about it

Ever eaten a bug? How does skydiving sound? Find something ridiculous and crazy that you’ve never done before and, like Nike always says: do it.

When you’re done and you’ve let it settle in, tell us the whole story.

Blogging Ideas + Tips

5. Graph a statistic or create an infographic to start a discussion

Did you know that 70% of modern day people will always stop and look at a pie chart?

Did you know that 80% of them go and eat pie within ten minutes after viewing one?

What about the fact that I just made this all up? People like to see data mapped out in creative ways, so put together a well-designed infographic and teach the world with fancy shapes, cool font, and pretty colors.

6. Interview a famous person, your grandma, whoever you want.

If you posted an interview with someone like Brad Pitt or Tom Cruise, you would probably get a million hits.

Unless you know them though, that could be difficult, and you don’t want to sacrifice your journalistic integrity by making something up, so get creative? Is your great grandfather a war hero?

Did your grandmother meet the president or the queen of England? Everyone has stories to tell, all you need to do is ask, and you’ll find some great material to interview them about.

7. Create new recipes and share them with your followers

I’m not sure how I feel about your pickle and cotton candy sandwich, or your candy cane shish kabobs, but I’m opening to trying them, I guess? If you have a cooking blog, create some awesome new recipes and post them for other people to try. Just make you try it yourself before recommending it to your followers.

8. Create an in-depth guide

Share your skills with a fancy guide that teaches a valuable skill. For example, I wrote a fully comprehensive guide on how to start a blog.

Teach people valuable skills around survival, repair, arts and crafts, whatever blog post idea strikes you.

9. Do a “top ten” list

Since this is number ten, I figured it was a good time to mention this. Create posts where you rank the “top ten” of something.

Examples include “The Top Ten Blog Ideas” and “The Top Ten Blogging Websites.” You can put us at the top of both lists and go from there.

10. Travel the world, post as you go

Take a trip around the world and post pictures and updates as you make each stop. You can even sample the local cuisine or review your accommodations.

San Francisco

11. Stir the pot, bring up an old argument

Bringing up an age old argument and opening an old wound is a great way to get people talking, or yelling for that matter.

You may bring out some passionate individuals, but if one thing’s for certain, this blogging idea is sure to get the traffic flowing.

12. Respond to recent events 

Major events will always bring about a response, but you would weigh in with your own opinion.

If the president made a bad decision, or a major corporation is in hot water, or heck, if a celebrity got a nose job, you should tell the world what you think of it. Every opinion counts, and you can have your followers share too.

13. Write a joke

Since you’re looking for things to blog about, why not create a joke? It can be something simple and catchy, or one of those long ones that comes together in the end with a hilarious punchline.

Even if it’s as simple as this one: “What do you call a cow with no legs?” “Ground beef!” Ah, that’s a classic.

14. Create a poll 

People like to be heard, and they love voting on polls to see what the popular opinion is on a subject. Find something relevant that has multiple approaches and see what people like the best. Asking for their favorite color isn’t good enough, make it creative and relevant to your niche.

15. Share your goals and dreams

Do you want to be an astronaut? Is your dream to be air lifted above a giant blueberry pie and skydiving into it from a thousand feet up? Tell us your wildest goals and dreams, and you never know, someone might be able to make it happen for you.

16. Talk about your life’s successes and utter failures 

We all have ups and downs in our lives, but that’s how we learn. Create posts about the times you really pulled through in a tough spot, and then tell us about the times you fell face first into the proverbial manure.

These things define you, so share them with us.

17. Share your own conspiracy theories

Are postmen really aliens? Who is the milkman, really? Why are all grocery stores slightly different in their layout? Post your conspiracy theories about aliens, gerbils, paper clips, or whatever you think might be a cover for something far more sinister.

You never know, you might be spot on. Just keep an eye out for mysterious black vans outside your house.

18. Encourage your followers to share your blog

Create posts that people will want to share, but more than that, appeal to your followers and ask them to share your blog on their own, or promote it on their Facebook page and Twitter.

These things spread through sharing and word of mouth which is all done on the internet nowadays.

#19 Disprove a theory or myth

If you’ve seen every episode of Myth Busters and you know for a fact that they left out something, that’s a perfect blog post topic! For example, everybody in cartoons slips on banana peels, but would you really slip in real life?

Test it out, blog about it, prove those theories and myths wrong.

Camera

20. Publish comments from your followers

If someone wrote a comments on one of your posts that said “OMG UR T3H BEST” maybe you should showcase it and speculate as to why there is a “3” where the letter “e” should be.

Even if someone just comes by to bash you for no reason, why not have a laugh at their expense?

21. Invite guest posts 

A great way to keep content coming is to feature guest authors on your blog. Be sure to lay down some guidelines though, and review their topic and work before you post it though.

You can find some great bloggers out there to share their thoughts on your blog, so create a post inviting people to submit their ideas. You get more content, they get features. It’s a win-win.

22. Pose an existential question

Are there truly a finite number of blogging ideas in the world? What is the true definition of a carbon footprint? Are we really here for a bigger purpose?

There are so many questions like these that don’t have a solid answer that you could write posts about these for a long time and still only scratch the surface. You’re welcome.

23. Create a memorial for someone/something you lost

It hurts to lose something you love be it a faithful dog or a family member, but they don’t have to be forgotten.

You can write a touching memorial for them and let their memory live on not just in your mind, but in the minds of everyone who reads your blog.

24. Pick a date in history, talk about what happened on that day

Title the post with a random date in history, maybe the day that sliced bread was invented, and talk about all the things that happened that day.

You’ll be surprised how much can happen on a random day in history.

25. Reveal secrets behind your blog’s success and marketing

Help out your fellow bloggers by giving out the ingredients to your secret sauce. It may seem odd to do such a thing, but if it works, then giving it out to help others isn’t going to change that.

When it comes to blogging, everyone is in it together. That it, until money becomes involved, then it’s every man and woman for themselves.

26. Show off your personal possessions

This may seem like an arrogant thing to do, but as far as interesting blog topics go, this ranks pretty high.

Turns out, people like peeking into your life and seeing that you’ve got. Is this a scented candle I see? My, are those hand painted dishes of yours from IKEA? I see you have your bachelor’s degree hanging on the wall next to you so you never forget how smart you are.

Pictures are great in general, but having them in a blog post about your stuff is a great way to show people who you are, and makes for some great blogging material.

Mac and Glasses

27. Share the best lessons you’ve learned thus far in your life

Life is a constant cycle of mistakes and lessons, so maybe you can help out some younger or less experienced people and help them avoid a few pitfalls that you had to go through.

Case and point, sharing the things you’ve learned in life is a great way to generate some good content and help out a fellow person.

28. Create an intricate lie and make it obvious what you’re doing

Pick a truth that everyone knows and challenge it. Or, make up something ridiculous and defend it to the last word of your post.

Crafting an intricate lie and really trying to sell it is one of those good blog ideas that can either make people laugh, or set the comments ablaze with people trying to disprove your lie. Either way, it brings the traffic.

29. Talk about your dream vacation

When it comes to personal blog ideas, this is a great way to showcase your imagination. Create post where you describe your perfect vacation. It doesn’t have to be anywhere on Earth either, maybe you can describe a dip in the oceans of Neptune, or a space trip to the center of the galaxy. You can always do more than one of these too.

30. Publish your resume and experience on your blog

Putting up your resume and a CV is a smart blog post idea that will not only give you some content, but it makes your skills publicly available for potential employers or other blogs to see.

This way you can show a little more about yourself and maybe open up a nice opportunity at the same time.

31. Tell the world about your bad habits, and how you plan to break them

If you smoke too much, hit the bottle too hard, or you just bite your nails a lot, tell us about it. Then, tell us how you plan to fix it.

You can even post about it each day to show your progress and ask you fans for encouragement.

32. Publish a full biography about yourself 

The first line should be the date of your birth and the last should be the present. Tell us your life’s story despite the fact that people usually decline to listen, your followers come to your blog to hear about you, so tell them everything there is to know.

This may need to be structured though, not a single post. Not to worry though, our how to blog articles will show you the best ways to present it.

33. Show off your monthly budget, offer financial advice

We may have given you this blogging idea, but you’ll have to decide if you want to write it.

Obviously you don’t want to divulge anything too personal like bank statements, but you can offer financial advice and examples of your budget when you go to the store, that way people can create spending habits like yours.

34. Post or create Linkbait 

Linkbait is increasingly popular, but using them comes down to finding the right mixture of written and visual content.

There are a lot of ways to do this, but the goal is to create something people want to link to and share with others. The best blog topics find their success through this spread of shared links.

35. Feature your most popular posts

If a blog post idea worked once, it will work again. Find your most successful posts and throw them back up again for an encore. You will be surprised how many new viewers will see it, and some of the ones from last time will probably return again as well.

36. If you won the lottery, what would you spend it on?

Posing questions like this are good because they don’t have a single answer. This is something you can tackle multiple times as you mature and grow.

For example say you answer this question in a post before you’re married and then you answer it again after. The two posts are going to be drastically different.

37. Write some posts in a casual, conversational style

If you tend to write in a boring, stiff style, then switch things up every once and a while. Write a few posts where you’re just talking.

Nothing too fancy, no SAT words, just a nice conversational post that keeps the tone light. It will be a breath of fresh air for you, and your readers.

Productivity Ideas

38. Post the elements of your portfolio

If you’re a writer or a poet, put your work up.

That’s why you get a blog to begin with, to showcase yourself and your topic. Exposure is key and your talents need to be viewed by the world. This is the first step.

39. Teach people to protect their blogs from hackers

There are various ways to keep your blog secure, but many of them sound complicated and none of them piece together all of the possibilities.

That’s where you come in, you can explain the steps in a way that anyone can understand, and in doing so you will help them protect their hard work from people out there who just want to make everyone’s lives harder.

#40 Ask for feedback from your followers

Feedback is the best way to grow, and your followers may be hesitant to give you any, so ask them.

Create posts on occasion where you ask your followers to express their thoughts on your blog and offer suggestions on how it can improve.

41. Summarize other people’s posts, books, or ideas

Some people just don’t have the time or patience to read a whole book or an entire lengthy article, so boil it down and post it yourself, giving credit where credit is due of course. This way, people can still find the content they’re looking for, without having to spend time reading the entire thing.

42. Create a list of common mistakes in your niche

You know everything about your blog topic, but you see people doing everything wrong around you. Why not post about common mistakes that other people make in that niche and offer advice to those who are unaware of what they’re doing wrong.

43. Write and publish a manifesto

Giving away something lengthy for free may not seem like a good idea, but this is a fantastic blog idea that will grant you some serious viewership if it works out the first time. It needs to be somewhat lengthy and it needs to offer a lot of value to the reader. A good cover design will make it stand out as well.

44. Feature specific followers and dedicate posts to them 

Showing appreciation to your fans is paramount. Take some time to feature a guest blogger, or showcase a specific follower. They will appreciate it, and they’ll probably share it as well.

45. Walk away for a week, make people think you disappeared

This is risky, but apparently it has worked in the past. Take a week off, walk-away, maybe hint at something big happening and then take a week off. Rumors will circulating, people will start asking questions, and the air will be buzzing by the time you make your triumphant return.

46. Invite questions, post your answers

To create engagement with your followers, try posting some questions about anything relating to your blog topic or niche.

Once you’ve gathered up some answers, create a subsequent post and see what people had to say. This works for generating content, and it helps keep followers coming back.

47. Write a series of posts

If you start something and you know it’s going to be long. Break it up into a series of posts.

This will help keep the reading level light for people online who have very small attention spans, and you’ll also have several posts worth of content to put up.

48. Publish a short story or poem

A story or poem is meant to be seen, so put it out there and don’t be afraid of what people might say. You’re going to get good feedback, and you’re going to get jerks who can’t properly form a sentence. Still, stuff like that isn’t meant to sit on a hard drive forever.

49. Create a custom 404 page, and encourage people to find it

This is one requires a bit of elbow grease, but if one of your visitors runs into a 404 error, you don’t want the page they see to be the default, trust me. There are helpful tutorials on how to do this, and creating a page that is funny and informative is the best way to handle these kinds of errors.

50. Invite experts to review your posts and comment on them 

They may not come, but if you create posts inviting experts in your field or niche to come and comment on your blog, you may just attract a few, and with them, a lot of new followers.

51. Create an audio post

Something I like to refer to as a “noisy blog.” Doing an audio post just requires a recording device of some kind and your willingness to say out loud what you would normally write.

Doing this enables you to get a new post up quickly and offers some variety.

Audio Blog Post

52. Showcase interesting and useful people to follow

Support the community within your niche and feature other bloggers and maybe some of your followers who have blogs.

This kind of networking benefits everyone involved.

53. Post links to new and exciting technological breakthroughs

In addition to current events, posting links to exciting new breakthroughs is really fun because you get to weigh in with your opinion, and enrich the reader’s life with exciting news about the next gadget or mainstream device.

54. Rant and rave about something that drives you nuts

We all have those things that “grind our gears” so why not let off a little steam is an enraged post that goes for almost 1,000 words about something small and insignificant that drives you up a wall.

55. Create your own bucket list

A bucket list contains all the things you want to do before you “kick the bucket” as it were. Put one together and post it. Every time you cross something off the list, post again and tell us how it went.

56. Explain your blogging origin story

So why did you get into blogging? Did something inspire you? Was it our inspiring article on why you should start a blog today? Tell the world and they will love you more for it. People like to know all they can about the people they follow, so let the information flow.

57. Show off your most successful social media posts

Did post a tweet that had a thousand views? Was there a Facebook post you did that made the world implode? Feature it on your blog, that way you can bring those people right into your perfect trap of excellent writing.

58. Host a live event on your blog

People love to be a part of history, so put together a live blogging event or a video stream and advertise it well in advance. This way people can jump on and tune in.

59. Write a scathing review for something that doesn’t need one

This falls into the category of doing something just because it’s funny. Try writing a horrible review for something that everyone knows is bad.

You could review the common cold for example, or review a gallon of milk that expired six months ago. Take it seriously and it will be all the more hilarious as a result.

60. Enable Gravatar images in your comments

This puts power in the hands of your followers and allows for even more hilarity to ensue. Not to mention it lets your followers showcase their name and profile on your blog so you can connect with them easier.

61. Learn something new and share it with your followers

Have you ever replaced the heat sink over a processor in a custom built PC? Well, why not learn how to do it, and then share the process with your followers. Find something in your niche that needs a step-by-step guide and learn how to do it yourself.

62. Film a video post

Like the noisy blog I mentioned earlier, this is a great way to mix things up, and it allows you to show off that gorgeous mug of yours. See, everybody wins!

63. Post completely useless facts

There are some things that people just really don’t need to know. For example, did you know that it’s impossible to hum while holding your nose shut?

Go ahead and try, I did. This is one of those tempting things to blog about, so give in and do it.

64. Publish your art

I don’t care if it’s a finger painting or a red dot, everything is considered art nowadays. Post it on your blog and talk about what it means. If you have a deep meaning behind your red dot, that’s what makes it art.

65. Share your income and traffic numbers with your followers

Full disclosure is the best idea when starting your own blog. You don’t have to give out your password, but if you keep followers updated with your income and traffic numbers, they will be able to see how they can help improve it, and help give you feedback.

66. Write about common misconceptions in your niche

People always make assumptions, which lead to misconceptions. Blog about the kinds of things people say and think about your niche and prove them wrong. The community will thank you for it.

67. Showcase a small business, artist, or writer

If you have a lot of followers, help out someone who is just starting out by showcasing their work on your blog. It’s free content, and they get the exposure they need. Everyone wins.

68. Write about what you would do with a Time Machine

This is another one that can change as your perception of the world does, but why not start a series of posts where you talk about what you would do with access to a time machine.

Would you right the wrongs of history, or just go back and see what came first: The chicken or the egg? Tell us in a post or better yet, a series of them.

69. Respond to another blogger’s post or idea

Go out and read other blog posts in your niche. Find one that you love, or maybe one you hate, and post your own response to it. You may even get a shout out from the other blogger in the future.

70. Describe your dream girl/guy

Well I’m looking at mine right now, but she doesn’t know I’m writing about her. Whether you’ve found your soul mate or you’re still searching, why not describe them for the world, maybe he/she is already a follower?

71. Solve a problem

Whether it’s the issue of opening a jar when someone closed it too tight, or ending world hunger, find a problem and solve it. When you’ve figured out the solution, post it on your blog. Helpful posts are always welcome.

72. Argue both sides of a topic in one post

People may think you’re certifiable, but this is a fun way to go a little nuts. Find a topic and argue with yourself in a single post. Really get into it too, don’t hold back just because you know the author.

73. Reveal little known facts about a well-known subject

Find something that is commonly recognized and switch things up by revealing a secret about it that most people wouldn’t know. This new spin on an old subject works wonders for creating an engaging blog post.

74. Write a “time capsule” post to your future self

This is a fun one, why not write a message to yourself in the future. Maybe offer some advice, throw out a few reminders, and have fun with it. It’s not going anywhere so you can see it again in a few years. On the flip side, you can do this, but write a letter to your past self.

75. Profile your favorite company or brand

This can be done with a big company or a small one, but try and put together an entire profile of a company and see how much you learn in your search. Showcase the highs and lows, and really dig deep to make this a truly interesting post.

76. Post shocking conversation logs

You wouldn’t believe some of the things people will say when they’re on a chat. It’s like all social norms just go out the window. Find some of these crazy conversations and post them on your blog for a few laughs and an opportunity to throw in your opinion.

77. Offer advice for tough situations

Whether it’s fights with your significant other, or how to best handle a nasty love triangle, why not share your tips for handling the situations people find themselves in? Everything from a broken down car to a bad living situation, you can offer your wisdom.

City Building

78. Have your significant other write posts as well

When starting a blog, you could always bring your other half into the equation and make it a joint effort. This way you can also get a different perspective on some topics as well.

79. Publish an E-book and promote it on your blog

Your blog is a great marketing tool, so make sure you use it! You can generate a lot of buzz by writing an E-book and publishing it online for free. Then you can promote it via your blog and generate downloads plus followers all in one fell swoop.

80. Examine the origins of a major corporation or company

This is a more focused concept than previously mentioned, but you can trace the roots of just about anything back to where it started and in a lot of cases, the origin story is quite fascinating. The legwork isn’t too hard on your part, and your followers will appreciate the research you did.

81. Create a list of your favorite things

It could be anything from your favorite foods, to your favorite movie, throw it all in a list and it makes for a great post. Your followers will love the extra information and that serves to strengthen your bond with them.

82. Write about hypothetical scenarios

Make up something crazy like an alien invasion or a zombie apocalypse and then write it out. Tell everyone what you would say, do, and be willing to sacrifice in that scenario. This can be really fun for a writing blog, or anything else really.

For business, you could speculate what would happen in a crisis situation and talk about how to handle it. Creativity and knowledge is key here to make this convincing.

83. Create alternate history, show what could have happened

When you start blogging, it can be daunting to get that first wave of content out there, but don’t fret. Why not try an alternate history post? Take something like WWII and write about what would happen if, say, Japan won the war? You could talk about how different the world would be. This is something that history buffs go crazy for.

84. Offer dog training tips

If you’ve raised a few animals of your, people are always looking for help training their pets, dogs specifically, and you could offer your expertise. Free advice is always popular when it comes to online blogging.

85. Examine human behavior in specific situations

This is one for the psychologists out there. Take scenarios such as earthquakes, tsunamis, or other disasters and examine how people behaved in those scenarios. Check out third world countries and see what people will do to survive. Understanding the way that people react is a great method of handling situations like that, and a fascinating topic in general.

86. Review your favorite things

After you’ve listed your favorite things like my suggestion above, you can create some specific posts where you examine those things you love so much and tell everyone why they made the cut.

87. Examine different types of addictions

People can become addicted to all kinds of things, so why not talk about the psychology behind it, and warn people of the signs so they can stop themselves from falling too deep into that hole. Informative and useful.

88. Showcase medical research and potential cures for major diseases

We’re all looking for the cure to cancer, and while it may not be here yet, you can keep people updated on medical breakthroughs for various diseases. This is a subject many people want to stay up to date on. You can be the one to keep them in the loop.

89. Create posts about ancestors in your family tree

Research your ancestry and write about all the people that came before you in your family tree. Maybe you’re related to a general or a war hero, you never know. You can find out, and tell everyone the story.

90. Point out ridiculous laws in the world

Somewhere there’s a law where you can’t stare at a moose from an airplane window, not even kidding. Write up some blog posts about these weird and oddball laws from around the world, this could take up quite a few posts actually.

91. List stereotypes that need to go away

Stereotypes can sometimes turn out to be true, but some of them are just plain dated. Point out the old ones and start them on the track to obscurity.

92. Feature humanity’s greatest mistakes

We’re not perfect, not at all. Put together some posts about horrible decisions we have made as a species and talk about the effects they had on the people around us, and the world. Hopefully we won’t repeat these in the future.

93. Offer relationship advice

If you’ve been through a few rough relationships, you know what works, and what doesn’t. Share you knowledge for those who need help. This is an always popular subject.

94. Give tips for talking to your crush

Breaking the ice can be tough, so post some ideas about striking up a conversation with someone else that has struck your fancy. It can be nerve wracking and some people just don’t bother starting the conversation at all. Show them how to make it happen so they don’t have regrets.

95. Showcase the benefits of aromatherapy candles

Aromatherapy is a massive industry, and scented candles fall right in the middle of it. Create posts about how these scents and recipes help us relax and unwind.

96. Describe your worst mistakes and what you learned from them

Choose some of the major pitfalls in your life and talk about what you learned. By doing this, you can help other people (hopefully) avoid the same mistakes.

97. Create lists of must-see art galleries and museums

There are many museums and places of art around the world, but some truly stand apart. Create a list of them for your blog and give travelers the advice they need to make the most of their time abroad.

98. Write about haunted locations around the world

Nothing like a good ghost story to get the blood flowing. Create a list of the most haunted locations in the world for your readers to get them excited, then dare them to go visit.

99. Try to deduce the meaning of life

You could have an entire blog about this, but really sit down and try to figure out the ultimate question. You’ll come up with some profound stuff for your blog and your followers may just find themselves enlightened as well. As far as post topics go, this one is good.

100. Create an ongoing mystery, have your followers decide where the story goes

This is a cool way to turn your blog into an interactive story. Have your followers vote or comment on where they want the next post to lead and make an interactive mystery out of it.

101. Write a post series in which every section is done by a different author

You could take one of these ideas or make your own and run a series where you right the first post and each subsequent one is written by a guest author. This will create a winding road of perspectives and really stand out amongst other blogs.

Beach City

102. Publish your opinions on hot button topics

Find something that people feel very passionate about and proudly place your input into the mix.

There’s a difference between this and stirring the pot though, in this instance, you’re firmly rooting yourself on one side, or the other for the sake of proving your side’s superior nature.

103. Write everything there is to know about your favorite animal

Pick your favorite animal or animals and create posts where you describe everything there is to know about them. This is both fun for you and extremely educational for your followers.

104. Describe your dream house

It doesn’t have to make sense, but you can write about the perfect house and put in everything from hover boards to an automated system voiced by Pierce Brosnan. Make it creative and funny, or you can pick out a real life house and start saving your pennies.

105. Journal your experience with a major life event

Whether you’re recovering from a disease or you are experiencing a pregnancy, an ongoing series of posts about the situation and how you’re handling it is a great way to keep content coming, and receiving support from your followers.

106. Write about your favorite songs

If you like the lyrics, talk about that, if the band’s hairstyles are your favorite aspect that’s fine too. Talk about what makes these songs your favorite and really examine the emotional effect that the music has on you for maximum effect.

107. Feature massive collections of various things

Scour the web or your own home if you’d like and find collections that are just too large to be true. Stickers, toys, movies, you name it, some people really go crazy collecting these things.

108. Roast your favorite celebrities

If you’ve ever seen a celebrity roast, you know they can be hilarious and cruel all at once. Take your favorite celebrity and imagine you’re on stage roasting them and let the hilarity ensue.

109. Showcase cultures that do things differently than you

There are other cultures around the world that we may find odd, but it would be interesting to see an actual examination of them and their practices. This is one of those good blog topics that I haven’t see used very much.

110. Reveal your biggest fears

Don’t tell anyone where you live, because they might come play a prank on you, but revealing your deepest fears can be vindicating and exciting for your followers to read.

111. Describe your favorite memories from your childhood

It’s hard to remember some of our early years, but we all have those great childhood memories. Tell your stories in a series of posts that will make your followers feel closer to you.

112. Post funny pictures of your pets

I have two dogs and let me tell you, they can be ridiculous and hilarious at times. Catch them on camera or film them and upload these to your blog for instant success.

113. Create your own superhero or villain

It doesn’t have to be too serious, but come up with a superhero or villain and write out their whole story in a blog post. Maybe have an ongoing series with them if your followers like the idea.

114. Speculate on the mysteries of the universe

There are things like dark matter and aliens that we don’t know everything about. Why not try and come up with your own theories about what’s out there. These aren’t conspiracy theories, more like opportunities to fill in the cracks that science has yet to fill.

115. Dare your followers to do something crazy (within reason)

Depending on your niche, you can dare your followers to do something crazy or funny within reason and have them send you the results. This can make for some great posts.

116. Pretend you’ve gone insane, see how long you can keep it up

One day just pretend that you’ve snapped and start writing insane blog posts. See what happens when your followers think you’ve lost your mind.

117. Create an urban myth

From scary stories to Slenderman, a lot of urban myths still survive to this day. Why not create one of your own and spread the word of it to see if it catches on.

118. Spread rumors, even if they’re not real

Make up a rumor just for the sake of doing it and try to spread it amongst your followers and beyond. Don’t attack someone’s character, but maybe challenge an accepted norm and see how far the charade will go.

119. Start a blogging war

This may not fall into the category of good blog topics, but you could respond to another blog’s post and take the opposite stance, thereby instigating a blog war. You could also work out a fake attack on each other in the background and see how the followers react to your flying insults.

120. Create posts about your pet peeves

Watch out for people who will use this against you, but you could always write about the things that make your fists clench involuntarily.

121. Showcase the most ridiculous phobias

There are fears out there that, while real, are ridiculous. Point out some of them in a post or several and make the fear of peanut butter being stuck to the roof of your mouth (Arachibutyrophobia) known to the world

122. Write posts from other perspectives

Pretend that you’re a rock, or a dog, maybe even a microwave and write posts from that perspective. This is great for flexing the old imagination and makes for some hilarious moments.

Blogging Ideas

123. Describe the weirdest thoughts you’ve ever had

Our minds tend to have odd moments, so when you have one write it down and create a post about it.

You can pick out one of the strange thoughts that seemed to leap into your head and it makes for great material.

124. Invent your own product, share your idea

Don’t give away too many details before you patent it, but this is a good way to get feedback on an invention or product concept.

125. Criticize things that cannot be changed

Do you hate that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west? What about the fact that winter comes after fall? Try complaining about it even if you can’t change anything. It makes for a fun post.

126. Write a series of posts where you take everything literally

Try taking every figure of speech and idiom at face value and write about it in your post. This can result in some truly hilarious situations. For example, how can you do something every now, and again?

127. Try writing a post in an entirely different voice and tone than usual

In the spirit of changing things around to keep your followers on their toes, why not try changing up your tone and voice out of the blue for a post or two? You could even rhyme like I just did.

128. Chronicle your favorite plot twists

This requires a big spoiler warning, but you could point out some truly great twists in movies, books, and video games that could last for several posts.

129. Promote a cause that you feel passionate about

If you have something like a charity or a cause that you want to help promote and raise money for, blog about it and help raise money for the cause. Just make sure you have a way to show that the money is going to the right place since people will want to ensure they are donating to the cause.

130. Highlight your most insignificant accomplishments

Instead of bragging about major successes, post about all of the little things you accomplished each day. For example: “I got out of bed,” which is hard, so let the world know you’re stronger than that.

131. Describe how something extremely complex works

I don’t know how a microphone works. I can make it record my voice, but I don’t know how it does that. Try breaking down electronics and appliances into their individual parts and explaining how they do what they do.

132. Predict the future, back up your claims

Do some research and really try to predict what’s going to happen either in your life, or the world, and publish your predictions. See how close you were, or how far off you can be as time goes on.

133. Post clever “life hacks”

These are fun things that make your life easier. For example, if you place a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling water, it will never boil over. These make for great topics and there’s a lot of them out there.

134. Write about things you like that other people hate 

Everyone’s got an opinion, but there are some things that people really like that others truly hate. Find out which ones fall into your field of interest and defend the honor of it in your blog posts.

135. Take a picture of your computer desk as it is, then explain it 

Your desk may have a wallet, empty soda cans, a microphone and some bills on it but snap a shot and upload it with an explanation of why all of that stuff is on your computer desk. Make it a weekly thing and never clean your desk for maximum results.

Blog Ideas with a Coffee

136. Write about the last time you cried

If we cried about something, it had to be emotional. Recall the last time you shed tears and write about why you felt so strongly in that moment.

Emotionally charged writing is the best kind.

137. Post about people or things you wish you could switch places with

Maybe you want to be your dog for a day? You could write about taking a celebrity’s life for a week. This has a lot of possibilities to it.

138. Showcase your receipt from your last grocery store trip

Cross out the sensitive info and post a picture of your grocery store trip to show what kind of foods you tend to eat and how much you spend for you other people in your life. This could start a discussion about how to cut down on extra costs as well.

139. Write about the things you would change about the world if you could

There’s a lot wrong with the world, but what would you change if you could change anything? Tell us how you would do it and maybe someone with power will stumble across your blog and make it happen.

140. Transcribe a conversation where your grandmother describes the current generation 

You could set up a blog around this alone. Try asking Grandma to describe Facebook to you, or what a smartphone is and record her answers. I imagine they would be pretty funny.

141. Describe the world to someone who has been in a coma for 100 years

This is a good post prompt. Limit yourself to 800 words and try to describe everything that someone who has been in a coma for 100 years has missed. Good luck.

142. Answer a fundamental question in your own words

Take a really complicated question about life or evolution, or something very fundamental and scientific and answer it without the help of a textbook or fancy wording.

143. Write about illusions that we cling onto

We always imagine that things like money and power are worth something, but they’re all illusions that we’ve given value. Why not tackle some of these fickle things and see how we cling so desperately to them.

144. Create a presidential campaign, describe your platform 

Politics can be a tricky thing, but if you were to run for president, what would you fight for? Would you run as a republican, a democrat, or independent? Put your campaign together and see what your followers think of it.

145. Post a challenge and accompanying photos of your progress

Challenge yourself to grow a beard, lose weight, something that you can measure, and do daily posts with photos to show your progress. These are inspiring to a lot of people and it makes for great content on your blog to boot.

146. Describe how something we use every day is made

It’s amazing that they get all those potato chips to taste the same, but how are they made? Put together posts of common things we use and eat and talk about the process behind their production.

147. Create writing prompts for your guest bloggers or followers

You can post ideas like these on your blog and ask followers or guest writers to submit their ideas on them to you for some great content that you know is fitting for your niche.

148. Post a journal of your nightly dreams and nightmares 

Dream journals aren’t done very often, but it’s always interesting to hear what people dream about. Put together your own posts where you talk about what you saw and did in your dreams and maybe you can piece together what’s all those dreams mean.

149. Create a weekly/bi-weekly newsletter

Throwing together a newsletter of various sub-sections is a great way to keep steady content coming to your blog.

150. Show Off Unique Tools 

Did you notice that fancy image up there where I showed you the results of that Google search? That’s a new tool I discovered called Recordit. It’s a tool that let’s you capture your own recorded screenshots. Did I mention it’s free? Find tools like these and showcase them in a post to your followers!

151. Share Tips For Increasing Efficiency 

We all want to know how to write better, faster, and stronger. There’s plenty of ways to increase your concentration or keep your energy levels up while working. I for one like to use the Pomodoro method because it keeps me energized and focused.

152. Ask Yourself “Why?” Post the Answer

This may cause an existential breakdown on your part, but man, that would make for a sweet post. Ask yourself the big question in life: “Why?” It could be specific, like “why do you blog?” or “why did you pick this topic?” Or, if you’re feeling particularly profound, it can answer a much larger question about you, yourself, or the world we live in.

153. Do a Holiday Post 

There’s honestly a holiday for everything. Why not try to keep track of as many as you can? When you go to write a post, see if it just so happens to be “National Popcorn Day” or something like that, and do a post around the purpose and potential history of that day? Mainstream holidays work too, but finding the obscure or historical ones make this even more fun.

154. Do a Behind the Scenes Post 

Ever wonder what goes on in the daily life of Matt Banner? Well, too bad, I like my secrecy. Just kidding, maybe I’ll try this myself one day, but if you have a large following of fans, why give them a sneak peek into your life outside of blogging?

155. Do an Expert Roundup 

I actually posted an expert roundup of my own recently with great results. All you need to do is find a question that people are asking in your niche, and ask other key people in your sphere what they think is the answer. Compile their answers, along with your own, for an action-packed post!

156. Is a Picture Truly Worth a Thousand Words? 

Take a photo that you took, or one that speaks to you. Write about it, and see if you can make the old adage “a picture is worth a thousand words” happen in real life.

157. What’s the Weirdest/Funniest Thing You’ve Seen or Heard This Week?

You could make this a weekly trend if you’d like. Say each Thursday you post the funniest or weirdest thing you saw or heard that week. It can be a quote, a video, something you said or heard, anything you want!

158. Debate in The Comments 

If you’re particularly passionate about something, try writing a post where you set some ground rules and state your opinions. Then, tell people you’ll be monitoring the comments and debating your stance with them. Keep things respectful and honest, and you could really start a fire here.

159. Post Comic Strips 

This one requires artistic talent, so it’s off the table for me, but maybe you could do it! If there’s something in your niche that you want to poke fun at, try your hand at a satirical cartoon or comic strip and post it on your blog to see what your readers think!

I hope you got a few ideas for your blog from this long and comprehensive list. If you have any questions or anything else to say about the topic please let us know in the comments below, we’d love to hear them.

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This post was originally published in Onblastblog blog

Report: The Real ROI of Social Media Marketing

social-media-facebook

Social media and digital marketing is everywhere. Any brand attempting to promote, engage, and connect with their target audience in today’s day and age is using social media to market to their constituents. While only 10 years old, social media has become a catalyst in restoring the one to one relationship between brands and consumers.

In its 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report, Social Media Examiner, a leader in the space, has provided invaluable insight as to how brands and individuals are using social media for marketing purposes.

Interestingly, the most important question (“What is the ROI of social media?”)remains to be answered in a concrete manner. Does that mean that social media will disappear? Probably not. What this report does seem to document is that, with the initial trend of social media integration behind us, companies and brands are now transitioning to a point requiring a more transparent and clearer reporting for concrete results of social media marketing.

The Highlights

After reviewing Top Rank’s analysis of the report, which enumerates five major benefits of social media on business, there are some additional findings which warrant discussion and should be raised for longer term consideration.

The Role of Video Marketing

While nearly 60% of marketers already utilize video in their marketing efforts, 72% indicated that video marketing is part of their short term goals to integrate into their digital strategy. Especially with recent changes on Facebook, video marketing is clearly an important channel for content creation and marketing.

In fact, in the study, learning to create videos is the number one area that marketers wish to increase their knowledge and expertise.

Growth of Podcasting in Digital Mix

To date, only 10% of marketers are using podcasting as a tool to create content and engage with an audience.

Why?

Like video, podcasting requires a significant investment in resources to produce a final product. While Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Instagram represent platforms on which content can be automated or quickly shared, podcasting can only be distributed after the raw content has been edited and modified for optimal brand promotion. Unlike blog content, which can be edited in real time, the time and energy involved prior to distributing podcast content, dissuades many marketing teams from integrating this form of content.

Interestingly, the small group of marketers using podcasting praise its value and high engagement rates since the content is automatically pushed and syndicated to a user’s phone or desktop via a platform like Itunes. While content on a blog can be sent via email, the simplicity of podcast syndication and ability to listen at one’s leisure signifies a user controlled experience with which other forms of content are unable to compete.

The Secondary Benefits of Social Media Marketing

The report does indicate that those marketers involved in social media for over two years are actually seeing sales from the relationships and communities that they’ve established. To date, the secondary benefits (branding, exposure, partnerships, lead gen, cost savings, search rankings) outweigh the direct impact of social media on business revenue.

An intriguing development in the secondary benefits of social media is the ability for content writing and social conversation to enable a brand or personality to position themselves as thought leaders within an industry.

In today’s digital space, these secondary benefits are indeed significant, within the context of a brand’s ability to solidify the opportunities into concrete sales. Briefly stated, search ranking, for example, does help a brand gain advantage over its competitors on search engines. If, however, the user is directed to a site that is not optimized for conversion or otherwise confusing, the benefit of search engine optimization has proven to be insignificant.

Measuring the ROI of Social Media

One of the most significant results that emerged from the study is that only 42% of marketers can actually measure the direct result of their marketing efforts. While the number does show 5% increase from 2014, and 16% increase from 2013, the results still do raise questions in terms of return on investment.

Many of the marketers claiming this challenge are ill-equipped with the necessary reporting tools or do not invest the necessary time on social media as the primary factors in their inability to show direct ROI.

What are some of the most effective social media platforms?

An important aspect of the report was a list of the top seven social media platforms being used by marketers. In order of usage- Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Google+, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram. Instagram did increase its position by 8% and, despite the common notion that Google+ is becoming more insignificant, the social media platform increased by 2% since 2014.

An important distinction made in the report is the social media platforms used by B2B vs B2C marketers. B2C marketers focus on Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest and Instagram. These four are highly visual based platforms that resonate with consumers looking for visually appealing content prior to making purchase decisions.

For B2B marketers, the focus shifts to Linkedin, Twitter, Google+ and Slideshare. The reason for this differential is that B2B marketing efforts focus on establishing relationships, industry related content and understanding the employee within the context of his or her professional role.

As marketers prepare for future social media efforts, both B2B and B2C efforts are shifting their efforts to increase usage on Twitter, learning to leverage video marketing and integrating Instagram into their overall digital strategy. Again, while many individuals in the social media sphere shy away from Google+, the report indicates that 78% of marketers plan to maintain or increase their activities on this platform.

With regards to newer social media platforms including Snapchat, the report indicates a low rate of interest of marketers to integrate Snapchat or other new social platforms into their overall marketing efforts.

In terms of Snapchat, the reasons could be lack of interest, lack of familiarity with usability or associating Snapchat with an audience incongruent with their target audience. For other new platforms, marketers could be showing a sense of complacency to constantly learn and integrate new platforms or they could be more interested in proving value in the core, more commonly accepted, platforms before venturing into new ones.

For those marketers who are comfortable with being early adopters in new platforms or are willing to risk venturing into new territories, these platforms do indeed present significant opportunities.

Like Top Rank, I agree that a very important result from the 2015 Social Media Examiner report is the ability of marketers to quantify specific objectives and show results that meet these goals. With this report, an important question that remains unanswered in the social media marketing sphere is which benefits play a more significant role direct or indirect sales benefits?

 

This post was originally published on noholtzbarred blog

Buy a Used Vehicle Without Getting Ripped Off by Car Dealers

Mercedes-SLS-Sport-Car

Purchasing a vehicle whether new or used is a great investment and you want to make the smart decision for your budget and lifestyle. You need to take your time in finding the right offer so you can avoid getting ripped off by car dealers. Here are some tips that can help you close the right deal.

Ask for a mechanical car check

You need a mechanic or any car knowledgeable friend that will open the hood of you vehicle and do a quick inspection to make sure the car is in a good condition. If you can’t find anyone at least listen the engine and make a transmission and air conditioning check. You need to be rational and don’t have great expectations if you are paying a very small amount of money.

Check the tires

Observe the tire wear. They need to be even and consistent. If there are worn out you might have to invest in new parts sooner than you’ve expected. You also need to make sure the oil is ok and make simple comparisons. Check if there is water or some additive in the oil. If it’s more brown than red, you need to check whether it smells burned. Don’t forget to check under the car as well and anything that might been hidden. Even small visible scratches may indicate there has been a more serious damage to the vehicle.

Ask for a test drive

Drive the vehicle at least 15 minutes to check whether overheating may occur. Once you are on the road pay attention if the car tracks straight down the road. Practice stopping your car on the side road with your hands off the wheel. Can you notice if the car stops straight? While driving, make sure the car doesn’t bounce all around and it has the same mileage as on the odometer. Focus on all the small details. Is the windshield sand blasted and appears old? Are the brake pads worn out? Use your test drive wisely and inspect the condition of the vehicle carefully.

Ask for a car history report

This is one of the inexpensive and trustworthy ways to check the record of the used car. The vehicle history report will give you a detailed record based on the car’s serial number and all the public record information you need. You’ll be able to find out whether there were minor damages in the past due to improper maintenance, odometer frauds and recalls. You can also identify whether it’s been stolen or owned by hire car rental agencies. However don’t rely completely on this report since only the public information is revealed and further car inspection might be required.

Never settle for the first offer

Remember, there are a lot of options online and you don’t want to settle for the first car that looks good. Do a research of the model and ask for a car comparison between two or three models you prefer. Some reputable used car supermarkets such as Fords of Winsford and others will offer you advice from automotive experts and help you make the right decision. So take your time and enjoy the car buying ride.

Good luck with buying your very first car.

Net Neutrality: Who Is For It, Who Is Against It and Why [Infographic]

net-system

Net Neutrality is one of the most talked about topics at the moment. What exactly does it mean?

Essentially, Net Neutrality is the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally. Internet Service providers want to end Net Neutrality and give priority to certain traffic, while the FCC want to maintain Net Neutrality so all Internet traffic is equal.

The overwhelming concern is that if we lose Net Neutrality the Internet as we know it will be gone forever. It will function more like cable television, where service providers are like gatekeepers who present us with the content they want us to see, rather than the user being free to explore the Internet in any way they wish. The Internet needs to remain a level playing field, and the fight for Net Neutrality is about maintaining the Internet as we know it. It is without question a fight worth fighting.

This info-graphic from Pepeyee outlines the main players in the Net Neutrality argument, the benefits of Net Neutrality, and the important wins and losses in the battle to preserve Net Neutrality since Tim Wu coined the term in 2003.

Net-Neutrality

Google Chrome: How It Won The Browsers Battle

Worldwide-browser-market-share

Web browsers have become such a fundamental part of our digital lives. I mean, seriously, who doesn’t use one on a daily basis?!

The launch of Google’s Chrome in 2008 looked unlikely to knock Internet Explorer out the water but flash forward to now and it’s done that and much more.

On its way to glory, Google’s browser outpaced its Mozilla rival by taking a slice of 42.74 percent of all desktop browser market share, with Internet Explorer gaining 13.17 percent in the second place, and Mozilla Firefox with only 11.72 percent on the third.

Chrome has definitely conquered the world, with the popular browser continuing to dominate all three major channels: mobile, desktop and tablets.

 

Find out how it reined supreme here:

How-chrome-won-the-war-of-the-browsers

 

Infographic is courtesy of cloudsolutions

New ‘Star Wars’ Emoji Available on Twitter

star_wars_the_force_awakens_BB-8_droid

At a recent kick-off celebration of Disney’s next big Star Wars: The Force Awakens in Anaheim, California, director and producer J.J. Abrams (who happened to wear a shiny stainless-still Apple watch on his wrist) officially unveiled to a welcoming crowd of Star Wars fans, a cute rolling droid, called the BB-8.

Meanwhile, as you plainly can see above, Twitter has added three custom Star Wars emoji shortcuts to your keyboard and such.

The new episode, which will be coming out on the big screen in time for the Christmas holidays of 2015, is making quite a buzz these days as the film’s second official trailer video has landed. Yeah, that’s they’re way to keep in touch with the fans and make them all feel enthused and excited.

[youtube id=”ngElkyQ6Rhs”]

via polygon

Looking For a Way to Completely Delete your Embarrassing Photos From Social Media? Here’s How

You know how it is with the youngsters these days, they go to a party, have a few drinks and laughs, take some awkward selfie photos and then immediately post ’em on their favorite social media hub (e.g Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or even Google Plus). So what happens next, you may be wondering? Well, it’s getting to be very embarrassing when they finally realize how critically harsh and incredibly painful these social networks can possibly be. Just try to imagine the high volume of inflammatory comments and the damage which might result from it. Not exactly what they would have expected, eh?

Perhaps too late for some, but it is only then when they get to know the proper ways on how to manage their social media life. But how can you minimize the damage caused by your own actions (or others)?

As scary as it may or may not sound, there are a few options out there to get this done.

Check out the infographic below to learn more about the steps you can take when you find embarrassing photos online.

how-to-remove-photos-from-socialmedia

Facebook Releases a Whole New News Feed Design

Facebook-newsfeed

Facebook is known for the frequent changes it makes to its News feed layout and page functionality. Readers may recall that it was only back in September 2011 when the California-based company announced an entirely new kind of UI profile, and not so long ago, released a new breed of search graph engine. Today, the social media giant is launching yet another new design, to shake and stir up their outmoded News-Feed layout. And while you won’t be seeing this beautiful update immediately (Facebook says it will carefully roll things out within the following weeks), there’s definitely a lot to expect.

Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg said that “the stories around you deserve to be displayed with more than just text,” thus the change in concept, which is now consisted of Bigger Images (and videos), Multiple Feeds, and Mobile Consistency – One hell of a change. The new design, has taken into account mobile devices as well as desktop and tablet machines, adding a new side-vertical navbar, with some extra empty space around. Photo albums will also receive a cosmetic facelift, in a way that will justify their dominance along the News Feed, with practically almost 50% of the entire visible content.

From now on, users will be able to subscribe to different type of feeds in their news layout, whether they decide to choose music, games, photos, or even friends. Each story will be more vibrant and colorful than before, and the order will be sorted to your own personal preference, chronologically.

Be sure to check out your Facebook account and let us know if you are one of the lucky users to receive the first “early access preview.”

[Facebook]

Twitter ‘Anywhere’ Platform Goes Live

Twitter has just launched its latest Anywhere platform which lets developers start developing their own Twitter apps and install them on their websites right away. First introduced at SXSWi, by Twitter’s founder @EV, the new package provides embedding tools and new integration methods, delivered by Twitter itself, that aims to increase its massively growing traffic with more engagement and more users to take part in the service, sign-in, connect, and share their feeds. It’s literally paralleled to Facebook connect, if you still try to figure out what it means – the more you connect, the more active you are the more buzz created and more publishers are getting happy out of this thing.

You get four features in Twitter’s Anywhere package: Hovercards, Connect, Sign-In, and the Tweetbox, with no special need to open new accounts or sign for a different service – simply use your very own Twitter username and password to log. This way, you will help Twitter to increase interaction between websites and tweet messages in a way that eventually would make the service even stronger.

Twitter says that popular websites such as AdAge, Amazon, Bing, Citysearch, Digg, Disqus, eBay, Foursquare, Gawker, Google, Gowalla, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Hunch, Mashable, Meebo, MSNBC.com, The New York Times, Salesforce.com, WSJ.com, Yahoo!, and YouTube have already pledged to the new service and about to install its tools onboard.

We’ve already installed the HoverCards feature into our website. Just move your mouse over the following names and see how it works (feel free to follow as well): @niron, @EV, @Scobleizer, @Biz, @Anywhere.

Apple Reveals Its ‘iPad-Ready’ Websites List

The iPad is scheduled to go live in less than 24 hours now, and there seems to be an enormous excitement  across the blogsphere pond – everyone is looking forward to Saturday morning fete. Apple’s week is definitely going to be busy and long queues will start stretching along the streets – it’s going to be fun, no doubt. But the iPad, which most people would probably define as an internet surfing board, lacks Flash and that’s completely rigid, especially for the sake of web video support . Still, Apple has just released a descent list of various popular websites which are said to include latest web standard components such as HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript that suppose to fully support the iPad internet experience. Among those sites you’ll find CNN, Reuters, New York Times, Vimeo, Time, Major League Baseball, The White House, Virgin America, Sports Illustrated, Flickr, People Magazine and TED. Happy Surfing!

[Apple]

Orange Israel To Sell Acer Mini PC As Part Of Its Internet Bundle

Orange Israel has just started offering a new Internet package that includes a Smart Box wireless router, together with a 2.5Mb internet connection fixed for 36 months and…an Acer Mini PC that comes with Intel’s E5300 processor, paired with 2GB DDR3 RAM, 320GB hard drive, Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Intel GMA X4500 graphics, a Super Multi Dual Layer DVD and wide range of ports like 4 x USB hubs, eSata, VGA output, DVI plus HDMI adapter. The system runs Microsoft Windows 7 Premium preloaded inside and is now offered on Orange’s website for 3,564NIS (36 x 99). In addition, you get wireless keyboard and mouse as part of the deal which suppose to last ’till March 31st.

Google Buzz Gets More Updates And Improvements, Reaching Over 9 Million Posts and Comments

Only two days after turning the Buzz official within Gmail accounts, Google seems to roll out more tweaks and improvements, based on feedbacks and user requests, sent directly or to its help desk account. First and foremost, Google has closed security breach where people could actually see lists of friends and followers which automatically appeared on new Google Pages that people initially created to post their Buzz feeds. Those lists created based on interaction with people you email and chat with the most, could literally expose to the world details no one wanted to unveil. There for, from now on the first time you create a post or comment in Buzz, you will be asked to initiate a limited public profile with minimal info released outside. In addition, you can easily choose whether to turn on publicly the lists of people you follow or that follow you back and which of these species can appear publicly on your profile or not. Furthermore, Google adds the ability to block followers or unfollow them with a simple click of a button. Stay tuned.

Update1: Google says that since launched, tens of millions of people have checked Buzz out, creating over 9 million posts and comments, overwhelmingly added to the growing 200+ posts per minute, initiated from mobile phones around the world.

Update2: So you’re already involved with the Buzz, posting your stuff and following others, but you’re not exactly familiar with all those tricks and tweaks the service offers and wonder where you could have learned them all in a matter of minutes. For that reason specifically, we’ve added a Google Buzz cheat sheet where you can find all the keys and shortcuts that would make it easier for you to use the Buzz. Check it out after the break.

Update3: Google has wisely decided to remove the Buzz auto-follow model in which you automatically follow the people you email and chat with most, whenever initiate a new Google profile page. Instead of this auto-suggest model you will be taken into a welcome page, where you will be reviewing the people in your lists that you’re interested outing to the public and others, you prefer keeping them hidden (third image after the break). In addition, your Buzz will not connect with your Google Reader and Picasa shared items automatically, so your “Unlisted” albums or “Protected” reading sources won’t be revealed, unless you decide to. And last but not least, Google has confirmed it will soon add a Buzz tab to the Gmail account that would create a clear distinction between your day-to-day mailing content and your Googlr Buzz feeds (fourth image). Stay tuned.

[Google]

Continue reading Google Buzz Gets More Updates And Improvements, Reaching Over 9 Million Posts and Comments

Google Buzz Announced, Turns Your Web Mail Socialized And Your Mobile Device Localized

Google officially released the Buzz. What is it, you’re asking? It’s Mountain View’s new platform that integrates into your Gmail account and turns it into a social community center (sort of), where you can share things like updates, photos, videos and a lot more with people you email and chat with the most. Additionally, the Buzz allows you to start interacting with those people and make in-mail conversations about anything you’d like in a simple and attractive way. The purpose, according to Bradley Horowitz, Google’s vice president for product management, is to simplify things and help people …”to find signal in the noise”. The target, in our humble opinion, is to launch a successful email product that would make people stick around all day long, and by that, create their own personal streaming platform that would eventually attract potential web users to follow their buzz and turn their voice even louder. Is it a war declaration against popular services like Twitter and Facebook? Time would tell. Google’s buzz  integrates with existing social networks and people can easily add their Flickr, Picasa, Twitter, Yahoo or Facebook accounts, and even Google Reader feeds, into the Buzz while creating  a new social networking interface/aggregator that would gather both mailing usage and media streaming in one accessible place. So, direct war? not sure, but challenging Facebook’s social media domination? definitely yes.

Basically, no special setup is needed and Gmail users should expect seeing the Buzz in their mail accounts immediately, or later on this week, as Google rolls out its new platform across the web, at these very moments . Once receiving it you will automatically start seeing lists of people, who you have emailed on Gmail, added to your Buzz. At that point you can start sharing with them whatever you want, including pictures, messages, videos, articles, news feeds and more, either publicly or in private. It’s a dual direction platform, so in that case you will see their updates as well, but also a few “Recommended Buzz” from friends of your friends, adjusted to your personal feedback.

As for mobile phones, Google also announced mobile integration for Buzz with dedicated apps and maps and an updated homepage you can log into at google.com/buzz. Buzz for mobile makes your sharing a lot easier than expected, it ” brings location to the forefront and makes it easy to have conversations about places”. To start, just type buzz.google.com in your mobile browser address line and begin posting buzz from your phone. You can tag your location or use the suggested tag if correct and later on, search all the public buzz created by your friends or nearby strangers around you in any given location you’ve personally tagged. This way you get yourself a personal location and recommendation platform, based on people’s most basic and common opinions, carried by their smartphones. As mentioned, you can use Google Maps and create public buzz directly from the layer, and attach photos into it from your mobile phone. You can create Textual Buzz shortcuts which appear as a small conversation bubble that everyone can see and read, or go even cooler by creating Voice Buzz shortcuts which let you post buzz without typing a word – Neat! Hit the break to watch the videos.

Update1: Looks like Google Maps 4.0 with Buzz support now available in the Android Market for those who own Android-based smartphones like G1, Droid or Nexus One. Feel free to download it right away and share the Buzz with your friends!

Continue reading Google Buzz Announced, Turns Your Web Mail Socialized And Your Mobile Device Localized

Meizu Android-Powered ‘M-One’ Tablet Teams Up With avatar, Aims To Destroy The iPad

At this point there are more images than details, and frankly we have no Idea whether they’re real or not – although we have our doubts, if you’re asking, especially when it comes to the Avatar image below, I mean seriously do you guys want to mess up with Hollywood IP lawyers or what? On the other hand, if they were real then Meizu might have gone official with it, no? Anyway, until we prove different, you all should know it’s called M-one (at least that’s what they say), looks like a slim tablet device and claims to have everything that Apple iPad lacks, including a built-in camera, multi-tasking platform, Android operating system and whitish charming design. Regretfully, there’s no word about price or availability at the moment, but that as a fact doesn’t seem to bother Mr. james cameron himself, eh? Hit the link for more images.

Update: It’s fake. Meizu CEO J.Wong said he won’t be launching an iPad killer soon. He also said:

“Stop the photoshop work, I have no interest to create a big MP4! Isn’t the shame enough?”

[via pconline]

Apple iPad Tablet Officially Live Starting at $499

[tweetmeme]

It’s been a wild day with big news and one single product – The iPad. Yes guys, Apple’s tablet is officially out, no more rumors, no speculations, no overpriced ($999) guesses or foolish mockups, this time it’s for real, and it would cost only $499 (16GB), $599 (32GB) or $699 (64GB), courtesy of Cupertino. As is, it looks very sexy, only 0.5-inches thin and 1.5 pounds of weight. Display is almost ten inches wide, and to be more accurate, 9.7-inches. Screen resolution is basically like every usual netbook, 1024X768, but the screen itself, as you may have guessed, supports a capacitive multitouch usability, the kind you’d find in an iPhone. It has 802.11n wifi, Bluetooth, and in some models even a 3G cellular connectivity, that will run in AT&T and around the world for a monthly fee og either $14.99 (250MB data) or $29.99 (unlimited package). Steve jobs says they are all UNLOCKED and that the processor inside is powered by Apple’s custom designed A4 chipset (which is speculated to be an Arm Cortex 9 processor). Battery wise, Stevo claims a 10 hours of work and almost a month in standby mode, while UI is basically similar to the iPhone, only revamped to support browsing, emails, photos, video (including Youtube), music, games and ebooks on a larger scale.

Yes, Apple thinks that netbooks are slow and made of low quality, and that’s why they came up with a tablet, which frankly is an hybrid creation of the company’s iPhone and Mac in one single device. Naturally, it comes with a built-in accelerometer, the kind that lets you play top-notch shooting and high speed racing games, joystick free, and GPS system if you were asking, is also part of the deal, so navigation, satellite images and street view topography are now available on the go. Like any light and sophisticated machine, you can send emails, engage your contacts, surf the net and sync music with iTunes – and this is the time to mention it has a USB connector for that mission and other collaborative tasks you can think of. But the iPad, is not just for internet and multimedia consuming, it’s also for book reading, like Yahoo’s Kindle, only with colors. But that’s not all, because Apple like Apple developed an iBook app this purpose, and to make things profitable, there is an online store – just for books – starting today! So there you have it, an all-in-one media device with music, videos, almost 150k optional apps, personal office manager, ebook reader and almost endless usage possibilities. On the down side, it doesn’t have a camera inside and we haven’t seen any HDMI output to pump your vids. The bezel is too wide, there’s no flash supported and last but not least, no multitasking – NO MULTITASKING. Instead you can work on sheets, tables and charts, through iWork, that was tweaked by Apple’s teams to fit the iPad. Want it? this ain’t come free – $9.99.

Update1: There are also some optional accessories to buy, like a standalone dock or one that comes with a keyboard, a camera connection kit, or an iPad case. Checkout the Apple store for more on that.

Update2: The iPad supports wide range of codecs including H.264 video up to 720p, 30 frames per second, Main Profile level 3.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video, up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats.

Update3: Here are the overall prices:

  • 16GB with WiFi: $499
  • 32GB with WiFi: $599
  • 64GB with WiFi: $699
  • 16GB with WiFi & 3G: $629
  • 32GB with WiFi & 3G: $729
  • 64GB with WiFi & 3G: $829

Update4: Apple have partnered with five major publishers, including Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, MacMillan and Hachett Book Group, to bring into your iPad color or B/W  content.

Update5: Apple PR announcement plus images plus video added after the break.

[Apple]

Continue reading Apple iPad Tablet Officially Live Starting at $499

Cowon Atom-powered W2 MID Pops Up With Windows 7 Inside

We haven’t heard much from Cowon lately. In fact, we’ve heard nothing from them since last December. But that as a fact doesn’t mean the Korean corp wasn’t active at all – look, they just rolled out a MID (sigh) – and it’s a 4.8-inch with 1024 x 600 touchscreen LCD, running a Windows 7 platform, powered by a 1.3GHz Intel Atom processor. It’s a bit bulky, and a thick bezel surrounds the frame. The chassis is made of silver brushed metal, housing four buttons, two on each side. There are stereo speakers bundled within, along Ethernet port and single TV output – but that’s about what the company was willing to share at this point. Stay tuned for more.

Update1: Turns out Cowon’s W2 MID will eventually make official debut on January 25th with that 4.8-inc WSVGA screen, along a 1.3GHz Intel Atom Z520, 1GB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, 2 x USB ports Battery at 10/7 hours (audio/video) and either 60GB or 80GB capacities at your choice. Retail price is at 599,000 to 739,000KRW, respectively (about $530 to $660).

Update2: Apparently, AVING guys have managed to catch some quality time with the new Atom-powered Cowon W2 MID, in one of those  trading shows in Asia. And although it feels thick and bulky at first impression, you have to admit the front looks awesome, both portrait and landscape modes. In addition, it seems to have an optional USB QWERTY keyboard  that can be attached into the left side of the chassis. No word about US release or prices, but ’till then, two more image are placed after the break.

cowon-w2-mid_2

[via DAP Review]

Continue reading Cowon Atom-powered W2 MID Pops Up With Windows 7 Inside

Dell's Slate Makes First Appearance at CES With Android 2.0, 3G And Wireless Connectivity (Update: Mini 5)

Nothing much to share at this point, but Dell has revealed a new slate/tablet device at its keynote speech at CES in Vegas. Designed like a business smartphone, and some would say it is one considering the SIM slot it boasts, the new Reddish device  includes an Android platform preloaded inside, and a 5-inch touchscreen on top. There’s also an integrated 5MP camera at the back and three clickable buttons on the right – Home, Back and (maybe) apps. Furthermore, up the hill, it houses three additional buttons which looks like ON/OFF, camera and volume support. We’ve also spotted a built-in mic and Bluetooth, but that’s all we have for now.

Update1: engadget guys were lucky to sit around the table with Dell’s representative who was kind enough to give a quick tour and show them Dell’s new mysterious slate in a snap. From first impression we’re guessing it’s an Android 1.6 platform that runs inside, but quiet positive there’s a nice numpad add-on included in the keyboard and a tiny face camera right on front. We’re not sure whether it’d be called Mini 5 or codename Streak, but color us impressed from the way it performed. Vid and thumbs, after the break.

Update2: Turns out it’s a 5-inch mid, boasting 800 x 480 capacitive touchscreen,along integrated WiFi and 3G WWAN connectivity. It runs Android 2.0 (Eclair) instead of that 1.6 flavor and seems to endure a dual-LED flash 5mp camera behind and a 1,300mAh battery within. We’ve added another video after the break, courtesy of Slashgear and some Vietnamese chaps.

Update3: The Tinhte team has taken Dell’s Android-based Mini 5 slate/mid to a teardown session, and guess what they’ve found under the hood – a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, two microSD slots, integrated SIM card with 3G radio and a 1,530mAh battery, stronger than expected. Dissecting video after the break.

Update4: TechCrunch guys have managed to catch up with Michael Dell himself somewhere outside Davos conference halls, and look what he got, a “Mini 5” slate, in his words, which suppose to go live “in “a couple of months” with an Android based platform, 3G connectivity, 5MP camera and other good stuff. Dell refused to disclose any details about price or chipset.Checkout the third video after the break.

Update5: Dell says its latest Mini 5 will not run an Android 1.6 platform, but “something newer”, which we can’t confirm yet. In any case, it’s going to be refreshing and upgradable.

Update6: Apparently, the Mini 5 has a docking station which suppose to include HDMI output and a USB port. Check it out in T3 Greek Edition’s video after the break.

Update7: Looks like there’s plenty of stuff ahead. According to Neeraj Choubey, Dell’s tablet division GM, the Mini 5 is part of “a family of tablets” that will “scale up to a variety of sizes.” Some, are claimed to include “inexpensive data plans” in the bundle, some just Android powered.

Update8: Apart from the 5-inch 800 x 480 WVGA touchscreen, 5 megapixel camera, and the 30-pin docking connector, it seems that Dell will offer the Mini 5 (or Streak, depends who you ask) in wide range of premium colors. Hit the break to see your options.

Update9: Michael Dell says his 5-inch Streak “…will be available starting next month, first with our partner 02 Telefonica in Europe, then later this summer with our pretty good partner here in the United States, AT&T.” You hear that. Next month!

500x_dellslate4

Continue reading Dell's Slate Makes First Appearance at CES With Android 2.0, 3G And Wireless Connectivity (Update: Mini 5)

Zune HD Twitter App Officially Out, Cursing Tweets Excluded

Tweet tweet, Zune HD finally gets a twitter app – now available for downloading via Marketplace, free of charge. Design wise it looks great, but once ending with registration process and firing up the application, this is where it start getting buggy and the UI performs a bit sluggish. Despite malfunctions, you can send tweets, follow your Twitter feed, view replies, search on Twitter, send direct messages and watch your favorites tab as long as you want – until it freezes up (no lists support at the moment).

Update1: Surprisingly, it forces you to be polite while using the app, otherwise your cursing tweets will snappily get trashed and brutally thrown out of the line. Stay tuned for more about that.

Update2: Microsoft has taken this Zune HD Twitter app censorship way too far from expected, and couple hours later, after setting the stage for turmoil, and getting knocked from every possible direction, it finally unleashed a statement, vowing to fix these chopped cuss words “issues” as soon as it finds a proper code line replacement. Here’s what Redmond had to say:

The recently released Twitter for Zune HD application has been abbreviating some explicit words in tweets when viewed on the device; however these explicit words do appear in their full text on the Twitter site or on any other Twitter client. We have identified the issue and are taking steps to update the application as soon as possible to ensure Twitter for Zune HD users are able to view tweets in their original state.

Update3: And one day later… Microsoft releases firmware update v1.1, which allows free Twitter expression, without any censorship or limitations. Bugs, lags and other malfunctions are yet to be fixed though.

[via Zune Insider; engadget]

SmartQ To Release The V5 MID, A Touchscreen Device Supporting 1080P

Care for a less expensive media player, the kind that looks good and serves your high-def videos exactly the way you want? Checkout SmartQ’s latest V5 MID, with no price tag or availability dates attached, but a 4.3-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen that pumps your HD files to 1080p, through an HDMI hub, built inside. Other than that, you get a strong 600MHz ARM11 processor along with 256MB of DDR2 RAM, 2GB of internal storage, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, SD expansion for bigger capacities use, and a nice slick rectangle design. Well, on second thought, it wouldn’t be that cheap if getting one involves acquiring a flight ticket to Asia – but that’s for you to decide.

Update: Looks like SmartQ’s V5 MID is finally up and available across the pond. For merely $180 you will get yourself that 4.3-inch display, hiding a 600MHz ARM11 processor underneath, paired with 256MB of RAM, HDMI output, Android, Ubuntu, and Windows CE 6.0 all preloaded inside – which makes it even more attractive.

smartq-v5-mid

[via imp3]

Creative's Android-based Zii EGG Handheld Officially Introduced

We’re not so sure what Creative is trying to do, and what is the final product we’re about to see in the following months, but one thing for sure, the latest Zii EGG handheld, the company has just introduced as an Android-based device, powered with the new “Plaszma” platform that was created for developers and OEMs, is really rocking our geeky brains with tons of high class features and updated specs that include a 3.5-inch 320×480 multi-touch display (Capacitive 10-point multi-gesture touch display), along with up to 32GB of internal flash memory, paired with SDHC slot (supports up to 32GB of external SDHC Card), 256MB Mobile DDR RAM (similar to the iPhone 3GS), dual cameras for video conferencing, as the front camera supports HD quality, 3-axis accelerometer, a built-in speaker, a mic, and of course, WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR connectivity are also included in Creative’s “StemCell Computing” project, to let you connect with outbound entities. Other than that, this amazing machine (which you have to admit, looks exactly like an iPhone), packs X-Fi audio processing and supports OpenGL ES and HD playback with 1080p video output (via HD cable). Creative says the platform itself is “market-ready” for OEM manufacturers and can be bundled with different outfits for retail price of $400, but until we figure out whether it will be released as an mp3 player, mobile phone or other alternatives, checkout the video demo after the break.

Update1: With so much potential, stuffed into a one small device, it’s just a matter of time until we’re going to see more neat features, demonstrating the Zii EGG phenomenal specs to the world, and as for a start, hit the jump to checkout the other video, introducing the Zii, running a racing game demo, using both its accelerometer and OpenGL ES capabilities.

Update2: You know the drill, first comes the introduction, then it’s the traditional dissection, which in this case is up, courtesy of the FCC report (and not a cracking group), that every company has to pass through, to ge its productst into the US market. Hit the break to see the inside part of the Zii.

Update3: And if web surfing is something you find yourself using quite often while on the go, mind you that Creative has officially chosen Opera as the main browser inside the Zii Egg. Good or bad, it’d be up to you to decide, once the Zii gets available.

creative-zii-egg-official

[Via DAP Review]

Continue reading Creative's Android-based Zii EGG Handheld Officially Introduced

Archos To Introduce The Archos 9 Windows 7 Powered Tablet PC

While technology world is at its first steps getting into the portable touchscreen era, French corporation Archos was always there first to come out with the most advanced and sophisticated media devices around, and as of now, it seems the company had done it again with yesterday’s interesting announcement of the Archos 9 Windows 7 tablet PC, which is literally a 16mm thick / 800gm of portable netbook device, made in the form of tablet unit that boasts an 8.9-inch 1024 x 600 touchscreen, along with Intel’s Atom Z515 processor, up to 120GB of storage capacity, 802.11b/g WiFi connection, built-in Bluetooth 2.1 antenna, integrated 1.3MP webcam, 10/100 Ethernet port, two stereo speakers, a microphone and even an optional 3.5G HSUPA WWAN support. Official release is scheduled for somewhere around September this year, while prices start at 450 Euros ($630) for basic version and up to 500 Euros ($705) for the premium models. Head forward, after the break, there’s a nice video preview from techvideoblog, together with a full specs table and some first hands-on images.

Update1: Looks like UK fanboys will be able to nab the Archos 9, either with 80GB or 160GB capacities, for 449.99 Euros ($735) and 499.99 Euros ($815), respectively. Still no word from the French about official release dates, but we’re following.

Updatte2: And word just came in, the Archos 9 tablet is said to be released in October 22nd, concurrently with Windows 7, starting at $499.

Update3: Looks like Archos 9 is finally up for a pre-order. With an 8.9-inches display on top and Windows 7 Starter onboard, this $549.99 tablet machine is one awesome portable device that will let you exult and rock.

Update4: We’ve added another Archos 9 image, this time dissected, courtesy of the US FCC that has torn it apart before approving the North American debut.

Update5: Despite previous announcements, it looks like Archos 9 tablet PC is now due for release somewhere around the first quarter of 2010, instead of mid October 2009. We’re not sure what are the reasons for this delay, but guess you will have to take it for granted.

Update6: The good guys at UMPCPortal were lucky to get the Archos 9, a month before official debut, preloaded with a 60GB hard drive and Intel’s 1.1GHz Atom processor inside. Too bad it runs the Windows 7 starter edition which lacks those nifty tablet features you can use in the Premium and Ultimate versions. Nevertheless, checkout their unboxing video after the break.

archos9-tablet-pc

[Archos]

Continue reading Archos To Introduce The Archos 9 Windows 7 Powered Tablet PC

Google Wave Introduced, Offering Real-Time Collaborative Interaction Between Instant Messaging, Email Notifications, Document Editing And Other Cool Meshup Extensions

google_wave_logoNot sure if any of this necessarily relates to Microsoft’s search-engine (AKA: Bing) announcement, that suppose to take place in the following days, but this way or another, Google has definitely managed to steal some focus from Redmond’s coming events, by catching our eyes with its latest innovative meshing application – also known as Google Wave. And while many of us tend to separately use IM clients, mail services or word processing editors to work our day, Google’s Australian team has diligently strove for the past two years in putting together these three daily assignments into one amazing collaborative tool which was built into the web-browser sphere in the form of HTML 5.0 and about to be released in the following months.

What is Wave? It’s a new model for communication and collaboration on the web, as a group of people can communicate and work together with rich format text, photos, videos, maps, blogs and more, while any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add even more participants at any point in the process, with a “playback” mode, allowing newcomers to rewind the wave to see who said what and when, before joining the service. And if that wasn’t enough, the entire gathering process, which makes the Wave such a great collaborative tool, surprisingly happens on a real-time platform, where different group members can concurrently read (character-by-character) whatever you type, as you type, without waiting long (private mode is optional).

Still in an early build, with so many useful embedded features around, Google’s online sharing platform undoubtedly shaped for changing our common old-fashioned traits while vigorously aiming to completely revamp any sort of existing mailing interaction, which currently controlled by – you’ve guessed right – Microsoft itself. But turning Wave into such a powerful application that sincerely pretends to revolutionize our fixed behavior, certainly requires a joint effort involvement from diversified groups across the globe, which probably explains why Google has deliberately decided to widely open up its API platform for 3rd party developers, explicitly asking their generous assistance in building extensions and outsourcing widgets in order to enhance and maximize interface usability. And speaking about widgets and extensions, it seems there are plenty interesting ways to use Wave, either collaborating together on a new document, sharing embedded photos and videos among friends, IM chatting with multiple users (real-time spelling correction and translation robots included), handling real-time RSVP invitations, or simply playing casual entertaining games – At this point, all options available – and yet it looks like Wave is only halfway through to reach its full potential. Hit the links below to start learning the protocols. Additionally, you can watch Wave’s full demo introduction after the break (long video).

Develop
Learn how to put waves in your site and build wave extensions with the Google Wave APIs.
Visit code.google.com/apis/wave.

Build
Google Wave uses an open protocol, so anyone can build their own wave system.
Learn more at www.waveprotocol.org.

google-wave

[Google]

Continue reading Google Wave Introduced, Offering Real-Time Collaborative Interaction Between Instant Messaging, Email Notifications, Document Editing And Other Cool Meshup Extensions

First Crunchpad Tablet PC Images Go Live

First, we’d like to send our regards and appreciation to Michael Arrington from TechCrunch for turning this $200 Crunchpad Tablet PC project – viable, with a great dedication and a true desire to assist the tech scene by releasing a low price tablet device for internet purposes mainly, but for other uses as well, thanks to the 12-inch touchscreen, built-in speakers, integrated camera / microphone and some other goodies that are still hidden. Although the upcoming machine will probably cost a bit higher than expected (around $299), it sure looks awesome and we do hope to have our hands on it, once this project is finished. Meanwhile, you’ll have to settle with the new images that popped out in the wild.

Update: While still waiting for Crunchpad devices to go live, Seesmic’s general manager, Loic Lemeur, was sniffing around TechCrunch offices, giving the unboxing treatment to a first and nearly finalized prototype of the tablet, which suppose to be available hopefully “this year”. Checkout the video after the break.

Update2: And if the outside look wasn’t enough, we’ve just added another video, courtesy of TechCrunch, featuring a preliminary sneak peek into Crunchpad’s fresh UI. Hit the break to see the full video.

Update3: Singapore newspaper, The Straits Times, says that Arrington’s Crunchpad tablet is expected to be out by November of this year, including a 1.6GHz Intel Atom processor, together with 1GB of RAM, a USB hub, a built-in WiFi, 3G connectivity and and a SIM slot – priced around $400. Stay tuned for the official announcement.

Update4: Looks like Arringtone’s Crunchpad  won’t make it out eventually, due to major disputes with Fusion Garage (Arrington’s main partner on the project), that wanted to cut TechCrunch out of the project and continue with it on their own. This highly anticipated tablet machine was actually suppose to go out on November 20th of this year, but will probably end up in court with “multiple lawsuits” about to be filed from both sides. Either it’s the definitive end or just a milestone in Arringtone’s pretentious project, time would tell. Meanwhile, you can read the full story right here.

[VIA TechCrunch]

Continue reading First Crunchpad Tablet PC Images Go Live

iPhone Officially Gets Skype Application For Free VOIP Calls

At last, after tons of expectations and millions, who’ve been anxiously waiting for this one to come out,  Skype officially releases an iPhone app, to enable worldwide VoIP calls over WiFi (not over EDGE or 3G ) without any extra charge. According to CrunchGear, the desirable application should be available for downloading from Apple’s App Store, somewhere in Tuesday – for free. You will also be able to collaborate with your contact lists, to make calls via Skype and chat with your friends and family, as long as you want. To make it even better, users with Skype accounts will have the ability to make SkypeOut calls, once they travel around hotspots. And last but not least, all your avatars will be automatically imported directly to your iPhone device, so no need to create new ones. Stay tuned !

Update1: In case you haven’t noticed, the iPhone 3G is now available – contract free – in AT&T and Apple stores, priced at $599 for the 8GB version or $699 for 16GB lovers.

Update 2: It is now available in iTunes store, free of charge. You can get it from here.

Update 3: Looks like you’ll be able to dial up via 3G data connection after all, so no need to stay around WiFi spots in order to use skype – COOL !!!

Update4: Apparently, dialing over 3G connection will only work if you have OS 3.0 beta. Having said that, doesn’t mean you won’t have any crashes or audio malfunctions at all. The only way to make it work properly is to have the skype run over WiFi with a non-beta firmware installed.

[via CrunchGear]

Archos 5/7 Media Tablets Get HD Video Plugin With The New Firmware Update

Those who own Archos 5/7 devices should be pleased knowing the French company has finally uploaded a new firmware update (v1.6.03) that adds the long awaited high-def video support, which includes MPEG-4 ASP and WMV / VC-1 playback compatibility at 720p (24fps, 6Mbps maximum). Besides that, the new firmware also fixes some pesty bugs within the GUI, MP3 tags and few other TV recording slips. To get this one, just hit the link below and start watching your favorite films in sharp mode.

Update: Only two weeks after releasing firmware v1.6.03, which added high-def video compatibility to the Archos 5, the French corp launches another update (v1.6.53) that brings GPS car holder support, so you can use your media tablet device as a navigation system via Archos’ cradle, and find your way in Europe, North America or Russia through TeleAtlas maps, which are included as well. Further more, with the new firmware update you’ll be able to navigate your way from the inside, thanks to the new file browser, coming with drag n’ drop and multi-selection capabilities. The firmware can be downloaded from here.

[Archos]

Viliv S5 MID Gets The Unboxing Treatment

There’s a lot of buzz around the new S5 MID from Viliv, which boasts impressive specs in a small package. To be more specific, you get tons of top-notch features, including a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM, 60GB hard-drive, WiFi connection, integrated GPS navigation system and 1080p HD video support, adorned by a sleeky black 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen. Regretfully, we don’t have it in our hands yet, but the lucky guys at UMPC Fever have managed to take a close look at this great device and prepared an unboxing video to let us drool all over the place while watching it. Anyway, check it out after the break.

Update: The guys at JkkMobile, got their hands on the Viliv S5 UMPC and you get to see a detailed video right after the break.

[via UMPC Fever]

Continue reading Viliv S5 MID Gets The Unboxing Treatment

Viliv To Introduce The New X70 Atom MID

Remember Viliv Vant X70 PMP that was first introduced at CES 2008? Turns out it has a new nephew (only recently introduced), coming with the name X70 Atom Communication MID. This stunning handheld features a 7-inch WSVGA touchscreen, a 1.33GHz Atom Z520 processor, 1GB of RAM and Windows XP or Linux at your choice. The new portable MID offers 30GB / 60GB HDD capacities or 8GB / 16GB in case you prefer SSD flavor. Additionally, you get a USB port, a built-in mic, stereo speakers,  SD / SDHC card reader, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, WiFi connectivity and optional WiMAX / HSDPA capabilities. Regretfully, the X70 monster has no pricing or availability details but we do hope to get our hands on one of those devices ASAP.

Update1: The good guys at jkOnTheRun have managed to get their hands on this bad-boy MID, and taking their words, the X70 model is quite impressive and even more solid comparing to the S5 version, with a brilliant 7-inch, 1024 × 600 display through the integrated 3G module and the 32GB SSD storage. Hit the link to see their video preview.

Update2: Looks like Dynamism,  a US retailer, has put up a Viliv X70 product page with a starting price of $599, which apparently is is the same price as the S5. Regretfully, there’s no word about an official release date but we will update whenever it happens.

[Viliv]

Continue reading Viliv To Introduce The New X70 Atom MID

Routon Introduces The P760 MID

CES 2009 is full of ultra-portable gadgets, offering new technologies to carry out our internet and multimedia libraries across the globe. One of those devices is the new P760 MID from Routon, which packs a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, together with a strong ARM11 processor and mobile capabilities (CDMA 1X/GSM/EDGE optional). It comes with either 4GB or 8GB capacities 128MB of RAM, an FM tuner, DVB-T digital TV, 2MP camera and Linux onboard. Additionally, you get WiFi b/g, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR connectivity and GPS navigation system, all squeezed into 166 x 88 x 16mm, 250g. Still no word on price or availability, but clearly we will get more of this very soon.

[Via slashgear]

iTunes DRM-Free Songs Available In May For $1.29

Good news from Cupertino, as apple announces that EMI Music’s digital catalog (and some other major labels like Virgin, Sony BMG, American Recording) will be available for purchase DRM-free from the iTunes Store in May. The tracks will be offered at higher quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for just $1.29 per song with an option for second tier songs for only $0.69. The meaning is that you will be able to transfer your non-protected songs to other computers freely, as we are talking about 8 million DRM-Free songs to be available for a purchase from now on. Additionaly, iTunes users, will be able to upgrade their entire previously purchased EMI content to the higher quality DRM-free versions for just 30 cents ($0.30) a song. The rest of the songs will be offered in the same versions as today, 128 kbps AAC encoding with DRM at the same price of 99 cents ($0.99) per song. If that’s not enough, Apple has also announced that music store downloads are available over 3G connectivity (without the need for a WiFi around)with the same price and sound quality, which means your new iPhone is capable of downloading iTunes tracks directly – Kudos !

[Apple]

Viliv S5 MID Goes Live In Korea At The Beginning Of 2009

Viliv has already proved us it can deliver advanced multimedia devices, sporting top-notch technologies and fancy designs. Today, we learn from an interview with the parent company Yukyung that the corporation will continue its faithful tradition, as the Korean brand plans to release the S5 MID and the S7 UMPC somewhere at the beginning of 2009. With lack of details about the S7 model, the S5 MID packs a 1.33GHz Intel Atom CPU, 1GB of RAM, a 4.8-inch 800 x 480 touchscreen, optional GPS / DMB functions and 1.3-inch hard-drives or 1.8-inch if you’re getting the WiBro versions. The “self-made” OS looks fairly attractive, although a Windows XP flavor will be offered as well. The battery will be able to provide up to six hours of use, while HD video usage will drop it down to 4.5 hours only. Still no pricing details, but Yukyung was willing to confirm the S7 is still on track for a release right after the S5.

Update1: Checkout the Viliv S5 GUI after the break.

Update2: Viliv has officially announced it will release the S5 in the US and Europe at March 3rd, while Korean fanboys can pre-order the device starting February 24th. Price wise, the premium model including Intel Silverthorne-class 1.33GHz Z520 CPU, WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS will go for @649 in the US or €619 in Europe, as the DMB digital TV F-LOG version will set you back for $699.

Update3: having Windows XP onboard, You can easily install iTunes inside and search your music with the cover flow rendition, as shown in the video below.

Update4: Viliv S5 will be available at Dynamism for pre-order, on April 27th, for $599, with first orders to be shipped on May 8th, together with a nice free bonus package which includes a spare battery, a car kit, and a leather pouch – a $135 worth.

[via Slashgear]

Continue reading Viliv S5 MID Goes Live In Korea At The Beginning Of 2009

Archos 5 Media Tablet Supports External Mouse & Keyboard

Archos aficionados, there are some great news coming ahead, as the French company has finally released firmware version 1.2.05, which brings external keyboard and mouse support to the Archos 5 Internet Media Tablet devices, allowing users to connect them via USB port to the DVR Station or the Battery Dock, whenever they like. This long awaited move, will help Archos fanboys to improve their usability, specially within the typing or gaming areas and literally, will turn the small 5-inch PMP into a portable netbook hybrid – meaning, more options, more functionality and way more comfortable to handle. Checkout the rest of the firmware updates after the break.

[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7lsox_archos-3g-avec-clavier-souris-sur-l_tech[/dailymotion]

[via archoslounge]

Continue reading Archos 5 Media Tablet Supports External Mouse & Keyboard

Archos 5 3G PMP To Make a Debut On French Carrier SFR

It’s been a while since Archos first introduced the Archos 5,7 Internet Media Tablets to the world, but the one we’ve been all expecting, the Archos 5 3G+model, was just announced by French wireless carrier SFR, and will make its way to the European market with the same stunning 4.8-inch 800 x 600 touchscreen and the strong ARM Cortex processor, but with a black stylish cover and a shrunken 30GB storage drive (compared to the 60GB/120GB/250GB versions in normal). The new subsidized device boasts an integrated 3G HSDPA modem and new customized SFR menu (We prefer the regular one), coming with monthly data subscriptions of €19.90/$25, in case you’re an existing SFR customer or €24 ($30) for newbies, aside the €249 ($320) you have to pay for the unit itself. Still, no word when this piece of technology is going to hit Stateside, but you can take a look at the video (in French) for the meantime.

[via gmp3]

[image via journaldugeek]

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Archos 5,7 Devices Get OGG / Flac Support And Better Battery Workout With The New Firmware Update

Archos fans can be very pleased, as the company has just released firmware update 1.0.87 for the Archos 5 and Archos 7 internet media tablets, coming up with OGG / Flac formats support, after so many years. As an Archos avid, I must admit, it wasn’t expected at all and from my personal knowledge, many media junkies haven’t made any contact with the French players because of that specific reason, so I guess these are great news, wherever you are. Additionally, the new firmware version substantially improves the battery life to 22 hours of audio and 7 hours of video, together with some major bug fixes. It is also been reported that the wifi range was increased and the USB transfer rate has been raised. You can download firmware version 1.0.87 from here.

Meanwhile, we hear that the guys at Pocketables.net have compared websites loading time between the Archos 5, iPhone 3G and the Nokia N810, and the results are truly amazing, as the Archos 5 was the clear winner in every aspect, thanks to the strong 600MHz ARM Cortex A8 processor. Checkout the comparing table after the break.

[via Archos]

Continue reading Archos 5,7 Devices Get OGG / Flac Support And Better Battery Workout With The New Firmware Update

Archos 5 Gets an Official Guided Tour

Following Apple’s steps, French multimedia manufacturer, Archos, has just released a 13 minutes guided tour video, introducing its latest Internet Media Tablet lineup, together with some of the main key features and the optional plugins/accessories you can get, in order to enhance your experience. It is the first time that Archos releases such a video tour, as part of its new global marketing strategy, to push forward the new Archos 5 and the Archos 7 media tablets. Checkout the video after the break.

[Archos]

Continue reading Archos 5 Gets an Official Guided Tour