Blogging News

Google Introduces The Chrome Web Store for PC Apps

If imitation is the highest form of flattery, tech companies have inundated Apple with praise over the last decade. The iPod has inspired a litany of similar MP3 players, while the iPhone has forced competitors to rethink the concept of the cell phone entirely. One aspect of Apple’s business structure that has remained exclusive is their App Store for the iPhone and the iPad, until now that is.

Earlier today, Google unveiled  a new online marketplace where consumers can purchase games, magazines and online applications via the Google Chrome web browser. The Chrome Web Store, which is slated for debut later this year, will feature both free and paid applications. According to news sources, the store will operate in a similar fashion as the Apple and Android App Stores, except the applications will be for your personal computer.

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Changes to Privacy Policy Bring Scrutiny to Facebook

For time immemorial, privacy has been a cornerstone of democracy and free societies. Although people now post personal photographs, messages and other information haphazardly on the internet, there is still the notion that social media sites, e-mail and other web-based communiqué come with a certain level of privacy. Websites like Facebook and MySpace have extensive privacy policies that outline how your personal information is used and who will have access to it—although few, if any, people ever take the time to read these documents thoroughly.

In recent months, Facebook has come under scrutiny for several changes the company has implemented in its privacy policy. Instead of receiving protection from stringent privacy settings, which used to be the case, users now have to alter the settings themselves if they wish to keep particular information private. The company has even announced that it will be sharing user information with third-party sites.

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Blogging with Duplicate Content Proves to be Counterproductive

If you’re thinking of using duplicate content for your blog posts, you might want to rethink this strategy if your goal is to create the most effective blog possible. Duplicate content is created when people visit different places on the Internet, such as Wikipedia or Ezinearticles.com, copy an article and paste it on their blog, pretending they wrote the text.

The problem develops when the search engine spiders try to index this duplicated post you have published. The spiders will recognize that the information reads verbatim to that of another source or multiple sources, depending on how many other webmasters have already copied this information. (more…)

The Birdhouse Chick Sings of Success After Teaming with iePlexus

Swirls of olive, jade and green apple flourish among the gently rolling hills of kudzu and shrubbery, bordered by skyscrapers of wooded terrain. Delicate bursts of lavender, peach and magenta botanicals highlight the abundance of leafy greens to create a collage of splendorous nature.

Embraced by the warmth of the Deep South – Dallas, GA to be exact – this little piece of paradise is home to an array of wildlife; mostly birds and squirrels that have nestled into the birdhouses and birdbaths that adorn this cozy backyard. Following suit of invitation, the garden welcomes small creatures and critters alike with a collection of bird feeders, birdbaths and squirrel feeders.

This nature wonderland is additionally home to property owner Beth Wheeler, an avid birdwatcher and all-around animal lover. For the past 20-plus years she has enjoyed the relaxation birding allows; whether perched in her backyard or gazing through the kitchen window, her passion for observing the essence of nature provides an escape from the every day hustle and bustle, Wheeler explained.

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More Blogs = More Customers

Hubspot released an interesting survey Thursday, which stated that companies who blog more, have more consistent sales.  The survey consisted of 231 professionals who were either involved or familiar with their companies marketing strategy and plan. 

According to the report, “social media and blogs are becoming marketing powerhouses.  They are the fastest growing category in lead generation budgets and they continue to be ranked as the lowest cost lead- generation channel.” (more…)

Even The Pope Knows To Blog

I think, no matter your religion, if Pope Benedict XVI says something important, everyone listens.  Over the weekend And the 82 year old shockingly sent out a message to most specifically Catholic priests over the weekend saying they must no longer just have a website sharing the word of God, but they also need to blog and use social media. 

A few years ago, the 265th Pope of the Catholic Church started to embrass social media with his own YouTube channel, and most recently released both a Facebook and iPhone app.  (more…)

Social Media Helps Victims In Haiti

When there seems to be some type of major catastrophe anywhere in the world, it seems like everything else just stops and everyone wants to help.  Yesterday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti is just the latest example.

And many people are finding that social media sites are the best way to get involved.  With the use of social media, the citizens of Haiti can tell the story, if they are actually able to get an internet connection.  Many have however.  Jonathan A. Lusma, a victim of the Haiti earthquake, posted the picture to the left on CNN’s citizen journalism site, iReport.  Katie Hawkins-Gaar, a CNN iReport producer, talked to Lusma and said that he, “shot these photos on the morning of January 13, the day after the earthquake struck. Because of the multiple aftershocks, he said many people spent the night outside of their homes.”  Lusma’s photo’s are just one of many that are being used in CNN’s continuing coverage of the Haiti earthquake.  (more…)

Your Own iPhone App: There’s An App For That

It seems that there’s an app for just about everything.  Whether you are looking to play a game, trying to keep track of your finances, search the latest trends in the social media world, or even make new friends, there’s an app for it.   And with several apps profiting in the 7 digit range, everyone is trying to create an app for something or another. But actually building an app takes time and money, unless you have the skills of an advanced developer.  But now anyone can create an app for a pretty affordable option.

A service known as AppMakr launched this week, and promises to help you create an application for iTunes.  That means parts of your website could be turned into an application for iPods & iPhones alike.  Sharing news, your Twitter feed, video blogs, and just about anything else you can think of could now be part of your very own app. (more…)

Social Media In The New Decade

10 years ago at this moment, the world was relieved that nothing that they had feared about, regarding Y2K actually happened.  People were now placing their money back into the bank, while others had an endless supply of food they had stocked up on just in case.  It’s crazy to think that if someone would have said “Facebook”, “YouTube”, “Digg”, or just the words “social media,” we most likely would have given them a funny and strange look. 

It was in 2004 when social media was created.  Linkdin & MySpace took to the web and since then there has been explosion of “social media” & “social networking” sites.  When I graduated high school in 2005, if had ever wanted to share a video with the class for a certain project, I’d have to visit the library, maybe a video store, and rent the video, while worrying about some return date.  Today, my brother who is in his sophomore year of high school is able to use YouTube to share a video with just the click of a mouse.  Our world has advanced so much in the past decade, and social media has played a significant role! (more…)

Bit.ly Fights Back Against fb.me & goo.gl

Yesterday was a big day for Facebook & Google, as they both announced they were releasing their own shortening services.  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post this creates some major competition for exclusive shortening service websites like bit.ly and tinyurl.com.  While that remains true, bit.ly is fighting back in a major way.

In a blog post released Monday evening, the company announced bit.ly Pro account.  While it may not seem like such a big deal, it’s what the account offers which is going to attract a lot of businesses and bloggers.  (more…)