Best of 2007: Most Popular Music Artists

Britney Spears

More than any other single artist, Britney Spears was the driving force behind the return of teen pop in the late '90s. The blockbuster success of the Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys certainly paved the way for her own commercial breakthrough, but Spears didn't just become a star -- she was a bona fide pop phenomenon. Not only did she sell millions of records, she was a media fixture regardless of what she was (or wasn't) doing; among female singers of the era (many of whom followed in her footsteps), her celebrity star power was rivaled only by Jennifer Lopez. From the outset, Spears' sex appeal was an important part of her image; the video for her debut single, "...Baby One More Time," outfitted her in full Catholic-school regalia, and sent her well on the way to becoming an international sex symbol.
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Alicia Keys

Her official website says she possesses an "old soul," and the hard facts seem to back up the implied claim of wisdom and experience that transcend Alicia Keys' youth. Barely in her twenties, Keys was responsible for an extremely hot debut, Songs in A Minor. The release, which she wrote and produced for Clive Davis' J Records, blends diverse influences, including R&B, hip-hop, classical, and jazz. The day the album went on the market, it sold more than 50,000 copies. Label executives confidently predicted similarly favorable numbers for the first week's tally.
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Rihanna

Rihanna established herself big-time in summer 2005 with her debut smash hit, "Pon de Replay," and continued to demonstrate her smash hit potential in subsequent years (e.g., "S.O.S.," 2006; "Umbrella," 2007). By the time of her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), she was a full-fledged international pop star with a regular presence atop the charts, from Germany to Japan. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty on February 20, 1988, in Saint Michael, Barbados, she always exhibited a special quality, winning beauty and talent contests as a schoolchild. But because she lived on the fairly remote island of Barbados in the West Indies, she never foresaw the sort of stardom that would later befall her.
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Beyoncé

Born in Houston in the fall of 1981, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles started performing at age seven. From dance classes to singing in the church choir, Beyoncé was a natural. She and cousin Kelly Rowland met Latavia Roberson during this time, and the trio formed a group with Letoya Luckett. Mathew Knowles, Beyoncé's father and Rowland's legal guardian, signed on to be the girls' manager. This situation would ultimately lead to the formation of one of the most popular female R&B groups of all time -- Destiny's Child.
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50 Cent

In many ways the ideal East Coast hardcore rapper, 50 Cent endured substantial obstacles throughout his young yet remarkably dramatic life before becoming in early 2003 the most discussed figure in rap, if not pop music in general. Following an unsuccessful late-'90s run at mainstream success (foiled by an attempt on his life in 2000) and a successful run on the New York mixtape circuit (driven by his early-2000s bout with Ja Rule), Eminem signed 50 to a seven-figure contract in 2002 and helmed his quick rise toward crossover success in 2003. The product of a broken home in the rough Jamaica neighborhood of Queens and, in turn, the storied hood's hustling streets themselves, 50 lived everything most...
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Why do people kiss under a mistletoe?

THE LEGEND OF MISTLETOE

Mistletoe also known throughout history as the golden bough has several different legends associated with its beginning and its meaning.

Starting back as far as the Celtic Druids you can find more than one story concerning the mystical mistletoe. One such story is their belief that the plant held the soul of the host tree, which was the “holy oak”. During a ceremony, the Druid priests would harvest the mistletoe with a golden sickle to ensure the mistletoe never touched the ground, as it would lose its magical powers. The powers would quickly be absorbed back into the earth. Once the mistletoe was harvested, the priests would have the branches out to the people for them to use against all kinds of evils.

In England, mistletoe at one time was placed over the doorways for good luck. They believed that only happiness could pass underneath the mistletoe, therefore, enemies would hug and seal their peaceful intentions with a kiss of friendship.

The ancient Norse people have a wonderful legend centered on the mistletoe. In their legend, the god Odin and his wife Frigga had a son by the name of Balder. Frigga loved her son very dearly. She took steps to ensure that nothing would ever harm him by way of earth, fire, water, or air.

The mistletoe did not fit into any of these categories, so an evil spirit by the name of Loki created an arrow out of mistletoe and gave it to Balder’s brother, Holder. Holder was blind and Loki held onto his hand and shot Balder in the heart with the mistletoe arrow. Balder died.

From this moment on, the legend is told differently in various stories. One is that Balder is brought to life. In another one, he had a Viking’s funeral and was sent to the Otherworld on a burning ship. He was to remain there until it was time for him to come back to earth to start a new era.

From that day, forward, Frigga stated the mistletoe would never harm anyone again and made it a symbol of love and made the promise to bestow a kiss upon everyone who passed beneath it.

Are "Should" and "Ought" Blocking Your Path to Love?

By: Kathryn Lord

Have you heard yourself saying things like "I should be thinking about my Sweetheart 24/7 or I must not be in love" or "I should know if he (or she) is the right one for me"? Or how about "We should have... (fill in the blank: the same sense of humor, a similar background, or compatible taste in furniture)"?

I find that lots of singles have rules that guide their love life. Some rules make good sense (like only dating people who are really single and available, economically stable, and live within the law). But many rules are unrealistic, harsh, or based on romantic myths. Then these singles end up comparing their dates with their guidelines, sensible or not, and making life decisions that have enormous consequences.

I am a romance coach, but I have also been a psychotherapist for over 30 years. I learned long ago to listen carefully to the language my clients use when they talk about themselves and their lives. In particular, I'd watch for the words "should" and "ought."

What's wrong with 'should' and 'ought'

While exceedingly and commonly used, "should" and "ought" could easily be eliminated from our vocabulary. At the very least, we would all feel a lot better. Should and ought are guilt-producing words: "I should spend more time with my mother," "I really ought to lose some weight." The sayer doesn't really intend to do what he is shoulding or oughting. If so, he'd say, "I will spend more time with Mom," or "I'm going to start dieting today."

Shoulding and oughting are like giving yourself a lash on the back: You are punishing yourself with your "I should" or "I ought" statements. Your guilt is eased with your punishment, making it possible to go on with your life, while never following through with what you said you should or ought to do.

In the case of love, shoulds and oughts give us a way out when we need it, just like being picky. Looking for love is loaded with anxiety: "What if it doesn't work?" "What if I find out I don't really love her?" "What if he finds out about (you fill in the blank)?" When your anxiety screams for relief, pulling out a good old should or ought can provide your escape hatch.

Top 'shoulds' and 'oughts': Road blocks to love

Let's look at some common shoulds and oughts more closely, so that we can see the errors in thinking:

1. "I should be thinking about my Sweetheart 24/7 or I must not be in love." Odd as it may sound, some people never feel the intoxicating sensations we think of as "being in love." The ability to fall in love is on a continuum:Some people fall in and out of love very easily, some people never do. Most of us are somewhere in between. Those people who never "fall in love" are still quite capable of loving and forming relationships. If you find yourself waiting for the "in love" sensation which never comes, the "I should be thinking about my Sweetheart 24/7 or I must not be in love" could keep you permanently single.

2. "I should know if he (or she) is the right one for me." Really? How? Of course there are better or worse choices, but assuming that your date meets your criteria of "good person" and the two of you enjoy each other, seem compatible, and don't irritate the heck out of each other, what more do you need? This "should" may be connected to your "falling in love" ability: If you are able to "fall in love," that biochemical process (it's like being drunk or high) helps surge you forward into a permanent relationship and over any questions or doubts.

3. "We should share the same ... (fill in the blank)." Why? One of the wonderful parts about finding a life partner is all the things that he or she knows and you don't, or is and you are not. Think of what you can learn from the differences. Or what you won't have to learn because your partner already knows.

Yes, some similarity is good, but why would you want someone just like you? You may be pretty terrific, but how boring would it be to be married to your carbon copy!
So pay attention to your inner thoughts about love and your dates. If "should" or "ought" crop up in your thinking, take note and challenge yourself. You may have set up a condition that is road-blocking your search for love.

P.S. If worrying about a new partner discovering some secret of yours is keeping you from pursuing love, find out how to deal with your worst in my article "Do You Have a Secret? How to Tell Your Sweetheart Your Worst." I'll send it when you subscribe to my free email newsletter at Find-A-Sweetheart.com.

Talking about Britney Flattens Yet Another Foot

Plenty of hollering followed as Brit unwittingly rolled over the photog's ill-placed limb, causing her to raise her hands amid the continuing flashbulb explosion as if to say, "What do you expect me to do?"

In video shot soon after the incident, the meltdown-disposed tabloid topper alternates between looking upset, smiling and hiding her face from the cameras. Later, she was spied making a quick U-turn in an apparent attempt to lose the trailing paparazzi ("Extra" says she was also texting while driving).

This latest incident comes just days after a paparazzo on Brit patrol was injured during a chase, and on the heels of two other flattened foot episodes, one involving a sheriff as she exited a court hearing (also amid a camera swarm) and the other a photographer as she made her way out of a medical building with her lips looking suspiciously plumped.

Speaking of medical buildings, OK! claims she was spotted over the weekend at a plastic surgery clinic in Las Vegas, where she may or may not have undergone a lipo dissolve procedure. Meanwhile, some strange redness spotted Wednesday above her still full lips (see the picture above) has raised questions over whether she had a bad reaction to a pucker procedure.

And finally, TMZ may have gotten to the bottom of the controversy surrounding one of Britney's recent drug test results. Her attorneys will reportedly argue in court Friday that a medication she purportedly takes for attention deficit disorder -- Adderall -- caused a false positive reading.Plenty of hollering followed as Brit unwittingly rolled over the photog's ill-placed limb, causing her to raise her hands amid the continuing flashbulb explosion as if to say, "What do you expect me to do?"

In video shot soon after the incident, the meltdown-disposed tabloid topper alternates between looking upset, smiling and hiding her face from the cameras. Later, she was spied making a quick U-turn in an apparent attempt to lose the trailing paparazzi ("Extra" says she was also texting while driving).

This latest incident comes just days after a paparazzo on Brit patrol was injured during a chase, and on the heels of two other flattened foot episodes, one involving a sheriff as she exited a court hearing (also amid a camera swarm) and the other a photographer as she made her way out of a medical building with her lips looking suspiciously plumped.

Speaking of medical buildings, OK! claims she was spotted over the weekend at a plastic surgery clinic in Las Vegas, where she may or may not have undergone a lipo dissolve procedure. Meanwhile, some strange redness spotted Wednesday above her still full lips (see the picture above) has raised questions over whether she had a bad reaction to a pucker procedure.

And finally, TMZ may have gotten to the bottom of the controversy surrounding one of Britney's recent drug test results. Her attorneys will reportedly argue in court Friday that a medication she purportedly takes for attention deficit disorder -- Adderall -- caused a false positive reading.

Five tips to a healthier, happier home

Make drastic changes without investing too much time or money

For most of us, our house is our home base, and having a happy and pleasant vibe in all of our rooms is critical. TODAY contributor Elizabeth Mayhew says you can make drastic changes without investing too much time or money. In the first part of our weeklong series “Make Your Life Better TODAY: Five Ways in Five Days,” Mayhew shares her five simple improvements to creating a happier home that have radical results.

Five tricks to a happier home

Tip No. 1: Color your way to happiness
Adding color to any room is a drastic mood lifter, and it can be done pretty quickly! Consider painting just one wall a lively color. A bright red, a soothing green or even a vibrant yellow completely changes the feel, and will really affect the vibe of a room. Paint is relatively inexpensive and usually requires just a few hours to do an average wall in most rooms.

Tip No. 2: Celebrate life
First of all, think Flower Power! Fresh flowers are very easy to get at your local grocery market, and they make any room seem more alive. Plants have the same positive effect. There are plenty of types that don't need direct light, and will give your house a sense of energy all year round. Another way to celebrate life is to surround yourself with images of friends and family. Don't keep your photos put away in albums or in your computer. Put them up on the walls to remind yourself of your favorite times and your favorite people.

Tip No. 3: Let there be light
The more points of light in any room, the better. Especially as the days are getting shorter, having warm lighting will help you feel more energized and alive through the winter months. Overhead lighting can be augmented by lamps in several places throughout a room. In your bedroom, put a lamp on either side of your bed. Installing dimmers is also a simple and inexpensive way to make the mood of a room easy to alter. At dimmers.net, for example, you can get a dimmer for just $17.75.

Tip No. 4: Get comfortable
You begin and end almost every day in your bedroom, so make the room an oasis! Have proper bedding and pillows. You will feel well rested, and it will be easier to get up in the morning. Keep clutter to a minimum in your bedroom, and remove anything distracting that will interfere with your sleep. Associate your bedroom with a tranquil, restful escape, not just a room where you get some shut-eye. Upgrade your pillows and bedding at bedbathandbeyond.com.

Tip No. 5: Take control
It's this simple: Clear space = A clear mind. Keep desktops, countertops and tabletops open. Put the papers, files and knickknacks away. Not only will your home feel cleaner, it will feel a whole lot bigger! Maximize your wall space with the elfa shelving system at containerstore.com.

Ten foods for longevity!

Tomatoes. A major source of the antioxidant lycopene that reduces the risk of cancer by 40% -- notably prostate, lung and stomach cancers -- and increases cancer survival. Tomato eaters function better mentally in old age and suffer half as much heart disease. Concentrated tomato sauces have 5 times more lycopene than fresh tomatoes, and canned tomatoes have three times more than fresh.

Olive Oil. Shown to help reduce death from heart disease and cancer. Recent research shows that heart-attack survivors on a Mediterranean diet had half the death rates of those on an ordinary low-fat diet. Olive oil is also high in antioxidant activity.

Red Grapes, including red grape juice and red wine. Red grapes have moderate antioxidant power, while purple grape juice has four times more antioxidant activity than orange or tomato juice. Red wine (not white) has about the same antioxidant capacity as purple grape juice or tea. French research show that drinking red wine in moderation increases longevity, but excessive drinking has the opposite effect, so limit to two glasses per day. Drink grape juice.

Garlic. German researchers have found that garlic is packed with antioxidants know to help fend off cancer, heart disease and all-over aging, and prolong cancer survival time. Let crushed garlic "rest" about 10 minutes before cooking to preserve disease-fighting agents.

Spinach. Second among vegetables only to garlic in antioxidant capacity and is also rich in folic acid, which helps fight cancer, heart disease and mental disorders. New University of Kentucky research shows folic acid may help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Eat both raw and steamed for best benefit.

Whole grains. A University of Minnesota study suggests the more whole grains you eat, the lower your odds of death by 15%. Whole grains contain anticancer agents and help stabilize blood sugar and insulin, which may promote longevity. Whole-grain "dark" breads, cereals such as All Bran, and "old fashioned" oatmeal are an excellent source.

Salmon, and other fatty fish. Contains high amounts of omega-3 fat that performs miracles throughout the body, fighting virtually every chronic disease known. Without it, your brain can't think, your heart can't beat, your arteries clog, and joints become inflamed. You need one ounce a day, or two servings of salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring or tuna per week.

Nuts. Eating more than 5 ounces a week can cut heart-attack deaths in women by 40% and help prevent deadly irregular heart beats in men a Harvard University study found. Almonds and walnuts lower blood cholesterol. Most of the fat in nuts is the good-type monounsaturated and/or omega-3. Unsalted nuts are best.

Blueberries. High in antioxidants, Tufts University researchers say a half-cup of blueberries a day can retard aging and can block brain changes leading to decline and even reverse failing memory.

Tea. Green or black tea has equal antioxidant benefit. One cup a day can cut heart disease risk in half Harvard researchers found. Make from loose tea or tea bags, instant and bottled tea has little effect Tufts University shows.

Why Do We Close Our Eyes When We Kiss?

18 Web-Marketing Concepts That Make A Difference

1. Think Audiences Not Markets

What's your market? Hire a consultant to help you with your Web-business problems and one of the first questions he or she will ask is, what's your market? How about eighteen to thirty-four year old, single male college graduates with a dog named Spot; or maybe forty-five to fifty-nine year old married women, who hate their husbands and can't get their adult children to move out of the house. Maybe, just maybe, they're asking the wrong question.

The Web isn't about markets, it's about audiences. Audiences need to be entertained, enlightened, and engaged, and if your website doesn't, you're never going to achieve what you want.

Time to rethink how you're delivering your marketing message. Start treating Web-visitors like an audience not a market, and you might just find what it takes to be successful on the Web.

2. Think People Not Customers

You know all those visitors you attract to your website with your brilliant search engine optimization schemes, how many actually purchase anything? Stop treating visitors as if they are already customers and start treating them like what they are - people. That's right, people. You know the two-legged funny creatures with wants, needs, desires, and maybe even a few bucks to spend.

Customers are always looking for a deal and they're leery of websites that only want to take their hard earned cash. Treat your Web-visitors like people who can satisfy their wants, needs, and desires with your assistance and guess what? Maybe it will make a difference: one small step for Web-credibility, one giant leap for Web-success.

3. Think Experiences Not Features

Bought any good features lately? Didn't think so. You would think the way business pushes the whole feature-frenzy thing that features are exactly what people are looking for, but nobody buys features, they don't even buy solutions - boy doesn't that whole solution provider nonsense really get to you after a while.

What people really buy are experiences, hopefully positive ones. Whether it's soft ice cream or a new accounting program, what people are paying for is the experience your product or service provides.

Does your website offer an experience? Does it explain the experience your product or service delivers? If it doesn't, then you really haven't got anything anybody wants.

4. Think Emotion Not Logic

Think you're a logical person, always making rational decisions based on practical criteria, and bottom line results. So tell me what was the functional thinking that went into the purchase of those leather pants you bought last year, or that sixty inch plasma television you bought just to watch the big game?

Let's get real. You make purchasing decisions based on what you want, and then justify them with seemingly sensible rationalizations, just like everybody else. So stop trying to appeal only to the practical, logical, aspects of bean-counter sales, and start pushing the feel good aspects of emotional marketing.

If you're trying to appeal to an audience that gets its only satisfaction out of acquiring the most features for the least cost, then your marketing to the wrong audience.

5. Think Memories Not Promotions

Most animals live in the moment, whereas human beings live in the past. Our here and now and our plans for the future are based on our experiences, our histories, and our memories.

We take pictures of our kids, holidays, and special events; we commemorate birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, and milestones of all kinds. Even the significance of our prized possessions is centered on the fact that those mere objects represent memories of the people, places, and events that shaped our lives.

Real marketing, the kind that creates long-term clients and customer relationships, is not about coupons, sale promotions, or deep discounts; it's about delivering memories.

6. Think Marketing Not S.E.O.

Okay, here's one you've heard from us before: think marketing not search engine optimization. Sure you've got to drive as many people to your website as possible, but if your marketing message is so confused, unfocused, and hard to comprehend because of all the keyword density and S.E.O. tricks, then what have you really accomplished other than wasting people's time? And people really get upset when you waste their time.

7. Think Stickiness Not Hits

It's not about how many hits you get on your website, it's about how long people stay. If visitors remain on your site long enough to get your marketing message then you must have said something worth listening to, and if visitors get the message, your site has done its job.

If your website delivers the message, then you can expect the email inquiries and phone calls to start flowing, but it's still up to you and your sales staff to close the sale: people close sales not websites.

8. Think Stories Not Pitches

Did you hear the one about the farmer's daughter and the search engine optimizer ... Stories, everyone loves stories. In fact before the invention of the Gutenberg press, oral story telling was the way knowledge got passed down from one generation to the next, and how news was sent from one region to another.

Now that we have this multimedia Web-environment, we can continue the tradition of real people delivering creative audio and video presentations that capture the imagination and drive home the marketing message so your audience won't forget who you are. Nothing informs, engages, and entertains, like a good story: sounds to me like one heck of a way to sell to an audience desperate for meaningful communication.

9. Think Focus Not Confusion

There you go again, telling everyone who will listen all the wonderful things you and your company can do. Trouble is, telling them all those things just confuses them.

What is the product or service that is most important to your company, the one you are determined to sell to your audience? That's the one you want to talk about. That's the one you want to devote your marketing effort to promoting. That's the one you want people to think about when they hear your name or see your logo. Focus your communication or your message will just be a forgettable, incomprehensible blur.

10. Think Campaigns Not Ads

Isolated one-time advertisements are like one-night-stands: exciting for a while but ultimately unfulfilling and devoid of meaning. Your audience is looking to get married, not a short-term fling. Your marketing has to woo your visitors with long-term campaigns that tell your story and deliver your focused message; audiences expect to be courted and counseled with meaningful communication. And that takes time and commitment.

If you're spending money on just ads, you might as well be throwing that money down the drain. There is a better way. So if you're looking for a long-term relationship with your audience, think campaigns not ads.

11. Think Message Not Hype

What message are you delivering to your online visitors? Are you telling them you've got the best product, at the best price, with the best staff, and world-class customer service? Is that what you saying? Guess what? Nobody cares, because nobody believes you.

There is only one way to show people you're the best and that is to prove it, but here's the catch, you can't prove it until they become customers. Whoops. Okay, so what's the solution? How about a real marketing message that speaks to what your audience really wants. It's not about you it's about them.

12. Think Personality Not Banality

Does your website just lie there like a lox; you know that cold, dead fish that often comes with a bagel? No personality, just more of the same tedious, dull, dreary, mind-numbing, tiresome, lackluster, monotonous, stuff everybody else has. Boring! This is the new Web, so if you can't get with it, you'd better get out because you're wasting your time and everybody else's.

You're so worried about downloading times that you forgot to put anything on your site worth seeing or hearing. Check your logs. If people are jumping ship faster than rats on a burning ship, it's time to try something new; like, maybe some compelling content.

13. Think Branding Not Copyrights

Hay, I love the Beatles. I grew up with them, and I have all their records - ya records, like vinyl dude, not CDs. And guess what, I've also got a Mac, in fact I've got a bunch of them, not to mention iPods and other assorted Apple gizmos and gadgets. And you know something, I've never once got John, Paul, George, or Ringo confused with Steve Jobs. Amazing!

Worry just a little less about all that small print stuff and more on building a memorable brand that people will remember, and that nobody will mistake for some johnny-come-lately imposter.

14. Think Positioning Not Slogan

It's funny how people have a position on almost everything: you name the issue and people will have a definite opinion on what they think, except when it comes to their businesses. Just because you have a cute slogan that you print under your logo, doesn't mean you own a position in your audience's minds.

It seems businesses can't stand to make a definitive statement about who they are and what they do. Why is that? Afraid they'll lose a customer I guess, but if people don't understand exactly what you do, and why they should be doing business with you, then they're never going to be customers anyway.

No company can be all things to all people and companies that try, never go anywhere. Tell people who you are and what you do and forget about all the other stuff, it just gets in the way.

15. Think Sensory Appeal Not Cents Appeal

Do you want people to sit-up and take notice of what you have to say? Do you want people to actually remember what you're telling them? While if that's the case, you better appeal to their senses, and we're talking about sights and sounds.

Deliver all your juicy, got-to-have content in an audio and video presentation that will stick in people's heads.

If all you're doing is appealing to their desire to spend less, then maybe they aren't the customers you're looking for anyway. Nobody can afford to sell for less all the time, every time.

16. Think Identity Not Logos

Is your company the equivalent of the invisible man? You're on the Web, but nobody cares because you're not saying anything worth listening to, and if they do see you, you are instantly forgettable.

You've got to have an identity, a personality, an image, and there is no better way to create that identity than with a video of a real person delivering your marketing message in an entertaining, memorable manner.

17. Think Entertainment Not Biz-speak

Speaking of entertaining, you cannot engage, enlighten, or entertain if everything you present sounds and looks like it came from some b-school text book, or from one of those self-help courses on direct marketing guaranteed to make you a millionaire in only three weeks.

Every business has a story to tell and they can all be presented in a compelling way with a little imagination and creativity. And yes, even b-to-b businesses can rise above the mundane and deadly boring, if only they take the time and make the effort.

18. Think Communication Not Copy

Last but not least, let's all remember, that websites are about communication. If you've got nothing to say, nothing to offer, or are afraid to say what you can do for your audience, then how do you expect to be successful.

Filling your Web pages with keyword density prose and instantly forgettable sale's copy is not going to win the day.

Whether you are presenting your case in text, audio, or video, it better be interesting and enlightening - even text can be entertaining if written with style and attitude.

When websites fail, they fail because they do not communicate a realistic, believable, convincing marketing message.

By: Jerry Bader

Google Mobile Phones

Google has been lobbying the U.S. government for changes in wireless policy. While it did not achieve as much as it wanted in the planning for the upcoming 700 Mhz spectrum auction in January, it did push for the fact that consumers in the U.S. can buy any phone and use it on any carrier in the future. Meaning, that when the Gphone does drop, most likely you’ll be albe to use it on any carrier you please. The Googlephone will most likely be 3G as well, which means video conferencing, yea you can’t do that with the iPhone. For you iPhones users though, would this be enough to make you switch?


The Observer of London is reporting that Google might be working with HTC and mobile/telecom giant Orange to build a Google Mobile Phone, which could possibly have Google software inside the device, and would be able to do many of the web tasks smartly. The device, article speculates, could go on sale in 2008. (Of course, we would all have forgotten by then… if it doesn’t happen.) Orange and Google, both declined to comment.


Their plans centre on a branded Google phone, which would probably also carry Orange’s logo. The device would not be revolutionary: manufactured by HTC, a Taiwanese firm specialising in smart phones and Personal Data Assistants (PDAs), it might have a screen similar to a video iPod. But it would have built-in Google software which would dramatically improve on the slow and cumbersome experience of surfing the web from a mobile handset.

Fustrated Victim of Forwarded Mail

Dear All,

I want to thank all my friends and other unknown people who have forwarded chain letters to me in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & you because of your kindness.

I stopped drinking Coca-Cola after I found out that it's good only for removing toilet stains.

I stopped going to the movies for fear of sitting on a needle infected with AIDS.

I stopped using my ATM card because I am afraid that someone might have installed a small device on the ATM machine that will stole my ATM card number and my pin number when typing it.

I smell like a wet dog since I stopped using deodorants because they cause cancer.

I don't leave my car in the parking lot or any other place and sometimes I even have to walk about 7 blocks for fear that someone will drug me with a perfume sample and try to rob me.

I also stopped answering the phone for fear that they may ask me to dial a stupid number and then I get a phone bill from hell with calls to Uganda , Singapore and Tokyo .

I also stopped drinking anything out of a can for fear that I will get sick from the rat faeces and urine.

When I go to parties, I don't look at any girl, no matter how hot she is, for fear that she will take me to a hotel, drug me, then take my kidneys and leave me taking a nap in a bathtub full of ice.

I also donated all my savings to the Amy Bruce account.

A sick girl that was about to die in the hospital about 7,000 times.(Poor girl! she's been 7 since 1993...)

I went bankrupt from bounced checks that I made, expecting the $15,000 that Microsoft and AOL were supposed to send me(when I participated in their special-mail program) would arrive soon.

My free Nokia phone never arrived and neither did the free passes for a paid vacation to Disneyland .

Still open to help someone from Bulgaria who wants to use my account to transfer his uncle's property of some hundred millions $.

Made some Hundred wishes before forwarding those Dalai Lama, most of those "Wishes" are already married (to someone else)

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you do not send this e-mail to at least 913760 people in the next 10 seconds,a bird will sh*t on your head today at 04.00 p.m.
Now give me a break!!

Problem of Nokia Battery - नोकियाको ब्याट्रिमा खराबी

गत साता मोबाइल सेट निमाता कम्पनी नोकियाको एकखाले ब्याट्रिमा खराबी भएको कुराले संसारभर तहल्का मच्चियो। नोकिया कम्पनीले नै आधिकारिक रुपमा उक्त जानकारी दिएर सचेत रहन आफ्ना ग्राहकलाई आग्रह गरेको थियो। जापानको मात्सुसिता ब्याट्रि इन्डस्ट्रियल कम्पनी लिमिटेडबाट उत्पादित नोकिया ब्रन्डका बी-अल्-५ सी नामक ब्याट्रिमा यस प्रकारको खराबी देखिएको छ। सन २००५ डिसेम्बरदेखि २००६ नोभेम्बरसम्म उत्पादित उक्त ब्रन्डका ब्याट्रिमा प्रविधिक त्रुटि देखिएको कुरा पनि कम्पनीले जनायो। उक्त ब्रन्डका ब्याट्रि चार्ज गर्दा सर्किटहरु बढी तात्ने र त्यसले प्रत्यक्ष असर पुग्ने कुरा बताइयो। नोकियाले उक्त ब्रण्न्डका ३० करोड ब्याट्त्रि उत्पादन गरेको थियो। त्यसमध्ये मात्सुसिता कम्पनीले मात्र ४ करोड ६ लाख ब्याट्रि उत्पादन गरेको थियो। ग्रहकले उक्त अवधिमा उत्पादन भएका ब्याट्रि लाई नोकियाकै वेबसाइटमा जांच गर्न सक्ने व्यवस्था मिलाईको छ। नोकियाको आधिकारिक वेबसाइट www.nokia.com मा गएर ब्याट्रि रिप्लेस्मेन्टमा क्लिक गरी ब्याट्रिमा उल्लेखित २६ अंक टाइप गदा ब्याट्रि खराब हो वा होइन पत्त लगाउन सकिन्छ। खराब ब्याट्रिको सट्टा अर्का ब्याट्रि उपलब्ध गराउने व्यवस्था पनि नोकियाले गरेको छ। ब्याट्रिको कमजोरीका कारण् अहिलेसम्म संसारभर लगभग १ सय घटना घटेका छन्, तर यसबाट कुनै शारीरिक क्षेति भने भएको छैन। नेपालमा नोकियाको अाधिकारिक विक्रेता नियोट्रिक नेपालमार्फत ग्रहकले ब्याटत्रि साट्न सक्ने व्यवस्था मिलाइेको छ। बीएल-५ सीमा लिथियम ब्याट्रि राखिएको छ। लिथियम प्रयोग गरिएको ब्याट्रि विगत केही वर्शदेखि नै विवादमा परेको छ। सोनीले आफ्नो ल्यापटपमा लिथियम प्रयोग गरिएका करिब १ करोड ब्याट्रि बजारवाट फिर्ता लिएको थियो। तोसिवा, डेल तथा लेनोभाले पनि त्यस्तै कदम उठाउनुपरेको थियो। टोयोटा कम्पनीले आफ्नो हाइब्रिड कारको ब्याट्रिमा पनि यस्तै खराबीको सम्भावनाका कारण् यसको लन्चिङमा ढिलाइ गरिरहेको छ।

Dress to impress: Interview dressing dos and don'ts

First appearances are crucial in job interviews and getting your outfit right is something worth taking the time to perfect. We've spoken to the Microsoft recruitment team to get some tips and what to wear and what to avoid when going for an interview.

Women's clothing

Shirts

DON’T think the interview room is the place to show off your incredibly in-trend style, unless of course you're going for a job in the fashion industry. As Natalie Scott, a recruitment manager at Microsoft puts it, 'Do not wear anything too low-cut, no matter what the current fashion is'.

DO keep things modest and classic, and the quickest way to achieve this is with a classic shirt rather than a casual top. Remember to make sure your shirt is ironed and clean the night before though, as Natalie Kutner, also a recruitment manager, explains 'that just-got-out-of-bed look just doesn’t bode well for an interview'.

Suited and booted

DON’T assume that if the working environment seems casual, you should dress casually. As Natalie K explains, 'we are a relaxed business when it comes to business attire however I would expect candidates to make their appearance as smart as possible'.

DO invest in a smart suit or well-tailored trousers, which are saved for more formal occasions to save them getting scruffy. Err on the side of 'too smart' rather than 'not smart enough'.

Shoes

DON’T forget your feet. Scruffy or inappropriate footwear will create just as bad impression as the wrong clothes. As a general rule open toes are a no-go area, and heels over 2 inches should be saved for the weekend.

DO wear comfortable, polished shoes. 'Although you will be sitting down for the interview – make sure you wear shoes that you can walk in, there is nothing more awful than a woman in high heels that cannot walk in them!' says Natalie K.

Make-up: stay natural

DON’T go overboard with your hair or make-up, it's simply not worth it says Natalie S. 'It's good to be groomed but don't become a caricature by piling on the make-up or perfume as this will be the lasting memory in the recruiter's mind.'

DO keep your make-up natural and simple, creating a more professional appearance while you've still made an effort. Perfume is a good idea, as stress can make you sweat, but nothing too overpowering which could knock your interviewer out.

As with women, appearance can be just as important for men when it comes to creating the right impression. The Microsoft recruitment team points out their personal pet peeves and what generally men should and shouldn't be thinking about when it comes to dressing for an interview.

Men's clothing

Shirt and tie

DON’T feel obliged to wear a full suit (unless you'd be wearing one day-to-day) or end up too casual. Essentially, men have it easier than women says recruitment manager Natalie Kutner 'Men can get away with being smart casual more than women I think – a smart shirt and trousers with out without a tie depending on who you are interviewing with can be as impressive as a suit.'

DO wear a clean, ironed dress shirt with or without a tie, depending on the formality. It sounds simple but even though offices are generally getting more casual, that doesn't mean roll up to the interview in a t-shirt.

Trousers

DON’T wear jeans. It's as simple as that, with a few exceptions, but generally jeans are a definite no. Natalie K says they are simply 'not professional, but more and more men are turning up for them in interviews.'

DO wear suit trousers, even if you're not wearing the jacket, or go for other more 'proper' alternatives you'd see in a formal office setting. Just make sure they're comfortable, and usually go for a darker shade of black or navy. Opting for the full suit can sometimes be the easiest option, says Natalie Scott, recruitment manager; 'tailored suits are ideal for interviews, no matter how 'relaxed' the company is that you're applying to'.

Shoes

DON’T ruin a smart outfit with too casual shoes. Your preferred choice of footwear might not be strictly trainers, but if they seem a bit too laid-back, opt for the pair that are too-formal.

DO wear shoes which match your outfit and look professional; usually a pair of black or brown lace-ups or loafers is the best choice. As with everything else, make sure they're clean and not too worn or shabby looking, as it'll give a bad impression.

Be groomed

DON’T treat interview day like any other when it comes to your grooming routine. Being unshaven, a bit wiffy and having messy hair is not what interviewers expect to see, even if it is your usual look.

DO make sure you've got a good haircut, are well-shaven and have a touch of after-shave or something similar to keep you smelling fresh. Just don't over-do the grooming, this isn't a date, but you want to seem as if you care enough about your appearance and presentation to want the job.

Class War: MySpace vs. Facebook

A flurry of recent articles have observed that young people are leaving MySpace for Facebook in droves, setting off speculation that MySpace is becoming the latest victim of fickle teens following the hot new thing.

Not so, says University of California, Berkeley, researcher Danah Boyd. Not all teens are leaving MySpace, she wrote in a recent essay--instead, they're splitting up along class lines.

Boyd confirms what teens in any high school across the country already know: Affluent kids from educated, well-to-do families have been fleeing MySpace for Facebook since it opened registration to the general public in September, while working-class kids still flock to MySpace.

That could have big implications for advertisers targeting the coveted teenaged population online, three-quarters of whom have a profile on a social network. Both sites have been powerhouses for advertisers because of their huge, wide-reaching audiences, says Robin Neifield, chief executive of interactive marketing agency NetPlus Marketing. That strategy could change if the sites become more like the niche social networks popping up across the Web for groups of like-minded people from similar backgrounds.

Boyd's essay came amid speculation about the future of the social network giants. Despite the fact that MySpace still gets more than twice as many unique visitors as Facebook, it's littered with postings announcing that users, often teens, are switching to its rival.
The number of Facebook visitors ages 12 to 17 jumped 149% over the past year, while MySpace lost 27% of teens, according to ComScore Media Metrix. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp.owns MySpace, even lamented in an interview that he was losing readers to Facebook. News Corp. is rumored to be considering swapping MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!.

Estimated ad revenue for 2007 calendar year for Facebook is $125 million, $525 million for MySpace, according to research firm eMarketer. Together, the two account for 72% of all online advertising on social networks.

There's a reason why the "goody-two-shoes, jocks, athletes or other 'good' kids" are going to Facebook, says Boyd, who studies social networks and youth culture and made her observations based on formal interviews with 90 teens, informal interviews with hundreds more, and the perusal of tens of thousands of teens' online profiles.

Facebook launched in 2004 as a site for Harvard students. Gradually, it opened up to other college students, then to high school kids if a college student invited them. "Facebook is what the college kids did. Not surprisingly, college-bound high schoolers desperately wanted in," Boyd writes.

MySpace, meanwhile, is the "cool working-class thing" for high school students getting a job after graduation rather than heading to the Ivy League, Boyd writes. Constant local news stories on predators targeting kids on MySpace further alienated the "good kids," she says. Both companies declined to comment on Boyd's essay.

That could have big implications for advertisers targeting the coveted teenaged population online, three-quarters of whom have a profile on a social network. Both sites have been powerhouses for advertisers because of their huge, wide-reaching audiences, says Robin Neifield, chief executive of interactive marketing agency NetPlus Marketing. That strategy could change if the sites become more like the niche social networks popping up across the Web for groups of like-minded people from similar backgrounds.

Boyd's essay came amid speculation about the future of the social network giants. Despite the fact that MySpace still gets more than twice as many unique visitors as Facebook, it's littered with postings announcing that users, often teens, are switching to its rival.
The number of Facebook visitors ages 12 to 17 jumped 149% over the past year, while MySpace lost 27% of teens, according to ComScore Media Metrix. Rupert Murdoch, whose News Corp.owns MySpace, even lamented in an interview that he was losing readers to Facebook. News Corp. is rumored to be considering swapping MySpace for a 25% stake in Yahoo!.

Estimated ad revenue for 2007 calendar year for Facebook is $125 million, $525 million for MySpace, according to research firm eMarketer. Together, the two account for 72% of all online advertising on social networks.

There's a reason why the "goody-two-shoes, jocks, athletes or other 'good' kids" are going to Facebook, says Boyd, who studies social networks and youth culture and made her observations based on formal interviews with 90 teens, informal interviews with hundreds more, and the perusal of tens of thousands of teens' online profiles.

Facebook launched in 2004 as a site for Harvard students. Gradually, it opened up to other college students, then to high school kids if a college student invited them. "Facebook is what the college kids did. Not surprisingly, college-bound high schoolers desperately wanted in," Boyd writes.

MySpace, meanwhile, is the "cool working-class thing" for high school students getting a job after graduation rather than heading to the Ivy League, Boyd writes. Constant local news stories on predators targeting kids on MySpace further alienated the "good kids," she says. Both companies declined to comment on Boyd's essay.

"As an advertiser, in my opinion, Facebook users are more qualified to convert and more apt to buy a shirt, so I would go there before MySpace," says Josh Mohrer, director of retail for BustedTees, an online purveyor of hipster clothes and sometime Facebook advertiser.

Facebook can lure advertisers with its affluence, says Bill Tancer, general manager of global research at Hitwise, an online marketing analysis firm. His data backs up Boyd's conclusions that Facebook users are richer than those on MySpace. Still, MySpace attracts so many more viewers that "there's no way marketers are going to leave," he says.

NetPlus chief Neifield says she's not paying too much attention to Boyd's observations. Advertisers should look beyond demographics when placing ads and instead analyze online behavior like who visited other sites with similar content, who downloaded what or who clicked on which ads, she says. "It's not very often these days that we buy based on demographics alone."

By Claire Cain Miller, Forbes.com

Do You Make These Mistakes With Your Web Site?

While it's true that "nobody's perfect," I think the same goes for small business web sites as well - no web site is absolutely perfect. Even the best of the best often have room for improvement!

But there are some basic web site mistakes that many small companies make that can end up hurting business instead of helping it. Do any of these mistakes show up on your web site?

- Not enough content.

Often, small businesses will put minimal information along with their contact information on their web sites and think that's probably good enough. But today's web visitors are looking for something more, and lots of good quality content is a great way to deliver value to your visitors and build credibility for your business.

- Old or outdated content.

If you want visitors and search engines to pay attention to your web site, you need to keep adding new content and updating the existing information on your web site regularly. If your site never changes, the search engines will ignore your site, and visitors will not have a reason to come back. It's also unlikely that visitors will recommend your site to their friends and colleagues, too.

- Not being search engine friendly.

Speaking of search engines, what happens if a search engine spider visits your site, but can't read your web pages? Nothing happens, and that's a problem. If a search engine spider cannot read your web pages, it just moves on to the next site, and your information is completely ignored. Your web site must be search engine friendly in order to be included in the search engine databases.

- Not monitoring your site in the search engines.

Even if your web site is search engine friendly, there are constant changes going on with the search engines and also with your competitors. If you aren't monitoring how your site is performing in the search engines, how will you know if these changes are affecting your rankings or if you are losing traffic? Monitoring your web site means that you can react to changes and take appropriate steps to make sure your site shows up in the search results and that web traffic keeps flowing.

- The site is built using Frames or Flash.

Not too many web sites still make this mistake, but there are still some small business web sites out there using one or both of these methods. Sites built with Frames or Flash intro pages cannot easily be read by the search engines, and web visitors typically hate using them as well. These are older web techniques that don't reflect well on your business, they don't perform well in the search engines, and today's web visitors expect better.

Making your web site the best it can be is a very effective and affordable marketing option for most small businesses. Of all the other types of advertising and marketing that you do each year, your web site has the potential to be seen by more customers, can continue to promote your company perpetually through links, is always accessible to customers, and can instantly reflect changes and provide fresh information to draw people in.

Avoiding basic web site mistakes will help your site perform better, making it a "perfect" marketing strategy for your small business.

SEO as a Dirty Business

In real life, presidential election campaigns are run behind closed doors and their actors often play dirty tricks on each other; for "All's fair in love and war." The final purpose of the game is political supremacy. Power. In SEM... the top of Google's SERP.

From Graywolf's "How to Be a Dirty Digger" to Greenberg's "The Saboteurs of Search" we learn that online marketing and politics play on similar grounds.That the search engines can be manipulated is no secret, but most SEOs try a positive approach and define their strategies as ethical or "white-hat."

In Aaron Wall's dictionary, there is no such thing as ethical SEO because, no matter how you look at it, once you employ a technique (any) to manipulate the search engines, you "SPAM." The only question is what kind of spam is acceptable from a Google perspective?

Part of the answer comes from Google's Webmaster Guidelines (quality guidelines - specific guidelines), more comes from Bruce Clay's SEO code of ethics, and if that's not enough you could always rely on an answer from authority SEO professionals.

Now back to SEO as a dirty business.

Strangely enough in real life it is a lot easier to harm than to heal. Somehow supremacy and power are achieved faster through war than peaceful negotiations. No surprise here: negotiating peacefully takes time to find a compromise which, in many situations, is not what the parts involved hoped to achieve.

SEM is quite similar. For every winner, there's a loser, and many companies that rely on Google for traffic employ questionable SEO tactics to achieve good rankings for their most competitive keyword phrases.

But this is nothing compared to those that employ "political tricks" to harm their competitors. Forbes lists in "The Saboteurs of Search" two techniques (out of seven): Google bowling and Google insulation.

Google bowling is pure evil and it deals with how to frame a competitor's site as a spamming site to convince Google to drop its rankings. This type of negative SEO deals with links -- and many links at once. These links are generated automatically, over a short period of time, using special software. They'll mostly come from bad neighbors and they'll all have the same anchor text, to make the spam picture complete. Google is just a machine, so there's no real way for this machine to know who is behind the link spam. The "guilty" site might lose its position in the SERP or even get banned. Some sites never recover after a Google ban, others see their rankings vanishing and their pages landing into the supplemental results and they never learn why.

If something like this has happened to your site, all you can really do is to find out who hates you so much. Google bowling is not the only negative SEO technique that might hurt a competitor site.

Tattling, as correctly identified by Forbes, is something that even Google's Matt Cutts encourages, by asking people to report sites that buy links. I really wonder how Google verifies such complaints.

Basically anyone can assume that a contextual link in one of my blog entries is a paid link (what if I monetize my site with V7 contextual?).

There are many other questionable SEO strategies to demolish competition. I happen to consider them a waste of time and energy. The Forbes article quoted above contains a pretty interesting statement: "Matt Cutts, a senior software engineer for Google, says that piling links onto a competitor's site to reduce its search rank isn't impossible, but it's extremely difficult."

If negative SEO is difficult, we are prone to believe that it seldom happens. I think that, in some niches, it happens quite often. But these are simple theories. As long as I do not have the data to back them up, I prefer to keep my analysis to a minimum of delivering information.

There are simpler ways to harm competition. Scrapper sites harm writers by copying their content. And it is not that difficult to understand where the "harm" lies.

For example, when a scrapper copies the content of your site, your rankings are harmed, especially if the scrapper site happens to have more authority than yours. There is not much you can do to protect your rankings and your copyright. But if you decide to report the guilty site to the search engine (file a compliant) the search engine will remove the site from its index for 10 days, to give you (the copyright holder) the time to sue for infringement.

Many bloggers wake up one day to find their articles duplicated on obscure sites, MFA sites and so on. They are often frustrated and they ask in forums the classic: what can I do if someone copies my content. Well, now you have a possible answer: you don't need to go to court to punish a site for copyright infringement. It is enough to file a complaint at Google and you've got the guilty site out of the Google SERPs for at least 10 days.

Careful though, a fraudulent copyright complaint can get you in trouble, and not just with the search engines. So don't just go around filing complaints. The Google ban theoretically lasts for just 10 days, but the trust rank of the accused site will lower. Another similar complaint and the site's integrity will be seriously questioned. Just remember: what goes around, comes around.

By, Mihaela Lica
Entireweb.com

How to Become an Effective Freelancer

Note: The following is an article written for a now defunct site LifeInTech.com, originally published March 23 2006.

Being an effective and successful freelancer is not easy. We have to be polite, respectful, punctual, and our work must consistently surpass client expectations. Here are some tips to help you become more effective at managing your workload.

Let everyone know what you do

Everyone. No, seriously—everyone. Not just your neighbors but their dogs as well. Place your business cards at cafes, stores, bulletin boards, and any other place related to your business.

Many freelancers will find that even their families do not know what they do. A little clarification can help tremendously. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard a family member or friend talk about jobs that I could have had, had they known to refer me.

Use a calendar

Eventually, your load will grow into a chaotic mess unless you implement _and actually use_a calendar. You will never have that “I’m forgetting something” moment again.

An effective use of a calendar is for task lists. When you build out a task list for a project, add estimated dates for each task. By monitoring your calendar you will be on top of things with minimal effort.

On my Mac I use iCal which I sync with my cell phone, giving me instant access to my calendar at all times. This sort of mobility is priceless.

You are a business

An inexpensive and easy way to gain respect as a freelancer is to acquire a business license and fictitious name. Instead of saying “Hello my name is Bob and I do this”, you could say “Hello, this is Bob from Acme Media Services”. No longer an anonymous expendable face, you have a corporate identity.

A fictitious name is a name under which a business performs. For example, “Coca-Cola” is not the name of an individual but rather a fictitious name for the company. These are usually cheap to attain; They are $20 for five years in California. Banks will usually allow you to open an account in your business’ name with just the fictitious name statement.

The easiest business to create is the Sole Proprietorship, which allows you to conduct consistent business, yet requires no extra bookkeeping—all your revenue is claimed on the next year’s income tax statement.

For more information on business licensing and fictitious names, see your local and state government websites, as well as the IRS Website Business Section.

Communicate

A common complaint from my clients is that freelancers are unreliable; They tend to drop off the face of the Earth.

Maintaining consistent contact with a client builds a bond of trust and reliability. As stupid as it sounds, a client is more likely to contact you if they think you will respond.

Reply to all emails within minutes of reading them. If you do not yet have an answer to their question, let them know that you are actively looking for one.

All calls should be responded to with a phone call, never an email, unless specifically requested. Always take the option of a phone call. The more human and welcoming you are, the greater the bond of trust.

Be honest

A riddle: What is worse than receiving bad news? Not receiving the bad news.

Nobody is perfect and freelancers tend to give highly optimistic expectations of a project. Unfortunately, when a delay or other unforeseen incidents happen, freelancers will commonly not inform their clients for fear of retribution. However, this only creates bigger trouble for you. The client needs to know when a problem arises, immediately. They will understand. After all, “business” is another word for “delay”.

Be confident

You know you can complete the project. All of your qualifications match the description and you have had similar projects in the past.

Now you have to convince the client that you can do it.

Your confidence is on what your client’s confidence will be built; If you have none,nor will your client. Dress the part, talk the talk, and have a firm handshake.

Another well-known secret seems to escape many freelancers: do not tell them only what you can do, tell them also what they want to hear.

Use your strengths; Outsource your weaknesses

There will come a time in every freelancer’s career when he or she is faced with a project that is beyond the scope of their solitary capabilities. Unfortunately, I have seen a lot of people simply say that they cannot do it and pass on the project.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed by such a project, the key is to accept it with open arms, as this project could lead to more opportunities. Since you cannot handle it alone, find some people to help you.

For example, I had a large web application that I quoted for a client that involved lots of neat design. However, when designing a UI I have the unfortunate ability to make it as user-_un_friendly as possible. Realizing I needed help, I put an ad on Craigslist as well as some inquiries to some fellow developers I knew. Within days I had a slew of expert UI designers willing to work with me. At that point I could pick the best of the litter. In the end, we produced a killer application that exceeded all client expectations and we were rewarded with several more contracts.

I could not have produced such a high quality product without help and would have missed out on the other contracts. The money I had siphoned to my freelancer had earned me much more money in the long run.

Do not skimp on equipment

Your equipment should be able to serve your growing needs and should not hinder your progress. This is exactly why I decided to use a Mac instead of a Linux based PC. The Mac offers instant and highly capable features that speed up my automation, including WiFi, Bluetooth, UNIX terminal, and excellent third-party software. I could get all that working on a Linux box, but that would detract from my working hours. For me it was a wise investment to get a Mac because, as they say, it just works.

The same can be said for other types of equipment. Getting it right the first time will save lots of money over having to upgrade every year.

Separate home and work

An important part of living is being able to relax. Working from home tends to make this difficult since your work and your life eventually homogenize.

Combat this by separating the two. If you can afford a small office, do it. If you have a spare room, make that your office. Otherwise, find another way to segregate your work area, even if it is just a changing screen. That isolation will ensure that your career does not creep into your real life.

Stay fresh

No matter what field you are in, technology is changing it. This, obviously, is more prominent with those of us who work with computers. The key is to pay attention to the new trends in your field. For example, as a web developer I have seen many new web technologies emerge, most notably Ruby on Rails. This technology is quickly changing the way developers not only develop, but how they plan out their projects.

Though I do not use the underlying software that is Ruby on Rails, I have come to embrace many of its philosophies. This has enabled me to communicate how I can effectively implement a solution with the changing needs of internet users.

Keep and backup your work

Keep it forever; Back it up at consistent intervals.

Just imagine working for 100 hours on a project only to have that work destroyed by a virus,spyware or a hard drive crash. Not only that, but all the rest of your work saved on the hard drive is gone as well. What do you suppose your chances are of retrieving that data? Very small. Services exist that claim to be able to retrieve such data, and while these might be a lifesaver, they should not be the backup plan.

Find a suite of software that allows you to compress your data and burn it to CDs, DVDs or even upload it to a secure storage platform like Strongspace. And always make multiple backups.

Conclusion

Being a freelancer means being agile, smart, intuitive, driven and willing to get dirty. As fun as working for oneself is, it requires a lot of discipline. But if you end up pulling it off, you will have a most rewarding career.

Have you ever fallen in love with two persons at the same time?

Hmmm…? Have you ever fallen in love with two persons at the same time? I should suppose your answer is a yes?

Well, there is definitely nothing wrong with that. What to say, we are human afterall, creature of great emotions. There is no way we can stop that very love chemical from producing and pumping within us. It is just very natural for one to develop a liking for another opposite sex especially when they are just physically attractive in appearance too. And not to mention that when the both are also getting along very well with one another?

In our interactions with one another, there just couldn’t be only one but many of also others opposite sex whom we would meet. And very often, we would just develop a liking for some of them, sometimes even more than just two.

That is life. Life is just full of choices.

But then again, what is the meaning of choice? Very simple, it means having to make a decision over which to choose and in this case whom to be choosing, choosing the one whom you are going to love.

Yup, there is nothing wrong with fallen in love with more than one person as long as at the end of the day, you make your choice. And to be able to truly experience some real love, you have to.

Yes, it is only when you are physically into a real relationship will you be able to then acquire and truly experience that real joyfulness and sweetness of being in love. If you never give yourself that chance to be in one, you will just never feel it.

Even a child understands this. Recall your childhood. I should believe that you have experienced wanting just everything when you were at the toy store. Everything just seem so fascinating to you then, wasn’t it? So you cried and bet for your mum and dad to buy them for you. And very often, you are only given the choice of choosing only one. But you refused the offer and continue to cry hoping you would be able to just get everything. And what happened in the end? You ended up with nothing at all. So you grown smarter choosing only one the next time, successfully getting what you want and eventually get to enjoy playing with your new toy, having lot of funs with it didn’t you?

Well, we can’t of course deny that facts that some lucky kids may get more than just one of what they beg for. But at the end of the day, of the toys they have got, he or she would eventually like one of them best, isn’t it? Hmmm…? Still remember what was your favorite toy?

If as a kid back then, you were able to make that decision over which toys to choose, why is it you can’t now? Not able to make up your mind over whom to choose.
Think about it. You certainly want to be able to experience some great and just fantastic love, don’t you? Then you have to just be like a smart kid, cleverly knowing how to be getting his or her toys.

Remember, you can’t have the best of the both worlds and that is for sure. Just like choosing your toys, you have to make that decision over whom to choose and only then will you have the chance to get to enjoy that wonderfulness of being in love. Hmmm…? Didn’t you just forget about the other toys at the toy store while enjoying yourself playing with that new toy you have chosen for yourself?

Believe me, things may seem great and wonderful at first having the companionship of more than just one. But it is just all of a short-term happiness. At the end of the day, the one losing out is going to be only you yourself. You will just probably end up with nothing at all, back to loneliness just once again. This is what our many friends at our forum have feedback.

Nonetheless, a genuine true love is what I believe you are seeking?
If you are not able to control your feeling well, you may unknowingly found yourself falling into the region of lust, hurting someone whom may very possibly be liking you too. I am sure this is something you wouldn’t want, right?

Now, follow where your heart goes. Between the both, there will definitely be one whom you will like more. Just give yourself some time… And when you found that answer, all the correct actions would just very naturally follow; you will just know what you have to be doing. In life, it is only when your goal or objective is clear will you know where to be heading and moving on.

Be it the path of life or love, I am sure you don’t want to be lost and stuck, not knowing where to go?

Remember, the longer you drag things, the worse will the situation become. And in the end, you might not only be hurting those who truly love you but also yourself too.

When you have to choose, you just have to. Having choices is always better than having none at all, isn’t it? Now, not many may be as fortunate as you. So, don’t lose that chance when you have it.

Work things the smart way. Learn to cherish what you have…

Source: loveletterbox.com

Microsoft Buying Yahoo: Rumors Reappear

David A. Utter | Staff Writer

A year ago, the two companies were reportedly in talks about a
merger, but those conversations were dismissed as rumors and
speculation. Well, here's Microsoft and Yahoo 2.0.

A pairing in the spirit of a superhero teamup could happen if the
latest chatter about Yahoo and Microsoft proves true. Once again,
a potential merger is being considered, as neither company has
made gains against Google's search and advertising dominance.

The Wall Street Journal said last year's talks have become this
year's discussions. Both Yahoo and Microsoft have been rejiggering
their online advertising products, but have not been able to eat
into Google's lead.

"Short of a wholesale merger, Microsoft could spin its online
group into a separately-run Yahoo, in return for a Yahoo stake,"
the WSJ said. "Though a person familiar with the matter says
Microsoft would likely want to acquire Yahoo."

GSM (GLOBAL SYSTEM FOR MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS)

What is GSM?

GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM phones are used by over a billion people across more than 200 countries. The ubiquity of the GSM standard makes international roaming very common with "roaming agreements" between mobile phone operators. GSM differs significantly from its predecessors in that both signalling and speech channels are digital, which means that it is seen as a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. This fact has also meant that data communication was built into the system from very early on. GSM is an open standard which is currently developed by the 3GPP.

From the point of view of the consumer, the key advantage of GSM systems has been higher digital voice quality and low cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. The advantage for network operators has been the ability to deploy equipment from different vendors because the open standard allows easy inter-operability. Also, the standards have allowed network operators offer roaming services which mean subscribers can use their phone all over the world.

GSM retained backward-compatibility with the original GSM phones as the GSM standard continued to develop, for example packet data capabilities were added in the Release '97 version of the standard, by means of GPRS. Higher speed data transmission have also been introduced with EDGE and UMTS in the Release '99 version of the standard.

History

In spite of its current popularity, the history of mobile phones began long before GSM was conceived. The GSM group ("Groupe Spécial Mobile" (French) 1, 2, 3 and 4) was founded in 1982. The name of the system comes from the name of this group, though later the decision was made to keep the initials but to change what they stood for. Originally the group was hosted by CEPT. The technical fundamentals of the GSM system were defined in 1987. In 1989, ETSI took over control and by 1990 the first GSM specification was completed, amounting to over 6,000 pages of text. Commercial operation began in 1991 with Radiolinja in Finland.

In 1998, the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed. Originally it was intended only to produce the specifications of the next (third, 3G) generation of mobile networks. However, 3GPP also took over the maintenance and development of the GSM specification. ETSI is a partner in 3GPP.

Market situation

More than one billion people use GSM phones as of 2005, making GSM the dominant mobile phone system worldwide with about 70% of the world's market. GSM's main competitor, CDMA2000, is used primarily in the United States, Canada and Korea, although it was seeing increased, but limited, worldwide adoption as a stepping stone to a 3G standard when WCDMA did not appear to be fully functional. It is important to note that there is no such thing as a standard CDMA handset, so roaming across CDMA networks from different operators is difficult or impossible, depending on the handset and operators concerned. As WCDMA networks have begun to take off, at least in high density markets, GSM's rate of expansion may slow. This seems likely to take some time, however.

A major reason for the growth in GSM usage, particularly between 1998 to 2002, was the availability of prepaid calling from mobile phone operators. This allows people who are either unable or unwilling to enter into a contract with an operator to have mobile phones. Prepaid also enabled the rapid expansion of GSM in many developing countries where large sections of the population do not have access to banks or bank accounts and countries where there are no effective credit rating agencies.

Radio interface

GSM is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones connect to it by seaching for cells in the immediate vicinity. GSM networks operate at various different radio frequencies.

There are four different cell sizes in a GSM network - Macro, micro, pico and umbrellacells. The coverage area of each cell is different in different environments. Macro cells can be regarded as cells where the base station antenna is installed in a mast or a building above average roof top level. Micro cells are cells whose antenna height is under average roof top level; they are typically used in urban areas. Picocells are small cells whose diameter is a few dozen metres; they are mainly used indoors. On the other hand, umbrellacells are used to cover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill in gaps in coverage between those cells.

Cell radius varies depending on antenna height, antenna gain and propagation conditions from a couple of hundred meters to several tens of kilometres. The longest distance the GSM specification supports in practical use is 35 km. There is also a concept of an extended cell, where the cell radius could be double or even more.

Indoor coverage is also supported by GSM and is achieved by using power splitters to deliver the radio signal from the antenna outdoors to a separate indoor antenna distribution system. This is typically deployed when a lot of call capacity is needed indoors, for example in shopping centres or airports. However, this is not a pre-requisite, since indoor coverage is also provided by in-building penetration of the radio signal.

Network structure



The structure of a GSM network

The network behind the GSM system seen by the customer is large and complicated in order to provide all of the services which are required. It is divided into a number of sections and these are each covered in separate articles.

the Base Station Subsystem (the base stations and their controllers).
the Network and Switching Subsystem (the part of the network most similar to a fixed network). This is sometimes also just called the core network.
the GPRS Core Network (the optional part which allows packet based Internet connections).
all of the elements in the system combine to produce many GSM services such as voice calls and SMS.

Subscriber Identity Module

One of the key features of GSM is the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), commonly known as a SIM card. The SIM is a detachable smartcard containing the user's subscription information and phonebook. This allows the user to retain his information after switching handsets. Alternatively, the user can also change operators while retaining the handset simply by changing the SIM. Some operators will block this by allowing the phone to use only a single SIM, or only a SIM issued by them; this practice is known as SIM locking, and is illegal in some countries.

In the USA and Europe, most operators lock the mobiles they sell. This is done because the price of the mobile phone is usually subsidised with revenue from subscriptions and operators want to try to avoid subsidising competitor's mobiles. A subscriber can usually contact the provider to remove the lock for a fee (which operators sometimes try to claim to be ignorant of), utilize private services to remove the lock, or make use of ample software and websites available on the Internet to unlock the handset themselves. Some providers in the USA, such as T-Mobile and Cingular, will unlock the phone for free if the customer has held an account for a certain period. Third party unlocking services exist that are often quicker and lower cost than that of the operator. In most countries removing the lock is legal.

GSM security

GSM was designed with a moderate level of security. The system was designed to authenticate the subscriber using shared-secret cryptography. Communications between the subscriber and the base station can be encrypted. The development of UMTS introduces an optional USIM, that uses a longer authentication key to give greater security, as well as mutually authenticating the network and the user - whereas GSM only authenticated the user to the network (and not vica versa). The security model therefore offers confidentiality and authentication, but limited authorization capabilities, and no non-repudiation.

GSM uses several cryptographic algorithms for security. The A5/1 and A5/2 stream ciphers are used for ensuring over-the-air voice privacy. A5/1 is a stronger algorithm used within Europe; A5/2 is weaker and used in other countries. Serious weaknesses have been found in both algorithms, and it is possible to break A5/2 in real-time in a ciphertext-only attack. The system supports multiple algorithms so operators may replace that cipher with a stronger one.

What is 3G?

• 3G is watching clips from your favorite soap on the train.


• 3G is sending images straight from the field to headquarters for analysis.


• 3G is sharing your Moroccan vacation with your friends--from Morocco.


• 3G is videoconferencing in a taxi.


• 3G is the Future of Everyday Communications.

3G is a global development of communication standards and technologies. This development will lead to your being able to access multimedia services with your mobile phone.

You may have seen terms in the news like GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA, and UMTS. All of these are concepts related to development of mobile communication networks to 3G.

Although the technology behind 3G may seem complicated, the ways in which 3G will affect all of our lives are easy to imagine. Just imagine having a combined camera, videocamera, computer, stereo, and radio included in your mobile phone. Rich-media information and entertainment will be at your fingertips whenever you want anywhere there is a wireless network.

Mobile communication is moving from simple voice to rich media, where we use more of our senses to intensify our experiences.

But not all of this will happen at once. 3G is an evolution to a communications ideal that we cannot see the end of yet. We do know that mobile multimedia will hit the Japanese markets in 2001, and Europe and North America will follow soon after.

We also know that, regardless of whether you find new technologies intimidating or fascinating, 3G will bring a host of mobile services that will bring more information, more efficiency, and more joy to your life.

According to a whitepaper form Nokia, 3G applications can be divided into:
Wireless Advertising

• Mobile Information


• Business Solutions


• Mobile Transactions


• Mobile Entertainment


• Person-to-Person Communications


• Bearer Entrance and Periodics

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)

What is MMS?

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a new standard in mobile messaging. Like SMS (Short Messaging Service), MMS is a way to send a message from one mobile to another. The difference is that MMS can include not just text, but also sound, images and video. It is also possible to send MMS messages from a mobile phone to an email address.

Formats that can be embedded within MMS include:

Text (formatted with fonts, colours, etc)
Images (JPEG, GIF format)
Audio (MP3, MIDI)
Video (MPEG)
Images could be downloaded from WAP sites, selected from a menu within the phone, or could even be photos taken using a built-in camera if the phone has one (e.g. the Nokia 7650, Sony Ericsson T300, etc).

MMS is an extension of the SMS protocol, making its usage familiar to existing SMS users. An MMS message is a single entity, not a collection of attachments. One of the main practical differences between MMS and SMS is that whilst SMS messages are limited to 160 bytes, an MMS message has no size limit and could be many Kbytes in size, or even larger. MMS requires a third generation (3G) network to enable such large messages to be delivered, although smaller messages can be sent even with second generation networks using GPRS.

Whilst mobile phone users can create and send their own MMS messages, perhaps the biggest use of MMS is likely to be companies sending MMS messages to subscribers, enquirers or customers. For example, a company could send visitors an MMS map to help them find their office. Other possible applications include weather reports, news & sport bulletins, etc.

The first MMS capable phones started to appear in 2002, and the standard looks set to become very widely used in the years ahead. Different manufacturers are introducing MMS technologies in different ways. For example, Nokia are introducing MMS directly into their latest phones, whilst Sony Ericsson is introducing phones that have EMS (Enhanced messaging Service). EMS is a halfway house between SMS and MMS, providing some of the features of MMS (e.g. formatted text, simple pictures, simple audio such as ringtones, and even some animation). EMS is a technology that is designed to work with existing networks, but will ultimately be made obsolete by MMS.

How To Make A Girl Fall In Love With You

By Vlad Karl

Getting a girl of your dreams is much like getting the car of your dream. But unlike a car which you can always bargain for, there is nothing like a 20 percent discount in courting the girl of your dreams, she's so sweet a thing to be discounted, you dearly are in love with her and your feelings for her can only be communicated not by the words of the mouth, but by the words of the heart. Getting the girl actually depends on how big your heart is - faint heart, never won fair lady.

The first step in the heart-winning exercise for any man is to make a good impression. In your doing so, you don't have to talk, dress or do the common things that all the Toms do to get a decent girl's attention. Be unique, that's all you need. Be a man of his own style. Dress decently - indecency can make one be mistaken for arrogance; watch your language - obscene language gives the impression of immaturity, being uncultured and cheap; be a man of good habits - don't drink or smoke like any other loser.

Let her fall in love gradually. Romance is an important part of falling in love. When in College I had a crush on the most beautiful lady in our first year lot. Though all senior guys were out to get that girl, I managed to divert her attention from the other guys. I wrote her three letters without disclosing my identity and slid into her room secretly; all I said was 'Yours Secret Admirer.' The first letter contained the meaning of her name, this I got by playing around with the initials of her name to make meaning. The second was a funny message that could only be read backwards and it was all about her physique and her smartness. In the third letter I told the girl to be ready to receive a rose flower from her admirer, but only if she could be kind enough to phone him using a number that I had included in the letter. The girl did phone me that very night, and her first words to me were, "Hallo Secret Admirer." So, the story of our love affair came to be. Later she told me that was so creative of me, no one had approached her in that manner. I made her fall in love with me in the romantic manner.

Befriending and understanding the girl you are out to get is the next important thing. This is what I also did. You have to understand that as a lady, she loves to be loved, adores to be adored and needs to be needed. This will move you closer to the girl and you'll get to know what she's into, what she likes and dislikes, and what her style is. Love is built upon friendship and it always leaves individuals better off having known each other should they break up. I and my College steady were to break some time later but to date, we are the best of buddies. Be sure that bringing out the selflessness friend in you will make her create room for you in her heart.

A shoulder to lean on and some good friend that she can always turn to is all that a lady wants. Please don't hesitate to be helpful and supportive. Be that friend who rekindles her zeal of hardworking and restoring hope back into her life when she looses hope. This above all other things will make you her daily vitamin simply because you bring out the best in her in terms of personality and character. In you, she'll have found that friend whom she can open up to, share with and advice each other on the rights and wrongs, the dos and don'ts of life. Don't forget to always be there to celebrate the good times, and to lend an ear when the girl needs you to listen as a friend.

Make the girl feel special; because she's someone's friend - your friend, and let her know that she too has touched your life in a unique way like no one else could. Compliment her for her company and for being there when you needed her, when you felt sad and all alone. Show appreciations for the comfort the girl offers you and for making you smile.

In your day to day talks, share your dreams, your world, and every aspect of your life with your girl. Always dream with her, build with her, and always cheer her on and encourage her. Tell your girl how you always think about her even when you try not to think about her. Let the girl know that she's your first thing in the morning and the last thing when you go to bed at night.

Her knowing that you were thinking of her when you slipped beneath the softness of your blanket and gave in to the bliss of sweet dreams, will make her go 'my my' and her heart will sing your name all the year round.

You have to be creative and constructive to keep girl's interest in you so full of life. I remember one time I told my girlfriend to be to imagine we are both deaf and dump. We then sat opposite each other on the table and started sharing our feelings for each other using eyes and hand signs. It turned out to be some fun. There was also this time that we were in the library and we decided we are not going to speak to each other verbal, so I wrote a love note on a paper and passed it across the table to her, she replied and on and on we carried on our love on paper conversation till we almost exhausted a whole rim of paper. At sometime, I noticed that some guys sited with us on the table were enjoying our ordeal than their studies. Such are the things that made the girl embrace my world. I remember her suggesting that we play deaf and dump two years after we broke up, can you imagine that?

Never fail to phone her, even when she least expects it. I once called some girl that I was interested in at four o'clock in the morning. When inquiring of what I was doing up so early, I told her I was in thirteenth heaven, where people think of their loved ones when they can't sleep. Wow! First thing early the next morning, she was at my door with a king-sized hug for me. No matter how many dates you take her, don't make any elbow - exceeding moves after any date, just drop her home and with a friendly handshake, wish her good night. Don't kiss her when she expects you to. Your respect as a gentleman will be earned on how patient you are with her when it comes to such matters as kissing her and accessing her inner graces.

The writing is on the wall that you want her, but you can't have her just yet. Increase your demand. Try to show her that men are also hard to get at times. Make her realize that when she feels a little dizzy, a little tired, a little sad, a little sick, a lot bored and very much cold, she's actually missing vitamin you. By this time, she'll be so much into you and since love is truthful and is characterized by open and honest communication, honestly promise her your everlasting devotion, loyalty, respect, and your unconditional love for a lifetime. Prove to her that you'll always be there for her, to listen and to hold her hand, and that you'll always do your best to make her happy, and feel loved.

Remember, patience is the key to her heart; be like that gardener watching a fruit as it hangs on the tree, day after day admiring it, but, exercising tremendous self-discipline, neither feeling the fruit, nor pinching it, nor testing it to see if it is ready. And then, one day he holds out his hand and the fruit simply drops into it, ripe, warm and eager to be eaten.

The patience and self-control which you practice will make you more attractive and charming. This will qualify you as her daily vitamin and win you that heart hers.

I wish you to meet the girl of your dreams ASAP, make her fall in love with you, and make her feel the happiest girl in the world!

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO TO MARRY?

You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming.
-- Alan, age 10

No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with.
-- Kirsten, age 10


WHAT IS THE RIGHT AGE TO GET MARRIED?

Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then.
-- Camille, age 10

No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married.
-- Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)

HOW CAN A STRANGER TELL IF TWO PEOPLE ARE MARRIED?

You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids.
-- Derrick, age 8

WHAT DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM AND DAD HAVE IN COMMON?

Both don't want any more kids.
-- Lori, age 8

WHAT DO MOST PEOPLE DO ON A DATE?

Dates are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough.
-- Lynnette, age 8 (isn't she a treasure)

On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested enough to go for a second date.
-- Martin, age 10

WHAT WOULD YOU DO ON A FIRST DATE THAT WAS TURNING SOUR?

I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote about me in all the dead columns.
-- Craig, age 9

WHEN IS IT OKAY TO KISS SOMEONE?

When they're rich.
-- Pam, age 7

The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that.
-- Curt, age 7

The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do.
-- Howard, age 8

IS IT BETTER TO BE SINGLE OR MARRIED?

I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out.
-- Theodore, age 8

It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them.
-- Anita, age 9 (bless you child)

HOW WOULD THE WORLD BE DIFFERENT IF PEOPLE DIDN'T GET MARRIED?

There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?
-- Kelvin, age 8

And the #1 Favorite is........

HOW WOULD YOU MAKE A MARRIAGE WORK?

Tell your wife that she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck.
-- Ricky, age 10

"I give no thought to what lies behind but push on to what is ahead."

Thanx Beena for providing such nice information