Here's Why Google and Twitter Belong Together

Not as though it's ever going to happen, but suppose I were at a party one night and Eric Schmidt, CEO of Google happened to be there. I would love to corner him and get him a glass of wine or scotch or whatever it is that CEOs at large corporations drink, and suggest to him that he buy Twitter.

I know, I know. I'm not the first one who has ever come up with this idea, but to me, it's not about the ridiculous growth of Twitter or the millions of eye balls on the Twitter site or the opportunity to stretch out those Google Ads into social networking. It's not even about search in the direct sense. It's because the two systems would complement each other so well.

Can I Call You, Eric

I have the feeling Eric Schmidt doesn't really stand on pretense, so maybe I would call him Eric (or Mr. Schmidt; that's cool too) and I would give him my elevator pitch. Google is great for doing research, right? You enter a few keywords and get back a site, picture, video, blog, whatever you're looking for that will get you on your way. But what if you have a specific question? In fact, just the other day on Twitter, Pete Yorn wanted to know how to make turkey burgers that weren't dry. He got his answers and tweeted a few minutes later:

•

•

•

•

ahh thanks....twitter...better than google? it' like "ask the audience" lifeline.

That's when it hit me, Eric (er...Mr. Schmidt, sorry) that you should buy Twitter. Sometimes you want to do general research, but sometimes you just want to ask your friends (the virtual equivalent of the studio audience) and Twitter gives you that ability.

Twitter is more than that...

But Twitter is great for so many things like communicating and publicizing, for information gathering and making friends. It's so powerful and if you put it together with Google, you could have something really special. (Can I freshen that drink for you Eric?). If you doubt me look at the Facebook redesign. They are clearly trying to capture that conversation of Twitter inside their social network.

Of course, they have a mini rebellion on their hands from users who don't like the new design, but I like it. In fact I like it a lot. Why? Because it reminds me of Twitter.

I know you said on the Charlie Rose show recently that you weren't interested in buying Twitter. I get your stock value is down. Your ad revenue is down. The economy kind of sucks right now, but you have a rich company there and when it comes down to it, it's all about the ad revenue isn't it? And what better way to get more of it than to combine your powerhouse with this growing phenomenon.

I know you probably get a pitch about every five minutes. Can't go to a party without someone giving you their next big idea and I apologize for intruding, but I hope you'll give the idea some thought. Catch you later. I think I see Mark Zuckerberg over there and I've been dying to talk to him.

Google AdSense Top Paying Keywords - How to Make Money With AdSense

By Ricky Lim

One of the best ways to make passive income when you are first starting out is with Google AdSense. AdSense pays you by the click and if you have doing this for a while, you will realize not all topics pay the same.

There are certain niches or topics that pay out much better. Different AdSense publishers are always on the lookout for keywords that can provide easy money. This only means that the higher the advertiser pays for a certain keyword, the more they will receive when they click the link.

So if you own a site or blog and would want to make money though Google AdSense, the first thing you need to do is choose the right keywords and phrases to be put in your site's content.

It is important that before you achieve greater traffic and greater income, choose the right keywords because this will determine how much money you will earn. Once you've discovered the top-paying keywords in Google AdSense, you can earn in as much as $3 per click while the lowest earning could be $0.01 per click.

From my experience, the top paying AdSense keywords are mostly related to financial services and insurance such as mortgage, life insurance, car insurance and student loans etc.

Of course, there are other topics that do pay out quite well such as in education, some medical terms. Below are 10 keywords that have always pay out more than others.

1. mesothelioma

2 cheap auto insurance

3 consolidate student loan

4 life insurance quote

5 cheap car insurance

6 refinance home

7 car insurance quote

8 refinancing

9 online car insurance

10 online insurance quotes

Google does not tell AdSense publishers how much each click you will get for each topic. In the past, it was more or less a trial and error thing. However, Google has a keyword tool that does provide the cost per click for AdWords advertisers.

From there, you can gauge the average payout per click based on the highest CPC shown. Do note, you are almost unlikely to get that amount but it will still provide you with a rough indication of how much you should get on average per click.

Discover how to find Google AdSense top paying keywords. Learn which are the high paying AdSense keywords online

Make the Most Attractive PPC Publishing Ad Possible

You can make the most attractive PPC Publishing ad by keeping it simple. Make sure you use keywords and write your own ad. Ensure it truly fits with the image you want to portray to your customer. 

Ask yourself, what pleases your eye? How do I want my brand to be portrayed? Decide whom you want to reach through PPC Publishing. Analyze your product, or business services and realistically look at whom you are trying to reach? Then step into their shoes and ask how can I reach them?

Make a list of approximately 20 keywords you believe are relevant to your service or product. When you think about your business, what are the words that you would use to ideally describe what you want your business to be known as? Now, picture your ideal demographic. Are they old, young, male, female? Do they like sports, fine dining, or money? Do they have families? Are they single? For each of these categories write down additional keywords, then go over all of them and pick out your top ten, only ten.

Begin now to picture your ad, keep it clean, and simple, not plain, just simple, but always make it look professional. Make sure your entire brand is tied together. Choose a color scheme you believe properly represents your company, and may appeal to your customer. Do not underestimate the power of simplicity. Flash is sometimes just that, flash, and it can be unappealing.

Write your ad based upon those keywords. Draw people in by creating a unique look and voice through your words that your consumer will recognize as distinctly your own.

Are you really interested in driving massive traffic to your website? Here's the answer:

Secret Article Weapon - Download your free ebook now

Would you like to know more about the magical marketing techniques that have helped me to quit my day job? I have just completed my new ebook

Secrets To Make Money Online - Download your free ebook now

Mark Abrahams is a full time internet marketer who has helped others to earn a living online

Get Rich Using Google AdSense - Tips to Make Money Online With AdSense

By Bryan Burbank

If you want to make a lot of money and possibly get rich then you may want to try Google AdSense.  It allows you a way to build a website and put ads on your website to make money.  The Internet has been around now for about 12 years and it used to be very difficult if you have a website to get ads placed on it.  Now with a service like ad sense provided by Google it is very easy for you to make money with advertising.  The best part about it is you do not have to go and find the advertisers yourself because Google already has them.

What happens is you place a small piece of code on your website and the ads will display on your site and will match your content. The great thing about this is for instance if you have a website about horses and all of the ads on your site will be horse ads.  You will be able to make more money when the ads or related to the content that people are searching for.  Many people have made millions of dollars because they have websites that generate customers and they have used accents to generate income.  Make sure that you take advantage of this opportunity today.

Remember if you want to make a lot of money with your website one of the best ways to do that is use Google AdSense. More people are finding out that with placing ads on their websites they can generate a lot of income.  The advantage to doing this is that you will increase your revenue and also have a website that is more about you to sell.

Get Rich Using Google AdSense - Tips to Make Money Online With AdSense

By Bryan Burbank

If you want to make a lot of money and possibly get rich then you may want to try Google AdSense.  It allows you a way to build a website and put ads on your website to make money.  The Internet has been around now for about 12 years and it used to be very difficult if you have a website to get ads placed on it.  Now with a service like ad sense provided by Google it is very easy for you to make money with advertising.  The best part about it is you do not have to go and find the advertisers yourself because Google already has them.

What happens is you place a small piece of code on your website and the ads will display on your site and will match your content. The great thing about this is for instance if you have a website about horses and all of the ads on your site will be horse ads.  You will be able to make more money when the ads or related to the content that people are searching for.  Many people have made millions of dollars because they have websites that generate customers and they have used accents to generate income.  Make sure that you take advantage of this opportunity today.

Remember if you want to make a lot of money with your website one of the best ways to do that is use Google AdSense. More people are finding out that with placing ads on their websites they can generate a lot of income.  The advantage to doing this is that you will increase your revenue and also have a website that is more about you to sell.

Can I Really Make Money With AdSense?

By Shawn Lovett

With the job market the way it is, each of us is looking at every opportunity to provide additional income. Many of you have lost your job or fear losing it; some of you have just graduated and are looking for that first full-time employment opportunity. Still, others of you are looking for a summer job or some part-time work to earn extra cash.

If you search for opportunities to make money, sooner or later you will discover Google’s AdSense. There are many similar opportunities out there, but AdSense is one of the largest and best known. It is also very easy to configure and costs nothing to join. Once you start reading about AdSense you will see the Google ads on many of the web sites you frequent. More than likely you have also clicked on some of the more interesting of the ads and even purchased a product from one of the advertisers.

If you create a website or even several websites you will learn a few things. First, that when someone clicks on your ad you will actually make money! It might not seem like a lot at first, but if you can grow the number of visitors to your websites and your content draws new visitors, the amount of money you can make will grow. You will also learn that it takes a lot of hard work, patience, and persistence to produce and maintain excellent content that will keep both old and new guests coming back. You might get lucky with the right type of content and grow very quickly; most likely it will be a slow and at times painful process. If you make the commitment and put in the effort, you can expect much better results.

Here are some steps to get you started with making money with AdSense:

1. Read about it.

Visit Google.com/AdSense to create an account, learn about creating ads, and understanding the program. Also search for other articles about AdSense to learn more.

2. If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

Trust your instincts. You will likely find numerous websites that contain books, start-up kits, article generation software, and guaranteed methods to make money from AdSense. In most cases the website selling the product is making the money, not you. If you are still tempted than try some of them, but remember you have been warned.

3. Which sites do you enjoy most?

Think of the sites you like to visit. Are they usually the same ones, or do you like to surf to find new sites on whatever topic interests you at the moment? Create a site similar to the ones you most enjoy, and make sure it is a topic you will enjoy writing fresh content for your website.

4. Which sites have made money?

There are plenty of sites that say they have make millions with a kit they sell for $29,99. Believe them only if you want. For better information go to http://websiteoutlook.com and type in the name of any website. It will provide you with an estimate of the value of the website, based on the number of hits over time. You will find some websites worth hundreds or thousands of dollars, and several in the millions (Google and eBay come to mind). I have found this to be one of the best motivators, as you can see which sites are making money based on hits and which ones are not. You can also track your website from the time it doesn’t show up until its value slowly grows (or shrinks if you don’t put the time into it).

5. Start small

Start small with just AdSense, and expand your advertising as your site grows and you learn your own formula for success.

If you are going through some tough times it is a great way to focus your energy. Once you find your formula you can expand to multiple websites and increase the number of ads you host. The best part about it: you can work from home and the sky is the limit!

Can Anyone Make Money Using Google AdSense?

Amanda Isbitt

Website owners can use Google AdSense to advertise their site and make money. Anyone can make money-using AdSense by placing his or her product or service website advertisements there. When internet viewer clicks your link, you make money. It sounds simple enough. It is a straightforward economic model that can increase your earnings.

Anyone will find this beneficial when he or she follows the particular terms and conditions of using Google AdSense.

First, you must read, understand and agree to Google AdSense terms of service. This is the first step of joining the program and it offers a lot of potential for anyone. However, many individuals either seem to overlook the terms of service or forget the rules, which can cause problems. It is essential that you read, understand and then take proper advantage of the program as it is provided to you.

- Prohibited or Banned

If you are prohibited from using the site, you may never be able to restore your account. Google depends on the strength of their advertisers. They gather information about the advertising pages they feature and then use this information and then capitalize on the income that is generated by the campaigns that are placed on AdSense. They will teach you how to place your campaigns so that you can be successful.

- Website Contents

You will need to pay attention to the various issues concerning your website contents.

- Keywords

Google AdSense integrates various characteristics of advertisements, which are appropriate to the contents of your WebPages. If they are not able to determine the content topic of your page, you may end up with advertisements that do not relate to your topic at all or display various advertisements for public services that offer you no profits.

- Traffic Types

The type of traffic that you have will depend upon the content of your pages. You will need to generate a great deal of traffic on a daily basis in order to make money with AdSense. You can determine the amount of money that you make by clicking may be in cents rather than dollars if your traffic is small. You will begin to understand that more traffic means more money.

- Search Engine Traffic

Search engines look for your keywords, in order to make money you will need to use high quality keywords. This will make a big difference in the money you can make with AdSense. Search engine traffic is adaptable since an internet surfer will enter in the words that they are searching for and your site will show up on the ranks of the pages concerning the ranking on Google.

- Larger Websites

Understandably, larger websites tend to get more clicks on AdSense when you compare them with websites that feature only four or five pages. Therefore, it is imperative for you to choose the best keywords or keyword phrases that relate to your topic in order to compete with large websites by attracting new clients to your web pages. You need to find the best keywords to fit your website. Remember to maintain your website and keep the information you provide current and fresh, as this will also aid you in making money while using Google AdSense.

Cell phone, smartphone -- what's the difference? 3

A Sprint spokeswoman said the Rumor2 might seem to qualify as a smartphone but that Sprint has avoided using the term "just because there's not a good definition of smartphone" that is widely agreed upon.

An LG spokeswoman came up with a fairly specific reason why the Rumor2 is not a smartphone. In an e-mail, she wrote, "This particular device [the Rumor2] is not considered a smartphone. There is not a true definition of a smartphone, but it is generally accepted that a 'smartphone' is one that can sync more than one email account (Webmail, Gmail, etc.) onto your phone. This phone, while it does have Internet access, does not sync email onto the desktop."

Reith said LG's reasoning supports IDC's finding that the Rumor2 doesn't have a high-level OS in the sense that its OS does not allow applications to run entirely on the phone separate from the network. Sprint notes in its specifications sheet for the Rumor2 that access to Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes comes through Sprint's Mobile Email Work.

With the addition of software, Sprint could have changed that capability but chose not to, Reith noted.

In summary, just about everyone agrees that there is no precise, standard definition of the smartphone. Llamas said IDC's take has been criticized and praised alike from many parties.

Even though there are disparities in some definitions, analysts tend to report roughly the same numbers for shipments of smartphones, Reith said. Part of the reason is that analysts pay attention to one another's numbers and to what the vendors call a smartphone, Reith and Llamas said.

Reith said he couldn't think of a single device categorized by IDC as a smartphone to which Gartner or other major analyst firms wouldn't agree.

Still, the analysts acknowledged that the question of what a smartphone is can be confusing and even mysterious for the public. One analyst said that the CTIA's definition "probably needs to be updated," but Llamas said picking a proper definition can be a delicate matter.

"I'll respect others' definitions, and I'll stick with mine," Llamas said, laughing. "I'm being diplomatic."

Cell phone, smartphone -- what's the difference? 2

Top Stories

Related

• IBM said to be poring over Sun's contracts
• Review: Apple's 17-in. MacBook Pro a gamer's delight?
• Elgan: Did Lenovo invent Apple's netbook?
• IE8 launch bumps browser's market share by 30%
• Obama on Tonight Show urges students to study engineering, not finance
• Sun deal could make IBM unbeatable in Unix server market

• BlackBerry outpaces iPhone in first quarter in U.S., IDC says
• Elgan: Did Lenovo invent Apple's netbook?
• Trend Micro gives away mobile antivirus software
• CTIA: Cingular readies BlackBerry software on Nokia 9300
• Microsoft Ready to Go Mobile

Today's definition from IDC for a converged mobile device, which is IDC's equivalent to smartphone in IDC press releases on phone shipments, reads, "A subset of mobile phones, converged mobile devices feature a high-level operating system that enables the device to run third-party applications in addition to voice telephony. Examples of high-level operating systems include Android, BlackBerry, Linux, Mac OS X, Palm, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. Converged mobile devices share many features with traditional mobile phones, including personal information management, multimedia, games, and office applications, but the presence of a high-level operating system differentiates these devices from all others."

Llamas said the definition of "high-level OS" has three parts. "High level is the linchpin of the definition," Llamas said.

A high-level OS, as IDC defines it, means that the OS has to be able to run third-party applications, not just those written by the OS maker; the applications must be able to run on the phone independent of the wireless network; and the OS must be able to run multiple applications concurrently.

By comparison, Gartner Inc. uses a written definition for both entry-level and feature smartphones, with a similar mention of a more powerful OS as an important distinction. Gartner says an entry-level smartphone must run on an open operating system, while the feature smartphone adds support for one or more functions, such as music, video, gaming, pictures, Internet browsing, mobile TV, navigation and messaging. They usually have "larger displays, more powerful processors, more embedded memory and better battery capacity."

Gartner also says the feature smartphones can have a touch screen or a full Qwerty keyboard, but neither one of those is a requirement.

Both IDC and Gartner analysts agreed that the LG Rumor2 is not a smartphone.

Ken Dulaney, a Gartner analyst, said the Rumor2 is "probably not" a smartphone because it doesn't have a "market recognized" operating system or published APIs.

And Llamas said that while the LG Rumor's operating system is "a well-developed proprietary OS," it still isn't a "high-level" OS in IDC's parlance.

Ryan Reith, also an IDC analyst, said the Rumor2 isn't a smartphone because it doesn't support third-party applications. "There's no real opportunity to get to the core of that Rumor OS and allow consumers to use third-party applications of their choice," Reith said.

Reith noted that another defining characteristic of smartphones is that they are beginning to include an applications processor, a piece of hardware that allows the smartphone to run multiple applications at one time.

Even the device maker, LG Electronics, and the carrier, Sprint Nextel, aren't calling the Rumor2 a smartphone, but their reasons don't follow the same lines as the analysts.

Cell phone, smartphone -- what's the difference?

Even industry watchers say there's still confusion over the terms

By Matt Hamblen
What is a smartphone? The answer is not so simple, judging by the number of definitions available. In fact, it can be a bit of a mystery.

All the popular definitions rely on the fundamental understanding that a smartphone brings together a computer with a wireless voice device. Everyone agrees on that.

But there are many nuances that separate a smartphone from a standard wireless phone, which also can incorporate some kind of a computer with wireless voice capability.

Mobile industry analysts use these subtle distinctions to determine how to count smartphones separately from other wireless phones. For example, they are able to say that a wireless phone, such as the LG Rumor2, which goes on sale by Sprint Nextel Corp. on Sunday, is technically not a smartphone, although it provides access to e-mail, Internet browsing and a Qwerty keyboard.

The iPhone, just about any BlackBerry, and Nokia N or E series devices are considered smartphones, at least according to Gartner Inc. and IDC, the biggest market research firms monitoring wireless phone and smartphone shipments.

The CTIA, an industry association representing hundreds of wireless device makers and wireless carriers, uses a simple approach (possibly the simplest) in its glossary. It defines smartphones as "wireless phones with advanced data features and often keyboards." It adds, "What makes the phone 'smart' is its ability to manage and transmit data in addition to voice calls."

However, a CTIA spokeswoman said there is apparently no industrywide standard definition for a smartphone and that the CTIA's glossary definition is "general."

Four industry analysts interviewed for this story said the word smartphone is indeed a term of art, subject to the many changes that have been made in wireless handhelds since 2000, when Palm Inc. started adding voice capabilities to its personal digital assistants.

"Smartphone is one of those terms of art that gets bantered about so often," said Ramon Llamas, an IDC analyst.

IDC conducted a survey of consumers last summer and discovered many different interpretations. For some people, a smartphone has to be able to access the Internet wirelessly, while others think it has to handle text messaging or allow typing on a touch screen or actual keyboard, Llamas said.

"When you talk to the folks on Mainstreet U.S.A., it's a real can of worms," he said. "There is still a lot of confusion as to what counts as a smartphone."

IDC first coined the term converged mobile device in 2002 to avoid using the term smartphone, which Microsoft Corp. was using to describe enterprise-focused wireless handhelds, Llamas said. The definition IDC developed has gone through several updates since then, with a key change in 2006 that added the requirement that a converged mobile device include a "high-level operating system."

Millions expected to cut back cell phone costs in recession

Many have already stopped service due to recession fears, survey shows

By Matt Hamblen
A new survey says millions of Americans expect to cut back on their cell phone costs to save money if the recession continues as expected.

The New Millennium Research Council (NMRC), a Washington think tank, today released results of a survey of 2,005 Americans that was conducted March 5-9.

Thirty-nine percent of those customers with monthly contracts said they are likely to cut back. That percentage represents more than 60 million consumers who are expected to cut back on monthly service or extras such as texting, according to the Opinion Research Corp., a polling company that performed the survey for NMRC. The margin of error in the survey is plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Opinion Research, which conducts polls for CNN and other organizations, also found that many users have already cut back. "The change in thinking and purchases is clearly already taking place and has been for months," said Graham Hueber, senior researcher for Opinion Research, in a call with reporters.

Hueber said that 19% of those surveyed reported that they had discontinued cell phone service in the past six months because of job loss, fear of job loss, the recession or other related financial concerns. He said that percentage represents 35 million Americans.

The findings suggest that a "recession-related shift in attitudes and purchasing habits is already under way," Hueber said.

Allen Hepner, a scholar at the NMRC, said the survey also shows that consumers will move from monthly cell phone plans to prepaid plans as a result of the downturn. He described four prepaid plans that were far less costly than monthly plans, putting them more in the reach of lower-income Americans. "Consumers are looking for savings," he said.

Hepner would not say whether the NMRC receives funding from prepaid carriers, saying that the group's donors are kept anonymous. He did say that some of the donors are telecommunications companies. Many carriers offer both prepaid and monthly subscription plans.

Citing the cellular phone industry group CTIA, Hepner said that monthly phone service costs the average consumer $60 per month, while several prepay plans can bring the costs down to $20 per month or even $20 for three months, with a wide range of maximum minutes. Still, he acknowledged that "prepay is not for everyone" and urged consumers to "get the plan that's right for them."

Even though Hepner cited several reasons consumers might consider prepaid phone usage, he said the NMRC is not planning to use the survey data to support a political agenda or marketing campaign. "It's phenomenally neutral," Hepner said, "showing just how the American people feel today." He said that the NMRC will use this survey as the first in a series of annual surveys on cell phone usage.

"There always will be people who use statistics to buoy a position or use it to damage an opponent, but that's not the intent," Hepner said.

He noted that users who move to prepay plans are not getting rid of cell phones altogether. "The good news is there are options," Hepner said. However, he added, a new era of "penny-pinching is here."

Other data in the survey shows that of those who have discontinued cell phone service in the past six months, 28% live in households earning $35,000 or less. Of those likely to cut back if the economy gets worse, 44% are age 18-34, 54% live in households earning $35,000 annually or less, and 55% are African-American.

Overall, 80% of those surveyed still own a cell phone, while 84% of the 18-to-34-year-olds have at least one. Just 68% of those age 65 or older have a cell phone.

The survey found that 91% of households earning $100,000 or more have cell phones, while 65% of households earning $35,000 or less have them.

About 17% have a prepaid cell phone plan, while 84% have a contract-based cell phone. The overlap is due to individuals with both types of plan.

New IE8 still the slowest browser

Microsoft's final code comes in dead last in JavaScript benchmark tests

By Gregg Keizermay be talking up the performance boost it gave to its just-launched Internet Explorer 8, but the new browser remains the slowest of the top five on the market, benchmark tests show.

According to JavaScript rendering tests run by Computerworld, the final version of IE8 is only slightly faster than the browser's Release Candidate 1, which Microsoft delivered in January.

Computerworld ran the SunSpider benchmark tests in Windows XP three times for each browser, then averaged the scores.

Google Inc.'s Chrome led all browsers in the SunSpider tests, making it more than four times faster than IE8. Coming in second was Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox 3.0.7, followed by Apple Inc.'s Safari 3.2.2 for Windows and Opera Software's Opera 9.63.

Firefox proved to be 59% faster than IE8, while Safari was 47% faster. Opera, the slowest non-Microsoft production browser, was still 38% faster than IE8.

Microsoft, however, has continued to downplay benchmarks such as SunSpider, and instead has promoted page-load time trials that pit browsers against each other in rendering the Web's top 25 destinations. Last week, Microsoft claimed that IE8 loaded more sites faster than either Chrome or Firefox.

At the time, Microsoft's James Pratt, a senior program manager for IE, conceded that the differences were slight. But in an interview yesterday, Pratt called IE8 "highly competitive" with other browsers, and dubbed it "the fastest version of IE that we have ever released."

But he also acknowledged that speed is important to users. "We know that speed is critical to people who are using browsers today," Pratt said, "and we recognize that users have a choice when it comes to browser."

IE8 launch bumps browser's market share by 30%

Analyst takes Microsoft to task for low-key release

By Gregg Keizer
Microsoft Corp.'s Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) received a small bump in market share yesterday as the company launched the final version midday, according to Web measurement company Net Applications Inc.

IE8's market share averaged 1.63% for the day Thursday from noon Eastern time onward -- when Microsoft posted the new browser for download -- a 21% increase over March's daily average of 1.35% through Wednesday. Net Applications has posted hourly market share numbers for IE8 on its Web site.

The browser's share climbed again today, to an hourly average of 1.75% through 11:00 a.m. Eastern time, bringing IE8's total increase to 30% over the month's daily average.

Even with that kind of increase, Vince Vizzaccaro, Net Applications' executive vice president of marketing, was critical of Microsoft's low-key launch. "I was a little surprised that there wasn't any advanced warning," said Vizzaccaro, "and no marketing push from Microsoft about IE8. At the minimum, there should have been something for IE users that popped up and said 'there's an upgraded browser available ... download it.'"

IE8's market share climbed above the 1% mark for the first time last month, when it accounted for 1.2% of all browsers used. That boost had been fueled by the last January launch of the browser's release candidate.

By comparison, Google Inc.'s Chrome, which debuted last September, had a 1.15% market share during February, while Mozilla Corp.'s Firefox -- IE's biggest rival -- owned 21.77% of the business.

"Chrome got off to a fast start," said Vizzaccaro, "but it really hasn't moved much since then. And they had a low-key approach when they launched it, too. On the other hand, Mozilla made lots of noise about Firefox 3.0, with a special download day, and they got millions to download it.

"Microsoft is doing the same thing that they've done with browsers in the past, but that didn't work for Chrome," Vizzaccaro said. "If I were Microsoft, I would do something more on the Mozilla model. I'd be a lot more optimistic [about IE8's chances] if there was a large public announcement that it was available."

Microsoft released the final edition of IE8 for Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 and Server 2008 Thursday, upgrading the browser for first time in two and a half years.

Overall, Internet Explorer controls 67.5% of the browser market, according to Net Applications' numbers, which are collected from the systems that surf to some 40,000 sites that the company tracks for clients. Almost three out of every four IE users run 2006's IE7, while nearly all of the remainder run the even older IE6.

Currently, IE8 is available only as a manual download from Microsoft's main download center and the IE8 page. The company will begin automatically installing the new browser on machines now running IE6 or IE7 at some unspecified future date, at which point its market share will undoubtedly climb.

Facebook puts privacy controls in hands of its users

Facebook is giving its users greater control so they can specify just how private they want their profiles, updates, photos and videos to be. Want to keep your latest endeavor between you and your network of Facebook friends? Done. Want to open your pages up to public viewing? Well, now you can do that, too.

"One of the top priorities at Facebook is offering privacy controls that let you choose exactly what you share with whom," said Mark Slee, an engineer at Facebook, in a blog post Monday afternoon. "Starting today, you can choose to make your profile and any of your content available to everyone on Facebook. None of your existing privacy settings have changed. This is an additional setting for those of you who wish to share with a broader audience."

Yesterday's change comes on the heels of several recent changes to the Facebook social network.

For example, Facebook fired a shot across Twitter's bow earlier this month with the announcement that its public profiles have been updated to allow users to share personal information with an unlimited number of friends. And the new Facebook setup also will enable businesses, organizations or even celebrities to blast out information to customers, members or fans.

The site recently showed off a controversial redesign that has upset many users. "Please bring back the old Facebook," wrote one user responding to Slee's blog. Yesterday's announcement drew more negative than positive comments from users responding to the blog post.

With this latest change, users now can go to their privacy page and change the setting to "Everyone" if they want to open their content up to the public.

"I think this is a good thing," said Dan Olds, principal analyst at Gabriel Consulting Group Inc. "It gives people on Facebook much more granular control over what they show or don't show the public. Giving customers more control over how they use your product is almost universally a good thing. It helps people get more use out of it. There are some people who will make many more connections because of these new features."

This doesn't mean it will be easier for people to Google your content, but it does mean that it will be easier for other Facebook users to find you and the photos of your new house or your dog's birthday party.

By opening up your privacy settings, Slee explained, people who see one of your posts or who find you through a search on Facebook will now be able to see any part of the profile opened by the user for public viewing. "While some special rules remain in place about who can see your profile if you are a minor, people generally won't need to be friends with you or share a common network in order to view your content if you choose the new "Everyone" setting," he wrote.

Users of Sony e-readers gain free access to classics via Google

Deal boosts digital titles at Sony eBook Store to 600k

Sony Electronics Inc. said users of its two e-book readers can now access more than 500,000 free public domain classic books from Google Inc. through the Sony eBook Store.

The announcement yesterday boosts the available titles at Sony's eBook Store to more than 600,000 titles. Amazon.com Inc.'s Kindle library, in comparison, has more than 250,000 titles.

The books from Google can be transferred to Sony's PRS-505 and PRS-700 readers by clicking on a button on the front page at Sony's eBook Store. Those new to the store need to set up an account and then download Sony's free eBook Library software.

Terms of the deal with Google were not announced. Adam Smith, Google's product management director, said in a statement that the Google Book Search was founded "on the premise that anyone, anywhere, anytime should have the tools to the explore the great works of history and culture. ... We believe in an open platform for accessing and reading books, and we're excited to partner with Sony to bring these public domain books to more people."

Steve Haber, president of the digital reading division at Sony Electronics, said Sony is committed to offering an open e-book platform that makes it "easy to find as much content as possible -- from our store or others -- whether that content is purchased, borrowed or free."

Free books from Google include titles by Mark Twain and Jane Austen, with many books in French, German, Italian, Spanish and other languages.

The PRS-505 from Sony sells for about $300 and, as of yesterday, the PRS-700 was available for about $350.

Opinion: Is the Internet killing the news media?

Newspapers are having a tough time adapting to a digital world

By Scott Bradner
he latest Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism report on the state of the U.S. news media makes for sobering reading if you're a student thinking of pursuing a career in journalism or if you're already in the business. The bottom line is that the business is toast unless you're on the Internet side -- and even there, it's toast.

The report's first few sentences tell most of the story:

• Newspaper ad revenues are down more than 20% in the past two years.
• Twenty percent of the journalists who worked in newspapers have lost their jobs in that time period.
• Ad revenues were down last year in local TV news more than 5% (even in an election year).
• The traffic at the top news sites went up more than 25% last year.
• The ad-based model for funding journalism is unlikely to work in the future.

It's not a pleasant picture if you're in the journalism biz. And it's not a pleasant picture if you like to read newspapers -- one of the two newspapers that I get delivered to my house is on the list of the 10 papers most likely to fold in the next few years.

The report makes for very interesting, if a bit depressing, reading. There are a number of observations that portend a fundamental restructuring of the way people get their news. The three most important observations are that power is shifting from institutions (like newspapers) to individual journalists; people increasingly want news "on demand" rather than scheduled, like the evening news; and there has been a rise in importance of "minute-by-minute judgment in political journalism." Those trends greatly benefit the Internet and Internet-based journalists. The latter two trends also benefit the full-time cable news channels, but only when the cable is available. And, in the office, cable is not generally available.

So far, most newspapers have had a hard time figuring out how to move to the Internet. Overall, the report says, online ad revenue for newspapers fell slightly in 2008 and represents less than 10% of newspaper revenue. Search engines, such as Google, are doing fine -- they are getting much of the growth in ad revenue (up almost 15% in the first three quarters of 2008). Local sites, like newspaper Web sites, are seeing a bleak outlook.

The report also notes it's unlikely that the news business of the future will be able to support the current worldwide news-gathering with revenue from banner ads.

My overall take from the report is that the news business -- like the music and movie businesses -- will need to completely rethink its business model. Newspapers that try to block search engines to preserve obsolete models, as the ones in Belgium did a few years back, will just ensure that they will have fewer readers and go out of business sooner.

In any case, there may just be a lot fewer dots on the Newseum map by this time next year, when the next edition in the excellent series of Pew reports comes out.

Disclaimer: With all the financial issues, it's hard to predict how many dots there will be on Harvard's map a year from now, but the above is my report review, since I know of no university one.

Bradner is Harvard University's technology security officer. Reach him at sob@sobco.com.

Chrome only browser left standing after day one of Pwn2Own

Browser vendors often make strong claims about their responsiveness to vulnerability reports and their ability to preemptively prevent exploits. Security is becoming one of the most significant fronts in the new round of browser wars, but it's also arguably one of the hardest aspects of software to measure or quantify.

A recent contest at CanSecWest, an event that brings together some of the most skilled experts in the security community, has demonstrated that the three most popular browser are susceptible to security bugs despite the vigilance and engineering prowess of their creators. Firefox, Safari, and Internet Explorer were all exploited during the Pwn2Own competition that took place at the conference. Google's Chrome browser, however, was the only one left standing—a victory that security researchers attribute to its innovative sandbox feature.

The contest awards security researchers with hardware and cash prizes for finding efficient ways to trick browsers into executing arbitrary code. During the first day of the competition, the contestants are required to do this in default browser installations without plugins such as Flash or Java, which are commonly used as vectors for attacks. Researchers typically prepare for the event far in advance by finding zero-day exploits ahead of time.

Early this month, prior champion Charlie Miller told reporters that he would be attempting to exploit a Safari vulnerability on Mac OS X. Safari, he said, would be the first to succumb to the contestants. As he promised, Safari went down first: he was able to execute his prepared hack in only a matter of seconds. Another security expert known only as Nils took longer, but was able to successfully exploit all three of the most popular browsers.

These contests contribute to the growing culture of commercialism that surrounds the art of exploitation. In an interview with ZDNet, Miller said that the vulnerability he used in the contest was one that he had originally found while preparing for the contest last year. Instead of disclosing it at that time, he decided to save it for the contest this year, because the contest only pays for one bug per year. This is part of his new philosophy, he says, which is that bugs shouldn't be disclosed to vendors for free.

"I never give up free bugs. I have a new campaign. It's called NO MORE FREE BUGS. Vulnerabilities have a market value so it makes no sense to work hard to find a bug, write an exploit and then give it away," Miller told ZDNet. "Apple pays people to do the same job so we know there's value to this work."

Miller also told reporters that he targeted Safari on Mac OS X because he believes that it is the easiest to exploit. Windows, on the other hand, he claims is tougher because of its address randomization feature and other security measures. As for Chrome, he says that he has identified a security bug in Google's browser but has been unable to exploit it because the browser's sandboxing feature and the operating system's security measures together pose a formidable challenge.

The game isn't over yet. During the second day of the event, the focus will turn towards Chrome. Nils, who demonstrated impressive skill during the first day by conquering the three most popular browsers, might have a few more tricks up his sleeve. According to the official rules, the participants will be permitted to use plugins during the second day.

Internet Explorer 8 released

The final build of Internet Explorer 8 has been released in 25 languages. You can also grab the download directly from these links: Windows XP 32-bit (16.1 MB), Windows XP 64-bit (32.3 MB), Windows Server 2003 32-bit (16.0 MB), Windows Server 2003 64-bit (32.3 MB), Windows Vista 32-bit (13.2 MB), Windows Vista 64-bit (24.3 MB), Windows Server 2008 32-bit (13.2 MB), and Windows Server 2008 64-bit (24.3 MB). The final build number is 8.0.6001.18702.

The public Windows 7 beta is not being updated, and although Microsoft released an update for IE8 for Windows 7 in February, the next update is not likely to arrive until the Windows 7 Release Candidate next month. For everyone else, in the coming weeks Microsoft will put IE8 out as an optional download on Windows Update and then later roll it out to users via Automatic Updates. A quick note to all the IT administrators out there reading this post: the IE8 blocker toolkit is already available, so make sure you get acquainted with it if you're planning on avoiding IE8 when it's released via Microsoft's update channels.