Some of you might have heard that John Chow was blacklisted by Google. John ranked as one of the top results when it comes to keywords like ‘make money online’, but even though he got blacklisted long time ago, he still did not get ranked high for phrases like ‘make money online’. Additionally, he still does not appear on the first 3-4 pages after you type ‘John Chow’ in Google. Google was for a long time redirecting anyone typing ‘John Chow’ in their search engine to pages that explain why he got punished. Google claims that John got punished for his questionable link building tactics that the company obviously dislikes. It seems that not ignoring Google’s requirements and preferences might be a good idea. My advice is that your website does not contain anything controversial that Google might dislike. As you see from the above example, it is better not to mess with Google.
There is a new Massive Multiplayer Online Game which hopefully will arrive soon that promises the possibility of exploring Mars. It will also include fashion shops. It will be a game similar to Second Life where emphasis is put on social interactions, instead of fast paced action. Fast paced action games seem to be the trend, so we will just have to wait to see if this game will achieve success. Games which focus on social interactions are addicting if a person is able to find interesting people in such games, but there is also a danger if there are no people with similar interests in a game, then the game will become boring very soon.
LCD TVs were introduced long time ago, but it takes time for some inventions to get really popular. In the beginning of 2006 LCD TV shipments amounted to less then 20%, right now they amount to around 60%. The transition is not unexpected, as it not only made the TVs lighter and easier to move around, but the LCD technology also supports different sizes of TVs. You can have an LCD TV which is smaller than 20 inches, and at the same time also offer very large screens for those really demanding. Personally, I do not have any CTR equipment in my home anymore, as I believe that LCDs are superior. LCD TV shipments are further expected to grow this year.
Japan is a very interesting market when it comes to technology, as it is definitely one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world. That is why observing various trends is not only interesting, but may prove to be beneficial for many reasons. Recent data suggests that the Blu-ray DVD sales are growing rapidly in Japan, which is probably due to HD-DVD discs that lost the format war last year. Not only that the sales are growing, but the prediction is that the sales will continue to grow for a long time, as the Blu-ray DVD technology doesn�t really have a competitor.
One of the reasons for that may be that around half a year ago one of the biggest backers of HD DVD format, namely Universal Studios, has decided to release all their new videos on the victorious Blu-ray technology. Universal Studios are releasing dozens of titles, all of them are being released on the Blu-ray DVDs. Some called this the final nail in the coffin for HD DVD. Generally speaking, I am certain that having only one format is benefiting customers, as they don’t have to obtain equipment which would have the capability to playback both formats. This in turn means more money left in the pocket of an average consumer.
Doing backup is something which many novice computer users forget to do, but later regret it. Doing regular backups is important and guarantees that you won�t lose any files on which you worked so hard. External hard drives are a perfect solution for this purpose, as you can backup data from many computers by using just one external hard drive connected to the USB port. I have an external hard drive myself which I use for backup purposes, and this way I can be sure that whatever happens to my PC I am protected. The reason why an external drive is a better choice than connecting an additional disk to your computer is that it is cheaper, because external hard drives will not use as much power since they won’t be connected at all times. Additionally, even if someone steals your computer, you will still have all of the important data stored on your external hard drive. You will also be protected in case of any power surge which could potentially damage all of the computer components connected to the motherboard.
Some time ago Google launched a space race to the moon with a $20 million prize. The requirements are that it should be a private team with as little government involved as possible. The catch is that the mission has to be a success before December 31, 2012 and the rover which would be launched has to travel 500 meters and send pictures and videos back to earth. The prize goes away after 2014, which is supposed to motivate the contestants to do it as fast as possible. I am sure that this competition will attract the brightest minds in the fields of robotics and engineering, and possibly even many amateurs hoping to make history. Currently, there are sixteen teams competing for the prize, as other two participants have withdrawn.
Many monitors that we buy these days are not positioned high enough to make us sit straight while looking at them. The thing that I found to be very useful to keep my back straight was to put something under a monitor like, for example, a few books. Today, I am very comfortable when sitting in front of my computer. I no longer have to lean on my desk to be able to view properly what is going on on my screen, and my back is not aching anymore. I think that it is very important in what position you sit in front of your computer, especially if you sit many hours per day. If you are still young, you might not feel any pain, but when you get older you might. It is better to take care of those things right now rather than later in life.
I was thinking recently what a challenging job it is to be a teacher how teaches computer science. With the technology progressing so fast and students getting smarter and more knowledgeable day after day, it is becoming more and more difficult for a person to keep pace with all the changes taking place. The thing also is that teachers are older than their students. This creates a challenge in which an older person has to compete with those who are younger, have more energy to learn and are generally more excited about computers. Generally computer teachers did not grow up spending all their time in front of a computer so it is not natural for them to know how everything works. In fact, I have rarely met a computer science teacher who was more than 40 years old. They are very rare.
Second Life developed by Linden Lab is another online computer game which gives an opportunity to earn real money. Actually, it is a whole virtual world, where players who are called residents, can explore, meet other residents, socialize, participate in individual and group activities. They can also create and trade items, virtual property and services with each other. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Second Life is that the players, not Linden Lab, create most of the content of the world. There is a 3D modeling tool in Second Life that allows any resident with the right skills to build virtual buildings, landscape, vehicles, furniture, and machines to use, trade, or sell. This is a primary source of activity in the economy. It is not an action or role-playing game – there are no levels, no clear winners or losers. This game has a lot of features, like transportation via vehicles, such as go-karts or even helicopters, submarines and hot-air balloons.
It seems that these days entertainment is being sold everywhere. For example, last year HBO announced that it will be selling shows on Apple�s iTunes, and that the price is estimated to be at $1.99 per episode for most shows. Having said that, some shows are expected to cost more than $2 and this includes some new releases. This means a change in the overall strategy of Apple, as until now they insisted on selling shows at the same price, for the sake of simplicity for consumers. In my opinion it is a good decision, as I see no problem for consumers to spot the differences in prices, and this will make some older shows cheaper as well.