Featuring marketing tips, tech news, digital wonders, some personal things and everything in between . . .
Monday July 13, 2009
Soup or Salad? That is the question, but wait! How has Google been asked that question over the last 7 days, month, year? Was it on the Web? A News item? An Image or New Product and how do you find out?
You find out by using the Google Insights for Search beta*
Soup or Salad?
From 2004 to present it looks like soup gets the most searches in the winter, and salad gets the most searches in the summer, with soup winning the search battle over all.
Next week, boxers or briefs?
Is Bing a decision engine, a surname, a candy bar, a slag heap? Over the past couple of months I have been reading a lot about Microsoft’s new search engine BING.com. We are all familiar with Microsoft, right? We know about Live Search, Windows Live Search, and MSN Search. And now we have Microsoft’s latest reincarnation, BING, and more importantly BING is being referred to as a decision engine as opposed to a search engine. I suppose MS is for all intents and purposes now a matchmaker! Not only is MS finding you mates to choose from they are determined to help you make the decision.
My final thought today has to do with the choice of the name “BING”. I will say that writing this blog always gives me an opportunity to learn new things and today is no exception. Why “BING”? I understand that originally Microsoft was going to call their new search (decision) engine KUMO. They actually registered both trademarks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. KUMO is a Japanese word that means spider or cloud. Hmmmm, well I guess we can all get the “spider” connection to the world wide web and in the IT world “cloud” is a metaphor for the internet, so I guess it could have cleverly worked. So I come back to question: why “BING”? I am going to assume, although I know that can be a mistake, that someone at Microsoft looked up the meaning(s) of the word “BING”.
BING Toy Company founded in 1863, famous for the manufacturing of toy trains
Bing is apparently a fairly common surname, and let’s not forget Chandler Bing of Friends
BING Candy Bar, made in Iowa
BING cherries, all with pits
Bing is another name for a slag heap which is a collection of the tailings or by-products of mining (DATA Mining comes to mind?)
Bing is the name of a soft drink produced in England
Bing is the name of Chinese flat bread
Bing is also a phrase used by prison inmates to describe solitary confinement
Ok, maybe they didn’t do a lot of name research, maybe they just liked the sound of “BING”. Maybe they like saying “Bing and Decide“. Whatever….I invite you to go to their Discover Bing informational site and learn all about it.
Webconsuls will continue to study BING and keep you informed. Let me know what you think.
On April 24, 2009, Darin McClure sent me a link to an article about YELP. The title of the article was “Yelp Allows Business Owners to Talk Back On Site”. I read the article that day and I really thought it should be a subject for a blog post, but until today I have not had time to talk about it here. The more research I did about YELP, the more I realized I didn’t know or understand a lot about this particular social networking site. Is your business listed on YELP?
I would like your input. Maybe you can answer some of my questions:
Regarding #4: If I go to YELP and search for Mexican Restaurant in the specific zip code of 85705, then how can there be 160 results with the first result listed located in the zip code 85719? There is no rhyme or reason to the listings, they are not in alphabetical order, review frequency order, etc. Or am I missing something?
Now if I do the same search on Google Maps there are many more results, but they are listed in zip code relevancy order. In other words, Google lists first those restaurants actually located in 85705. Makes sense to me.
I hope that someone out there in YELP land can explain this phenomena to me.
Today in Google’s Top Trending Topics there was a lot of mention of Proposition 8, California Supreme Court, prop 8 decision, and other versions of the search involving the California Supreme Court’s decision on Proposition 8, a change made to the California State Constitution last year banning the marriage of same-sex couples. A hot topic no doubt.
When visiting Google’s Trending Topics the list of the top 100 search queries is displayed. By clicking the topic of your choice you are able to drill down to more information on that trending topic.
In our search for RECENT and RELEVANT topics on which to blog it just doesn’t get more recent or relevant. The list of “Related searches” is a great reference for additional keywords to search on. Be sure to scroll down to pursue the News articles, Blog posts, and other related web results.
Google has released a change that could have a major effect on how people search and what web pages they eventually visit.
The new feature is call Google Search Options. It gives searchers the opportunity to easily find videos, forums, or reviews about the topic they were searching. In addition there is something called the “Wonder Wheel” that a searcher can use to find additional related keywords and sites.
Rather than try and explain it, go to www.google.com and do a search on a product or service that interests you. Then click on the link towards the top and below the word Google that says “Show Options.” Now try the links on left to videos, forums, reviws, go towards the bottom and click on Wonder Wheel. Try it out.
While it is a little soon to know the effect of the search options it would seem that video, forum, and reviews will take on added importance as will optimizing for the “long tail.”
Above watch this short view video from Google. The most important thing is to try it yourself.
How will you be searching tomorrow?
Yesterday was Mothers Day and across American men were waking up and Googling,
“How to make French Toast”
I had more hope for them than I did for the guys who were searching for the next related phrase,
“How to scramble an egg”
Kinda waiting for the last minute on that one eh guys?
How do I know what people are Googling? With yet another cool tool from Google Labs.
Google Zeitgeist and the hourly Google Trends Top 100
What is Google Zeitgeist?
zeit·geist | Pronunciation: ‘tsIt-“gIst, ‘zIt | Function: noun | Etymology: German, from Zeit (time) + Geist (spirit) | Date: 1884 | Meaning: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.
“Zeitgeist” means “the spirit of the times”, and Google reveals this spirit to us through the aggregation of millions of search queries they receive every day. Google has several tools that give insight into global, regional, past and present search trends. These tools are available for us to play with, explore, and learn from. We use them for everything from blogging ideas to trivial pursuit answers.
I hope you enjoy exploring the spirit of our time.
Tune in next Monday when I show you how to discover what people are twittering about in real time!
I am sitting at my desk right now. It is Saturday 6:51AM and the view from my Tucson home office is pretty spectacular. The doves are nesting in the porch eves, the hummingbirds are fluttering around the blooming ocotillo and the prickly pear are preparing to bloom. As a write, a little bunny just walked up on to the porch enjoying the early morning weather. This week the Tucson desert around our home has been particularly beautiful and I thought I would tell you about three ways to enjoy the living desert.
I don’t want any of you to worry that my hints are going to cause you to do anything too strenuous. In fact you don’t even have to physically be in the desert to enjoy the living desert. And remember, this is Judy writing today. I gave up hiking, backpacking, camping, and bicycling a long time ago. So here we go…
1. Rent or buy a copy of Walt Disney’s The Living Desert. This film was released in November 1953! Yes, I know that is over 55 years ago, but it won the academy award in 1954 for best documentary and if you have never seen it, then you are in for a surprise. There was a time that I offered a You Tube video clip from the movie that deals with the cute ground squirrels; however, as is often the case the video has been disabled. Here you can visit a Walt Disney site and view the limited trailer. My parents took my sisters and me to see this movie in 1954 and I have never forgotten the beauty of the blooming cactus.
2. If you live in a desert environment, particularly around Tucson, AZ, then just take a walk in your neighborhood. It is spring time in the desert and for the next few months the cactus will take turns producing beautiful flowers and fruit. Just yesterday I was retrieving my neighbor’s mail and I had to stand back and wonder at the simple beauty of the living desert. And if you really think that a desert tortoise is just to be seen in the movies, here is a photo that Dan took last summer in Gates Pass a few miles from our home in Tucson..
3. For those of you who can not rent or buy the Living Desert and do not live in the desert, I invite you to watch my slide show of a RED TORCH CACTUS. This cactus is located outside my bedroom and Daniel decided to chronicle the blooming process. These photos were taken over the course of 24 hours. And you should know the flowers really are only in full bloom for one day! (I created this slide show using Googles’ Picasa Web Albums.)
So I will sign off for the day, more living desert for me to see, sans snakes!
P.S. If for some reason my slide show is really not of a Red Torch Cactus, I hope one of my readers will correct me.
Major changes affecting SEO have taken place OVERNIGHT in Google’s ever changing, ever improving algorithm. Straight from Google:
We are constantly looking for ways to get you to the web page you want as quickly as possible. Even if you don’t notice all of our changes, rest assured we’re hard at work making sure you have the highest quality search experience possible.
Semantic Technology vs Information Technology
Starting today, we’re deploying a new technology that can better understand associations and concepts related to your search, and one of its first applications lets us offer you even more useful related searches (the terms found at the bottom, and sometimes at the top, of the search results page).
Labels are the answer to Gmail’s folder conundrum. Enabling the following lab functions in Gmail further expands the power of the label.
There are items on the Gmail POWER USER list of Gmail lab functions which I enabled in my own account to help manange email using labels. While the some of these items are self explanatory there are others that didn’t jump out at me as something I needed. Here are two that can become great tools to managing your email if you choose to use them.
These features enabled in Gmail can be applied to various organizational systems.
One of the things I have wanted to do with my iPhone was to be able to view archived google talk chats via the device. If you are using imap, go to “Labels” under your Gmail settings you will see “Chats” but no way to select “Show in IMAP” Here is my “almost” workaround.
Once you have logged into your gmail account, click “Create a filter” (next to the search mail button) in the subject field place “Chat with” and click the “Next Step” button, check “Apply the label” and make a new label named “iChat” check “Also apply filter to X number of Conversations below.” and click “Create Filter”
Then go to “Settings”, “Labs” and make sure that you have “Advanced IMAP Controls” enabled for your account, and that you have chats set to archive. Look under “Settings” “Chat” and select “Save chat history”
Now go back to “Settings”, “Labels” and check that your new “iChat” label is set to “Show in IMAP”
On your iPhone you should now see your iChats folder when you open the email app and your chats,
Check it out and tell me if it works for you, as I am only seeing some of my chats.
It is important to keep your web site current and up to date. Telephone numbers, employee names, addresses and other details change and need to be replaced with the current information. Searching your site first for all the edits to be made can save you considerable back and forth time with your Webmaster.
In Google’s search box:
For example, if I were searching www.webconsuls.com for “Darin” …
Returned will be a list of all the instances where that term appears.
If you click the link labeled “Cached” the cached page will come up with your terms highlighted for easy spotting.
Send your list of changes in a Word document to your webmaster.
After the changes are made remember to refresh your page to see the changes. This is especially helpful with larger sites with lots of text and those with blog entries.
Google launched their G1 phone last year with the Android OS. Now you can get the Android OS on you Windows Mobile device without having to switch phones. XDA Developers, an online community that promotes tweaks and upgrades for your Windows Mobile device.
This isn’t a hack of any sort. Its simply a Linux image running on Windows allowing you to launch Android. Best part is, unlike a ROM update from XDA Forums which replaces your Windows Mobile OS, you do not need to flash your device to run Google Android. A simple soft reset of your device (re-boot) will launch the Linux application.
Have you tried running Android on you Windows Mobile yet?
Learn how you can run Android on your Kaiser (ATT Tilt/8925)
Let’s look at some of the opportunity costs of NOT having a website.
How will people find you? Yellow Pages?
You may want to rethink. The other day as I walked up to our door I passed my neighbor’s doorstep and noticed the Yellow Pages had arrived. There was a copy on our front doormat as well. Upstairs there was a third copy.
I set mine inside.
The next day I noticed the Yellow Pages were still out on everyone’s doorstep. After about a week and some rain I took it upon myself to remove the Yellow Pages and put them in the recycle bin.
What has happened? The Yellow Pages was once the first place a search for a service or product began.
Blog comments to a post on the “LISNews Librarian And Information Science News” also reflect this change in consumer behavior.
By not having a website a good portion of consumers will not find you listed when they search for products and services.
Today was the 15th release by Google and within 100 days of its initial launch. Google announced this morning the first release of Google Chrome without the beta label attached to it.
We’ve been talking about Google Chrome since September and most of you already know what an amazingly fast browser it is. With the first release without the beta label, Google has improved the stability and performance of plug-ins (video performance in specific) which had issues in the beta version. When doing a benchmark test on V8 JavaScript engine, it runs 1.5 times faster on V8 benchmark. Google claims this will get even faster.
Google Chrome’s bookmark feature is now even friendlier. Some users had problems in the beta release which have now been resolved. Now you can organize your bookmarks and import/export from different browsers.
Most users that use Mozilla Firefox also utilize the plug-ins feature. Hopefully in the next few days, Google will come out with extensions to integrate with Google Chrome.
What are your thoughts? Which browser would you say has the most potential?
How does Google know?
Google is always adding and developing the services it offers for free. Sometimes I joke they are reading my emails. One day I may mention, “Gee, I would like folders for that …” and a couple weeks later, or a couple days in some cases my feature appears. Call it selective attention, hundredth monkey effect or just the natural development of software.
As I made my transition from using Outlook to only Gmail and Gmail for your domain I bemoaned the loss of adding a task and attaching the referenced email. Loved that. Needed that.
The latest addition to Google Labs is Tasks. Now located below your “Contacts” link on the left margin. This from Google:
We put your tasks in the same kind of window as chats, so they’re visible while you’re scanning your inbox, reading mail, or searching (and in Settings, too!). Just pop your list out into a new window to use Tasks outside of Gmail.
To enable Tasks, go to Settings, click the Labs tab (or just click here if you’re signed in). Select “Enable” next to “Tasks” and then click “Save Changes” at the bottom. Then, after Gmail refreshes, on the left under the “Contacts” link, you’ll see a “Tasks” link. Just click it to get started.
Tasks will allow you to create a ‘to do’ list right within Gmail.
Tasks can be generated straight from an email.
Tasks can be prioritized.
Tasks allows you to break down a project into manageable steps.
The Task window can pop-out and become a whole new window.
So while Google is possibly listening (and when aren’t they) here is my wish list for Tasks:
1. An iPhone application to see and use my Tasks list on the go
2. Ability to combine Tasks lists from other gmail accounts into one master list
3. Add due dates for Tasks to Google Calendar
What do you want Tasks to do next?
Google Friend Connect allows more visitors to engage in your website. Best part is, it doesn’t require any programming. The user can join your website using their existing Google, Yahoo, AIM, or OpenID and they can invite friends to join your site as well.
So what can a user do once they join your website through Google Friend Connect?
First, you can add the member gadget which displays member display pictures and allows them to spread the link to join your website.
The Wall gadget which works similarly to Facebook’s wall application or a blog post where users can post comments or links to videos on your site.
Another great feature is the Review/Rate gadget which is self explanitory. Allows users to rate the page or a section of a page and post a comment on the rating and get user feedback.
Once you have placed the gadgets on your site, you can then login to Google Friend Connect and view stats on how many members have joined over time. This is a completely new service offered by Google and more gadgets are being developed.
Sign up now and spread the word. Google Friend Connect.
We got our FREE Ubuntu 8.10 disks in the mail!
Ubuntu is an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others’ and is also a free operating system that you can use to breath new life into an old computer, host your enterprise or just get your feet wet in the land of *nix. Click here to order your free Ubuntu CD now.
This version of Ubuntu 8.10 is code named Intrepid Ibex. Do not be afraid to try it. Take the Ubuntu CD you get in the mail and boot your computer from it for a test drive!
Got Ubuntu? Everything you need comes on one CD, providing a complete working environment. Additional software is available online directly thru a pull down menu.
Above, Check out this old interview with Mark Shuttleworth, founder of the Ubuntu Foundation.
Ubuntu, an African word meaning ‘Humanity to others’, or ‘I am what I am because of who we all are’. The Ubuntu distribution brings this spirit of Ubuntu to the software world. Give it a try, Let us know what you think.
The other day I signed into my Gmail account and noticed a new link at the top of the page. The link says: “New! Video chat.” Usually I learn about new Gmail tools from Webconsuls’ technical director, Darin McClure. What crossed my mind is why hasn’t Darin sent me or us an email extolling the virtues of this new tool. Not like Darin to not jump on a Gmail bandwagon. Hmmm! I even reviewed the Webconsuls’ blog to make sure I hadn’t missed a blog about this new tool. Couldn’t find anything.
I ignored the bold red font, “New! Video chat” for a few days, but yesterday I was a little curious. So, I clicked on the link. This is what I learned:
* Voice and video in Gmail only works with the newer version of Gmail in supported browsers: FF 2.0+, IE 6.0+, Safari 3.0+, and Google Chrome.
* Download the Gmail voice and video chat plug-in, quit all open browser windows, and install the plug-in.
* Sign in to Gmail.
* In the Chat section of your Gmail, select the contact you want to call. If they have a camera icon next to their name, you can make a voice or video call to them; just click Video & more.
Now the first thing to remember is that you need to have a web-cam. If you don’t have a web-cam, then Google has made it easy for you to purchase one. According to their site: “We tried to make buying a web-cam easier by working with Logitech and Buy.com to offer high quality cameras at up to 30% off with free shipping until November 30th, 2008.” The prices quoted range from $39.99 to $89.99. But, not to worry, I already have a web-cam, so I was good to go.
My browsers met the requirements, I downloaded the Gmail voice and video chat plug-in, I quit all open browsers, and I installed the plug-in! I signed in to my Gmail account and lo and behold, there I was in a little window…Judy at work! Great, right? Here is what I noticed:
1. My Web-cam sits right on top of my monitor, so I could see myself very clearly, but I could also see my co-worker, Dennis, at work at his computer desk. You see when we are both working my back is to him, a kind of “what I don’t see won’t hurt me” position. But now I could clearly see him working away.
2. I could also see the little camera icon next to my name in the “Chat” box on my Gmail page, but interestingly enough the only associate with a camera icon next to their name was Malik. I could see that Malik was on-line so I tried to connect with him with video chat. Well, he could chat, but what I discovered is that he was experiencing problems with Video Chat. To quote Malik: “crashes my browser every time though”. Not good and I read on-line that other users were experiencing this problem. Bugs!!
You need to be aware that this new tool is being rolled out by Google, which means not everyone has access to the new tool at the same time. Don’t assume that because you have access that all of your friends can access it, just yet.
Here is my first take on this tool: Fun tool. Free tool, unless you need to buy a web-cam. I don’t really know if it will take the place of Skype, as Google video chat does not allow you to connect to landlines, but it is one more tool for the tool box. Whether it will be the sharpest tool in the box remains to be seen. Also, I noticed that once you have downloaded this new tool, there does not seem to be a way to just “turn it off” should you not want to be contacted via video chat. This is a little disconcerting, but maybe I just haven’t played with it enough. I do know that the software is not activated unless you are signed in to your Gmail account, so maybe that feature is the main “shut-off” valve. In other words, you can be signed out of your Gmail account and still be running “Google Talk” on your desktop and chat with friends and co-workers the old fashioned way, sans webcam.
According to the official Gmail blog: ‘Once you install the plug-in, to start a video chat, just click on the “Video & more” menu at the bottom of your Gmail chat window, and choose “Start video chat.” You’ll have a few seconds to make sure you look presentable while it’s ringing, and then you’ll see and hear your friend live, right from within Gmail.’ The operative phrase in this statement is: “You’ll have a few seconds to make sure you look presentable.” Yikes!!!
Here is the bottom line: if you are always signed into you Gmail account, the webcam is running and you better be prepared for your friends and co-workers to want to video chat with you. You better keep your desk straightened, your hair combed and not be wearing your PJs at 3:00PM.
For the record, I un-installed the “plug-in” yesterday, because I don’t want to be the first one on my block to use this software…I am going to wait for Darin, Lisa, Dick, Dennis, Malik, Keith, Dan and Dennis to “plug-in”. I don’t want to be the cheerleader and I am still wondering why the usual cheerleaders are not cheering…just yet.
To learn more, view the video below and I promise to keep you posted on this new tool. Let me know what you think by posting a comment here.
True to form Google is prepared for Election 2008. Check out Google’s Embeddable Election Map. Watch real time election results. Use the drop down menu to alternate between Presidential race, House and Senate.
Here are some online resources for today’s elections.
Get out there and vote. Don’t forget your “I voted” sticker as many Starbucks, Ben and Jerrys, and Kripsy Creme etablishments will be rewarding those exercising their right to vote with a free tall coffee, free scoop of ice cream or star-shaped doughnut with red, white and blue sprinkles respectively.
Google’s user friendly browser appropriately titled Google Chrome is the “Cat’s Meow” of browsers. Your ability to navigate easily coupled with advanced applications makes Google Chrome worth its weight in Chrome. As with every beta project there will always be kinks to work out, and with every subsequent release Chrome can and will only get better. Google fixed scrolling with laptop touchpads and better reliability for those users who access the web through a proxy server. The new version of Chrome has improved performance and stability with a number of Plugins like Flash and Quicktime; they have also worked out a lot of security problems as well. Chrome added the ability to add words to the built-in spell checker.
If you already are working with Chrome then it will automatically update itself with the Third Beta within the next few days. I believe at a certain point in the near future Chrome will be the only browser you need to work with. In my life and work I use Chrome for 98% of my Internet activity, Chrome is by far the best browser I have worked with.
