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Blogger Appreciation Contest

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The guys from CellPhones.org think that bloggers deserve more recognition for the work they do. We couldn’t agree more. To solve that problem they are launching the 2009 Blogger Appreciation Contest. You just need to visit the application page and submit your own blog or the blog from someone you think deserves recognition.

The prizes are pretty cool:

1st Prize: 1 year of your cell phone bill on us (Cell Phones . Org) – up to $1000
2nd Prize: Free cell phone of your choosing (does not include plan, just the phone).
3rd Prize: $100 off your your next purchase at Cell Phones .org – this is transferable and never expires.

The deadline for submissions is February 28, so check it out.

Originally posted on February 24, 2009 @ 6:49 pm

Weird and Useful Browser Extensions

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There is an article over at TechCult titled 10 Weird Browser Extensions. The list does include some really odd extensions, like one to block YouTube comments with ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation!!!

There are some useful ones in the middle of the pack though. Like the FireNES one:

You don’t need extreme hackery to protect yourself from the rest of humanity – just find something better to do and you’ll never need to deal with those annoying fleshbags again, and it doesn’t come much better than FireNES. Two thousand ROMS all ready to go in a browser toolbar. Claim that isn’t better than constantly refreshing an e-mail window and you’re a filthy liar.

The Java application doesn’t deliver the smooth emulation of Nestopia, but for somebody stuck in some kind of work-like environment where they can’t install software, it’s perfect. Not that we encourage reliving the joys of your childhood rather than doing those really interesting spreadsheets, of course.

Check out the full article to see all the other extensions that were included in the list.

Originally posted on January 29, 2009 @ 4:56 pm

Windows 7 To Kill Linux on Desktop? Oh Really?

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As Microsoft keeps working on the development of Windows 7, I am starting to hear all sorts of reviews and feedback. Most people that tried it are happy with the OS, I won’t deny that. But then another day I came across an article on The Inquirer titled Windows 7 is enough to kill Linux on the desktop.

I didn’t want to be a basher, so I took the time to read it despite getting annoyed by the title.

So what are the arguments of the author? Basically he says that Windows 7 is somewhat stable, has some nice graphics, and also runs fine with open source applications. Then, and don’t ask me how on Earth, the guy concludes that given those factors, user friendly Linux distributions like Ubuntu won’t be worthwhile anymore.

Say what?

I do believe that Windows 7 will be an improvement for Microsft. After all they are launching an OS after Vista, so it is not like it would be too hard to achieve that…

Regardless, I don’t see Windows 7 removing the main two advantages that Linux has over Windows, even if you consider desktop users.

One: Linux is open source, and therefore free and supported by the community
Two: Linux is one of the most secure desktop operating systems out there

If you then consider the fact that with each new release most Linux distros are also getting very user friendly and graphically appealing, well, I don’t see how Windows 7 is going to hurt it.

Now I am not arguing that Linux on desktop is mainstream, or that it will become anytime soon. But you can’t deny that is does have its market, and its market share (albeit small) has been growing steadily.

I wonder why that guy has not checked the numbers, in fact.

The W3Counter reports that in May 2007 1,26% of the Internet users from around the world were using Linux as their OS. In December 2008 this number is up to 2,13%, with a growth of almost 70%.

The overall number might not seem big, but Apple’s OS X is not far away, with 5,24% of market share.

If anything, therefore, Linux is growing steadily, and I don’t think Windows 7 will change this pattern.

Originally posted on January 23, 2009 @ 1:12 pm

All About Mobile Search

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Search engines certainly revolutionized the web. Mobile devices, similarly, are also revolutionizing the search marketplace. Thinking this very important trend the guys from CellPhones.org created an extensive guide about mobile search. Here is why this segment matters according to them:

Mobile Search is an ever growing part of the larger search market. Last year, according to ComScore, more then 20 million people searched from a mobile device in the USA alone. That’s an increase of 68% from the year previous. This is a fraction of all cell phones in the United States, and as wireless internet speeds and smart handset penetration increase, so will the number of users using search from a Mobile device.

Check the full article if you want to know more about it. It includes tips to optimize for mobile search, how to advertise on it and so on.

Originally posted on January 19, 2009 @ 7:10 pm

Why We Need Google

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Some people love Google. Others love to hate it. Regardless of where you sit, though, you can’t deny that Google represents one of the most influential companies around the world.

The folks from Geekpreneur, in fact, wrote an article titled Why We Need Google. Here is the first point that they mention:

1. They made the Web easier to use with Google Search. There were search engines before Google (I worked for one such), but Google seemed to achieve market share where others could not, and has since indexed a greater share of online content. (Now they’re trying to index offline content, too. E.g., through the controversial Google Books project, which of course irks many authors and publishers – all of whom have lost income since the spread of Internet use. Librarians, too, have expressed concern about the value of their own existence.)

Check out the full article for the other 9 points.

Originally posted on January 14, 2009 @ 3:45 pm

Gmail Backup Tool

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If don’t use Gmail, you are with the minority. Google’s email service is undoubtedly the most advanced and user friendly one on the web. It is also very reliable and has a huge disk space. That being said, if you rely on it for all your email communications, it would be a good idea to back it up once in a while right?

gmail backup

For this purpose there is a tool called Gmail Backup. You need to download the software to your computer (Windows or Linux), and it will backup your account with one click.

Originally posted on January 7, 2009 @ 10:58 am