Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Nokia and Intel to Work Together on Mobile Computing

Nokia and Intel to Work Together on Mobile Computing

Intel and Nokia said Tuesday that they planned to jointly create mobile computing products that would meld the features of phones and computers.

Exactly what Intel and Nokia intend to do together remained unclear. Executives from the companies at a news conference only pledged to produce mobile devices that will have Internet access and run on Intel chips.



“We are exploring new ideas in shapes, sizes, materials and displays,” Kai Oistamo, an executive vice president at Nokia, said during the news conference. In an interview, he added, “We are not committing to any schedules or concrete product plans at this time.”

When asked directly, Mr. Oistamo declined even to confirm that Nokia would make phones using Intel’s Atom processors as a result of the deal.

Talk of merging cellphones and PCs has become commonplace from both personal computer and phone companies. “We are going to see a proliferation of devices, and you can call them whatever you want,” said Rebecca Runkle, the managing director at Research Edge, an equities analysis company. “Some of them are going to fail miserably, and some will be massive home runs that we can’t even envision yet.”

The lack of specific details around the Intel and Nokia announcement left analysts perplexed about the strength of the relationship. “It all sounds great, but without any content or timelines on products, it’s hard to go with just ‘trust us,’ ” said Ms. Runkle.

Intel and Nokia have as much to gain or lose from this new era of products as any other technology companies. Based in Santa Clara, Calif., Intel sells the vast majority of chips that go into PCs and computer servers. Meanwhile, Nokia, based in Espoo, Finland, produces the most cellphones.

Intel has spent the last couple of years pouring money into Atom, a chip that it hopes will secure a prominent place for the company in the cellphone market. The company’s past efforts to crack the cellphone business have failed, and most smartphones today run on a rival chip architecture called ARM. The bet on smartphones is meant to carry Intel into a higher-growth market and keep it at the center of computing.

While Nokia has done well in the smartphone market, it was caught off guard by the success of Apple’s iPhone. In particular, Apple has managed to build intense software developer interest in its phone through the App Store, and the more traditional phone makers are trying to catch up with their own software stores.

Beyond devices, Intel and Nokia plan to develop software for cellphones centered on the open-source Linux operating system. Intel has invested heavily in a version of Linux for phones called Moblin, and this month it paid $884 million to acquire Wind River Systems, which makes versions of Linux that can sit on top of chips inside things like cars and consumer electronics products.


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The first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars

The first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars

space.com – Thu Jun 18, 9:30 am ET

Several studies in recent years have claimed evidence for shorelines and other features that suggest ancient lakes on Mars. Firm evidence has remained elusive.

Now a University of Colorado at Boulder research team claims "the first definitive evidence of shorelines on Mars" in a statement released today.

The scientists see signs of "a deep, ancient lake," which would have implications for the potential for past life on Mars. Life as we know it requires water, and while Mars is dry now, if there was abundant water in the past -- as many studies have suggested -- then life would have been a possibility. There is, however, no firm evidence that life does or ever did exist on the red planet.


Researchers estimate the lake existed more than 3 billion years ago. It covered as much as 80 square miles and was up to 1,500 feet deep -- roughly the equivalent of Lake Champlain bordering the United States and Canada, said Gaetano Di Achille, who led the study out of the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The shoreline evidence, found along a broad delta, included a series of alternating ridges and troughs thought to be surviving remnants of beach deposits.

"This is the first unambiguous evidence of shorelines on the surface of Mars," Di Achille said. "The identification of the shorelines and accompanying geological evidence allows us to calculate the size and volume of the lake, which appears to have formed about 3.4 billion years ago."

The findings have been published online in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

Other studies have claimed evidence for lakes on Mars too, however, including one in Holden Crater announced last year.

And several studies have found evidence -- from possible shorelines to salty deposits indicating the evaporation of water -- for shallow lakes or oceans. Ancient Mars had abundant water, many lines of evidence indicate.

Images used for the study were taken by the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment, or HiRISE camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

An analysis of the images indicates water carved a 30-mile-long canyon that opened up into a valley, depositing sediment that formed a large delta, the researchers conclude. This delta and others surrounding the basin imply the existence of a large, long-lived lake, said Hynek, also an assistant professor in CU-Boulder's geological sciences department. The presumed lake bed is located within a much larger valley known as the Shalbatana Vallis.

"Finding shorelines is a Holy Grail of sorts to us," said Brian Hynek, also of CU-Boulder.

In addition, the evidence shows the lake existed during a time when Mars is generally believed to have been cold and dry, which is at odds with current theories proposed by many planetary scientists, he said. "Not only does this research prove there was a long-lived lake system on Mars, but we can see that the lake formed after the warm, wet period is thought to have dissipated."

Further research will be needed to sort out the discrepancies, however.

Planetary scientists think the oldest surfaces on Mars formed during the wet and warm Noachan epoch from about 4.1 billion to 3.7 billion years ago that featured a bombardment of large meteors and extensive flooding. The newly discovered lake is believed to have formed during the Hesperian epoch and postdates the end of the warm and wet period on Mars by 300 million years, according to the study.

The deltas adjacent to the lake are of high interest to planetary scientists because deltas on Earth rapidly bury organic carbon and other biomarkers of life, Hynek said. Most astrobiologists believe any present indications of life on Mars will be discovered in the form of subterranean microorganisms.

But in the past, lakes on Mars would have provided cozy surface habitats rich in nutrients for such microbes, Hynek said.

The retreat of the lake apparently was rapid enough to prevent the formation of additional, lower shorelines, Di Achille said. The lake probably either evaporated or froze over with the ice slowly turning to water vapor and disappearing during a period of abrupt climate change, according to the study.

Di Achille said the newly discovered pristine lake bed and delta deposits would be would be a prime target for a future landing mission to Mars in search of evidence of past life.

"On Earth, deltas and lakes are excellent collectors and preservers of signs of past life," said Di Achille. "If life ever arose on Mars, deltas may be the key to unlocking Mars' biological past."

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NTSB: Train in DC crash should have been replaced

WASHINGTON – Crews dismantled the wreckage Tuesday from a subway train collision that killed nine people and injured scores of others in the nation's capital, and a federal investigator revealed an old train involved in the crash should have been replaced because of safety concerns.

The Metrorail transit system kept the old trains running despite warnings in 2006, said Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board. It wasn't immediately clear what caused the crash and whether age played a role in the rush-hour collision Monday.

The crash sent more than 70 people to hospitals. Metro officials said two men and seven women, all adults, were killed.

Mayor Adrian Fenty said at an earlier news conference that seven people were killed and he hoped the death toll did not climb any higher.

Hersman said investigators expect to recover recorders from a newer train that was stopped along the tracks waiting for another to clear the station ahead. But the old train that barreled down the tracks and triggered the collision was part of aging fleet and not equipped with the devices, which can provide valuable information on the cause of a crash.

Hersman told The Associated Press that the NTSB had warned of safety problems and recommended the old fleet be phased out or retrofitted to make it better withstand a crash. Neither was done, she said, which the NTSB considered "unacceptable."

Metro officials planned to replace the old trains, but were years away from actually having them on the tracks.

It was the worst crash in the history of Metrorail, the pride of the District of Colombia tourism industry that has shuttled tourists and commuters around Washington and to Maryland and Virginia suburbs for more than three decades.

The operator of the train that collided into the stopped cars was identified as Jeanice McMillan, 42, of Springfield, Va., according to Metro officials.

McMillan was hired in March 2007 as a bus driver and was tapped to become a train operator in December, but it wasn't immediately clear whether she had control of the cars.

Metro has a computerized system on most trains during rush hour that is supposed to control braking, speeds and prevent collisions. The system, however, has failed before.

In June 2005, in a tunnel under the Potomac River, a train operator noticed he was getting too close to the train ahead of him even though the system indicated the track was clear. He hit the emergency brake in time, as did the operator of another train behind him.

Metro spokeswoman Candace Smith didn't know the outcome of the investigation into that incident, which she called "highly unusual."

The crash Monday occurred on the red line near the D.C. and Maryland border, in an area where higher train speeds are common because there is a longer distance between stops. Trains can go 55 to 59 miles per hour, though the train's speed at the time of the accident hasn't yet been determined.

One of McMillan's neighbors said she was proud of her job and was a meticulous mother who ironed her Metro uniform every night.

"If she could have stopped the train, she would have done everything in her power," said Joanne Harrison, who lives across the hall from McMillan.

Passenger Maya Maroto, 31, was riding on McMillan's train.

"We were going full speed — I didn't hear any braking. Everything was just going normally. Then there was a very loud impact. We all fell out of our seats. Then the train filled up with smoke. I was coughing," Maroto said.

Maroto, of Burtonsville, Md., said there was confusion after the impact because no announcements were immediately made. She said some passengers wanted to climb out, but others were afraid of being electrocuted by a rail.

Tijuana Cox, 21, was in the train that was hit. She had her sprained arm in a sling Tuesday.

"Everybody just went forward and came back," with people's knees hitting the seats in front of them, said Cox, of Lanham, Md.

The only other fatal crash in the Metro subway system occurred Jan. 13, 1982, when three people died as a result of a derailment. That was a day of disaster in the capital: Shortly before the subway crash, an Air Florida plane slammed into the 14th Street Bridge immediately after takeoff from Washington National Airport. The plane crash, during a severe snowstorm, killed 78 people.

In January 2007, a subway train derailed in downtown Washington, sending 20 people to the hospital and prompting the rescue of 60 others from the tunnel. In November 2006, two Metro track workers were struck and killed by an out-of-service train. An investigation found that the train operator failed to follow safety procedures. Another Metro worker was struck and killed in May 2006.
By BRIAN WITTE, Associated Press Writer Brian Witte, Associated Press Writer





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Transmission of an infectious superbug to humans

Transmission of an infectious superbug
livescience.com – Sun Jun 21, 11:25 pm ET

Transmission of an infectious superbug from dogs and cats to humans, and back again, is an increasing problem, a new study finds.

The superbug, a strain of bacteria known as MRSA, has evolved a resistance to antibiotics. It has long plagued hospitals but in recent years has become more common in homes. MRSA has even invaded beaches.

Only about two years ago, scientists began to seriously suspect pets were transmitting the bacteria.


In the July edition of The Lancet Infectious Diseases, Richard Oehler of the University of South Florida College of Medicine and colleagues lay out the latest thinking on MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and pets.

The infections can be transmitted by animal bites and most threaten young children, the researchers note.

"As community-acquired strains of MRSA increase in prevalence, a growing body of clinical evidence has documented MRSA colonization in domestic animals, often implying direct acquisition of S aureus infection from their human owners," they write. "MRSA colonization has been documented in companion animals such as horses, dogs, and cats, and these animals have been viewed as potential reservoirs of infection."

Dog and cat bites make up about 1 percent of emergency room visits in the United States.

Some facts presented in the journal:

* Women and the elderly are most at risk of being bitten by a cat.
* Men in general and those aged under 20 of both sexes are most likely to be injured.
* Most bite exposures occur in young children, involve unrestrained dogs on the owner's property, and about 20 percent involve a non-neutered dog.
* Risk is highest in young boys aged 5 to 9 years, due to their small size and lack of understanding of provocative behavior.

Severe infections can occur in about 20 percent of all cases, the researchers state, and are caused by Pasteurella, Streptococcus, Fusobacterium, and Capnocytophaga bacteria from the animal's mouth, plus possibly other pathogens from the human's skin.

"Proper treatment of dog and cat bites should involve treatment of the immediate injury (whether superficial or deep) and then management of the risk of acute infection, including washing with high pressure saline if possible, and antibiotics in selected cases," the researchers suggest.

"Bites to the hands, forearms, neck, and head have the potential for the highest morbidity," the scientists warn. They conclude: "Much more remains to be learned about MRSA and pet-associated human infections."

* The Truth About Deadly 'Superbugs'
* 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species
* Top 10 Mysterious Diseases

* Original Story: Pets Pass Superbug to Humans

LiveScience.com chronicles the daily advances and innovations made in science and technology. We take on the misconceptions that often pop up around scientific discoveries and deliver short, provocative explanations with a certain wit and style. Check out our science videos, Trivia & Quizzes and Top 10s. Join our community to debate hot-button issues like stem cells, climate change and evolution. You can also sign up for free newsletters, register for RSS feeds and get cool gadgets at the LiveScience Store.


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Energy stocks end higher on upbeat Chevron comments

Energy stocks end higher on upbeat Chevron comments

By Steve Gelsi, MarketWatch
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- Energy stocks ended in the green Tuesday, with shares of petroleum producers and oil drillers leading the way on bullish comments on Chevron and ConocoPhillips sustained shares of oil producers.
The NYSE Arca Oil Index /quotes/comstock/10t!xoi.x (XOI 900.31, +12.22, +1.38%) of major oil firms rose 1.4% to 900. The NYSE Arca Natural Gas Index /quotes/comstock/10t!xng.x (XNG 404.57, +0.28, +0.07%) rose fractionally to 405. The Philadelphia Oil Service Index /quotes/comstock/10y!i:osx (OSX 156.55, +2.16, +1.40%) rose 1.4% to 157.
Crude oil futures regained their footing and rose $1.21 to $68.71.
ConocoPhillips /quotes/comstock/13*!cop/quotes/nls/cop (COP 41.25, +0.82, +2.03%) rose 2% to $41.25 after Bernstein Research upgraded shares of the oil major to outperform from market perform.
Analyst Neil McMahon set a price target of $54 a share, about 25% above the stock's current level, and praised the company's wildcat prospects..


ConocoPhillips and Karoon Energy recently announced a successful wildcat well in the Browse basin in offshore Australia. The next well in the three well program will test the Kontiki prospect, also in Australia.
"ConocoPhillips expects to be able to produce these resources through its Darwin LNG facility, significantly improving the project profitability, and increasing the company's future LNG exposure," McMahon said in a note to clients.
Chevron /quotes/comstock/13*!cvx/quotes/nls/cvx (CVX 65.96, +0.20, +0.30%) rose 0.3% to $65.96 after it said it drew its first significant oil from the Frade Field in Brazil, with the target of 90,000 barrels of crude oil a day in 2011.
Deutsche Bank analyst Paul Sankey said he met recently with Chevron management, who were touting the company's new energy projects and tame costs.
"Management were upbeat, because operations are running well; massive new developments -- Tengiz Sour Gas injection, Agbami -- are ramping successfully, and their start ups are on time and on budget, with oil due from Gulf of Mexico Tahiti and Brazil's Frade over the coming months," Sankey said in a note to clients. "Look for a 2009 volume target raise and cost control comments on their second-quarter call."
Meanwhile, Petroleos de Venezuela is inquiring about the circumstances surrounding Chevron's control of the Boscan oil field, one of the most important oil blocks in the country, Dow Jones Newswires reported.
Steve Gelsi is a reporter for MarketWatch in New York.

This article is presented by transnada travel


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Asia Headlines

Asia Headlines
U.S., Europe plan WTO case against China: report
The U.S. and European Union are reportedtly set to announce a World Trade Organization case against China over its export restrictions on raw materials.
8:13pm 6/22/09
Asian exchanges close Monday trading mostly higher
Asian equities end mostly higher to start the week, with a rebound in the property and real estate sector helping lift Hong Kong's benchmark index while the Nikkei 225 adds 0.4% in Tokyo.
6:53am 6/22/09
China IPOs make comeback
China's initial public offering market reopens, presenting a new test of whether we are in something more than a bear-market rally.
2:30am 6/22/09
China Metal Recycling rockets in Hong Kong IPO
China Metal Recycling jumps 24% in its Hong Kong debut, while Hing Lee also gets a sharp rise in its IPO, amid investor appetite for new listings.
1:46am 6/22/09
Coming Japan data expected to be mostly positive
Economic numbers due for release this week and next may help convince more investors that the tide is truly turning for Japan, potentially providing a boost to Japanese shares.
1:18am 6/22/09
Japan investors wary despite upbeat data
The Japanese government reports business sentiment has significantly improved among large companies, but although more, similarly upbeat economic data are expected this week and next, Japanese investors remain wary.
11:10pm 6/21/09
China Eastern gets Shanghai Air deal, report says
China Eastern reportedly reaches a long-anticipated deal to buy Shanghai Airlines via a stock swap, with the buyer to raise money by issuing new shares.
11:05pm 6/21/09
National Australia Bank buys local Aviva assets
National Australia Bank strikes a deal to buy a large chunk of U.K. insurer Aviva's Australian assets for $660 million, in a move to boost its wealth-management business.
8:00pm 6/21/09





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Know when to say no to a job offer

Know when to say no to a job offer
Five red flags that signal you should keep looking
By Ruth Mantell, MarketWatch
WASHINGTON (MarketWatch) -- Karen Chopra knows all about the dangers of "first-offer-itis." It's a condition in which job seekers itch to take the first position they are offered, said the Washington, D.C.-based career counselor. And in this time of high unemployment, more people are inclined to do just that.
But rather than letting her clients succumb, Chopra will discuss a position's pros and cons with them to figure out how much they like the job versus how much they just want to stop searching.
Working well together
Getting different departments within one company to work well together is essential in a competitive market. Rob Wolcott from the Kellogg School of Management explains how a company can foster intra-department decision-making.
"Most people hate the job search," she said. "It's an anxiety-producing time. But there are real dangers to taking a job that is not a good fit."
If you're in a job you dislike, for instance, you may not perform well. And if you leave the job after a few months, there will be a short stint to explain on your résumé.



While there can be a tremendous amount of pressure to rejoin the ranks of the gainfully employed, experts recommend that seekers try to curb desperation. "You are planning your career as opposed to just getting another job," said Randy Miller, founder and chief executive of ReadyMinds, a Lyndhurst, N.J., provider of online career counseling and coaching. "Take a step back, be clear on what you want to do. Otherwise, you will be in the same position six months later."
Of course, you must calculate whether you can afford to pass on an offer. Job seekers without any savings may not be in a position to say "no."
For those who can afford to be pickier, here are five tips on what type of offers to take a pass on and what warning signs to watch out for:
1. A big step down
With more than six million jobs lost since the recession began, many job seekers have less leverage when it comes to salary. Nonetheless, a real low-ball offer is a red flag, Chopra said.
It can be tough for workers to figure out how low is too low, Miller said, adding that job seekers should stay strong as long as they know they are worth more than a company's low offer.
"In today's times, the employee is asked to do a lot more," he said. "If you are not making the money you are supposed to, you will probably be miserable."
Job seekers also should be wary of taking a title that's too far below their most recent position, said Allison O'Kelly, chief executive of Mom Corps, an Atlanta-based staffing firm specializing in flexible employment.
At least temporarily, a salary can be less important than a title, O'Kelly said, because "it will be hard to get back into the higher role." She added that "people looking at your résumé will wonder why you were willing to take such a low-level position. They will think you should be more resourceful and able to find other jobs. I would prefer seeing that you are earning a little less, but that your title remains at a higher level. You will be better off."
2. Too-quick offers
Jobs that are offered very quickly may be worth passing on, said Walter Akana, a career strategist in Decatur, Ga. "It could be a sign that the company has lots of turnover and [is] desperate on some level as well," he said.
While it can be unnerving, waiting awhile for an offer isn't necessarily a bad thing, Akana added. "The company is under pressure to fill the position in the best way possible," he said, "so sometimes the process can take time."
3. No written offer
Companies that don't provide a written offer may be worth avoiding, said Miller. And that's particularly important during times when many firms are struggling.
Verbal offers "mean you really have nothing to stand on because the employer can renege," he said. "If it's a legitimate job offer, everything should be in writing."
A contract with a specific description of the job could protect you from having your position radically altered.
"The more you have in the document, the more it could protect you, it's minimizing your risk," Miller said. "You still run the risk of getting laid off. But it's better to have the piece of paper than nothing at all."
4. Too few answers
A potential employer's reluctance to answer questions should give you pause, said Chopra. Employers who are worried that a position may not be attractive to a particular candidate may try to conceal or avoid certain specifics, she said.
Another giveaway: when employers won't allow job candidates to speak with a prospective supervisor.
"You can work for a great company, but have a miserable supervisor, and that determines how you feel about the company," Chopra said. "The supervisor determines your day-to-day happiness."
5. Unpleasantness
If company insiders are difficult during negotiations, you may want to take a pass on a job, Chopra said. "Generally speaking, your treatment is not going to improve once you are hired," she said.
Ruth Mantell is a MarketWatch reporter based in Washington.

This article is presented by transnada travel


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Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" is "a really fun, explosive, outrageous, fantastical joyride," according to lead actor Shia LaBeouf.
Director Michael Bay suggested his film should not be seriously questioned.

"It's called summer fun. It's a robot movie," Bay said.

Don't tell that to the fanboys who've waited two years for the "Transformers" sequel, or to Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures, who hope it will top the $700 million the first movie made.

The newest Transformers production is a marvel of moviemaking technology that combines record-setting practical effects -- real explosions and stunts -- with unrivaled computer-generated action.



Star Autobot Optimus Prime appears life-sized on an IMAX screen in one battle.

The movie is so big and action-packed, though, that more than one reviewer emerged from an IMAX screening last week talking about how it was tough to tell who was fighting who in some scenes. A guide to the Autobots and Decepticons »

Producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura noted in an interview that "the action scenes are only as good as the audience is invested in the character."

"So, if they're not invested in the character, then the action is just a lot of noise," he said.

In the new film, which takes place two years after "Transformers," LaBeouf's Sam Witwicky is at college, trying to get his life back to normal. But the Transformers -- the good Autobots and the evil Decepticons -- have different ideas. As the robots battle over the AllSpark, a life-giving energy for Transformers, humans are caught in the middle, with the planet at risk.

But humans are only part of the story. Those characters Bay wants you to care about include 46 robots -- 32 more than in the last film.

These Autobots and Decepticons were farm-raised -- on a computer server farm owned by Industrial Light & Magic. Their simulations took up seven times more computer disk space than in the first movie.

The job of "rendering" the largest -- a 10-story-tall sand-plowing machine of destruction named Devastator -- caused a computer to explode, according to visual effects supervisor Scott Farrar. "Little puffs of smoke, just like in the movie," Farrar said.

Filming was very physical -- and dangerous -- for the human actors, because Bay balanced his computer simulations with a big dose of reality.

Actor Ramon Rodriguez said he "popped a shoulder, which was a lot of fun," filming a scene in which the Devastator is plowing through a desert, with fans blowing a 100 mph wind into his face.

"So, I had sand, soot, dirt blowing in my face and I had two guys behind me with wires attached to my ankles pulling me," Rodriguez said. "Not enough yet. We need cars flipping over my head. So, he brought two cars and he literally had them attached to a hydraulic crane, flip inches above my head. So, the guys were yanking, you know, on the cables on my ankles and, yeah, on one of the takes my shoulder popped out and we continued rolling."

"That was the shot we used," Bay said.

"That was probably the shot you used and thank you, Mike, it was great," Rodriguez said.

LaBeouf suffered a serious hand injury in a car crash away from the set that almost derailed production, until Bay ordered his star a transparent Kevlar cast

"The problem was if he jammed his fingers, he could lose his fingers forever, so we had experts of the world come up with this design," Bay said.

After shutting down production for just a day, Bay found a way to work LaBeouf's hurt hand into the story.

Megan Fox, who reprised her role as LaBeouf's girlfriend, said the cast "drank a lot" to relax after 16-hour days on the set. Bay insisted shoots were limited to 12-hour days.

Action scenes meant the actors had to do a lot of running -- much of it through desert sand in Jordan and Egypt.

Many of their sprints were through real blasts, including one that landed in the Guinness Book of World Records.

"We made history, the biggest practical explosion in the history of filmmaking that included the actors," said Tyrese Gibson, who played a U.S. Air Force sergeant.

The blasts, military hardware and Fox, featured in short pants in the sexy opening sequence, should appeal to the teenage boys in the theater.

"We got that first shot out of the way, just to get it out for the young boys and move on," Bay said.

The first "Transformers" broke box office records two years ago by drawing a broad audience, including adult women.

Bay said there's still plenty for the ladies -- especially with the romantic relationship between LeBeouf and Fox.

"What's making this accessible to everybody is the humor in it, and I think that's how you make it accessible to everybody," Bay said. "It's not just for the fanboys."

The humor, though, has aged with the characters. The script includes plenty of dog-humping and testicular sight gags.
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"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" received a PG-13 rating "for intense sequences of sci-fi action violence, language, some crude and sexual material, and brief drug material."
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Friday, June 5, 2009

5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings

5 Ways To Improve Your Adsense Earnings

If webmasters want to monetize their websites, the great way to do it is through Adsense. There are lots of webmasters struggling hard to earn some good money a day through their sites. But then some of the “geniuses” of them are enjoying hundreds of dollars a day from Adsense ads on their websites. What makes these webmasters different from the other kind is that they are different and they think out of the box.

The ones who have been there and done it have quite some useful tips to help those who would want to venture into this field. Some of these tips have boosted quite a lot of earnings in the past and is continuously doing so.

Here are some 5 proven ways on how best to improve your Adsense earnings.



1. Concentrating on one format of Adsense ad. The one format that worked well for the majority is the Large Rectangle (336X280). This same format have the tendency to result in higher CTR, or the click-through rates. Why choose this format out of the many you can use? Basically because the ads will look like normal web links, and people, being used to clicking on them, click these types of links. They may or may not know they are clicking on your Adsense but as long as there are clicks, then it will all be for your advantage.

2. Create a custom palette for your ads. Choose a color that will go well with the background of your site. If your site has a white background, try to use white as the color of your ad border and background. The idea to patterning the colors is to make the Adsense look like it is part of the web pages. Again, This will result to more clicks from people visiting your site.

3. Remove the Adsense from the bottom pages of your site and put them at the top. Do not try to hide your Adsense. Put them in the place where people can see them quickly. You will be amazed how the difference between Adsense locations can make when you see your earnings.

4. Maintain links to relevant websites. If you think some sites are better off than the others, put your ads there and try to maintaining and managing them. If there is already lots of Adsense put into that certain site, put yours on top of all of them. That way visitor will see your ads first upon browsing into that site.

5. Try to automate the insertion of your Adsense code into the webpages using SSI (or server side included). Ask your web administrator if your server supports SSI or not. How do you do it? Just save your Adsense code in a text file, save it as “adsense text”, and upload it to the root directory of the web server. Then using SSI, call the code on other pages. This tip is a time saver especially for those who are using automatic page generators to generate pages on their website.

These are some of the tips that have worked well for some who want to generate hundreds and even thousands on their websites. It is important to know though that ads are displayed because it fits the interest of the people viewing them. So focusing on a specific topic should be your primary purpose because the displays will be especially targeted on a topic that persons will be viewing already.

Note also that there are many other Adsense sharing the same topic as you. It is best to think of making a good ad that will be somewhat different and unique than the ones already done. Every clickthrough that visitors make is a point for you so make every click count by making your Adsense something that people will definitely click on.

Tips given by those who have boosted their earnings are just guidelines they want to share with others. If they have somehow worked wonders to some, maybe it can work wonders for you too. Try them out into your ads and see the result it will bring.

If others have done it, there is nothing wrong trying it out for yourself.

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Monetizing Your Website With Adsense

Monetizing Your Website With Adsense Is Profitable!

How do you maximize your site?

By earning some few dollars per click from displaying Adsense ads on it. Many are now realizing that good money is made from this source of revenue. Try the simple mathematical computation of multiplying those clicks for every page on your website and you get a summation of earnings equivalent to a monthly residual income with that little effort you have made.

Google Adsense is a fast and easy way for website publishers of


all sizes to display relevant and text-based Google ads on their website’s content pages and earn money in the process. The ads displayed are related to what your users are looking for on your site. This is the main reason why you both can monetize and enhance your content pages using Adsense.

How much you will be earning will depend on how much the advertisers are willing to pay. It will depend also on the keywords required. If the keywords the advertiser have chosen are in high demand, you could receive more dollars per click. On the other hand, low demand keywords will earn you just a few cents per click.

How can you start making profits out of your website using Adsense?

1. Sign up for an Adsense account. It will only take a few minutes of your time.

2. When the site is accepted, you will be receiving a clip code to include in your web pages. You can insert this code on as many pages or web sites that you want. The AdWords will start appearing immediately after.

3. You will be earning a few cents or some dollars per click when someone starts clicking on the AdWords displayed on any of your web pages. Trying to earn false revenues by repetitively clicking on your own ads is a no-no. This will result in a penalty or the possibility of your site being eliminated. The money you have already earned may be lost because of this.

4. View your statistics. Adsense earnings can be checked anytime by logging into your web site account.

Once you got your account working, you may still want to pattern them to the many sites that are earning more money than you are. It is important to note that there are factors affecting how your website will perform and the amount of money it will give you.

It is a common practice that when a site earning money, the tendency is for the owner to want to make more out of what they are getting already. It usually takes some time combined with trial and error to attain what you want for your Adsense contents.

Time and some important factors that you can practice and use.

How do you increase your Adsense earnings?

1. Choose one topic per page. It is best to write a content for your page with just a few targeted phrases. The search engine will then serve ads that are more relevant which will then result in higher clickthoughs.

2. Using white space around your ad. This can make your ad stand out from the rest of your page so visitors can spot them easily. There are also other choices of colors you can use, provided by search engines, which can harmonize the color of your ad with the web page color.

3. Test your ad placement. It is recommended to use the vertical format that runs down the side of the web page to get more positive results. You can also try both horizontal and vertical formats for a certain period of time to see which one will give you better results.
4. More content-based pages. Widen the theme of your website by creating pages that focus more on your keyword phrases. This will optimize the pages for the search engines. It can not only attract traffic but also make them more relevant for the AdWords to be displayed.
5. Site Build It. This is the perfect tool to be used for creating lots of Adsense revenues. Site Build It has all the tools necessary to quickly achieve a keyword-rich site that can rank high in the search engines. This will also produce a flow of traffic to your site of highly targeted visitors.

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How To Choose a Broker

Choosing a Broker


Depending on the type of investing that you plan to do, you may need to hire a broker to handle your investments for you. Brokers work for brokerage houses and have the ability to buy and sell stock on the stock exchange. You may wonder if you really need a broker. The answer is yes. If you intend to buy or sell stocks on the stock exchange, you must have a broker.

Stockbrokers are required to pass two different tests in order to obtain their license. These tests are very difficult, and most brokers have a background in business or finance, with a Bachelors or Masters Degree.

It is very important to understand the difference between a broker and a stock market analyst. An analyst literally analyzes the stock market, and predicts what it will or will not do, or how specific stocks will perform. A stock broker is only there to follow your instructions to either buy or sell stock… not to analyze stocks.



Brokers earn their money from commissions on sales in most cases. When you instruct your broker to buy or sell a stock, they earn a set percentage of the transaction. Many brokers charge a flat ‘per transaction’ fee.

There are two types of brokers: Full service brokers and discount brokers. Full service brokers can usually offer more types of investments, may provide you with investment advice, and is usually paid in commissions.

Discount brokers typically do not offer any advice and do no research – they just do as you ask them to do, without all of the bells and whistles.

So, the biggest decision you must make when it come to brokers is whether you want a full service broker or a discount broker.

If you are new to investing, you may need to go with a full service broker to ensure that you are making wise investments. They can offer you the skill that you lack at this point. However, if you are already knowledgeable about the stock market, all you really need is a discount broker to make your trades for you.
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How to Know When to Sell Your Stocks

How to Know When to Sell Your Stocks


While quite a bit of time and research goes into selecting stocks, it is often hard to know when to pull out – especially for first time investors. The good news is that if you have chosen your stocks carefully, you won’t need to pull out for a very long time, such as when you are ready to retire. But there are specific instances when you will need to sell your stocks before you have reached your financial goals.

You may think that the time to sell is when the stock value is about to drop – and you may even be advised by your broker to do this. But this isn’t necessarily the right course of action.



Stocks go up and down all the time, depending on the economy…and of course the economy depends on the stock market as well. This is why it is so hard to determine whether you should sell your stock or not. Stocks go down, but they also tend to go back up.

You have to do more research, and you have to keep up with the stability of the companies that you invest in. Changes in corporations have a profound impact on the value of the stock. For instance, a new CEO can affect the value of stock. A plummet in the industry can affect a stock. Many things – all combined – affect the value of stock. But there are really only three good reasons to sell a stock.

The first reason is having reached your financial goals. Once you’ve reached retirement, you may wish to sell your stocks and put your money in safer financial vehicles, such as a savings account.

This is a common practice for those who have invested for the purpose of financing their retirement. The second reason to sell a stock is if there are major changes in the business you are investing in that cause, or will cause, the value of the stock to drop, with little or no possibility of the value rising again. Ideally, you would sell your stock in this situation before the value starts to drop.

If the value of the stock spikes, this is the third reason you may want to sell. If your stock is valued at $100 per share today, but drastically rises to $200 per share next week, it is a great time to sell – especially if the outlook is that the value will drop back down to $100 per share soon. You would sell when the stock was worth $200 per share.

As a beginner, you definitely want to consult with a broker or a financial advisor before buying or selling stocks. They will work with you to help you make the right decisions to reach your financial goals.

Presented by : sewa mobil malang
https://transnada.biz/


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Thursday, May 28, 2009

Don't Get Caught With Google Adsense Click Fraud

Don't Get Caught With Google Adsense Click Fraud

Many web site owners are getting their Google Adsense account terminated when they have done nothing wrong to deserve the punishment. Considering the money that they are getting from Adsense, they would certainly want to get back into it.

Considering the money to be made with Adsense, it is no wonder that they would want to get back into it.

It is that same consideration why the Google Adsense click fraud is thought of and why many people are getting into it.


Click fraud is the act of clicking on ads for the purpose of costing the advertiser money. It is simply the same as paying out cash for false leads. Many people website owners are aware of this fraud and are sharing the same sentiment that this is the one big problem that Adsense is facing.

How do you prevent being involved in this fraud?

Majority of web hosts are offering access logs. Once this is offered to you, it is necessary that you hand it over to Google as well. This allows them to look for any suspicious activity on your site. Problems like this are very serious and giving it to them is saying that you would want to help them in any way you can in solving the problem.

It can also help if you have a click monitoring software. If you do not have one yet, you should try and get one. There is absolutely no major factor preventing you from having one because most of this software is free.

As usual, all the information you have received should be turned over to Google. This is showing Google that you too are fighting against click frauds and is in no way a part of it.

Study your server logs and watch for any activity that seems suspicious. Report anything that you may find odd, may it big or small thing.

You may want to consider disabling ads for your own IP address and local geographic area. This will certainly prevent accidents and will not make Google mistake another user as you. You can do through a htaccess file. This will avoid Google mistaking as clicking on your own ads and be kicked out because of it.

Keep your Adsense off on pop ups and pop unders. Your ads should not be displayed on content sites that promote illegal activity or tampering of the legal rights of other people or business. Included in this are the content that is considered adult and gambling ones. If you think that you may be breaking this rule, immediately remove your content or Adsense from the web page.

Be truthful and confess up to Google about times when you might have clicked on your own as, whether accidentally or intentionally. Or the times when you have done something that is against the Terms of Service that they are implementing. Be honest about anything that you may have done that is wrong. Confessing is way better than Google learning about it eventually. It would mean eventual termination and no getting back what you have worked so hard for.

Do not tell your family or friends about Adsense on your website. Chances are they may start clicking on them to help you make money without you knowing it. They may be doing more harm to you than help by trying it in the first place.

If ever someone you know chanced upon your Adsense, make sure they understand that they cannot click on your ads under any circumstances. It would be wise to brief them on important things about Adsense and what not to do with them.

Most pay per click networks have different measures in hand to protect website owners against click frauds. Other search engines can track more than 50 data points, IP address, browser’s information, user’s session info and pattern recognition. They also have “systems” available that detects fraud. Not to mention the specialized teams monitoring how things are going and helping advertisers stop click frauds.

Google offers suggestion on how to avoid click fraud. Using “negative keywords” can be used to keep your Adsense showing on products and services that are in no way related to yours. Adding tracking URLs to your links so you can track the traffic coming from Google.

Do not be caught in the Google click fraud. Be aware and be war

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Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Top 3 Ways To Boost Your Affiliate Commissions Overnight

The ideal world of affiliate marketing does not require having your won website, dealing with customers, refunds, product development and maintenance. This is one of the easiest ways of launching into an online business and earning more profits.

Assuming you are already into an affiliate program, what would be the next thing you would want to do? Double, or even triple, your commissions, right? How do you do that?

Here are some powerful tips on how to boost your affiliate program commissions overnight.



1. Know the best program and products to promote. Obviously, you would want to promote a program that will enable you to achieve the greatest profits in the shortest possible time.

There are several factors to consider in selecting such a program. Choose the ones that have a generous commission structure. Have products that fit in with your target audience. And that has a solid track record of paying their affiliate easily and on time. If you cannot seem to increase your investments, dump that program and keep looking for better ones.

There are thousands of affiliate programs online which gives you the reason to be picky. You may want to select the best to avoid losing your advertising dollars.

Write free reports or short ebooks to distribute from your site. There is a great possibility that you are competing with other affiliates that are promoting the same program. If you start writing short report related to the product you are promoting, you will be able to distinguish yourself from the other affiliates.

In the reports, provide some valuable information for free. If possible, add some recommendations about the products. With ebooks, you get credibility. Customers will see that in you and they will be enticed to try out what you are offering.

2. Collect and save the email addresses of those who download your free ebooks. It is a known fact that people do not make a purchase on the first solicitation. You may want to send out your message more than six times to make a sale.

This is the simple reason why you should collect the contact information of those who downloaded your reports and ebooks. You can make follow-ups on these contacts to remind them to make a purchase from you.

Get the contact information of a prospect before sending them to the vendor’s website. Keep in mind that you are providing free advertisement for the product owners. You get paid only when you make a sale. If you send prospects directly to the vendors, chances are they would be lost to you forever.

But when you get their names, you can always send other marketing messages to them to be able to earn an ongoing commission instead of a one-time sale only.

Publish an online newsletter or Ezine. It is always best to recommend a product to someone you know than to sell to a stranger. This is the purpose behind publishing your own newsletter. This also allows you to develop a relationship based on trust with your subscribers.

This strategy is a delicate balance between providing useful information with a sales pitch. If you continue to write informative editorials you will be able to build a sense of reciprocity in your readers that may lead them to support you by buying your products.

3. Ask for higher than normal commission from merchants. If you are already successful with a particular promotion, you should try and approach the merchant and negotiate a percentage commission for your sales.

If the merchant is smart, he or she will likely grant your request rather than lose a valuable asset in you. Keep in mind that you are a zero-risk investment to your merchant; so do not be shy about requesting for addition in your commissions. Just try to be reasonable about it.

Write strong pay Per Click ads. PPC search engine is the most effective means of advertising online. As an affiliate, you can make a small income just by managing PPC campaigns such as Google AdWords and Overture. Then you should try and monitor them to see which ads are more effective and which ones to dispose of.

Try out these strategies and see the difference it can make to your commission checks in the shortest of time.
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3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

3 Things All Affiliate Marketers Need To Survive Online

Every affiliate marketer is always looking for the successful market that gives the biggest paycheck. Sometimes they think it is a magic formula that is readily available for them. Actually, it is more complicated than that. It is just good marketing practices that have been proven over years of hard work and dedication.
There are tactics that have worked before with online marketing and is continuing to work in the online affiliate marketing world of today. With these top three marketing tips, you will be able to able to increase your sales and survive in the affiliate marketing online.

What are these three tactics?


1. Using unique web pages to promote each separate product you are marketing. Do not lump all of it together just to save some money on web hosting. It is best to have a site focusing on each and every product and nothing more.

Always include product reviews on the website so visitors will have an initial understanding on what the product can do to those who buys them. Also include testimonials from users who have already tried the product. Be sure that these customers are more than willing to allow you to use their names and photos on the site of the specific product you are marketing.

You can also write articles highlighting the uses of the product and include them on the website as an additional page. Make the pages attractive compelling and include calls to act on the information. Each headline should attract the readers to try and read more, even contact you. Highlight your special points. This will help your readers to learn what the page is about and will want to find out more.

2. Offer free reports to your readers. If possible position them at the very top side of your page so it they simply cannot be missed. Try to create autoresponder messages that will be mailed to those who input their personal information into your sign up box. According to research, a sale is closed usually on the seventh contact with a prospect.

Only two things can possibly happen with the web page alone: closed sale or the prospect leaving the page and never return again. By placing useful information into their inboxes at certain specified period, you will remind them of the product they thought they want later and will find out that the sale is closed. Be sure that the content is directed toward specific reasons to buy the product. Do not make it sound like a sales pitch.

Focus on important points like how your product can make life and things easier and more enjoyable. Include compelling subject lines in the email. As much as possible, avoid using the word “free” because there are still older spam filters that dumps those kind of contents into the junk before even anyone reading them first. Convince those who signed up for your free reports that they will be missing something big if they do not avail of your products and services.

3. Get the kind of traffic that is targeted to your product. Just think, if the person who visited your website has no interest whatsoever in what you are offering, they will be among those who move on and never come back. Write articles for publication in e-zines and e-reports. This way you can locate publications that is focusing on your target customers and what you have put up might just grab their interest.

Try to write a minimum of 2 articles per week, with at least 300-600 words in length. By continuously writing and maintaining these articles you can generate as many as 100 targeted readers to your site in a day.
Always remember that only 1 out of 100 people are likely to buy your product or get your services. If you can generate as much as 1,000 targeted hits for your website in a day, that means you can made 10 sales based on the average statistic.

The tactics given above does not really sound very difficult to do, if you think about it. It just requires a little time and an action plan on your part.

Try to use these tips for several affiliate marketing programs. You can end maintaining a good source of income and surviving in this business that not all marketers can do.
Besides, think of the huge paychecks you will be receiving…


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Using Product Recommendations for Profit

Using Product Recommendations To Increase Your Bottom Line

In affiliate marketing, there are many ways in which you can increase your earnings and maintain the account that you have worked so hard for already. Most of the techniques and tactics can be learned easily. No need to go anywhere and any further. They are available online, 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
One of the more important ways of increasing affiliate marketing bottom line and sale is through the use of product recommendations. Many marketers know that this is one of the most effective ways in promoting a certain product.


If the customers or visitors trust you enough, then they will definitely trust your recommendations. Be very careful in using this approach, though. If you start promoting everything by recommendation, your credibility will actually wear thin. This is seen especially when recommendations are seemingly exaggerated and without much merit.
Do not be afraid to mention things that you do not like about a given product or service. Rather than lose any points for you, this will make your recommendation more realistic and will tend to increase your credibility.
Furthermore, if your visitors are really interested in what you are offering, they will be more than delighted to learn what is good about the product, what is not so good, and how the product will benefit them.
When you are recommending a certain product, there are some things to remember on how to make it work effectively and for your advantage.
Sound like the true and leading expert in your field.
Remember this simple equation: Price resistance diminishes in direct proportion to trust. If your visitors feel and believe that you are an expert in your niche, they are more inclined to making that purchase. On the other hand, if you are not exuding any confidence and self-assurance in endorsing your products, they will probably feel that same way and will go in search of another product or service which is more believable.
How do you establish this aura of expertise? By offering unique and new solutions they would not get anywhere else. Show proof that what you are promoting works as promised. Display prominent testimonials and endorsements from respected and known personalities, in related fields of course.
Avoid hype at all costs. It is better to sound low key and confident, than to scream and seek attention. Besides, you would not want to sound unprofessional and have that thinking stick to your potential customers and clients, now would you? Best to appear cool and self-assured at the same time.
And remember; prospects are not stupid. They are actually turning to experts and may already know the things that you know. If you back up your claims with hard facts and data, they would gladly put down hundreds, or even thousands worth of money to your promotions. But if you don’t, they are smart enough to try and look at your competitors and what they are offering.
While recommending a product, it is also important that you give out promotional freebies. People are already familiar with the concept of offering freebies to promoting your won products. But very few people do this to promote affiliate products. Try to offer freebies that can promote or even have some information about your products or services.
Before you add recommendations to you product, it is given that you should try and test the product and support. Do not run the risk of promoting junk products and services. Just think how long it took you to build credibility and trust among your visitors. All that will take to destroy it is one big mistake on your part.
If possible, have recommendations of products that you have 100% confidence in. Test the product support before you begin to ensure that the people you are referring it to would not be left high and dry when a problem suddenly arouse.
Have a look at your affiliate market and look at the strategies you are using. You may not be focusing on the recommendations that your products need to have. You plan of action is sometimes not the only thing that is making your program works.
Try product recommendation and be among those few who have proven its worth.


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Long Term Investments for the Future

Long Term Investments for the Future


If you are ready to invest money for a future event, such as retirement or a child’s college education, you have several options. You do not have to invest in risky stocks or ventures. You can easily invest your money in ways that are very safe, which will show a decent return over a long period of time.

First consider bonds. There are various types of bonds that you can purchase. Bond’s are similar to Certificates of Deposit. Instead of being issued by banks, however, bonds are issued by the Government. Depending on the type of bonds that you buy, your initial investment may double over a specific period of time.


Mutual funds are also relatively safe. Mutual funds exist when a group of investors put their money together to buy stocks, bonds, or other investments. A fund manager typically decides how the money will be invested. All you need to do is find a reputable, qualified broker who handles mutual funds, and he or she will invest your money, along with other client’s money. Mutual funds are a bit riskier than bonds.

Stocks are another vehicle for long term investments. Shares of stocks are essentially shares of ownership in the company you are investing in. When the company does well financially, the value of your stock rises. However, if a company is doing poorly, your stock value drops. Stocks, of course, are even riskier than Mutual funds. Even though there is a greater amount of risk, you can still purchase stock in sound companies, such as G & E Electric, and sleep at night knowing that your money is relatively safe.

The important thing is to do your research before investing your money for long term gain. When purchasing stocks you should choose stocks that are well established. When you look for a mutual fund to invest in, choose a broker that is well established and has a proven track record. If you aren’t quite ready to take the risks involved with mutual funds or stocks, at the very least invest in bonds that are guaranteed by the Government.


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Be Happy

Happy as You Want to Be

Almost everyone have heard the hit single 'Don't Worry, Be Happy' by Bobby McFerrin. The song has a very catchy way of conveying its message of being happy to everyone. Bobby Mcferiin's simple message surely made a lot of people by telling them not to worry.

Living a happy, resilient and optimistic life is wonderful, and is also good for your health. Being happy actually protects you from the stresses of life. Stress is linked to top causes of death such as heart disease, cancer and stroke.

One of the better things ever said is - 'The only thing in life that will always remain the same is change', and in our life we have


the power to make the necessary changes if we want to. Even if we find ourselves in an unbearable situation we can always find solace in the knowledge that it too would change.

Social networks or relationships are essential to happiness. People are different, accept people for who or what they are, avoid clashes, constant arguments, and let go of all kinds of resentments. If arguments seem unavoidable still try and make an effort to understand the situation and you might just get along with well with

Happiness is actually found in everyone, increasing it is a way to make a life more wonderful and also more healthy.

To be happy is relatively easy, just decide to be a happy person. Abraham Lincoln observed that most people for most of the time can choose how happy or stressed, how relaxed or troubled, how bright or dull their outlook to be. The choice is simple really, choose to be happy.

There are several ways by which you can do this.

Being grateful is a great attitude. We have so much to be thankful for. Thank the taxi driver for bringing you home safely, thank the cook for a wonderful dinner and thank the guy who cleans your windows. Also thank the mailman for bringing you your mails, thank the policeman for making your place safe and thank God for being alive.

News is stressful. Get less of it. Some people just can't start their day without their daily dose of news. Try and think about it, 99% of the news we hear or read is bad news. Starting the day with bad news does not seem to be a sensible thing to do.

A religious connection is also recommended. Being part of a religious group with its singing, sacraments, chanting, prayers and meditations foster inner peace.

Manage your time. Time is invaluable and too important to waste. Time management can be viewed as a list of rules that involves scheduling, setting goals, planning, creating lists of things to do and prioritizing. These are the core basics of time management that should be understood to develop an efficient personal time management skill. These basic skills can be fine tuned further to include the finer points of each skill that can give you that extra reserve to make the results you desire.

Laugh and laugh heartily everyday. Heard a good joke? Tell your friends or family about it. As they also say -'Laughter is the best medicine'.

Express your feelings, affections, friendship and passion to people around you. They will most likely reciprocate your actions. Try not to keep pent up anger of frustrations, this is bad for your health. Instead find ways of expressing them in a way that will not cause more injury or hurt to anyone.

Working hard brings tremendous personal satisfaction. It gives a feeling of being competent in finishing our tasks. Accomplishments are necessary for all of us, they give us a sense of value. Work on things that you feel worthy of your time.

Learning is a joyful exercise. Try and learn something new everyday. Learning also makes us expand and broaden our horizons. And could also give us more opportunities in the future.

Run, jog, walk and do other things that your body was made for. Feel alive.

Avoid exposure to negative elements like loud noises, toxins and hazardous places.

These are the few simple things you can do everyday to be happy.

And always remember the quote from Abraham Lincoln, he says that, "Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be."

Thanks to sewa mobil malang
Source : https://transnada.biz

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Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization And Why You Gotta Use It


E-commerce is a cut throat business. You have to arm yourself with the proper know-how and the tools to make your site a cut above the rest. Each day, more and more sites are clambering to optimize their rankings in websites and if you lose your guard, you may just get trampled on and be left in the abyss filled with so many failed e-commerce sites.

Search Engine Optimization or SEO is a term widely used today by many e-commerce sites. For the past few years and the next ten years or so, search engines would be the most widely used internet tool to find the sites that they need to go to or the product or information they need.


Most people that use search engines use only the ten top search results in the first page. Making it to the first page, more so to the top three is a barometer of a sites success in search engine optimization. You will get a higher ratio of probability in being clicked on when you rank high. The more traffic for your site, the more business you rake in.

But, it is essential to grab a hold of that spot or make your ranking even better. As I aforementioned, each day is a new day for all e-commerce sites to make them selves rank higher using search engine optimization. It is imperative to make your site better and better everyday.

So just what is search engine optimization and do you have to use it? The answer to why you have to use it is an easy one. You need search engine optimization to be number one, or maybe at least make your site income generating.

With search engine optimization you can get the benefit of generating a high traffic volume. Let’s just say you get only a turn out of successful sales with 10 to 20 percent of your traffic. If you get a hundred hits or more a day, you get a good turn out of sales already. If you get only twenty to ten hits a day, you only get one or two if not any at all.

So once again, what is search engine optimization? Search engine optimization is utilizing tools and methods in making your site top ranking in the results of search engines. Getting yourself in the first page and better yet in the top half of the page will ensure that your site will generate public awareness of your site’s existence and subsequently generate more traffic, traffic that could lead to potential income and business.

Search engine optimization requires a lot of work to be fully realized. There are many aspects you have to change in your site or add as well to get search engine optimization. These will include getting lots of information about the keyword phrases that are popular in regards to your sites niche or theme.

You may also need to rewrite your sites contents so that you could get the right keyword phrases in your site without making it too commercial but light and informative. There are certain rules and guidelines to be followed with making your site’s content applicable and conducive to search engine optimization.

You will also need to collaborate with many other sites so that you could get link exchanges and page transfers. The more inbound and outbound traffics generated by sites among others are one of the components search engines uses to rank sites.

Try to search the internet for many useful help. Tips, guidelines and methods for search engine optimization are plenty to be found. Read many articles that can help you optimize your site in search engine results. The more knowledge and information you gather the better. This will all help you in getting those high rankings. This may require a little time and effort in your part but the benefits will be astounding.

If you can part with some money, there are many sites in the internet that can help you in search engine optimization. There are many sites that help in tracking keyword phrases that can help your site. There are also some content writers that have lots of experience in making good keyword laden content for your sites that have good quality.

Act now and see the benefits garner with search engine optimization. All of these will result to better traffic and more business for your site and company.

This article is presented by transnada travel


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Get a High Number of Website Traffic

Get a High Number of Website Traffic


There is one hard and fast rule in generating income for your website: A steady flow of website traffic. If no one goes to your site, it hardly bares a chance of generating an income. Many sites have tried and failed in doing so, and these results to the sites demise. It takes money to maintain an income generating site; it also takes money to make money.

BUT, it doesn’t take a whole caboodle of cash to generate website traffic for your site.

Ever wonder how does big hit sites drive traffic top their site? Most of them are spending tons of money to drive the traffic to their sites, investing in many advertising campaigns and different forms of marketing schemes and gimmickries. This is all worthwhile because, well, they are what they are now, high earning, big hitting websites.

You don’t have to do this

if you don’t really have their resources. There are many ways to generate low cost website traffic without having to spend what you don’t have or can’t afford. Many people have banked on high cost methods and have ended up losing their shirt over it.

Here I present to you the Top five ways to generate low cost website traffic that could help your site a whole lot. Even if you only get a small percentage of successful visitors in to client ratio it still works especially if you get a high number of website traffic.

Exchange Links

This is a sure and proven method. Rarely would you see a site where there is no link to another site. Many webmasters are willing to exchange links with one another so that they could produce more public awareness about their sites. You’ll soon see and feel the sudden upsurge of the traffic coming in to your site from other sites.

A major prerequisite in exchanging links with other sites is having the same niche or content as the other site. They should share a common subject so that there is continuity in the providing of service and information to what interests your target traffic.

Exchanging links also boosts your chances of getting a high ranking in search engine results. It is common knowledge that search engines ranks high sites that have inbound and outbound theme-related links. With a good ranking position in the search engines, you will generate more traffic in your website without the high costs.

Traffic Exchange

This is like exchanging links but on a different higher level. This may cost a bit more than exchanging or trading links but could be made cheaper because you get to earn credits. You can use those credits when viewing others traffic, while you earn credits when someone views yours.

Traffic exchange services are the viewing of another’s site or page. This is done vice versa where a site can use your sites contents and so can you to his or her site. You both benefit from each others efforts to generate traffic. The other sites visitors can go to your pages and know more about your site as well as theirs. Once again the public awareness of your sites existence is boosted.

Write and Submit Articles

There are many e-zines and online encyclopedias in the internet which provides free space for articles to be submitted. If you want to save costs, you can do the articles yourself. There are many freelance writers who are willing to write for you for a small fee, but to save money, it is wise to do those articles yourself.

Write articles that are themed along with the niche of your site. Write something that you have expertise on so that when they read it, they can feel your knowledge about the subject and will be eager to go to your site. Write articles that produce tips and guidelines to the subject or niche your site has.

Include a resource box at the end of your article that can link them to your site. Write a little about yourself and your site. If you provide a light, information-laden and interesting article, they will go to your site for more.

Make a Newsletter.

This may sound like hard work because of all the articles you may need to use to build a newsletter but on the contrary, this is not so. There are many writers and sites that are willing to provide free articles as long as they can get their name in on your newsletter. This will also provide free advertising for them as well.

As your newsletter gets pass around, you can widen your public awareness and build an opt-in list that can regularly visit your site.

Join Online Communities and Forums

This only requires your time and nothing else. You can share your knowledge and expertise with many online communities as well as your website. You can get free advertising when you go to forums that have the same subject or niche with your site.

Share your two cents and let them see how knowledgeable you are with the subject. As you build your reputation, you also build the reputation of your site, making it a reputable and honest business that could be frequented and trusted by many people.

This article is presented by transnada travel


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Monday, May 25, 2009

Bankruptcy and Debt Consolidation

There are lots of sites online offering all kinds of debt solutions. More of them call themselves debt consolidation, but that term is used so generally it sounds like it could mean almost anything. Perhaps you don't care about terminology. After all, a debt program that works is all that matters, right? If you are in debt, you can get that one of your problems right now is not so much lack of information as it is too much information!

The truth is that you need to know all about these

things in order to select the right choice for your situation. Pick the wrong one can cost you're money, damage your credit, and keep you stuck in debt. Pick the right one can get you out of debt.

Get start with the one not on the list: bankruptcy. Believe it or not, Americans have a Constitutional right to go bankrupt.

You can declare bankruptcy in the U.S. without getting a lawyer and judge involved. Bankruptcy is a legal proceeding. The proceeding becomes part of public record. Bankruptcy is highly intrusive in that outsiders will now determine how your money will be divided up to pay off debt and what you must sell.

Bankruptcy offers an advantage many debitors really love. A court has the power to issue "bankruptcy protection." You may be allowed to write off certain debts. That means some debts just go away; you are no longer obligated to pay them. Moreover, once you have "bankruptcy protection," bill collectors can no longer pursue you for those debts.

The problem with bankruptcy is that it all but ruins your credit. It stays on your credit report for seven years, and it has a way of cropping up even after that. It makes it very tough to get new loans or buy a house. The loans you will be able to get will be at very high rates of interest since you've suddenly become a high-risk borrower.

Bankruptcy will turn your life upside down. If you have secured loans (like car notes or loans to buy electronic equipment), those things can be repossessed. The court may seize or order you to sell certain assets and take the money to pay off other debts. Another requirement is taking care money management classes, kind of like being forced to go to debtors' rehab.

While bankruptcy does have its place, it is definitely the last choice

Debt settlement and debt negotiation mean roughly the same thing: you or somebody representing you sits down and talks to your creditors to work out a solution.

The rule is that you work out (negotiate) a way to end (settle) your debt. You may be able to get the interest rate reduced or the terms of payment changed (such as getting a couple of months off or extending the terms of the loan). Sometimes you negotiate to try to get the balance reduced. As an example, assume you owe $10,000. You would negotiate with your creditor to try to get him to accept less, say $5,000, and mark the debt paid in full.

Why would anyone act that? The main reason a creditor will negotiate a debt is that they suspect you are flirting with bankruptcy and they are fearful that if you go bankrupt, they won't get anything. From their viewpoint, $5,000 may be better than nothing.

Debt settlement and negotiation plans will almost assuredly make it all but impossible to get future loans at reasonable interest (if at all).

A debt management plan (DMP) is a formal plan where you hand your problem off to a company which then negotiates your debt. You make one monthly payment to the DMP and they handle your problem.

Although there are legitimate DMP programs out there, these are very treacherous waters. Do your homework and check with the Better Business Bureau as well as a certified credit counselor (nfcc.org) and maybe your bank or credit union. There are programs out there that are outright frauds and a few that are not dishonest but not exactly advantageous to the customer.

The last access is something called debt consolidation. Ironically, many debt settlement, debt management plans, and debt negotiation companies will call their programs "debt consolidation." That is not inaccurate, but it's a bit misleading.

Debt consolidation simply means lumping all your debts together. In one way, that is what all debt plans do at first, whether it's bankruptcy, a DMP, or some other program.

But pure debt consolidation involves lumping your debts together and then taking out one big loan to pay them off.

Why would anyone do that?

If you have a lot of high-interest loans, you may be able to take out lower-interest loans to pay them off. For instance, if you owe $10,000 at 22% on a credit card and you can borrow $10,000 at 10% from your bank, you would be smart to borrow $10,000 at 10% and pay off the credit card. You still owe $10,000, but you owe it at less than half the interest rate. If you keep making the same payments, you'll pay the debt off much sooner.
If you own a house and can refinance it or get a home equity loan or second mortgage, you can use that to consolidate your debt. Let's say all of your debts together came to $100,000 and you owed them at varying interest rates from 22% down to 10%. If you own a house and take out a second mortgage (or use another refinancing option), you can borrow $100,000 and pay off all of your debt. You can structure this second mortgage as a 30-year loan and probably get it at 7% or even lower. The result is a significantly lowered monthly payment and a carload of individual loans you can stamp "paid in full".

Debt consolidation offers a lot of advantages. (That's why so many programs like to call themselves debt consolidation!)

It is the only debt solution that can actually help your credit score (your credit score goes up whenever you pay off loans in full). If you are willing to take the time to learn a few things, you can do it yourself (no fees or other people to pay). It's not intrusive; in fact, if done properly, no one would ever guess you did it. Even if your bank or a loaner figured it out they would probably think you're smart to handle your debt that way.

If you can figure out how to do a pure debt consolidation on your own, you don't need to bother with hiring a company (or a lawyer), entering financial rehab, or paying off agents to "manage" your money.

In the interest of fair revelation, however, it must be stated that debt consolidation in its pure form will not work for everyone. Some people will not qualify for it. There are others who might indeed qualify for debt consolidation articles Submission, but will find another plan is more to their advantage. It's important to learn what you can to find out if debt consolidation is suitable for you.

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The Budget – The Ultimate Financial Management Tool

The Budget – The Ultimate Financial Management Tool


A carpenter uses a set of house plans to build a house. If he didn’t the bathroom might get overlooked altogether.

Rocket Scientists would never begin construction on a new booster rocket without a detailed set of design specifications. Yet most of us go blindly out into the world without an inkling of an idea about finances and without any plan at all.


Not very smart of us, is it?

A money plan is called a budget and it is crucial to get us to our desired financial goals.

Without a plan we will drift without direction and end up marooned on a distant financial reef.

If you have a spouse or a significant other, you should make this budget together. Sit down and figure out what your joint financial goals are…long term and short term.

Then plan your route to get to those goals. Every journey begins with one step and the first step to attaining your goals is to make a realistic budget that both of you can live with.

A budget should never be a financial starvation diet. That won’t work for the long haul. Make reasonable allocations for food, clothing, shelter, utilities and insurance and set aside a reasonable amount for entertainment and the occasional luxury item. Savings should always come first before any spending.

Even a small amount saved will help you reach your long term and short term financial goals. You can find many budget forms on the internet. Just use any search engine you choose and type in “free budget forms”.

You’ll get lots of hits. Print one out and work on it with your spouse or significant other. Both of you will need to be happy with the final result and feel like it’s something you can stick to.


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Spend Wisely to Save Money

Spend Wisely to Save Money


Have you ever noticed that the things you buy every week at the grocery and hardware stores go up a few cents between shopping trips? Not by much…just by a little each week but they continue to creep up and up.

All it takes for the price to jump up by a lot is a little hiccup in the world wide market, note the price of gasoline as it relates to world affairs.

There is a way that we can keep these price increases from impacting our personal finances so much and that is by buying in quantity and finding the best possible prices for the things we use and will continue to use everyday… things that will keep just as well on the shelves in our homes as it does on the shelves at the grocery store or hardware store.

For instance, dog food and cat food costs about 10% less when bought by the case than it does when bought at the single can price and if you wait for close out prices you save a lot more than that.

Set aside some space in your home and make a list of things that you use regularly which will not spoil. Any grain or grain products will need to be stored in airtight containers that rats can’t get into so keep that in mind.

Then set out to find the best prices you can get on quantity purchases of such things as bathroom items and dry and canned food.

You will be surprised at how much you can save by buying a twenty pound bag of rice as opposed to a one pound bag but don’t forget that it must be kept in a rat proof container.

You can buy some clothing items such as men’s socks and underwear because those styles don’t change, avoid buying children’s and women’s clothing, those styles change and sizes change too drastically.

Try to acquire and keep a two year supply of these items and you can save hundreds of dollars.

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Rebates – Reward or Rip Off?


Rebates have become increasingly popular in the last few years on a lot of items and certainly on electronic items and computers. Rebates of $20, $50 or $100 are not uncommon.

I’ve even seen items advertised as “free after rebate”. Do these rebates come under the heading of “too good to be true”? Some of them do and there are “catches” to watch out for but if you are careful, rebates can help you get some really good deals.

The way a rebate works is that you pay the listed price for an item then mail in a


form and the bar code to the manufacturer and they send you a refund thus reducing the price of what you paid for the item except with a time delay of several weeks.


Rule #1. Rebates from reputable companies are usually just fine.

You can be pretty sure you will get the promised rebate from Best Buy, Amazon or Dell but you should probably not count on getting one from a company you’ve never heard of. If you really want the product and are OK with paying the price listed then buy it but don’t count on actually getting the refund.


Rule #2. Check rebate expiration dates.

Many times products will stay on the shelf of a retailer after the date for sending in the rebate offer has expired so check that date carefully.


Rule #3. Be sure you have all the forms required to file for the rebate before you leave the store.

Rebates will almost always require a form to be filled out, a receipt for the purchase and a bar code.

Rule #4. Back up your rebate claim.

Make copies of everything you send in to get your rebate including the bar code. Stuff gets lost in the mail all the time and if the rebate is for $50 it’s worth the trouble to back up your claim.


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Saturday, May 23, 2009

Affiliate Programs That should We Choose

Affiliate Programs That should We Choose

Ask questions first before you join an affiliate program. Do a little research about the choices of program that you intend to join into. Get some answers because they will be the deciding point of what you will be achieving later on.

Will it cost you anything to join? Most affiliate programs being offered today are absolutely free of charge. So why settle for those that charge you some dollars before joining.



When do they issue the commission checks? Every program is different. Some issue their checks once a month, every quarter, etc. Select the one that is suited to your payment time choice. Many affiliate programs are setting a minimum earned commission amount that an affiliate must meet or exceed in order for their checks to be issued.

What is the hit per sale ratio? This is the average number of hits to a banner or text link it takes to generate a sale based on all affiliate statistics. This factor is extremely important because this will tell you how much traffic you must generate before you can earn a commission from the sale.

How are referrals from an affiliate’s site tracked and for how long do they remain in the system? You need to be confident on the program enough to track those people you refer from your site. This is the only way that you can credit for a sale. The period of time that those people stay in the system is also important. This is because some visitors do not buy initially but may want to return later to make the purchase. Know if you will still get credit for the sale if it is done some months from a certain day.

What are the kinds of affiliate stats available? Your choice of affiliate program should be capable of offering detailed stats. They should be available online anytime you decide to check them out. Constantly checking your individual stats is important to know how many impressions, hits and sales are already generated from your site. Impressions are the number of times the banner or text link was viewed by a visitor of your site. A hit is the one clicking on the banner or text links.

Does the affiliate program also pay for the hits and impressions besides the commissions on sales? It is important that impressions and hits are also paid, as this will add to the earnings you get from the sales commission. This is especially important if the program you are in offers low sales to be able to hit ratio.

Who is the online retailer? Find out whom you are doing business with to know if it is really a solid company. Know the products they are selling and the average amount they are achieving. The more you know about the retailer offering you the affiliate program, the easier it will be for you to know if that program is really for you and your site.

Is the affiliate a one tier or two tier program? A single tier program pays you only for the business you yourself have generated. A two tier program pays you for the business, plus it also pays you a commission on the on the sales generated by any affiliate you sponsor in your program. Some two-tier programs are even paying small fees on each new affiliate you sponsor. More like a recruitment fee.

Lastly, what is the amount of commission paid? 5% - 20% is the commission paid by most programs. .01% - .05% is the amount paid for each hit. If you find a program that also pays for impressions, the amount paid is not much at all. As you can see from the figures, you will now understand why the average sales amount and hit to sale ratio is important.

These are just some of the questions that needed answering first before you enter into an affiliate program. You should be familiar with the many important aspects that your chosen program should have before incorporating them into your website. Try to ask your affiliate program choices these questions. These can help you select the right program for you site from among the many available.


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