I remember doing a web strategy engagement for a major publisher, where the focus was making the site sticky, relevant and where the success metrics were visits to the site, length of stay and frequency of visits. The marketing team focused its budgets and efforts on generating traffic and shoring up the features, tools and information provided.

The challenge with this strategy is that introducing a new and valuable destination for users in the current saturated and fragmented web market is extremely expensive and hard to sustain beyond the initial marketing campaigns.

With consumers (and business users) spending more and more of their time in specific sites, social networks and through mobile devices, businesses are following suite and coming to the mountain.

A recent statement from one of our clients summarizes the change nicely - "We need to be where our audience lives, not focus on getting them to us." An updated strategy would try to make content and services available where people already spend time. In addition to the central site, companies are finding ways to leverage their content and services throughout the web.

It is much harder than building a great website and doing expensive SEO/SEM. Not that these can go by the wayside, they are still very important but additionally the following must be considered:

• Who are your different audiences? What are their online habits and communication preferences? Should you revise segmentation models from site activity focus to external behavior and web usage patterns?
• What information and services will make sense to expose? In what format? Is it sufficient to provide text based RSS, audio podcasts, Video Webcasts?
• What can be packaged in widgets, plugins and applications?
• Do you have location specific services and applications that will help users with mobile devices?

The benefits can be substantial, expanding reach at a fraction of the cost needed to get people to the company's site, and are much more sustainable over a period of time.

In addition to its impact on marketing, the new outreach strategy has a large impact on the technology. Bringing renewed value to service oriented architecture and modular design, the ability to segment and deliver slivers of content and functionality to remote users can only be achieved if the applications are built using open standards and accessible through web API's.

The event has begun. Steve Jobs comes out (he looks pretty good), and says we're here to talk notebooks. He says we'll first go over the state of the Mac, and Tim Cook, Apple's Chief Operating Officer, comes out to do that.

Apple sold 2.5 million Macs last quarter, he says, and the Mac has been growing at 2-3x the market rate of growth.

Among the reasons he lists for the Mac doing well: Better computers, better software, compatibility, and Microsoft Vista (which hasn't lived up to expectations). Other reasons are marketing (those clever Mac vs. PC ads), and retail stores. The stores greet 400,000 visitors each day, and half of Mac buyers there are new to the Mac. Cook shows a picture of the new Apple Store in Sydney, Australia; and the Beijing store in China.

The Mac has outgrown the market for the last 14 of 15 quarters, he says, citing data from IDC. The Intel transition is the one quarter when Apple stumbled – he says it's because they weren't able to keep up with demand. He also notes that Macs make up 18 percent of PCs sold at U.S. retail, and 31 percent of PC revenues. Apple is back on top as the number-one supplier of laptops to education. He says that at major university, the Mac now has about 49 percent market share.

Jobs is back on stage to talk notebooks. First, he says, we'll talk about the ways laptops are built. He invited Jony Ive, Apple's design guru, to the stage to talk about it.

He puts a MacBook Pro on the screen to talk about design challenges.

One of the biggest challenges, he says, is to make a thin and light product robust, strong. The internal frame (with some magnesium) plays a bigger part than the aluminum skin, he says. He talks through the stiffening plates and structural frames that provide support, showing it all in on-screen images.

Apple has for years been looking at a better way of building a notebook, he says, and he thinks Apple has found it. The MacBook Air was the first example of the breakthrough that Apple thinks it has achieved. Rather than start with a thin piece of aluminum and add structures, Apple starts with a thick piece, and remove other traditional notebook structures. (This is getting pretty wonky, but the crowd is riveted because we know this is leading to the big reveal of the product at the end.)

With the MacBook Air, Apple starts with a solid slab of aluminum that weighs 2.5 pounds, and ends with a .25-pound machined part. (Apple recycles the leftovers.) "We've been working super-hard on trying to deisgn some new uni-body enclosures for some new notebooks."

Jobs is back to talk about new graphics. Nvidia came and talked to Apple a while back about a chipset for desktop computers, but Apple says it wanted a notebook version. It's the GeForce 9400M. It has 16 parallel graphic cores, with 54 gigaflops of performance, and it delivers up to 5 times faster graphics than the Intel integrated graphics Apple has been using. The new integrated graphics compares much more favorably to the high-end graphics in the MacBook Pro.

There's a new multi-touch glass trackpad that's 39 percent larger than what Apple's had before. There's no button now – the whole trackpad is the button. You can get multiple buttons through software, and there are now four-finger gestures. There are one-finger gestures to pan, two-finger gestures to pinch and rotate, three-finger gestures to flip through things, and four-finger gestures to use the Exposé feature.

Jobs says he's unveiling the new MacBook Pro. Instant-on LED display, all connectors on one side, black keys, and a black border around the screen.

The new structure saves Apple half the parts. He's so proud of it that he's assign one around. (I just got my hands on one. I haven't handled a lot of uni-body enclosures in my time, but this one seemed sturdy enough.) Besides the GeForce 9400M chipset, there's the 9600M GT. They offer 5 hours of battery life with integrated graphics, 4 hours with discreet. There's a slot-load optical drive on one side. On the other there's Ethernet, FireWire 800, USB 2, a Mini Display Port, a battery indicator on the side, and other ports. There will be an option for solid-state (flash) drives. There, of course, is 802.11n, and Bluetooth. It's .95 inches, the thinnest MacBook Pro ever.

The 15.4-inch starts at $1,999 with a 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the Nvidia goodies, and a 250-gigabyte hard drive. There's a higher-powered configuration for $2,499 that has a faster processor among other upgrades. The MacBook Pros are shipping today, and will arrive in stores tomorrow.

Jobs says Apple is just as proud of the things they left out of these products – specifically, toxic chemicals. They're Arsenic free, BFR free, Mercury free, PVC free, highly recyclable, and it has 37-percent smaller packaging.

The MacBook Air will also get an update with faster Nvidia graphics, a 120-GB hard drive, and an option for a 128-GB flash drive. It's $1,799. At $2,499 you get a faster processor and a solid-state drive. They'll be available in early November.

Moving on to displays, there's a new 24-inch model with LED backlighting. It has a new three-way connector that allows you to power a notebook. It has built-in webcam and mic, and a three-port USB hub. They'll be $899, available in November.

There's One More Thing – the MacBook.

Jobs says it's the best-selling MacBook ever. Apple's dropping the starting price to $999 from $1,099.

Also, people wanted a metal enclosure, faster graphics, and an LED backlit display.

The new top-tier MacBook, above the white MacBook, will have the aluminum uni-body enclosure that the MacBook Pro has. It will of course have the Nvidia graphics.

The new MacBook with metal enclosure will start at $1,299. An upgraded version will start at $1,599. The base-level white MacBook with the plastic enclosure will start at $999.

Now he's ordered the lights down, and he's showing a video with Jony Ive talking about the design of the new MacBook. It's basically going through the same features he just discussed, with some nice production values.

The video will be on the web today.

Now they're doing a Q&A.

Three caveats, Jobs says.

One, no questions about last quarter, because they announce next week.

Now he flashes "110/70" onto the screen. "This is all we're going to talk about on Steve's health today, if you want to see this number go higher, try asking more questions," he says.

Third, they won't talk about the overall economy.

First question on the Nvidia chip: Does Apple have exclusivity? Jobs doesn't clearly answer it, but the upshot seems to be no. He doesn't expect others to have the same solution soon.

Second is a question about HDMI vs. Display Port. And Blu-ray. Why no Blu-ray yet?

"Blu-ray is just, it's a bag of hurt," Jobs says. The licensing of the technology is a pain, and costs too much, he says.

Gene Munster asks whether there will be cannibalization of the MacBook Pro from the new aluminum MacBook. Jobs says there may be some, but he doubts there will be much – pros like to get top-flight performance.

There's a question about how much smaller the new MacBooks are.

There's a question on whether the new MacBook manufacturing process saves costs. Tim Cook is coy on the answer, but seems to imply there will be cost advantages. Jobs is a little clearer, saying these things tend to be move expensive in the beginning, and costs come down over time.

Another question on the glossy screens: Jobs says Apple's going to go with straight glass (glossy), because most people prefer it.

There's a question about whether Apple will come out with a netbook. (These are low-cost, lightweight, underpowered laptops.) Jobs' answer: "That's a nascent market that's just getting started, and we'll see how it goes."

Question on whether Apple designed the motherboards in-house: Yes.

Do touch screens make sense on laptops? "We've certainly experimented with it, as you might imagine," Jobs says, "and so far it hasn't made a lot of sense to us."

The Q&A, and the event, have ended.

You've probably heard the story of two guys walking in the woods who accidentally startle a hungry bear. As the bear turns to them, one laces up his running shoes. "Why bother? " his friend says. "There's no way we can outrun that bear." With a wink, the man replies, "I don't have to outrun the bear. I just have to outrun you."

Ahead of what's almost certain to be a dismal holiday season, this story takes on special meaning for Apple (AAPL). The bear market is poised to maul PC sales during the most important time of year, when about half of all annual sales happen. Investors clearly expect things to get ugly -– before Monday's market rally, they had slashed Apple's market value to half its year-ago level on fears that the credit crisis will ruin Apple's Christmas.

But here's the thing investors may be missing: Apple doesn't have to outrun a bear market. It just has to outrun PC makers like Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL). And with a new line of laptops set to debut Tuesday, CEO Steve Jobs will argue that he's already lacing up his running shoes.

Can Apple really rescue its holiday season? The idea may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. Even in bad years, consumers still buy computers; they just buy fewer of them. In the horrible fourth quarter of 2000, for example, consumer PC sales dropped 3 percent – painful, but not disastrous. Now, as then, the key for PC makers will be figuring out what features people really want, and offering them at a decent price. Back in 2000, Compaq had a strong holiday season because it correctly guessed that consumers would want CD burners built into their PCs. This year, consumers seem likely to be excited about laptops that are thin and lightweight yet affordable.

If thin and beautiful is in, that's good news for Apple. Rumor has it that, thanks to new manufacturing methods, the latest crop of MacBook laptops will sport a smoother look practically unmarred by screws and seams. And analysts expect Apple will lower prices in a nod to tough economic times – entry-level MacBooks will cost as little as $800 or $900, nearly 20 percent less than the current prices.

The laptop price cuts are great, as long as Apple doesn't take them too far. Part of the reason Apple has done so well lately is that it makes so much profit on every PC it sells – something like 25 cents on the dollar (competitors selling Microsoft (MSFT) Windows-based machines get less than half that). How does Apple do it? Apple doesn't sell discount computers. Instead, Apple's starter laptops are really mid-tier, weighing a trim 5 pounds and coming with goodies like Intel (INTC) Core 2 Duo processors and built-in webcams. When Apple tries to compete on price … well, things tend not to go so well. The Mac mini, the stripped-down $600 desktop computer, isn't exactly a top seller.

"For Apple, it's probably not a time to panic," says Steve Baker, analyst at retail tracking firm NPD. "I certainly don't see a reason that they need a very low-end notebook."

So, it's an open question whether the new designs will give Steve Jobs enough of an edge to avoid the bear, and outrun HP and Dell. But regardless, he shouldn't cut its laptop prices too far -– because Apple doesn't run well in cheap shoes.

To prevent unauthorized access to web pages, we configure Apache web server to grant access to clients only with pre-installed special pki keys. Yes, weak place of such system is if someone stole your phone he will have access to system. But as long it was only prototype we just postponed implementation of more serious access restrictions.

But then come big disappointment. First was 'backdoor' confirmed by Jobs. I dont know how about rest of humanity but I personally and our clients feel not very comfortable because of some one can trace or even control our actions. I am sure that Apple will not use private information but where guarantees that 'backdoor' soon will be not 'open' by smart guy? And our private data will flow to unknown direction...This scares.

Another nice surprise happens with me personally few days ago. I also using iPhone(honestly, I was the one who push idea use iPhone as control point to customers...This was my big mistake). One wonderful morning I have found out that my big contact book disappear. Phone showed to me only one number - my. Probably to alleviate disappointment - look, you dont lost all numbers. Obviously, here partially my mistake. I always though that cell phone - dramatically stable thing and never made backups. Why should I do this if all my previous phones working for a years without any problems. Yes, they was not so pretty looking, without touch screen and MP3 player. Is MP3 and touch screen can balance the scale with stability? Not for me for sure.

Phones become more feature rich, bit vendors trying to move responsibility of pure testing/buggy firmware from their R&D departments to you and me. You need permanently backup your contacts because we cant make out applications stable enough.

Here all depends for what you need your phone. For me phone is only instrument, not the part of image. Our clients just want do their work without risk lost some information or be hacked one day.
Even with personal use bugs are annoying, what to say about business? From our point of view Apple tried gain the market, it was rush - be the first with such phone, and they reduce testing time. Maybe this is wrong opinion. But for sure we will not recommend iPhone for our clients because he too young for serious business.

So the real question is, how fast is this new technology?  Recent test in Baltimore, MD have shown a top download speed of 3.05 Mbps.  By comparison, the average top speed for DSL and cable is 768 kbps and 1.5 Mbps respectively.  As you can see, WiMax offers speeds that even standard wired broadband can't match.  Now how about speeds compared to high speed 3G networks that cell phones run on?  When compared to a 3G EVDO Verizon Connection, we find that the EVDO connection yielded a top speed of 1.43 Mbps.  This test was carried out in an area in which both the WiMax and the EVDO signals were strong.

Unfortunately, a new wireless standard means new wireless hardware.  An initial investment of devices that can connect to the Xohm network is required, but Sprint seems to offer a decent selection of devices.  For those wanting to invest in a new platform, there are currently laptops and mobile devices that have integrated WiMax cards that do not require additional purchasing of equipment.  For those who prefer to save a buck or two and use their existing equipment, Sprint doesn't leave you out of the loop.  Featuring data cards and modems, you will be able to use your existing computer equipment with this exciting, new mobile connection.

As a person that will be hunting for a job and a place to live in the next 2-3 years, WiMax is particularly attractive.  Most of the computer and security industry is based in the Metro D.C. area where the Xohm network is based.  Instead of me having to pay for a cable or DSL line for a future home, I can invest in a WiMax Modem that relays the Xohm connection throughout my home.  I can even attach devices directly to the modem for a hard-wired solution.  Because WiMax is completely mobile, I can leave my house and surf the internet across the D.C. area without having to rely on few-and-far-between Wi-Fi networks.  Sprint recognizes that people want this kind of flexibility, so they offer a bunch of plans to suit many people.

Stories have popped up all over the internet about companies rolling out WiMax networks.  Competition generally yields savings for consumers as well as the ability to choose which company works best for you.  A problem that WiMax will attempt to address is supplying affordable internet for rural residents.  Currently, rural citizens must drudge upon 56k lines or expensive and unreliable satellite internet.  It is my hope that WiMax can free rural residents from the bondage of old and rusty internet connections.

Some of you know that this blog features stories about computer security.  As WiMax gains popularity, I'll be researching the security of the system and reporting back to you. Hopefully I'll get the chance to use the Xohm network in action when I return from University to Virginia.  The Sprint headquarters is located pretty close to where I live so there is a good chance that I'll be able to do so.

Links:

1. How it works
2. See if there is service in your area
3. Find out about the services
4. Xohm Security
5. Xohm Contact Info

Army eyes civilian gadgets for military use ArmyTimes.com, VA - 5 hours ago Service officials estimate there are 80000 mobile devices operating in Army cyberspace for official business — about half of them purchased and owned by the ...

Source: news.google.com

ZHMICRO Releases New Processors for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile ... - The Open Press (press release)

ZHMICRO Releases New Processors for Pocket PC and Windows Mobile ... The Open Press (press release) - 17 hours ago These would include Operating Systems for the Enterprise and Desktop such as Microsoft Windows, LINUX and Unix, and for mobile devices like Windows Mobile, ...

Source: news.google.com

During prehistoric times as a college student, a professor of mine returned a paper I submitted with a simple comment; "If this is the solution, what was the problem again?".  The professor gave me the Stalinistic "opportunity" to resubmit the paper with either the same or (hint hint) modified solution (wrong choice: Gulag for you).  Believing he was the south-side of a north-bound mule, I knew there was a trick to this situation.  Disassembling the paper logical thread by logical thread revealed he was right; the solution the paper proposed did not map to the original case study problem and an all night typewriter-based re-write was in order ( I hate when that happens!).

Pardon the rambling dementia, but we have the same situation here, Cloud Computing does not necessarily lead to a new Killer Application.  Logically, Cloud Computing will lead to a new range of hardware, not software innovation.   Cloud Computing presents the opportunity not to be enslaved to a classic server based data center or even a PC.  It will supercharge mobile computing via advanced cellphones and drive further mobile gadget innovation.  Cloud Computing drives pervasive computing, that is it's Killer Application.

Image courtesy of King Megatrip

The aboriginal three featured online autograph this ages all allotment a theme, abetment up and abating data.

Sonny Felker acquaint Computer Abstracts Accretion Procedures May be Avoided at Find Chargeless Online autograph - ArticlesBase. In Sonny's own words:

A acceptable adversity accretion plan involves added than just abetment up your information, although that is a actual analytical allotment of the process, and a abundant abode to start. But artlessly putting your analytical business abstracts on a CD or USB beam drive is not a able advancement process. I could not beddy-bye able-bodied at night alive that the admonition I use to run my business on, acquire money from and augment and abutment my ancestors with is benumbed on that actual capricious medium. Once again, something is bigger than nothing; however, there are absolutely bigger options available.

PreparedPC develops this affair in Advancement Your Harder drive Now; While You Still Accept Time. Admin writes:

One of the best favors you can do for your computer is to aback up the absolute harder drive just in case something goes wrong. The software is free, and for the amount of an alien harder drive and a brace hours of your time, you can be accessible for a harder drive crash.

Jules of PCauthorities.com gives admonition on How to Restore Files from a Damaged CD or DVD:

You did aggregate right. You fabricated approved CD or DVD copies of your files, kept them at a safe place, and now you can not apprehend the deejay anymore! Unfortunately even CD’s and DVD’s can be damaged and adulterate over time. But that does not beggarly all is lost, use a simple abstracts accretion affairs to balance files from damaged CD’s and DVD’s.

Apple Macs now use the aforementioned processors as PCs, which agency that it is accessible to run OSX on PCs. For those of you who don't wish to in fact change operating systems but wish to accept the attending of OSX, Gravity Blue presents Turn Your Windows XP into Mac OSX.

No amount what your operating arrangement looks like, eye ache is a botheration for anyone application their computer for continued periods. Do your eyes a favour and apprehend EyeCare Tips for Computer Users acquaint by mayursears at The Mega Sears for EveryOne !.

On the accountable of eyes, approved contributer, Andrew Edgington, explains Fixing Pet Eye on his site, Edit Your Digital Photos. While a lot of angel alteration programs accept a ability for ambidextrous with booze in pictures of humans this doesn't plan with the array of colours reflected in the eyes of animals if you yield pictures of them application the flash.

In adjustment to accomplish abiding that cipher is leaching your Internet bandwidth brennan gives admonition on how to Secure Your Wireless Network at HMTech.ca. Paul Wilcox of Security Manor helps us with addition Internet affair with his article, 4 Tips For Avoiding E-mail Spam, and for online gamers, Adam gives a tutorial on Connecting Xbox 360 to Xbox Live Via Vista Application ICS at Computer Tutorials.

Again, I would like to acknowledge all our contributers and admonish anyone with an IT themed blog that the carnival needs added hosts. This would not alone actualize a faculty of association but aswell to drive a little added cartage to your site.

It's official: Apple (AAPL) plans to unveil new laptops next week.

Just after 9 a.m. PT today, I got the customary e-mail from the folks in Cupertino, inviting me to a 10 a.m. Tuesday gathering at the Town Hall on Apple's campus. We all know what to expect: updates to the Mac maker's most important line of computers, its laptops. The event will take on added significance for two reasons. One, the new products represent Apple's best chance to offer a product so compelling that consumers will buy despite tough economic times. Two, the event comes just days before Apple announces fourth quarter earnings on October 21.

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