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Viewing entries posted in 2006
Omnidrive Goes Global
Posted by Internetrix on 15 February 2006
It's no secret that our Managing Director, Geoff McQueen has just returned from three weeks overseas. But while you might think be thinking 'wow, that lucky guy taking time off just after Christmas holidays', that's not exactly the case. Geoff's been in the heart of the world's innovative technology scene, working hard to secure funding from some of Silicon Valley's top investors.
Google AdWord Tips
Posted by Internetrix on 1 February 2006
Paying for better rankings results on Google is sure fire way to increase web traffic to your site. Throughout the years, Internetrix has successfully managed client Google AdWord campaigns and learned a thing or two along the way.
Creating a successful Google AdWords campaign isn’t exactly brain surgery, but it isn’t exactly easy either. It’s takes a bit of work. So if you want more people visiting your site and perusing your products and/or services, then listen up!
First off, begin thinking like your customer. “If I was a potential customer using an Internet search engine, what terms would I use to search for my products and services?” A couple hours of brainstorming will likely bring you some good answers.
Next, generate a budget for you AdWords campaign. To help you, establish your competition on the words you chose. Do this by searching your list of words to see what paid advertisements are listed across the top banner and at the right hand side of the page. If there are lots of advertisers in those places expect to pay more than a less competitive set of keywords.
Now it’s time to get down to writing the ads. Remember there’s a limit of about 35 characters per line. The desired format is this:
Catchphrase
Line 1
Line 2
Website link
Keep in mind it’s hard to know how much you’ll need to spend upfront. Advertising costs are incurred when someone clicks through to your website. You control spending by setting a daily budget. Once that daily limit is consumed, ad won’t show again until the next day.
Like previously mentioned it’s not brain surgery, but it takes some manipulation to get an overall effective campaign using keywords that don’t cost too much and the right lines wording in the advertising.
The best advice: do your research. Before embarking on this type of marketing campaign, sit on Google for a while and type in words and phrases that you would expect your potential client base to use. Monitor the amount of sponsored links displayed. You’ll eventually get a sense of how much competition is out there and hence the costs involved to get your own sponsored links in position.
Be sure to try at different times of the day as some advertisers daily budgets might have already been consumed. Another sneaky trick is revisiting Google and continually clicking on an ad until it disappears. This will give you a sense of your competitor’s budget.
For more information on effective search engine campaigns call Internetrix on 1800 007 581 or Contact Internetrix Online.
Security Roundup
Posted by Internetrix on 30 January 2006
As usual, there's plenty to report on in the world of computer and internet security. Hopefully this month's tips will help to keep you and your computer safe and healthy!
Say What: VoIP
Posted by Internetrix on 30 January 2006
You may not have heard the term VoIP being tossed around, but you've surely heard the term Skype being tossed around in the media a bit lately. I know I have. In case you haven't, Skype is program that lets you make phone calls over the internet and VoIP is the technology that makes Skype possible.
Big deal you think, talking over the internet. Who cares when I have a landline and a mobile right? Wrong. VoIP is becoming as much, or more, of a cultural phenomena than a technological phenomena by changing the way we make phone calls and think about communicating.
But before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's rewind just a little. VoIP is short for voice over internet protocol. The technology, which dates back to 1999, involves sending voice information in digital form via discrete packets of information rather than the traditional means of the switched telephone network.
The most convincing VoIP benefit is its price--free. That's right, free. Even the software needed to make the calls from your computer is free and it includes extra features such as caller ID, call waiting, call transfer, three-way calling and more.
Sounds too good to be true right? Perhaps. A few barriers still exist before the technology completely changes phones as we know them today. Unlike traditional landlines, VoIP is dependant on wall power so if the power goes out, so does your phone. Emergency calls to 000 become a challenge and of course all phone calls are susceptible to hiccups normally associated with broadband services. VoIP is also susceptible to worms and viruses.
If you're still interested in giving the technology a try then check out some of the free software available today. Some Australian VoIP providers include Engin, MyNetFone, Frestel and Broadband Phone.
But chances are if you know anyone already talking on the phone via the internet it's with Skype.
Skype was recently bought out by eBay and is quickly becoming a phenomenon among its 40 million worldwide users. With its origins as free, peer-to-peer software, Skype is today a legitimate means to bypass costly phone services, and more.
The software also offers instant messaging with file transfer capabilities and like instant messaging, it has a buddy list that lets you see who's connected, available and away.
If you want to use Skype's more advanced features you'll have to pay--mind you the rates are minimal. SkypeOut lets users make Skype calls to landlines and mobiles around the world for as little as $0.027 per minute. SkypeIn allows users to get their own phone number so people who aren't using Skype can call them from a regular phone line. SkypeIn costs $48 for a year.
Here at Internetrix we recently began using Skype and use it regularity to make international calls to places as far as India and the US. We've found the quality of service to be quite good with only a few drop-outs that don't last longer than "Hello, are you there? Hello? Oh, there you are." We also use SkypeIn allowing us to have California-based numbers so contacts in California can contact us free of charge. Quite handy.
As more and more businesses install VoIP systems it is quite likely that some time down the road traditional phone systems will become obsolete. Even mobile phone networks are at risk as Skype has developed a new mobile phone in conjunctions with Netgear that uses wireless internet and enables users to call Skype contacts for free from any wireless hotspot in the world.
What will they think of next?
'Tis the season to share your photos
Posted by Internetrix on 30 January 2006
With another festive season come and gone, most of us probably have a camera full of digital photos that no one will ever see. If you're like a lot of people, you'd love to post the shots online but have no idea where to start. Don't fret. Sharing photos online is a breeze.
In fact you don't even need any fancy tools or skills. All you need to do is visit one of the many websites that offer such a service.
Today's most popular photo sharing site is www.Flickr.com, but some others include smugmug.com, zoto.com, shutterbook.com and more. All offer different storage allocations, bandwidth limitations and image handling features.
For learning sake, let's concentrate on Flickr.
Owned by Yahoo, Flickr allows users to easily do everything from uploading to organising photos in the browser. A free version allows you to post 20MB of photos each calendar month. Unlike other providers, this 20MB is a bandwidth limit, not a storage limit. A Flickr pro account costs US$24.95 and the monthly upload limit is 2GB.
Flickr's 'uploader' is special as it not only resizes images before uploading (so you don't use up your bandwidth too quickly), but also knows to automatically turn portrait shots. Once you post your photos online you can securely and privately show them to friends and family by emailing them a link to your site. Friends and family can add notes and comments. If you don't want all you shots made public, you can create private albums that only select people to view.
What makes Flickr different than other photo-posting websites is that it's widely used by bloggers as a photo repository and its popularity has been fueled by its innovative community tools, allowing photos to be tagged, searched and browsed. All this cultivates a lively, informal and fun atmosphere--a sort of online community.
So now you know. It's easy and simple to give your photos a home other than on your camera. Give it a try so people can actually see all those photos you took over the holidays.
Internetrix Gets Government Funding
Posted by Internetrix on 30 January 2006
Internetrix is thrilled to announce we have been awarded government funding to further develop Internetrix--Australia's first fully online Development Application process.
Consumer Electronics Show
Posted by Internetrix on 30 January 2006
The 2006 Consumer Electronic Show didn't disappoint this year with a whole new assortment of gadgets and gizmos, many beyond our wildest dreams. Held from the 5th to 8th of January in Las Vegas, the world's largest consumer electronic tradeshow introduced thousands of new products from more than 2,500 exhibitors to 150,000 attendees from 110 countries.
What new and exciting innovations were introduced this year? Lots. Plus a new spin on some older products. Visitors to the tradeshow found most product launches involved how we access information, watch movies, listen to music, view photos and of course, have fun!
Digital video was huge with next generation, high definition DVD players on display, while new generation cable boxes that store high-definition content wowed audiences. Satellite TV provider DirectTV announced an agreement to make set-top boxes that trade content with Windows Media Centre PCs. On the television note IPTV, or internet protocol TV, was billed as the future of television. This means internet-based TV services from your laptop or PC.
To watch TV, bigger and less expensive flat screen televisions were a real hit, while Panasonic displayed its massive 103 inch (262cm) flat screen. Phillips displayed a LCD screen that rolled up like a window shade.
Sony's displayed its electronic book. The Sony Reader is the size of a paperback novel and stores hundreds of books. Users open the cover to see electronic 'paper', virtually undistinguishable from the real thing, display book content one page at a time. It's expected to retail somewhere between US$300 and US$400 and is due for release in the US this April.
One the wackier side of things Samsung displayed a washing machine that uses bits of silver to help disinfect clothes while another vendor showed off a stationary bike where exercisers have to pedal at a certain speed to keep the volume of their TV at a audible level.
But what seemed to impress more than the gadgets themselves was the 350 big-name CES keynote speakers ranging from Microsoft's Bill Gates to Sony's CEO Howard Stringer to Google co-founder Larry Page. Even Tom Hanks, Robin Williams and Justin Timberlake made cameo appearances during speaker sessions.
Bill Gates opened the entire Consumer Electronics Show to a packed crowd, stressing that Microsoft wants to do more than make sure that its devices are in every office, home, mobile phone and car--he also wants to make sure that they are all seamlessly and easily networked. Technology, according to Gates, will continue to make people's lives simpler and more enjoyable.
Gates showcased for the first time some of the most interesting consumer aspects of Windows Vista--Microsoft's follow-up to Windows XP. Expected to be released before the end of 2006, the next generation operating system features a 3-D user interface with translucent windows that let users see what other windows are running on the machine. Vista will also feature a digital archiving system that lets users store, search and edit photos.
With new advanced features, it seems that Vista represents Microsoft trying to make the PC the centrepiece of the digital home. As Gates predicted in his address, rich media from movies to games will increasingly be available over a wide range of networked devices that will be easy to use. This year, according to Gates is the year of digital media going mainstream.
Speaking on more than just Vista, Gates stressed Microsoft's desire to power a multitude of devices ranging from smart mobile phones to the new gaming console, Xbox 360. And he did talk about some more 'out there' innovations. One of them was the future office monitor. Imagine a large transparent sheet of glass that covers an entire desk, taking up your whole field of vision. To move things on the desk you touch them and move them around. Wow!
In an equally popular session, Google co-founder Larry Page gave the closing CES keynote address. As Internetrix has mentioned before, Google is one of the most innovative companies of the last decade. Page's presentation made this statement even truer.
In keeping with the digital content, Page launched a beta version of Google Video, a video and television store that makes content available for download 24/7. Page also spoke of GooglePack--a free collection of essential software that includes Google initiatives such as Google Earth and Google Desktop as well as Mozilla Firefox, Norton Antivirus, Adobe Reader and more.
Other more 'down the road' Google projects Page explained included a Volkswagen with a prototype Google dashboard and cameras that can trade pictures without going to a computer. Google's also working on a $100 computer with MIT to allow more people to have internet access as he stated only 15 percent of the world currently uses the internet.
With all this technology on display, it begs the question of what CES 2007 will bring.
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