Microsoft has confirmed that it is internally testing a new Internet search engine which it has codenamed ‘Kumo’ (Japanese for ‘cloud’ or ‘spider’). At present, Kumo is being tested by Microsoft employees, but the company is hopeful that if all goes well, the search engine could be released for public use by the end of the year. In a leaked … Read More
Drinking, stealing or a bitter failure?
Seth Godin recently wrote a timely reminder about online responsibility. He describes how a friend advertising for a housekeeper Googled three of the applicants, only to discover that one was a binge drinker, one was a bitter failed artist, and the third a convicted shoplifter. He makes the point that anything and everything you do ends up on your permanent … Read More
AdWords Version 3.0?
As you’ve probably heard by now, Google are in the process of shaking up their AdWords system – inside and out. To begin with, they’re now displaying AdWords ads in their News searches. This is more than a little puzzling. First of all, you probably assumed they were already doing so, right? Secondly, you now might be wondering why they … Read More
Trying to work out how to use Twitter
On November 14th, 2008, I posted my first ever tweet: “Trying to work out how to use twitter“. 104 days later, I’m still trying to work out how to use it. But I’m getting there. I keep reading about how vital Twitter is for businesses. Having run a business for more than ten years and a Tweeter account for more … Read More
iPhone or BlackBerry?
We all enjoy convincing our peers that our gadgets/toys/business communication devices are better than theirs. Betamax vs. VHS, IE vs. Netscape, PC vs. Mac, IPAQ vs. Palm and so on. A surprising number of people are nowadays arguing the BlackBerry – iPhone debate, and if you step aside from the bulging-eyed fanatics of each, it’s actually quite interesting to watch … Read More
Good, bad and hmmm
Ever since recently rereading Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the world appears to have polarised into good and evil. Right and wrong. Politics has become about doing what’s right, wars are declared against tyrants, and countries led by bad men are branded as evil. Businesses have grown to realise that being good not only looks good, it is good. … Read More
Software Pirate Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison
24-year-old Timothy Kyle Dunaway was sentenced to 41 months in a US federal penitentiary for selling pirated business software. Using servers in Austria and Malaysia, Dunaway ran more than 40 websites that sold over one million dollars of counterfeit software between July 2004 and May 2008. Dunaway was also ordered to pay more than $800,000 in restitution and had his … Read More
Windows XP Pro downgrade lawsuit
A class action lawsuit has been launched against Microsoft, for charging users who wish to downgrade from Windows Vista to Windows XP. I am no legal expert, but the lawsuit does not make any sense to me. If you buy a new computer and the manufacturer is not offering Windows XP as an option, you can either buy a license … Read More
Seth Godin, algorithms and Darwin
Confession: To my shame, I used to be cynical towards Seth Godin’s ideas. I know it’s hard to imagine a cynical Brit, but it happens. Today I’m older and wiser. Well older anyway. And I know genius when I see it. Or read it. I’ve been reading his books for some time now, and find his outlook on the world … Read More
Do you have any old adwords accounts for sale?
I just received the following email: “Good morning, I am looking buy old google adwords accounts an can pay $300 per account. Do you have any that you are willing to sell? Ideally I am looking for… Has been opened over 3 months A budget spend of over $100 – $200 a day for some time Account has less than10 … Read More
