Google Talk

Google are not sleeping these days - they (like Yahoo) have just launched their answer to Skype - although you have to have a Gmail account to use it at this point - is looks like a really clean application ~ 1mb although there does not appear to be any "wow" features as far as I could see.

"They say talk is cheap. Google thinks it should be free. Google Talk enables you to call or send instant messages to your friends for free–anytime, anywhere in the world. "

Check it out:
http://www.google.com/talk/

Google Sidebar

Google is releasing a new piece of software that could challenge both Microsoft and Yahoo, on various levels. The free program, known as Sidebar, presents consumers with a pane of customized information -- such as weather forecasts, stock quotes, news headlines, text feeds from favorite Web sites, photo slideshows and email alerts -- that sits alongside whatever else the user is viewing. It provides some functions similar to Yahoo's popular MyYahoo customized Web-page service.

Check it out:
http://desktop.google.com/

The cult of blogging

Blogging certainly isn't going away in the short term, with corporates desperate to get in on the action. Steve Strauss on USA Today lists several advantages of blogging for smaller businesses:

- Strengthen relationships
- Build your brand
- Improve customer service
- Increase employee awareness
- Build your reputation
- Bump your search engine rankings

Perhaps the weirdest new take on blogging is that detailed in Blogoriented.com, a blog by two guys who are trying to set up a self-proclaimed "blogsploitation" venture:

"Our general business model is a two tiered effort to hire Chinese citizens to write blogs en masse for us at a valued wage. The first tier is to create original blogs. These blogs will pop up in various areas of the net and appear to the unknowing reader to be written by your standard American. Our short term goal for these original blogs is to generate a steady stream of revenue through traditional blog advertising like google adwords. We estimate that our current blogforce of 25 can support around 500 unrelated blogs.

[...]

"The second tier of our plan is a blog vacation service where our employees fill in for established bloggers who need to take a break from regular posting. As all bloggers know, an unupdated blog is quickly forgotten. For a nominal fee we can provide seamless integration of filler."

A bizarre though interesting idea. If you start spotting the odd Shanghai in-joke on AME Info blog next holiday season, you'll know it's succeeded.

Video newswrap

AME Info Broadcast now has a new video newswrap section. This will feature short summaries of international business news and world news, as well as general interest stories.



Click here for the section:

The World's First Windows Mobile 5.0 Based 3G Device

The next generation MS based devices are being released soon (2nd half 2005)

i-mate will probably be releasing their version before or during Gitex and probably name it "i-mate 2005" - looks pretty cool huh?




"This is the first time we are seeing the same internet experience, which you can only have in your office, with universal 3G high speed wireless data capability and large VGA display legibility. The new features from Windows Mobile 5.0 will greatly improve the keyboard experience and persistent storage feature will keep user data forever." said Peter Chou, president of HTC.

This is is a 3G-enabled device that takes advantage of the Windows Mobile 5.0 features, The built-in keyboard enables users to create and edit files with Microsoft Office applications. For phone and communications, the latest video telephony and dual-camera functionality facilitate high-speed connections and videoconferencing. The clamshell design of the device features a 180 degree pivot screen. With its new user interface boasting portrait and landscape modes, the new 3G phone will automatically change to the best interface.

Users can also switch between the two display modes at their own discretion. In addition, users can send and receive pictures and video files at more rapid connection speeds. With its dual speaker stereophonic sound system, users can enjoy smooth and high-resolution videos at anytime.

TRUSTe Privacy Seal Program

AME Info FZ LLC is now a certified licensee of the TRUSTe® Privacy Seal Program. The privacy statement and practices of www.ameinfo.com have been reviewed by TRUSTe for compliance with their strict program requirements.

The TRUSTe program is consistent with government and industry guidelines concerning the use of your personal information. These standards include the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Guidelines on the Protection of Privacy and Transborder Flows of Personal Data, the Federal Trade Commission and Department of Commerce's Fair Information Practices, the California Online Privacy Protection Act, and the CAN-SPAM Act.

Please make note of our updated privacy statement on:
http://www.ameinfo.com/privacy/


You can learn more about the benefits of the TRUSTe Seal here:
http://www.truste.org/

Yahoo! indexes audio files

Yahoo has introduced a test version of a new search service that it claims can comb through 50 million music, voice and other audio files.

With this, Yahoo says you can search for items such as music, interviews, speeches and newscasts, podcasts, and sound effects. We have submitted some interviews already hopefully they will be indexed.

I suppose Google are developing something similar?

Related URL:
http://audio.search.yahoo.com/

Roku Soundbridge M2000

This is just awesome, just received this great gadget from the UK and it will be installed in office this coming week - so you can drop by to see and not leat hear for yourself ;-)

It simply hooks up to the network wirelessly (no software installation) and then you can control it via an html interface by just entering the IP address. You can preset radio stations (like AME Info Radio) and also access playlists locally on a server using the new Microsoft Media Connect. It also works with iTunes by the way...

Related sites:
http://www.rokulabs.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/devices/wmconnect/

Log files - why you should care

In these competitive times - keeping an eye on your log files becomes increasingly important. Google-wanna-be's and other bigger sites simply attempting to lift off your hard work and use it at their will is happening every day - not just on an international scale - but also right here in the region.

As crawlers are becoming a $20 investment - anyone with limited or no skills at all can pretty much set up their own little spider and start harvesting content off your site and do what ever they like with it.

The nature of the web is that the content you publish is available for users to read and consequently also for crawlers to eat their way through - but just because content is available online it does not mean it is free for anyone to rip it off you.

So get your legal terms in place - ensure users acknowledge your terms of service when signing up and ensure that you include a well structured robots.txt on your server preventing "good" crawlers from getting to areas you want them to stay out of. Keep in mind that "evil" crawlers will ignore your robots.txt - hence watch your log files for spamming activity!