Cuil Search Engine nose dives like a Sopwith Camel with one wing and no propeller

 

About as cool as a steaming pile of ……
To be honest I still see what all the hype was about!
Cuil fails to impress as it launches and then nose dives like a Sopwith Camel with one wing and no propeller.

Google killer? So far the only thing this new search engine has killed is my time writing this blog. A disastrous launch topped with a ridiculous budget and a sad attempt to replicate Googles working environment. Muffins and strawberries on desks, BBQ every Friday and a personal trainer for each employee still won’t live up to the Googleplex.

Sometimes it’s just not enough to hype up a new product! I will admit they did a damn good job hyping up the new search engine to all the right channels but what they delivered was as about a appetising as a bowl of Cornflakes with 3 week old milk, could have been good with the right milk but this one just left you with a foul taste in your mouth.

A confession of corrupted search results with certain common phrases throwing up some nasty porn images. Completely irrelevant results and a naff tool bar.

Ok they might have the biggest index of 120 billion pages but it means diddly squat if it is 120 billion pages of complete and utter pig swill. Size really won’t matter in this case if they can’t get the right pages to show for the right search phrase.

Come on Cuil! You are going to need the comeback of all comebacks to be able to get back from this one.
Good luck!

Google Page Rank Fixation?

The Page Rank fixation?

Google V yoda

 

 

Google’s own words are, “We use more than 200 signals, including our patented PageRank™ algorithm, to examine the entire link structure of the web and determine which pages are most important. We then conduct hypertext-matching analysis to determine which pages are relevant to the specific search being conducted. By combining overall importance and query-specific relevance, we’re able to put the most relevant and reliable results first.”

Now most Search Engine Optimisers will fixate on the word PageRank.  OK, maybe not most but I certainly know a few that have done and I’m sure that there will be many more that still will. Never mind the rumblings out on the net that Google might be losing the PageRank patent.

There it is in black and white! Google’s own words, “We use more than 200 signals, including our patented PageRank™” The optimal words being more than 200 and including. I swear if I hear one more optimiser say, “But look at their PageRank, its 5, why are they not being found for the right keywords?”  I’m going to snap and beat the living daylights out of every optimiser with that attitude with a dead fish, most likely a salmon or maybe a trout. Yes in fact I think I will use the trout.

The PageRank is just 1 of more than 200 different signals the bot will look at to decide whether your page is relevant or not. One of the worst sales punch lines out there is when they play on this bloated fixation of Page Rank and know that it has something to do with the relevance of an inbound link and then play on their fears, or in most cases lack of knowledge and then con them into buying a ridiculous link strategy promising them 2000 links for X amount.

Buying links is at least not a fallacy and Google DO frown upon it. Fact!
Using hidden text on a page, BAD!
Keyword stuffing on a page, BAD!
Hidden text on a page, BAD!
Cyber Hoaxing, doorway pages, web page cloaking, redirect Hijacking and so on all BAD BAD BAD!

It’s all common sense. If you think it’s bad, it generally is. For all those would be Search Engine Optimising customers out there, if you have an inkling of suspicion that it’s bad, ask for a second opinion.

The basics of what I’m trying to get at, is that the major search engines will not concentrate on one specific ranking factor. They will look at a lot of specific factors, join them up and use what is called an algorithm and then decide.

There are however some common factors that every search engine optimiser will know and use. Well put it this way, if they do not consider these important they should be put in a small capsule and launched into the outer reaches of space.

Factor No 1 –Meta tags - Page titles. Need to be unique and relevant to the content of the page.
Factor No 2 – Meta tags - Description. Also need to be unique and rich in keywords and deliver the right message without keyword stuffing as this is what the potential client will read on the search engine.
Factor No 3 – I consider this to be one of the most important factors, page content. If your web site has no relevant content then the search engine simply cannot make an educated guess as to what your page is truly about. Remember it takes more than 200 different signals together to decide your importance.
Factor No 4 – This factor is another very important one but a very time consuming factor; back linking. Quality human generated back links can be a gold mine of importance to your site. Careful consideration needs to be placed on where and how your place articles or blogs out there. Simply posting content on any forum, blog site or article site can be damaging as the search engines use these as a reference for the importance of your site.

Once again I will quote Google on what they consider to be true.

1.       Focus on the user and all else will follow

2.       It’s best to do one thing really, really well.

3.       Fast is better than slow.

4.       Democracy on the web works.

5.       You don’t need to be at your desk to need an answer.

6.       You can make money without doing evil.

7.       There’s always more information out there.

8.       The need for information crosses all borders.

9.       You can be serious without a suit.

10.   Great just isn’t good enough.

Google launch Knol – the Wikipedia Killer

Here it is! “KNOL” Yet another move by the Dark Lords of the internet’ Google. This obvious move is an attempt to move deeper into the world of online research as they attempt to knock Wikipedia off their perch.

Read the official blog from Google.

Asprox computer virus - Pritty nasty Stuff

 

Experts described the Asprox virus as an alarming departure from commonplace viruses, which tend to be spread through rogue e-mails and unregulated websites.

Read the rest of this article Here

Forget the Daleks! Googles coming!!

 

According to this year’s Superbrand survey, Google have overtaken Microsoft as the UK’s most popular brand.

This is just another sign that super giants Google are starting their campaign to take over the world with a battle strategy that would make Edmond Blackadder proud as he swiftly beat Baldric with an oddly shaped turnip while announcing that his mother was coming for tea and realising that Baldric had the numeracy skills of a Sopwith Camel.

At least Microsoft will take some consolation from the fact that they came in 2^nd and comfortably thwarting Apple who came in at a dismal 11^th place.A few months ago, the online giant also beat Microsoft to the top of the Business Superbrands list which looks at the brands making the most impact in the business sector.

With my last blog in mind it’s now clear that people at home and in business are starting to move away from the traditional and safe options of the other brands and starting to put a good amount of value on the Google product for offline and online business solutions.

Stephen Cheliotis, chief executive of the Centre for Brand Analysis and chairman of the Superbrands Council said, “A few months ago, the online giant also beat Microsoft to the top of the Business Superbrands list which looks at the brands making the most impact in the business sector. With high profile clashes ahead, such as the dealings with Viacom, Google may have a difficult time ahead in maintaining people’s affections”

Forget the Daleks, Googles coming!!

 

This year’s top 10 Superbrands:

1. Google
2. Microsoft
3. Mercedes-Benz
4. BBC
5. British Airways
6. Royal Doulton
7. BMW
8. Bosch
9. Nike
10. Sony

Telegraph Media Group Drop Microsoft Office for Google Apps!

The Telegraph Media Group made an interesting move on Thursday 17th July 2008 by announcing that Google Apps will replace the excising Microsoft Office as the productivity suit for their 1400 employees. In my opinion this land mark move shows that Microsoft might have a battle on their hands in the future if they do not keep a serious eye on Google. Ok fine, it’s not like Microsoft are going to miss the 1400 business users but I do think this is the start of large business taking a chance and breaking away from the safe option.

When you look at it in the context of what it represents, The Telegraph Media Group completely rely on the software it uses to deliver their documents safely and efficiently and will not have taken this decision lightly.

Paul Cheesbrough, TMG chief information officer reported “We had the same reservations as many technologists about moving our software into the cloud. But increasingly so much of our business is on the Internet, in terms of the content we produce for our customers and the news feeds we use from the likes of Reuters. The deal is also a key part of our plan to move TMG towards a ‘cloud computing’ model.”

Companies that rely on the web to run their business will eventually reach the same conclusion as The Telegraph Media Group. When it comes to software Microsoft have by far the largest installed customer base but now the internet is becoming more and more important for business to deliver their messages across to the masses it makes total sense for Google to want a piece of the Microsoft Pie. Its gone beyond the office politics question and moved straight in category of good business sense.

I say go for it Google!

Viacom “Backs Down” on YouTube Data

Google has struck a deal to protect the personal data of millions of YouTube users in the $1bn (£497m) copyright court case brought against the video-sharing website by Viacom.

Under the deal, Google will make user information and internet protocol addresses from its YouTube subsidiary anonymous before handing over the data to Viacom in the US legal case.

Read the rest of this article at The Guardian.

HTC Touch Diamond TouchFlo 3D - My answer to the iPhone

The iPhone 3G went on sale last week sparking chaos in most mobile shops. Even with all the hype there is one other phone set to topple the iPhone and give it a good kicking in this Pocket PC mobile phone war.

 

The HTC Touch Diamond with its impressive 3D TouchFlo, running Windows Mobile Professional 6.1, sports very fast HSPDA 3G download speeds, tri-band GMS, Wi-Fi, 4GB of onboard storage, a GPS sat nav, RDS FM radio and an impressive 3.2-megapixel autofocus camera. Now compare these features with the over hyped iPhone which has no HSDPA, no radio, a weenie 2 megapixel camera, but does go up to a 16GB memory.

The only keys to be found on the Diamond are volume keys on the side, the off switch on the top, an answer and end call key and an ever increasingly outdated circular pressure pad to navigate the menus for the people that suffer from a rather distressing condition called fat finger syndrome. Oh and of course a wee trendy stylus which clicks nicely into place with a magnetic “click” when put back into place in the side.

 

Where the HTC Touch Diamond starts to match the iPhone is in the web browsing. The Opera 9.5 browser is excellent and features the double-tap zooming in and out and panning around with a finger swipe. It also comes with in-built YouTube software.

Like the iPhone, it has an accelerometer to flip between portrait and landscape and you zoom in on your images with a simple circular motion over the part of the image you want to zoom in on. This also works for video, photos and web browsing.

The video and audio playbacks are top class, making the HTC Diamond an all-round top quality video and MP3 player. The Diamond will even run for a full day when making calls over 3G, amazing I know.

One small issue I have with the HTC Diamond is the lack of ability to personalise the user interface/ home screen. Although I am sure with updates and the odd tweak from time to time this will be sorted.

Overall I am very impressed with the HTC Touch Diamond as a smart phone/ pocket PC

Even though you will have to pay a week or twos wages to afford the stylish sim-free version, oh which can be used on any network, unlike the iPhone. Ha!

Spec

Processor Qualcomm® MSM7201A™ 528 MHz
Operating System Windows Mobile® 6.1 Professional
Memory ROM: 256 MB
RAM: 192 MB DDR SDRAM
Internal storage: 4 GB
Dimensions 102 mm (L) X 51 mm (W) X 11.35 mm (T)
Weight 110 g (with battery)
Display 2.8-inch TFT-LCD flat touch-sensitive screen with VGA resolution
Network HSDPA/WCDMA:Europe/Asia: 900/2100 MHz
Up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speedsTri-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE:Europe/Asia: 900/1800/1900 MHz(Band frequency and data speed are operator dependent.)

Device Control TouchFLO™ 3D
Touch sensitive navigation control
GPS GPS and A-GPS ready
Connectivity Bluetooth® 2.0 with EDR
Wi-Fi®: IEEE 802.11 b/g
HTC ExtUSB™ (11-pin mini-USB 2.0 and audio jack in one)
Camera Main camera: 3.2 megapixel color camera with auto focus
Second camera: VGA CMOS color camera
Audio Built-in microphone, speaker and FM radio with RDS
Ring tone supported formats:MP3, AAC, AAC+, WMA, WAV, and AMR-NB
40 polyphonic and Standard MIDI format 0 and 1 (SMF)/SP MIDI
Battery Rechargeable Lithium-ion or Lithium-ion polymer battery
Capacity: 900 mAh

Talk time:
Up to 270 minutes for WCDMA
Up to 330 minutes for GSMStandby time:Up to 396 hours for WCDMA
Up to 285 hours for GSMVideo call time: Up to 145 minutes for WCDMA

(The above are subject to network and phone usage.)

 

AC Adapter Voltage range/frequency: 100 ~ 240V AC, 50/60 Hz
DC output: 5V and 1A