where technology is simplified
Reviews
The best and worst of tech products gets reviewed here.
Is Vista That Bad?
Nov 19th
Slashdot ran an interesting article today morning how a whopping 90% of IT pros do not like Vista. These stats are based off of a survey conducted by King Research and their numbers are simply jaw-dropping. According to the study forty four percent of companies surveyed are considering switching to non-Windows operating systems, and nine percent of those have already started moving to their selected alternative. Naturally this raises the question is Vista really that bad?
Since the RTM release I have been running some form of Vista on one of my computers continuously. I have not seen any significant problems. Even before that I had successfully tested alpha and beta versions of the Operating System, then called Longhorn. Apart from the occasional driver issue, which is quite an epidemic in Linux, Vista seemed quite stable. Recently I had Vista pre-loaded on a new HP laptop and I use that as my primary machine. Granted I would have felt the burden if Vista was running on an old machine. But for me it is running on Core2 Duo 7500 with 2GB memory and a 160GB hard drive.
I believe the biggest hurdle of Vista is the hardware compatibility. Microsoft had expected most, if not all, users to have upgraded to a state of the art machine prior to or immediacy after the launch of Vista. Since that didn’t happen Vista is crawling on slow machines providing bad user experience. After all, who wants to wait 5 minutes to see Vista slowly startup or staring at the “Configuring Updates” screen for what seems like an eternity. The second most visible shortcoming is the lack of driver support. Microsoft is only partly to blame for this as most of the hardware manufacturers should have been ready to release driver updates when Vista launched.
Vista has a few drawbacks which can be a hassle for non-IT users to learn such as a revamped user interface and changed menus. I find them more intuitive than XP and leaps ahead of Win 2000. But overall Vista is an excellent choice over other operating systems and I would highly recommend it.
EA – Crysis Review
Nov 14th
Crysis is a new EA game which released today for the PC platform. Gamers have been eagerly awaiting this new Crysis release not only to play the game but also to test how it performs on their existing hardware, namely the processor, video card GPU and memory. The Crysis game running on the CryEngine2 engine has received widespread fame and excellent reviews and shows several unique features. According to EA’s site … Real time editing, bump mapping, dynamic lights, network system, integrated physics system, shaders, shadows and a dynamic music system are just some of the state of-the-art features the CryENGINE™ 2 offers.
Crysis storyline from EA website …
Earth, 2019. A team of US scientists makes a frightening discovery on an island in the South China Sea. All contact with the team is lost when the North Korean Government quickly seals off the area. The United States responds by dispatching an elite team of Delta Force Operators to recon the situation. As tension rises between the two nations, a massive alien ship reveals itself in the middle of the island. The ship generates an immense force sphere that freezes a vast portion of the island and drastically alters the global weather system. Now the US and North Korea must join forces to battle the alien menace. With hope rapidly fading, you must fight epic battles through tropical jungle, frozen landscapes, and finally into the heart of the alien ship itself for the ultimate Zero G showdown.
A community website called inCrysis has also grown around the game featuring forums, screenshots and videos. One of the Crysis screenshots is reproduced at the beginning of this article from inCrysis wallpapers section. Crysis has also received excellent reviews from Gamespot snatching an Editor’s Choice and a 9.5/10 score. IGN rates it 9.4 for Outstanding. From the initial reviews Crysis seems to be a definite winner from EA.
Top 3 Blog Advertisers After Google AdSense
Nov 12th
Advertisements are undoubtedly the easiest way to start making money online. With several hundred ad networks vying for ad space it can quite competitive and allows every publisher the freedom of choice. On the same note however it can be quite confusing to newcomers. With Google AdSense dominating the small and midsize ad publishing businesses it hard to even notice the other companies. Here are the top 3 in my opinion – AdBrite, AdToll & WidgetBucks.
AdBrite
AdBrite is one of the most successful ad providers and pays quite well compared to some others. Adbrite offers a wide selection of ad types combining text, banner, full page, in-line, video, picture ads. You can select any one of these ad types or a combination of any of them for your site. Signing up is quick and easy and Adbrite ads show up on your page in a matter of minutes. I have personally used AdBrite and not to sound demeaning but have found them to be an excellent alternative to Google AdSense.
AdBrite’s aim is to provide our publishers with the most control, best service, and highest payout possible. Anyone visiting your site can buy an ad directly on your site by clicking “Your Ad Here.” You will also be listed in the AdBrite marketplace. Publishers have the flexibility to pick and choose ads before it appears on your site. Webmasters can also set the price for ads bought directly on their site. You can even have AdBrite show another ad network (AdSense, Burst etc.). Visit AdBrite for more info.
Revenue shared with Publisher: Undisclosed. Minimum check amount is $100.00 by default, but you can change it to any value equal to or greater than $5.
Ad types: Text ads, Banners, Full page ads (A high-paying full-screen ad on the third page view of your site, shown only once per user per day), Inline ads, InVideo, BritePic
Site requirements: No minimum page view requirements. You can sign up and get started in minutes.
Why use AdBrite?
From AdBrite site – You’ll be able to approve or reject any ads purchased for your site. Never worry again about inappropriate content or competitor ads appearing on your ad placements. …
Your own users could be your best customers – it’s never been easier to sell ad space directly to them. …
Your ads shouldn’t have to clash with your site. That’s why we give you the option to completely customize the look and feel of the ads you sell. Change fonts, colors, placement sizes, and more. …
There are no setup fees or hidden charges. Ever. Get started today and you could start generating revenue in just minutes! Referral Program You earn money for all buying and selling activity for all new users you refer. You’ll earn 50% of AdBrite’s profits for the first 3 months after a referred user creates an account, and 10% of AdBrite’s profit for the next 9 months after that.
AdToll
AdToll is a recent member of the crowded ad publishing market providing yet another alternative for webmasters and content producers. This startup has quite a few very attractive features such as allowing advertisers to directly buy ad space on your site. It has also been recently featured on KillerStartups.com. AdToll allows you to customize the ad block – the Powered by AdToll link can be removed from ad blocks – this is a very handy feature if you like clean ad blocks. But I suggest keeping the Advertise Here link next to ad block to allow advertisers to quickly buy adspace.
Revenue shared with Publisher: AdToll shares 75% of the ad profit with the publisher
Ad Types: Video, Text Ad, Full banner – 468×60, Skyscraper – 120×600, Button – 120×90, Button – 120×60, Micro Button – 88×31, Leaderboard – 728×90, Square Button – 125×125, Square Button – 100×100, Wide Skyscraper – 160×600, Vertical banner – 120×240
Site requirements: No minimum traffic requirements.
Why use AdToll?
There are several reasons to choose AdToll. Here are a few that swayed my decision in their favor.
- AdToll has a fixed 75% commission on all ads sold on your site. For example if you sell an ad for $100, you will earn $75. The other $25 is kept by us for providing the service, maintenance, support, marketing etc. Webmasters do not have to guess the percentage of ad commission
- Setup multiple Ad Groups for your site in a variety of media formats (text and banner ads).
- You can sell ads on your site for whatever price you wish but keep in mind the cheaper the more attractive it is to potential advertisers.
- You have complete control over the content and relevancy of the ads that appear on your site. When you set up your site you are asked to provide an allowable ad rating and select the industries you wish to restrict.
- Ads start showing immediately by default but you have 24 hours to deny the booking.
- You will be able to view real-time statistics on all of your customers ads broken down by day, which includes ad views and clicks.
- If Ad Pool is not filled with Sponsored Ads you will be provided with Run Of Network ads.
WidgetBucks
WidgetBucks is undoubtedly one of the best ad providers that I have personally used. Their ads are directly related to the content on the page and the graphical nature of the ads does not bore or turn off visitors to your site. I guess that goes pretty well with WidgetBucks tag line Ads suck. Ours don’t. Shopping widgets make you more money. The best feature seems to be the very high payout rate – it has the highest CPM that I have personally seen and would recommend WidgetBucks to any fellow web publishers and bloggers. If the substantially high CPM is not enough they even give a $25 bonus for all new sign ups.
From WidgetBucks site: You’re in the publishing business, not the advertising business, so let us help you. We do the heavy lifting by creating contextual ad widgets that your visitors will actually click on and find engaging. You reap the rewards of PPC ad widgets that earn better than $2 CPM. We’re seeing $3-$6 CPM on our widgets, about three times that of traditional ad networks.
Publishers and bloggers can get the ball rolling with WidgetBucks’ instant $25 sign-up bonus, which gets you half way to your first check! With WidgetBucks’ Referral program, affiliates can earn a 10 percent referral fee based on the commissions earned by the people they refer. Affiliates receive this 10 percent for the full 12 months after the new member joins. Payouts to affiliates are monthly, along with their commission checks.
Getting started with WidgetBucks is a simple 1-2-3 process. First, sign-up. Second, configure your widgets with our easy publishing system. Third, paste the code into your blog or Web page, or use our integration with popular blog platforms such as TypePad, Blogger and WordPress. If you want to change or update your WidgetBucks widgets in the future, simply sign in and go to My Widgets.
Revenue shared with Publisher: Undisclosed but very high payout rate for publisher.
Ad types: 160×300 sidebar size, 160×600 wide skyscraper, 120×600 skyscraper and also 728×90 and 300×250 size and several other widget formats.
Site requirements: No minimum pageview requirements.
WidgetBucks Referral program - With WidgetBucks’ Referral program, affiliates can earn a 10 percent referral fee based on the commissions earned by the people they refer. Affiliates receive this 10 percent for the full 12 months after the new member joins. Payouts to affiliates are monthly, along with their commission checks.
Why use WidgetBucks?
With WidgetBucks, you can start earning more money today — and keep your focus on publishing.
- Higher eCPMs Hands down, WidgetBucks exceeds traditional publisher’s CPM targets of $1-$2
- Content vs. ads WidgetBucks delivers engaging, contextual, rich-media widgets that complement your site content
- Easy deployment Placing customized code on your site takes just minutes, and only MerchSense auto-optimizes your widget rotation based on performance tracking
adgridwork Reviewed
Nov 9th
Free Advertising?
The terms FREE and ADVERTISE are hardly ever seen in the same sentence. At least in my experience as a novice webmaster I have not seen a free advertising service. Well, I believe the reason for this is quite straightforward – what business model will support a free ad service. In other words how will the ad network make money? This is where Adgridwork enters the scene with their free ad exchange solution.
adgridwork was started by Nick and Kyle at the end of 2006. It was started as a free project and still continues to be completely free of charge. According to their site ….
We do not make any money much less a living off of adgridwork. We handle the site in our free time (though lately with the launch it does feel more like a job
. We simply had an idea and wanted to see it through – see if it would catch on. We have never had any plans to make a living or any money at all from running adgridwork. We just want to make something that people will use. (Plus if it catches on, it will look really good on a resume
Adgridwork ads looks similar to Google AdSense ads – they are text link ads pointing to your website which is placed on other sites in your niche. The ads are standard text ads without any graphics or flash capabilities. The process is quick and simple – sign up for an account, fill in information about your site, generate ad code and place it on your site and Adgridwork does the rest of the work for you. You do not need to promote or pay for any part of this service – at least for now. As long as you get a few clicks on the ads your site will be advertised across their network.
Why use adgridwork?
In their own words …
Why use adgridwork to advertise your website?
- It’s 100% free. Thats right folks: Free Advertising. No payments. Ever.
- Increase your traffic. We have thousands of sites on our network all ready and waiting to freely advertise your website or product.
- We have attractive advertisement blocks AND text links. Most people are blind to the traditional AdSense ads. Our free ads are fresh, simple and appealing to the eye.
- Promote to a targeted audience. You can define exactly what types of sites you want your free advertisement to appear on.
- Registration and setup is a snap. Our service is completely user-friendly.
- Free metrics and tracking tools for webmasters. We provide you with detailed information on the users viewing your advertisements and websites.
Adgridwork vs. BlogRush
Some of you may already be familiar with BlogRush which provides a similar service to some extent. But there are 3 major differences.
- BlogRush is exclusively for blogs and Adgridwork will work on blogs, sites, forums and any other internet medium.
- BlogRush takes your blog’s RSS feed and publishes it across their network. But adgridwork behaves and looks like a typical ad.
- You can place the BlogRush widget anywhere on your blog even outside the viewing are and as long as it loads on the page it counts as a page view. Adgridwork takes into consideration the number of clicks on the Adgridwork ads and this metric is used for displaying your ads on other sites.
If want to know more check out BlogRush review by Doshdosh – BlogRush Review: Using Widgets to Get Traffic to Your Blog
Joining adgridwork
Sign-up process is a breeze. Simply fill out your email address (you need this to log on) and password to create an account.
Once inside fill out a form showing how you want your website ads to be displayed across the network. There is a live preview feature called aDSPY (its not what it sounds like) which lets you see and make changes to your ad accordingly.
You also need to enter your website information. Select the appropriate category from their long list. A unique thing about Adgridwork is you have the option of selecting Adult-only network which will broadcast your ads only inside that network. Next type in your site related keywords – don’t enter keywords specific to a single blog post or just 1 page in your site. Think about your site and ensure if you say the keywords out loud does it instantly bring your site to your mind. If it doesn’t then go back and redo the keywords. The last entry in this section is to select your language. Currently they support English and Spanish and adgridwork says “This is a new feature to adgridwork, so we are starting with a small selection of languages. More will be added as demand merits.”
The next step in the process is to select an appropriate ad size and format. Remember to select a size that will blend into your existing site design and will still display the ad appropriately. Adgridwork says “… the more clicks the ads on your site receive, the more frequently your site will appear on other sites in the network.” The various ad layouts are shown below.
The next and last step is to rule out any competition. If you know other sites in your niche and would like to block their ads here is your chance. Adgridwork lays it out simply as “Because adgridwork attempts to place similar site ads with one another (targeted advertising), you may be displaying ads from sites that are competitors of yours. To exclude these sites from being displayed on your site, enter their Domain Names below.”
Finally you can submit your site and start advertising your site instantly. Keep in mind the account remains inactive and your ads are not displayed till you enter the code on your site and start displaying ads.
Reporting
Immediately after logging into your account you can see summary statistics similar to the one shown below. These number reflects the average site stats approximately after 12 hours after adgridwork code was incorporated into TeqEdge
If you want more detailed data click on View Campaign Metrics link under Detailed Metrics and you will see a screen similar to below.
You can read more about the metrics used by adgridwork on their help pages.
Site Requests – This indicates the number of times that your website has requested an ad block from our servers. It also corresponds to the number of page views your site has received.
Impressions - This field indicates the number of times that your website advertisement has appeared on other user’s sites.
Conversions - This indicates the number of times that your advertisement has been clicked on another user’s site. The more conversions, the better targeted the ads are.
CTR - Click Through Rate – The CTR simply indicates the ratio of Conversions to Impressions.
Clicks - The Click field indicates how many times someone has clicked an ad on your site.
Conclusion
Overall this is a great service and I would recommend it to anyone with a website. I find Adgridwork ads unobtrusive and extremely easy to use. Once the ad is created you can be up and running in minutes if not seconds. There is no lengthy review process and best of all its completely free. The reporting features are simple and quickly provides what you want to know. It is a must have for any webmaster.
Review Adgridwork and get a back link
Adgridwork and BloggingTips are also featuring a Free LinkBacks for adgridwork Reviews on adgridwork blog and BloggingTips blog. So if you have an opinion about adgridwork feel free to write a post and earn a couple of juicy back links.
If you like to join adgridwork network feel free to join using my affiliate link or go to adgridwork and sign up.
The Ultimate Media Player
Oct 28th
A typical computer has outgrown the simple internet search and email capability. Almost all households are now using some form of streaming audio and/or video. Be it radio, talk shows, user generated videos or full blown TV episodes – every possible kind of entertainment has been ported to the Net. For a computer to be able to play all the various media a variety of conditions have to met – browser plugins must be installed, media players must have all the required audio and video codecs. For example Windows Media Player often spits out errors for ‘missing codec’ or ‘unable to play video’. You might upgrade to the latest version but to no avail. VLC on the contrary is able to play anything that I throw at it.
From VLC website – VLC media player is a highly portable multimedia player for various audio and video formats (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, DivX, mp3, ogg, …) as well as DVDs, VCDs, and various streaming protocols. It can also be used as a server to stream in unicast or multicast in IPv4 or IPv6 on a high-bandwidth network.
Features – I have been able to play any and all kinds of video with VLC – from mp4 to ogg and from avi, wmv to DVD’s & it can even play Flash files (.FLV). How cool is that! Check out the full feature list on their site – http://www.videolan.org/vlc/features.html The only place VLC falls short is playing video/audio inside the browser which Windows Media Player and Real Player are adept at. You can learn more about VLC and download VLC completely free of charge or any subscription service. It is licensed under GPL and is completely free to use.
Skins – VLC allows for various skins to be applied. See the wide range of skins available here -http://www.videolan.org/vlc/skins.php
Screenshots – If you wish to check out the player before downloading and installing it VLC site has a large selection of screenshots – http://www.videolan.org/vlc/screenshots.html
Install Procedure – A detailed installation video is available on the TeqEdge site. It shows how you can have a personalized media player which is completely free, allows you to skin it and plays any media. Install is straightforward and very easy as seen in the video. Check it out – http://teqedge.com/doku.php?id=all-in-one.media.player
