Here is my review of Windows 7. I just upgraded to it and I share my thoughts on it.

Or you can watch it on YouTube.

Do you get emails you don’t want from friends and business associates?  Or how about hoaxes that your best buddy sends to you.  I’ve been getting emails since the late 80’s and when regular people started to get email addresses I started to get pointless emails.  Here are some of my tips not to add to these pointless emails.

If the subject changes then an appropriate change in the subject line is needed.

Be careful putting all your e-mail addresses in the To: field as everyone that receives your e-mail now has all your e-mail addresses (see below). Instead put them in the Bcc: (Blind Carbon Copy) field, the recipient will only see who sent it and the addresses in the To: field (if any), they will not be able to see any of the addresses in the Bcc: field.

Also be careful what you forward. There are a lot of hoaxes out there. Before you forward, research it. A good place is Symantec Security Response – Hoax Page. We get clients that forward us hoaxes all the time and they get this article back. If it is a hoax email the person you got the notice from that it is a hoax and give them the link that proves it is a hoax.

For example:
Sulfnbk.exe hoax proves that the sulfnbk.exe virus is not a virus but an important Windows file.

Some of these hoaxes are purposely made up to get your friends email addresses so the creator of the hoax can send spam (unsolicated email) to them.

Also have permission for each person you forward something to. An e-mail could be considered spam, the subject doesn’t really matter but whether the e-mail is unsolicited and on the subject that the recipient signed up for.

See Email Replies – Etiquette for other suggestions.

A fantastic nearly does everything you need to do for free online photo editor now from Adobe the premier name in photo editing. I see using this one my next trips to Virginia, New Mexico and France.

Whether adjusting exposure, white balance, or hue, touching up blemishes, or distorting your image, Photoshop Express provides an easy slider and thumbnails to give you an instant preview of your image at various settings. Even undo is better than you’d expect.

Being on the web, this Photoshop’s made for sharing. Everyone gets their own URL at photoshop.com, and the slideshows are top-notch — big, beautiful images with classy transitions. Want to load in and edit photos from Picasa, Photobucket, or Facebook? No problemo.

Adobe Photoshop Express, no, it’s not a Photoshop replacement, but it is a remarkably slick and well-designed basic photo-editing and sharing application. Arguably the best so far.

Adobe Photoshop Express – Made You Look.

Being a technical company we use many applications to get things done. I wanted to share the tools that I think you our clients would find easy to use besides our content management websites we host for you.

Google Mail – I use to use Thunderbird to check my email but after a trip to Europe I found that many ISPs block software on computers from sending email. While in Paris I switched to Google Mail to check my existing email addresses and I haven’t switched back. Google Mail can check up to six different email addresses and ISPs can’t block it since it is web based. Along with GTDIndox it helps me keep track of projects, and to do’s easily.

Google Calendar – Working with many people that are not on my system means sharing a calendar was hard but with Google I can share appointment information on a person by person basis.

Google Documents – Also sharing documents use to be a pain. With Google Documents it is easy and simple. I have many documents that various people have access to.

Google Reader – I’m subscribed to 141 new feeds. Google Reader allows me to scan thru them very quickly and read only the ones that I’m interested in. Reader is a major time saver and the best news/blog/rss reader out there.

BaseCamp – I don’t use BaseCamp because it is beyond what I need. But if you need to track projects with many people it is an elegant way to collaborate on internal and client projects. Basecamp takes a fresh, novel approach to project collaboration. Projects don’t fail from a lack of charts, graphs, stats, or reports, they fail from a lack of clear communication. Basecamp solves this problem by providing tools tailored to improve the communication between people working together on a project.

HireRise – I don’t use Highrise either but I’m thinking about it. HireRise helps you track communication and conversations with leads, employees, clients, colleagues, vendors, or anyone else that matters to your business. With Highrise you know who’ve you talked to, what you talked about, and what you need to do next.

Password Safe – I have a different password for every single website and service. I keep track of it with Password Safe.

Apple iTunes – I travel frequently. Bringing a ton of books with me is not physically possible so iTunes has help me learn new concepts and keep up to date with their audio books and podcasts. Along with Hamachi I can synch my iPod with iTunes and have all the audio on my server back home.

MindManager – The mind mapping software I use that has helped greatly to see marketing and business segments and expanding. Great tool. Also online software Bubbl.us, Mindomo, MindMeister. The later MindMeister is the best online mind mapping tool.

Apple iPhone – The ability to easily check email and websites from a handy smart phone is just wonderful. We have unlocked iPhones available.

Jott – Create to dos, send email, blog, lookup information using a standard phone. I use it as my thought capture device. The Jott Links are wonderful, they allow you to add appointments to your Google Calendar using your voice and many other things.

Skype – The only instant message tool I use. You can link a phone number to your Skype account and have your office go with you. I can talk to other Skype users anywhere in the world for free.

1. Brainstorm 5 Top Keywords
2. Make the Domain Unique
3. Only Choose Dot-Com Available Domains
4. Make it Easy to Type
5. Make it Easy to Remember
6. Keep the Name as Short as Possible
7. Create and Fulfill Expectations
8. Avoid Copyright Infringement
9. Set Yourself Apart with a Brand
10. Reject Hyphens and Numbers
11. Don’t Follow the Latest Trends
12. Use an Ajax Domain Selection Tool

12 Rules for Choosing Domain Names

I talked about how to pick a domain name back in 2003. This time I have some additional tips. Good domain names are out there, but they can be hard to find. Here are some tools to help you in your search.

1. Dislexicon – Takes common words and adds suffixes and prefixes. It even gives you the meaning. This site is great for finding short domain names that look like they could be real words.

2. JustDropped – This site lets you search for domain names that have recently expired. You get a few searches for free with limited results. I’ve found that the free searches are usually adequate for my needs.

3. Word Mixer – This one lets you enter up to five words which are mixed up into new, semi-pronounceable words. The same website also has a couple other tools that are useful such as the random words tool which is hit or miss, and the mixer seeds page.

4. WordFinder – This is actually a tool for crossword puzzles, but it can also be very useful for finding a domain name.

5. DomainsBot – This search engine is geared specifically towards finding a domain name. It works best if you’re looking for a compound-word domain rather than an invented word.

6. Online Generators – If all else fails, sometimes you’ll find a gem using one of these online generators. This is usually a last resort for me though, they tend to suck up your time without out producing much.

This won’t help you find a name, but if you do find a cool domain name like del.icio.us or something that ends in a country code other than your own, this page can help you figure out if you can buy the domain name or if you’ll need to find someone in that country to get it for you.

If you find a great one that you can’t use, but want to make some cash on, this is the place to sell it.

Our part 1 of Picking a domain name

The most common web site problems we see:

• Your web site is out of date, you can’t find the developer to fix that and it embarrasses your company.
• Your former web developer did not put you as the owner of the domain name, won’t give it to you and the web site is down.
• You believe and paid someone who guaranteed to get you in the search eninges and it still hasn’t happened.
• You invested in a web site that was supposed to bring you new business but were never educated on how to use it to make that happen.
• You have a flash web site, you are tired of paying someone to update the flash, which costs more than a html update, so it remains out of date.
• You started with an okay web site, now you are ready to upgrade it because you understand how ‘it’ can work and you have no way of upgrading it.
• You want to sell or take credit cards on your web site and your developer doesn’t know how to set that up. You don’t need a full eCommerce solution.
• Your web site is still not done and a month has gone by. Money has been invested and no money is coming back. Bummer.

7 tips to learn about web sites!

How do I know if I need a web site or it’s time for me to upgrade from where I started to get to the next level online with my business?

1. Do I need a web site?

Are people looking for what you have to offer online as a product or service? Do people ask for your business web site to look up more information about your company? Do you want to nurture existing customer relationships that will result in referrals? Do you want to explore other avenues of income through online traffic? Do you want to build your credibility as an expert in your community and beyond?

2. Does a web site replace my yellow page advertising or other advertising?

A web site is in addition to yellow page ads or other advertising methods that are working for you. An audience of a certain age/financial status will go to the yellow pages. Another audience is more likely to look online while at work or home, it’s a convenience factor. You can email a tips/ideas information, which will be forwarded to others at very little cost and effort instead of or in addition to a direct mail campaign.

3. Can my web site get found online?

Yes. How well will depend on the type of industry you are in – who your competition is online. Search engines rate the level of relative content and web site code of your web site platform. Nowadays, over 70% of people look online for products and services they need and want. There are ways to code your web site and its content to be found through the search engines. There are also banner ads, pay per click, reciprocated linked promotion relationships, etc.

4. How do I know if I look good enough on the web when people find me?

What does your type of clientele expect to see when they visit your web site? Look at your competition’s web site online locally, regionally and nationally. Is your logo professional? (Looks clean, clear and properly represents you) Does the graphic layout of your web site put a smile on cringe on your face, your employees? Does your web site reflect the quality and integrity of products/services you provide? The better your web site looks, the better quality of services people feel you deliver. The better dressed you are the more people take you seriously. Perception is what sells you.

5. Do I need a flash or multi-media on my web site?

Some people like flash, some are too impatient (long loading time) and search engines don’t. A 15/30-second audio or video introduction let’s people hear, see and know you a little. A 30-sec audio online can be used in a radio commercial so visitors are familiar with your voice. Audio/video audio clips that educate customers draw a reason for people to visit your web site.

6. How do I sell my products or services online?

You can start with a simple web site, display product type examples and take phone orders. Or create an online catalog with pictures of products you have in stock and take phone orders. Or you can create a PayPal account to accept credit card payment online. Once you have a track record of consistent online purchases and growth you may want to invest in a full ecommerice solution.

7. How do I control my web site content at no cost to me?

Our websites are updated by you the client. You can add pages/images/documents for free anytime you want. Start with a web site of a few pages and as you grow your business grow your web site for FREE. Start with one company and then change the web site to look like another company for FREE.

You can use these site to directly add your domain name to the these common search engines.

• http://www.google.com/addurl.html
• http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request
• http://support.msn.com/feedbacksearch.aspx

You can also pay to have a search engine index you. This will make sure that you will be index quickly. Your website should be finished and optimized for searching before paying.

Call us in you are interested in having your website indexed for a fee.

Your domain name should be easy to remember. Keep the name as short as possible, but do not use unconventional spellings or add hyphens just to secure a version of the name you want.

Your domain name should be simplistic. Do not pick words which may be difficult to spell or which have multiple spellings. Also, select words and phrases that are common and easy to pronounce, especially if you are aiming your business toward the general public.

Your domain name should be a .com address whenever possible. Avoid selecting the less common extensions which cost more to register and which will be largely unfamiliar to your clients.

Once you do select a domain name, you should consider registering other variations of the name. That way if someone uses the wrong extension or adds a hyphen, he or she still end up right where you want them.

What characters can you use in a domain name?

the letters: a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,i,j,k,l,m,n,o,p,q,r,s,t,u,v,w,x,y,z, the numbers: 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9, the hyphen “-” and that’s all – no dashes or dots or other characters.

How long can a domain name be?

Originally a domain name could only be 26 characters long but in 2000 I believe it was they changed that to 67 characters including the extension. In general I would not suggest a name this long but can have some uses as a way for search engines to determine the value of the domain based on the key words used in the domain name.

If you are buying a business domain name there are two considerations.

First, can you get your actual company name as a web domain name? maybe so, maybe not. Can you use an identifiable and easy to remember acronym? I have aetherarts webworks for a company name but that is too long. I could have opted for aaww.com but aetherarts.com was just fine by me. Now, with a little more analysis it could be said that I would have been better off using the more common etherarts… it is a little shorter, easier to remember but I felt that, in alphabetical lists, an ‘A’ would be better since it would show up before ‘E’ plus I wanted to more clearly to refer to the Greek origin of the word rather than the computer reference as in ethernet.

Secondly you want to consider the brevity of the name, short is better than long, it is best of you can easily say the name without any explanation and that it is easy to spell and easy to remember. For instance dogtag.com is mush better that dog-tag.com or tagdog.com for two reasons. A dash makes the name longer without good reason and if you have to say the name out loud to anyone then you have to say “dog dash tag.com instead of just dogtag.com. In the case of tagdog.com it is not what people are going to remember, they will remember dogtag.com because that it the way it is commonly heard. If your customers will always only read the name then it is less of an issue unless you expect that they will try to remember it off the top of their head in which case no dash is the typical guess. Also for the same reason, because it is everyone’s first guess, get the .com version as the main website location because people will tend to assume your name is a .com.

Whatever your domain name is use that same name as the website name and even modify your company name to match the web name so if your company is Dog Tags International and you end up with DogTags.com the change the name of your company to DogTags.com if you want to really maintain a seamless transition from print to web.

Remember that you can have more than one domain name. It is a good idea to have all the possible variations of your name, then if people are trying to find your domain by guessing, you’ve provided them with reasonable possible choices. Whilst you can have many domains our advice is to use just one as your principle domain so that customers and users remember where you are.