Archive for January, 2010

Google Voice Added as iPhone’s Latest Web App

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010

original post by Jennifer Van Grove on Mashable.com

Google has put the power of HTML5 to work to finally bring a rich Google Voice web app to the iPhone (and Palm webOS).

The robust web application can be accessed by visiting m.google.com/voice on your mobile device and works with phones running iPhone 3.0 software and above and Palm webOS.

The new HTML5 web app includes a few extra bonuses like a sleek design for yourGoogle VoiceGoogle Voice inbox, the option to create homescreen icons for individual pages and the ability to display your GoogleGoogle Voice number as the outbound caller ID so you can easily receive return calls. You can also send and receive text messages for free.

Unfortunately Google Voice is still invite-only, which means that iPhoneiPhone and Palm webOS users who haven’t received a Google Voice invite are still out of luck.

Google’s decision to use HTML5 to circumvent Apple’s app store approval process while still powering a rich application experience on the iPhone demonstrates the flexibility of HTML5 in mobile web browsers, and also highlights a growing trend in iPhone application development.

Watch the video below for a demonstration of the new Google Voice mobile web app on the iPhone.


Online Social Networking Helps Save Lives

Wednesday, January 27th, 2010
Use online social networking to save lives in Haiti

Use online social networking to save lives in Haiti

Right when you thought Twitter was only good for online social networking for business and for catchup with old friends, one Web site is using it for a noble cause. According to Cnet.com, Haiti Live, is using Twitter to have users collect information on the Haiti crisis, such as medical supplies locations and infrastructure status, to distribute to relief workers in Haiti.

Josh Rosen created Haiti Live and three others sites that have Twitter feeds in less than a day after the crisis happened, according to Cnet.com. Rosen is a Web company entrepreneur, who used one of his sites to register 300,000 Americans to vote in the 2004 elections. Now he is hoping to have thousands of people contribute to his sites’ Twitter feeds to help Haiti relief workers. One of his partner sites, using this powerful online social networking tool, has already attracted 10,000 unique visits since Jan. 19.

No longer can someone say that Twitter is only good for online social networking. If you want to contribute to the cause then visit Haiti Live and become a part of the relief effort.

Should You be Monitoring Your Real-Time Internet Marketing Plan on Bing?

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

internetmarketingplanLast week, we discussed how to best use Google’s new real-time search as part of your Internet marketing plan. But of course, there’s another major search engine out there that no Internet marketing plan should ignore: Bing.

Ok, you may be wondering the point of trying to optimize your Internet marketing plan for Bing’s real-time search. After all, doesn’t Bing just have a fraction of Google’s market share? And didn’t Bing actually lose market share in December? Certainly. But it’s worth remembering that both Google’s and Bing’s real-time search services are relatively new. That means you can expect both to change dramatically as each company refines their real-time search service. By studying Bing, you position yourself to become more well-versed in the ins and outs of real-time search. Even if you’re not interested in optimizing for Bing, the opportunity to study another major real-time search engine is one that no Internet marketer should pass up.

So what makes Bing’s real-time search different from Google? For one, Bing’s current real-time search results only draws from Twitter, whereas Google’s draws from the latest blog posts and news stories, along with the tweets. Another thing that sets Bing apart is that it has a unique URL for real-time Twitter search, whereas Google’s real-time search appears directly on the regular search results page.

So why should that matter to your Internet marketing plan? One key difference is that Google offers real-time results for a limited number of popular keyword phrases, while Bing offers a larger number of results for popular keyword phrases for real-time search results. That means optimizing real-time search for Bing as a part of an effective Internet marketing plan could be easier.

Google also offers a wider range of search refinement options. It’s easy to find instant real-time results, results from the past week, or results from the past year. Bing? Not so much. Right now, Bing’s real-time search only offers “Most Recent” and “Best Match” advanced search options. The difference between those seems to be that “Best Match” options are recent tweets that offer more value, whereas “Most Recent” search results simply deliver the latest tweets that contain those particular keywords.

When it comes to real-time search, Bing made a big splash by beating Google out of the gate. But Google’s quick implementation of powerful, comprehensive real-time search went a long way to securing Google as the search industry leader. It will be interesting, then, to see if Bing modifies its real-time search soon. Those who want to execute the very best Internet marketing plan should keep an eye on what real-time search services Bing comes up with next.