Google Fast Flip - Newspaper reading

Learn more at this link.
Google Fast Flip is a web application that lets users discover and share news articles. It combines qualities of print and the Web, with the ability to "flip" through pages online as quickly as flipping through a magazine. It also enables users to follow friends and topics, discover new content and create their own custom magazines around searches.

How does it work?
We capture images of the articles on our partners' websites and then display them in an easy-to-read way. The stories are grouped by categories, such as Entertainment, Business, Opinion, Politics and Most Viewed. Readers can flip through stories quickly by simply pressing the left- and right-arrow keys until they find one that catches their interest. Clicking on the story takes them directly to the publisher's website.

How are the Topics selected? Can I choose my own?
The Topics are generated automatically by rising stories in the news. Users can also search for any subjects they want and basically create their own topics, almost like a custom magazine, on the fly.

How are stories recommended in the Recommended section?
The stories in this section are recommended by users of Google Fast Flip in direct and indirect ways. We take cues from how often they read stories, e-mail stories and register a public vote for stories by clicking on the "Like" button on each article.

Can I recommend stories that I like to other people?
Google Fast Flip allows readers to vote on an article to tell the world they liked it. Clicking on the "Like" button on a story page lodges a public vote for that story, which is one of the factors in whether Fast Flip includes stories the "Recommended" section. At the bottom of the home page, Fast Flip users who are signed in to their Google Account can see which stories friends in their Gmail contact list have "liked."

Make money from blogs - What do those arrows in the Google Adsense ads mean ?

If you have ever spent your time thinking about the ads you see served by the Adsense program, you would have seen some arrows displayed near the bottom, but it is quite possible that you would not have investigated too much for fear of violation the terms and conditions of the Adsense program. Well, read this post to learn more about what these arrows mean, as well as optimizations planned for these arrows (link for the post):

With the 'next' and 'previous' buttons, users can view more cheese ads until a Swiss cheese ad appears. As a result, we'll soon be making a few minor aesthetic changes, including darkening the arrows to make them more visible and orienting all arrows to point left and right. In addition, to help users understand what the arrows do, hovering over the arrows will soon show the labels 'previous ads' and 'next ads'.

Make money from blogs: Worried that copying your content will affect your Google ranking ?

Blog publishers are typically worried that when multiple people copy their content. They worry that they are losing readers because their unique content is appearing in multiple locations, they are worried that they may be getting penalized by Google if Google detects multiple locations for their content and flags it as an attempt to fiddle around with search engine rankings. Here is an article that tries to explain this in more detail (link)

This can be pretty scary to blow publishers. So what do you in such a case if your content is being copied by others without your permission ? Well, Google issues clarifications that it takes into account many factors before going ahead with such a penalty.

If somebody copies from your blog, then report to Google Adsense

One of the most critical ways to grow the readership of your blog is to get fresh content on a regular basis. Another important criteria is that your blog has content that is not copies onto many other sites, and is more exclusive (having exclusive content means that somebody searching for this content in a browser search will find your blog first; on the other hand, if other sites have the same content, then it is likely that atleast some of them will be listed before your site in search, reducing the potential of people visiting your blog).
And even on a matter of principle, why should you accept somebody else copying your content ? You do the hard work, and somebody copies your content and has a free time ? There are many tools available that enable you to determine whether somebody is copying your content, and you should use these tools on a regular basis. Once you find somebody copying your content (if the person just uses a few words or lines to refer to your blog, that is something you can consider since that means that the other blog is actually driving content to your blog; but if the other blog is totally copying your content, don't accept that).
Send an email to the blog owner, leave a comment, write to their hosting company, do all these steps to escalate. Further, if the person has Adsense on their site, certainly report this copyright violation to Google Adsense (link to article):
From this page:

If you believe that another site is illegally copying the contents of your site, you may send a notice of alleged infringement by following the procedure below. Once we've received your report, rest assured that we will take appropriate action. To file a notice of infringement with us, you must provide a written communication (by fax or regular mail -- not by email, except by prior agreement) that sets forth the items specified below. Please note that you will be liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees) if you materially misrepresent that a product or activity is infringing your copyrights.

File the report at this actual Google AdSense DMCA complaint form (link)

Make Money from Blogs - Wordpress plugin: Display your Page Rank on any page

For people with an understanding of what Google's Page Rank is, having a high Page Rank is a badge of honor; if the Page Rank is not high, people make all sorts of effort to get a higher Page Rank. They will link to sites with a higher Page Rank, post to article directories (to try to get some of the high rank of these sites). In fact, whenever Google does a review of Page Rank and either bumps up a person, or pushes up the Page Rank, there is a huge amount of emotion involved. For an individual site to have a high Page Rank, it is probable that they will get a corresponding larger amount of traffic (from search engines, as well as from people who would want to link to a site with a high Page Rank).
Hence, if you have a high Page Rank (in fact, a Page Rank of > 3 is good enough to display), you might want to display the Page Rank. Somebody with a lower Page Rank might look at the high Page Rank, and want to link to your site. Or you might be justifiably proud of the high Page Rank, and display the Page Rank on your site (link to article):

If your wordpress blog has a better page rank, here is a better chance to reveal it to your blog readers. That is Wordpress Page Rank Plugin Show-My-PageRank. You can also change the size, caption text, text color, font size etc from option window.
If you want to show your page rank to a custom area , say footer.php or header.php , just add the below line to corresponding section in theme editor window.

Go ahead and try it out; if you have a High Page Rank, why not display it as a badge of honor.

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Make money from Blogs - Earning money from Videos on Youtube - not so easy

You must have seen those videos on Youtube, where either the bottom section of the video shows an ad from the Adsense program and you also have Adsense advertisements appearing to the right of the video in a block, similar to the 250X250 ad block. Now consider that you have some cool videos that are getting circulated on Youtube, and would like to have your own videos making some money for you from these Ads. How can you do this ?
Well, I was also interested in trying to make a percentage of earnings from these videos (I have started getting some videos on Youtube and the views are increasing, although they have a long way to go). And the short answer on this was, Not right now. Google Adsense used to have a program about Video Units (link1, link2), but they appear to have discontinued this program now. Now, if you need to try and make some advertising money now, you need to apply to become a partner (link to page).
However, becoming a partner is not so easy. As opposed to the nature of Adsense which allows people to get in irrespective of the number of their blog visits or subscribers, Youtube has put some controls. They actually have a page that lists their requirements for becoming a partner (link to FAQ listing requirements to be a youtube Partner).

To become a YouTube Partner, you must meet these minimum requirements:
- You create original videos suitable for online streaming.
- You own or have express permission to use and monetize all audio and video content that you upload -- no exceptions.
- You regularly upload videos that are viewed by thousands of YouTube users.

In addition, the FAQ page that provides more details for the Youtube partner is at this link.
If your partnership account was not approved, then some of the reasons could be derived from the reasons listed on this page (link to article).

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Make money from Blogs - Learn more about Adsense success stories

For people who write blogs, there are various approaches with regard to making money. There are some people who disdain the idea of anything to do with advertising; there are others who believe in their writing, but don't look away from the prospect of making some money on the side; there are others who fill their sites with ads (including Adsense ads) and whose sites can look fairly ugly; and then there are the ones who learnt a lot about how to use Adsense optimally and started a huge jump in the amount of money that they have started making.
Wouldn't you like to make more money from your blogs ? More money means that you can devote more time to your hobbies, to doing things that make you happy rather than toiling away on a job ? Well, it can be done, but it is not a one day effort. People who have learnt to make a lot of money from Adsense have done so after doing a lot of reading, trying out tips, experimenting and deciphering what works for them, and what does not.
One good place to start is by using the success stories posted on the Google Adsense Help page at this link.
As an example, consider the case of a site called http://seatguru.com, where the creator of the site originally was struggling with several affiliate links, and then finally stumbled upon using Adsense. After experimenting with different formats, he uses channels to determine which of these experiments are successful, and hence has worked out a lot of optimization to increase his Adsense revenue.

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Here are some more videos from Youtube that might help you.

Google Adsense Tips



5 Surefire Ways to Increase Google Adsense Earnings



AdSense Optimization by Lockergnome

Your Adsense account was disabled. What can you do ?

For a lot of users who have Adsense accounts and started dreaming of making big money, there are a fraction of them who see their dreams get smashed when they suddenly get a notification that their Adsense accounts have been disabled because of some sort of inappropriate behavior, either in terms of the site, or in terms of around the ads themselves. When this happens to people, they can't believe that their activities were detected by Google, or that Google would bother with individuals.
However, there are a few tips you should keep in mind. Google Adsense program has a list of Program Policies available at this page and you should read this page. These policies control how ads should be placed, who should click ads (you should never click ads yourselves, or encourage people to click on Ads). Google (and other advertisers) have click fraud as one of their high priorities, and determining and removing people who indulge in click fraud is one of their top priorities.
Now, for whatever reason, your Adsense account has been disabled, and you are struggling to determine the reason, next steps, and what you can do to convince Google that you are innocent.

First item, read the Disabled account FAQ (available at this page). Remember, if you are looking for Google to provide you with a lot of information about why your account was disabled, which specific clicks, etc, then you will have to wait for a long time. Google does not provide any help in terms of detailed information, it is for you to convince them that you have a genuine account, and have not committed any wrong doing.
Some of the queries answered on this page are:
Why was my account disabled? Can you tell me more about the invalid click activity you detected?
Can my account be reinstated after being disabled for invalid click activity?
My account was disabled and my appeal was denied. Is there any way I can rejoin the program? Can I open a new account?
My account was disabled for being related to another disabled account. Can you tell me more about this relation?
Will I still be paid out for my AdSense earnings?

If your account has been disabled due to Invalid activity, then please go to this form:
Invalid Activity Appeal (link)

Read more before appealing, since that helps you present your information in a more convincing way. For example, refer to this article (link)

Finally, do refer to this FAQ on invalid clicks, and remember, Google takes invalid clicks very seriously.

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Changing your Adsense password

When Google started with Adsense, it allowed users to have a non-Gmail account with a separate password; it was only later that Google started linking everything to a Gmail account and password. For people, it can be a bit confusing as to what they need to do if they are unable to access their Adsense account because the password does not seem to work. There are others who prefer to change their password on a regular basis to keep it secure.

How do you change your password from within Adsense ?

1. Log in to your account at https://www.google.com/adsense
2. Click the Login Information [edit] link
3. Enter your current and new passwords in the fields provided
4. Click Save Settings to update your password, or Cancel to return to the previous page without saving.


If you want to reset your Adsense account and currently don't remember your account password, or the one that you have does not seem to work, then you should go to this url:

https://www.google.com/adsense/assistlogin

If you have more queries regarding to Adsense, then you should go to this Google Adsense help page:

https://www.google.com/adsense/support/bin/topic.py?topic=8431

Apple responds to FCC enquiry about rejection of Google Voice

The Apple iPhone is such a popular device that it has encouraged a huge number of 3rd party developers to write applications for the iPhone, and Apple makes a large number of them available on the iTunes store (Apple claims that around 20% of the 500 apps that it receives per week are not approved - either directly rejected, or they need some modifications). However, it is apparent that one area where Apple is most concerned about is apps that either affect Apple's or AT&T's data plans or the money they make from voice calls. There was a lot of controversy in the month of July when Apple rejected the Google Voice (learn more) application, a software that could enable people to save money in making calls (even if Google Voice is not a VOIP application). The FCC was concerned about this apparent rejection, since it would seem that customers were being denied an alternative, and asked Apple for an explanation.
Apple has finally replied to the FCC, giving multiple reasons for the rejection, including privacy issues, and an apparent change of the basic call making flow inside the app (link to article):

"The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhone's distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhone's core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail," Apple said in a statement posted on its Web site. Apple also said Google Voice's importation of the Contacts database represented a privacy concern. "[T]he iPhone user's entire Contacts database is transferred to Google's servers, and we have yet to obtain any assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways," Apple said.
Separately, Apple acknowledged that its agreement with AT&T obligates it "not to include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&T's cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&T's permission.

However, Apple is stating that the application is still under review, and not rejected; an apparent subterfuge to ensure more time, and maybe hope that back-channel contacts ensure that the issue goes away.
At some time in the future however, Apple will find that the platform that it has built in the form of the iPhone and the app store will be broken open, that Apple will find that the rights it has to deny an application will need more openness. This could happen through a mix of consumer reaction and pressure from regulators.

Directions on how to use Google Maps

Here are 2 great videos on how to use Google Maps:

Getting directions



Google Maps Street View

Free Image Editor - Picasa by Google

If you are looking for a good and free image and photo editor, then you need not look too much further than using Picasa from Google. Picasa is a free full-featured editor and photo management software, and is available in a variety of languages.
Some features of Picasa:
- Picasa instantly locates and organises all the pictures on your computer: Picasa organises your entire collection while you watch, scanning the images on your computer and automatically sorting them by date
- Move and re-name pictures from inside Picasa
- Make an album: Use the "Albums" collection to tag your photos into quick groupings inside Picasa.
- Add a star rating: Helps you find popular photos easily
- Password-protect collections
- Allow a lot of fixes / editing: Crop, fix red-eye, fix contrast and colour, enhance images, 12 new visual effects (sepia, black-and-white, and numerous others)
- Add captions for images
- Zoom, pan and tilt
- View EXIF data
- Share photos with friends and family via email, on a web site, slide shows
- Many options for home printing
- Backup photos for safety
- Convert photos to movie
- Make a screensaver or set as desktop background
- Make a picture collage or poster

If you are interested in downloading Picasa, just click on the button in the Free Software section to the right and select Picasa as part of the Google Pack (of course if you are interested in more software, select them as well)

Tech Talks by Google

Google is fancied as a very high-profile company in the area of technology, with a lot of research happening in newer areas. Won't it be nice to be able to get some ideas about the Tech Talks that happen. Well, it is possible, since Google Videos makes available many of the Google Tech Talks videos at the following link:

Topics included:
- Web Development for Perfectionists with Deadlines
- Performance Tuning Best Practices for MySQL
- Building Large Systems at Google
- How To Break Web Software - A look at security vulnerabilities in web software
- Human Computation
- Beyond Test Driven Development: Behaviour Driven Development
- The Graphing Calculator Story

and numerous others. Should be a nice link to peruse and read more.

Blackle - Black Version of Google

Blackle is nothing but a black version of google .

"A few months ago, TreeHugger Mark Ontkush wrote a post on his blog EcoIron titled Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year . The post lays out the following train of thought. "An all white web page uses about 74 watts to display, while an all black page uses only 59 watts." Google, which has a white background and gets about "200 million queries a day" could reduce global energy use by 750 Megawatt-hours a year by simply changing the color of its homepage to black.

In response to this post a black version of Google emerged called Blackle.com . According to Blackle's homepage at publication time, 4,408.917 Watt hours have been saved by. Nice ideas. But how does the search measure up? Very well indeed. Give it a whirl yourself and start saving energy one search at a time. :: Blackle.com

Google completes your seach term

A lot of us use the Google search engine when we want to search for anything on the internet. In fact, to a lot of people, Google is the default home page that they go to when they launch the internet.
So let me show you a trick from Google. When you search, there is a special type of search where you can start entering your search item and Google will use searches made by other people to try and provide you options for completing you search terms.
The first time I saw this, it was pretty incredible. So let me show it you directly:
http://www.google.com/webhp?complete=1&hl=en
Just go to this search term, search for anything. As an example, say you want to search for Britney Spears. Start entering B, then r, then I and see how you search term displays options for you to choose from.
Seems magical, does it not ?