Internet consultants, web site design and promotion, search engine optimization, Kootenay British Columbia

ADSL or Cable Which is Faster?: Internet access versus Cable Internet access. ADSL services are now available, in some areas, either directly through BC Tel or through one of their partners. If you wish ADSL service in your home or business, and if it is available in your area it doesn't require a dedicated separate phone line but will require an adaptive device for your computer (ranging from a one time cost of $70 to $100). Internet Service, through your cable company, requires a "box" that sits on your TV (one time expense of $60).
Firefox the best browser: Tired of all the pop-up ads; the constant security updates for you Microsoft Explorer browser; or spyware problems?
Always On Always at Risk: Your computer and its contents need protection. Higher speed services through ADSL and Cable means the computer is "always on" the Internet. Your machine while on-line is assigned a unique number (IPP ADDRESS). The IPP address remains static until the computer and its high speed modem is turned off. The old dial up service provided a unique IPP each and every time you accessed the Internet.
A personalized Search Engine?: There have been successful efforts to produce a "personalized search" with some niche search engines, such as Eurekster (www.eurekster.com). For example, two friends might share a common interest in a subject, such as Star Trek the original series, so one of the two goes to Eurekster and puts in the "trekie" search term. He finds what he/she wants but on the second page so he/she opens it up to view the material.
Avoiding spam: Spam robots have been "harvesting my email for years". "There are many sources for harvesting including web pages, newsgroups, chat rooms, message boards, and online directories for web pages, instant message users, domain names, resumes, and dating services. In almost all instances, the investigators found, the spam received was not related to the address used. As a result, consumers who use e-mail, are exposed to a variety of spam including objectionable messages no matter the source of the address. Some e-mail addresses posted to children's newsgroups received a large amount of spam promoting adult web sites, pitching work-at-home schemes, and even advertising hallucinogenic drugs."
Health Care Internet Tools for Your loved Ones in the 22 nd Century: With the aging population in North America many "baby boomers", myself included, are faced with the dilemma os looking after their aging parents, some whom are still living in their own homes, sometimes distant from their children.
MSN's Desk Top Search Engine: Microsoft's grand plan calls for a desktop search for emails, local files, and the web.Microsoft wants a product that will let its users easily search across local machines, corporate networks and the Internet.
Music Industry Gouging us again?: Remember the law suites by the recording industry against free peer to peer music file exchange. Will now thsy are out to gouge us again with there "wholesale prices" to music file resellers
Scanners How to select one: Scanners are now at reasonable prices and would make nice additions to your home/business computers. Prices range from $150 to $500. Before you purchase your scanner select a unit that can serve all your purposes. Are you going to use it with your fax machine or do you wish to do "high end" scanning (i.e. slides, negatives, transparencies)?
Search Engines are important to Local Business: Although search engines can be used to enhance your web site's business it is the quality and content of your site that has a greater impact on potential earnings. It is also very necessary to enhance a web site through meta tags, content description and proper search engine optimization. The marketing strategy of the web site, ease of navigation and appearance can also effect a site's ratings. My experience has shown me that referrals resulting from visibility on major search engines varies from 20% - 98% of all referrals.
Skypes or should it be Yipes?: My brother called me from Vancouver on my phone but thorouh a software company called skypes (www.skypes.com). Shortly thereafter my daughter called me from Nanaimo with "great news" about Skypes and "we should all sign up cause it was free". So this weekend I went to Skyes and downloaded its free software. It works however I had to do a few things first.
TCPA Trusted Computing Platform Alliance or Microsoft Palladium: TCPA or Trusted Computing Platform Alliance is a "new computer platform" led by Intel (the CPU chip maker) and supported by "Bill" (Of Microsoft fame). TCPA is the chip's architecture and "Palladium" is Microsoft's name for the software which supports TCPA. TCPA will stop operation of any of your unlicensed software by interacting with "Pallium", to determine if your use is legitimate.
War for your Home Entertainment/Internet: A comprehensive battle is shaping up among local Cable service providers, Telecommunications service providers and Microsoft over which technology gets to deliver the various media types to your home. (who will own the rights to deliver Internet data, telephone and television to your home or business?)
What's coming in 2005?: The war of the big two and soon to be big three search engine wars. The two leading contenders are Google and Yahoo. Both are now listed as public companies on the Nasdaq Exchange with Google shares selling at $200.00 and Yahoo shares at $44.00. Google's total estimated revenue for 2004 is $592 million and Yahoo $773 million.
Who is Responsible for Spam Control?: Spam control the nemesis of the net:
Windows XP is it for You?: Microsoft is going to spend 200 Million US$ telling you why you need windows XP. They Promise a more stable platform and say it is the best operating platform ever The computer industry needs it more than you or me. Microsoft sells you Windows XP and the computer industrysells a new machine to run it. Windows XP will not stimulate a new demand for new machines. Upgrading will be expensive, ($100 to $200 US), time consuming, and disruptive.