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PSP USB Cable Guide

Written by oneself on 8:05 AM

If you want to be taken to another world, then the Sony Portable PlayStation is the coolest device to take you there. Imagine playing games, watching movies, viewing pictures and listening to music anywhere you go.

But before you can enjoy your enviable high tech gadget, you'll need to download all that stuff sitting on your PC to your PSP. To do that, what you will need is a PSP USB cable.

Don't worry, it's not hard to do and the cable is inexpensive. All you need is someone to guide you through the simple steps the first time around and this guide should be all you need to get started.

In this guide, we will be describing the PSP USB Cable by Intec. You will learn why you will need it if you own a PSP or Sony Portable PlayStation. We will show you what it can do. You will become aware of its features and how to use them. We'll include a few user tips and troubleshooting advice. Then you'll learn where to purchase this cable at a low price. When you have finished reading this guide, you'll soon be happily enjoying movies, games, music and pictures on your PSP!

Let's get started...

Why You Need It

With only a few exceptions, the majority of us will need a USB cable that can connect our PSP to our PC. It's the only way you can download your games, movies, songs or pictures from your PC to your PSP. And that's the reason you will need one.

Why Intec

Many PSP users have had success downloading their stuff using the Intec PSP USB cable. Two extra features of the Intec brand make it a good deal. It has a retractable cable, which is handy for travel and an addition power plug to recharge your PSP so you won't unnecessarily drain your PSP battery while downloading.

Tips & Advice

When your PSP is connected to your PC by the USB cable, your PC should recognize it as a removable disk. However, for a handful of people it may not appear. If this happens to you, don't panic. Just make sure your PSP is in USB connect mode.

Some people report that the Intec cable doesn't work all the time on every computer. However, it could be the computer causing problems, not the cable. Another possibility is your PSP battery is low so your computer doesn't recognize it.

Although the Intec PSP USB cable includes a power tip, using your regular AC adapter will charge your PSP batteries faster.

Where to Buy

You can buy the PSP USB Cable by Intec online. If you go to Amazon.com they will sell it. J&R Music and Computer World along with Beach Audio are also listed as sellers. Prices range from 93 cents for used to $10.99 plus shipping for new.

Summary

You now know why having a USB cable for your PSP is essential. We suggested the Intec brand because PSP owners have had success using it and the extra power tip that it included. You learned how simple it is to use. In case of trouble, you learned it could be a simple thing, like making sure your PSP is in USB mode. Now all you have to do is get a USB cable, download everything to your PSP and enjoy your PSP everywhere you go!

Copyright (c) Jon Chan, All Rights Reserved.

For more download free PSP games information visit: http://www.bestproductadvisor.com/download-free-psp-games/

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INO TV Trading Videos on Your Computer

Written by oneself on 8:18 AM

Think of INO TV as like NetFlix for traders.

Netflix as you probably know delivers movies to people via mail. You watch the movie and then return the movie back to Netflix and they send the next one on your list.

Well that is what INO TV started out as, they were doing the same thing but with a list of over 500 trading DVD's and they were sending them WORLDWIDE.

In the last year or so INO TV decided to changes things a bit. Instead of offering 2 dvd's at a time to clients they decide to bring ALL the videos online. So instead of waiting days to receive your dvd's you now can have access to ALL the videos any time you want all via their online site.

This was a big change and a welcome one. You do have to have fast internet access. IE cable, wifi, DSL, etc. Dial up access won't cut it as you won't be able to view the videos without waiting for load times etc.

If you do have fast internet though everything streams nicely so their aren't interruptions. You can also expand your view of the video to the FULL SCREEN. So you can watch the video in full screen and don't have to squint to watch which is great.

Once you have access to INO TV you can view the videos 24/7 and as many times as you want.

The videos are basically recorded seminars from top traders. You know those seminars that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars they tape those you know. Well, instead of paying all that money and sitting in a hotel ballroom you can sit at your home with a cold/hot beverage, notepad and rewind, fast forward, pause at anytime so you NEVER miss anything you want to hear.

INO TV has over 500 videos to choose from. You could watch as many videos a day that you want. But it would take a year of watching 2 videos per trading day and you still wouldn't be through all the videos INO TV offers.

INO TV breaks things down nicely as well so you can find the topics you are searching for. They have 11 "channels."

Beginners, Charts & Analysis, Currency Trading, Day Trading, Futures, Money Management, Options, Psychology, Spreads, Stocks, Trading Systems.

INO TV also lets you search for experts. These are seminars done by over 100 TOP traders.
Traders like...Larry Williams, Russell Sands, John Murphy, John Bollinger, Linda Raschke, Jack Schwager that is just to name a few of the 100+ top traders.

INO TV is $99.95 a year or $49.95 per quarter. They do NOT offer a money back refund on this product due to the fact you have access to everything from day one I guess. So that is one drawback. But even if 1 video helps you make money its worth the $100 bucks.

I would recommend INO TV to those traders who are looking to continue learn to be better traders.

Steve Hoven is a trader. You can check out INO TV and get 4 FREE videos at http://www.Videos4Traders.com OR if you are ready to buy INO TV Check out http://www.TopTraders.TV for all the details.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Hoven

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The Ten Best Things About TV Wall Brackets

Written by oneself on 9:34 AM

By: Phil Battison

TV wall brackets are enormously useful, and here are ten of the best things about them.

1. By using a wall bracket, you can place your screen almost anywhere in the room. This is great news if there’s a perfect viewing location but you couldn’t use a desktop stand or cabinet because there’s something on the floor beneath which you can’t move.

2. Some brackets are specially designed so to fold back so that your screen sits completely flush to the wall. This creates an amazing look when you are watching your screen, but means it’s much less visually obstrusive when it’s switched off.

3. Many TV wall brackets are easy to adjust, meaning they are suitable for a wide range of screens. So while you still have the option of getting one produced by your screen’s manufacturer – and often these look best – you aren’t always forced to buy their product, whatever the price.

4. Whatever size your screen, there’s sure to be a bracket to match. Many TV wall brackets can cope with a wide range of sizes so you’ll be sure of a good fit, plus there’s one less thing to worry about if you later upgrade to a bigger screen.

5. If you’ve spent a lot of money on a great-looking TV, you may well have co-ordinated the colour with your other audio-visual equipment. The good news is that many TV wall brackets now come in a range of colours so you are sure to get one that matches your set-up.

6. Many TV wall brackets have built-in cable management, and even if your choice doesn’t, you can get specially designed solutions relatively cheaply. This means you can hide away the cables which run from your wall-mounted TV in a discreet way. Some cable covers are even paintable so you can match them to your wall colours to make them even less noticeable.

7. A decent TV wall bracket may be cheaper than you think. While you can spend a lot of money on a top-notch model, there’s a wide variety of prices and some offer excellent value with skimping on quality or performance.

8. Most screens allow you to tilt or swivel your screen without much effort. That’s ideal if you’ve got large windows and get shadows at certain times of the day. It’s also very handy if you’ve got an open-plan kitchen and want to be able to see the screen perfectly while cooking dinner.

9. If you really want to splash the cash, there are even motorized TV wall brackets. You can use a remote control to move your screen about and even rotate it as much as 180 degrees. That may sound like a flashy gimmick – and it’s certainly flashy – but it can be very handy if the most convenient place to mount the TV is somewhere other than the ideal viewing location.

10. Some brackets even have shelves built underneath which can safely hold your other equipment while still looking attractive. Just imagine never having to get down on your hands and knees to change DVDs again!

About the Author
To explore our range of tv wall brackets, please visit our website at http://www.avnow.co.uk

Published At: www.Isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=272602&ca=Computers+and+Technology

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Like a Mobile Supernova in your Pocket!

Written by oneself on 6:33 AM

Nokia have announced another handset which is part of their Supernova range. The Nokia 7610 Supernova is a stylish fashion phone with some strong multi media features.

The 7610 measures 98 x 48 x 15mm and weighs in at 99 grams. It is a slider handset which combines mirrored surfaces and interchangeable covers allowing you to customise your handset to your liking. You can even change the keypads illumination and wallpaper, why not coordinate the colours with your outfit!

It boasts a 3.2 megapixel with autofocus and duel LED flash. The camera is capable of capturing VGA resolution video clips at up to 15 frames per second.

If you like to listen to your favourite tunes on your mobile phone then the Nokia 7610 doesn’t disappoint, it comes with a multimedia player as well as an FM radio. It also comes equip with a 2.5mm AV connector and TV out capabilities, making it a quite capable media phone.

The standard sales package includes two Xpress on covers, a wired stereo headset, 512MB microSD card, video out cable and charger. It is rumoured to cost approximately £190 which is in the same price range as the Nokia N77 and N81 which are both 3G handsets. Although the 7610 is not 3G it does have a better camera than both phones.

The 7610 Supernova is due for release in quarter 3 2008. If you do order a 7610 Supernova handset make sure you are not given an original 7610 (released in 2004) from the bargain basement!

This and many other articles on mobile phones and the latest mobile phone deals was written by John Gray.

John Gray's writing can often be found at http://www.onecompare.com.

Occupation: Writer
John Gray writes articles on mobile phones and the latest mobile phone deals.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_575544_45.html

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Sony’s 3g Umts PDA Phone is Bar None the Best of the Best

Written by oneself on 12:43 PM

By: Patricia Stevens


Sony Ericsson’s 3g umts pda phone, called the K608 is likely the most innovative 3g umts pda phone on the market. Not only does the Sony 3g umts pda phone support any major 3g service, but it has video conferencing, too. Add to that super fast multimedia downloads and this 3g umts pda phone seems to beat out even the Nextel 3g umts pda phone.

The Sony 3g umts pda phone is as lightweight as the 2g model and looks good, too. This 3g umts pda phone offers a 1.3 megapixel digital camera with a lens cover for added protection. When the phone is horizontal it’s a camera, but turn it vertical and it becomes a phone. This is a very sharp design feature. The phone comes standard with Adobe Picture PC software already loaded, too.

Navigation is simple on this 3g umts pda phone and the new video conferencing feature is easy to use, too. There’s a couple of buttons to click and you’re on a video call. It really couldn’t be easier. Of course, you’ll probably want the earpiece to video conference because otherwise you’ll have to use speakerphone and that’s not always convenient. Your video calls will be razor sharp with this 3g umts pda phone because it has a 1.8 inch TFT screen with 262,000 colors.

For game lovers, this 3g umts pda phone can handle the most challenging game downloads, including the latest in 3D games. The 3g umts pda phone comes loaded with some great games, too, like the Vijay Singh Pro Golf 2005. Other great video games are available for download, too.

Music lovers will love this 3g umts pda phone, too. Not only do you get an FM radio with it, but there is enough memory to download full song tracks. No need for that senior citizen, the Walkman, anymore. The 3g umts pda phone takes care of it all.

You can sync the 3g umts pda phone using USB or Bluetooth technology. This phone is perfect as a business phone because of this capability as well as the business tools that are available on a pda phone that others don’t have. You can literally take your pc with you and not have to lug around your laptop anymore. You won’t have to stop working because of laptop batteries draining either. The phone and two chargers, outlet and car chargers, are still a fraction of the size of a laptop.

This Sony phone outranks any other phone out there, 3g or otherwise. The sleek, stylish design makes it appealing to the business man or the teenage girl. The features included are more than you thought you needed, but you’ll be happy to use each and every one of them. And the service from Sony is renowned to be the best in the electronics industry. There really is no need to continue looking for the perfect phone or pda or even a Walkman, the Sony K608 3g umts pda phone has it all.

About the Author
To learn exactly what PDA Phones can do for you, visit www.pdaphonestips.com where you'll find everything you need to know about the PDA Phones and much more.

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Windows 7 to Include Multitouch Features

Written by oneself on 6:49 AM

By Raja Chandran

Multitouch as an overall technology has really taken the world by storm, although that really has a lot more to do with Apple than it does with Microsoft. When people consider the Apple accomplishments in the field of Multitouch, the immediate conclusion that is reached has to do with the idea of Multitouch technology on the iPhone, one of the most successful computer hardware mobile products ever created.

windows 7 unofficial logoMultitouch has almost single-handedly allowed Apple back into the game and that is exactly why Microsoft has decided to get very serious with it, dedicating the biggest change introduced in Windows 7 as being one that has a lot to do with Multitouch technology.

Specifically, Microsoft is going to be introducing Multitouch functionality into the Windows 7 system, a sure sign that Microsoft has a number of things planned for Multitouch at some point in the near future. This is not surprising news in the least, but it is definitely news that goes a long way towards showing intent on the part of the highest echelon of power at Microsoft.

By incorporating Multitouch technology into their main flagship product, Microsoft has stated a desire to move beyond specialty products like the Surface and towards mainstream products that everyone can afford to buy. One can expect these mainstream products to start including Multitouch functionality at some point in the near future, since the operating system that will be running on those products will most certainly be able to support it. Lets see how it goes.

The Author is webmaster/writer for few popular Technology & Finance blogs. HomePage: http://www.surfacerama.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raja_Chandran

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Samsung watchphone is a good midrange phone

Written by oneself on 5:20 PM

by swornambigai

Dubbed a 'watch phone', the dual-band GSM 900/1800 MHz device will offer one and a half hours of continuous talk time and 80 hours of stand-by time at the flick of a wrist. The handset also supports voice activated dialling and includes a built-in phone book and 40 different polyphonic ring tones, and weighs in at under 80 grams.

Samsung-Watch-PhoneMeasuring a minute 37.8 x 64 x 17.7 mm, the watch phone also offers support for GPRS Class 10, which should provide users with more than comfortable speed when using its WAP 1.2 browser. In addition, the watch phone also supports SMS and MMS, as well as Bluetooth and speakerphone capabilities. Users will interface with the watch phone through its 8-bit (256 colours) OLED display, sporting a resolution of 96 x 64 pixels which can be personalized by means of wallpapers.

Samsung watch phone featuring bluetooth technology to connect with your mobile phone and act as a remote control for it. Featuring an OLED display that hides when inactive, the phone displays the name/number on an incoming call or the track’s name if you are listening to music. There are three versions, with same functionality but different design: Music Edition combining black and orange, Executive with stainless-steel bracelet and Classic Edition with leather strap and black face. A color graphic interface has been achieved with the use of a color TFT-LCD, setting the SCH-V200 apart from mobile handsets with a black-and-white LCD.

Since no one would want to hold the Cell Phone Watch to your ear to make a phone call, Bluetooth. It weighs 85 g if you select a plastic version with a rubber band, or it comes at 120 g in the metal case version. USB 2.0 is used to transfer data from and to the Cell Phone Watch. Please Purchase Online http://www.phoneandbeyond.com

About the Author

Representing Samsung-Watch-Phone in the website http://www.phoneandbeyond.com

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Speeding Up Windows Vista Part1

Written by oneself on 7:25 AM

By Jamie Kavanagh

Speeding Up Vista Boot Time

Windows Vista has a lot of great new features and visual enhancements that make it the most feature-rich and pretty version of Windows to date. However, with all the new features and effects, it has a much higher system overhead. If you don't always have the fastest hardware, this quick guide will help you get the most out of your system by reducing the heavy workload put on it during the boot process.

Working with the BIOS
Every PC has a BIOS (basic input/output system), which is what takes control of your computer the moment that you turn it on. The screen that you first see when you turn on your computer is called the power on self-test, better known as the POST screen. BIOS on each and every PC may be made by different companies or accessed by a different method. The most common way to access the setup screen is to press F2 or the Delete key when you see the POST screen.

Caution: While you are making changes in the system BIOS, make sure you don't change any other settings. If you accidentally change a value and don't know what to change it back to, just exit the BIOS setup screen and choose Do Not Save Changes.

Changing the boot order of your drives
Most computers are set up so that when you first turn on your PC, it checks to see whether you want to boot from drives other than your hard drive. The BIOS automatically checks to see if you have a bootable CD in your drive. If you have a floppy drive, it checks to see whether you have a bootable disk in the floppy drive, too. Then, after it has checked all possible locations for a boot disk, the system defaults to your hard drive set in the BIOS and starts booting Windows.

To change the boot order, you have to enter the system BIOS setup screen.

1. Press F2, Delete, or the correct key for your specific system on the POST screen (or the screen that displays the computer manufacturer's logo) to enter the BIOS setup screen.

2. Look for where it says Boot, and enter the submenu.

3. Navigate to where it states 'first device' and cycle through the list to where it states 'Hard Disk Drive'. If your setup screen does not specifically state 'first device' but rather just a list of all the devices, simply select the hard disk and move it to the top of the list.

4. After you have made the changes, exit the system BIOS by pressing the Escape key, and make sure that you select to save your changes upon exit. After you reboot, the new settings will be in effect.

Using the Quick Boot feature of the BIOS
To turn on the Quick Boot feature, do the following:

1. Enter the system BIOS again by pressing F2 or the correct system setup Enter key on the POST screen for your system.

2. After you are in the BIOS setup, locate the text 'Quick Boot'. Navigate with the arrow keys until the option is highlighted.

3. Use the keys to cycle through the options and Enable the Quick Boot.

4. After you have made the change to the setting, exit the system BIOS by pressing the Escape key. Ensuring you save the changes.

Modifying the Operating System Boot
You can use several different tricks to shave a few more seconds off the boot time. For example, you can reduce Timeout values and slim down the system to get rid of all the extra features and services that you do not use or need. Check out the following ways to do this.

Windows Boot Manager
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If you have more than one operating system installed on your computer, you'll have to deal with the Windows Boot Manager installed by Vista. By default, the Windows Boot Manager gives you 30 seconds to select an operating system before it reverts to the default operating system. If you use one operating system the majority of the time, you will definitely save a second or two if you set that one as the default and lower the Timeout value to 1 or 2 seconds.

Lowering OS Timeout values
Again, if you have multiple operating systems installed on your computer and the Windows Boot Manager is installed, the default selection timeout is often way too high. It is much better to set a lower timeout so that if you do not make a selection, it quickly reverts to the default OS, making your boot time much faster.

1. Click the Start button, type msconfig in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. When the System Configuration utility loads, click the Boot tab.

3. Locate the Timeout box and replace 30 with a much lower value. I suggest a setting between 2 and 5.

4. After the value has been updated, click OK to exit.

Even though this is a simple tip, it really helps a lot if you have multiple operating systems installed.

Setting the default Operating System
Setting the default operating system is a little more difficult because you need to use the Boot Configuration Editor

1. Click the Start button and navigate through All Programs and Accessories.

2. Locate the Command Prompt shortcut and right-click.

3. Select Run as administrator from the context menu.

4. When the command prompt has loaded, use the bcdedit.exe command. First, you need to get the ID of the operating system that you want to set as the default. To do this, type bcdedit /enum all in the command prompt window. Scroll through the list of different entries and look for the one with the description matching 'Microsoft Windows'for Windows Vista.

5. After you have found the correct entry, note its identifier.

6. While still at the command prompt, run bcdedit /default. Eg bcdedit /default {b2721d73-1db4-4c62-bf78-c548a880142d}.

The default operating system on the Window Boot Manager is now set.

Disabling the boot screen
Vista has a new boot screen that looks much better than the previous ones. Disabling it can cut down on your boot time. In tweaking, every second counts . And when you apply all the performance hacks listed, you will see a definite performance increase. The process for disabling the system boot screen is similar to the process for modifying the default operating system timeout.

Start up the System Configuration tool:

1. Click the Start menu, type msconfig in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. When the System Configuration tool appears, click the Boot tab.

3. Locate the No GUI Boot check box and check it.

4. Click OK to close the System Configuration tool.

5. A small window will pop up and ask you if you would like to reboot your computer now or reboot later.

6. After your computer has restarted, the System Configuration Tool is going to load automatically, notifying you of the change. Check the box that says Don't show this message or start System Configuration when Windows starts and click OK.

Disabling unnecessary hardware devices
One of the most time-consuming portions of the boot is loading all the drivers for your system. Every driver for each installed hardware device must be loaded and then initialized by the operating system while the system boots. Although Vista is more intelligent than previous versions, loading those devices and initializing them takes time. In previous versions, the system would load one hardware device driver at a time in a series. The problem with loading the hardware this way was that it slowed down the boot dramatically if one hardware device was taking a long time to initialize.

Using Device Manager to disable hardware
Getting rid of extra hardware with Device Manager is an easy way to speed up your boot. Follow these steps to disable your extra hardware devices:

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1. Click the Start menu, type devmgmt.msc in the Search box, and press Enter.

2. After the Device Manager loads, you can browse through your devices that are connected and currently running or disabled by browsing though the device type sections. To disable a device, right-click the device name, and then select Disable.

3. To re-enable a device, right-click the device name and select Disable. This removes the check mark from the menu and re-enables the device.

Multimedia devices:
Take a look at the 'Sound, video, and game controllers' section in Device Manager. You will find a lot of device drivers that are loaded during your boot. Some are used by all users, but you will find a few that you do not use

Network adapters:
Especially on notebook computers, there is often more than one network device. Disabling the network devices that you do not use will definitely save you some booting time.

Biometrics:
Some of the latest computer hardware includes biometric sensor equipment such as a fingerprint scanner. If you don't use these security features, you can save time by disabling these devices.

Modems:
Not really necessary in most setups. If you don't have a network or broadband you will need this.

TPM security chips:
These chips are typically used as a secure place to store an encryption key that would be used for something such as hard drive encryption. If you are not using any of these advanced security features of Windows Vista, disable these devices.

PCMCIA cards:
If you are a laptop user, consider disabling your PCMCIA card controller located under 'PCMCIA adapters.' The slot is a special expansion that is rarely used today on laptops. Most laptops now have built-in network adapters, and some even have built-in wireless adapters. If you do not use your PCMCIA adapter, it is yet another device you can safely disable.

FireWire:
If you have 1394 connections, or FireWire, you might consider disabling them.

Removing extra fonts for speed
Vista has more than 200 different fonts and variations that it loads for use when the system boots up. Of these 200 odd fonts, only a handful are used on a regular basis. Every single font that Windows loads increases the amount of time the operating system takes to boot. You can go about removing the unneeded fonts from your font directory in a number of ways. The best way is to move the unused fonts to a separate folder on your system so that in the event that you ever want to use one of those extra fonts again, you just have to copy it back to the Fonts folder. When you remove fonts from your computer, you will no longer be able to use them in any software application, including Photoshop, Word, and Excel.

Before you start removing fonts, take at look at list below. Be careful not to remove any fonts which the system normally depends.

Segoe
The variations of this font can be found in elements of the interface.

Verdana
Often used on web pages and applications.

Arial
Another common web page font, and used in applications.

Trebuchet
Common application font and used in some web pages back in XP days. Some older applications may still require it.

Tahoma
Windows font that you may want to hold on to for application and web page compatibility.

Times New Roman
The default font for web pages and word processing applications such as Microsoft Word.

MS Sans Serif
Default font for Visual Studio applications that is now required for a lot of legacy and newer applications.

So there are a few methods of speeding up the boot time of Windows Vista. The list isn't exhaustive and I hope to add another list in the coming weeks.

http://www.huxleytech.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jamie_Kavanagh


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Web 2.0 And Why You Shouldn't Fake Reviews

Written by oneself on 5:18 AM

The latest offering from Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares aired on Channel 4 last night, followed the somewhat disastrous adventures of ex-boxer Mike and his wife Caron Ciminera as they struggled to run the Fish & Anchor, a restaurant in Lampeter, West Wales. Whilst the couple's arguing appeared to better the food they were originally sending out (a mix of jarred sauces and home cook book trophy dishes) they did let slip on a fantastically poor bit of black hat optimisation, which I hope made all white hat SEOs laugh out loud.

If there was one lesson to take away from the show, it would be - Don't fake reviews!

In order to gauged the feeling of the local community for the failing restaurant come sports bar, Ramsay conducted a search on Google for the Fish & Anchor, to which he was presented with a range of reviews, two of which were rather suspiciously from a character calling himself Michael or Mike Burns.

On the Wales portal of the BBC website Burns had posted "Well i don't get excited about food too often, and having dined in Rick Stein's, and Gordon Ramsay's,I think i have found a better restaurant in West Wales". On the SugarVine website he also posted "what a fantastic restaurant for couples, and families. it seems to have everything, the food has to be the best i have eaten (home or abroad) this place will go far". Other online reviews echoed what has already been said, but with the dire state of the restaurant, its food, its reputation and its perception from both the local community and Ramsay itself, would it not be right to question who was telling the truth?

The restaurateur confessed to posting the reviews, his rational pointing to stimulating custom, however with any reactive strategy it requires a degree of foresight - and I am not sure he really thought through the wider ramification of posting these "inaccurate" reviews.

Firstly, a warning must be expressed. For example, if someone finds your restaurant or hotel via a positive (fake) review and they have a bad experience, there is a chance that they will post a true review to assist fellow users and generally have a rant. The initial seeding of this true review has the potential to lead to an onslaught of further reviews from other visitors who might not have otherwise posted. Don't forget the saying "people don't lead... they follow".

But how can you manage your reviews and ultimately what your customers are saying about you? Well first and foremost, address the problem(s)!

You wouldn't put a sticking plaster on a gun shot wound, so why think that a positive review about the quality of your food or the softest of your sheets is going to counteract the adversities of your customer service?

The customer is king, a point stressed by Ramsay, and one that should ring true for any business, after all, without them, where would we be?

By rectifying or at least making plans to manage any failings within your business, regardless of its size, will be the first step in managing your online reputation, but this is an area I will not going into comprehensive detail for this post. Instead, I will offer some simply pointers as to how to harness online reviews for good.

Sites like Trip Advisor, which boasts over 10,000,000 user generated reviews of various hotels, holidays and restaurants is gaining increasing weighting as an resource for honest and unbiased review and via its system of community recommendation it really has the power to drive custom, and in many instances, divert customer - the key factor being positive, and consistent reviews.

But if you do run a successful hotel or restaurant and wish to harness these social spaces, but wish to do so in a more ethical way than that demonstrated in Kitchen Nightmares than why not encourage your diners of hotel guests to post a review after their stay.

When the customer is paying their bill or even booking their hotel room why not take their email address, or even ask them to submit their business card in return for entry into a monthly prize draw for a free meal in the restaurant?

In addition to building up a client database by collecting this data - for use in promotional mailings including notifying customers of events, promotional and the launch of a new menu - you can also harness it to stimulate online reviews by dropping your customers a short email after their stay / meal, which might look something like the following example...

"Good afternoon Simon, and thank you very much for your booking at the Leapfrogg Restaurant, we hope you had an enjoyable meal.

We pride ourselves on the quality of our food and our attentive staff however we're always striving to enhance and improve what we do, and as such we would appreciate you taking two minutes of your time to write a review for us at Trip Advisor (http://www.tripadvisor.com), a free travel guide and research website that allows users to post review and ratings.

Your comments are important to us, and will be used to improve the Leapfrogg restaurant.

Thank you very much for your time and we look forward to welcoming you again to the Leapfrogg restaurant in the near future.

Sincerely,

A Restaurateur
Leapfrogg restaurant
Brighton
Tel: 01273 669 450"

Of course, many of your requests will be ignored, but providing you are personal in your emails (a point we at Leapfrogg have mentioned previously in this blog) then you are more likely to get a response, and even if you only have a 5% success rate, this is still 5% of valuable customer feedback.

A point to which I will conclude this article is one which has stuck with me from London's SMX, and one that I will most certainly be repeating from here on out is that "Yesterday's news no longer wraps today's fish and chips". Online news and online content, including user generated reviews do not simply get binned like a newspaper at the end of the day, but they remain live, and can even appear within the search results for a brand keyword search... so isn't it worth paying attention to what your customers are saying?

About The Author

Simon Dance is the link and social media executive at Leapfrogg, a Brighton SEO and Search Marketing agency who specialise in best practise and ethical search marketing solutions. Website: http://www.leapfrogg.co.uk/Contact © 2008- This article is free for republishing - One link must be active.

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Backup Your Computer Files or Start Over

Written by oneself on 2:27 PM

When was the last time you backed up your computer data? How many files and folders do you have on your computer? A rough guess will do. Personally I have over 85GB of data, music, Photoshop files and emails that I desperately would not want to lose.

Backing up your data files on Windows is a simple and straight forward process that you should complete on a regular basis. I should know as a while back I didn't follow my own advice and lost all my files when one of my hard disks became corrupted.

I had to re-install Windows XP and re-download all the programs I could remember having. I also had to buy a couple of software programs again as the drive that failed had all my emails on it, so I couldn't prove I had purchased the software.

Windows has a built in back up facility that is adequate. It's not exactly the best program out there, however it will allow you to back up your data for free. To access it Click Start, highlight All Programs, highlight Accessories, highlight System Tools, and then click Backup to start the wizard.

Within the wizard you will be asked exactly what files you wish to back up and to where. What files you back up will help you make a decision on where you wish to back up.

If you wish to back up only really critical files that are not that huge you may be able to back up onto a flash drive or memory stick. These are getting cheaper and cheaper and 8GB or 16GB versions are very cost effective these days.

If you wish to back up more files, or even all of your files then you may be best using a portable hard drive. Portable hard drives offer offline storage and as long as you store it away from your computer [no point storing it in the same room or building really], offer a good worthwhile solution.

Portable hard drives are very similar to flash drives in that the price is very reasonable and if you are serious about keeping the data on your computer redundant, then it is cost effective, especially if you do have a computer or hard drive failure.

There are quite a few alternative free backup software options available, that for a home user will be more than sufficient. There are paid for back up programs also that are available, they maybe would be better suited to businesses that require more powerful and scalable

Another option is for online storage. There are many free online storage options available as well as paid. If you can afford it, paid for online storage is best as you should be given guarantees by the online storage merchant.

However you back up your data and what medium you keep it backed up on, having a regular back up schedule and keeping to it will give you piece of mind and will safe you hassle further down the line when one of your computer components fail.

John French has over 15 years experience of building and repairing computers. He has extensive knowledge of keeping computers healthy and free from spyware and malware.

Want to discover more tips and secrets that can speed up and protect your computer for free? Then check out his online blog at http://www.john-french.net

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