Category: General Articles

How Can Facebook Increase Your Business?

While Facebook is designed to facilitate person-to-person interaction, the network has added a stable of effective tools to promote more professional-to-professional interaction. These features include the ability to set up topic specific membership clusters by creating “Groups Pages”. In addition, Facebook offers the ability to set-up corporate / company / brand pages referred to as “Fan Pages”. These pages offer businesses and organizations the ability to add custom static html pages allowing for custom branding directly on Facebook’s site. The “Event Pages” feature is another fantastic tool which offers the ability to rsvp, post event pictures, and read comments from participants, both before and after the event.

The foundation of your company’s social networking strategy should be the development and launch of a bespoke Facebook “Fan Page” for your business and each of its signature programs. The primary goal of this network of pages is to create visibility and increase awareness for your business by establishing a fully integrated, presence and each of your signature products. This network of Fan Pages should be fully interconnected and form part of your firm’s comprehensive Facebook network. Keep in mind that each page within the network has it’s own clearly identified goals and objectives and each includes features that help accomplish those goals and objectives.

Facebook offers a wide variety of social networking features such as the ability to set up individual networks of friends and colleagues, share photos, videos, music, and links to sites of common interest. In addition, a key feature of the Facebook platform is the ability to post personal status updates to inform friends and colleagues about what’s going on in your personal or professional life at any given moment. The same principles should be applied to utilizing facebook’s vast marketing network to promote your company and products.

There are also lots of great tutorials and easy to use step-by-step social marketing guides that can help you dive into the world of marketing your business on Facebook. The Social Media Mogul blog often reviews some of the best offerings and provides useful information to make your task easier. Do your research and get familiar with this century’s most important social marketing and communication tool available, Facebook.

Custom Laptops – Building a Computer to Meet Your Own Needs

There is today a massive selection of computers and laptops available on the market, from high need, high performance machines to more humble basic models each serves a purpose. Increasingly however many people are choosing to follow the customisation route, feeling that off the shelf options are simply inadequate. But if you are embarking on the process of configuring a custom laptop or desktop computer, how do you define your own needs so that your purchase is suitable for purpose.

Naturally not everyone will be that interested in customising their laptop or computer, if this is the case it is easy to buy an off the shelf option but equally easy is to customise a device so that it purely contains basic components, this can save money as extra is not spent on additions are not needed.

If you are creating a computer just for the home basic options can be suitable, however, if the device is used by family members or to carry out multitasking, such as emailing at the same time as surfing or listening to streaming services whilst working it is typical to consider an improved RAM option and dual core processor.

One of the largest market sections within the computing industry is gaming. Gamers often configure custom laptops and desktop computers so that they can keep up with the demands of modern games. If you are considering a gaming laptop then it is advisable to choose a high specification graphics card as well as a suitable processor (dual core or quad core). As well as these needs a custom gaming laptop or computer should also have fast, high quality RAM and a capable hard drive.

Not all customers want a custom laptop or computer for gaming. Another popular use of computers is music mixing and sound production. Understandably if configuring a computer for this purpose it is important to consider the sound card, most agree that a non-integrated, well received version is likely to be the best option. As with many of the custom options enough RAM and a capable processor will also be required.

Finally there is video editing, much like sound mixing and production. It is important to ensure that your sound card can meet the needs of videos but most importantly is to find a suitable graphics cards. Not all graphics cards will be the same and some have been specially designed for use with video rather than gaming. As video storage utilises a large amount of memory the hard drive will have to be up to scratch, if using a laptop then external storage in the terabytes would be the worthwhile option.

Using Social Media Tools To Promote Your Music

Social media tools are the bee’s knees when it comes to getting the attention of fans and getting them to listen to your awesome music. Most social media tools are free to use and could potentially bring your band thousands of new fans with a little bit of hard work and some elbow grease.

YouTube

Ah yes, YouTube. There are more videos on YouTube than you and your band could watch in an entire lifetime. Surprisingly, there are just as many users browsing YouTube for new content to entertain them. Why not post videos of your music or video blog updates about your band to start attracting some attention to your musical masterpieces. Subscribers and fans on YouTube are a necessary component of your army of fans. If you can manage to harness the power of YouTube in a creative and original way, there’s no telling how man fans will start following you and your music. Don’t make a YouTube channel if you don’t plan on updating it with new content, though. If you’re going to have a YouTube channel, make sure you have enough content to keep fans interested and engaged.

Facebook

Facebook has come a long way in terms of promoting bands and their music. Back in the day there was no way to integrate music into your Facebook pages. Now, certain applications allow you and your band to upload music directly to your Facebook page for all of your friends and fans to listen to. Due to the face that there are so many users on Facebook, you shouldn’t have any problem picking up a few fans here if you do things right. Facebook “Likes” are gained from the click of a button so it shouldn’t be too hard to pick up a few extra fans with a little bit of click-the-like-button encouragement.

Twitter

Twitter has been all the rave lately, or at least it has been in the recent months. Amassing a Twitter army is actually pretty difficult but if you’re serious about your career in music it’s important to start building your Twitter army now. The goal should be to get at least 10,000 followers, that’s enough to make a statement as a musician. The goal here is to add and follow users that are relevant to what you’re trying to promote. If you’re a rock band, don’t go after Justin Bieber fans. Be smart about who you follow and who you let on your Twitter team. Building a successful Twitter following takes months but it’s well worth the extra work. DON’T be tempted to use any services that offer you thousands of followers if you pay them a small fee, odds are you’ll get the extra followers but they’ll all be spam accounts and worthless.

Be Part of the Game With the PS3 Bundle For the Move

Play Station does it again! They’ve brought the world of gaming into a new era. The new PS3 Move is redefining how you play. No longer do you simply watch the game, now you are part of it. Players interact and personally feel what is happening. You are now an integral part of the game, not just a spectator. Movement is now key to playing. The PS3 bundle pack can get you set up for gaming with this exciting new system.

The PS3 bundle for the Move is a great option for players who do not already own a system. Everything you need to get started is included with this package. Depending on which hard drive you want, the cost will vary accordingly. Both the 160 GB and the 320 GB bundles come with a PS3 system, an eye camera, 1 Move motion controller, a Move game demo disk and the Sports Champion Blu-ray disk game designed especially for the PS3 Move. The 160 GB retails for $300.00 and the 320 GB is $400.00. If you already own a PS3 system you can purchase an accessory bundle for the move which includes: the eye camera, 1 Move motion controller, the Move demo disk, and the Sports Champion Blu-ray disk game. The accessory bundle retails for $99.99.

You will be amazed at the full range motion the Move controller puts at your disposal. The vibration feedback will react to your movement and actions and its color changing sphere will provide added excitement. Some games will allow you to use 2 controllers, such as boxing and archery, and will increase your feeling of being part of the game. The PS3 bundle for the Move will allow you to play a variety of games from sports to action games, to shooter or family games.

Whether you’re young or old, the PS3 bundle for the Move will keep you moving and entertained. The eye camera accurately keeps track of player movement and up to 4 controllers can be used with the system at any given time. New technology puts the Move controller ahead of the competition with advanced motion sensors. The navigation controller will help you to move your character in the game, but if you don’t have one you can use the Dual Shock 3 controller. For most games, only the eye camera and Move motion controller are needed for play. This is the newest innovation to hit the gaming world and is well worth the investment.

Start-Ups and Website Branding on a Shoestring

Website Branding

The excitement of working a new business idea is a terrific feeling. The enthusiasm that you bring to a project elevates a working day to a new level. However, the realities of a start-up project soon become apparent when it gets down to finances.

The old saying of “money, makes money” is usually said by those of us with limited finances.

So, does this mean that a project cannot be started on a shoestring. Well no, it just means that you have to shop around for bargains and realise that your business is going to evolve and become more productive over a longer period of time.

One article does not give me the scope to cover all the initial elements regarding my recent internet based start-up and for that reason I just wanted to focus on;

Branding on a Shoestring.

This is open to discussion but for me branding has been initially about the following:

Logo

Social Media

Reputation

Logo – A quality Company Logo is really important. It provides the initial image your site visitors will see and symbolises your company. Often under-valued, a good logo can summarise your company just by the use of colour and shape.

Social Media – Well I am no expert, in fact I would class my social media expertise as pretty poor (well I am 43). For me, the most interesting aspect of social media is its ability to connect or spread a message/theme in the blink of an eye. Now if we apply that simple fact, it is scary how useful it can be for a business? Therefore, I have found that I have needed to work my Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn accounts. The more followers, likes and connections you can harvest the greater chance of a visitor to your business of taking it seriously. It’s a little like following a herd! Furthermore, the search engines are paying particular interest to social media connection/interaction with regards to website rankings.

Reputation – There is no greater business requirement than reputation. However, when starting a new venture how can this be built quickly? Well, I would draw on all your gained experience and skills and tell people about them. Make sure you can back up any claims and be honest. It can also help (and this is what I have implemented) if you can reach out to an audience using content and articles. Article writing is great for creating reputation and is also good for your business in the form of back-links.

So OK, a little sketchy and obvious, but I believe the above is a great starting point for any web business (please comment with your views). Initially, I talked about implementing branding on a limited budget and here is what it cost me to start things moving:

$30 and about 100 hours of my time. How I was able to do this is as follows:

$5 Logo – I forwarded basic ideas and …

Gaming Notebook 2011 – Battalion 101 XB100-U3 Review

The name says it all. Mobile gaming is becoming quite a trend these days as many laptop companies are developing gaming friendly laptops. The Battalion 101 XB100-U3 is meant for hardcore gaming. Let’s review this gaming notebook and checkout what it has in store for the gamers:

Video and Audio Performance

The first and foremost thing that you need to check while buying a gaming laptop is the capability of its graphics card. The card that comes with the laptop should not only be suitable for existing games but also for games that will be launched in the coming years. The Battalion laptop comes with a 2x ATI Mobility Radeon HD CrossFire Mode video card with a dedicated video memory of 1GB. The 18.4 inch full high definition widescreen LCD is perfectly designed for gaming. The 3D premium onboard soundcard of the Battalion machine is good but cannot be compared to standalone speakers.

Processor and Memory

The Battalion 101 XB100-U3 runs on Intel Core i7-740QM processor that delivers a processing speed of 1.72 GHz. You will enjoy playing your favorite games on this laptop. In order to get the best gaming performance, your laptop should run on at least 4GB of RAM and this is what the Battalion laptop brings to you. This means this laptop is on par with other gaming notebook in the market.

Storage

The Battalion 100 XB101-U3 comes with 320GB of storage. This is a bit less as compared to other brands who are selling laptops with storage capacity of 500 GB to 1TB. More space will help you install more games on your laptop. These days all games consume a huge chunk of hard disk space. So, it becomes a necessity to have a system with large storage space.

Additional Features

The Battalion laptop runs on Windows 7 Home Premium OS. Most gaming laptops are making use of this OS as it is great when it comes to multitasking. The laptop looks really good and sophisticated and is made up of sturdy material. It comes with four USB slots, 8x dual format DVD drive, 7-in-1 card reader, 2.0 megapixel camera.

Conclusion

If you do not mind spending money on a gaming notebook, then the Battalion 100 XB101-U3 is just the perfect choice for you.

PlayStation 3 Specs

Many people have recently shown an interest in the PlayStation 3 Specs, especially given the release of the new slim-line model. In actual facts, the specs are almost identical to that of the previous version of the PlayStation 3, just put into a smaller unit. For a full list of the basic PlayStation 3 Specs, see the link at the end of the article.

Just from glancing over these PlayStation 3 Specs, we can see that the PlayStation 3 is an amazingly powerful console, and it’s no wonder that it’s become one of the most popular video game consoles of all time. The integration of Blu-Ray technology, in addition to Bluetooth, has really helped the system jump up a gear, and to allow gamers to increase their experiences.

By understanding these PlayStation 3 specs you’ll be able to understand more about the the console in general, and will be able to get the best out of it. Also, if you ever encounter any technical problems or if anything ever goes wrong, you’ll have a greater understanding of the system, can therefore stand a better chance solving any problems.

The great thing about the new PlayStation having Blu-Ray technology built in, is that it now has a major advantage over the XBOX 360, which has no such technology. This means that the PS3 can play Blu-Ray movies, as well as being able to play Blu-Ray game disks, which can contain up to five times the level of content of a DVD disk.

Gaming Laptop Buying Guide

The truth is that a good laptop can mean the difference between winning and losing. That why the processor is so vital to the gaming laptop experience. You need at least a high speed Core 2 Duo to start with, but graphics cards are even more important when it comes to filling out your ideal gaming laptop.

At least 512 MB of dedicated memory is required for graphics to run up to par, so be prepared to shop for something in that neighborhood or higher. A high-resolution 15-18 inch screen will make those graphics deliver the goods, too, so compare the specs with the best in the business before you settle on a laptop.

Interestingly but not surprisingly, your starting point when it comes to buying a gaming laptop shouldn’t be the store. It should, instead, be the back of a gaming box. You see, you want to check the specifications on your favorite games to ensure that your new gaming laptop can smoke the requirements and leave your opponents in the dust. This will help you decide how much cash to part with, too. An MMO, for instance, may not need as much bank dropped on it as a first-person shooter.

Another key consideration is that of hard drive space. To really come up with a cutting edge system, you may want to purchase something that has support for two drives. You can then configure the bad boy with one solid state drive and one hard drive, allowing for a speed boost from the solid state drive and high-capacity storage from the hard drive. It’s a win-win.

As you can see, purchasing the best gaming laptop has a number of facets to consider. You’ve got a lot of shopping to do, though, so get out there and get cracking!

Gran Turismo 3 – PS2

Gran Turismo 3 – PS2 is the racing game that took the genre to the next level, and was the first game that really showed off what the PlayStation 2 was capable of in terms of graphics, sound, gameplay and an overall gaming experience. Released by Sony in 2001, Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec has become one of the best-selling PS2 games of all time, and set the benchmarks for what a video game should offer.

When playing Gran Turismo 3 PS2, you’ll spend the bulk of your time playing through the simulation mode. In this mode you’re given 10,000 credits (the game’s currency) and the task of buying your first car. With this car you can enter progressively difficult races, and earn money as you go, which can then be used to add modifications to your car (that will improve its handling or overall speed), or for buying new cars. Another major part of this mode is the license test centre, which includes the B, A, IB, IA, Rally and S-class licenses. As you go through the game you’ll need to acquire each license (each license is made up of 8 separate tests), as different races require you to have different licenses in order to become eligible to enter.

Gran Turismo 3 PS2 also has the benefit of being one of the lengthiest racing games ever, as many of the endurance races can last up to and beyond two hours. Many casual gamers have since criticised Sony’s decision to include such endurance races, but they are in-truth meant solely for the hardcore gamer that plays the game purely for the love of racing. One of the best things about Gran Turismo 3 is the way that you can modify every part of your car – right down from the suspension to the gear ratios. This gives you total control over your driving experience, and means that you can tinker with different elements to get maximum performance from your driving machine.

5 Tips To Market Your Online Business On Facebook

Over the last couple of years, social media revolution has just shaken the world with a new platform that is widely known as social networking. Facebook is the number one social networking site that lets you connect with millions of folks. On the other hand, the greatest advantage of using Facebook is that, it puts you in touch with millions of targeted people who might be interested in what you do. Since, Facebook has become the number one social networking site; it will help you boost your marketing campaign for your home based business easily. You would be glad to know that, in this post, I am going to tell you how to market your online business on Facebook effectively.

1. Create a Facebook Account:

As an Internet entrepreneur, creating your personal account is the first step of marketing your online business on Facebook. However, personalize your Facebook profile with the right information and use your photo as it helps people understand that you are a real person. Start adding friends who might be interested in what you do. The best way to do it is to target an online marketing group on Facebook and add all of them as your friend. Give some wall posts off and on. Don’t try to be spammy on Facebook. Be natural and interact with your friends.

2. Create a Fan Page:

Make a Facebook fan page for your online business and personalize it by adding information about your Internet business. Customize your page with a custom welcome page. However, now you are done with the page and start adding people who are interested in online marketing. Give wall posts off and on of your products or so.

3. Interact With Your Facebook Friends:

Interacting with your Facebook friends is vital. Have some time daily to spend on Facebook. Comment on your Facebook friend’s status, photos and events. Be natural and interact with your Facebook friends as much as you can. Sadly, some online marketers seem to spend much of their time on Facebook by chatting or promoting their product. It’s not good to spend much time on Facebook.

4. Target Large Facebook Groups:

One of the best advantages of Facebook is that, you will find all types of Facebook groups there that will definitely help you market your online business there. What you need to do is to, choose some large groups of online marketing and join them. Give some wall posts with a link of your products or site. In this way, you will get hundreds of targeted traffic to your site daily.

5. Run a Facebook Ad Campaign:

If you want to target your targeted audiences, you can run a Facebook ad campaign to get a better exposure online. However, the comprehensive part of Facebook ad is that you can target specific demographic people easily. For instance, if you want to target only folks who live in New York, you can easily …