10 Great Uses For Twitter

"What is Twitter?" is the most popular question about Twitter, and "Why Twitter?" is definitely the most popular follow-up question. Even once you understand that Twitter has grown beyond a micro-blogging service to become a social messaging platform, it can still leave you wondering why you might want to use it.

We have cell phones and text messaging and social networking and blogging. So why Twitter?

There are many great business uses for Twitter, like sending out news briefs or advertising the latest job opening, but believe it or not, there are even more personal uses for Twitter.

Here are a few popular ways to use Twitter:

1. Microblogging

This one is obvious, but in the rush to put Twitter to other uses, many people forget its first use as a micro-blogging platform. And it is still one of the best uses. It's easy to make a quick tweet telling the world what you are doing, how good your morning coffee tastes or how bad your lunch went.

And it is a great way for friends and family -- even those halfway across the world -- to keep connected to your daily life.

2. Quick answers

The idea of crowdsourcing has never been so quick! You can ask all sorts of questions to the Twitter universe, from what is the capital of Alaska to what people think of a particular brand of baby food. And the more friends you have, the more detailed answers you will receive.

There are even web services set up to take advantage of this feature, so if you don't have many followers, don't worry. Mahalo will help get your question answered quickly. Simply send your question to @answers.

3. Finding a job

Whether you just got laid off or you are sick of your current job, Twitter can help you get a new job. Not only can you announce to the world that you are looking for employment, but many companies post their job openings on Twitter.


4. Keeping up with the news

From newspapers to magazines to TV stations and cable news, it seems everyone is adopting Twitter as the coolest thing since sliced bread. The coolest part is that it makes Twitter a great way to keep track of news.

Want to keep up with the news, but don't wan to clutter up Twitter? You can use a Twitter client like TweetDeck. And the neat thing about TweetDeck is that it is available for the iPhone too.

5. Arrange a lunch with friends

Twitter can be very useful for arranging a time and place to get together. It's like a conference call with text messaging. So, if you have a regular lunch date with a group of people, or just want to arrange a get together, Twitter can be a great way to nail down a time and place that works for everyone.

Like following the news, it can be handy to have your friends in their own group if you have a lot of followers.

6. Helpful outbursts, or in other words, screaming your rage

We've all had one of those days, whether it was someone pulling in front of us in traffic, or getting served the wrong type of coffee, it is sometimes these little things that can put us in a bad mood for the rest of the day.

The sagely advice is to let it out, but to who? It's not like most places of employment have a handy punching bag, and it's probably not smart to vent to your boss. That's where Twitter can be really helpful because it lets you rage to millions of people. And you might just get some sympathy tweets out of it too.

Just remember to watch the language.

7. Keep up with your favorite team

Twitter's search feature can be a great way to track trends or keep up with a particular subject. And if you are a fan of sports, it can be a great way to really connect with the team. Not only are many sports players on Twitter, but you have the media and millions of fans to keep you updated on the latest and greatest.

Can't get to a TV when your favorite team is on? Just follow the tweets on Twitter. Not only will you get regular score updates, but you'll get some fun color commentary to go along with it.

8. Find out what people really think about the latest movie

Similar to keeping up with your favorite team, you can also use the search feature to check out what the buzz is on the latest release at the theaters. Sure, you could check what the critics have to say, but their opinion isn't always in line with what people actually think of the film.

Twitter can be a great way to find out if the movie is a bomb or a bust, so you don't have to waste your money on a real dud.

9. Becoming involved with politics

Barack Obama laid down the blueprint, and politicians are increasingly turning to social media sites like Twitter. Not only is this providing a great way for politicians to get the word out, but it is allowing them to stay connected to their constituents. What better way to tell your senator what you think about a key vote than to send him or her a tweet?

But politics on Twitter goes far beyond just following politicians. The Iran election crisisshowed what a political force Twitter could be as it not only allowed Iranian citizens to break through the walls Iran hoped to keep up around the events, but also let people from around the world show their support by turning their profile pictures green.

10. Fun and Games

One of the most recent activities that is becoming popular on Twitter is the use of third-party games to interact with Twitter accounts. For example, Spymaster allows you to create your own spy ring using your followers as spies. You generate money for your spy ring by completing tasks either solo or in real-time with other spymasters.

Source : http://webtrends.about.com

Article by :Daniel Nations

what is Cloud Computing

Pic Source : http://www.howstuffworks.com

Cloud computing consists of hardware and software resources made available on the Internet as managed third-party services. These services typically provide access to advanced software applications and high-end networks of server computers.

Types of Cloud Computing

Service providers create cloud computing systems to serve common business or research needs.

Examples of cloud computing services include:

* virtual IT - configure and utilize remote, third-party servers as extensions to a company's local IT network

* software - utilize commercial software applications, or develop and remotely host custom built applications

* network storage - back up or archive data across the Internet to a provider without needing to know the physical location of storage

Cloud computing systems all generally are designed for scalability to support large numbers of customers and surges in demand.

Examples of Cloud Computing Services

These examples illustrate the different types of cloud computing services available today:

* Amazon EC2 - virtual IT
* Google App Engine - application hosting
* Google Apps - software as a service
* Apple MobileMe - network storage

Some providers offer cloud computing services for free while others require a paid subscription.



Cloud Computing Pros and Cons

Service providers are responsible for installing and maintaining core technology within the cloud. Some customers prefer this model because it limits their own manageability burden. However, customers cannot directly control system stability in this model and are highly dependent on the provider instead.

Cloud computing systems are normally designed to closely track all system resources, which enables providers to charge customers according to the resources each consumes. Some customers will prefer this so-called metered billing approach to save money, while others will prefer a flat-rate subscription to ensure predictable monthly or yearly costs.

Using a cloud computing environment generally requires you to send data over the Internet and store it on a third-party system. The privacy and security risks associated with this model must be weighed against alternatives.

Source :http://compnetworking.about.com

Tips for Safe Internet Browsing

The Internet is a powerful medium that allows millions of users to chat, play games, download music, gather important information, and perform other various activities. All this has made the Internet an indispensable part of our daily lives. Although the Internet is useful, it also puts our personal and confidential information at substantial risk.

Using the Internet unwisely may make your system vulnerable to malware infections and an easy target for hackers. In this article, we will present some common Internet security tips that you can follow to safeguard your PC from Internet threats.

Do Not Open Attachments from Unsolicited Emails

Attachments that come with unsolicited emails can contain malicious programs, such as viruses, malware, and worms. These malicious programs often cause severe damage to your system. Therefore, it is best that you immediately delete any unsolicited emails you receive. You must also scan the attachments that you receive from known sources before opening them. It is recommended that you install antispam software that can automatically scan and prevent infected emails from appearing in your email program's inbox.

Do Not Use Peer-to-Peer Networks

Avoid using peer-to-peer networks because they are common carriers of malware and virus infections. Files downloaded from P2P networks are often embedded with viruses and spyware. In addition, you give permission to other Internet users, including hackers, to access files on your computer when you use P2P software.

Download Free Software from Reputable Websites

You must be careful when downloading free software available on the Internet. Freeware is often laced with malicious programs, which if given entry may cause severe damage to your PC and steal your personal information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers. Download freeware only from reputable websites that have confirmed the software is virus and malware free.

Keep your Operating System, Software, and Drivers Up-To-Date

It is important that you keep your operating system, software, and drivers updated with the latest hotfixes, patches, and security releases from the manufacturer on a regular basis. Using the most recent version of a program will remove any security vulnerability that may have been present in its previous version. As a result, your computer will be less prone to viruses and malware infections that exploit security vulnerabilities.

Use Strong Passwords

Ensure data security by using strong passwords for your online accounts and your system files. Do not use your name or birth date as a password since they are easy to crack. Instead, use a password that contains alphanumeric characters and is at least eight characters long. Also, do not store passwords on your system. If remembering all your passwords is difficult, use a password manager program to organize and manage your passwords. A good password manager program will encrypt all your passwords that it manages. In addition, never share your password with anyone else.

Install and Use a Firewall

Use a firewall to control the information that goes in and out of your system. A firewall prevents unauthorized access to your system. Make sure that you keep both incoming and outgoing firewall protection active.

Install Antivirus and Antispyware Tools

Use an antivirus and an antispyware tool to keep your system protected from malicious programs, such as viruses, worms, adware, and spyware. Configure these tools to perform regular full system scans on your computer. Also keep these tools up-to-date with the latest virus definitions and security updates to enable them to identify and protect your system from the latest threats.

Although the Internet has simplified our daily activities, it is essential that you take the necessary precautions to keep your computer safe. Following the tips in this article along with using a recommended antispyware tool will help keep your PC virus and spyware free.

Source : http://www.ezinearticles.com

Google Wave

About Google Wave

Google Wave is an online tool for real-time communication and collaboration. A wave can be both a conversation
and a document where people can discuss and work together using richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more

What is a wave?


A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

When to use Google Wave

There are tons of ways to use Google Wave--here are just a few examples to get you thinking


Organizing events

Group projects

Photo sharing

Meeting notes

Brainstorming

Learn More : http://wave.google.com

Source :http://wave.google.com