The word “blog” has joined the vocabulary of our everyday usage, but not everybody knows what it really means. Blog is actually short for “web log.” A blog is any website or portion of a website that posts information in a format where updates are expected, and information is archived over time.

Why is a blog important today?

Blogs are important today because they keep people coming back to a website. A blog is not necessarily important for every type of website, but in many cases a blog can be extraordinarily helpful. If a website relies entirely on selling products or services, then a blog may not necessarily be helpful. If, on the other hand, a site is expected to make at least some of its income by providing information, a blog is likely a helpful tool. Blogs are also useful in order to have repeat traffic. If a site is not updated periodically, most of the people who visit the site will only visit it once. If the site is continually updated with information, however, it will keep visitors coming back to see what is new with the site. For this reason, blogs can be extraordinarily useful for self-promotion.

Blogs can be personal or for business

It is important to realize that blogs are not necessarily the low quality, diary-like archives that they are sometimes portrayed as. Not all blogs on the internet will necessarily be referred to as blogs by their repeat customers. They may consider them news sources or magazines, even if they use the same software as a blog. It is certainly true that an angst filled teenager can use a blogging software to vent to the world about their day to day problems. It is also true that an entrepreneur can provide updates about their product line or that a reporter can provide news using blogging
software.

How can you benefit from blogging?

Blogging increases your web presence. This is not something that occurs entirely on its own. You can””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””t start a blog and fill it with meaningless strings of data and expect this to increase your web presence. But if you provide interesting information that people find entertaining or useful, and you do so on a regular basis, then people will come to trust your site. This means that people who have visited your site will come back for more. It also means that people will link to your site, which increases your likelihood of being discovered in the search engines.

What are the available platforms today?

Blogging platforms are software that is used in order to set up and maintain a blog on your website. They automate the process so that it can be done easily. This is because the process of updating a website is normally very difficult and requires a keen understanding of programming language. Out of the top hundred blogs on the internet, the most commonly used blogging platforms are WordPress, Typepad, Blogsmith, Movable Type, and Gawker.

Which blogging platform should you use?

The most widely used blogging platform is WordPress. There are a couple reasons for this. First of all, of the five blogging platforms mentioned above, only two are available for self-hosting: WordPress and Movable Type. This means that if you want to run a site with your own personal web site address, you need to use WordPress or Movable Type. Typepad and Blogsmith are blogging services, meaning that your blog would be displayed on their site, not your own. Gawker is a private network, meaning that the platform is not available for use outside of their company. WordPress is used more often than Movable Type because more people have created customized versions of the WordPress software, giving its users more functionality. So hosting provider are now providing one click install wordpress hosting services.

What are some WordPress hosting providers?

There are a number of hosting services available which you can use to set up a website. Hosting providers which allow you to easily set up a WordPress blog are a great choice if you want to set up a website that can be easily updated at a moment”s notice with the latest news that you have to offer. Some of the options available are justhost.com, iPage, myhosting.com, inmotion, and DreamHost.

http://www.google.com/insights/search/

Many fantasy football drafts are coming up this week, are you looking for the edge? I discovered that CBSSports.com has the best free online tools to get you to the top. The website provides in-depth NFL statistical analysis with Interactive Data Visualizations. Not only will you need them for your draft, but all season long to win your league.

http://fantasynews.cbssports.com/

The following article sums it up best, “OnMyWay has a simple goal; it tells another person or group of people that you are currently on your way and sends them the estimated time of your arrival. The app sends new alerts to your contacts if your ETA changes (if you're stuck in traffic, for instance), so that you can safely continue driving and not have to call or text someone else if you're running late.

I tried this app out yesterday and OnMyWay worked well. You should get it while it's still free. Thanks to Mike Kimmel for the awesome find!

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/08/26/telenav-releases-free-onmyway-notification-app-for-iphone/

After reading this article, I wonder what will become the fate of websites? Is your website going to become one big disclaimer and privacy policy, while your app becomes the number one source of online traffic?

Read the full story
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2010/08/ff_webrip/all/1

http://cox.com/takecharge/

http://www.mahalo.com/answers

1. You can create a new language
2. You can make it work
3. We like adding browser features
4. Nountypes are very powerful… but hard to get people to use well
5. People get used to just naming their commands
6. Inputs are not just strings
7. Switching between mouse and keyboard sucks
8. Security is critical… or is it?
9. Preview can be more useful than actually doing it
10. “Killer App” commands drive adoption
11. Users need to be able to find commands somehow

http://labs.mozilla.com/projects/ubiquity/

Top 10 Ways To Make Your iPhone An Office
01) Create to do lists in your notes
02) Whiteboard capture: Your iPhone’s camera works capture most whiteboards
03) Getting tasks done!: Create projects, share tasks, and even get motivational phrases from this app.
04) Use motivational wallpaper: Put David Allen’s GTD system on your iPhone with these wallpapers.
05) Use this calendar to share your schedule with friends, family, and colleagues.
06) Photo to do list: Take photos to remind yourself to take care of tasks.
07) Organize your agenda and tasks with this app for the iPhone, and you can update using Jott, Twitter, or email.
08) Keep track of the tasks you need to do with this app that syncs between your iPhone and desktop.
09) Thumb Jot: This app makes taking notes on the iPhone faster.
10) Use your iPhone as an alarm clock: Wake up, remember lunch, or just get reminded to do a task by setting your iPhone’s alarm.

http://www.internetservicedeals.com/blog/72/iphone-office-100-ways-to-turn-your-device-into-the-ultimate-productivity-tool/

Would you buy one of these cars?

http://www.mdi.lu/english/