If you embrace the do-it-yourself mentality with most aspects of your online business, chances are SEO tops your priority list. Since algorithms like Google’s are dynamic and unpredictable, employing the top tools of the trade is critical to your ranking success.

Today’s tools do their best to unravel the mystery of achieving high SERPs by dissecting each key element and aiding in top strategies and best practices. Below is a list of some of the current favorites in this space. Each one listed is free, but many require registration before using. With dozens to choose from, your challenge will be finding those that feel most intuitive, and of course, help you see positive results in the near term and beyond.

Google’s Webmaster Tools

The search engines themselves have some of the best tools around, and it stands to reason that in a sense, they would know best. While some brilliant minds have certainly improved upon the originals, you should absolutely be familiar with Google’s suite of webmaster tools as a DIYer. In addition to the following tools, Google has a stellar webmaster help forum and a great SEO starter guide that does wonders for demystifying much of the process, especially for beginners.

Google has a slew of free resources for the independent webmaster (which are also used by professional SEO experts too.) These tools help you tackle all of the following critical SEO tasks:

• Identify sections of your site that Googlebot cannot successfully crawl
• Display results that let you see exactly what Googlebot sees when crawling your website
• Assist with creating the essential robots.txt files
• Suggestions for improvements in meta data
• Keyword analysis and comparisons
• Be alerted when best practices are not used by your site
• Notify Google of your XML sitemap submission
• Remove duplicate content

Additionally, Google offers an excellent metrics tracking tool called Google Analytics, and a very powerful app called the Google Website Optimizer that lets you track conversion improvements with on-site changes. Don’t forget to track keyword popularity with the Google Trends tool too. While relying solely on this Google suite won’t be all-encompassing, this is a wise place to start your DIY SEO adventure.

Keyword Research Tools

Few things are more important in your SEO strategy than choosing the most effective keywords. Your keywords will also likely shift overtime, based on how people are actually searching for your content.

The following tools help you stay on top of search trends and competitive keyword analysis:

SEMRush – SEMRush does an exceptional job at competitive analysis, plotting top traffic-driving keywords for both your site and your competition’s.

SEOmoz Term Extractor – One of the most trusted names in SEO, SEOmoz has many valuable tools, with Term Extractor near the top. This is best used by entering your top competitor’s URL, and then analyzing their keyword strengths and weaknesses.

Alexa – Every webmaster should regularly check Alexa’s multitude of data. This site does more than just provide your traffic score, it also gives you valuable search analytics and keyword query info too.

Backlink Analysis Tools

Link building is another essential element to excellent search rankings, and without tools that help analyze your current progress, it’s tough to decipher how well your backlinks are faring. These tools will aid in giving you tangible data that will accurately instruct you on how your link building process is working for your site’s SERPs.

MajesticSEO – While many of the more robust features in Majestic are not free, the backlink history analysis report is, and it’s extremely useful in measuring competitor activity. The report tracks referring URLs by volume and effectiveness; access the “cumulative view” for the most useful data.

Open Site Explorer from SEOmoz – Open Site Explorer allows webmasters to compare their site with other domains, tracking domain authority, anchor text analysis, and full link analysis breakdowns. Reports can be exported into Excel too.

Monitoring SEO Campaigns

The suggestions above cover many of the basics in SEO, including keywords, meta data, competitive analysis, and rankings. To accurately monitor any of your future campaigns, however, check out Authority Labs. This is a super-site full of SEO tricks, including constant real-time monitoring of new campaigns, average ranks on all major search engines, keyword analysis, and much more. While most of the features are subscription based, they do offer a totally free 30 day trial (no credit card required), and the opportunity to continue tracking 1 domain for free after the trial ends.

SEO Toolbars

To instantly track valuable metrics like page rank, Alexa ratings, and incoming links, install one of the many popular SEO toolbars.

Two of the best are:

SEOmoz Toolbar – For Firefox or Chrome, the SEOmoz toolbar lets you stay connected to metrics as you travel throughout the web. Create custom searches by search engine, country, or region, and expose page elements via the Analyze Page feature.

SEO Site Tools Toolbar – Available for Chrome only, this fabulously free browser extension displays the PageRank of the site you are currently visiting, as well as all standard SEO metrics. SEO Site Tools also critiques your own site and offers plenty of on-site SEO suggestions.

The web is teeming with valuable freemium SEO tools that actually deliver results. With a little knowledge and a lot of practice, these services can help a DIY business owner become well-equipped to achieve enviable search engine rankings. While the tools don’t replace the ease and trustworthiness of a dedicated SEO pro, until you can afford the luxury of handing over the reins, it’s good to know you’ve got an army of effective tools to assist in your SEO mission.

Source: Site Pro News

Former Microsoft manager spells out a way to gauge an app store's maturity

Microsoft's Windows 8 app store failed a test touted by a former Microsoft manager and distinguished engineer as a way to determine an ecosystem's relevance.

On Monday, Hal Berenson, now president of True Mountain Group, a technology and management consulting firm, spelled out a way to evaluate an app store's content and maturity that bypassed the usual app quantity metrics.

"I'm going to take a handful of categories that are important to me, and I believe many others, and see how well-represented apps are in the Windows Phone Store," Berenson wrote on his personal blog.

Simply put, Berenson picked three categories -- banking, mutual funds and airlines -- determined the U.S.'s top 10 in each, then went looking for apps from those banks, mutual fund firms and airlines in the Windows Phone Store.

Last week, Microsoft announced that the Windows Phone Store had passed the 145,000-app mark.

While Berenson used his down-and-dirty methodology to measure the Windows Phone app store, the same process can be used with any app ecosystem, including the Windows Store, the distribution channel for Windows 8 and Windows RT apps.

"Pick a category of apps that are important and find a 'Top 10' list for those," Berenson urged, arguing that it was a better way to evaluate an ecosystem than to fixate on missing must-have apps, or rely on app tallies. "If it's a real world category, then pick the Top 10 businesses in the real world (as opposed to lists of what are downloaded on other platforms), and see how many of those have official apps in each of the app stores."

Others have, not surprising, evaluated the Windows Store using just the methods Berenson dismissed. In March, for example, Sameer Singh of Tech-Thoughts highlighted a slow-down in the growth of the app count. Previously, other analysts have dinged Microsoft for not convincing developers to provide important apps, with several citing the still-AWOL Facebook as a prime example.

For Windows Phone, Berenson found three top-10 banking apps, none in the mutual fund category and three top-10 airline apps.

Windows 8 and Windows RT fared even poorer, according to searches by of the Windows Store conducted by Computerworld.

Of the top-10 banks, the Windows Store sported just one: Bank of America. None of the top-10 mutual fund firms had a Windows 8 app in the store, while only one top-10 airline -- Alaska Airlines -- offered its own app.

Both the Google Play and iOS App Store had Android and iPhone/iPad apps for all 10 banks, while each platform boasted apps for seven the top-10 mutual funds and eight of the top-10 airlines.

Berenson didn't use his metric on the Windows Store, he said in a comment appended to his own blog, because that app market has "only been open 6.5 months." Yet he acknowledged that it wouldn't pass his test: "Yes, it would fail my Top-10 test miserably, but it's way too early to get depressed about it."

This article, Windows 8 app store fails Top 10 test, was originally published at Computerworld.com.

Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, on Google+ or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is [email protected].

SEO experts talk incessantly about achieving sky-high rankings on Google, but what about the “other” search engines? Do Bing and Yahoo matter, or are you better served to have a narrow focus and make all efforts target Google?

Let’s look at the numbers. Recent statistics state that Google has about 62% of the search engine market share, worldwide. Bing, the second place search destination, has 9% and climbing. Yahoo holds roughly 5%, and for the most part, continues to lose steam. Sheer numbers would indicate you’d be best served by staying Google-centric, but there’s a lot more than meets the eye with search results.

Why You Shouldn’t Dismiss the Little Guys

Bing and Yahoo might not have the market share, but don’t count them out just yet. In some countries like the UK, Google’s market share is slipping, as Bing grabs more eyeballs daily. The two have joined forces in recent years, in some ways sharing their audiences, especially in the advertising arena. You can now import campaigns directly into Bing and Yahoo via Google Adwords, saving you the time of duplicating them across all search giants. Through targeted integration, Bing and Yahoo have increased their respective values.

Another reason to make friends with Bing and Yahoo – they have extremely loyal audiences. Bing especially is showing impressive retention, and since it has longevity as the original MSN search engine, many have stuck with it for the long haul. As it stands now, Bing appears to be growing in market share as well, thanks in part to the slow and steady climb of Windows 8. Since Bing is the default search engine on Windows 8, additional converts are imminent. Ignoring your ranking on Bing, at least, would not be a sound strategy for future growth.

Competition for high rankings is less cutthroat on Bing and Yahoo too, as compared to Google. Since the masses aren’t pulling out all the stops to rank high, as with Google, you have a better chance of gaining high traction for your selected keywords. Likewise, if you’re looking to advertise on any search engine, you’ll get far more click-throughs and overall value by advertising with Bing or Yahoo, depending on your audience.

Lastly, it’s important to note the Bing and Yahoo are, respectively, often far more popular in foreign countries. If you target an international demographic, it’s imperative you understand which search engines your audience is primarily using, and cater to them tenfold. You can also go for the gold and make sure you’re ranking high in all three. By focusing on these lesser known search engines, you thereby increase your exposure, and that’s always good for business.

The Differences in the Big Three

So how much do Bing and Yahoo differ from Google’s algorithms anyway? Because they all remain extremely mum about the details, that’s anybody’s guess (luckily, a lot of us are doing so in an educated fashion). Careful analysis shows that while the core principles of great SEO seem unanimous, there are certainly some differences in how they each choose the top rankings. This is actually good for businesses, as some tactics work well in some arenas, and others will boost you on alternate search engines. Diversity is a very good thing.

Universal SEO principles include fresh, quality content with keyword density (but don’t go crazy, especially in Google’s eyes), well-written and targeted tags, top level domains, and most importantly, relevant and abundant inbound and outbound links.

Yahoo outwardly recommends registering domains for more than a year at a time, and seems to favor older, frequently updated sites. Additionally, Yahoo seems to be much more forgiving with keyword density, and they may even still read meta data in some capacity. Because they aren’t the search engine giant, however, there are fewer studies on their algorithms to spring from, resulting in the necessity for a little trial and error.

Bing’s main focus appears to be link building, and since it’s a crucial SEO component for all the major search engines, this should be a primary element to your strategy. Bing, however, does not seem to give as much credence to link prominence or link density; two aspects Google weighs more heavily. But Bing is similar to Google in the way they give heavy credit to title tags, so continue to write these thoughtfully and strategically.

Final Words on the Optimum SEO Strategy

If you’re new to the world of SEO, don’t let all these details add undo stress. Stick to the core SEO basics of quality, fresh content, regular updates, and fabulous link building, and all three search engines will respond accordingly. As you learn the nuances, you may want to tweak your strategies to satisfy individual algorithms, but that doesn’t need to be a stressor out of the gate.

At the end of the day, all three of these players rank keywords differently. If you’re ranking high in Google and not so much on Bing and Yahoo, tread very, very carefully if you plan to make changes. Neither Bing nor Yahoo are currently worth damaging a high Google ranking in place for a high ranking on either one of them.

The short of it is simple: Google absolutely must be considered in your SEO strategy in the current day and age. Next, get to know your demographic; if your audience is using the alternate search engines with percentages high enough to move your revenues, then it’s time to devote some SEO strategies to the underdogs. There is, after all, more to life than Google!

By Tina Courtney-Brown

SOURCE SITEPRONEWS

Users can now watch full episodes of certain shows on the site, starting at $0.99 a month

Not everything on YouTube is free any more. The video-sharing website will now charge users a monthly fee to view certain content offered through subscription channels, the Google-owned site announced Thursday.

More than a million channels already generate revenue on YouTube through advertising, "and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is for more flexibility in monetizing and distributing content," the site said.

"We've been working on that and wanted to fill you in on what to expect," YouTube said Thursday in ablog post.

A pilot program includes several dozen paid channels, with others to follow. The list is diverse. It includes "Sesame Street," the UFC martial arts and fighting channel, Comedy.TV, Baby First PLUS, GayDirect for LGBT programming, Jim Henson Family TV, National Geographic Kids and the Woodworkers Guild of America. Full episodes of "Sesame Street," for example, or classic fights aired on UFC will be available via subscription.

The fees start at US$0.99 a month. Every channel will offer a 14-day free trial, and many will offer discounted yearly rates, YouTube said. The site will roll out paid channels "more broadly in the coming weeks as a self-service feature for qualifying partners," YouTube said, adding, "this is just the beginning."

There will be no upper margin for the fees, though the average price will be $2.99, Google said.

Video producers can fill out an application form to build their own paid channel.

The channels will be accessible from a desktop computer, phone, tablet and TV, with more devices on the way, YouTube said.

The move is likely to help Google generate more revenue from YouTube, though content creators will get a majority share of the fees, the company said. Partners will also have the option of including ads with their content.

"As new channels appear, we'll be making sure you can discover them, just as we've been helping you find and subscribe to all the channels you love across YouTube," the site said.

The site already recommends individual videos and themed channels to users based on their viewing habits. Users will not have to pay for any content now that was previously free on YouTube, Google said.

YouTube launched its partner program for content producers in 2007. The service, which is designed to give creators tools to build their audience, lets eligible videos earn money from ads.

by: Zach Miners

IT News

Users can now watch full episodes of certain shows on the site, starting at $0.99 a month

Not everything on YouTube is free any more. The video-sharing website will now charge users a monthly fee to view certain content offered through subscription channels, the Google-owned site announced Thursday.

More than a million channels already generate revenue on YouTube through advertising, "and one of the most frequent requests we hear from these creators behind them is for more flexibility in monetizing and distributing content," the site said.

"We've been working on that and wanted to fill you in on what to expect," YouTube said Thursday in ablog post.

A pilot program includes several dozen paid channels, with others to follow. The list is diverse. It includes "Sesame Street," the UFC martial arts and fighting channel, Comedy.TV, Baby First PLUS, GayDirect for LGBT programming, Jim Henson Family TV, National Geographic Kids and the Woodworkers Guild of America. Full episodes of "Sesame Street," for example, or classic fights aired on UFC will be available via subscription.

The fees start at US$0.99 a month. Every channel will offer a 14-day free trial, and many will offer discounted yearly rates, YouTube said. The site will roll out paid channels "more broadly in the coming weeks as a self-service feature for qualifying partners," YouTube said, adding, "this is just the beginning."

There will be no upper margin for the fees, though the average price will be $2.99, Google said.

Video producers can fill out an application form to build their own paid channel.

The channels will be accessible from a desktop computer, phone, tablet and TV, with more devices on the way, YouTube said.

The move is likely to help Google generate more revenue from YouTube, though content creators will get a majority share of the fees, the company said. Partners will also have the option of including ads with their content.

"As new channels appear, we'll be making sure you can discover them, just as we've been helping you find and subscribe to all the channels you love across YouTube," the site said.

The site already recommends individual videos and themed channels to users based on their viewing habits. Users will not have to pay for any content now that was previously free on YouTube, Google said.

YouTube launched its partner program for content producers in 2007. The service, which is designed to give creators tools to build their audience, lets eligible videos earn money from ads.

by: Zach Miners

IT News

I talked about link value last year but I thought I’d go a few steps further and add to that, covering how Google values links nowadays when link building isn’t the center of attention or the entire game that it once was.

Total Number: First and foremost, Google considers the total number of links which you have. This isn’t a particularly influential factor considering one good one from a high ranking, established, trustworthy site (more on this later) will be more valuable than thousands of spammy, low quality site links.

Number of Domains/Source: If you have thousands of links from the same site then it’s not really going to be helping you. For instance, if the majority of your links were all coming from the same article directory, Google is going to discount the influence of most of those links. Some people argue that Google discounts influence after the first link from a particular site. Therefore, link diversity is extremely important, so you should be getting links from all types of sites from directories to blogs to video sites and so on.

Google can identify where your links are coming from not just from the sites themselves but through varied IP addresses, so you definitely want your links coming from different IP addresses around the globe as this suggests you’re getting links from different people.

Anchor Text: I’ve talked a lot about anchor text lately in terms of how important it is to vary up the anchor text which you use when creating links to your site. This works to keep your link profile diverse and natural looking because you have to think that if someone was linking to your site from his site, he likely wouldn’t use the keyword you’re targeting on that page when pointing to your site.

Age: While some people believe that older links – links you’ve had for years pointing to your site – are more valuable and powerful than newer links you receive, when I refer to “age” here I’m referring to the age of the sites you’re receiving links from. Older, more established site links will be more influential whereas links from newer sites won’t make as much of an impact. This goes with the idea that older sites have more authority and page rank and Google trusts them more.

Variation: I’ll include “variation” here to once more drive home the point that diversity is important in terms of anchor text and source of links. It doesn’t stop there, however; variation is important in terms of image versus text, placement of them on the various sites linking to you (high up in the content is best as oppposed to sidebars or menu bars which are signs of link buying or exchanges), and dofollow versus nofollow links, as well.

Years ago, Google said that only DoFollow links would pass influence. After hearing that, everyone began concentrating entirely on DoFollow and discounting going after NoFollow links altogether. While a lot of webmasters still focus entirely on DoFollow, a lot of SEOers believe that NoFollow links pass more influence than before because Google will do what is necessary to diminish the success of those who are trying to game or play to Google’s algorithm and reward those who are not.

Quality: Quality is still a factor as I mentioned in opening. Receiving one link from a highly ranked and trusted site is far more valuable than thousands of links from spammy blogs. If you are going to spend your time trying to get links, you want to focus on getting links from highly trusted and established sites which it’s difficult to receive links from because they’re more conservative in whom they link to. In this case, it’s less about “getting” links and more about “earning” links through techniques like creating and sharing link bait or guest blogging for them.

Another sign of quality is relevance, in that you want links from sites which are relevant to your site. If you’re getting one from a site about cars when your site is all about puppies, Google is likely going to discount the influence that it has as it is very likely that you created that link yourself because typically a webmaster of a car site would not link to your puppy themed site on their own. In keeping with the variation point, it’s all right to have a few links from irrelevant sites, but generally you’ll be staying in your niche.

Bad Links: On the other hand, the opposite of quality links, bad links will detract from and have an adverse effect on your ranking, so do what you can to limit the number of bad links pointing to your site.

Velocity: Link velocity refers to the rate and schedule at which you’re building links to your site. The key here is to make your link velocity look natural or, in other words, you shouldn’t get 10,000 links one month and 100 the next month. There shouldn’t be many curves in your velocity. You should continue to build more links each month than the one before it.

By Paul M Ventura
Source: SiteProNews  

If you're heading overseas with a smartphone or tablet, this service makes it easy and affordable to get your fill of data.

International travel is enough of a hassle without having to worry about insanely high roaming charges, which is exactly what you'll pay if you try to check e-mail, use maps, or pull down some Web pages.

A new service called Doodad aims to minimize the hassles and expense of international data. The company sells prepaid SIM cards you can pop into your smartphone or tablet for flat-rate data access in any of 54 countries.

What's the catch? The SIM (mini or micro, your choice--nano is coming soon) requires an unlocked device, which might prove more complicated owing to the idiotic phone unlocking ban that went into effect in January. Best bet: ask your carrier if they'll do it for you. AT&T and T-Mobile reportedly will if you're an existing customer and your device is out of contract.

Alternately, a little Web searching will reveal lots of services that will sell you unlock codes, usually for under $10. (I recently used one to unlock an iPhone 4, and it worked perfectly.)

Once you've unlocked your device, order your Doodad SIM and add money to your account. Rates vary from 30 cents per megabyte in countries like the U.S. and Australia to as much as $1.20/MB in Bermuda, India and Jamaica. You've got 365 days to use your credit before it expires, and Doodad lets you set daily caps on your usage so you don't inadvertently blow through it.

Now, any seasoned overseas traveler will tell you that you can score local SIM cards and lower rates for less (meaning you buy one when you get to whatever country you're visiting). But that requires you to find a shop that sells them and cope with possible language barriers. (You could use Google Maps and Google Translate to overcome both obstacles--but only if you have Internet access. Irony!)

I should also note that Doodad's SIM works exclusively for data. You can make calls, but only with a voice-over-IP app like Skype or Google Voice.

Though it may not be the absolute cheapest option for international data roaming, Doodad looks to be one of the easiest.

Jolla has made Sailfish OS‘ Software Development Kit (SDK) available for Windows, Mac and Linux distributions.

Jolla is a company founded by previous Nokia employees who now developed their own operating system, Sailfish OS, using Mer as its core, the latter being a revival of Meego, the software platform that powered the Nokia N9.



Just like Meego, Sailfish too supports applications programmed using the Qt framework, allowing for visually-impressive apps developed with QML and the Sailfish Silicia API.

The company has also published a number of design guidelines, essential to keep the user experience consistent and ensuring that apps stay simple, while at the same time use the plethora of animations provided by QML itself.

Developers may download the Sailfish OS SDKs from this link.

By Meraj Chhaya
Source: PhoneRPT.com

Offering free Wi-Fi can increase foot traffic and earn goodwill for your small business. Here's how to get started.

Offering wireless Internet access for guests can open new doors for your business. For a cafe or restaurant, customers are more likely to stay longer, purchase more items, and return knowing they can use a Wi-Fi connection. For motels and hotels, Wi-Fi is one of travelers' deciding factors when selecting where to stay. Offering guest wireless access from an otherwise private office can be beneficial too, as it provides outside associates, contractors, and other visitors with a reliable Internet connection.

Although mobile carriers have covered much of the nation's more-populated areas with wireless 4G Internet access, Wi-Fi connections can provide faster speeds and usually aren't subject to usage limits. Plus Wi-Fi can be offered where 4G access isn't available--as well as for laptops, tablets, and other mobile devices that aren't 4G-equipped.

Protecting your private network

The simplest way you might think to offer public or guest Wi-Fi access is to let people on an existing Wi-Fi network used by the business, but this isn't secure. Allowing outsiders on the private network could open your company up to hacking and data theft.

Private wireless networks should be encrypted with WPA2-Personal security, at least, to keep others from connecting and eavesdropping on your network traffic. Businesses with more than a handful of Wi-Fi users should consider using WPA2-Enterprise security, requiring a RADIUS server or service, to better secure and manage Wi-Fi access. For more on that, here are 8 Wi-Fi security tips to protect your small business.

Using existing equipment

Businesses with existing private Wi-Fi network might be able to offer public or guest access safely without purchasing additional hardware. Some consumer and small-office wireless routers offer a guest access feature. When guest access is enabled, users will see another network name (known as an SSID) in the list of available networks on their Wi-Fi devices, and its access will be separated from the main network.

Business-class routers and access points (APs) typically offer multiple SSID and virtual LAN (VLAN) features. When these features are set up properly, multiple wireless network names (SSIDs) can be broadcasted with varying levels of security, one of which could be a  guest network safely segregated from your private network.

Using hotspot equipment for better features

Purchasing or setting up wireless hardware specifically designed for offering Wi-Fi hotspot access provides some useful features that most traditional routers and APs lack. For instance, for legal purposes you may want to require users to accept Terms of Service (ToS) before accessing the Internet. When shopping around for hotspot equipment, this feature is called a captive portal. You may also want to impose time and bandwidth limits, or even charge for the Wi-Fi access. For features like these you'll likely have to purchase or set up additional hardware specifically designed for Wi-Fi hotspots.
 

If you're a do-it-yourselfer, you could upgrade a Linksys or other compatible wireless router with free third-party firmware, which replaces the router's software to add additional features. The CoovaAPfirmware includes a captive portal to require end users to accept ToS. It can also require that they log in via either self-registration or with access codes you create. CoovaAP's firmware also offers traffic shaping controls that let you limit bandwidth for guests.

The DD-WRT firmware offers many general Wi-Fi features and customizations in addition to hotspot features. It includes a simple integrated captive portal and supports third-party servers and services for more complex hotspot setups.

However, keep in mind that neither the CoovaAP nor DD-WRT firmware offers an easy way to segregate access to your private network. So, unless you're comfortable making customizations, you'd probably need to connect the router to a separate Internet connection, or to a guest VLAN if your existing equipment supports it.

If you want more of a quick, plug-and-play hotspot setup, consider purchasing the Fonera Simpl router from Fon. It offers simultaneous private and public Wi-Fi signals, so it's best to replace it with any existing router you have. On the public signal, visitors are given one hour of daily Wi-Fi access. After that, revenue from additional time visitors purchase is split 50/50 between your company and Fon. However, users must sign up and log in with Fon in order to access the Internet. This could help increase the safety of your hotspot, but it can annoy visitors wanting quick, free access.

To offer public or private Wi-Fi access over a larger area that a single wireless router doesn't cover, one economical option is Open Mesh. It's designed to provide both private and public wireless access easily, with hotspot features including a captive portal and speed limits. Plus, it uses the wireless mesh technique, which means that all the wireless APs have to be wired back to the router or switch, making installation easier.

Another option is to purchase and use a hotspot gateway, basically a router specifically designed for offering hotspot access. These generally include the most hotspot features and functionality, and are especially useful for large deployments like at large hotels or venues. There are many vendors to choose from, including ZyXEL,Intellinet, 4ipnet, and Handlink.

Taking the final steps

Remember, always ensure that your private network is kept separate from any public networks, and encrypted with WPA2 security. If you want to offer simple public access, check if your current wireless router or access points (APs) have a guest feature, or that they support multiple SSIDs and VLANs for business-class products.
 

If you're up to the tech challenge, you could upgrade a compatible wireless router with third-party firmware to get hotspot features. If not, consider getting the Fon router. To cover a larger area, look into Open Mesh. If you'd like all the bells and whistles, shop for a hotspot gateway.

Whatever hotspot setup your company adopts, it's a good idea to enable content filtering, as you probably don't want visitors surfing inappropriate websites. Some routers and hotspot setups offer a content filter. If yours does not, you can enable the OpenDNS cloud security service on any router or hotspot gateway.

by Eric Geier

Chromebook devices from Acer, Hewlett-Packard and Samsung Electronics are rolling out Tuesday in six countries, Google said.

The countries where the laptops will be available are Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands, the company said.

The rollout is however not uniform across these countries. In Australia, for example, the Samsung Chromebook and the Acer Chromebook are now available from select JB Hi-Fi and Harvey Norman stores while the HP Chromebook is still on its way.

The Chromebooks are also getting delivered to businesses and schools in the countries "to help improve computing for organizations," wrote Caesar Sengupta, product management director in a blog post.

More than 2,000 schools are now using Chromebooks for education, Google said. Businesses around the world are also using Chromebooks "where they need greater security and increased shareability," it added.

Google launched a Chromebook from Samsung in the U.S. and U.K. in October, with pre-orders and later sales through Amazon.com, Best Buy, PC World and other retailers. The laptop is an attempt by Google to attract users to cloud computing.

The company is now doubling the number of stores selling the device in the U.S. with more than 1,000 Best Buy stores selling the device over the next couple of weeks, Sengupta said. In October, about 500 Best Buy stores were offering the laptop.

"It's been rewarding to work with our partners to make Chromebooks available to more people around the world, and we're looking forward to bringing Chromebooks to even more countries in the months to come," Sengupta said.

HP announced in February the availability of its Pavilion laptop running the Chrome operating system, to try to improve laptop sales by offering an alternative to Microsoft's Windows operating system. Google also launched in February the Chromebook Pixel, a high-end performance version of the laptop.

by John Ribeiro
Source: IT News