According to Internet market research powerhouse eMarketer, the mobile search advertising market size is currently $13.5 million and growing - by a projected factor of 50 - within the next four years. With everyone buzzing about mobile these days, we wanted to tell you straight from the horse's mouth about some sophisticated new tools and features that we've recently rolled out to help you run a more successful mobile ads campaign.
AdWords Business Pages for mobile ads
Mobile ads can refer users to a business phone number, a mobile website, or both. Usually you need to be a web developer or contact your webmaster in order to create a mobile web page from scratch. However, AdWords Business Pages for mobile ads provides a friendly wizard that creates a page for you in minutes - which is available immediately after you create it. Google hosts the page for free.
Carrier Targeting
We've just expanded carrier targeting in more countries, which means you have more options to fine-tune who sees your mobile ads. Click "Advanced targeting and network options" to expand your options for carrier targeting from the "Create/Edit mobile ad" page. You can choose to show your ads to users on all mobile carriers, or check off the boxes next to the specific carriers you want to target.
If you don't already have a mobile ad running, learn how to create one.
Guest Blogger Friday
My name is Jennifer and I'm the blogger behind Earth Friendly Weddings. I have to say I'm very excited to have the honor of writing a guest post for Melissa today! It will be hard to match her fabulous energy that she infuses in all her posts, but I'm going to try!
The goal of this post is to simply share with you five easy ways to add a little green to your wedding. Nothing too hard. Nothing too boring. And everything environmentally friendly!
One: Choose Locally Grown, Organic Flowers
Going with locally grown flowers reduces pollutants caused from transportation. Choosing organic flowers ensures no harmful pesticides were used. Just be mindful that your flowers will have to be available during the season of your wedding. Fortunately, many flowers are available year round, such as the ever popular calla Lilly. (Left Photo from Red Orchid Design, Right Photo: MS Weddings)
Two: Purchase Used or Vintage
Reuse resources by purchasing used or vintage items. Weddingbee.com has a classifieds section where brides can sell their used wedding items. You can also check out your local consignment shop, eBay, or online vintage/pre-owned stores to find a wedding dress or accessories. You'd be surprised at whats available. (Picture: from Posh Girl Vintage)
Three: Choose Earth Friendly Paper
From your invitations to your thank you cards, make sure to choose paper that's either recycled, certified FSC (which means it comes from a responsibly managed forest), handmade, or consists of alternative fibers. (left pictures: Of The Earth; Right Picture: Oblation Papers)
Four: A Wise Favor
Too many favors get thrown in the trash, so either forgo them, hand out something that is edible, or follow the growing trend to donate to your favorite charity or organization. In the picture on the left, local honey was packaged in jars by beekeeper friends of the bride and groom's family! (pictures from theknot.com)
Five: Glow!
Skip the fancy lighting, and create ambiance with candles. Preferably soy candles, which produce less soot, burn longer than regular candles, and don't suck up any energy. (photos from Red Orchid Design)
Remember, making green choices is really just about making smarter choices. Be mindful of any potential waste created, reuse what you can, and be creative!
The goal of this post is to simply share with you five easy ways to add a little green to your wedding. Nothing too hard. Nothing too boring. And everything environmentally friendly!
One: Choose Locally Grown, Organic Flowers
Going with locally grown flowers reduces pollutants caused from transportation. Choosing organic flowers ensures no harmful pesticides were used. Just be mindful that your flowers will have to be available during the season of your wedding. Fortunately, many flowers are available year round, such as the ever popular calla Lilly. (Left Photo from Red Orchid Design, Right Photo: MS Weddings)
Two: Purchase Used or Vintage
Reuse resources by purchasing used or vintage items. Weddingbee.com has a classifieds section where brides can sell their used wedding items. You can also check out your local consignment shop, eBay, or online vintage/pre-owned stores to find a wedding dress or accessories. You'd be surprised at whats available. (Picture: from Posh Girl Vintage)
Three: Choose Earth Friendly Paper
From your invitations to your thank you cards, make sure to choose paper that's either recycled, certified FSC (which means it comes from a responsibly managed forest), handmade, or consists of alternative fibers. (left pictures: Of The Earth; Right Picture: Oblation Papers)
Four: A Wise Favor
Too many favors get thrown in the trash, so either forgo them, hand out something that is edible, or follow the growing trend to donate to your favorite charity or organization. In the picture on the left, local honey was packaged in jars by beekeeper friends of the bride and groom's family! (pictures from theknot.com)
Five: Glow!
Skip the fancy lighting, and create ambiance with candles. Preferably soy candles, which produce less soot, burn longer than regular candles, and don't suck up any energy. (photos from Red Orchid Design)
Remember, making green choices is really just about making smarter choices. Be mindful of any potential waste created, reuse what you can, and be creative!
Utilerias para Desarrollo Web
(Cortesía de Wizardi)
Elgg 0.8
Elgg es una plataforma de creación de redes sociales basada en PHP y MySQL. Permite organizar a comunidades de usuarios que pueden crear sus propios blogs, colaborar entre sí o compartir noticias y archivos.
WordPress 2.2.3
WordPress es sistema de publicación de blogs escrito en PHP y que utiliza MySQL como base de datos.
CakePHP 1.1.17.5612
CakePHP es un framework de desarrollo rápido de aplicaciones en PHP que utiliza el patrón Modelo-Vista-Controlador.
Amaya 9.55.3 Windows XP
Amaya es un editor/navegador de páginas web desarrollado por el World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Además de generar páginas web de acuerdo con las recomendaciones del W3C sobre XHTML y CSS, permite experimentar hoy mismo con otras recomendaciones del W3C menos conocidas (MathML, SVG, Anotaciones, etc).
PECL 5.2.4
PECL (PHP Extension Community Library) es un conjunto de módulos para ampliar las capacidades de PHP (creación de pdf, manipulación de archivos zip, etc.). Varios de estos módulos estaban incluidos en PHP 4, pero ya no lo están en PHP 5.
Drupal 4.7.7
Drupal es un sistema de gestión de contenidos (CMS) basado en PHP y MySQL o PostgreSQL que permite la administración de usuarios, documentos, discusiones o noticias. Desde la página web del programa se pueden descargar muchos módulos para ampliar las capacidades de Drupal.
EasyPHP 1.8
EasyPHP es un paquete que combina el servidor Apache 1.3.33, la base de datos MySQL 4.1.9 y el lenguaje de programación PHP 4.3.10. También incluye phpMyAdmin 2.6.1. Esta versión puede instalarse tanto en Windows 9X como en XP.
DokuWiki 2007.06.26b
DokuWiki es un wiki dirigido a la creación de documentación de pequeñas empresas o de pequeños grupos de trabajo. DokuWiki está escrito en PHP, pero no necesita ninguna base de datos para funcionar. DokuWiki incluye control de versiones y de acceso, plantillas o búsquedas, y desde la página web del programa se pueden descargar extensiones que amplían las capacidades de Dokuwiki.
MOZiE 0.9.1
MOZiE permite a los diseñadores de páginas web comparar el resultado de su trabajo en Mozilla e IE simultáneamente, así como a diferentes resoluciones. Antes de instalar MOZiE, se necesita tener instalado el Mozilla ActiveX Control 1.6. Desde abril de 2007 la página web del programa ya no está disponible.
Resize Browser 1.0.4
Resize Browser permite modificar el tamaño de las ventanas de los navegadores con un sólo clic. Está pensado para que el diseñador de páginas web pueda probar fácilmente cómo quedan sus páginas a diferentes resoluciones (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, etc).
DOSBox 0.72
DOSBox es un emulador del sistema operativos MS-DOS realizado con la biblioteca SDL. Es capaz de emular parcialmente los antiguos PCs 286, 386 y 486, lo que permite ejecutar aplicaciones o juegos que ya no funcionan en Windows.
Elgg 0.8
Elgg es una plataforma de creación de redes sociales basada en PHP y MySQL. Permite organizar a comunidades de usuarios que pueden crear sus propios blogs, colaborar entre sí o compartir noticias y archivos.
WordPress 2.2.3
WordPress es sistema de publicación de blogs escrito en PHP y que utiliza MySQL como base de datos.
CakePHP 1.1.17.5612
CakePHP es un framework de desarrollo rápido de aplicaciones en PHP que utiliza el patrón Modelo-Vista-Controlador.
Amaya 9.55.3 Windows XP
Amaya es un editor/navegador de páginas web desarrollado por el World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Además de generar páginas web de acuerdo con las recomendaciones del W3C sobre XHTML y CSS, permite experimentar hoy mismo con otras recomendaciones del W3C menos conocidas (MathML, SVG, Anotaciones, etc).
PECL 5.2.4
PECL (PHP Extension Community Library) es un conjunto de módulos para ampliar las capacidades de PHP (creación de pdf, manipulación de archivos zip, etc.). Varios de estos módulos estaban incluidos en PHP 4, pero ya no lo están en PHP 5.
Drupal 4.7.7
Drupal es un sistema de gestión de contenidos (CMS) basado en PHP y MySQL o PostgreSQL que permite la administración de usuarios, documentos, discusiones o noticias. Desde la página web del programa se pueden descargar muchos módulos para ampliar las capacidades de Drupal.
EasyPHP 1.8
EasyPHP es un paquete que combina el servidor Apache 1.3.33, la base de datos MySQL 4.1.9 y el lenguaje de programación PHP 4.3.10. También incluye phpMyAdmin 2.6.1. Esta versión puede instalarse tanto en Windows 9X como en XP.
DokuWiki 2007.06.26b
DokuWiki es un wiki dirigido a la creación de documentación de pequeñas empresas o de pequeños grupos de trabajo. DokuWiki está escrito en PHP, pero no necesita ninguna base de datos para funcionar. DokuWiki incluye control de versiones y de acceso, plantillas o búsquedas, y desde la página web del programa se pueden descargar extensiones que amplían las capacidades de Dokuwiki.
MOZiE 0.9.1
MOZiE permite a los diseñadores de páginas web comparar el resultado de su trabajo en Mozilla e IE simultáneamente, así como a diferentes resoluciones. Antes de instalar MOZiE, se necesita tener instalado el Mozilla ActiveX Control 1.6. Desde abril de 2007 la página web del programa ya no está disponible.
Resize Browser 1.0.4
Resize Browser permite modificar el tamaño de las ventanas de los navegadores con un sólo clic. Está pensado para que el diseñador de páginas web pueda probar fácilmente cómo quedan sus páginas a diferentes resoluciones (640x480, 800x600, 1024x768, etc).
DOSBox 0.72
DOSBox es un emulador del sistema operativos MS-DOS realizado con la biblioteca SDL. Es capaz de emular parcialmente los antiguos PCs 286, 386 y 486, lo que permite ejecutar aplicaciones o juegos que ya no funcionan en Windows.
Tracking Santa, then and now
It was more than half a century ago, on Christmas Eve in 1955, that a Sears Roebuck & Co. store in Colorado Springs advertised a special hotline number for kids to call Santa. What the company didn't know at the time was that they had inadvertently misprinted the telephone number. Instead of Santa's workshop, the phone number put kids through to the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the bi-national U.S.-Canadian military organization responsible for the aerospace defense of the U. S. and Canada. Worse, it wasn't just any number at NORAD: it was the commander-in-chief's operations hotline. In the spirit of the season, Colonel Harry Shoup, the director of operations at the time, had his staff check radar data for any indication of a sleigh making its way south from the North Pole. They found that indeed there were signs of Santa, and merrily gave the children who called an update on his location. Thus, a tradition was born, and NORAD has continued to help children track Santa on Christmas Eve ever since.
It just so happens that Colonel Shoup is my grandfather, which is why I'm so excited that, 52 years later, Google is joining the effort. This holiday season, NORAD has partnered with Google to use technology including Google Maps, Google Earth, iGoogle and YouTube to track Santa. I can remember tracking Santa with my grandfather as a child, and I'm so proud to see my company carry on his vision of doing something this special for kids around the world.
The countdown begins December 1st on NORAD's website, where families can find a new kid-friendly game or activity every day until December 24th. And starting at 1:00 am PST on December 24th, you'll be able to track Santa's trip in real time. You can download Google Earth and add the NORAD Tracks Santa iGoogle gadget to your iGoogle page anytime, but make sure to come back to noradsanta.org on December 24th to download the special Santa Tracking file for an enhanced 3D Santa-tracking experience.
Harry and Carrie.
It's Official!
There is so much to talk about! We had our Grand Opening, I checked something off my life list, and what exactly happened with the Change of Plans! So here weeeeeeee go!
First, thanks to Caroline Johnson for some fantastical images that really truly tell a beautiful story!
Let's start with Change of Plans - I had an image for what I wanted my centerpieces to be for our opening - Basically I wanted Wheat grass in a silver dish with a candle in the middle - but when I couldn't find Rye Grass or Wheat grass in anything smaller than a 100 pound bag, this prompted me to search high and low, and cross and circle the aisles of Home Depot for hours - until I found some little teeny tiny lettuces that were less than 1 inch tall, and decided lettuce centerpieces would be neat, and different. The final product, not exactly what I had in mind, but came out even more beautiful than I could image!
Caroline's beautiful work on our wall:
Little Favors from the Party, I plucked large springs of Rosemary from my garden and put my favorite recipe on the cards, along with a shout out to the vendors that helped make this part-ah a success:
The Chocolate Fountain:
First, thanks to Caroline Johnson for some fantastical images that really truly tell a beautiful story!
Let's start with Change of Plans - I had an image for what I wanted my centerpieces to be for our opening - Basically I wanted Wheat grass in a silver dish with a candle in the middle - but when I couldn't find Rye Grass or Wheat grass in anything smaller than a 100 pound bag, this prompted me to search high and low, and cross and circle the aisles of Home Depot for hours - until I found some little teeny tiny lettuces that were less than 1 inch tall, and decided lettuce centerpieces would be neat, and different. The final product, not exactly what I had in mind, but came out even more beautiful than I could image!
Grand Opening:
It was amazing! Here are some images that Caroline took that really just show off our new studio.
Our Front Door:
Caroline's beautiful work on our wall:
Our wall of Praise:
Little Favors from the Party, I plucked large springs of Rosemary from my garden and put my favorite recipe on the cards, along with a shout out to the vendors that helped make this part-ah a success:The Chocolate Fountain:
Now my life list - I have always wanted to stick my face into a chocolate fountain - so I did - Caroline was nice enough to not show the pictures of me with my entire face into the stream of chocolate, but it just looks like I took a gentle sip.... Nahhhhh! 
Who's going to win the spectrum auction? Consumers.
Here at Google, we see the upcoming 700 megahertz spectrum auction at the Federal Communications Commission as one of the best opportunities consumers will have to enjoy more choices in the world of wireless devices. That's why we announced today that we are applying to participate in the auction.
We already know that regardless of which bidders ultimately win the auction, consumers will be the real winners either way. This is because the eventual winner of a key portion of this spectrum will be required to give its customers the right to download any application they want on their mobile device, and the right to use any device they want on the network (assuming the C Block reserve price of $4.6 billion is met in the auction). That's meaningful progress in our ongoing efforts to help transform the relatively closed wireless world to be more like the open realm of the Internet.
Regardless of how the auction unfolds, we think it's important to put our money where our principles are. Consumers deserve more choices and more competition than they have in the wireless world today. And at a time when so many Americans don't have access to the Internet, this auction provides an unprecedented opportunity to bring the riches of the Net to more people.
While we've written a lot on our blogs and spoken publicly about our plans for the auction, unfortunately you're not going to hear from us about this topic for awhile, and we want to explain why.
Monday, December 3, is the deadline for prospective bidders to apply with the FCC to participate in the auction. Though the auction itself won't start until January 24, 2008, Monday also marks the starting point for the FCC's anti-collusion rules, which prevent participants in the auction from discussing their bidding strategy with each other.
These rules are designed to keep the auction process fair, by keeping bidders from cooperating in anticompetitive ways so as to drive the auction prices in artificial directions. While these rules primarily affect private communications among prospective bidders, the FCC historically has included all forms of public communications in its interpretation of these rules.
All of this means that, as much as we would like to offer a step-by-step account of what's happening in the auction, the FCC's rules prevent us from doing so until the auction ends early next year. So here's a quick primer on how things will unfold:
- December 3: By Monday, would-be applicants must file their applications to participate in the auction (FCC Form 175), which remain confidential until the FCC makes them available.
- Mid-December: Once all the applications have been fully reviewed, the FCC will release a public list of eligible bidders in the auction. Each bidder must then make a monetary deposit no later than December 28, depending on which licenses they plan to bid on. The more spectrum blocks an applicant is deemed eligible to bid on, the greater the amount they must deposit.
- January 24, 2008: The auction begins, with each bidder using an electronic bidding process. Since this auction is anonymous (a rule that we think makes the auction more competitive and therefore better for consumers), the FCC will not publicly identify which parties have made which bid until after the auction is over.
- Bidding rounds: The auction bidding occurs in stages established by the FCC, with the likely number of rounds per day increasing as bidding activity decreases. The FCC announces results at the end of each round, including the highest bid at that point, the minimum acceptable bid for the following round, and the amounts of all bids placed during the round. The FCC does not disclose bidders' names, and bidders are not allowed to disclose publicly whether they are still in the running or not.
- Auction end: The auction will end when there are no new bids and all the spectrum blocks have been sold (many experts believe this auction could last until March 2008). If the reserve price of any spectrum block is not met, the FCC will conduct a re-auction of that block. Following the end of the auction, the FCC announces which bidders have secured licenses to which pieces of spectrum and requires winning bidders to submit the balance of the payments for the licenses.
Desaparecio una Noche
Desapareció una Noche (Gone Baby Gone, 2007) es una película de corte dramático y de suspenso basada en la novela homónima de Dennis Lehane (el autor de Río Místico). Protagonizada por Casey Affleck, Ed Harris y Morgan Freeman, Desapareció una Noche marca el debut como director de Ben Affleck. La historia comienza con la desaparición de una niña en un barrio bajo de Boston (Dorchester). Una pareja de detectives privados, Patrick Kenzie (Casey Affleck) y Angela Gennaro (Michelle Monaghan) son contratados por los tíos de la niña, Beatrice (Amy Madigan) y Lionel McCready (Titus Welliver), para investigar el caso, pues sospechan que se trata de un secuestro. Al mismo tiempo el Jefe de la Policía, el capitán Jack Doyle (Morgan Freeman) ha comisionado a los detectives Remy Bressant (Ed Harris) y Nick Poole (John Ashton) para realizar las indagatorias de la desaparición. La niña resulta ser hija de una drogadicta, Helene McCready (Amy Ryan), quien junto a su novio Skinny Ray le han robado dinero ($130,000 dólares) a un distribuidor de droga llamado Cheese (Edi Gathegi). Skinny Ray fue torturado y asesinado por Cheese, quien aparentemente ha secuestrado a la niña para intercambiarla y recuperar su dinero. Helene le confiesa a Kenzie y los detectives Bressant y Poole el paradero del dinero y deciden intercambiarlo por la niña. El trato se va a realizar en un acantilado (a la orilla de un lago) pero las cosas salen mal y el narcotraficante resulta muerto, mientras que la niña aparentemente cae al agua y se ahoga (su cuerpo nunca aparece). Asumiendo el fracaso de la operación, el jefe Doyle renuncia a su cargo y se retira a la vida privada. Kenzie sigue investigando y se entera que otro niño a desaparecido. Con la ayuda de un amigo (quien también distribuye droga), Bubba Rogowski (el rapero Slaine), Kenzie entra en la casa de unos pedófilos drogadictos y descubre que el niño se encuentra cautivo en ese sitio. Junto a los detectives Bressant y Poole intenta rescatar al infante pero Poole resulta gravemente herido. Kenzie mata a uno de los pedófilos, quien violó y asesinó previamente al niño, mientras que los otros dos criminales son capturados. Kenzie interroga al tío de la niña (Lionel McCready) y se entera que Lionel y Remy Bressant pretendían ocultar a la niña y simular un secuestro para quedarse con el dinero que Helene y su novio ocultaron. Sin embargo el plan se complicó debido a que la desaparición se hizo del dominio público. Remy trata de asesinar a Kenzie y Lionel en un bar simulando un asalto pero el cantinero le dispara y lo deja mortalmente herido. La única pieza que le falta a Kenzie para completar el rompecabezas es encontrar a la niña. Y el jefe Doyle sabe más de lo que aparenta respecto a su paradero...
Al igual que Río Místico, Desapareció una Noche es una película cuya historia resulta interesante debido a sus "vueltas de tuerca" al más puro estilo de Dennis Lehane. Se trata de un proyecto igual de intenso que Río Místico, ambientado en el Boston natal de Lehane, con una gran variedad de personajes y situaciones hacen de Desapareció una Noche una buena película. En cuanto al trabajo de dirección de Ben Affleck, resulta una grata sorpresa. Affleck demuestra tener un gran futuro no sólo delante, sino detrás de cámaras.
Desapareció una Noche: *** (Buena)
Meet our AdWords Evangelist in Las Vegas
Back in September and October, Fred Vallaeys, Product Evangelist for AdWords, joined us for a three part series on ROI (Return on Investment) and how to track it.
Now is your chance to ask Fred specific ROI questions, or questions about AdWords in general -- Fred will be speaking at PubCon by WebmasterWorld in Las Vegas, Tuesday, December 4th, as part of a panel discussing Major Search Engines. We hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself to Fred, if you're attending.
Fred is always interested in meeting advertisers and hearing feedback about all things AdWords -- check out Fred's bio for the event, complete with a photo, so you'll know who to look for.
If you do chat with Fred, let him know that the Inside AdWords crew sent you. ;)
Now is your chance to ask Fred specific ROI questions, or questions about AdWords in general -- Fred will be speaking at PubCon by WebmasterWorld in Las Vegas, Tuesday, December 4th, as part of a panel discussing Major Search Engines. We hope you'll stop by and introduce yourself to Fred, if you're attending.
Fred is always interested in meeting advertisers and hearing feedback about all things AdWords -- check out Fred's bio for the event, complete with a photo, so you'll know who to look for.
If you do chat with Fred, let him know that the Inside AdWords crew sent you. ;)
Google Gadgets on your Dashboard
A question everyone asked when we launched Google Desktop for the Mac was: where are the gadgets? Today, we have an answer: they're in your Dashboard! Now there's a new feature for Google Desktop, Google Gadgets for the Mac, which is ready to install. With this launch, we're bringing hundreds of Google Gadgets to the Mac OS X platform. You can take advantage of gadgets to do things like browse YouTube videos, nurture a virtual flower pot, or even check your day's agenda in Dashboard.
Not only that, the new Google Gadgets applications let you add gadgets with one click and interact with them beside your Apple widgets in Dashboard. There's an automatic update to the gadget list each week, so you'll always have something new to look forward to.
Watch the Gadget application in action:
Attention, gadget/widget developers: this launch makes it possible for you to write your gadget once and have it run on a Mac, a PC, and any webpage on the Internet. Learn more about how to write a cross platform gadget.
The CNN/YouTube Republican Debate
First up were the Democrats, and now it's the Republicans' turn. Tonight marks the much-anticipated CNN/YouTube Republican Debate, in which the 8 GOP candidates on our You Choose '08 platform will descend on St. Petersburg, Florida to answer video questions submitted via YouTube. The two-hour debate will be aired live on CNN at 8 PM ET, and all the clips will be hosted soon after on YouTube.
People submitted almost 5,000 questions (4,927, to be exact) to the GOP hopefuls right on YouTube -- 2,000 more than the Democrats got on July 23. In true YouTube style, some of the questions are creative, but most are compelling -- and demonstrate the concerns of voters trying to differentiate between the candidates in a crowded primary field.
Back in July, we broke new ground in presidential debates with our first-ever CNN/YouTube Debate. Thirty-nine questions were posed to the Democratic candidates, and when Stephen Sixta asked a question about whether or not the presidential contenders would speak directly to foreign dictators, a conflict broke out between Senators Obama and Clinton that has matured into the defining difference between these two front-runners in this campaign.
The core concept behind these debates is to let real questions from real people drive the dialogue. The power of YouTube is that it lowers the barrier to entry to engage in the political process, and levels the platform for political discussion. It used to be that a voter had to live in Iowa, New Hampshire, or Florida to engage with the candidates at this stage of the campaign, but YouTube has broken down those barriers, and has brought more transparency and access to the political dialogue than ever before. We think that politics will never be the same (thankfully).
Lost? No, found!
We know a lot of you are using Google Maps for mobile to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get directions. But to date not many of you have been able to take advantage of the increased speed and convenience that location information from technologies like GPS can afford, if only because there are very few GPS-enabled devices on the market.
Well, when it comes to location information, GPS is no longer the only game in town. Today we released a version of Google Maps for mobile with a new beta technology called My Location, which provides approximate location information for those of us without GPS, and complements GPS location information for those who do have it. Head over to our new mobile blog to learn more.
Life List
There are certain things in life that you MUST do before your time ends. I have a list of things that I call my Life List - these are the things that I have to do... there are a bunch of things on there. Some involve traveling, some involve family, and others are just random acts of craziness that must ensue before I can no longer do them.
One of my closest friends Corrie is a tremendous inspiration to me. And I know that if I ever need advice or to be told that I am being ridiculous, she is the one I turn to.
With that said - our Grand Opening was last night, it was AMAZING, I mean simply incredible. I am totally overwhelmed with emotion as to how many people came to support me, how great the event looked and just well, how truly humbled I am with the support I received from the vendors I surround myself with, both near and far.
Okay, back to Life Lists for a second - have you ever wanted to do something and just said "Nahhhhh, that's crazy!" or "What would people think, if they ever knew!" I do that all of the time.
I got to check something off my life list last night that I thought I would NEVER do, because of both of those excuses!!! I am not going to tell you what it is until later, when I get the pictures back from Caroline. But it's A.W.E.S.O.M.E!!!
A special HUGE Thank You to these folks for going above and beyond!
Tapa's: Hilton Conference Center
Chocolate Fountain: Four Tiers Chocolate
And the photographers that are showcased in our new Studio:
Really, thank you all!!!!
Utilerias para Bases de Datos
(Por Cortesía de Wizardi)
DBDesigner 4.0.5.6
DBDesigner es un programa de diseño visual de bases de datos que integra el diseño, modelado, creación y mantenimiento. Está optimizado para MySQL. Este programa será sustituido en el futuro por MySQL WorkBench, actualmente todavía en fase beta.
Ant Movie Catalog 3.5.1.0
Ant Movie Catalog es una base de datos diseñada especialmente para manejar una colección de películas. Permite importar los datos de las películas de bases de datos disponibles en Internet, exportar la información en varios formatos, realizar búsquedas, informes, préstamos, estadísticas, etc. Al instalarse, el programa permite elegir el idioma castellano, entre otros.
Berkeley DB 4.6.19
Berkeley DB es un motor de base de datos de alto rendimiento y muy escalable que puede incluirse en cualquier aplicación.
DBDesigner es un programa de diseño visual de bases de datos que integra el diseño, modelado, creación y mantenimiento. Está optimizado para MySQL. Este programa será sustituido en el futuro por MySQL WorkBench, actualmente todavía en fase beta.
Ant Movie Catalog 3.5.1.0
Ant Movie Catalog es una base de datos diseñada especialmente para manejar una colección de películas. Permite importar los datos de las películas de bases de datos disponibles en Internet, exportar la información en varios formatos, realizar búsquedas, informes, préstamos, estadísticas, etc. Al instalarse, el programa permite elegir el idioma castellano, entre otros.
Berkeley DB 4.6.19
Berkeley DB es un motor de base de datos de alto rendimiento y muy escalable que puede incluirse en cualquier aplicación.
Google Content Network Tips: Part 2 - Targeting options, environments, and ad formats
In our first post in this series, we highlighted some of the most notable improvements we've made to the Google content network over this past year. Today, we wanted to focus on the range of options that the content network provides to make campaign management simple.
To ensure that our advertisers have increased flexibility and control across all aspects of their campaign, we offer multiple targeting options, a variety of ad formats, and hundreds of thousands of sites on which your ads can show.
Targeting Options
Ever wonder how we match ads to relevant pages? By scanning the millions of pages on the web, Google's contextual targeting technology analyzes the content of different web pages to determine the theme of a page. Then, by looking at all the keywords and ad text in your ad groups, our system matches the most relevant ads to the theme of that page. For example, if you have an ad for a digital camera, our system may place your ad next to a news article that reviews the latest digital photographic technology.
To ensure that you are targeting your ads to the right users, you can create tightly-themed ad groups. You can also try using negative keywords but remember that they work by exact match on the content network. The more theme-specific negative keywords you include, the less likely your ad is to appear on sites that match that theme. Following the example above, to decrease the chances of your digital camera ad showing up on pages related to video equipment, be sure to enter keywords like video, video camera, and video cameras as negative keywords. But keep in mind that doing so will increase your chances of excluding pages that review both video and digital cameras.
For further control, you can use the site exclusion tool to prevent your ads from appearing on specific pages, subpages, or types of pages that you don't think are a good match for your message.
If you want even greater control, you can use placement targeting to hand-pick specific sites or sections of sites you want your ads to appear on. If your goal is conversion-oriented metrics likes sales or leads, you can select CPC pricing and pay when users click on your ads. To increase brand awareness and maximize impressions among your target users, you may choose CPM pricing.
Environments
The Google content network has partnered with a variety of different websites, from news sites like Reuters and CNN, to social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster, to smaller niche sites like Ask the Builder and WhateverLife. This wide selection helps you match your message with the right audience. To find out more about how one advertiser found success through advertising on niche sites, you can read this case study.
Ad Formats
Text ads are a great way to reach your audience with a brief, pointed message. When you want to communicate a simple, visual message, try image ads, which are accepted on over 95% of content network sites. And if you're looking to engage your audience with sight, sound, and motion, or if your product requires a demonstration, Google click-to-play video ads offer an effective way to connect your message to the right users. You can read this case study on how one advertiser engaged with customers and increased revenue by using click-to-play video ads to demonstrate his robotic guitar tuners.
You can also check out demos of video ads and learn more about the Ad Creation Marketplace, where you can find a professional to help create your video ad.
Altogether, Google's targeting options give you full control over the parts of the content network where your ads appear, and AdWords reporting gives you insight into how your ads perform in different environments. By matching the right ad formats with the right environments, you can reach the audience that matters to you most when they're engaged with content that's relevant to your business.
As always, you can read more about the content network here. And if you have specific questions that you would like answered in upcoming blog posts, we invite you to email us. In the meantime, stay tuned more information on optimizing your content network campaign in the coming weeks.
To ensure that our advertisers have increased flexibility and control across all aspects of their campaign, we offer multiple targeting options, a variety of ad formats, and hundreds of thousands of sites on which your ads can show.
Targeting Options
Ever wonder how we match ads to relevant pages? By scanning the millions of pages on the web, Google's contextual targeting technology analyzes the content of different web pages to determine the theme of a page. Then, by looking at all the keywords and ad text in your ad groups, our system matches the most relevant ads to the theme of that page. For example, if you have an ad for a digital camera, our system may place your ad next to a news article that reviews the latest digital photographic technology.
To ensure that you are targeting your ads to the right users, you can create tightly-themed ad groups. You can also try using negative keywords but remember that they work by exact match on the content network. The more theme-specific negative keywords you include, the less likely your ad is to appear on sites that match that theme. Following the example above, to decrease the chances of your digital camera ad showing up on pages related to video equipment, be sure to enter keywords like video, video camera, and video cameras as negative keywords. But keep in mind that doing so will increase your chances of excluding pages that review both video and digital cameras.
For further control, you can use the site exclusion tool to prevent your ads from appearing on specific pages, subpages, or types of pages that you don't think are a good match for your message.
If you want even greater control, you can use placement targeting to hand-pick specific sites or sections of sites you want your ads to appear on. If your goal is conversion-oriented metrics likes sales or leads, you can select CPC pricing and pay when users click on your ads. To increase brand awareness and maximize impressions among your target users, you may choose CPM pricing.
Environments
The Google content network has partnered with a variety of different websites, from news sites like Reuters and CNN, to social networking sites like MySpace and Friendster, to smaller niche sites like Ask the Builder and WhateverLife. This wide selection helps you match your message with the right audience. To find out more about how one advertiser found success through advertising on niche sites, you can read this case study.
Ad Formats
Text ads are a great way to reach your audience with a brief, pointed message. When you want to communicate a simple, visual message, try image ads, which are accepted on over 95% of content network sites. And if you're looking to engage your audience with sight, sound, and motion, or if your product requires a demonstration, Google click-to-play video ads offer an effective way to connect your message to the right users. You can read this case study on how one advertiser engaged with customers and increased revenue by using click-to-play video ads to demonstrate his robotic guitar tuners.
You can also check out demos of video ads and learn more about the Ad Creation Marketplace, where you can find a professional to help create your video ad.
Altogether, Google's targeting options give you full control over the parts of the content network where your ads appear, and AdWords reporting gives you insight into how your ads perform in different environments. By matching the right ad formats with the right environments, you can reach the audience that matters to you most when they're engaged with content that's relevant to your business.
As always, you can read more about the content network here. And if you have specific questions that you would like answered in upcoming blog posts, we invite you to email us. In the meantime, stay tuned more information on optimizing your content network campaign in the coming weeks.
Towards more renewable energy
Clean and affordable energy is a growing need for our company, and we’re excited about the opportunity to help create competitive green alternatives. Our new initiative isn’t just about Google’s energy needs; we're seeking to accelerate the pace at which clean energy technologies are developing, so they can rival the economics of coal quickly. We've gained expertise in designing and building large-scale, energy-intensive facilities by building data centers that lead the industry in efficiency. We want to apply the same creativity and innovation to the challenge of generating inexpensive renewable electricity at scale.
Promising technologies already exist that could be developed to deliver renewable energy cheaper than coal. We think the time is ripe to build rapidly on the tremendous work on renewable energy. For example, I believe that solar thermal technology provides a very plausible path to generating cheaper electricity. By combining talented technologists, great partners and large investments, we have an opportunity to quickly push this technology forward. Our goal is to build 1 gigawatt of renewable energy capacity that is cheaper than coal. We are optimistic that this can be done within years, not decades. If we succeed, it would likely provide a path to replacing a substantial portion of the world’s electricity needs with renewable energy sources.
To lead this effort, we're looking for a world-class team. We need creative and motivated entrepreneurs and technologists with expertise in a broad range of areas, including materials science, physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, land acquisition and management, power transmission and substations, construction, and regulatory issues. Join us. And if you're interested, read about our previous work toward a clean energy future.
Hannibal El Origen del Mal
Hannibal El Orígen del Mal (Hannibal Rising, 2007) es una película basada en la novela homónima de Thomas Harris (publicada en el 2006), la cuarta obra de la serie de personaje Hannibal Lecter. Se trata de una precuela (el inicio de la vida de Hannibal) dirigida por Peter Webber y estelarizada por Gaspard Ulliel, Gong Li y Dominic West. La historia comienza en la campiña de Lituania en 1944, a finales de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, donde el pequeño Hannibal y su familia (sus padres y su hermana menor, Mischa) habitan en el castillo de sus antepasados. Al tiempo que los combates entre alemanes y rusos se acercan al castillo de los Lecter, éstos deciden mudarse a una cabaña de cacería en el bosque. Hasta ahí llega un tanque ruso, el cual requiere de agua fresca. Mientras se abastece es atacado por un avión nazi y los padres de Hannibel mueren en el fuego cruzado. Hannibal y Mischa quedan solos en la cabaña, hasta donde llega un grupo de milicianos lituanos pro-nazis (Grutas, Dortlich, Grentz, Kolnas, Milko y Pot Watcher), quienes se han dedicado a robar, denunciar y matar a judíos y gitanos. Los milicianos, hambrientos por la nevada en el bosque, deciden matar a Mischa para comérsela. Hannibal sobrevivió debido a que la cabaña fue bombardeada por los rusos, lo que provocó la muerte de Pot Watcher y la huida del resto de la banda. Hannibal caminó sin rumbo en la nieve hasta que es encontrado por los rusos quienes lo depositan en un orfanatorio ubicado en el mismo castillo de los Lecter. Hannibal escapa de ahí y huye hacia Francia, en busca de su tío paterno. Al llegar se entera que su tío ha muerto y dejado viuda a su esposa, Lady Murasaki (Gong Li). Tras un altercado en un mercado local con un carnicero, Hannibal lo asesina posteriormente mientras su víctima pescaba en un lago cercano. El Inspector Popil (Dominic West) investiga el caso y sospecha de Hannibal, que es aprehendido, aunque su tía logra que sea liberado. Posteriormente Hannibal comienza a estudiar medicina y gracias al thiopental sódico recuerda que en las ruinas de la cabaña se quedaron las placas de identificación de los milicianos. Hannibal regresa a Lituania y tras enterrar los restos de Mischa comienza la cacería de los asesinos de su hermana.
Hannibal El Orígen del Mal resulta una película interesante desde la perspectiva de conocer el pasado del siniestro doctor caníbal, aunque la manera en que acaba con los asesinos de su hermana resulta bastante inverosímil, combinando la brillantez de Hannibal y la ineptitud de los ex-milicianos. Harris, autor de la obra, se vio forzado por Dino de Laurentis para escribir la historia de Hannibal y deja algunos huecos argumentales y momentos poco brillantes, muy por debajo del Silencio de los Inocentes.
Hannibal El Orígen del Mal : ** (Regular)
How fun it must be!
It happens all of the time! How fun it must be to be a wedding planner! And it is, I love my job! It's the most rewarding thing I've ever done! I am a people person, I love to do what it takes to make people happy. I think that some people are a bit mislead as to what a Wedding Planner, Event Planner, Wedding Consultant, whatever name you go by does.This photograph is of me at a wedding driving the most fantastic, luxurious vehicle with 4 wheels, E.V.E.R! It was really the only way to get from one end of the property to another in a quick amount of time. But it was something that had to be done. So you do it.
One of my favorite bloggers recently wrote a 3-part post on the day in a life of a wedding planner, and it is so true. It's a long day, but it's totally worth it!!! Every moment of making someone's dreams come true, trouble-shooting behind the scenes, making the impossible- possible it's a dream come true for me!
On another note, our open house is tomorrow (I hope a photographer brings their camera) I can't wait to reveal what we are doing for our centerpieces!!!
Holiday savings with Google Checkout
The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and Google Checkout can help you shop fast, stay organized, and save money. Starting today Checkout buyers can take advantage of exclusive discounts and free shipping at more then 100 Google Checkout stores, and earn frequent flyer miles on holiday shopping. Learn more about Google Checkout holiday offers.
Maria and Lebron
Tennis player Maria Sharapova (C) of Russia and NBA basketball player LeBron James (L) of the U.S. pose for photographer .....
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