Software Marketing

Emergence of semantic search gains powerfull new tools for Businesses

2007-01-30T10:32:00.000+01:00

Read the podcast on the new semantic search opportunity and explore, how business relationships and the Business Web can be brought to bear on information overload and ecommerce value discovery.

Hunting for good shareware

2006-11-30T15:13:00.000+01:00

By SCOTT A. MAY
Comment by SEBASTIAN ZAKLADA

Finding a good source for shareware on the Web is a lot like hunting for morel mushrooms. It can be feast or famine, but once you find the mother lode, all that work really pays off. Unlike morels, however, there’s no need to keep your Web source a secret.

The best shareware sites give you several methods to browse their files: newest, most popular, by release date, by category and so on. If there’s no search function on the site, don’t waste your time.

Look for a site that includes links to each shareware publisher’s Web site. This is a great way to get additional information about a product and learn something about its author. Chances are, the publisher might offer other products of interest.

Steer clear of any shareware site that requires you to register or provide personal information in order to download a file. Even having to supply your e-mail address can be suspect. Don’t do it unless you like spam.

Flashy page designs can’t hide lack of content or poor navigational tools. Giant corporate download sites, such as CNet.com, aren’t necessarily better than so-called mom-and-pop operations. Big sites might have more Web presence and advertisers, but often the homegrown sites are more attuned to the needs of the average user.

Overall, look for shareware sites that are well-organized, updated daily, easy to navigate and don’t hammer you with pop-up advertising.

Also, if any site charges a fee for downloading shareware, they are ripping you off. Keep on surfing.

Tucows.com is a bona-fide old-timer on the shareware scene, notable for being one of the few shareware sites that supports nearly all major operating systems, including Windows, Macintosh, Linux, Unix, BeOS, OS/2 and many PDA devices.

Tucows not only lets you choose your operating system but also the nearest download server. Then it’s just a matter of selecting a software category to browse, each branching into subtopics.

I like how Tucows gives users a choice between list view and a verbose account about each shareware package, including system requirements and links to the publisher’s home page.

This site will never win an award for visual pizzazz, and novice users might find navigation a bit challenging, but if you’re looking for the widest-ranging collection of shareware in all major categories, Tucows fits the bill.

Jumbo.com is another old-school shareware depository that at one time did a decent job of keeping up with trends. There used to be a lot more content here, but the original owners sold out to a larger company whose main concern isn’t quality shareware or end-user education, but e-commerce.

Jumbo supports PC, Mac and Linux operating systems and sorts shareware by genre and date added.

Like Tucows, Jumbo won’t exactly blow you away with its dynamic design; it’s a great example of an aging site on its last legs.

There are literally hundreds of other shareware download sites. Some specialize in certain types of software, while others attempt to offer everything to everyone.

It’s surprising to find a number of shareware sites that look different but promote the exact same content. Sometimes even the category index and product descriptions are identical, word for word. This usually means the site is merely a facade - one of many run by the same operators.

SZ: It is surprising, that the author is not aware of the implications of using PAD XML file standard for creating reusable descriptions of the software applications. An example of the simple yet powerfull shareware website that utilizes PAD files is Software Submit.NET Downloads Catalog.

Here’s a good shareware tip: Instead of downloading software from a shareware site, follow the link to the publisher’s site, where you’ll often find newer versions, add-ons and upgrades to your selected software. Not all shareware sites are as diligent about updating their links.

As for that mother lode, follow this link to a goldmine of shareware links: www.aspshareware.org, the official site of the Association of Shareware Professionals. An excellent source on its own, the vein grows richer the deeper you dig. Click the link to Search for Shareware and then choose Shareware Search Sites to browse a list of hundreds.

Scott A. May is a local freelance writer who has been published in Home Office Computing magazine and other computer publications. He is technical support manager for Hi-Tech Software. Send e-mail to scottmay4@mchsi.com.

/Columbia Tribune/

Google acquired YouTube and what's next?

2006-10-16T08:53:00.000+02:00

If you were happy wasting hours in front of everyone's favorite (mostly clean) amateur video sharing website, YouTube, before, you've got a reason to cheer- this past week, it was acquired by search engine giant Google.com for $1.6 billion.

It seems as if the latest business model for an internet startup these days is not bent on longevity. Rather, the general theme on the World Wide Web is to come up with a quirky idea, build lots of buzz and interest, and then be acquired by a media giant like Google. With a check such as that now in the hands of YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen potentially waiting for nerdy grad students working on their senior theses, perhaps those Silicon Valley skeptics were wrong about the fleeting nature of success in the .com world. Last year, Google bought up thirteen smaller corporations, and continues to roll on over competitors in the tier just below their largest rival, Yahoo.

So, there is a business side to all this, but the average bored dorm room denizen wasting his life on YouTube is most likely not thinking about mergers and acquisitions. The biggest question to end users (as it always is with these types of deals) is "What does this mean for me, and how will it change my use of both sites?"

Despite all the buzz about a whole new way to search on GooTube.com, Google's representatives have made it a point to reassure users that each site will maintain its own brand identity. YouTube will still run as a free shareware site, and Google will still know what type of underpants Albert Einstein was wearing when he was working on the Theory of Relativity. Also, in case you were wondering about Google's recent foray into the video sharing market- Google Video," that will still be around as well. Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin (sensing a pattern here?) justify this by explaining that Google Video is merely a search engine for video files on the entire internet. They admitted that it does not allow for file sharing, one of YouTube's best selling points, and that they started to seriously consider turning the wheels on acquiring YouTube when research showed that a comparatively large number of searches on Google Video were hitting YouTube anyway.

This merger comes at a hefty price for America's widest-used search engine. $1.6 billion has been spent at a great risk. Page admits that YouTube will be the company's most risky venture to date. As it is currently, the video sharing site is not geared at all to generate the profit it needs to pay for itself and eventually put Google in the green.

/sjuhawknews.com/

Softwrap Partners With Softonic

2006-04-13T07:57:00.000+02:00

/Softwrap/

LONDON, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Softwrap(TM) today announced that it is has signed a strategic partnership agreement with Softonic, Europe's leading software download portal with over 45,000 programs, including freeware, shareware and trial version software titles available with reviews written in Spanish, German and English.

Under the agreement, Softonic will combine Softwrap's encryption technology with its own ESD services to provide software publishers with a complete end-to-end eDistribution solution, incorporating a 'Try & Buy' facility. The facility, which is enabled through Softwrap's technology, will allow Softonic's software partners to offer full versions of their products as a trial download, from which users can then easily purchase a licence code through the Softonic eStore. Softonic's software partners will also be able to secure their non-trial versions for digital download with Softwrap's cutting edge encryption technology.

"Softwrap brings a crucial element to the electronic software distribution (ESD) mix that Softonic has on offer. Softwrap's encryption is a cut above the rest leaving us confident to recommend it to any software vendor," commented Tomas Diago, Softonic Inc. "Softwrap also brings a wealth of software vendors to the party that are able to distribute their software through the Softonic network."

Dylan Solomon, spokesman for Softwrap, added: "Softwrap is delighted to be working with Softonic and view the selection of Softwrap as yet another testament of the quality and security of our technology."

About Softonic:

Established in 1997, Softonic is Europe's leading software download portal with over 45,000 freeware, shareware and trial version software titles available with reviews written in Spanish, German and English.

The English language portal was launched in November 2005. Over 5 million monthly visitors generate more than 10 software downloads every month from the Softonic sites.

About Softwrap

Softwrap is a virtual shrink-wrapping programme that provides authors and distributors with a secure means of selling and distributing their software digitally, whilst at the same time providing the consumer with 'try-before-you-buy' facilities.

Softwrap Limited, a British-based company, is a leading e-commerce company that specialises in products and services that enable digital distribution and sales in many formats. Softwrap is represented in North America, Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and New Zealand, where on-going research and development occurs.

Microsoft Seeks Search-Engine Trademark...

2006-03-03T11:19:00.000+01:00

Prompting speculation among at least one blogger on its future search-engine plans, Microsoft is attempting to trademark the word "Relerank."
A trademark application was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on February 15 on behalf of Microsoft by Seattle-based intellectual-property attorney William O. Ferron, Jr. According to the filing, which is accessible via a search of the patent-office Web site, Microsoft is looking to trademark "relerank" for use with "computer software for organizing, displaying, and managing search results from computer search engine software."

News of the application first came to light on the technology blog Thomas Hawk's Digital Connection. Hawk speculates that "relerank" is somehow tied into last summer's rumored acquisition talks between Microsoft and adware vendor Claria. Microsoft scotched those reports, and also issued a letter to customers clarifying the way its software dealt with adware such as Claria's.

In his post, Hawk points out that "relerank" is linguistically close to RelevancyRank, a term used by Claria. The adware vendor defines RelevancyRank as "a patent-pending search technology that ranks Web pages in a revolutionary way. It goes beyond analyzing links to pages and hypertext matching, and instead evaluates what searchers do once they see the links displayed."

Hawk writes that RelevancyRank had been expected to launch in the fourth quarter of 2005. Claria's Web site posts a description of RelevancyRank but doesn't indicate that it's available as a product. At posting time, Claria spokeswoman said she would check on its status.

Despite Hawk's speculation to the contrary ("if Claria's search technology really is as good as they claim, it would be easy to see why Microsoft would want this," he wrote), there appears to be no current connection between Microsoft and Claria.

As for MSN, it's currently in third place in the search-engine rankings, after Google and Yahoo. Microsoft declined to comment.

Microsoft in February beefed up its search capabilities when it acquired MotionBridge S.A., a Paris-based provider of search technology geared to mobile devices.

DMA Sets Standards for Software Downloads

2006-01-19T09:35:00.000+01:00

Efforts to Increase Confidence in Online Marketing Channels

The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) has announced that it will begin requiring its member organizations to adhere to a new guideline for how marketers should provide notice and choice regarding software that may be downloaded onto a consumers personal computer or similar devices (such as PDAs or MP3 players). The new guideline was approved last week by DMA's Board of Directors and immediately becomes part of DMA's comprehensive Guidelines for Ethical Business Practice, adherence to which is a requirement for DMA membership.
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"While software technology by itself is neutral, substantial harm, including "modem hijacking," identity theft and significant decreases in performance can result from deceptive and unethical uses of downloadable software," said Louis Mastria, DMA's vice president for interactive and emerging media. "We are committed to taking a strong stand against such practices in order to increase confidence in the online channel."

The guideline states that marketers should not install, have installed, or use, software or other similar technology on a computer or similar device that initiates deceptive practices or interferes with a user's expectation of the functionality of the computer and its programs. Such practices could include software that takes control of a computer (e.g., relaying spam and viruses, modem hijacking, denial of service attacks, or endless loop pop-up advertisements). Also prohibited would be programs that deceptively modify or disable security or browser settings or prevent the user's efforts to disable or uninstall the software.

The guideline also lays out what marketers should do when offering software or other similar technology that is installed on a computer for legitimate marketing purposes. Specifically, such programs must give the user clear and conspicuous notice and choice at the point of joining a service or before the software or other similar technology begins operating on the user's computer, including notice of significant effects of having the software or other similar technology installed. Marketers must also give the user an easy means to uninstall the technology and/or disable all functionality. Finally, marketers should always provide an easily accessible link to privacy policies and contact information, as well as clear identification of company making the offer.

"DMA members represent some of the nation's largest and best-known consumer and nonprofit brands. Protecting those brands -- and the consumers who place their trust in them -- is vitally important," said Patricia Kachura, DMA's senior vice president for ethics and consumer affairs.

About DMA

The Direct Marketing Association (http://www.the-dma.org) is the leading global trade association of business and nonprofit organizations using and supporting direct marketing tools and techniques. DMA advocates industry standards for responsible marketing, promotes relevance as the key to reaching consumers with desirable offers, and provides cutting-edge research, education, and networking opportunities to improve results throughout the entire direct marketing process. Founded in 1917, DMA today has more than 4,800 corporate, affiliate, and chapter members from the US and 46 other nations, including 55 companies listed on the Fortune 100.

In 2005, companies will spend more than $161 billion on direct marketing in the United States. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures are expected to generate $1.85 trillion in increased sales in 2005, or 7% of the $26 trillion in total sales in the US economy (which includes intermediate sales). All together, direct marketing will account for 10.3% of total US GDP in 2005.

The Power of Direct: Relevance. Responsibility. Results.

Source: The Direct Marketing Association

MacWorld 2005 Editors' Choice Awards

2005-12-13T14:03:00.000+01:00

MacWorld has chosen the 2005 Editors' Choice Awards winners

That seemed to be the watchword for Mac hardware and software makers in 2005. The year began with the introduction of a slimmed-down Mac desktop (the Mac mini, which came with an equally skimpy price tag) and ended with the already tiny iPod mini making way for the even thinner iPod nano. On the software front, freeware, shareware, and other small programs made big waves with Mac users, delivering productivity boosts, simplified interfaces, and other noteworthy improvements.

But don’t let all this small talk lead you astray—2005 was a big year for Mac products. Whether you’re talking about hardware or software, you can find several dozen offerings that came up big in terms of value, performance, and innovation. The recipients of our annual Editors’ Choice Awards are ample proof of that.

We’ve looked at each and every Mac product released between November 1, 2004, and November 1, 2005. The results of our search? A list of 31 winners of all shapes and sizes that have one thing in common—they all packed a big punch in the past year.

And the winners are …

Breakthrough products
• Canary Digital Hotspotter
• Fujitsu ScanSnap for Mac OS X
• Mac mini
• Radeon 9600 Pro PC and Mac Edition
• Skype 1.3
• World of Warcraft

Spyware threat

2005-12-08T10:04:00.000+01:00

No matter where you are or how big you are, if your organization hasn't been affected by spyware yet, it's only a matter of time.

That's the message from Boulder, Colo.-based Webroot Software Inc. According to the antispyware vendor's quarterly "State of Spyware" report released this week, the spread of secret nefarious and malicious programs has quickly become a "global pandemic."

Webroot CEO C. David Moll said spyware is no longer confined to a handful countries or a single continent. In fact, it's everywhere.

Moll said his customers have reported spyware problems in 223 countries. What's more, unlike spam, which he said took nearly two years to plague users around the world, spyware has become the scourge of Internet users everywhere in just a matter of months.

Whenever, wherever

As further illustration, Webroot's report finds the trio of countries with the highest spyware infection rates represent three different corners of the globe. This is based on an survey of 63 companies representing 351,149 PCs and laptops connected to the Internet, according to study details.

The U.S. was found to have the highest national spyware infection rate, with an average of 24.4 spyware programs per scanned PCs.

Ranking second was the U.K. with an average infection rate of 18.7 programs, with Thailand rounding out the top three with 18.1 programs.

What do those nations have in common? Moll said each has a vast broadband network, and a sizable portion of its population using it.

"A broadband user does more things like file sharing and spends more time online, and tends to be a more sophisticated user," Moll said, adding that it's those uses who are more likely to experiment with peer-to-peer programs, surf to new Web sites and download shareware, all of which drive spyware proliferation.

The more things change…

Webroot's survey was compiled using data from customers of its Web-based antispyware application, and from a poll of corporate IT professionals in charge of security compliance.

Of those who responded to the poll, more than two-thirds categorized spyware as a serious threat to their organizations, and 97% said they worry that spyware may access employee data, pilfer intellectual property or access company or customer information.

The vendor issued a similar report last quarter, and Moll said overall spyware awareness has increased from quarter to quarter, but tragically that hasn't equated to progress in combating its proliferation.

"So many states are taking action, and Federal bills are in consideration, so when you take all of that together, you might expect to see some [progress]," Moll said. "Frankly, we don't."

The 80% infection rate is roughly the same as when Webroot began its quarterly research effort, Moll said, and the most serious kinds of spyware programs -- Trojans and keystroke loggers -- continue to grow.

Key to the highway

Another significant finding of Webroot's report is that keystroke loggers -- programs that monitor and often transmit data on how a keyboard is used -- are posing a bigger threat than ever before.

Moll said keystroke loggers are becoming increasingly sophisticated. They are emerging as the biggest threats to consumer privacy and data security on the Internet, and may soon surpass phishing as the most widely exploited method of electronic identity theft.

"Phishing has served as the traditional model for getting somebody to a Web site to steal their information," Moll said. "It's been failing more often as people become more educated about it, but to get a piece of software on a user's machine gives the same opportunity [to steal] usernames, account numbers, etc."

It poses an even greater threat in the corporate environment, Moll added, because the stakes are much higher when comparing an individual's finances to those of billion-dollar enterprises.

"What happens when a keystroke logger is sitting on a payroll PC, or account payable, or on a trading desk?" Moll asked. "When huge amounts of money are being transferred, it represents a grave threat to corporations, as well as in regard to corporate espionage and intellectual property theft."

Lessons learned

Fortunately, Moll said, corporate spyware awareness continues to rise, and that may be the difference in preventing a major spyware-related security breach or data theft.

He also said the work of the Anti-Spyware Coalition, a coalition of more than two dozen technology vendors and interest groups, is helping to more clearly define spyware and aid antispyware vendors in searching for and removing it.

However, there is still work to be done. Moll said the industry must realize that antispyware software is now just as essential as antivirus software. Those that don't understand that, he said, are putting themselves at risk.

"Don't hope that you're going to browse to a new Web site and be OK," Moll said. "It only takes one mistyped URL to bring spyware down in spades."

read oryginal post here

TRUSTe to Certify 'Trusted Downloads'

2005-11-17T12:03:00.000+01:00

By Geoff Duncan
Staff Writer, Designtechnica News

Truste and corporate partners have announced a new Trusted Download Program to certify software is non-invasive and can easily be uninstalled.

TRUSTe, an independent non-profit which monitors organizational email policies, privacy, and online policy matters has announced a new Trusted Download Program aimed to curb spyware, adware, and other malicious forms of software which may act without a users' consent and be difficult to remove.

The Trusted Download Program will not act as "stamp" program which provides software products a "seal of approval" consumers can see; in fact, software certified under the Trusted Download Program will not be allowed to promote that fact. Instead, the Trusted Download Program will certify applications and software which meet particular criteria for trustworthiness, disclosure, and responsible practices. These programs will be included in a "white list" of trustworthy programs offered to program partners, who can then make decisions about whether they wish to distribute or be affiliated with the software.

Trusted Download Program partners currently include Yahoo, AOL, Verizon, CNET's download.com, Computer Associates, and Verizon.

Criteria for certification include obtaining a plain-language consent to download and offering easy uninstall capabilities; the programs also may not engage in any prohibited activities such as taking over a computer, keystroke logging, collecting personal information, or maliciously modifying a computer's settings. Software which displays ads or tracks user actions is not patently prohibited—for instance, a free software application, such as a browser toolbar, could still display advertising and even track a user's Web usage, so long as it does so with the user's informed consent and complies with the other criteria of the Trusted Download Program.

The program also allows for ongoing monitoring of applications, and more intense scrutiny for companies and applications which have been found in violation of the Trusted Download Program's criteria.

The Trusted Download Program's certification regime also extends to the ways in which software is distributed: affiliate partnerships and bundles must be disclosed, and software which displays ads or tracks users may not be distributed on childrens' Web sites (either directly or via affiliates). Participants in the program—such as AOL, Yahoo, and download.com—must also be able to segregate their advertising to certified and uncertified applications.

The basic idea behind the Trusted Download Program is to establish industry standards for informed consent and acceptable practices in software downloads, and extend those practices through the economic structure of the industry. Through the Trusted Download Program, advertisers can determine which applications have been independently certified as trustworthy and, potentially, choose only to have their advertising carried by those trustworthy channels. Similarly, partners like CNET and Yahoo might choose whether or not to distribute specific software downloads based on whether they've been certified by the Trusted Download Program. Similarly, companies may choose whether or not to enable their services to be used by certified or uncertified applications: for instance, Yahoo could choose not to allow uncertified applications to execute searches on Yahoo services. By making certification important for both distributing software and tying into advertising revenue channels, the Trusted Download Program hopes to elevate trustworthy applications and provide economic incentive for developing responsible software programs.

At this time, no information is available on the cost, if any, to developers to have their applications certified as trustworthy. A too-high certification cost may put the program out of reach of small developers, shareware authors, and hobbyist programmers, potentially keeping their often-useful tools and innovation out of mainstream download services like CNET, AOL, and Yahoo.

The Trusted Download Program begins a beta process today, with full operation expected to begin in early 2006.

Read full article here

Microsoft way to 'Defend' its trademarks

2005-11-13T21:15:00.000+01:00

Microsoft will not have legal problems using the name "Windows Defender" for its anti-spyware product but the man who gave up the name is unhappy with the way the company went about acquiring it.

South Australian software developer Adam Lyttle was asked by Microsoft to sign over rights to the name last month but says he would have preferred a more straightforward approach.

Microsoft announced a few days ago that it would be naming its anti-spyware program "Windows Defender" when it is bundled with the next version of Windows.

Mr Lyttle wrote in his blog that he had received a letter from a company named Seed IP about a month ago accusing him of using the name "Windows" in a product unlawfully.

He had used the name "Windows Defender" for an application he wrote some years ago. He says the general tone of the letter was one of "stop using our name or there will be consequences".

Microsoft is known to be extremely protective about its trademarks. The global software company's choice of product names has been questioned in the past. The most recent example was when the use of the name "Windows Vista" was questioned by a business software and services company named Vista, founded in 1999 and located in Redmond, Oregon.

Mr Lyttle wrote that he received a second letter in which he was asked to pledge that he would not use the name Windows Defender for any of his products again, desist from using "windows", "Windows" or "indows" in any product name and hand over all rights to the name Windows Defender to Microsoft.

No mention was made of the fact that Microsoft planned to use the same name for one of its products.

Mr Lyttle wrote that he was spooked by the demand that he agree not to use the Windows Defender name again, but after consulting a friend decided that he did not want to enter into a legal battle with Microsoft.

On October 26, he signed the letter and sent it back. Two weeks later he read the Microsoft announcement that it would be using the name Windows Defender.

Mr Lyttle said he had discontinued his own product about a year ago and would have been happy to hand over the name if he had been told the real reason.

"I enjoy using their operating system and developing applications for personal and public use and I will continue to do so," he said when contacted. "I would have gladly handed over the name of the product to Microsoft if they had asked me directly."

Mr Lyttle said he had stopped offering Windows Defender as a download from his site but some shareware sites were still listing it. "It was an application meant to prevent malicious software from changing the default web page in a browser and the feedback I had was that it was useful," he said.

He said the insistence that he also pledge not to use the name "indows" in any future product was probably related to the action Microsoft launched to stop a Linux vendor from selling its product under the name Lindows. The company later changed the name to Linspire.

Comment has been sought from Microsoft.

Oryginal article may be found here.

Digital River Opens Office in Japan

2005-10-27T10:31:00.000+02:00

Digital River, Inc. a global leader in e-commerce outsourcing, announced that it has further expanded its operations in Asia-Pacific markets. Extending its global presence, Digital River has established a wholly-owned subsidiary and opened an office in Tokyo, Japan. With resources in Tokyo, the company is providing local sales, site design and account management services, as well as fulfillment of physical goods.

"The launch of our Japanese subsidiary represents an important part of our long-term strategy to expand our international footprint," said Joel Ronning, Digital River's CEO. "By establishing an office in Japan and offering local e-commerce services, we intend to not only help our existing U.S. based clients further penetrate Asia-Pacific markets, but also expand our business among international companies interested in conducting e-commerce in Japan."

New shareware site

2005-10-12T09:43:00.000+02:00

CoreDownload has released coredownload.com, a software and games archive with over 23.000 titles that tries to meet all the users' demands. You can pick and download products from several categories like Audio & Multimedia, Business, Servers, Security and Privacy or System Utilities.

The entire site is structured so you can easily find what you are looking for. You can search through the newest titles viewing both freeware and shareware, or only one of the two types. If you prefer to see only top downloads, it is possible to sort titles according to your needs.

Each category and subcategory has a "Category Pick," a highlighted title. CoreDownload staff selected them by hand.

Every download is free, no fees are required. You usually download free-to-try versions or demo versions. You can purchase any title you want directly from CoreDownload. Special software discounts are also available for popular titles like dvdSanta, SpeedUpMyPC, DVDRipper, DVD Audio Ripper and many others. The list is constantly changing, and you can send us a message and request a discount for a product that doesn't have one. Software discount percentage ranges from 5% to 20%. All orders are handled by secure registration services.

Shareware meets books.

2005-09-20T10:20:00.000+02:00

A new shareware trend comes into being? Not quite, but this is a curiosity of some kind...

Norman Spinrad has decided to offer his entire novel (yes, this is a BOOK), He Walked Among Us, as a shareware experiment. Coming hot on the heels of Charlie Stross's recent free offer for his entire novel Accelerando, one can't help but wonder if this is the start of a significant trend in internet marketing in general, not the shareware industry in particular.

The explanation for this move for Spinrad could be the fact, that the novel has already been seen, and rejected, by several big publishing houses. "You'd have to read the whole novel to understand why this has happened, probably," said Spinrad. "There are three or four major thematic thrusts in He Walked Among Us, and four or five characters that carry them and interact with each other.

The novel was originally only available via email but the project is gathering its own momentum. "You now can download it directly from my site too, since it's already on another web site which I've linked to, and I'll link to any site that does likewise," Spinrad explained. "But the idea of an email rtf file upon request has several reasons. First and foremost, my idea is to spread the novel like a benign virus, that is geometrically, encouraging people to email it to other people, post it on their web sites or newsgroups, etc. And because I am experimenting in what I call viral distribution, it's an rtf file because that's not an executable file or a format like pdf which can hide real viruses. Also it can be read by almost any word processor, not just running under windows, but Mac too."

Maybe this is the time to mix books with software? Once there were illustrated books, now we can think of books illustrated with sound and even animations. This could be interesting... what do you think?

see Spinrad website

eBay acquires Skype for US$4.1bln!

2005-09-13T11:22:00.000+02:00

This is a thrilling news from eBay and Skype - the rumours were true! This is how eBay announces the news:

I’m excited to let you know that eBay plans to acquire Skype, the leader in online voice communications.
Skype has set a new standard in online voice communications with outstanding sound quality and unmatched ease of use. And like eBay, Skype has a fast-growing community -- some 54 million Skype users around the world already use their PCs to talk with one another.

And best of all, conversations between Skype users via PC are free. You can get up and running on Skype in just a few minutes. Just go to http://www.skype.com/go/x.home to learn more and download the free Skype software application. Try it – it’s fun!

Over time, we eBay intends to make voice communications a part of the eBay marketplace – a huge step forward in making transactions faster and easier, as well as bringing even more interactivity and humanity to the eBay Community.

You can include your Skype ID in your About Me page. For now, however, Skype links may not appear in View Item pages. We’ll be working with you, our Community, over the next few weeks to thoughtfully work out the details of how eBay and Skype will interact, including any policy changes that may be required.

We expect this acquisition to be finalized soon. In the meantime, you can learn more about our Skype plans in the news release we issued just a few minutes ago.

Working together, eBay, PayPal and Skype will redefine online trade and community. I hope you’ll join us in this exciting new chapter in eBay’s history.

Do You Code Sign?

2005-09-02T12:43:00.000+02:00

Lately Saqib Ali asked on SlashDot: "I am a regular reader of Bruce Schneier's Blog, Articles, and Books, and I really like what he writes. However I recently read his book titled 'Secret and Lies' and I think he has done some in-justice to the security provided by the 'Code Signing'. On page 163 of his books, he (Bruce Schneier) basically states that: 'Code signing, as it is currently done, sucks'. Even though I think that Code Signing has its flaws, it does provide a fairly good mechanism for increasing security in an organization."

What are your thoughts on the current methods of code-signing in existance, today? If you feel like Bruce Schneier, how would you fix it? If you feel like Saqib Ali, what have you signed and how well has it worked?

Read more about it on SlashDot

AISIP Book Club

2005-09-01T09:48:00.000+02:00

The Association of Independent Software Industry Professionals (AISIP) will launch a new online book club on September 1st, 2005. The AISIP book club will enable software industry professionals to discuss books related to internet marketing and business. A different book will be featured each month.

The first book to be read and discussed will be "Search Engine Optimization for Dummies" by Peter Kent. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a hot topic for website owners. It is what you do (or don't do) to help your website achieve higher rankings in search engine results.

SEO is vitally important to the internet marketer. The higher your website ranks for your relevant search terms, the more targeted visitors will come to your website, and see your products. There are simple things you can do to make your website more search engine friendly - and equally simple things you can do that may get your website banned by Google.

During the month-long discussion, book club members will begin with the information outlined in the book, and then continue to explore the ideas and methods of search engine optimization put forth. Some members may choose to discuss the book's ideas from a theoretical standpoint, and some may discuss them in practical terms, as they relate to specific websites. Some members will be revising their websites as the discussions progress, to immediately take advantage of their newly learned search engine optimization techniques.

For those who implement the books' ideas during the book club discussions, search engine rankings for certain search terms will be noted before optimization work begins, and then again at the end of the month.

If you want to learn more about Search Engine Optimization, or increase your website's position in the search engine rankings, then September's AISIP book club discussion is for you.

The AISIP book club discussions will take place in AISIP's private newsgroups/web forums. Any AISIP member may join in the book club discussions. AISIP was founded only two months ago, and is growing rapidly. Membership costs US$24 annually, and is open to anyone working in the independent software industry. AISIP members include people from all over the world who sell software products and services online.

Google loses China market share

2005-09-01T09:27:00.000+02:00

Baidu is taking on the big dogs of the internet search engine world Google, the most used search engine, is under pressure in China and losing market share to its biggest local rival Baidu.com, a survey has found.
According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), Baidu is making gains in the main cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The company has increased its slice of the market in the three towns by at least 10% in the past six months.

Internet use is growing and China has the potential to become a world leader.

State-run newspaper China Daily - citing research by Analysys International - estimated that China's search engine market is expected to be worth about 3bn yuan (£207m; $370m) by 2007, up from last year's value of 700m yuan.

Internet search users are predicted to increase from about 100 million currently to 187 million in two years' time.

Getting exposure

Investors had a chance to buy into the predicted boom when Baidu listed on the tech-heavy Nasdaq stock index in New York earlier this month.

Google is among those who have bought into Baidu and now owns a strategic stake of just under 3%.

Baidu was valued at $850m (£478m) ahead of its flotation and its shares, which sold for $27 each, quickly surged to $120.

However, since the share sale questions have been raised over the speed of its future growth - despite it reporting net profit of 12.1m yuan on sales of 69.7m yuan - and the stock has dipped back to trade closer to $83.

It currently has a market capitalisation of $2.7bn and Tuesday's survey has helped reassure investors.

Baidu shares jumped 6% to $83.35 in New York on Tuesday

Carving it up

According to CNNIC, Baidu now has 52% of the search engine market share in Beijing, compared with Google's 33%.

In Shanghai it has a 44% slice and in Guangzhou it is 48%, compared with Google's 38% and 29% respectively.

Three months ago, Google had the biggest market share, CNNIC said.

The rest of the market was split between Yahoo!, Sina and Sohu.com.

Inside Macintosh Shareware Aug 2005

2005-08-22T11:07:00.000+02:00

A new issue of Inside Macintosh Shareware has arrived.
You may read it on the insidemacgames.com website.

2checkout Fraud Service Upgrade

2005-08-19T12:50:00.000+02:00

This is an information that we got from 2CO today:

As a part of 2Checkout.com's (2CO) continuing commitment to increased credit card and consumer identity security, 2CO is pleased to announce that we will be upgrading our fraud detection process shortly. The fraud detection upgrade will mean more accurate fraud reviews which will translate into increased sales acceptance for many vendors at the same time reducing charge backs. It also means that consumers can shop with more confidence ... and increased consumer confidence means more overall sales.

There are no additional fees for this upgrade and the implementation will be announced on the Log in page "Latest News" section.

Minor notification and operational changes for sales approvals and subsequent shipping will occur once this process begins.

The changes are as follows:

New Sales Approval Notification Process-- Once the upgrade begins, your order receipt notification and shipping process will change slightly. You, our vendor, will receive an email notifying you of a sale(s). It will now be FOLLOWED by an email that describes which sales are PASSED, which are not passed (FAILED), and those that are pending further investigation (ON HOLD).

You should NOT ship until you receive an email from 2CO that indicates a sale is PASSED. NOTE: Orders that take place before the fraud upgrade activation date are not subject to the new fraud detection scheme; please process as before.

Google AdWords New Keyword System Released

2005-08-17T15:43:00.000+02:00

Google has implemented their new keyword status system for Google AdWords. This is how they describe the changes:

We've simplified our keyword states and introduced quality-based minimum bids, giving you more control to run on keywords that you find important. With these improvements, your keywords will now either be active or inactive, depending on their quality and maximum cost-per-click (CPC).

We suggest you log in to your account to view these changes. Any keywords that were previously normal, in trial, or on hold are now labeled as either active (triggering ads) or inactive (not triggering ads). Any keywords that were disabled before implementation will remain labeled as disabled in your account for several weeks. This gives you the opportunity to review and activate any disabled keywords you'd like to run on before we delete them. However, we will no longer disable any new keywords you enter into your account.

Here are some resources that will help you get better acquainted with the new keyword status system:

How do you find that changes? Are they good for your business, or not?

Shareware powers renewable energy systems

2005-08-09T11:46:00.000+02:00

A shareware program developed by the government of Canada has updated five modules on renewable energy systems.

A downloadable shareware program that was developed by the government of Canada in 1996 has updated five modules on renewable energy systems and introduced a new module on combined heat & power.

The RETScreen International Clean Energy Decision Support Centre was created to build the capacity of planners and decision-makers for implementing renewable energy projects. The shareware is a decision-making tool that claims to reduce the cost of pre-feasibility studies and to train people to analyze the technical and financial viability of possible projects.

Within the past two months, RETScreen has updated its models on solar water heating, biomass, passive solar, ground source heat pumps and solar air heating, and added a model for combined heat and power (cogeneration). A tenth module on refrigeration is expected soon.

The software has 61,000 users in 207 countries, and can provide comparative assessments of projects using wind energy, small hydro, solar PV, biomass heating, solar air heating, solar water heating, passive solar heating and ground-source heat pumps. The shareware is available in 21 languages and accounts for rules under the Kyoto Protocol (including Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation and emissions trading). It also contains a product database with data for 5,880 power, heating and cooling systems around the world, and its weather database provides access to meteorological data covering the entire surface of the planet, including 4,720 ground-monitoring stations and NASA satellite data.

RETScreen says its software has saved stakeholders C$600 million around the world in the past decade, and has facilitated implementation of 1,000 MW of projects worth $1.8 billion, and reduced CO2 emissions by 630 kilotonnes per year to date, with a projected displacement of 20 megatonnes of CO2 per year by 2012.

New at Froogle - Merchants Help Center

2005-08-08T14:52:00.000+02:00

We invite you to explore our new Froogle Merchants Help Center. With answers to more than 200 commonly asked questions, the Help Center covers everything from getting started with a feed to advertising on Froogle. You can browse through questions or search for answers by entering keywords related to your question into the search bar.

Top 5 Questions section is a glimpse at the questions searched for most often in the Help Center. If you're not sure what question to ask or just curious about possible stumbling blocks on the way to getting your products on Froogle, the Top 5 is a great way to find guidance.

To view the Froogle Merchants Help Center, please visit http://www.google.com/support/froogle

European Shareware Conference 2005

2005-08-01T16:47:00.000+02:00

The 5th European Shareware Conference 2005, held by the ESWC, will take place on the 5th and 6th of November 2005 in Brussels, Belgium.

SwiftCD partners with WinRAR

2005-07-29T09:16:00.000+02:00

SwiftCD has been selected by win.rar GmbH for the manufacturing and fulfillment of the new WinRAR Shareware CD release.

read full story here

GetAFile workaround

2005-07-28T23:08:00.000+02:00

Replace getafile.com with 216.198.211.71 to access their resources now. We are not sure how long will that last, so you need to act quickly. This IP may be not functioning any time now, GetAFile is really down for good.