Trick-or-Treat

Happy Halloween from the AdSense Team!



Posted by the Google AdSense Team

Build your Thighs into Super Quads

4 Ways to Super Quads

How do you think Superman is able to leap small building in a single bound or run faster than a speeding bullet He has Super quads! Growing up I was blessed with big quads. I guess it was all that running around, jumping, squatting, etc. that I did as a little boy.

But as you get older you must make sure that you hit the legs at least once a week. Leg day can be brutal because of the degree of muscle involved and this following workout is no different. We are going for a full leg blast baby, starting by pounding the quads with these 4 super-gems.

1. Squats
I like to start with this exercise. Load on the bar and hit this for 4 sets of heavy strict movement. I like to get nice and low when I perform this. I am practically sitting on the floor and then BLAST OFF! Do 4 sets of 8- 15 reps. If you really want to blow up those quads, do a set of jump squats with 45 lbs per side.

2. Lunges
Now as much as guys think this is a girly move, on the contrary my good men. These are key to great leg and glutes construction. I like to hold heavy dumbbells and will either walk back and forth in the aerobic studio or just squat in place. Do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg, or walk back and forth 3 times in your aerobic studio.

3. Leg Press
I like to use heavy weight with this exercise, especially after the first 2 sets. I have witnessed some incredible leg press feats in my day; 10 and 11 plates a side. You know who you are…simply amazing. I will do 3 sets of 10 reps with weight that I can barely get to 10 with.

4. Leg Extensions
This is my favourite leg exercise. I love to watch the teardrops in the thigh working during every lift. I consciously squeeze and hold the quad muscles at the top and slowly lower to the starting positions – don’t just drop the weight. Perform 3 sets of 10 reps.

Ensure you add an exercise for the hammies and calves and your legs will be Super-Set. If you are not ready to puke after this workout, then you need to pile on the weight. Good Luck and UP, UP and AWAY!

Funk Roberts
Don’t Rush the Beat!

Apple and Microsoft - Ain't No Stopping Their Stupendous Growth

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: APPL) and Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) are two of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index. Both innovators are growing unabated with new innovations.

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America, and has returned a whopping 56% in 2007 (as of Q3, 2007).

Today Apple announced that it has sold two million Copies of Mac OS X Leopard in just the first weekend, "far outpacing the first-weekend sales of Mac OS X Tiger, which was previously the most successful OS release in Apple's history. Sales included copies sold at Apple's retail stores, Apple Authorized Resellers, the online Apple Store(R), under maintenance agreements and bundled with new Mac(R) computers. "

Leopard is the sixth major release of Mac OS X and is packed with more than 300 new features.

"Early indications are that Leopard will be a huge hit with customers," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Leopard's innovative features are getting great reviews and making more people than ever think about switching to the Mac."

Leopard has many key innovations including the Time Machine, "an effortless way to automatically back up everything on a Mac; a redesigned Finder that lets users quickly browse and share files between multiple Macs*; Quick Look, a new way to instantly see files without opening an application; Spaces, an intuitive new feature used to create groups of applications and instantly switch between them; a brand new desktop with Stacks, a new way to easily access files from the Dock; and major enhancements to Mail and iChat(R)."

Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) fourth-quarter net income improved to $904 million, or $1.01 a share, from a year-earlier profit of $542 million, or 62 cents a share. Sales rose to $6.22 billion from $4.84 billion. Analysts, according to Thomson Financial, expected a quarterly profit of 86 cents a share and revenue of $6.07 billion...Among the quarter's highlights were sales of 2.16 million Macintosh PCs and 1.11 million iPhones. Apple had the most amazing launch of the all new iPhone, and this holiday season could be a blockbuster for the iPhone and Apple revenues. The latest iPod Touch could also rake in huge sales.

Apple is firing on all four cylinders: iPod, iPhone, Macintosh PCs and Leopard.

On October 25, 2007, Microsoft reported 27% revenue growth (over last year) on sales of $13.76 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2007, and the "fastest first quarter since 1999". Further, the operating income and EPS growth exceeded 25% over the same quarter last year. Operating income, net income and diluted earnings per share for the quarter were an astonishing $5.92 billion, $4.29 billion and $0.45, respectively.

"This fiscal year is off to an outstanding start with the fastest revenue growth of any first quarter since 1999," said Chris Liddell, chief financial officer at Microsoft in the press release. "Operating income growth of over 30% also reflects our ability to translate revenue into profits while making strategic investments for the future."

Microsoft’s businesses of Client, Microsoft Business Division, and Server and Tools grew combined revenue in excess of 20%, and experienced robust demand for Windows Vista, the 2007 Microsoft Office system, Windows Server, and SQL Server.

"Customer demand for Windows Vista this quarter continued to build with double-digit growth in multi-year agreements by businesses and with the vast majority of consumers purchasing premium editions," said Kevin Johnson, president of the Platform and Services Division at Microsoft.

During the quarter, Microsoft’s two consumer focused divisions passed milestones with the successful close of the company’s largest ever acquisition, aQuantive, and Halo 3 achieving the biggest entertainment launch day in history. (Halo 3 launch eclipsed all previous video games and movie launches)

Importantly, Microsoft raised the guidance for the quarter ending December 31, 2007:
Revenue is expected to be in the range of $15.6 billion to $16.1 billion.
Operating income is expected to be in the range of $5.9 billion to $6.1 billion.
Diluted earnings per share are expected to be in the range of $0.44 to $0.46.

It is safe to assume that barring any major change in the world economy, both Apple and Microsoft are expected to have an outstanding 2007, and 2008. The fact that both companies have a significant and growing percentage of international revenues make them resilient to potential changes in local economy and yet provide them the wheels for continued expansion and growth. Apple and Microsoft - ain't no stopping their stupendous growth.

SOURCE
Apple Inc.
Microsoft Corporation

The story must go on...

We're excited about the enthusiasm we're seeing for the AdSense Story contest, so we've decided to extend the deadline until November 14th. We've received some great submissions, and we're still looking for more. It doesn't need to be a big Hollywood production, just a simple story from the heart about your own AdSense Story -- how has AdSense helped you? Feel free to review our announcement for more details on what to include in your video.

Oh, and did we mention that winning submissions will get some cool Google schwag? Send us your story today!

Posted by Sunil Subhedar - AdSense Publisher Support

EBay for Fun (as well as profit)

From Weird Al's eBay song to talent shows at eBay Live to eBay commercials, the YouTube crowd loves eBay videos.

Next time you take a break or if you just feel like having some fun, visit our eBay Video Showcase.

(Bet you can't watch just one!)

New eBay Sign-In Page: Are You Prepared?

EBay is rolling out another change, something that sounds minor but if you don't know about it, you may have a freak-out moment first time you see it. (Maybe they'll release it on Hallowen . . .)

They've made a new login page and, indeed, it does look different. You can read all about it here and see a screen shot. The picture reminds me of the Paypal login page, which also has changed recently.

Security is a big issue with eBay and should be for you as well. The announcement page also includes some ways to ensure that you are logging in to a legitimate eBay site. One of the suggestions they make is to download the eBay Toolbar which includes a feature called Account Guard. I have had the toolbar for a long time and particularly like the Account Guard feature as it shows me when I am on a legitimate eBay/Paypal site and when I am not. Also, it lets me know when I am about to transmit my eBay or Paypal password to a non-eBay/Paypal site. I have different passwords for nearly every site that I have to sign in to and occasionally I will type my eBay password in place of the correct one. When I do, the Account Guard lets me know, and I'm glad it does.

Hopefully the transition with the new login page will go smoothly, but every eBay account holder should be aware that there is a change coming up. Read the announcement for yourself and consider downloading the toolbar. You may be very, very glad you did.

One year old baby Alisha, and her milestones

My baby Alisha completed one year on the 18th of Oct and now the moment that i was always waiting for has finally come, when she lifted herself from her fours and tried to stand! omg... very soon my pretty baby will start walking! shes moved one step further towards a new milestone and am so very very happy... she recently started blabbering words so sweetly like tata,bye,jaa baba,come,take,give and understands when these words are supposed to be used:) doesn't like to move away from the pc coz her fav doggy pic is my wallpaper now... know what? she recently pulled a goats ears and luckily was saved from a butt coz she was being carried by her father! baby's i tell u.. they are so enthusiastic about everything and great care must be taken for their safety.

look how shes eating laddoos,fruits and kaju barfis(sweets made of cashewnuts).. and look at the size of that laddoo! hahaha actually i cought her on the sly coz thats my share, not hers! my little doll is still on pureed food... just 6 little teeth are not enough to chew adult food, sweetie:)oh and she loves dancing for as soon as the music plays(whichever one) my cuties body moves to the rhythm even if shes almost in her sleep! is she going to be the next shakira or is it aishwarya rai?? hehehehe i guess she'll make her own identity and that too an extra ordinary one!! god bless her always:)

thanking one and all, who've even taken the time out to visit my site:) hope u have an enjoyable time out here and please feel free to leave ur messages in the comment box if u like baby alisha and me...

Book in Network Marketing: Find MLM Success in 10 Steps, Part II

Book in Network Marketing: Find MLM Success in 10 Steps, Part II

This is the second in a two article series about how a book in networking marketing that I read about give you the blueprint for MLM success. The author, a veteran of the industry, shares his experience based on over 28 years in the industry. He shares what he feels are the ten steps that network marketing distributors need to follow to find success. Here are the last five out of the ten steps:

-Learn how to think like a prospect. All any of your prospect are thinking is “Can I do this and will you help me?” So, this is all about you and not the company or products. Your prospects have to see that you will be with them every step of the way.

-Make sure there is a duplicatable system in place. Each person is unique. Most of us can’t imitate what the heavy hitters and gurus do. Instead, you need a system that anyone can use no matter their skill level. It should also be on that the average part-timer can use just as successful y as the full-timers. It is essential that this is in place.

-Make sure you can answer the “so, what” question. This covers many areas of your business. The most important “so, what” question you have to answer is if why your prospects should choose you over thousands of other business opportunities. You have to make an impression on them they will never forget.

-You must learn to evaluate a MLM compensation plan. In this book on network marketing, this was one of the crucial steps. Many people don’t realize they are doomed from the get go because the compensation plan the company has does not work with the numbers. It must work for the average part-timers, and must not be based on having to constantly sell and close people. This is the recipe for disaster for most people. Bottom line, know your compensation plan and if it will work not only for you, but for those you sponsor.

Hopefully, you now have clear view from this book in networking marketing about what you need to do to find success. Focus on the steps and you will be pleasantly surprised how your business will expand.

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BA apologises to customers the old fashioned way - handing out money

You may recall that on a recent trip to London on BA I discovered that the new BA in flight video on demand service had caught the "not sure why but it is not working" bug that plagued Qantas for so long. At the time I commented that while both systems seemed to have the same bug that the BA attitude and response was much more apologetic and customer focused than that from Qantas.

Now BA have gone one step further in sending me a letter and GBP100 worth of vouchers to be used in the on-board shop (or mail order). That is an Australian $250 apology for not being able to watch a movie all the way through. The contrast against the "process culture" at Qantas could not be more stark. You may also remember the response from David Cox the E-GM of Engineering when he was asked about the constant failures in the VOD system.

"As with any complex system there have been some technical issues,...The problems usually involve a small number of seats and the passenger can be moved to a different seat in these cases. We are dedicating considerable resources to address these reliability issues, including through the supplier Rockwell Collins."

So while BA apologised and took strong steps to compensate a customer for their VOD failure, the Qantas response was no apology and a statement more like "not a big problem and not our fault".

WHOOT: AOT climbs to 19.9% and Webjet claims it is back in the hunt

Time for another The WHOOT series update - WHoever Owns Outright Travel.com.au.

Long term Travel.com.au (TVL) shareholder and director Daniel Droga has sold more than 9% of TVL stock to the "quiet accumulator" AOT - who can now claim 19.9% of the stock. This is not enough (yet) to completely end the Wotif charge for TVL ownership as Wotif have made it clear tha they would be happy with 75% - bit it is close.

Webjet have also come back swinging claiming that with recent increases in Webjet stock value, the Webjet offer is now worth more than the TVL Board recommended Wotif offer. We are still yet to see the official Wotif bidders statement.

Singapore first class on the A380 – bring good clean fun to 30,000ft

The number one travel industry gossip story is always anything to do with claims about the mile high club. Even here at the venerable and always high moral ground aiming BOOT we have been forced to mention the odd story or rumour about shenanigans in the air.
With the launch flight of the A380, Singapore Airlines has re-launched its first class product with a level of luxury that none of us expected. Highlights include an actual cabin with floor to ceiling coverage, a separate bed to seat, a choice between Dom Perignon and Krug and the ability for the two centre seats to be combined into one larger room with connected (ie double) beds.
We are all thrilled and relived to discover that despite the obvious inferences that can be made about what people could be doing in a double bed suite at 30,000ft it appears from the advertising that all we can expect is a good, hard game of chess. Knight to Queen 4.

Custom channels up and running again

Over the past few days, some publishers let us know that they were unable to view any data for their custom channels. Our engineers have now resolved the issue, and they're currently working on including the missing data from the past few days. Your custom channels should now be tracking data as normal. Please be assured that your aggregate reports, which are used to calculate payments, have not been affected.

Thanks for your patience, and for bringing this issue to our attention!

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

Webinar transcript now posted

In case you weren't able to attend our latest webinar, What's New with AdSense, you can now find a recording on our Help Center. Our support specialists cover the latest features such as Referrals 2.0 and Blogger inline ads and provide a refresher on the top AdSense support issues. You can also find recordings and transcripts of our previous webinars.

Posted by Laura Chen - AdSense Publisher Support

The Agile Recipe; on second thought...Not

I have been asked recently to provide a recipe for how to do Agile. I am sympathetic with this request, but I feel it misses an important point.

First, why am I sympathetic. Well, because I look at Agile as an art form, like playing the violin or learning Hapkido (Korean version of Aikido). It is an art that one continually learns. And, at the beginning one feels lost. How do I learn this thing that seems so strange? How do I start to make un-ugly noises from the violin? And the teacher must give you instructions of some sort, and you start to play. Perhaps ugly at first, but you start to play. And then you start to be…as a friend pur it recently, you start to suck less.

Of course, Agile is more like a team sport than playing a violin. But it is still an art. Where one starts with little skill and builds and builds. Agile is like the "ballet with force" that is basketball.

OK, So how do you learn to play basketball?. Well, start by dribbling. (Which one can break down.) Learn to do a layup. (Which one can break down.) But the real thing about basketball is not the individual skills. The real juice is learning how to play as a team. To improvise on the court. To maintain your confidence if the other team dunks on you twice in a row.

In basketball, there are a few set plays that one can diagram. With perhaps many variations. One cannot just follow a recipe in playing championship basketball.

This is where giving the recipe can mislead. By giving a recipe the coach can suggest to the beginner “all you have to do is follow the recipe and all will be well”. Maybe with an ordinary dish, but not if you want a meal that dazzles. And don’t you aspire to produce something that delightful?

If you have studied an art, you know that great artists will tell you that being really good requires a certain something that is hard to define. In Agile, we often say that you must "get it". You must start to reflect, in your every thought and decision, Agile values and principles. And without these values and principles, just following the cookbook or the recipe will make only a small improvement.

Tagged

i decided to do the tag from raaji as i found it interesting.so anyone reading this can feel free to take on the tag and ill get to your blog soon.. but u must mention my name like i mentioned raajis and leave me a comment on my blog, once your done with the tag:)

1. Pick out a scar you have, and explain how you got it?
A pretty ugly scar on my left cheek, chicken pox being the culprit... the chickens ran away leaving behind their marrrrkkkk!!

2. What does your phone look like?
Hmmmmm next!!!!

3. What is on the walls of your bedroom?
My fav pink color wall is decorated with posters of babies, wall hangings from Singapore and family photo frames... isn't that too less???

4. What is your current desktop picture?
Just removed my baby Alisha's pic with her fav doggy wallpaper... coz she loves it and everytime she sees it, her excitement grows!

5. Do you believe in gay marriage?
It sounds okay to me... coz as the saying goes live and let live! so do i abide by that:)

6. What do you want more than anything right now?
To sleep now coz its almost 24 hours i haven't had a wink..

7. What time were you born?
I think its around 8.30 in the morning:)

8. Last person who made you cry?
my baby Alisha, when she bit my nose and made it bleed and that's just last night!

9. What is your favorite perfume/cologne?
Ive used a couple of them and still in the process of searching for my fav!

10. What kind of hair/eye color do you like in the opposite sex?
Hmmm dark brown hair and brown eyes

11. What are you listening to?
sounds of my kids laughing away in glee:) they're playing, while mommys busy;)

12. Do you get scared of the dark?
Yeah and no... like that am brave in the dark but the moment i watch a horror movie, no chances of the lights going out the whole night!!

13. Do you like pain killer?
Very very seldom... actually i try my best to avoid them, i just relax and believe the pain is easing and it does happen:) but u got to have belief..

14. Are you too shy to ask someone out?
Am shy to go out with anyone!

15. If you could eat anything right now, what would it be?
Chicken and mushroom pizzas, anytime:)

16. Who was the last person you made mad?
I don't remember

17. Who was the last person who made you smile?
My kids Aryan and Alisha coz they are the ones that always bring that smile when am low! and am smiling right now too coz baby Alisha is bullying her big b even now!!:))

18. Is anyone in love with you?
Can anyone resist a lovable person... ;)

i would especially like to tag waliz, shashi, ashish, ali, tkada, SRaeLynn, Deana E and whosevers reading this tag:)all the best!!

Want A Home Gym? Here Are 5 Essential Equipment

Funk’s 5 Key Equipment to a Great Home Gym

We all would like to lose weight and get in shape with a minimal effort. That's how the fitness infomercial makes billions per year, promising miraculous results without breaking a sweat. If you are not fooled by their claims then you know you have to work at getting in shape and losing unwanted pounds. So where do you go for a challenging workout? Not everyone has the time, ability or money to get to the gym. That leaves us with another option: working out at home.

The major advantage of a home gym is convenience. And it is convenience that can result in a more focused exercise regimen. Home gyms are growing in popularity. Think by working at home you will save time wasted driving to the health club, waiting in line to use equipment and costly membership fees. If you decide that working out at home makes the most sense, the first consideration will be the location. Than these Five exercise equipment are key to have, for a functional home gym.

1. Free Weight - Dumbbells
Dumbbells are essential for a home gym. I’m not talking about racks upon racks like you see at your local gym, but a few weight denominations in your house and you’ll be surprised at how many quality exercises you can do.

Free weight exercise is a low tech, economical option for strength training and muscle toning. It takes proper technique and co-ordination to handle free weights properly. This makes for a more challenging workout. Proper instruction is highly recommended as improper technique can lead to injury. One of the best ways to lose weight is to build calorie-burning muscles. Free weights exercise routines add more variety. It is a good idea to change the routines regularly. Start with at least 4 or 5 pairs of dumbbells ranging in weight from 2.5 to 45 pounds. Purchase them in 5 to 10 pound increments.

2. Resistance Bands/Tubing
What I liked about the resistance bands is that they have handles – having been around for a while; okay I’m just about 40, the old style ‘bands’ didn’t have handles. This makes them so much easier and efficient to use and you can do more different types of exercises with them.

There are usually three to four levels to choose from so you can use whichever resistance/intensity is right for you. They are made from latex with soft foam handles making it easy to hold on to them, and they all tend to be about 4ft/122cm long. You can find exercises for your entire body with these and there also great if you are travelling.

3. Swiss Balls
The Swiss Ball, Exercise Ball, Stability Ball, Yoga Ball, whatever you call it is a really excellent piece of equipment for home. It’s inexpensive and you can do lots of great exercises on them. The thing about Swiss style exercise balls is that they are unstable. Sit on one, especially for the first time, and you’ll wobble like a jelly. That’s why exercise balls are so effective when it comes to core strength.

Your body responds naturally and automatically to this instability, working to keep you from falling off. With regular Swiss ball exercise, back and abdominal muscles used to keep you balanced become stronger.
Oh and by the way, the reason it is called a Swiss Ball is that it originated from Switzerland in the 1960s and therapists used it for physical rehabilitation.


4. Skipping Rope
Skipping is no longer confined to the school playground. Boxers use skipping as training before a fight and it is now incorporated into many gym classes. An excellent way to keep fit; skipping can be done anywhere, anytime.

Skipping will help improve cardio-respiratory (heart and lungs) fitness, flexibility and co-ordination. As a high-impact exercise skipping is great for building bones and a good exercise to trim hips, thighs and backsides!


5. Kettlebell
The kettlebell is a cast iron weight looking somewhat like a cannonball with a handle. The kettlebell has become a popular exercise tool due largely to the efforts of strength and flexibility coach. Kettlebell workouts are intended to increase strength, endurance agility and balance, challenging both the muscular and cardio vascular with dynamic, total-body movements.

Arm yourself with these 5 home exercise equipment and with hard work you will reap the benefits of the body and health you are looking to achieve.

Funk Roberts
Don’t Rush the Beat!

Google and ESRI, Map out a powerful partnership in Federal

Posted by Rob Painter, Senior Federal Manager

The coffee and bagels were great, but it was more than a free breakfast that convinced folks to battle the traffic into downtown DC for the Google Federal User Group meeting. A few hundred government employees and engineers from the aerospace industry gathered in Washington DC to experience firsthand how ESRI's GIS product offering and Google's Earth and Maps enterprise products can powerfully co-exist and inter-operate to deliver an exciting and intuitive user experience.

Michael Bradshaw, Google's Head of Federal and Jeff Peters, ESRI's Federal Director, kicked off the event and set the stage for a number of live demonstrations. First, members of ESRI's technical marketing team walked the audience through a short series of presentations that highlighted ArcGIS Desktop, ArcGIS Server, and data from ESRI's Business Analyst with interactive results seamlessly presented within Google Earth and on Google Maps. The demos showed how someone unfamiliar to DC could find an apartment using Google Earth, ArcGIS server and external web content sources such as Craigslist. The demo also showed how one could edit vector data in ArcGIS by moving and adding nodes within a dataset and then via a network linked KML that referenced an instance of ArcGIS Server, changes in the data were promptly reflected on Google Earth globe. Additional demonstrations showed models combining ArcGIS and Google Earth data on issues such as international health and the socioeconomic risks intrinsic in natural disasters. Google engineers then demoed the new releases of Google Earth Fusion 3.0 and Google Earth Enterprise Client (EC) 4.0. We've previously shared some of our customers’ reactions to the launch of these new Google Earth Enterprise products and posted them on this blog and we also shared some of the specific details of these new products themselves on Google's official Lat Long Blog.

We look forward to continuing to work with ESRI and our customers to leverage the power of geospatial information. If you would like to learn more about our products and how we compliment an ESRI enterprise or want information on how to register for the next Federal User Group meeting or in, contact us here.

Estella's Kettlebell Move of the Week

This is the perfect move for toning the butt and developing muscle strength in the legs.

Works: legs, quads, hamstrings, calves, hips, glutes (butt)

Instructions: Standing with feet hip width apart, holding the kettlebell with a bell grip, lift the kettlebell straight above your head. Step forward with one leg. Keeping the weight in your front heel and back straight, lower your body until both knees are 90 degrees to the ground. Make sure your front knee does not go past your toes. Return to starting position and repeat for other leg.

The further you step, the more you work the glutes.

The closer you step, the more you work the quads.

Perform 40 reps, alternating legs.

Posted by Estella Hom

http://estellahom.blogspot.com/

Check out more great information at http://estellahom.blogspot.com/

Funk's Fitness Tip of the Week

Overtraining results from long workouts with too many exercises and repetitions, not from short, intense training sessions. In general, to maximize your weight workouts in the gym, train 1 to 2 bodyparts per session with 9-12 sets per bodypart. Your weight workout should take no longer than 45 minutes.

Funk Roberts
Don’t Rush the Beat!

A common misconception revisited

Today, we'd like to revisit a common misconception, about which we receive quite a few questions. In the first part of the post, we will very briefly cover the most important facts and in the second we'll take a more detailed look at four related questions.

The common misconception: Many advertisers believe that if they have no competitors for a keyword, their minimum cost-per-click (CPC) will automatically be lowered by the AdWords system to $0.01, the lowest possible CPC.

How it actually works: The minimum CPC for a keyword is not related to the number of competitors one has that keyword. Instead, minimum CPC is dependent on the Quality Score of the keyword, as it's used in the advertiser's account. This functionality was introduced in August 2005, when keyword bidding evolved to a quality-based model.

Are there really no competitors?
If you look for your ad and see no competitors, this does not necessarily mean that there are no others advertising on that keyword. For example, many advertisers choose to show their ads only during particular times of the day, so you will not necessarily see them when your ad appears. Or, while you might be targeting the entire United States, competing advertisers may be regionally targeting and not including the area in which you are located -- in which case you'll not see their ads.

Why doesn't Google show ads for every keyword?
We are often asked if we wouldn't prefer to make additional revenue, rather than allowing keywords for which no ads appear. In point of fact, Google would prefer to show no ads for a user's search query, rather than to show ads which provide a poor quality experience for users who click on them -- and which might damage long-term user trust in the the quality of information delivered by AdWords ads.

How do I lower my minimum CPC?
To achieve the lowest possible minimum CPC, make sure your keywords, ads, and landing pages provide an excellent user experience for those who search for those keywords, click on your ads, and visit your site. There is a great deal of useful information to help you reach this goal in the Ads Quality and Performance section of the AdWords Help Center -- so much so that we've heard advertisers say it takes a fair amount of time to read and absorb it. However, for those who truly wish to improve their Quality Score, improve the experience of potential customers who click on their ads and visit their sites -- and lower their Minimum CPCs -- this is likely to be time well spent.

Should I search for my ad on Google.com to see who my competitors are?
If you are an advertiser who searches for your own ad to judge the competitive landscape, we recommend using the Ad Preview Tool, rather than searching for your ad on Google.com. Using this tool, you'll see your ad (and the ads of your competitors which are showing in the moment you check) as they actually appear on Google.com -- but you won't accrue an impression. Please take a look at this very straightforward tool here, and try a sample search. You may even want to bookmark the page.

Posted by Blake, Inside AdWords crew

Amazon.com Valuation - Over, Right or Under Valued - You decide

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is one of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index. Amazon.com just announced it's quarterly earnings yesterday after market close. At market close, AMZN had closed at 100.82, up a whopping 156% in 2007.

"The online retail giant reported earnings of $80 million, or 19 cents a share, for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with earnings of $19 million, or 5 cents a share, for the same period last year. Revenue grew 41% to $3.26 billion from $2.31 billion last year. Analysts had expected the company to report earnings per share of 18 cents on revenue of $3.14 billion, according to consensus forecasts from Thomson Financial. The company said operating earnings for the period came in at $123 million -- ahead of the $108 million expected by analysts. Last year's third quarter saw operating income of $40 million."- source MarketWatch

Four things emerged from Amazon.com's most recent quarterly earnings results:

1. Amazon.com earnings remained flat at 19 cents a share from the previous quarter. Thus, there was no earnings growth from the previous quarter. Although Amazon.com grew the revenue by $0.38 billion or 13% from $2.88 billion the previous quarter to $3.26 billion in the current quarter. Whereas the total revenue grew 13%, the earnings did not budge - the earnings remained flat. The operating income only grew by 6% from the previous quarter. Does this mean Amazon.com had to overspend to achieve the revenue growth, and hence could not grow the profits?

2. Amazon.com had a huge quarter internationally. "International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, Japanese, French and Chinese sites, were $1.47 billion, up 40% from third quarter 2006. Excluding the favorable impact from year-over-year changes in foreign exchange rates throughout the quarter, International net sales growth was 33%." Compare this to the previous quarter, when "International segment sales, representing the Company's U.K., German, Japanese, French and Chinese sites, were $1.28 billion." This means Amazon.com earnings positively benefited from the exchange rates and the increase in international business of about $0.19 billion. However, the earnings still remained flat.

3. 4th Quarter Guidance: Net sales are expected to be between $5.1 billion and $5.45 billion, or to grow between 28% and 37% compared with fourth quarter 2006. Operating income is expected to be between $221 million and $291 million, or grow between 12% and 48% compared with fourth quarter 2006. This guidance includes $54 million primarily for stock-based compensation and amortization of intangible assets... Thus, Amazon.com is poised to grow the revenue by 62% in the final quarter, the holiday quarter when Amazon.com rakes in the most revenue. The operating income will grow by 108% from the current quarter. When the operating income only grew by 6% from the previous quarter, can investors believe Amazon.com management when they project a growth of 108% of operating income? How would Amazon.com achieve this? What products will provide the increased revenue and profitability for Amazon.com? The new DRM-free MP3 store, or memberships, or 3rd party developers? Amazon.com has recently upped the shared bounty to 20% for the Mp3 store in order to attract increased buyers through its Associate referral program.

4. Operating expenses without the Cost of Revenue increased by $54 million or 9.2% from the previous quarter. This is huge since the generation of an additional 13% growth in revenue resulted in a 9.2% increase in operating expenses. When Amazon.com grows the revenue by 62% in the final quarter, what would be the increase in operating expenses? Overall, Amazon.com's net profit margin and operating profit margins have decreased from the previous quarter. And Amazon.com is planning to not only reverse this trend, but show a healthy increase in the fourth quarter.

Amazon.com closed today at 88.59, down 12.23% from yesterday's close of 100.82.

Here is a comparison of Amazon.com's forward P/E with other retailers (from Google Finance):

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) Forward P/E: 50.94
eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY) Forward P/E: 26.86
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) Forward P/E: 14.55
Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Forward P/E: 32.66
Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT) Forward P/E: 15.30
Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE: BKS) Forward P/E: 21.44

Is Amazon.com growing the fastest among all these companies to garner this upside on the earnings multiple? One note of caution: It has the lowest net and operating margins from the above companies (except Barnes & Noble).

Is Amazon.com over-valued, right-valued or under-valued at these multiples? You decide.

About The Innovation Index

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America.

The Innovation Index has returned 119% over the last five years. This assumes an investment in each stock of The Innovation Index (buying each stock). An average of $100 invested in The Innovation Index on December 31, 2001 returned $219 as of December 29, 2006. By comparison, $100 invested in each of S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index returned $124. The Innovation Index beats the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index by 77% over the last five years.

The Normalized Innovation Index has returned an impressive 174% over the last five years. This assumes equal investment in each stock of The Innovation Index as of December 31, 2001.

Alphabetical list of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index and their stock ticker symbols:

3M Company - (NYSE: MMM)
Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN)
America Movil - (NYSE: AMX)
Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Cisco Systems, Inc. - (NASDAQ: CSCO)
Dell Inc. - (NASDAQ: DELL)
eBay Inc. - (NASDAQ: EBAY)
General Electric Co. - (NYSE: GE)
Google Inc. - (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard Co. - (NYSE: HPQ)
Intel Corporation - (NYSE: INTC)
International Business Machines Corp. - (NYSE: IBM)
Microsoft Corporation - (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Research In Motion Limited - (NASDAQ: RIMM)
Southwest Airlines Co. - (NYSE: LUV)
Starbucks Corporation - (NASDAQ: SBUX)
Target Corp. - (NYSE: TGT)
The Proctor & Gamble Company - (NYSE: PG)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - (NYSE: WMT)
Yahoo! Inc. - (NASDAQ: YHOO)

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2007, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: I invest in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.

Interop, Innovation and IMAP

Posted by Pam Saenger, Associate Product Marketing Manager

Greetings from Interop, NYC.

Matt Glotzbach, Enterprise Product Management Director, announced this morning during his keynote the launch of IMAP support for Gmail, the newest Google Apps release since the suite of communication and collaboration tools debuted in February of this year. That's right -- you can now sync actions taken in your Gmail account across all of your devices, instantly and automatically.

Matt's keynote also dealt with innovation best practices and included some startling facts (for example, approximately 2.4 billion people -- 1/3 of the world's population --carry a cell phone; every minute, there are 7 hours of video uploaded to YouTube). He explained that there are multiple ways that companies can innovate successfully, all of them important and none of them mutually exclusive: product, process, service and business model innovation. Matt also talked about the importance of building products with the aim of meeting user needs and placing an emphasis on iteration and rapid change.

If you're in town, stop by the Google booth (#861-863) for a product demo or to chat with someone about Google Apps, the Google Search Appliance, AdWords or whatever else is on your mind.

The Google Booth at Interop, NYC

BOOT's away - Back on Oct 29

Unlikely to have a chance to post between now and the 29th.

The Innovation Index Quarterly Earnings On a Roll

The Innovators of The Innovation Index have been on fire since last quarter. Even after returning a whopping 56% through the first three quarters of 2007, they have not cooled off. On the contrary, some of these Innovators are red-hot going into the fourth quarter. Here is a synopsis of their latest quarterly earnings report:

3M (NYSE: MMM)

MMM is up 12% in 2007, closing today at 85.93

"3M checked in with net income of $960 million, or $1.32 per share, compared to $894 million, or $1.18 a share, in the third quarter of 2006. If you back out a one-time item, the company earned $1.29 a share..."

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)

AMZN is up 156% in 2007, closing today at 100.82

"The online retail giant reported earnings of $80 million, or 19 cents a share, for the quarter ended Sept. 30, compared with earnings of $19 million, or 5 cents a share, for the same period last year. Revenue grew 41% to $3.26 billion from $2.31 billion last year. Analysts had expected the company to report earnings per share of 18 cents on revenue of $3.14 billion, according to consensus forecasts from Thomson Financial. The company said operating earnings for the period came in at $123 million -- ahead of the $108 million expected by analysts. Last year's third quarter saw operating income of $40 million."- source MarketWatch

America Movil S.A.B de C.V. (ADR) (NYSE:AMX)

AMX is up 48% in 2007, closing today at 67.10.

"Revenue soared (in the latest quarter), operating results improved solidly and America Movil added more new customers than the 6 million extra clients in the previous quarter...Core earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 44.6 percent to 31.9 billion pesos. Analysts in the Reuters survey had forecast a 43 percent leap."

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)

AAPL is up 119% in 2007, closing today at 186.16.

"Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) fourth-quarter net income improved to $904 million, or $1.01 a share, from a year-earlier profit of $542 million, or 62 cents a share. Sales rose to $6.22 billion from $4.84 billion. Analysts, according to Thomson Financial, expected a quarterly profit of 86 cents a share and revenue of $6.07 billion...Among the quarter's highlights were sales of 2.16 million Macintosh PCs and 1.11 million iPhones."

eBay Inc. (NASDAQ: EBAY)

EBAY is up 20% in 2007, closing today at 35.94.

"eBay reported a net loss of $935.6 million, or 69 cents a share, compared with earnings of $280.9 million, or 20 cents a share, for the same period last year. The results include a previously disclosed charge of $1.39 billion related to the company's acquisition of Skype, a provider of voice-over-IP, or VOIP, telephone services that was taken over by eBay in September of 2005. Also included are charges related to stock-option compensation and other items. Excluding the charges, eBay said earnings would have been $564 million, or 41 cents per share, for the quarter. Analysts were expecting earnings of 33 cents a share, according to consensus estimates from Thomson First Call. Revenue grew 30% to $1.89 billion for the quarter from $1.45 billion last year. Analysts had expected revenue of $1.83 billion for the period."

General Electric (NYSE: GE)

GE is up 9% in 2007, closing today at 40.48.

"General Electric Co.'s third-quarter profit rose 7.1 percent on higher sales of locomotives, jet engines and power-plant turbines. The world's second-biggest company by market value narrowed the range of its full-year earnings forecast....Profit from continuing operations climbed to $5.09 billion, or 50 cents a share, from $4.75 billion, or 46 cents, a year earlier, the Fairfield, Connecticut-based company said today in a statement. That matched the estimate of 11 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Revenue rose 12 percent to $42.5 billion as Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Immelt targeted faster-growing markets and sold more equipment than services in booming economies including China and the Middle East."

Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG)

GOOG is up 47% in 2007, closing today at 675.77.

"Google earned $1.07 billion, or $3.38 per share, for the three months ended in September. That was up from net income of $733.4 million, or $2.36 per share, at the same time last year.
If not for the cost of awarding stock to its steadily expanding work force, Google said it would have earned $3.91 per share. That topped the average estimate of $3.78 per share among analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial. Revenue for the period totaled $4.23 billion, a 57 percent increase from $2.69 billion last year. After subtracting commissions paid to its thousands of advertising partners, Google's revenue stood at $3.01 billion - about $70 million above the average analyst estimate."

Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC)

INTC is up 33% in 2007, closing today at 26.80.

"Intel Corp.'s profit leaped 43 percent in the third quarter as cost-cutting, swelling microprocessor demand and a massive restructuring helped the world's largest semiconductor company glide past Wall Street's already-bullish expectations. The Santa Clara-based chipmaker said Tuesday it earned $1.86 billion, or 31 cents per share, in the three months ended in September. That beat by a penny the average estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, and it's 43 percent higher than the $1.3 billion, or 22 cents per share, Intel earned in the year-ago period. Intel is profiting from robust worldwide PC sales that are driving up demand for microprocessors, which act as the brains of those computers. Higher sales of microprocessors helped the company offset flat average selling prices. Revenues for the period were $10.09 billion, a 15 percent jump from the $8.74 billion in sales rung up last year."

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM)

IBM is up 18% in 2007, closing today at 114.68.

"Strength in services overcame a surprising slide in hardware and helped third-quarter earnings rise 6 percent at International Business Machines Corp., enough to narrowly beat Wall Street expectations Tuesday.From July through September, IBM (NYSE:IBM) earned $2.36 billion, $1.68 per share, surpassing the profit of $2.22 billion and $1.45 per share that the Armonk, N.Y.-based technology bellwether posted in the same quarter of 2006.Earnings per share rose at a much steeper rate than net profit because IBM's aggressive stock buyback plan has taken 130 million shares out of circulation in the past 12 months.Revenue in the third quarter rose 7 percent to $24.1 billion from $22.6 billion a year ago. However, IBM continued to benefit heavily from a weak dollar, because dips in the greenback inflate the dollar value of deals done in other currencies. If not for currency fluctuations, this quarter's rise in revenue would have been 3 percent."

Research In Motion Limited (NASDAQ: RIMM)

RIMM is up 192% in 2007, closing today at 124.53. This makes 2006's impressive Innovation Index leading gains of 94% appear small.

"RIM reported second-quarter earnings of 50 cents per share on revenue of $1.37 billion - slightly above estimates of analysts polled by Thomson Financial. For the third quarter, RIM predicted earnings between 59 cents and 63 cents per share on revenue of between $1.6 billion and $1.67 billion. The company also passed the 10-million subscriber mark during the period, ending the quarter with 10.5 million BlackBerry subscribers."

Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV)

LUV is down 7% in 2007, closing today at 14.22.

"Southwest Airlines Co., the nation's biggest discount carrier, said its third-quarter profit rose because the airline packed planes amid strong demand. Net income for the three months ended Sept. 30 rose to $162 million, or 22 cents per share, compared with $48 million, or 6 cents per share, during the same period a year earlier. Analysts polled by Thomson Financial had been expecting earnings, on average, of 21 cents per share."

Yahoo Inc. (NASDAQ: YHOO)

YHOO is up 20% in 2007, closing today at 30.64.

"Still feeling the effects of a major reorganization, Yahoo officials Oct. 16 said third-quarter net income fell 5 percent, to $151.3 million, from $158.5 million in the same period a year earlier. Yahoo, which replaced Terry Semel as CEO with co-founder Jerry Yang and reorganized into three core business segments this year, said third-quarter revenue rose 12 percent to $1.77 billion, from $1.58 billion. Net sales excluding payments Yahoo makes to other sites to acquire traffic were $1.28 billion from $1.12 billion, slightly surpassing the $1.24 billion expected from analysts polled by Thomson Financial."

About The Innovation Index

The Innovation Index introduced in December 2006 is a weighted stock price index of the top 20 Innovators in North America.

The Innovation Index has returned 119% over the last five years. This assumes an investment in each stock of The Innovation Index (buying each stock). An average of $100 invested in The Innovation Index on December 31, 2001 returned $219 as of December 29, 2006. By comparison, $100 invested in each of S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index returned $124. The Innovation Index beats the S & P 500, NASDAQ and Dow Jones Index by 77% over the last five years.

The Normalized Innovation Index has returned an impressive 174% over the last five years. This assumes equal investment in each stock of The Innovation Index as of December 31, 2001.

Alphabetical list of the top 20 Innovators of The Innovation Index and their stock ticker symbols:

3M Company - (NYSE: MMM)
Amazon.com, Inc. - (NASDAQ: AMZN)
America Movil - (NYSE: AMX)
Apple Inc. - (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Cisco Systems, Inc. - (NASDAQ: CSCO)
Dell Inc. - (NASDAQ: DELL)
eBay Inc. - (NASDAQ: EBAY)
General Electric Co. - (NYSE: GE)
Google Inc. - (NASDAQ: GOOG)
Hewlett-Packard Co. - (NYSE: HPQ)
Intel Corporation - (NYSE: INTC)
International Business Machines Corp. - (NYSE: IBM)
Microsoft Corporation - (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Research In Motion Limited - (NASDAQ: RIMM)
Southwest Airlines Co. - (NYSE: LUV)
Starbucks Corporation - (NASDAQ: SBUX)
Target Corp. - (NYSE: TGT)
The Proctor & Gamble Company - (NYSE: PG)
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - (NYSE: WMT)
Yahoo! Inc. - (NASDAQ: YHOO)

The Innovation Index will analyze the positions and standings of the top 20 Innovators at the end of each year. For 2007, there will be no further changes in The Innovation Index.

Disclaimer: I invest in the stocks comprising The Innovation Index.

Coming soon: Make ad changes without replacing code

We're very excited to let you know about an upcoming feature that lets you easily manage your ad units from within your AdSense account. It isn't live yet, but here's a sneak peek so you'll know what to expect in the coming weeks. (We know many of you have been eagerly anticipating its arrival.)

This new ad management feature means that your ad unit settings (such as colors and channels) for new AdSense for content ad units will be saved in your AdSense account every time you generate ad code. Then, if you'd like to change any of these settings in the future, all you do is make the update within your account -- you'll no longer need to manually replace the ad code on all of your pages. For instance, you can quickly change the borders of all your 300x250 medium rectangles from red to blue with just a few mouse clicks. Fancy! We hope that this new feature will help you save time and will simplify the process of optimizing your ad units.

As we noted above, please keep in mind that the ad management feature isn't yet available in any publisher accounts. We'll be rolling it out in phases in the next few weeks, and we'll follow up with another post at that time to help you better understand how to use the feature. When you see the "Manage Ads" page appear under your AdSense Setup tab, you'll know the feature is available for you to use. Here's what it will look like:





Stay tuned to read more about this new feature!

Posted by Traci Hailpern - AdSense Product Marketing

It's raining Samsonite - Bags fall from the sky in Chicago

How is this for the ultimate lost baggage story.

A change in cabin pressure on Delta Flight 4718 blew two of the cargo doors ajar, raining bags across the Midway Airport area. Only two bags were declared missing. One was found almost a kilometre from the airport, the other is still MIA.

What is more frightening:

• you are in an aircraft and a door "comes ajar";
• you are minding your own business plane spotting and a carry-all falls on your head; or
• you turn up to a check in counter for an American airline - any American airline - and the check in clerk tells you "I'm sorry sir you are going to have to check that bag"?

Answers in the comments please...

Thanks to Consumerist for the story (originally from the Chicago Tribune).

Leadership: Getting us there

A few thoughts after reading this: http://lwok.org/index.php?title=Main_Page

We always need leadership to help us through the many hard patches, and on to ultimate success.

It is hard to say what is the main thing that leads to success, and one supposes that the most essential element varies by situation. Some important elements are...
* passion for the vision
* perseverance
* courage
* helping others overcome their roadblocks
* assuring that most of the team is winning and that few things lead to tradeoffs where one person is hurt

We also mention the creation of Ba (Japanese), which represents that context or place in which new knowledge is created. Only by creating knowledge can the seeming constraints be transcended, and success becomes possible.

Many people possess one or more of these skills. It is not having the skill or skills, it is bringing it all to fruition so that the Team reaches the goal.

Still, there remains that element of magic, where somehow some make it up the river and others do not. Here's to those magic ones, who make it up the river more often than not.

New Keyword Analysis page: diagnose your keyword's Quality Score

Many advertisers have asked us to provide more information about the Quality Score for their keywords. So we've answered by recently launching a feature that does just that: the Keyword Analysis page.

The new Keyword Analysis page gives you a detailed breakdown of your keyword's Quality Score and how it might impact your ad's visibility. Specifically, you'll learn how keyword quality and landing page quality are performing and receive recommendations for improvement.

For example, let's say a keyword has a poor Quality Score because your landing page doesn't relate to your keyword. On the Keyword Analysis page, we'll alert you that your landing page quality is low and provide tips on how to improve it. You'll also see your Quality Score rating, your minimum bid, and whether your keyword is showing ads.

To launch Keyword Analysis page, click the magnifying glass icon beside any keyword in your account; then click one of the 'Details and recommendations' links.

(Click the screenshot for a full-size image)

And here's an example of the Details and recommendations page:

(Click the screenshot for a full-size image)

We'd appreciate your feedback on the Keyword Analysis page. If you'd like to share how the tool is working for you, just click the 'Send feedback' link on the Keyword Analysis page.

Posted by Trevor, Inside AdWords crew

AdSense Forum now in Arabic

We've recently opened an AdSense Help Forum in Arabic. Drop by the new forum today to post your questions and share your AdSense expertise with other Arabic-speaking publishers. As with our other forums, a Google representative will participate in the discussions and occasionally contribute posts.

This launch brings the number of AdSense Help Forums up to 15. If you aren't yet one of the 54,000 publishers worldwide participating in the forums, we'd like to let you know that they're available in: Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, and Turkish.

Join a forum today to meet and learn from other AdSense publishers!

UPDATED Arabic Forum link

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

Shahid, Kareena and Saif... a love triangle!

Shahid Kapur admits that seeing Kareena with someone else hurts.

Shahid revealed this in an interiew carried with The Times of India - "It will be dishonest to say that this doesn’t affect me.". He finally broke is silence and talked about his break up with Kareena Kapoor.

Their movie Jab We Met is already into post production and scheduled to release this Friday.

For some time now Kareena Kapoor has been seen in public quite a lot with actor Saif Ali Khan. The media was all over discussing this new twist in Kareena's life.

All rumorswere laid to rest when Saif accepted before the camera last week that he and Kareen were dating.

In the interview, Shahid was sweet enough to say that he had great respect for Kareena and wished her all the happiness in the world.

He refuses to let the break up pull him down and says that he will cherish the goog memories of the relationship and move on."I hold nothing against anybody. If I do, it will pull me down and I'm not like that," said Kapur. "I'll cherish the good memories of that relationship and move on. That's what I'm doing — looking at the positive side and trying to be happy." says shahid...

personally i feel shahid is fine without kareena who was always with her nose up in the air.. it was sad that they've split now but shahid should find a better partner like amrita roa coz they will really look smashing as a couple, with kareena he looked very much more younger than her!! being so used to kareena,shahid i guess will take time for audience to digest the fact that shes with saif now... what do u people think?

NZ - Expedia In, Zuji/Travelocity out

Hot on the heals of Expedia announcing its entry into the New Zealand market, the NZ Herald is reporting that Zuji (the Travelocity operation in Asia) is shutting down its New Zealand site. Zuji.co.nz was being operated under a franchise style relationship with Stella Travel Services. Site will shut down on November 30. There is a chance that Travelocity may try and re-launch Zuji New Zealand with their own team but I think they have more issues to face in growing the Australian business first.

UPDATE - received an email from Phang Shueh Chyan, Zuji's Singaporean based Head of Business Development. Tells me that in while the Zuji/Stella relationship is coming to an end, Zuji will retain the NZ site and operation. We wait to see what resources/team will be used to operate the business when the Stella deal ends on 30 November (assuming that date is still correct).

Crystal ball gazing over at the TourCMS blog

Alex Bainbridge has published an interesting post over at the TourCMS blog where he considers "the future of travel distribution and travel ecommerce". I have added Alex to my RSS feed and Blog roll. If you enjoy reading about the industry I recommend you do the same.

The Airline Industry - IAG podcast style

Received an email recently from Addison Schonland from the Innovation Analysis Group (IAG) recommending that I check out the series of aviation podcasts that he and others publish on the IAGblog. Starting from September they have been publishing an Airline Insight podcast on the aviation industry at a rate of more than one a day. I have listened to a few and these podcast are informative, detailed and focused but also not for the faint-hearted. By that I mean you if you are a passionate follower of the aviation industry you will be very impressed by the level of insight, material covered and access to insiders that comes from each edition. However if you have a only a passing interest in who has bought what aircraft, which bankrupt/struggling airline is going to survive another day or which low cost carrier has found another way to charge its consumers without telling them up front then you may find this heavy going.

To give a taste of the coverage - I listen to the Oct 18 podcast interview with Airbus North America Chair Allan McArtor where he pulled no punches in the he said, I said, you said, I want to kill you war of words between Airbus and Boeing over who gets more from which government. Great to hear a company head not afraid to tear into a competitor. At the other end of the aviation industry I enjoyed the interview with Kate Hanni who you will recall is driving force for an airline passenger bill of rights after her marathon lock down on the tarmac without food, potable water or sanitary toilets. Fascinating though not unsurprising to hear about how she has to convince the US government to stop corporations from locking people in tin boxes without any guarantee of release.

Subscription feeds for the IAG Podcasts are here.

IT at Google - It's all about "choice over control"

Posted by Matthew Glotzbach, Product Management Director, Enterprise Team

Working at Google has its perks - great food, amazing people, the shuttle to and from work. But one of the best "perks" of working at Google is being in an environment that is designed to bring out the best in all of us. Every aspect of Google is tailored to the individual and the team, and making those teams more productive, fostering creativity, and designing solutions to really big problems that can have game-changing effects.

I also count myself lucky to spend some time now and then with Douglas Merrill, VP of Engineering and our CIO here at Google. I've learned a lot from him in our conversations, and now he's shared some of his thoughts on the role of IT and the future it will play in companies in the latest issue of CIO magazine. I found it an insightful read, and highly recommend it to anyone who has a technology role in business.

Book in Network Marketing: You Can Find MLM Success in 10 Steps

Book in Network Marketing: You Can Find MLM Success in 10 Steps

There are many books on networking marketing available on the internet as well as offline. Many of them are excellent and provide network marketing distributors helpful information. Others are walking advertisements full of affiliate links of programs the author recommends so he can make a buck.

Awhile back, I came across a book that takes a different spin. I was introduced to it by a friend and was pleasantly surprised to see it didn’t involve sales pitches for any company. There even weren’t any products mentioned or recommended. The author’s sole purpose seemed to be to share his over 28 years of experience in MLM and to discuss what he views as a solid 10-step success plan for those involved in network marketing.

In his book on network marketing, in a nutshell, here are the 10-steps of advice to think about in order to find mlm success. Here are the first five out of the 10:

-Take the “heavy hitters” and “guru’s” advice and words with a grain of salt. Do discover if the MLM company founders, presidents, and other top guns have experience and have build a downline successfully in the past. If you carefully study the company’s policies and procedures, it will be very clear if the company management is one of experience and integrity. This is the most important step of all.

-Have a powerful “why”. You must believe and know with your whole being why you want to be involved in the business. Just like other parts of your life, your business will have ups and downs. If you don’t have a strong enough “why” with staying power, and you find that what you are doing isn’t working, you’ll have the courage to figure something else out. If you have no idea why or are unsure, you will not last and quit.

-Build a spiderweb. You will get the most success if you build and create a huge network of people you have helped and mentored. In return, you will have gained their loyalty and trust and they will stick with you.

-Network marketing is a relationship business. It’s not about using the best or hottest closing technique on people, and recruiting as many as you can so you can make tons of money. It’s about helping, mentoring, and teamwork. It’s about relationships. Make sure your company owners realize this and don’t push a sales job type of opportunity.

-Relate to others based on their personality. Each person in life has a unique personality. If you learn to talk to people based on this, you will find it much easier to build relationships both in business and in your personal life.

This book on networking, Success in 10 Steps, clearly outlines a blueprint for all those in MLM to be successful. Follow these first 5 steps of advice and you will be on your path to success.

Looking for a free resource that will save you years of failure and frustration?

If so, click here: http://mentormonique.bigmlmtruths.com/?mad=9091

Click here to get free mlm tips and free mlm resources to build your work at home business: http://www.squidoo.com/tipstoexplodeyourhome-basedbusines

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Site maintenance on Saturday, October 20th

This Saturday, October 20th, we'll be performing routine site maintenance from 10am to 2pm PDT. You won't be able to sign in to your account during this time period, but rest assured that your ads will still appear and your earnings will continue to be tracked in your account. Here's the start time converted for various cities around the world:

London -- 6 pm Saturday
Athens -- 8 pm Saturday
New Delhi -- 10:30 pm Saturday
Kuala Lumpur -- 1 am Sunday
Sydney -- 3 am Sunday

We hope the down time gives you more time to work on your Halloween costume. If you're all out of costume ideas, how about dressing up as an ad unit? We suggest the medium rectangle for maximum visibility :)

Have a great weekend!

Posted by Arlene Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

Free MLM Tip: How to Get An Appointment With A Prospect

I subscribe to Tom, Big Al, Schreiter's ezine and get tons of free mlm tips. Here is one just for you from the desk of Big Al.


Mini-Report #1:

To get an appointment for an instant presentation with
a prospect, simply say this:

"I got a good story. Takes about two minutes.
Might make you a lot of money, might not.
Want to hear it?"

Almost 100% of the people you talk to will want to hear
your two-minute story. I love this sentence, and it has
made me a fortune.

Why does this sentence work?

1. Everyone wants to hear a good story.

2. If it is only two minutes, it is safe
for them to listen to the story.

So what do you do next?

Well, just give them your "One-Minute Presentation" -
and then if they are interested, you can talk longer.

If you don't have a good "One-Minute Presentation" -
you can get the no-cost e-course on exactly how to do
it at:

http://www.fortunenow.com/resources/1minute_219.htm

So try using:

"I got a good story. Takes about two minutes.
Might make you a lot of money, might not.
Want to hear it?"

And watch your prospects' eyes light up while they lean
forward, eagerly awaiting your story.



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The BOOT interviewed in Yeoh Siew Hoon's Transit Cafe

Travel editor, conference organiser and industry veteran Yeoh Siew Hoon has published an interview with me on her blog The Transit Cafe.

Here is the beginning of the interview

Q: What made you decide to start blogging?

I left the travel industry and missed it. I was doing venture capital work in blogging and new media. It became clear that launching a travel industry blog would meet two aims - teach me about blogging and online media and help me to stay connected with the online travel industry.

Q: Do you think bloggings the best thing to happen to humankind since the invention of fire?

No, pizza is. But on the media side, blogging has enabled us to re-write the rules of media and communication which is fantastic. It has enabled me to become virtual colleagues with bloggers from Europe, Asia and US. It has introduced me to senior executives, financiers and entrepreneurs. It has given my wife a break as now I have someone else to rant to about this industry that I love.

Q: What does it take to be a good blogger in the B2B space? Questions you must ask before you take that first step ...

Time and commitment. You have to be prepared to write for 3-6 months 5-7 days a week before anyone will notice. This won’t happen if you see it as an obligation, it will only happen if you enjoy it. The secret to enjoying it is to write for yourself not for anyone else. Turning that into a question - are you prepared to write with passion and enthusiasm even though no one will notice for a long time?

Q: What do you do it for? Fame, passion or money?

Challenge and enjoyment. I have made money from my blog in the form of consultancy projects but that is not why I started it.

Q: Do you think people trust bloggers more than traditional media? Should they?

No general answer. Even the biggest bloggers in the world cannot command the generalist influential muscle of the likes of CNN, Fox News or even People magazine. That said the blogger is able to marshal influence in sectors and groups that previously did not enjoy a medium for collective communications. See the way TreeHugger has built a movement around the environment, the Consumerist around customer service, Lifehacker around tech tips and tricks etc. However a blogger has to do more to build trust than traditional media. A person who arrives in a foreign country will feel comfortable switching on the news (assuming they understand the language) and listening to the stories told out of the television or radio despite having never heard of the news reader before. However if a web surfer stumbles onto a blog that they have never heard of, then there is not the same natural/base trust...

For the rest head over to the Transit Cafe.

For more information on Siew Hoon's Wired In Travel conference look here.