Cairo, Egypt by Night

Whether conventional or chic, there are a wide variety of places to have a drink in Cairo. Nearly every street in the city also supplies access to a traditional coffee house, which has served as a common male social gathering that dates back hundreds of years.
In addition to that, you will come in contact with everything from stalls filled with fruit to bakeries to up-to-date cafes that serve a wide-range of European coffee selections. Accompanying the traditional Turkish coffee and tea, patrons gain easy access to the likes of hibiscus tea, kerkedeeh (depending on the season - warm or cold), sugarcane juice, mango and date drinks, Tamr hindi, sahleb (coconut drink for the winter), and fakhfakhenna (fruit salad).
Conventional Coffee Houses
When it comes to one of the best places in the world to experience the culture associated with a traditional coffee house, Cairo tops the lists. While standard Arabic refers to the coffee houses one thing, the local dialect transforms the term into another entity.
Within any Cairene coffee house, Turkish coffee continues as the unchanging ingredient. Shisha, waterpipe, and tea are also quite popular. Many viewed this practice as outdated for quite awhile, but today, younger people are catching on. They even smoke a waterpipe, which is no longer associated with just the men. Locations are different, as one may offer a small setting (chairs and tables made of plastic that line the street) or provide access to impressive cafes situated in upscale regions.
When paying a visit to a Cairene coffee house, numerous people are looking forward to the sheesha (or waterpipe), which serves as a main attraction. Two variations are typical: pure tobacco and apple-flavored. Additional varieties of fruit are also on hand. Coffee houses tend to vary, as some are decorated in a more elaborate manner, while others are simple counters offering plastic chairs and tables for people to enjoy in the street.
While international travelers are always made welcome, some women tend to feel awkward when checking out the coffee houses in conventionally, underprivileged sections of the city. On the other hand, travel to downtown Cairo and other tourist areas associated with Islamic Cairo and single or female-only groups shouldn't encounter more than the typical irritation.
Turkish coffee (also known as qahwe turki) is handed out either sweet (helwa), medium sweet (masbout), with a bit of sugar (sukr khafeef), or with none at all. Sweet in this case means very sweet.
Tea (shai) is served either as the customary loose tea (kushari which is not to be mixed up with the Cairo macaroni-rice staple kushari), which is also referred to as dust tea in English, or better yet - a tea bag. The majority of coffee shops generally provide fresh mint leaves upon request that is then placed in the tea. People may also enjoy a variety of soda. Many times, hibiscus tea is available, which is served warmed during the winter season, as well as heated throughout the warmer times of the year.
A Communal Tradition
During the 1600s, coffee was first introduced to the Arab and Islamic world, where the Islamic clergy tried to outlaw the drink. Nonetheless, people began to greatly desire the drink, which changed the minds of the sheikhs. To this day, the most devout followers of the Islamic faith would not pay a visit to a coffee house.
However, most Egyptian males saw coffee as a significant communal tradition, which would take place close to their residence, at the local mosque, as well as the church. This became the time to converse, discuss the latest tidbits of news, browse the newspaper, enjoy a television show or sporting event, or simply watch the people pass by while smoking a waterpipe. A lot of people will state that more than 20,000 coffee houses are found in Cairo. As of today, the downtown section and Islamic part of Cairo are some of the best locations to enjoy a rather important piece of Cairene life.
Fruit Stalls
As the heated Cairo summer lingers, fruit stalls are known to sell fresh juice (as well as the occasional fruit salad or soft drink). They really come in handy. At these locations, fresh-pressed juice of fruits of the season is sold.
Common selections include orange, lemon, strawberry, and mango. Depending on the season and availability, a collection of costs and quality are encountered. All over the city, you will encounter these places, which are quite commonplace in the hot spots that tourists frequent. The traditional coffee houses or fruit juice stalls of the city may supply some or all of these drink selections.
Contemporary Cafes and Pastry Shops
The latest cafes and pastry shops are scattered about the city. Usually, they provide light food items, such as salad and sandwiches, which join espresso-based coffees and pastry delights. The majority of these locations are chains that bear names, such as Cinnabon, Orangette, Cilantro, Beanos, as well as the Bakery and Coffee Roastery. Many of these sites, such as the chains previously mentioned, supply wireless Internet connections. Chains on the international level (like Costa Coffee and Starbucks) are also quite popular throughout Cairo.
Entertainment and the Nightlife
For the latest details regarding the movies, nightclubs, and concert halls, check out the daily called the Egyptian Gazette (LE 1; on Saturday, the Egyptian Mail), the weekly English edition of Al-Ahram newspaper (LE 1), as well as Egypt Today (LE 12), which is published on a monthly basis.
The Movies
Though international flicks are offered throughout the year, a higher number of selections are offered in the wintertime and Ramadan. It is suggested to check out the listings posted in the Egyptian Gazette or al-Ahram.
Since the movies provide Arabic subtitles, it is not uncommon to hear the audience chat it up while vendors sell snacks. The soundtrack is often interrupted, so it is recommended to position yourself close to the front in order to hear a word.
Over the past couple of years, a collection of pricey new movie theaters have sprung up in many shopping outlets. This includes the Al-Tahrir Cinema on Sharia Tahrir, in Dokki (02/335-4726; LE 15-25); MGM (located on the top floor of the Maadi Grand Mall; 02/519-5388; closed on Saturdays; LE 20); as well as Ramses Hilton Centre, positioned opposite the hotel (02/574-7436; LE 20-25). All theaters possess plush seats, stereo sound, and air conditioning (which is rather cold). Talking during movies and smoking are not allowed. When visiting these cinemas, it is suggested to book ahead of time, while in other places it is OK to purchase tickets (LE 10-15) an hour or more before the start of the film. On the other hand, during Ramadan, arriving earlier is a must, as the performances in the evening (such as the Metro Cinema on Talaat Harb, and the Al-Tahrir) provide various movie selections on a nightly basis. Usually, this attracts a large crowd, where tickets are bought rather fast and seats are not on reserve.
Discos
The city of Cairo possesses a decent amount of discos. Please note that the term "nightclub" is viewed as an old-fashioned reference that describes a venue where people sit down and enjoy a meal with a floorshow.
The music often consists of the hits of last year in America or the most recent hits in Egypt. Guests usually find that the dance floor is decent; out-of-control patrons are kept at a minimum; and even at the snazziest locations casual dress is still acceptable.
There is also a trend mounting that promotes a couples-only policy. While you may think this is to protect the females from being hounded, it is actually instilled to prevent gays and prostitutes from frequenting the discos. It is quite common to see women come to discos with an escort, but men that come without a female companion usually face more troubles. It is suggested to make a phone call to evade frustration.

Happy Hotels - Living Up To Expectations

I love staying in hotels. I don't want to live out of suitcase, but I do love a night, or a few, in a great hotel. I also love the things that come with my hotel stay including the amenities, hotel supplies and conveniences. We all have preferences and expectations when we enter any place or situation but they are different in hotels because we are staying there so we expect various hotel supplies and amenities. Floors should be clean, rooms and corridors should be in good repair and guest rooms should have promised hotel supplies and amenities in place. So what makes for a less than 'wow' stay? Guest rooms and facilities that aren't up to par and hotel staff members who aren't customer focused affect a great stay.

Have you ever walked into a hotel and been disappointed or disgusted, wondering if you were the only person who cared about the place? Hotels can be like that, too. Dirty guest rooms, and those missing hotel supplies, are more common than you might think. Hotels just don't hear about it because people don't like to complain and typically issues are small. A lack of hotel supplies, shabby amenities, heating and air issues and faulty plumbing all contribute to bad hotel rooms. Especially in high end hotels, when plush is promised, if your room's anything less than perfect, if it's missing amenities or hotel supplies, for example, it's a disappointment.

When people choose hotels

, typically they have chosen not to stay somewhere else. Whether it's the heated indoor pool, the state-of-the-art fitness center outfitted with useful hotel supplies or the dining area, hotels can make a great impression. On the other hand, closed pools and fitness centers that are under construction and missing hotel supplies in general leave a bad taste. When guest room have inadequate or broken hotel supplies and amenities, people are affected by it. If hotels don't let people know about renovations ahead of time, it can cause issues as well, especially when guests are inconvenienced.

One of the most important aspects of any business, especially any hotel, is the staff. When hotel staff members, regardless of their function, are wholly focused on their guests, they provide outstanding service that's memorable for all the right reasons. If the housekeeping staff doesn't replenish the hotel supplies, for example, it's bound to leave the guest disappointed. Making checking in and out simple and quick, being knowledgeable about answering questions, having common hotel supplies at the ready and resolving issues in a timely manner are just a few of the things that great guest services staff members.

The traveling public, whether they're business travelers, honeymooners or families on vacation are every hotel's bread and butter. Hotels know this and, therefore, strive to provide guests not only a great experience but quality hotel supplies, amenities and conveniences, too. No guests means no occupancy. When occupancy rates suffer, hotels either pare down staff, amenities and hotel supplies or shut their doors entirely. However, when hotels focus on their guests and what is pleasing to them, they stand a much higher chance of not only surviving but thriving, too.

Jill Jankoski is an administrative professional whose passion is helping others to grow their business. If you need professional guidance or assistance with your business, she’d be delighted to assist you.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates. T

The Dusit Dubai is a 40-floor hotel tower in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The tower has a total structural height of 153&_160;m (502&_160;ft). Construction of the Dusit Dubai was completed in 2001. The most notable aspect of the tower is that the structure is divided into two bases which join at the top.The left base contains apartments while the right base are fully furnished hotel apartments. The area above the "join" is the hotel with a gym and open air swimming pool on the top floor.

Sydney's Four Season Hotel Can Provide You With An Excellent Holiday Experience

When you are looking for a top quality hotel the name Four Seasons always stands out as one of the most outstanding hotel chains world wide and so choosing to stay at the Four Seasons Sydney is a logical choice. It is by far one of the most exquisite hotels overlooking Sydney Harbor and is very centrally located so you can make the most of your Sydney holiday. Of course, the wonderful view of the port is only one of the things that makes the stay at the Four Seasons in a spectacular way and this position has a wonderful day spa that specializes in skin care and aromatherapy treatments. At this location there is also a wonderful swimming pool and fitness center that works really well to keep guests entertained while on the premises. The Executive Club is open daily and offers light food and a bar for those who want to entertain clients or simply stop for a nightcap.
Do not assume that because you're staying at the Four Seasons as you leave the kids at home as the Four Seasons Sydney has much to offer the little ones traveling with you. When you make your reservations just be sure to let them know that you will bring the children along and let the hotel staff know the names and ages of your children. You will be provided with child size bathrobes, complimentary baby and children's toiletries, children's menus for the restaurant or dining room and a menu that allows you to view online before arriving . bedtime milk and cookies will be delivered free to your room every night as well.
You will find that the staff will be more than willing to help you arrange child care for a grown up evening out and can even recommend area attractions that work well for children of all ages. On site you can even pick up some free coloring books which will help to keep children entertained when spending time in the room or during the dining hours.

The Four Seasons Hotel Sydney is one of the most incredible hotel in Sydney. The rooms are incredible, the staff is attentive, and opinions are not of this world. With so much going for it this is the perfect place for anyone to stay whether you are looking for a romantic getaway or to spend time with your family. A wonderful hotel location really stands out as one of the best places to stay in Sydney, Australia.

Adsense Sites For Newbies-The Essentials

In the internet marketing and online business world, newcomers to business online see the phrase “adsense site” and are intrigued as to what it is. This article will explain what they are and why you should care about them.. Many online entrepreneurs use a business model which is based around building what they refer to as “adsense sites”. In this article I explain what they are and the opportunity that they present for you if you wish to start an online business.
An adsense site is basically a site, generally small, which is set up and optimised to do one thing and that is to get the visitor to click on a Google Adsense advertisement. It will use a design and layout which will not present many opportunities for visitors to click on any links other than the Adsense block which is generally a 336 x 280 block pasted “above the fold” before or at the beginning of the content or post.
This means that the ways by which anyone can exit the site will be very limited and there will be no fancy graphics, banners, affiliate links or other distractions. The desired outcome from every visitor is to get them to click on an Adsense ad and earn revenue for the blog owner.
The business model associated with this sort of site will involve setting up multiple small sites in various niches which are not ultra competitive and which are easy to rank for in the search engines. It is the proliferation and spread of these sites across a large range of niches and which will derive a small income on a monthly basis that amasses into a good, online publishing empire which is appealing to many under the radar entrepreneurs.

The opportunity for you as a budding online entrepreneur is obvious and the best niches to concentrate on, at least initially, are product niches where small, boring sites about taps, windows, radiators or whatever can form part of a successful publishing empire for you on the internet.
The cost of entry into this business is tiny, you can learn on the job and your only input is to build small product oriented blogs and churn out lots and lots of articles to generate backlinks and move you up the search engine rankings which in turn will lead to free traffic and opportunities for “clicks” and revenue from your blog.
Check out reviews and the best prices in Prismacolor metallic markers and Prismacolor double ended markers at http://PrismacolorColorMarkers.org, an informational site about Prismacolor Markers.


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Microsoft pioneers tactile display technology

Possibly leapfrogging today's touch-screen technologies, Microsoft has figured out a way to make the computer displays themselves change in shape under a person's touch.
Microsoft filed an application last week with the U.S. patent office for a tactile display technology it calls a "Light-Induced Shape-Memory Polymer Display Screen."
Such a display could generate small ridges and textures on its surface that could work as navigation guides. For instance, the display could provide a virtual keyboard that could give users the feel of an actual keyboard, the patent application states.
To make this happen, the display itself would contain a "topography-changing layer" comprised of something called shape-memory polymers, which change shape depending on the ultraviolet light signal received. The system would require a topography-changing engine to supply the light signals.
Erez Kikin-Gil, a Microsoft senior user experience designer, is listed as inventor of the technology.
Presumably, the technology could be used as part of the Microsoft Surface systems, which are table-sized computers with large touchscreens that the company markets for interactive display duties.
Industry observers have noted that the technology, at least in theory, would also be feasible on smaller devices.
"There would be no more reason for mobile keypads -- they would simply be emulated when necessary," said Patrick Baudisch, a University of Potsdam in Germany display interaction expert, in an interview with New Scientist magazine.
Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the technology.
Joab Jackson covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Follow Joab on Twitter at @Joab_Jackson. Joab's e-mail address is Joab_Jackson@idg.com

Amazon leads Black Friday online spending increase

Online shoppers spend 9% more on Black Friday than in 2009, comScore reports

The online holiday shopping season is off to a good start.

Online researcher comScore reported Sunday that U.S. online shoppers spent $648 million on Black Friday alone. Black Friday, which is the day after Thanksgiving, is the official kickoff to the lucrative holiday shopping season.
Black Friday this year was the heaviest online spending day to date in 2010, according to comScore. It also saw a 9% increase in online spending compared to the same day in 2009.
"Although Black Friday is known for the flurry of activity occurring in brick-and-mortar retail stores, online shopping is increasingly becoming the refuge of those preferring to avoid the crowds and long lines," said Gian Fulgoni, comScore chairman, in a statement. "Interestingly, we are also seeing consumers beginning to buy online in a more meaningful way on Thanksgiving Day, which has historically seen low buying activity."
The uptick in e-commerce last Friday bodes well for comScore's prediction last week that online holiday spending in the U.S. will increase by 11% this year.
So, where were online shoppers spending their money last Friday?
According to comScore, many of them were shopping at Amazon.com, which saw a 25% increase in unique U.S. visitors to its site on Black Friday compared to the same day last year.
Actually, Amazon.com and three other sites - Walmart, Target and BestBuy - all surpassed 4 million unique visitors on Black Friday.
However, not all of them faired as well as Amazon.com. Target saw a 9% increase in unique visitors and BestBuy saw a 1% increase. Walmart had a 1% decrease, according to comScore.
Sharon Gaudin covers the Internet and Web 2.0, emerging technologies, and desktop and laptop chips for Computerworld. Follow Sharon on Twitter at @sgaudin or subscribe to Sharon's RSS feed . Her e-mail address is sgaudin@computerworld.com.

 

Netflix turns from Oracle, IBM to Amazon to save cash

Netflix moved some of its most crucial IT operations over to Amazon Web Services' Elastic Compute Cloud in order to save money and gain flexibility compared to using more Oracle software and IBM iron.
"Our datacenter runs Oracle on IBM hardware, we could have switched to commodity hardware in a data center, but skipped that step by going to AWS," Netflix cloud architect Adrian Cockcroft told the consulting firm Cloudscaling in an interview posted Tuesday. "There are three points on cost, one is that Oracle on IBM is very expensive, so AWS looks cheap in comparison, and we have flat-lined our datacenter capacity."
In addition, Netflix "could not have hired enough [system and database administrators] to build out our own data center this fast. We have added 4-5x as many systems in the cloud as the total we have in our data center over the last year," he said.
Finally, EC2's pay-as-you-go model means costs are elastic. "If you own a resource it sits around a long time waiting to be delivered and installed, and if you no longer want to use that type of resource you are still paying for it for three years."
Cockcroft's remarks add some color to Netflix's announcement in May that it would significantly expand its use of AWS. The company had already been using the service for various customer-facing and internal applications, but decided to add "critical pieces" of its service, including member movie lists, a recommendation engine and film transcoding.
The move enabled Netflix to free up "scarce engineering resources from the undifferentiated heavy lifting of running its own infrastructure," it said at the time.
Netflix's skyrocketing customer count, which now stands at about 16 million, also made the job of running and expanding data centers too unpredictable, according to a presentation Cockcroft gave at the recent QCon conference. In addition, the company has been rapidly transitioning from a DVD-delivery outfit to a mainly streaming operation.
For actually streaming the movies to customers, Netflix contracts with companies like Akamai and Limelight, Cockcroft told Cloudscaling. It also runs systems for account sign-up, billing and other needs elsewhere, he added.
Chris Kanaracus covers enterprise software and general technology breaking news for The IDG News Service. Chris's e-mail address is Chris_Kanaracus@idg.com

Does Google favor its own sites in search results?

Google appears to be backing away from a pledge that its search engine delivers unbiased results following new research that indicates the company gives itself top billing in many kinds of searches.
Ben Edelman, an assistant professor at Harvard Business School, claims he's found stark inconsistencies in the way Google treats certain search terms that match services the company provides.
Google's search results tend to vary little when a comma is added after a search term. But Edelman wrote on his blog that "for a subset of search terms, adding a trailing command yields a large change in results."
For example, a search for the term "CSCO" -- the stock symbol for Cisco Systems -- causes Google to display a top-ranking result leading to its own Finance service. But Edelman writes that Yahoo's Finance site received more traffic than Google's according to traffic-ranking site ComScore.
A search of more than 2,600 health-related terms also give Google's Health information service top billing. But when a comma is appended to the search term, Google is not longer on top.
Edelman concludes that the results are at odds with true organic search and indicates that Google has "hard coded" the search results to appear that way. But Google may have forgotten to include slight variations in search terms that would ensure consistent results.
"If Google staff manually specified that a given result should appear at the top of results when users search for a specific search term, they might well forget to include search term variants with appended commas," Edelman wrote.
Google has over the years denied tampering with search results, although on one occasion a top executive, Marissa Mayer, said the company did feel justified in putting itself first. On Monday, Google officials in London did not deny the practice.
"We built Google for users, not websites, and while think it's important to be transparent with websites about how we rank sites, ultimately our goal is to give users the most useful answer possible," according to an e-mail statement. "Sometimes the most useful answer is a list of links, but other times it's a stock quote, a list of movie times, or quick answer to a question. That's what users want."
High placement is a huge advantage in search results. The top-ranked link gets at least 34% of resulting clicks, while the second-ranked one will get 17%, wrote Edelman, citing research from Chitika. It means that Google's own services can nudge out competitors.
"Any Google business that needs 'algorithmic' traffic can get it, free, in huge quantity," Edelman wrote. "Meanwhile, entrepreneurs recognize and anticipate that Google may bury their results as it favors its own services -- blunting the incentive to build a business that competes with Google or competes with a service Google might plausibly develop."
Google appears to be eager to leverage other sources of information it gathers, said Mike Grehan, author of "Search Engine Marketing -- The Essential Best Practice Guide."
Prior to around 2007, Google would just show blue links related to the text on Web pages. But since then Google has worked on "universal search," which displayed other results such as videos, news articles, blogs and photos, Grehan said.
"Why shouldn't they provide the end user with the best result even if it means cherry picking from their own content?" Grehan said. "It's much easier and far quicker for Google to maintain and keep its own content for rapid retrieval."

The Paranoid's Guide to Facebook

Over half a billion people use Facebook around the world. It is the single largest phenomenon of human connection in history, not to mention the biggest thing ever to hit the Web, and a source of enjoyment for millions. But it's becoming more and more of a love-hate relationship. We love using Facebook and other online social networks, but we hate the ever-increasing privacy and security concerns.
Those concerns about privacy on Facebook have caught the attention of the U.S. Government: Congress recently sent Facebook an open letter asking the company to explain the disclosure of user identities to third parties (as originally reported by the Wall Street Journal), and how the company plans to address this issue. James Clarke, senior consumer technology analyst at Mintel International, makes very clear what's at stake: "It's in Facebook's own interests to provide a safe environment for users to enjoy; the value of their business depends on it."
The wheels of Government will inexorably turn, albeit slowly, and you need to secure your privacy now. Here are some steps you can take to keep your private information private on Facebook.
Facebook Places
Using Facebook Places has its benefits, but whether you're using a mobile device or a desktop, telling the world where you are has major disadvantages. When you broadcast your location, you're exposing vulnerabilities for an ill-intentioned person to swoop up. And your iPhone or Android-based smartphone can broadcast your exact geographic coordinates down to a few feet.
If you use Facebook Places, remember that Facebook instantly defaults your privacy setting so that "Everyone" can see your profile. And that doesn't mean everyone on Facebook, but everyone on the Internet.
Surf over to the Account tab in the upper right corner and select Privacy Settings. From here, you can set who can and can't see your profile, and how much you want others to see when you upload comments and images. If you don't like the idea of anyone knowing where you are, you should disable Facebook Places completely.
Disable Facebook Places: To do so, log into Facebook, and select Privacy Settings from the Account drop-down menu (upper-right corner of the page). From there, click Customize settings--the link is at the bottom left of the page. The last line under the Things I share section deals with Facebook Places. Click Edit and select Disable.
This stops Places from operating on your profile, but it does nothing for what your friends do.
To stop friends from broadcasting your location, scroll to the Things others share section. At the bottom of that table is the Places section. There, click Edit and select Disable.

How to Use Twitter to Network at Conferences: 5 Tips

It's tough to find a better networking opportunity than conferences and events-you have a room full of people who share similar interests, top thinkers and presenters in the industry within an arm's reach and the opportunity to catch up with contacts you've made in the past.
But not everyone who attends conferences has an outgoing, Type A personality. " If you're shy and you walk into a conference of 2,000 people and you don't know anyone, it can be awkward and intimidating to join in conversations and meet people," says Patrick O'Malley, a social media speaker and consultant. That's where Twitter comes in.
Twitter is a great resource for anyone who attends events, but even more so if you're an introvert, O'Malley says. "The beauty with social media like Twitter is that you don't need any qualifications to be the person that gets remembered," he says. "Twitter gives you the opportunity to jump in conversations without feeling embarrassed or worried that they'll look at you funny.
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Windows Live Writer Makes Beautiful Blogs

Windows Live Writer 11 (free) fills a product niche I didn't know existed: Offline blog post production tool. The program is, in essence, a light word processor and design app you can use to write the contents of blog posts and make them pretty. Live Writer 11 comes bundled with the free Windows Live Essentials suite (though you can install Live Writer 11 by itself, skipping the seven other bundled apps and browser toolbar, if this is the only thing you want).
If you don't have a blog account with one of the popular free or paid blogging services, such as Wordpress, Blogger, TypePad, or Microsoft's SharePoint, the program leads you to Wordpress.com to create an account. Once the body of the post is written, you can add some spit and polish: Embed photos or other images, lay-in videos, do some light styling of text, add hyperlinks, design and lay-in tables, preview the post, and correct any squiggle-underlined spelling mistakes before you submit your draft to the posting mechanism of whatever blog service you use.
The fact that Microsoft has partnered with Wordpress.com means the tool provides full functionality with that blogging platform, but tests showed it was quite capable of producing and uploading post drafts to other blogging services, such as TypePad. Every common feature or formatting option is available from the menu bar, and a post I first wrote and published into Wordpress was very easily migrated into TypePad. I just had to change the destination blog (yes, it supports multiple blog accounts) from a dropdown menu. The only feature that didn't appear to be available with the test TypePad account I used was the ability to publish the post from within Live Writer. In this case, I just uploaded the post draft to the service, then had to go to the administrative Web page for my blog on TypePad, and click a Publish button there. Other than that, Live Writer managed to do everything else on its own.
The tool also generates nice-looking photo gallery pages, and will even take care of the task of uploading the photos from your PC to your Windows Live account, if you have one. If you don't, and you plan to use the program, it may benefit you to create an account just for the simplicity it brings to the process. Other popular, free add-ons add various other features to the tool: One add-on sets up Live Writer 11 to post Tweets with shortlinks simultaneously as you publish the blog post, for example. There are dozens to choose from, all available from a Web page you reach by clicking a menu item in Live Writer 11.

Facebook dethrones MySpace as social network MySpace announces Mashup with Facebook, letting users port their information

MySpace announces Mashup with Facebook, letting users port their information

the battle may have been won some time ago, MySpace seems to be calling "uncle" in its competition with Facebook.

On Thursday, MySpace unveiled what the company is calling a "Mashup with Facebook." The mashup basically is a connection across the two sites that will enable users to port their likes and interests from their Facebook profiles and have that information populate the content on their MySpace pages. The feature is billed as allowing MySpace users to create a personalized stream of entertainment content.
The new feature begins rolling out worldwide today.
With these steps, MySpace is giving up on being a social network. While MySpace was an Internet pioneer, it was eclipsed by Facebook .
In mid-2009, online researcher ComScore reported that then-five-year-old Facebook attracted 70.278 million unique visitors in the U.S., just ahead of MySpace's total of 70.237 million. In April, MySpace had nearly 71 million unique visitors compared with Facebook's 67.481 million.
At the same time, Facebook had more than 307 million unique visitors worldwide, while MySpace attracted less than half of that total -- 123 million.
Facebook, the new kid on the block, had eclipsed MySpace both in the U.S. and globally.
And the space between them has widened. Recently, Facebook announced that it has more than 500 million global users . MySpace, in turn, has focused more on being a destination for users to get information on music and movies.
Today, during the press call, Mike Jones, CEO of MySpace, did not refer to the site as a social network. Instead, he called it "one of the largest entertainment experiences on the Web."
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst with Technology Business Research, said Thursdady's announcement is symbolic of MySpace's leaving the social networking space.
"This is a recognition of an old defeat," Gottheil said. "MySpace stopped being the place to find and connect to friends a long time ago. This is reinforcing its value as what it is, a publishing site. Facebook is not, and will not be, a publishing site. So this partnership helps define and distinguish the two, and makes it easier for users to be active members of both sites, using each on for what it does well."

 

Facebook: Network problem that slowed site is fixed After reporting last night it was working on the site, Facebook says traffic issue corrected

After reporting last night it was working on the site, Facebook says traffic issue corrected

Facebook this morning reported that the network issues that slowed the social network last night have been resolved, and that the site is working normally again.

Early this morning, Facebook posted a note on its site telling users that its engineers had cleared up some network issues that last night were causing slowdowns and time outs on the social networking site.

"We were experiencing a network issue that affected how we distributed traffic between our data centers," said Kathleen Loughlin, a spokesman for Facebook, in an email to Computerworld today. "As a result, the site may have been slow or timed out for some users. We worked diligently to resolve the issue as quickly as possible and it was fully resolved."

Facebook first posted a notice about the network problem around 5 p.m. EDT yesterday.

In the comments posted below Facebook's post this morning, users gave the company mixed reviews for its efforts.

"Much better tnx," wrote Facebook user Peter Hoevels. And Rowan Dehni commented, "Thanx..I luv u."

However, a user named Marc Gilmore wrote: "I cant even get into the discussion page, it's sooo slow. Why announce you've fixed the problems when you clearly haven't?" Another, listed as Harsh Manocha, said she was "still facing the same problem"

Facebook has become a social networking phenomenon, so any problems with the site are likely to generate a lot of online buzz.

Facebook, which has more than 400 million users, last month topped Google as the most visited Web site in the U.S. for a full week for the first time.