To make use of this new feature you must be signed into Google; those using the standard search page without having a Google account will remain unaffected.  Of course the option can be disabled if you are signed in; it is enabled by default.

Google claim that the new feature will save around two to five seconds per query. For internet marketers, the implications are as yet unknown, but as the existing suggestion feature is often used for keyword research, it’s very possible that this new feature could be used to aid that process along.  I’m keen to see how this changes the rules and how we can get the best from this new tool, and I look forward to trying it out over the coming weeks.

Here is Google’s introduction and demonstration video which explains the new feature:

Give it a whirl and see what you think of it!

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1) Back up your important information and store it away from the computer. Modern computers are equipped with DVD-R drives and this simplifies the task of storing your data to a blank disc to be filed. Alternatively, consider an external hard drive.

2) Update and patch your operating system, browser, and software frequently. Windows now includes an automated update where the latest patches are downloaded to your machine for you to apply on the next restart. Alternatively you can access it from the Control Panel (Start-Control Panel-Windows Update). For older versions of Windows (e.g. XP) you can check online for patches at windowsupdate.microsoft.com. Keep in mind that older versions of Windows may no longer be supported by Microsoft, so for most effective security protection keep your operating system as up-to-date as you can. In the same way keep your browser updated; most browsers have an option to check for updates from the Help menu.

3) Install a firewall. A good firewall will block viruses and trojans from getting onto your machine, and anything you are unaware of that is trying to access the internet without your knowledge will be stopped. Windows Firewall is included with Vista and Windows 7 (and is by default turned on), but you may wish to consider a third- party product such as the well-regarded ZoneAlarm (www.zonealarm.com).

4) Check your browser security settings. If you’re using Internet Explorer go to Tools then Internet Options, then choose the Security tab. By default, the level is set to ‘medium-high’. Set this to ‘high’ to block Active-X and Javascript, which can be used by hackers to plant more trojans on your machine. You are able to maintain a list of ‘trusted sites’ (click the green tick for this zone) and add the addresses of those sites you do trust and they will not be blocked the same way as untrusted websites. Firefox security settings are accessed by clicking Tools then Options, then selecting the Security tab.

5) Make sure you have antivirus software. Highly important! Most personal computers come with a version of McAfee or Norton which is valid for 30 days, but to keep receiving updates you have to subscribe to them. If you do not have these or wish to use a free antivirus solution, AVG or Avast both offer free versions; when you install either of these it is vital that these are set to automatically update so that the latest antivirus patches are downloaded regularly.

6) Beware of email attachments. A typical way of passing a virus around is via an email attachment, it is possible to scan these using your anti-virus software but in general, if you do not recognise the sender, do not trust the attachment. In addition, you may get a mail from an address that appears genuine, but is actually a hacker impersonating a genuine company (this is a typical ‘phishing’ method).

7) Don’t run programs from unknown sources. Again, your anti-virus software should be able to scan and detect viruses hidden in downloaded files, but use good sense. In addition, beware of forwarding on a program, the source of which is unknown to you, it could have a funny joke in it but if a friend or co-worker gets a virus from it, you could land yourself in trouble.

8 ) Set your machine to show filename extensions. By default, Windows hides file extensions ‘for known file types’. This should be disabled, you do this by going to Tools, then Folder Options, and selecting the View tab in Explorer. In Vista or later, the menu bar is hidden – to reveal it, press the ALT key once and it will show in Explorer, then proceed as described.

9) If you’re not using the computer, turn it off! Nothing can get to your computer while it’s switched off, so when you’re not using it, shut it down.

10) Make a bootable CD or pen drive so that if your machine ever does get damaged, you can still start it up. Modern computers no longer use floppy drives which often were used so that you could boot from a floppy if the worst happened, so you would need to use your CD drive or USB pen drive instead. A good way to get to your computer is to have a bootable operating system on a CD or DVD, such as Ubuntu. It will run live from the disk, so if you cannot start your machine normally, you can still reach the files and if necessary retrieve them. Ubuntu is a free operating system based on Linux, and you can get it at http://www.ubuntu.com/desktop/get-ubuntu/download

These are some of the basic steps we should all take so that if things do go wrong, we can recover.

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Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spyware) defines spyware thus:

“Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on computers and collects little bits of information at a time about users without their knowledge. The presence of spyware is typically hidden from the user, and can be difficult to detect. Typically, spyware is secretly installed on the user’s personal computer. Sometimes, however, spywares such as keyloggers are installed by the owner of a shared, corporate, or public computer on purpose in order to secretly monitor other users.

While the term spyware suggests that software that secretly monitors the user’s computing, the functions of spyware extend well beyond simple monitoring. Spyware programs can collect various types of personal information, such as Internet surfing habits and sites that have been visited, but can also interfere with user control of the computer in other ways, such as installing additional software and redirecting Web browser activity. Spyware is known to change computer settings, resulting in slow connection speeds, different home pages, and/or loss of Internet or functionality of other programs. In an attempt to increase the understanding of spyware, a more formal classification of its included software types is captured under the term privacy-invasive software.”

There are less harmful forms of spyware like tracking cookies, but these are still compromising your privacy However much of the spyware out there is dangerous. It is vital to keep this off your machine, or if it is on there already, it must be destroyed before it can do damage such as reveal your bank details. Here are some tools you really should consider installing on your machine to scan for and delete unwanted spyware. Bear in mind you may need to run several of these tools to eradicate problems completely; no tool will find everything so it is best to run them in conjunction.

i) Ad-Aware from Lavasoft is a well-known anti-spyware tool, as of July 2010 it is at release 8.3. It’s available in several versions including a free version for personal use only. (http://www.lavasoft.com) For those who pay, there are added features such as a firewall, anti-rootkit detection and even parental control.

ii) Spybot (http://www.safer-networking.org) is a widely-known freeware tool for the detection and removal of spyware.
It is currently at release 1.6.2, and updates are frequently released. It also now includes TeaTimer, which alerts the user to any changes in the Windows Registry. As the registry should only be changed when a program is updated, installed or uninstalled, an unexpected alert can thus mean spyware is present. It is known to conflict with some commercial security programs however, such as Norton or McAfee, so it may be worth considering the use of another anti-virus program such as AVG or Avast to run alongside Spybot.

iii) Malwarebytes Anti-Malware comes in two forms: a paid and a free version. The free version, although functional, must be run manually whereas the paid form can be set up to run scheduled scans as well as provide real-time protection. It is intended to detect spyware or malware that other programs miss, so even if you find that scans on your existing tools show as clean, consider running this tool too as you have more chance of finding a deeply-hidden bit of spyware the more tools you use.
Make sure to use these tools in addition to any existing tools you have in order to maintain your security; it is insufficient nowadays just to rely on your current anti-virus solution. Above all, be sure to actually run these scans frequently; it is even more important to do so if your computer is shared with other members of your family.  (http://www.malwarebytes.org)

Despite all this however, it may be that it proves impossible to remove some particularly nasty forms of spyware. Some programs are detected, removed, then recreate themselves on the next reboot and it’s nigh-on impossible to figure out what is causing it. If all else fails, the only solution is a complete rebuild of your computer. For this reason, it is essential to take regular backups of your important data (preferably to external hard drives or recordable DVD) so that if the worst happens, you can rebuild it and restore your data once that is done. The best time to ensure you are protected from spyware is to get it set up when your computer is new or newly-rebuilt.

1. Work from home – Over 4 million people currently work from home either making a primary or secondary income and that number is expected to rise sharply in the next year or two. Becoming a Social Media Manager will let you stay at home while earning a substantial income at the same time. The average salary for a Social Media Manager is somewhere between $25-$65 an hour.

2.Flexible Hours – You shouldn’t need telling how cool it is to be able to set in place your own schedule when you want to make a second income in your free time. That independence alone makes it worth the effort of owning and running a small internet business. Whether you are wanting for a full time income or simply a second income then you will have the ability to do the work when and where you want!

3. Be a Pioneer in an Exploding Industry – This is possibly the one most exciting reason for becoming a Social Media Manager. The industry is still in its infancy, you can be one of the first to go out into the world of business and offer this service. As the industry develops, you will be experienced enough to adapt to – and profit from – the changes as they come up. Lucky? It could be, but this is the right place and the right time.

4. Changing the lifestyle of your clients. It’s not unreasonable to expect that if you can increase the sales of a local business by, say 30 or 40%, it will certainly impact positively on that business’s owner. It may well change what schools their kids go to, or what they do with their quality time. Your service is incredibly valuable and clients are going to see that quickly. You should be very pleased of this fact as it will bring you a lot of referrals.

5. Earn too much – be realistic. You’re being paid to play on Facebook and Twitter simply because companies need to do it in order to improve their profits. If they don’t hire someone like you they could lose huge profits. Therefore, if you know how to set up their social media presence, post pictures, comments and videos, you are now a valuable resource . Do you see the potential of starting your own small internet business as a Social Media Manager and how easily you could change your life forever?

6. Easy to Find Clients – The demand for a Social Media Manager as I said before is over the top and there are not enough people to accommodate these needy organizations. The basic fact is that most people did not foresee that social media would have an overwhelming impact in such a short time and that is why there is that major gap between the supply and demand.

7. Actually Have fun Working – People are always talking about having fun with their small internet business. Imagine being able to use YouTube, Twitter or Facebook all day – and get PAID for it? It’s a whole new ball game as far as making your business fun is concerned.

This could just be the ideal opportunity for you to start working from home in an exciting new industry. Once you gather a handful of clients, you’re on the road to a regular income, to supplement and possibly replace your current employment.

A great piece of free software (released under the GPL) to accomplish this is Camstudio; it records your screen and also allows you to speak as you are doing so, so if you wanted to walk a new user through, say, setting up a new Twitter account then this software captures all you are doing on screen. Once you have it captured you can then edit it with your Windows Movie Maker (assuming you’re on a recent version of Windows!)

There are other software packages out there which offer more features for a price, but if you want to produce demonstration videos for people and don’t have deep pockets then this software is a real boon.

Link to Camstudio site

Cinnamon Graphics of Finland

You’ll find several examples of her work on the website, if you do contact her tell her I sent you !

Plug over!

Screenshot © Google 2009

Google Earth is a fantastic piece of software and it’s free too, but you will find yourself spending hours looking on it!

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