Mac Mini -Which One to Get?

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Source: Macworld UK

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Unfortunately, the £499 model’s paltry 1GB of RAM can hamper its performance considerably, even if you mainly use your computer for Web browsing, e-mail, and an office suite such as Microsoft Office or Apple’s iWork. (And the £499 model’s slower hard drive makes it that much more painful, compared to other desktop Macs, to get into heavy virtual-memory disk swapping.) Using iMovie, I was able to get similar performance to that of the £649 model only if I quit all other programs first. And Call of Duty 4’s overall performance was considerably degraded: the automatically-configured settings provided lower-quality video, and I experienced frustratingly frequent stutters and pauses.

Which to get?

While the Mac mini’s tiny size has many advantages over larger computers, this design also makes it the most difficult Mac to upgrade.

Unless you’re skilled with putty knives and spudgers, and comfortable forcing little plastic and metal pieces to do things they don’t appear to be willing to do, the mini isn’t a machine you’ll want to take apart. (Apple’s policy has always been that as long as you don’t break anything in the process, you’re free to upgrade your Mac mini yourself. The company confirmed to Macworld that this is still the case.)

And there’s the rub with the Mac mini: The otherwise-attractive £499 model offers a meager 1GB of RAM and only 160GB of hard-drive space - disappointing specs for a computer that’s more than capable of handling movie and photo editing using the included iLife suite.

Opting for the £649 model alleviates these issues to some degree, giving you 2GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive, but these are its only improvements, and they’re ones that would cost you less than $100 if you installed them yourself. Yet by making the Mac mini so difficult to upgrade, Apple has ensured that many users will pay the £649 mini’s £150 premium.

Thankfully, Apple will upgrade the £499 mini to 2GB RAM for only £40, a fair price considering that Apple performs (and warrants) the installation. And the new mini’s plentiful expansion ports mean you can always add more external storage. In fact, as noted above, by adding (and booting from) an external FireWire drive, the £499 mini’s performance can surpass that of either stock model.

With 750GB and 1TB FireWire 800 drives available for under $150 these days, unless you’re using your mini in a location where you can’t have an external drive attached, you’ll get far more value for your money going this route.

Macworld Buying Advice

The new Mac mini models provide the most significant upgrades to the line yet, offering slightly better CPU performance, considerably improved video capabilities, increased expandability, and better wireless technology. The result is that for the first time, the Mac mini is a computer that’s truly capable of handling the iLife suite.

More than ever, it’s an appealing computer for those who already have a display, keyboard, and mouse, or those looking to build a Mac system on the smallest budget (or in the smallest space). It’s also a good upgrade for owners of the PowerPC and first-generation Intel Mac minis. On the other hand, if you purchased a Mac mini in 2007, the new models are compelling upgrades only for those who want to play games or perform other graphics-card-intensive tasks.

Between the two models, it’s tough to justify the additional cost of the £649 mini.

Those willing and able to perform their own upgrades should do so. Otherwise you should consider purchasing the £499 model with Apple’s 2GB RAM upgrade and then attaching an external drive; you’ll get more storage for your money, and if you go the FireWire route, you can actually get better performance than that of even the the £649 mini.

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Mac mini performance

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Source: Macworld UK

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Mac mini performance

The Mac mini has never been about performance; rather, it’s an affordable computer with a good array of features in a tiny package. (Apple told us the mini is designed to be the most affordable way to get a computer with Mac OS X and iLife.)
The latest models don’t change that: While our benchmark testing shows a notable jump in Speedmark scores since the August 2007 Mac mini models, individual tasks that aren’t graphics-intensive show more modest gains. This makes sense, as the mini’s processor speed hasn’t increased at all for the £649 model, and by only 0.17GHz for the £499 mini.
Rather, most gains in non-graphics-intensive tasks are the result of newer processor architecture and faster bus and memory speeds.
New Mac minis Speedmark scores

Longer bars are better. Blue bars in italics represent reference systems. Macworld Lab testing by James Galbraith, Chris Holt, and Helen Williamson.

Larger gains over the previous models are found in tests of hard-drive performance. For example, in our Finder Unzip Archive test, which is largely dependent on the performance of the hard drive, the new models are 17 and 35 per cent faster than the previous top-of-the-line mini.

Interestingly, the difference in Finder performance between the two new models - the £649 mini is 22 per cent faster - is largely a result of the top-end mini’s hard drive outperforming the one in the £499 model. (Although both new minis use 5,400 rpm drives, there are other factors that affect drive speed. For example, the 120GB drive is a single-platter model, whereas the 320GB drive is a dual-platter.)

Still, it’s worth noting that the relatively slow laptop drives used in the mini line remain among its limiting factors compared to a traditional desktop Mac. In fact, when we ran the same Finder tests on the £499 Mac mini while booted from a FireWire 800 drive, the results were notably better than with either stock mini; for example, our Finder Unzip Archive test came in at just 1:01 (compared to 1:19 and 1:41 for the two minis booted from their stock drives).

It’s in the graphics department that the new models really shine - at least compared to older Mac minis. Thanks to the GeForce 9400M GPU, the new £649 mini’s performance (measured in frames per second) was seven times that of its predecessor in our Quake 4 test, 39.1 versus 5.6. Similarly, in our Unreal Tournament 2004 test, the new mini’s framerate (63.0) was nearly three times that of its predecessor’s (21.9).

Perhaps most telling, the new mini was able to generate 35.6 frames per second in Call of Duty 4; the previous mini couldn’t even run the game. (When equipped with comparable RAM [2GB] the £499 mini produced similar results; with the stock 1GB RAM, performance was reduced by roughly 17 per cent in the same tests.)

Benchmarks aside, the new mini is also a decent performer in real-world testing. I played the first few levels of Call of Duty 4 on the £649 mini, using the game’s automatically configured (“Optimal System Settings”) graphics settings. While those settings obviously provided lower-quality visuals than you’d get with the newest iMac or Mac Pro, and the frame rates wouldn’t satisfy hardcore gamers, the graphics looked good and the game was more than playable, bogging down a bit only in the heaviest firefights.

I also imported a number of 720p video clips into iMovie ‘09 and was able to use all of iMovie ‘09’s features with reasonable performance. Finally, I was able to run multiple Microsoft Office programs along with Safari without problems.

NEXT: Which Mac mini to get?

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Mac Mini: Outputs

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Source: Macworld

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Mac mini outputs

Why two video outputs? Given that the Mac mini is designed to be used with whatever display the owner has, Apple told Macworld that the company wanted to be as flexible as possible with display-connection options. But the added bonus here is that both connections can be used simultaneously thanks to the new mini’s improved graphics capabilities (more on that below).

You can attach two displays to the mini and use them in either mirrored or extended-desktop mode. Alternatively, with the help of the £68 Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter, you can now use the Mac mini with Apple’s 30-inch Cinema Display, making the mini the first desktop consumer Mac with such capability.

Remaining the same are the mini’s gigabit Ethernet port, the digital/analog audio input and output jacks, and the security lock slot.
The new Mac mini has received under-the-hood improvements, as well, starting with the graphics processor. Although the mini’s graphics card is still integrated, it’s now the same much-improved Nvidia GeForce 9400M found in the current MacBook line.

In addition to more-powerful processing capabilities, the 9400M takes advantage of up to 128MB of the mini’s main memory when 1GB is installed, or up to 256MB if 2GB is installed. The older mini’s Intel GMA 950 maxed out at just 64MB.

The mini’s Intel Core 2 Duo processor is now a 2.0GHz Penryn chip with a faster system bus (1,066MHz versus 667MHz) on both models, with a 2.26GHz version available as a build-to-order option. The processor’s level-2 cache is 3MB, up from 2MB for the previous entry-level model but down from 4MB on the higher-end model. Memory is now 1,066MHz DDR SDRAM (also known as PC8500), with the £499 model getting 1GB and the £649 equipped with 2GB.

But perhaps the biggest improvement here is that both models can handle up to 4GB of RAM, with the 1GB model shipping with a single 1GB DIMM, leaving the other free for expansion. (On the previous minis, each slot was populated with a 512MB chip, forcing you to replace the stock RAM when upgrading.)

The Mac mini now has five USB 2.0 ports (lower right). To the left of the USB ports is the new Mini DisplayPort. Next to that is the mini-DVI port.

The £499 and £649 models sport 120GB and 320GB hard drives, respectively, both SATA. On the other hand, the drives are still 2.5-inch, 5,400 rpm laptop models; these drives help keep the mini’s energy use low, but their performance is poor relative to most desktop drives.

Both new minis also include a faster 8x dual-layer SuperDrive, and similar “bump” improvements are found in wireless capability: 802.11g has finally been replaced by 802.11n, and Bluetooth is now 2.1+EDR. (Interesting side note: A number of “takeaparts” around the Web have noted what appears to be unused eSATA circuitry inside the new Mac mini. Though not used in the current minis, this provides more support for the theory that Apple will eventually be adding eSATA ports to its computers.)

Finally, Apple is quick to tout the new Mac mini’s green credentials: The company claims the mini is the world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer, using less than 13 Watts of power at idle, 45 per cent less than the previous Mac mini.

In addition, the packaging, which is now based entirely on recycled paper, is 31 percent smaller than before, allowing the company to reduce its environmental impact by fitting twice as many boxes in shipping containers. If you’re into green computing, the mini’s got a lot going for it.

NEXT: Mac mini performance

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Mac mini 2.0GHz: 320GB 2009 edition review

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Source: Macworld UK

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Manufacturer: Apple

Pros: Tiny size; significantly improved graphics performance compared to older models; dual video outputs with support for extended Desktop mode and 30-inch displays; five USB ports; FireWire 800.

Cons: Slow hard drive; difficult to upgrade; £150 premium over £499 model doesn’t get you many improvements.

Min specs: 2.0GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 2GB memory, 320GB hard drive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive, 8x double-layer SuperDrive.

Price: £649.00"

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When we reviewed the previous Mac mini iteration, we lamented the 11 months it took Apple to release that update - a period so lengthy that many people wondered if Apple would discontinue the line. So you can imagine the speculation that’s occurred in the 19 months since.

Apple finally gave the company’s least-expensive computer another refresh, and that update brought the Mac mini line its most significant upgrades yet.

Not-so-mini improvements
On the outside, the newest Mac mini models look all but identical to their predecessors, using the exact same aluminum-and-white, 6.5- by 6.5- by 2-inch enclosure. As with previous minis, the computer’s tiny shipping container hints at the lack of included peripherals: you provide the keyboard, mouse, and display.

The only items in the box other than the Mac mini itself are the power adapter and cable, a mini-DVI-to-DVI video adapter, software DVDs (for Mac OS X and iLife ‘09), and documentation. Missing this time around is an Apple Remote, now a £15 option.

Apple's Mac mini has a 2.0GHz Core 2 Duo processor, and is available with a 120GB hard drive and 1GB of RAM, or with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM.

But a quick glance at the back of the new Mac mini makes it clear this is an updated machine. Instead of the FireWire 400 and four USB ports of the 2007 mini, the new model sports five USB 2.0 ports and replaces the FireWire 400 port with a faster FireWire 800 connection. (FireWire 800 is backwards compatible with FireWire 400 peripherals).


Also gone is the previous model’s DVI video port, replaced by two video ports: a mini-DVI port (identical to the one found on older iMacs and Mac laptops) that uses an included adapter to connect to standard DVI displays, and a Mini DisplayPort connector like those found on the current MacBooks.

The latter port works directly with Mini DisplayPort-equipped displays such as Apple’s current 24-inch LED Cinema Display; it also works with DVI displays via Apple’s £20 Mini Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter. Both video outputs include High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection (HDCP), allowing you to output HDCP-protected content to other HDCP-enabled devices.

NEXT: Mac mini outputs

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Apple Mac Mini (2009) Review - PC & Desktop Computers

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Source: cnet.com.au

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Apple's newest Mac Mini is set to be a hit, being both small and powerful. We suspect that if Apple had managed to squeeze Blu-ray support in there, it would take a large chunk of the home theatre pc market.

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Design
You'd be forgiven for thinking you're looking at the last generation Mac Mini. Not to mention the last one before that. It's still the same 165.1x165.1x50.8mm dimensions, with the thick aluminium sides, and the pearl white top with grey Apple logo in the middle. A small white light in the bottom right tells you it's turned on, while the slot of the DVD+-RW is the only defining feature in this minimalist PC.

Where things have changed a bit is on the rear panel. The Mini is now loaded with five USB ports, a Mini DisplayPort, a Mini DVI port, FireWire 800 and gigabit Ethernet jack.

The dual display ports enable the Mac Mini to use two monitors, while the Mini DisplayPort should allow it to power 30-inch monitors at a resolution of 2560x1600 — something the Mini DVI jack can't, limited to 1920x1200. It also plays nicely into Apple's attempt to create a walled garden around its products, however, enough adapters are offered to sate most needs, with Apple offering DVI (AU$45), Dual Link DVI (AU$149) and VGA (AU$45) at its store. It seems HDMI is not part of Apple's plans for the Mini, keeping it firmly attached to Apple TV.

The rear is the biggest hint the Mac Mini has been updated. (Credit: Apple)

Features
A look inside the box reveals the real changes. The motherboard and GPU have been upgraded to bring the Mini in line with the rest of Apple's computing products, basing it on Nvidia's GeForce 9400M chipset. This gives it a lot more 3D grunt than the previous Intel option, not to mention less CPU heavy video acceleration capability.

With the 9400M and DisplayPort, the Mac Mini is perfectly aligned for HD video playback — and so it's a little disappointing that a Blu-ray option hasn't been sorted out yet. We can only assume it's still considered a "bag of hurt", but with any luck the recently loosened licence requirements will eventually get the high-definition format into Apple's machines.

Our review sample otherwise featured an Intel Core 2 Duo 2.0GHz, 2GB DDR3 1066MHz RAM, a Hitachi 320GB hard drive, Bluetooth, and 802.11n wireless modules.

The "overpriced" concerns voiced online puzzle us — the US price on the higher-end Mini is US$799 without tax. Taking into account exchange rate (at time of writing, AU$1 = US$0.65) and adding GST, this comes to AU$1,352, a whole AU$47 lower than Apple Australia's list price. Given the fluctuations in currency, this isn't too bad at all. Next to its competitors (the Dell Studio Hybrid for example), it also comes out rather well.

The Nvidia chipset and GPU would also drive the price up, as would the additional ports offered — which to our mind justifies the increase. As far as we can see the only overpriced aspect is the leap between the entry-level Mini and the step up, the extra capacity on the hard drive and RAM meaning an AU$350 differential, when a user could pick it up for around AU$200 from stores (and have a spare 1GB stick and 120GB drive as a result). For Apple, overcharging on upgrades is nothing new, and wherever it doesn't void the warranty, we recommend the user do it themselves.

Right Writing Tip of the Day

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First non-Apple mini DisplayPort monitors

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Apple is not the only company capable of crafting products with meticulous attention to design, engineering, and quality. For evidence, we present the 2009 line of CinemaView LCD displays.

State of the art LCD panels surrounded by precision high pressure diecast Aluminum and optically pure glass. Native Mini Displayport connection to your Mac (no ugly adapters needed). Three port USB 2.0 powered hub. Passthrough stereo audio. All beautifully integrated into a single cable to your Mac.

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One of the best features of Apple computers and gadgets have to be the displays. They are so clear and crisp it makes you just love working with them. The trouble is that they can be a tad on the expensive side, if you know what I mean.

Apples latest innovation with the new mini Displayport plug. This makes the monitor cables slimmer and easier to manage. Probably the most important benefit from Apples point of view is that they are ultimately less expensive to implement on laptops and other sub-desktop models.

We're not sure if Apple will ever succeed in pushing mini DisplayPort on the industry in favor of the full sized version, but Collins America has decided what bandwagon it wants to be on.

Collins has just announced three new CinemaView displays that feature the smaller connector.

• The $299 1440 x 900 19-inch display
  
• The $399 1650 x 1050 20-inch display
  
• And $499 1920 x 1080 24-inch display
  

The three displays all feature 3 USB ports, passthrough stereo audio ports, an all-in-one cable, and totally ripped industrial design, but hey -- at least they're cheap.

They should be on sale 'before September 1.'

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Source: Engadget

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Palm’s WebOS Perfectly Suited to Netbooks

Whilst Microsoft may hold the dominant market share for netbooks, theres no certainty that it will remain the leader.

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Whilst Microsoft may hold the dominant market share for netbooks, there’s no certainty that it will remain the leader. There a number of Linux-based operating systems being tailored for netbook use from a number of different parties. ARM, who design low-cost, low-power processors, is knocking on the door of the netbook world and its CEO expects at least ten ARM-based netbooks this year. As it does not make x86 processors, using Windows for these netbooks is not an option. While many have talked about Google’s Android as being the most natural Linux-saviour, Laptop Mag’s Mark Spoonauer argues that it is in fact Palm’s Web Operating System that could make waves in the netbook market.

With the recent news of Dell’s attempt at a smartphone, Spoonauer reasons that Dell, or any other computer manufacturer would be smart to acquire webOS to use on their netbooks, or to buy Palm outright. Palm’s webOS is a customized version of Linux, specially made for low power processor devices (such as the ARM chips in the Pre) and is also easily the most consumer friendly flavour of Linux. Palm’s webOS’ light footprint, ability to run more than 3 applications at once (I’m looking at you, Windows 7 Starter edition), support of Flash, and compatibility with the increasingly popular ARM processors make it a great choice to run on new netbooks.

Palm’s WebOS is also touch-friendly, which could provide a great alternative to the unproven Windows 7. Palm also has a built-in app store for touch friendly apps, which W7 won’t have as far as I know. Also, Palm’s WebOS is integrated with the cloud. It means data can (contacts, calendars) be constantly synced with the web, which is ideal for netbooks with mobile broadband. The article brings up some great points, and I suggest you read the thing yourself, and don’t be surprised if we see a partnership between Palm and a netbook manufacturer at some point in the future.

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Source: Netbook Guide

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Impact Gel Getting National Attention

Whether it's horse equipment, shoes or sports gear, a local company is in the national spotlight for its popular invention.

Matt Kriesel is the chairman of Impact Gel in Melrose. Kriesel, along with his other employees, developed a shock-absorbing gel used in sports-shoe inserts, tennis rackets and horse saddles.

The gel gives so much protection that Kriesel demonstrates how much protection the gel can give by hitting it with a hammer or driving over it with a truck.

The inventor of Impact Gel says he's been getting a lot of national attention lately and that's good for area communities.

'If we can keep our local economy strong and create jobs, then it's a win-win for everybody,' said Matt Kriesel, Chairman of Impact Gel.

Impact Gel is sold in more than 40 countries and the company has provided gel for Shaquille O'Neal's athletic shoes.

The shoe inserts will be featured on the show 'Pitchman' which airs tomorrow night on the Discovery Channel.

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Source: WKBT La Crosse

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How to Draw a Female Body (with video) - wikiHow

How to Draw a Female Body (with video) - wikiHow

One of the challenging things about drawing a characteristically female body is getting the proportions right. This article breaks the body down into eight sections, showing you where certain features begin and end.

Steve Jobs is back — he’s leading Apple’s netbook efforts, says WSJ » VentureBeat

Steve Jobs is back - he’s leading Apple’s netbook efforts, says WSJ

While Steve Jobs may claim he is taking time off from the day-to-day business of running Apple, that certainly does not mean he isn’t guiding the company’s direction. Jobs is still actively involved with business decisions, reports the Wall Street Journal. This includes work towards a netbook device, despite the company’s best efforts to deny that it is interested in the market.

How convenient that Jobs’ return would be confirmed on this day of Easter, the day of celebrated resurrection.

The device will come in at a size larger than the iPhone/iPod touches, yet smaller than any of its laptops, the WSJ reports (this would kind of obvious, though). It’s hard to say what this Apple netbook would look like exactly - it seems none of the Apple tipster sites have yet to get a good grasp on it, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation.

Apple has placed an order for 10-inch touchscreens from a Taiwan distributor for delivery in the third quarter, Reuters reported last month citing its own sources. But, this may not be for a netbook (in fact, a 10-inch screen would actually be on the big side considering most netbooks have screens smaller that that), and rather for the oft-rumored tablet PC that Apple is said to be mulling about.

There’s another possibility too: that these netbook/tablet PC rumors could actually refer to the same device. Microsoft’s Tablet PC, for example, has only found a niche market to date because full-featured PCs with touchscreen capabilities just aren’t in great demand. Related to that, you could argue that tablet PCs are essentially glorified laptops that don’t justify their price.

Consumers have found the netbook alluring because of its small, lightweight size and equally diminutive price. These devices aren’t meant to play the latest and greatest games or high-end applications, and thus contain things like expensive graphic chips — they’re meant to keep things sweet and simple.

A tablet netbook may solve these problems. That is certainly what MacRumors suggests:

Apple’s ongoing research into multi-touch, however, has generated speculation that Apple may incorporate more advanced gesturing into a future device.

In other words, who needs a keyboard, anyway?



Source: Venture Beat WSJ

Acers New Kogan Agora Netbook reviewed

While all the big players in the PC industry are busy with all their latest netbook offerings, so are small players like Kogan Agora, owned and operated by an Australian gentleman named Ruslan Kogan (who is also responsible for the world’s first Australian Android phone). The Australian outfit have prepared what is to be called the Kogan Agora netbook, powered by either Windows XP or the open-source gOS which is based on Ubuntu Linux.

A pre-production model of the Kogan Agora netbook was delivered for testing to the offices of PC Authority recently, and their initial review of the device makes it look promising. With a 10-inch screen, it provided ample viewing space and a near full-sized keyboard made sure that typing was hassle-free and comfortable. It’s highly unlikely for this netbook to become available locally, but if you have friends or relatives in Australia, this might be something to look forward to. Read the full review of the pre-production Kogan Agora netbook via the source link below.

[SOURCE]

Link

Use Google Resources to Rank Higher in Google Search

Chris Crum of WebProNews has published a great article about raising the visibility of your web offering to get more conversions.

After all conversions is what it's really all about right!

In the article he outlines methods for using other google resources to help with ranking in the main google search engine.

For example:
1. Ranking in YouTube
2. Ranking in Google Image Search
3. Ranking in Google News
4. Ranking in Google Maps/Local Search
5. Ranking in Google Blog Search

It's great information!

See the full article here: Source | WebProNews

Use Command Line to Securely Erase Free Space from the Terminal

Source: Securely erase free space from Terminal | Mac OS X | Mac OS X Hints | Macworld

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(Please note that there’s a chance of Extremely Unpleasant Things happening if you make a mistake with the following instructions. Proceed with caution, and make sure your backups are current before you try any of the following.)

If you’re selling an old Mac, a spare hard drive, or you’re just quite paranoid about your deleted data, you’re either familiar with—or should be familiar with—the Erase Free Space button on the Erase tab in Disk Utility (found in your Applications -> Utilities folder).

There are three options for securely erasing the free space on your hard drive:

1. write over the free space with zeros (fast and relatively safe),
2. write over the free space seven times (more secure, very slow),
3. or write over the free space 35 times (extremely slow!).

I use this feature whenever I sell an old machine. First I format the drive and install a fresh copy of OS X, then I use Disk Utility to erase the free space (typically the one-time write-with-zeros option). This gives me a good sense of security, as it would take a team of dedicated professionals, and possibly special hardware, to have some chance of recovering any of my deleted data—though I really only care about a few financial files, and those are kept on an encrypted disk image, so they’re probably safe anyway.

But what if you need to do this from Terminal instead?
For instance, say you’ve only got remote login (ssh) access to another Mac, and you’d like to wipe its free space. Or you’re really paranoid, and would like to schedule a task (using cron or launchd) that regularly erases the free space on your drive.

It turns out OS X has an answer for that challenge, too.

In Terminal, a program named diskutil provides most of the features of OS X’s Disk Utility. To find out about it in detail, type man diskutil at the Terminal prompt. Within the man pages, you’ll find the explanation for how to securely erase a disk’s free space using diskutil:

(Please note that, as with many Terminal commands, there’s a chance of Really Bad Things happening if you make a mistake with the following instructions. Proceed with caution, and make sure your backups are current before you try any of the following.)

secureErase [freespace] level device Securely erase a disk or freespace on a mounted volume. Ownership of the affected disk is required. Level should be one of the following: o 1 - Single pass randomly erase the disk. o 2 - US DoD 7 pass secure erase. o 3 - Gutmann algorithm 35 pass secure erase.

Blogging for Dollars

Blogging for Dollars
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=S._Housley]: S. Housley

Blogging for dollars might sound like the latest game show or some new drinking game, but it's the latest craze to hit the Internet. Bloggers began blogging for a number of reasons, but as the blog movement has increased in popularity, they have found ways to monetize their blogs and are seeing their commitment pay off.

Whether a blogger's focus is to communicate with customers or just to have fun, they have begun looking at ways to earn revenue from their blogs. The most popular ways for bloggers to earn some added cash for their pet projects are:

1. ) Google Adsense in Blogs
Google AdSense allows webmasters to dynamically serve content-relevant advertisements in blogs. If the visitor clicks one of the AdSense ads served to the blog, the website owner is credited for the referral. Webmasters need only to insert a Google-generated java script into the blog or blog template. Google's spider parses the AdServing blog and serves ads that relate to the blog's content. Google uses a combination of keyword matching and context analysis to determine what ads should be served.

2. ) Affiliate Programs (Product Endorsements)
Affiliate Programs work when an affiliate web site receives income for generating sales, leads, or traffic to a merchant website. Generally, bloggers will mention or endorse specific products and if site visitors purchase the product, bloggers will receive a portion of the sale.

3. ) Product Promotion
Businesses use blogs to detail how specific features or product add-ons can increase functionality and save time. Content-rich product promotion will help with search engine placement.

4.) Banner Ads
While less popular than in the past, websites with high traffic levels can still earn decent revenue by selling banner space.

As the Internet evolves bloggers will continue to seek out ways to monetize their opinions and thoughts. Daily journals and online blogs have become more than just a communication means to many.

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About the Author:
Sharon Housley manages marketing for the NotePage http://www.notepage.net and FeedForAll www.feedforall.com product lines.
Other sites by Sharon can be found at www.softwaremarketingresource.com and www.small-business-software.net

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Article Source: S. Housley at ezinearticles.com
Blogging for Dollars

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