Google Chrome Extensions Launching this Week

Google will be opening up its Chrome Extensions Gallery to the public sometime in the next week according to two sources and TechCrunch, possibly during the Add-On-Conference where Google Chrome is a sponsor of the event. Google Chrome had opened up its Extensions Gallery to developers in November, and the gallery seems to almost be ready for prime time. The addition of extensions to Google Chrome will not just make many casual users of Google Chrome happier, but also lead to customization of the browser which will lead to expanded usage and more user loyalty. Essentially, Extensions are to Chrome what Addons are to Firefox. Apparently, the Extensions Gallery will be much like the Chrome Themes Gallery. It will be a page that lists a bunch of extensions and has a button to one-click download the ones you want. Presumably there will also be a link to learn more about what each extension actually does. Initially, Extension support will only be for the Windows-based version of Chrome. Even though the launch of the beta version of Chrome for Mac is imminent, that version will not have extension support built-in. However, the latest builds of Chromium (the open-source browser that Chrome is built off of) for Mac does support extensions, and even has an extension manager that works. It would appear that the Linux build of Chrome will support extensions whenever that beta is available. Personally, I’m incredibly excited to see the collection of Chrome extensions which make my job easier roll out, including SEO and search marketing oriented extensions. One such extension which has been Shareaholic , one of my favorite social media extensions which assists in the sharing of sites to cross pollinate social media networks. Here’s a preview of their Chrome extension (also from TechCrunch ). If you have an extension for Chrome, you can upload it to the Google Chrome Extension Developer Dashboard . What Extensions or current Firefox Add-ons do you want to see added to Chrome? Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Google Chrome Extensions Launching this

Breadcrumbs: Everything About Breadcrumbs & SEO

Last week I came across amazing words describing how you should treat your website usability: A website is not like a house – people do not only come in through the front door. They come in willy-nilly, through the roof, the sewer system, the windows and the walls. This IS the nature of the web and you succeed more easily if you create a site that flows with that reality. ( Source ) So the first thing to do when analyzing how usable a site is should be to make sure people are able to easily find their way around no matter which page they first landed on. When it comes to huge websites, breadcrumbs can be a great way to help users identify where they are located. Here are a few essential things you should know about breadcrumbs: 1. Types of

Google Chrome OS News Round-Up, What’s Your Take?

As soon as Google goes official with the Chrome OS, every tech people I know jumped into it. Each with his own comments, impressions and ideas on what was made available by Google so far. You’ve read about our earlier report as well as Google’s own announcement . Now here’s what other bright minds in the tech world have to say about the Google Chrome OS. Let’s begin with SEJ’s  very own Loren and what he has to say on what was announced today about the Google Chrome OS. Got this comment from Loren via IM. If Chrome OS does for my computing experience what Chrome Browser has done for my web srufing & searching experience, I’m a Google OS user for life. Brad Linder of Download Squad : Google ChromeOS: It’s basically a modified browser that runs web apps. Adam Ostrow of Mashable : Chrome the browser essentially is Chrome the operating system. Applications live on the web, anything you save is available from anywhere, and Google says the current version boots in 7 seconds. StuffTV gave an essential point : Speedy Chrome OS will need dedicated hardware. Boy Genius Report’s take: Google has said flat out they designed the Chrome OS with three things in mind: speed, simplicity, and security, so we are going break down some of the finer points they touched upon under these pretenses. Dan Frommer of Business Insider was pleased with the potential of Chrome OS on netbooks: The whole point of the operating system — meant for simple computers and launching in about a year — is that it’s based on a Web browser, so don’t get too excited. It looks like a Web browser. And it actually looks pretty good. We’re curious to see how the Apple tablet pans out, but if we ever had to buy a netbook, we’d seriously consider one running Chrome OS as opposed to Windows. Larry Dignan thinks that Chrome OS may not be for everyone : My hunch is it may a (take) while to get consumers to believe that “every application is a Web application. Nilay Patel of Engadget has this to say: As far as going to market, Google’s not talking details until the targeted launch at the end of next year, but Chrome OS won’t run on just anything — there’ll be specific reference hardware. For example, Chrome OS won’t work with standard hard drives, just SSDs, but Google is supporting both x86 and ARM CPUs. That also means you won’t be able to just download Chrome OS and go, you’ll have to buy a Chrome OS device approved by Google. Patrick Goss of TechRadar believes (and I agree) that Chrome OS won’t replace Windows just yet: But Chrome OS is a seismic change from what people are expecting; and Google’s assertion that this is meant to be for secondary devices means that this is not meant to replace Windows – at least not yet. Eric Schonfeld thinks Google is making Chrome OS too simple : Rather than support Android apps and other sorts of apps, there is only one kind of app Google is interested in: the Web app. Chrome OS is all about making Web apps the only apps you will ever need. Which kind of makes you wonder how long we’ll need Android apps, or iPhone apps for that matter, because you know it is only a matter of time before a phone comes out running on Chrome OS. So, what’s your take on what was just announced by Google about Chrome OS? Check out the SEO Tools guide at Search Engine Journal . Google Chrome OS News Round-Up, What’s Your

Total Time Spent On Top Websites

comScore via its World Metrix report estimates the total time spent on the world’s top web properties. The September 2009 World Metrix data shows Microsoft having a significant lead in total time spent on its sites over its next nearest competitor Google. Total Time Spent From the comScore Press Release: Microsoft Sites Captures Nearly 15 Percent Share of Attention Worldwide In September 2009, nearly 27 billion hours were spent on the Internet globally by a record online population of 1.2 billion Internet users age 15 and older. Microsoft Sites accounted for 14.5 percent of total minutes spent online in September, making it the most engaging global property, with Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger representing nearly 70 percent of time spent on the property during the month. Google Sites captured 9.3 percent of total minutes (2.5 billion hours), with YouTube accounting for nearly half of total time spent (1.2 billion hours) at the property. Yahoo! Sites ranked as the third most engaging Web property at 1.7 billion hours, followed by Facebook.com at 1.4 billion hours. Facebook’s share of attention reached 5.1 percent in September, an increase of 2.9 percentage points from the previous year, as its continued growth in popularity precipitated this surge in share. The study found that Microsoft Sites captured nearly 15 percent of time spent online worldwide in September, making it the most engaging global property, followed by Google Sites and Yahoo! Sites. Facebook.com, which continues to see significant growth on a worldwide basis, was the fourth most engaging destination with visitors spending 1.4 billion hours on the site in September, up 193 percent from the previous year.

Read more here:
Total Time Spent On Top Websites

How To Fix Registry Errors

by Mark Walters The windows registry is the essence of the computer, perpetually modifying and developing in size. This registry changes every time you install, delete programs or change system settings. Unfortunately, over time, the windows registry will look for outdated files and redundant info and save them, thus, making the computer performance go down. Should this happen to your computer, you need to learn how to fix registry errors. This is necessary because the longer you leave registry errors to accumulate, the more frequent software errors will occur, and the more problematic they will be. Furthermore, you might have other errors such as the dreaded blue screen of death. You should be aware of such problems from the outset and not just assume that registry errors only happen in older computers, say, ones that are a couple of years old. This is not the case at all. The windows registry can become out of sync the first time you use a computer should you make changes to the system and the registry be interrupted or cut off whilst it is accounting for them Some common problems that may require you to fix registry errors include… – Applications taking noticeably longer that usual to load – The appearance of a blue screen that precedes your computer switching itself off or restarting itself – The computer regularly freezing up and crashing – Unwelcome error messages that abruptly come out on the computer screen If you are having the above mentioned problems, then you probably have a serious problem in the computer registry and it needs to be fixed as quickly as possible before the system collapses, if it hasn’t done so already. So, how to fix registry errors? Well, it is something that you can do yourself. By doing it yourself you don’t have to spend any money, so this is the most cost effective method. However, doing it yourself is very time intensive and requires you to be fairly knowledgeable about windows and its registry system. In fact, even those with past knowledge and experience make mistakes with it and can’t normally fix registry errors in a short space of time. To start the process of manually fixing registry errors, select “Run” from the start menu. Then enter “Regedit”. However, you have to make sure that you do not fine-tune anything unless you are aware of the end results. A safer alternative to manually fixing registry errors is to use a registry repair program to do it automatically for you. They are really simple to use. If you can operate a mouse, then you can certainly run a scan and repair the computer back to its maximum performance. About the Author: Learn More : How To Fix Registry Errors

See the rest here:
How To Fix Registry Errors

What Malware And Grayware Are And What You Can Do About Them

by Susan Reynolds Malware is a pretty uncommon term, and is not familiar to a lot of users of computer software. Basically, the term refers to any kind of software that has been created to cause harm to its host computer by installing things and doing procedures unknown to the user. Specific examples of malware include spyware and adware, both of which operate by conducting unauthorized operations on a computer. Though malware and computer viruses are different, they are both specifically designed to cause harm to the host computer, as opposed to a legitimate program that you yourself install which does not execute properly. Malware programs are more commonly spread through end user installations, such as peer to peer applications, than through installations from purchased software. Malware most frequently finds its way onto your computer through Trojan horses and rootkits. Trojan horses are harmful installations that disguise themselves as seemingly innocent programs. These installations may seem harmless when running, but behind the scenes the malware covertly installs itself at the same time. Once installed, malware needs to remain concealed to continue working on your computer. This is done through rootkits, which work by concealing the malware from the list of running system processes, ensuring that the malware remains undetected. Advanced Rootkits will also fight any attempt at removing them. For example, a malware program may create instantaneous ‘ghost’ versions of itself, and whenever it realizes that one of the ‘ghosts’ has been deactivated or deleted, the original program quickly begins creating replacements for the deactivated or deleted files in order to protect itself. Some examples of especially infamous forms of malware are Blaster, Sasser, and the rather appropriately-named Mydoom. A spinoff of malware is something called grayware, which is a non-harmful but nonetheless irritating piece of software. Grayware includes things like adware and humorous joke programs that are meant to annoy the computer’s user without damaging the computer or user. These can be quite tiresome and are usually as difficult to get rid of as malware, and therefore are classified along with it. Not only can this software compromise your computers safety, but it can also leave you more vulnerable to other damaging installations. Grayware and malware can also get into your system through codes that are unauthorized by things you plug into your USB ports. Since it is virtually impossible to prevent malware from installing itself on your system, it is best to create a routine check on your system for malware by using an anti-malware system such as Microsoft’s Malicious Software Removal Tool. This program is compatible with Windows Vista, Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003, and can determine the nature of specific malware installations while also being able to assist you in removing them from your system. About the Author: Susan Reynolds is a content editor for a leading Spyware And Adware Removal Software brand. For more information visit: http://www.spywareremovaldoc.com

Read more here:
What Malware And Grayware Are And What You Can Do About Them