This week’s 3 stories aren’t exactly difficult to find, and the first one regarding Facebook is an update on a story that’s already been news for while.

So, with Facebook about to go public, we begin with co-owner Eduardo Saverin – who successfully sued Zuckenberg after being famously ousted from the firm – and his involvement with Facebook’s attempt to limit the amount of tax the US is allowed to take from both them and him. And why wouldn’t they try and stall the powers-that-be? After all, it was hard-earned, so you can understand Facebook’s owners putting certain things in place to protect their interests. Eduardo’s tactic, then, as was recently alleged, is to give up his US citizenship (which he has held since 1998). With a Singapore citizenship he’ll be in a much better place tax-wise, although, of course, there is less talk of the money side of things from his end – it’s never about the money, is it? – and Facebook say the move is purely about where he’ll be living from now on.

[Image credits: Eduardo Saverin, co-founder of Facebook. Photograph: Jason Kempin/Getty Images North America]

Amazon are at the centre of this week’s story number 2, and the subject matter won’t surprise anyone who has been following the ebook-versus-traditional-book debate for the last decade or so: yes, after years of speculation and multiple new Kindle models hitting the virtual shelves, Amazon are finally about to up their technology to the Holy Grail of what we’ve all been waiting for – colour ink screens which further enhance the reading experience. Not great news if you just bought a black and white model, but terrific news if you’re one of the countless hundreds-of-thousands of avid paperback readers who has been biding their time until the Kindle becomes as close to a book as is physically possible.

The story about the new line of Kindle’s, which are set to appear sometime later this year, first appeared via Digitmes, who said that, actually, progression towards the new colour Kindle is a lot further along than most of us had thought possible. This will integrate new touch-pad style function, of course, which will make the new device the hottest reading item anywhere in the world – at least, until Apple challenge the Kindle and produce something of an equal (not to mention the dozens of other companies vying for a place in this growing marketplace).

Whenever these new models appear, it’ll be interesting to see what exact difference it makes for book readers. But whatever the improvements, we’re sure that this new line won’t be the end of the Kindle’s evolution…because when you think about it, we’ve only just started, haven’t we?

This week’s third story is, you guessed it, all about Bing – the search engine which we all say is really cool, but still we end up using Google. Yet this new information we report now might be the thing to finally change your mind. Not heard about the new Bing format yet? Well, allow us to fill you in on all the details: firstly, the new concept is a lot fresher and different from all the search engines you have seen before. Three columns make it up, displaying results in a familiar manner. First there is a column to show regular search results, and this is followed by one showing info which is closest to what the user entered. The last column shows recommendations from friends and acquaintances – something of a nice touch, we think. Will it topple Google? We’re not sure about that, but it’ll certainly rock the boat a bit!

Source for article 1: http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-employee-resigns-citizenship-to-escape-taxes-2012-05

Source for article 3: http://www.webpronews.com/new-bing-is-more-than-just-a-pretty-face-2012-05

Source for article 2: http://www.webpronews.com/rumor-amazon-to-launch-color-e-ink-kindles-later-this-year-2012-05

You won’t be surprised to learn that BigCommerce is now the world’s fastest expanding Ecommerce platform, and recently the firm announced a compelling collaboration with Pinterest that looks interesting. The main idea of the Australian company, formed in 2009, is to give merchants using the service a better ability to drive sales. Pinterest should allow this to happen with much more ease, increasing sales traffic and brand awareness. A simple but good plan, we think, and as everyone knows, it’s nearly always the simple plans that work the best.

Our next story unsurprisingly involves Google. The firm are a law unto themselves, aren’t they? One minute we think we understand what they might do next, and the next thing…well, something usually happens that none of us could have predicted, not even Facebook. Take the Penguin update – it’s a good example of something that comes out of nowhere and causing some serious head-scratching. Hardly anyone understands what this update is designed to do, and even fewer really know how it will play a part with other aspects of the industry…

And Google aren’t giving much away. Can you blame then? Probably not. We’re all aware how Google’s secrecy actually enables things to run smoother, even if we don’t much like being shut out from information that would really help us plan. If they were to release all kinds of information, it’s fair to say that some would take advantage and that’d ruin things for others – as in all walks of life.

One thing Matt Cutts has said, however, is that Google advise webmasters to focus more on quality sites rich in great user experience; something that is fast becoming key to everything the company are doing. White hat SEO is the most important thing to do, says Matt, and the company stress that the update will only negatively affect people who are abusing the rules and violating codes put in place to make everyone get along better.

Other things that Cutts stressed included the need for webmasters to NOT create multiple subdomains and pages, along with duplicate content. More information about this is all over the web right now, so for anyone who needs to, we highly suggest you look out for it, because pretty soon not doing so is going to present serious problems for all involved.

Live in Kuwait? Well, if you’re reading this blog now then you may want to make the most of it and peruse a few other sites while you’re still able to: according to reliable sources, the country isn’t keen on allowing social media to inflitrate the country’s hearts and minds, and is about to get firm with everyone involved. And we happen to believe the hype – after all…we’re talking about a country which has just given a man seven years in jail for a Tweet which wasn’t appreciated.

Sheikh Mohammad al-Mubarak Al-Sabah – Information Minister – started the controversy several weeks ago when he announced that Twitter was not going to be tolerated for reasons of public security and safety. Facebook started it all, you could say, but then, with such tensions already existing, it was only a matter of time until social networking got involved and had its share of pressure. After all, more than anything else, social networking sites have the ability to spread information far and wide and with amazing speed. In the past, tensions between Sunnis and Shi’ites have taken weeks or months to ignite, but now, thanks to the internet, the same thing takes merely seconds.

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/bigcommerce-launches-pinterest-integration-2012-05

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/google-penguin-update-dont-forget-about-duplicate-content-2012-05

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/kuwait-prepares-to-limit-social-media-2012-05

This past week has been as fascinating as ever, hasn’t it? Not only that, but, once again, things have managed to happen which we could never have predicted, and it all started with a bear falling out of a tree in Colorado after falling victim to a tranquillizer dart. This wouldn’t have been newsworthy, apart from the fact that thanks to the internet, the unconscious bear has become an internet sensation!

The news besides that look boring by comparison, but look a little closer and things soon start to get a bit more interesting for all of us – in particular where online shopping and small to medium businesses are concerned.

Our second story today is all about Google’s top search query information: now, in a very cool twist of technological fate, you can view a full 90 days of data.

Why is this so good? Well, that’s probably something you’ve already worked out: this new rise in information means that setting up a new website is given a big helping hand. Not sure what kind of thing people are searching for? 90 days of search queries will help you evaluate where your business might be able to grow and, by turns, succeed much more rapidly. In this age of financial uncertainty, that’s got to be something of significance, surely.

If you’re unfamiliar with how much information customers could access before this change, then you’ll be surprised to learn that it was only 35 days worth. So in comparison, it’s a serious change which should present some serious increase in website traffic awareness, we think. There’s much more to this story than just this fact, of course, so to get all the technical specs you’d be wise to head on over to Web Pro News, who can assist with a series of handy graphs that should show you very simply what we mean.

And now we move swiftly onto MasterCard. Thought they were just one huge company concerned only with money, wealth and skimming a percentage off every payment their customers make? Well, looking at their latest survey it would seem that they’re taking security as seriously as it gets and stepping up with an idea which could transform the efficiency of online spending. In fact, when it comes to mobile devices, they may be at the cutting-edge of looking at our spending habits and ascertaining the best move forward so transactions are safe.

How concerned should MasterCard and other big companies be about customers spending via mobile devices? Very, according to this survey, which says, in black and white, that as many as 41% of all consumers made purchases by smartphones in the last year or so – an impressive figure that is only set to rise and rise as hotspots pop up everywhere, and buying on-the-go becomes more and more the norm. With percentages like that, it seems clear that spending via smartphones is no fad.

Want to know what MasterCard are doing about the concerns that shoppers have raised? We’re talking worries like speed of transactions and security. Well, the company look set to be thinking about doing a deal with Apple which will make a system that is far more secure and much more designed with encryption in mind. Will this work out in the long-term? It’s hard to say, but with a company as big and experienced in these matters at the helm of the new technology, at least we can be sure that many of the problems of the past few years should more or less be sorted out.

Source 1: http://www.webpronews.com/google-adds-more-top-search-query-data-2012-04

Source 2: http://www.webpronews.com/mastercard-survey-reports-online-shopping-concerns-2012-04

Are Google worried? It’s unlikely, but it does pose a few interesting questions, we think. Facebook are obviously implementing an awful lot of new features…but what are Google doing to fight back with similar rage? Well, now you asked…

Google aren’t sitting around crying onto their laptops, is what. Instead, for the past few months or longer they’ve had their engineers working hard on the Google+ Hangouts feature – something which more and more people are using every single day for their own purposes, creating stunning web applications that are getting more and more interesting.

Want to know more about this API? Just Google this subject and you’ll quickly find the Office Hours video which has been making waves across the world. Discussing these API-related issues, the video in question talks about all the details of what Hangout apps and their publishing involve, as well as terms of service and everything else you could ever want to know. Developers are going gaga over this, and it’s hardly surprising: it isn’t as if we’ve all been waiting for a short time for this kind of cool, interactive technology!

More details on this are available across the web, including at cutting-edge news portal Web Pro News.

And now we move onto Spotify, everyone’s favourite music application and the modern equivalent of the juke-box. Well, if you love fizzy drinks and you love listening to music for free, you’re going to ensure you’re sitting down to hear this news: last week, Spotify announced – or rather, Daniel Elk did – that the conclusion of the meeting of Spotify and Coca-Cola will be an amazing new app which will blow minds everywhere the second it is released. Why? Because they’ve been working on the app for a while, and have designed and created something which will allow users to find and discover music at a mind-boggling rate. Sharing will also be a fundamental part of this new feature, and it’s going to bring social media and music together to form a serious force to be reckoned with!

The partnership’s deal, as reported at many other sources, will be this: Spotify will enable technology which Coca-Cola will use globally. Basically, each and every customer of the fizzy-drinks giant will be able to tap into this fantastic new resource. What’s more, Coca-Cola will be making Spotify available on Facebook using the new Timeline media that has been causing a conflict of opinions. The conclusion of this, they say, will be an approach to social media that is music friendly and takes all the difficulty and hassle out of finding your favourite bands wherever you are in the world.

Story one: source: http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-ads-reportedly-destroying-google-ads-in-cpcs-2012-04

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/google-team-details-hangouts-api-version-1-0-2012-04

Source: http://www.webpronews.com/spotify-partners-with-coca-cola-ipad-app-on-the-way-2012-04

Another interesting week for social media, with more than a few interesting and noteworthy announcements to make (we only have time for 3 here but there are numerous more all over the web). The first thing to focus on is how Consumer Watchdog made it known to the FCC that they weren’t happy at all and wanted an uncensored full report released, pertaining to the 2012 eavesdropping débâcle that was Google Street View (when a report was released, but found to be shoddy on a number of levels).

In fact, the FCC were so unhappy with Google – stating that Google avoided answering their concerns about security of users’ private information – that they decided to fine them a reported $25,000 dollars, all for driving the Google car around and passing through unsecured Wi-Fi networks which might be sourced for information that wasn’t theirs to take. Not much for the internet giants, but enough to make them at least notice that this kind of thing is not acceptable. And we’re sure that this isn’t the last we’ll be hearing of this story. This certainly isn’t where it ends for Google on a number of other counts, either; with a company that is now so vast, there are as many as 30 law-suits pending, many of which attack on the grounds of invasion of privacy. Not particularly surprising that Google has its hand in virtually every pie going, including quite a few which are still in developmental stages.

And now we come to a slightly more uplifting story concerning Robert Doisneau. Not sure who he is? Well, this week saw the celebration of the famous man’s 100th Birthday, with Google marking it with an eternal Google doodle that the whole world could see. Responsible for some of this century’s most arresting photography, Paris will never look the same again, and this photographer’s inspiration images are sure to remain in the public’s imagination for a long time to come. Enter his name into any search engine and see the vast range of photographs that Robert made look so spectacular and magical.

Lastly, it’s all about Facebook – hardly surprising, considering the firm are constantly on the cutting-edge of steering the rest of the industry when it comes to social media. Google may be making a concerned and dedicated effort with Google+, but Facebook have the experience and the unrivalled knowledge to dictate what happens next, we think, and surely that gives them the upper-hand. Not convinced? You will be when you read about what they’ve just done to link URLs and email…

The idea, say Facebook, is that the new Timeline URL will now become a portal to that same user’s email Inbox, speeding up the social-networking process and streamlining things so it’s all nice and easy. The result? If someone hasn’t got time to flick through countless pages to find that user of choice’s email address, he or she will simply and easily be allowed to take the suffix at the end of the URL and email to that address – hassle sorted. Don’t get too excited, though, because Facebook also said that this feature would take some time to reach all users who enjoy the new Timeline features; and there are quite a few. The reality of all this is, though, that many users won’t be interested either way. Already a lot have complained – rightly, we think – that the Timeline feature doesn’t exactly flow that smoothly and makes life more difficult. At times jumbled and confusing, the intention to create something better is there, but we still think that Facebook have some work to do to make it completely user-friendly.

Source for FCC report: http://www.webpronews.com/consumer-watchdog-demands-uncensored-fcc-report-on-google-wi-fi-spying-2012-04

Source for birthday story: http://www.webpronews.com/robert-doisneau-100th-birthday-celebrated-with-google-doodle-2012-04

Source for Facebook story: http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-urls-and-email-now-linked-2012-04

The last week has been as exciting as any other for SEO and social media news, and if you’ve been anywhere near the internet recently then you’ll have heard about global phenomenon Instagram being bought out; add to this a recent announcement by Google that looks to be intriguing for everyone with an interest in current affairs, and we have two new stories for you which we’re sure to be hearing much more of in the very near future.

First Instagram. Now, how does a cool $1 Billion dollars sound to you? Because that’s how much money the valuation now stands at, according to industry sources strewn all over the web.

If you’re still not sure what Instagram is, allow us to clear that up right now: It’s a photo-sharing app that everyone is using, often in conjunction with Facebook. It wasn’t too surprising, then, that Facebook saw the potential and made a swift move.

Speaking on his Timeline, Facebook founder Mark Zuckenberg said that they’d be integrating the Instagram team and resources into Facebook’s headquarters. In an age of unemployment, this is refreshing news, and surely means that Instagram’s already strong core ideas should be given even more ammunition. Which is great for all of us, because it means more money being injected to make this great service even better than it is.

Zuckenberg also stated how Facebook isn’t looking to combine the companies at the cost of the app’s features; instead, he highlighted that the key concern for the coming months will be improving the service to make it even more user-friendly. This should put any fears to rest that Instagram will be integrated in such a way which might spoil the app’s simplicity, which focuses on beautiful photos rather than connecting to every available platform possible.

So, in short, the future looks very bright for this new pairing. The biggest acquisition yet for Facebook, it’s a great match which pairs up what we all love about Facebook (the ability to show everyone our photos) with what Facebook does best (letting all our friends know what we’re up to!).

Another story which we found just as interesting, but which is completely different, was Google’s announcement that they are to stream a kind of “hangout” with the UN Secretary-General. The idea? It’s one that sounds promising: using Google+s new “Hangouts” feature, the company is going to do what it’s already done a few times before with great success – connect people all over and get lots of thinking going on. In this case, Ban Ki-moon will be answering questions to a global audience from New York, the place where the United Nations headquarters are located. And we think it’s going to be exciting. With a strong history of aiding humanitarian crisis and effecting poverty and the environment, we’re sure that it’s going to make for something fascinating.

Sadly, if you’d started to write down a slew of questions with which to dazzle the Secretary-General with, you’d better take a seat…six fortunate young people from across the world have already been chosen to take part in the stream, and they’ll be from everywhere – including Asia, the Middle East and the United States, of course.

The event is taking place today at 3:30 pm EDT, on Youtube – Tuesday 10^th – but don’t worry if you’re reading this at a later date and have missed it; watching it live will be interesting, but we’re also certain that the answers and conversation will prove enlightening for some time to come.

Both stories sourced from web pro news:

http://www.webpronews.com/facebook-buying-instagram-for-1-billion-2012-04

http://www.webpronews.com/google-to-hangout-with-un-secretary-general-2012-04

As ever, this week’s All About Online blog covers some interesting ground; you’d think that social media would slow down every now and again, but actually, sometimes it seems that the complete opposite happens.

Unsurprisingly, the force that is Google is at the centre of the recent social media happenings covered below; firstly they’re on the verge of launching a brand-new commenting feature which looks to challenge the reign of Facebook – something which some have said is impossible, yet now looks a distinct possibility – and secondly, the world-dominating company have an interesting new Youtube channel up which is definitely worth a look if you’re even vaguely interested in the direction internet privacy is headed, and what shape it might take next. Finally, we take a look at one April Fool’s Day prank which left many users unsure what to think. One thing you can’t blame Google for is a lack of ingenuity. This company always have their finger on the pulse.

We begin with a platform which Google have developed in direct competition to Facebook’s increasingly evolving technology. Designed to feed directly into Google+ and make connecting through Google even easier than ever before, experts are saying that it has what it takes to be even more interesting than Facebook, and enough potential to be a serious threat to the firm and what they may have up their sleeves. According to sources, those using third-party websites will have access to this new all-encompassing Google system – one which will be linked on many levels to all of Google’s network of services (quite a range, we think you’ll agree).

Want to know more? Right now, you’ll struggle, as Google are maintaining their usual attitude to secrecy – a sure sign that what they are working on may be both as exciting and as cutting-edge as promised.

Second up is Google’s intriguing new Youtube channel. Set-up to feature the recent Big Tent events, the channel is a great place to begin if you’re interested in all internet privacy related issues. Featured at the Web Pro News website is a series of videos about the event – nine in total – which cover a hugely expansive range of issues that affect each and every one of us, including Digital Literacy and Freedom of Expression, and with speeches from people including Peter Schaar and Jeremy Hunt. Certainly worth a look, as even if you’re not that interested in the Big Tent events mentioned previously, there’s a wealth of information here pertaining to Google and their attitude to increasing web privacy and the like.

And now, finally, we move onto Google’s recent April Fool’s Day activities. What makes Google so great is their attitude to business. Because not only are they utterly driven to giving the internet user the best experience possible, but they also know how to have a laugh, too (and when they do it’s not a small thing that only a few people know about). This is proved by the slew of jokes which have been bandied around in the last week – and one of the funniest had to be their Kangaroo skit.

What happens when you mount 360 degree cameras on the heads of a thousand frenzied Kangaroos? Well, in this case, it’s what Google liked to call Google Street Roo. An event which saw the Kangaroos – which were wearing jackets complete with integrated solar panels – bouncing all over the outback, enabling everyone in the social media world a fine view of the Australian wilderness.

Good work, Google.

All stories sourced from The Telegraph and Web Pro News.

Story one: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/google/9170754/Google-to-take-on-Facebook-with-new-commenting-platform.html

Story two: http://www.webpronews.com/privacy-discussed-at-google-events-2012-03

Story three: http://www.webpronews.com/april-fools-day-google-pranks-search-maps-and-more-2012-04

Here are a few pointers for both people who love and hate the idea of all of us connecting:

1)                  There are firms out there who can handle this for you. If you have the budget, there are numerousSocial media companies who’d be happy to take this kind of work on. Not sure how it all works? By employing them to do it all, you benefit from all the results and spend none of the time. Of course, not everyone can afford this, but in that case that’s no reason to worry – why not give a member of staff the job and give them a couple of hours throughout the week to achieve it? Alternatively, if you live in Cheltenham or Gloucester, head over to About Online to see how they do things.

2)                  You can’t afford to stay away from LinkedIn: as a company, LinkedIn are seriously going places, and redefining the way we think of connecting online. Designed primarily with professionals in mind, think of it as more of a refined Facebook – a community of potential where collective minds think alike.

3)                  You need a Facebook page, and a quality SEO blog would be a great idea, too: Facebook pages are great because they are easily found – all you have to do is add some content and pictures and put the word out on Twitter. Then we come to blogging, the new secret weapon of any social media entrepreneur. Not convinced? You will be once you’ve signed up to either WordPress or Blogger and discovered the number of web design possibilities…add videos, put up regular posts about your company news or add a humorous slant. Then, once you’re done, link it to Facebok, Twitter and LinkedIn to ensure people can find you in a number of intriguing ways.

Colour is crucial

When considering how to use colour in your web design, there are three significant things to remember. The first is that the colour needs to be appropriate to the business you’re in, and the second is that colour directly affects a person’s mood. But of all the elements you want to get right, it’s readability. It’s fine to use a jet-black background with white writing, but make sure that you use a font that can be easily read; get it wrong and this contrast of colours could have your reader flicking over to a competitor’s site within seconds.

Font/typeface

Everyone loves a good font, don’t they? Well, the trouble is that everyone has a different idea of what a good font is, just the same as everyone loves a different kind of Social Media. The key thing to remember is that you can’t go too far wrong with a clear, easily readable font that makes gazing at the screen feel effortless.

Innovation is important

Got an idea for a new SEO web-site that sweeps from left to right as you scroll off-screen? Don’t be afraid to use it! Many web-sites scroll vertically, but research suggests that scrolling sideways works just as well. Live in Gloucester or Cheltenham? Then you’ll want to head over to All About and see what they have to offer.

Don’t make the reader’s life difficult

The job of all good design is to make for an enjoyable and practical experience. That experience is ruined when you forget to make your email address easy to spot, don’t include a phone number where applicable, or use SEO in such a way that it interrupts the reader’s viewing. Other things which may cause frustration for your reader are links that don’t work, and pages that take far too long to load up. While quality web design is critical to any web-sites success, it should never come at the cost of speed and efficiency.