Understood around the world as an abbreviation for “Company,” “Corporation,” “Community” and “Commerce;” .CO is easy to recognize, simple to remember and flexible to use. After a highly successful period of pre-orders, .CO now becomes available to the public for general registration – starting today at GoDaddy.com – World’s No.1 Domain Name Registrar.

With the advent of .CO, consumers and businesses now have more choice in branding themselves on the Internet. Selecting a .CO domain name is not only a natural choice toward building their presence online — but as a new domain name offering, the field for selection is also wide open.

Since pre-ordering for .CO began in March, Go Daddy customers have already shown a great deal of interest in .CO. The domain name extension has become one of Go Daddy’s best-selling during a pre-order period.

“When a good domain name extension like dotCO comes to market, you see how strong the Internet really is and how powerful its growth is going to be for years to come,” said Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons. “Let’s face it, domain names are 21st century real estate.”

Go Daddy customer Christopher Wu is confident in the power of this new domain name extension, so much that he pre-ordered six of them for his business. Wu is the CEO and Co-Founder of Paper Culture LLC, a California-based company which specializes in eco-friendly modern stationery.

“It’s catchy, and there’s this element of dotCO clearly referring to a ‘company’ which really fits for us,” Wu said. “If it gives our company even an incremental boost in Web traffic, that’s incredibly valuable to our business.”

Wu said his .CO selections give his brand the potential to grow in a new direction.

“I look at the .CO domain name like it’s waterfront real-estate,” Wu added. “It may not be as well-known as the Santa Monica waterfront … but in an age where the prime locations are hard to come by, this newly chartered territory is extremely valuable.”

To find out how you can register a domain name under this exciting new extension, visit Go Daddy’s .CO page.

Only a fool or a particularly argumentative individual would deny that cellular technology has experienced a technological resurgence of legendary proportions as of late. Following the lead of the Blackberry, iPhone, and other trendy time-savers, other companies have scrambled to mimeograph their successes – resulting in a digital rush of state-of-the-art products that pique the interest, love, and loyalty of consumers around the world. It likely comes as no shock whatsoever to learn that experts and hobbyists alike enjoy weighing in on the new developments to come. The following represent a few that, as of 2010, seem to be the most realistic ones to find themselves fulfilled within the next few years.

1. Phenomenal Cosmic Power in an Itty-Bitty Living Space

In an article dated 2007, the BBC predicted that cell phones would boast a dynamic intelligence that greets its owner with more than just beeps to wake him or her up. Programming in the route towards school or work would prompt it to check the traffic forecasts and adjust the morning’s alarm to account for any extra time. The newly awakened owner can read over any recommended paths to a specific destination that account for a number of different factors – including road conditions and construction, too! The phone may also sync with home alarm systems for additional protection and prevention or function as a surrogate credit card when run through a specialized scanner. Or, for something a little more lighthearted, may hook up with a television to download favorite (even recommended!) shows and convert them to podcast form for easy transport. As the BBC’s visuals so cleverly point out, cell phones hold the potential to become veritable Swiss Army knives for the digital age. More so than they already are, anyways.

2. Sayonara, Laptop-san!

Blogger, Google developer, and ardent technophile Don Dodge echoes many of the same sentiments that other cell phone aficionados have been touting for years. With bandwidth capabilities accelerating faster than Wally West on a caffeine bender, it comes as little surprise to professionals and hobbyists alike that smart phones may very well overtake laptops as the primary source of mobile computing. Given their (comparatively) miniscule size, they edge out their portable peers due to easier, smoother transport. Increased bandwidth also allows for more sophisticated gaming, allowing fans of more impersive experiences and top-notch graphics to enjoy the latest and greatest while on the go. For the more technical and business-minded, cell phones may serve as an ideal conduit for Cloud Computing – which Dodge earnestly believes marks the future of how humanity interacts with machinery. Other exciting prospects include cell phone browsers comprising the Web OS, better interfacing with Google Apps, and software companies budgeting more money to develop even more and varied applications.

3. More Bang for the Buck

As with all consumer goods competing in a fluid and perpetually evolving field, those dealing in cell phone technology must do their best to lure in as many customers as possible if they hope to gain an edge over their rivals. Because of this, anyone curious about getting their hot little hands on an iPhone, Blackberry, or other smart phone may delight over perpetually changing plans and improved coverage. Mobile communications giants such as AT&T and Verizon captured to attention of many gadgeteers with their Epic Price Wars of 2010, where hacked prices made their wares more accessible to the budgeted masses. It doesn’t take a Harvard-trained economist to realize that cell phones will likely fall into the same pattern as all the other latest technological trends. The newer the item, the higher the price. However, savvy consumers unencumbered by social pressure may want to hold off and snap up phones 1 or 2 generations behind to bank a bit of coin – not to mention plummeting plan prices and better bargains to accompany them.

4. More Lucrative Opportunities for Selling Virtual Goods

Exchanging physical money for consumer items comprised of nothing but pixels has already entrenched itself in computer culture. One need only look at MMOs and other online games to witness how many people are willing to purchase digital goods for very real cash. As is, many smart phone users happily pay up for applications to increase their productivity, keep their lives organized, and simply streamline daily tasks. It stands to reason that improved internet accessibility and more sophisticated technology would pique the very same enthusiasm as, for example, World of Warcraft players who purchase in-game currency with the real thing – only in phones rather than laptops and desktops. Entrepreneurial types with a nice selection of competently constructed pixel products may be able to make a reasonable amount of money by marketing them to enthusiastic consumers. Best of all, dealing in such items involves no annoying or environmentally-unfriendly shipping costs!

5. A Surge in Prepaid Plans

With the current economic climate still shakier than a chilly little yip-yip dog after a bath, many consumers are understandably more than a little concerned about committing to a long and involved contract. Prepaid and “pay-as-you-go” plans have unsurprisingly gained a significant following in light of the collective financial woes, providing a viable option for those forced to scale back on their expenditures. Sprint’s President of Network Operations and Wholesale Steve Elfman anticipates that even when the economy manages to stabilize itself, these possibilities will retain – if not exceed – their current popularity. His company already attained considerable success with the various Boost Mobile plans, and they stand poised to continue offering the best possible coverage at an affordable, convenient price. Many providers, of course, already offer similar options. Elfman’s predictions revolve around a much larger wave of consumers opting for prepaid and short-term plans – perhaps even greatly (or, less likely, permanently) displacing their more extended counterparts.

6. The Increased Popularity of GPS

Many smart phones these days boast GPS capabilities as competent as a Garmin or a Tom-Tom. For those without one, they must content themselves with purchasing both expensive mobile devices as well as a GPS system (if not subscription!). The increased availability and popularity of these important navigational tools on cell phones just make things so much easier – not to mention budget-friendly! – for the consumer. Rather than toting around 2 pieces of technology, they can streamline back down to 1. Most of the current generation of GPS applications available on phones sync up with Google Maps, which loads far faster than the time it takes for a dedicated machine to communicate with a satellite uplink. One can assume that users will begin demanding GPS applications as a standard feature in the near future for the sheer convenience factor as well as money saved on paying for a dedicated device.

7. Smart Phones for Everyone!

With such a high demand for smart phones from all major service providers, it comes as little surprise that they will eventually overtake – and subsequently replace – their clunky predecessors whose only additional feature involves snapping 3.1 megapixel pictures. In order to slap a smart phone into the hands of every man, woman, and child in America and edge out the competition, purveyors of the cellular drug will have to shill their wares at more affordable prices and with more reasonable plans if they hope to lure in customers. And with smart phones becoming a part of the mainstream rather than a privilege only afforded to those with the dollars to shell out, the applications market will experience an upsurge as users scramble to snap up the latest and greatest in games, organizational tools, and other bits of programming to simplify and streamline their lives. As stated above, many of the newer smart phone users would be more than happy to pay for these applications.

8. Mobile Internet Becomes the Norm

Morgan Stanley Internet Analyst Mary Meeker agrees with a goodly chunk of other industry professionals when she states that society’s growing reliance on mobile WiFi rather than fixed points will lead to the former eventually overtaking the latter. She feels that with internet access becoming a standard feature of all newer makes and models of phones, users will connect with these devices far more frequently than laptops, desktops, and other machines that lock onto a stationary signal. While fixed internet currently reigns supreme, Meeker believes it will fall into second place sometime in 2013. Fortunately for laptop and desktop owners who prefer wider screens and friendlier ergonomics for long-term work, it won’t disappear entirely. Merely step politely out of its previous limelight and make room for the shinier, sleeker new whippersnapper desiring to take its place. Mobile internet is actually growing at a far more accelerated rate than its predecessors, too – as illustrated by the excellent graphs that the linked article provides.

9. More Sophisticated Bar Code Readers

Some applications – generally for the iPhone – already turn mobile devices into impromptu bar code readers. However, the technology in American phones still hovers in a rather rudimentary state, with some of them still to buggy and unreliable to start phasing out the previous incarnation. Japanese devices, though, have already competently harnessed bar code scanning for numerous different functions that will hopefully begin drifting over the Pacific in due time. Users in Japan utilize their phones to scan bar codes and check out the latest train schedules without forming an impromptu mosh pit around the board. They are also able to interact with consumer goods, and many of the bar codes will direct users to different websites where they can read reviews and compare the best prices available. It stands to reason that Americans will someday soon be able to reap the benefits of the improved mobile scanner feature, and many application designers will find a plethora of creative ways to apply this technology.

10. Improved Location-based Services

With a higher demand for GPS services on smart phones, consumers will likely demand more and better location-based applications. Some already exist to help them track down their friends and receive turn-by-turn directions to a specific destination, but a combination of improved technology and consumer desires will inevitably lead to a broad spectrum of applications catering to a number of different needs and wants. One potential business use that Computerworld’s Matt Hamblen points out echoes the same sentiment as friends hooking up for a bit of socialization. He notes that supervisors and any companies concerned with shipping can take advantage of location-based services to track their workers and packages for signs of compromised productivity. Advertisers can further personalize their offerings in a manner similar to those utilizing the annoyingly ubiquitous Facebook, customizing based not only on a consumer’s recorded preferences, but where they are in proximity to a specific business as well.

Time will tell whether or not these predictions come to fruition or fizzle away into obscurity, digital relics of a past ripe with speculation over the next technological trend that shaped the future. Until then, though, it is certainly fun to contemplate the myriad possibilities that may await smart and cell phone enthusiasts in the years ahead.

Thanks To – Carolyn Friedman, Becoming a Computer Technician

Small businesses were, on average, able to add employees once again last month. According to new data from Intuit, an impressive 18,000 new jobs were in fact created in June, extending a positive run even as a couple other stats also improved.

The other stats are helpful because they indicate that those positions are significant. Or in other words, people aren’t being paid minimum wage or just working four hours per week.

An individual representing Intuit wrote SmallBusinessNewz this week to say, “Compensation grew by 0.3 percent in June maintaining about the same rate for the last five months and now is $2,577 per month, compared to $2,570 per month in May. Monthly hours worked increased by 0.05 percent in June, to 103.5 hours compared to a revised 103.4 hours in May.”

Then, to add to the job creation info we started with, here’s another hopeful statistic: if you use October of last year as a starting point, the Intuit spokesperson was able to report that 330,000 positions have been established since then.

Plus, this data stems from an analysis of around 57,000 businesses, not 5 or even 50, so it should be reliable.

Good news all around, eh? Considering small businesses couldn’t hire people, pay them more, and give them a reasonable number of hours if they were struggling too much.

Let’s hope this trend sustains itself well into July (and beyond, for that matter).

About the Author : Doug Caverly is a staff writer for SmallBusinessNewz

DISH Network, the leading satellite TV provider of the United States and Google, has revealed the launch of Google TV. It will be an open platform that effortlessly assimilates multichannel TV with rich media content from the web. This technology takes the TV viewing experience of the DISH Network subscribers to a whole new level by combining TV entertainment with the full power of the Internet.

Google TV brings a unique opportunity to the satellite TV viewers. Combining the traditional TV programming with the wide array web content, it allows viewers unparalleled access, control, and flexibility over all kinds of digital media. DISH Network subscribers who will be using Google TV can search for content across DISH Network programming guide, the web and their DVRs at the same point of time. They can even overlay some online content related to the popular TV shows, movies, actors and much more with Google TV. What’s more? They can also hyperlink the web content back to the multichannel TV. Now, that is what is called the next generation TV entertainment.

The DISH Network Google TV incorporation is the result of a joint development process between the two industry leaders. The companies began their joint trial more than a year ago by beta testing the technology with over 400 DISH Network and Google users. Based on constant feedback from the trial, Google and DISH Network have come up with the Google TV experience that seamlessly combines the traditional TV content with rich web content.

Charlie Ergen, Chairman, President and CEO of DISH Network said, “DISH Network has enjoyed a strong partnership with Google for many years, built on a common foundation of innovative thinking and risk-taking.” He also said “DISH Network’s integration of Google TV marks the next evolution in television, and DISH Network customers will be able to enjoy the best of TV and the web in one platform using their existing HD DVR receivers and a Google TV device.”

Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google said, “We are excited to bring the web to television and enable developers to innovate on the Google TV platform.” He also added, “With DISH Network’s contributions, Google TV delivers a richer user experience and a compelling product for consumers.”

Both Google and DISH Network are planning to offer the highly optimized Google TV experience to the customers somewhere in the later part of this fall. Meanwhile DISH Network will include the software that is required to enable this advanced technology to all the HD DVR receivers of DISH Network. After that the subscribers can simply connect their Google TV equipments to their DISH Network receivers with the help of HDMI. So get ready for the all new Google TV experience this fall.

Great news for the TV advertisers out there!

DISH Network L.L.C and DIRECTV Group., the leading satellite TV service providers in the United States after setting off their legal tiff over the ‘why pay more’ advertising campaign, has come together to announce the launch of the a new interactive advertising platform for the advertiser across the nation. Known as Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform (ASAP), this platform will give national television advertisers unparalleled access to nearly 30 million U.S. households.

ASAP can open up immense possibility for the advertisers and can help the potential buyers alike. The platform caters to the advertisers’ needs for an efficient, nationwide interactive TV platform. The platform also has the immediate ability to deliver the interactive opportunity in the marketplace.

With the combined satellite TV advertising platform, the advertiser can have manifold benefits. The turn-key, one-stop-shop approach of the platform will help the advertisers in creating, planning, buying and implementing a nationwide interactive advertising campaign.

But the main opportunity that Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform extends to the advertisers is the ability to showcase long-form advertorial content. The content will be shown on an exclusive channel dedicated to interactive advertising. The channel will also have other interactive opportunities to engage the prospective customers further.

The interactive opportunities that will be used in the channel include photo galleries, additional product information, regional locators, simple gaming and requests-for-information (RFI). RFI allows the prospective customers to enter a sweepstakes and to request a product sample, brochure or coupon directly from the TV with the help of the remote control right from their home.

Michael Finn, Vice President of Advertising Sales for DISH Network said “Separately, our satellite companies already bring advanced media functionality to every DMA in the country; together, we bring the scale, ease of use and analytics that we believe will power interactive TV into the mainstream among clients”.

According to Bob Riordan, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales for DIRECTV, “Both DIRECTV and DISH Network have offered advertisers a proven and mature interactive platform that dates back to 2004”. “Our combined advanced television efforts will bring the marketplace unmatched expertise and an unrivaled nationally scaled experience” he said.

Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform is expected to be a fully calculated advertising platform that utilizes third-party research services. Upon the completion of a campaign through this platform, the advertisers will get in-depth post report metrics. This way, the advertisers will get measurable results. This will help the advertisers across the nation in more than one ways.

The Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform is a combined DISH Network and DIRECTV. If seems that the leading satellite TV providers have finally got over the childish smearing campaign against each other and are concentrating on a healthy competition. Advanced Satellite Advertising Platform (ASAP) is only the beginning…

Gartner has revealed its key predictions on the use of social software and collaboration in the enterprise. These predictions focus on offerings ranging from team collaboration to dynamic social networking applications that offer rich profiles and activity streams.

Gartner offers five key predictions for social software:

1) By 2014, social networking services will replace e-mail as the primary vehicle for interpersonal communications for 20 percent of business users.

2) By 2012, over 50 percent of enterprises will use activity streams that include microblogging, but stand-alone enterprise microblogging will have less than 5 percent penetration.

3) Through 2012, over 70 percent of IT-dominated social media initiatives will fail.

4) Within five years, 70 percent of collaboration and communications applications designed on PCs will be modeled after user experience lessons from smart phone collaboration applications.

5) Through 2015, only 25 percent of enterprises will routinely utilize social network analysis to improve performance and productivity.

I wanted to let you know, Retrevo has just compared the State of the Union with the iPad launch event to give people an idea of the buzz as it happened on Twitter.

Apple’s iPad announcement achieved high levels on the Retrevo Buzzmeter (peaking at 7,000 tweets per minute) and it might surpass Buzzmeter levels for the State of the Union Address. Buzzmeter readings for Steve Jobs and the iPad came close but didn’t exceed President Obama’s moment in the spotlight. The State of the Union also had a longer sustained chatter after the event completed. The State of the Union chatter on Twitter peaked at just over 9,000 tweets per minute.

Just prior to the event a somewhat elevated activity compared to the much lower “baseline” of the night before the event. As the event gets underway at 10:00 AM and Steve Jobs takes the stage, a low level buzz that builds toward the formal announcement at 10:10. Activity drops off momentarily followed by the highest level of the event measuring 7,000 TPM which coincides with the hardware description at 10:30 AM. Then several smaller bursts associated with more announcements until activity peaks again as the event was winding down.

What is the Tech Buzzmeter? – Retrevo’s Tech Buzzmeter is an automated tool that tracks and quantifies “buzz” surrounding technology related launches, topics, and events as they happen online.

Twenga, the most comprehensive shopping search engine, has received the Red Herring 100 Global Award, awarded to the top 100 private technology companies worldwide.

In three years, Twenga has established itself in 14 countries, most recently the USA, Brazil, Australia and India. Twenga’s websites now display more than 180 million products from over 75,000 retailers and receive more than 25 million visits a month. Twenga’s key advantage remains its totally objective and neutral product results, ideal for shoppers, who are always looking for impartial price comparisons.

Twenga is able to display almost 10 times more product offers than other price comparison sites thanks to its proprietary technology automatically indexing retailer sites, and thus guaranteeing that users really find the best deal.

“We would like to thank the Red Herring Global Award judges for recognising the worldwide success of Twenga with this global award. Thanks to our pioneering technology, we have succeeded in establishing our shopping search engine in 14 countries across four continents in less than three years.” said Bastien Duclaux, CEO and co-founder of Twenga.

Red Herring is a global media company uniting the world’s best high-technology innovators, venture investors, and business decision-makers in a variety of forums: a leading innovation magazine, an online daily technology news service, technology newsletters, and major events for technology leaders around the globe.

DISH Network, America’s fastest growing satellite TV provider, introduced TV Everywhere – a unique suite of integrated products designed to maximize the convenience and ease of watching TV anytime and anywhere.

TV Everywhere from DISH Network provides customers with access to all their live and recorded programming on a laptop, mobile device, or anywhere in the home wirelessly. Key components of TV Everywhere include the TV Everywhere Adapter; the award-winning ViP 922; the new DISH Network WiFi HD Monitor; and the newly-released DISH Remote Access App.

Add TV Everywhere with the TV Everywhere Adapter – the World’s Smallest Slingbox

Developed in partnership with EchoStar Technologies and its affiliate Sling Media, Inc., the TV Everywhere Adapter adds Slingbox technology to existing DISH Network HD DVR receivers such as the ViP 722k. The TV Everywhere Adapter is a sleek, ultra-slim device that easily connects to compatible set-top boxes via a single USB cable, removing the need for additional wires or a separate power supply. Once activated, the TV Everywhere Adapter provides DISH Network customers with the freedom to watch their favorite dish TV channels anytime and anywhere on laptops and mobile phones.

Watch Your TV Everywhere with the Award-Winning ViP 922

DISH Network’s award-winning HD DuoDVR ViP 922 with TV Everywhere, the world’s only DVR with built-in Slingbox technology, allows customers to watch and control their favorite programs anytime and anywhere on their laptop or mobile device. The ViP 922 features a 1 TB hard drive with up to 1,000 hours of recording time – the largest hard drive in the industry.

Enjoy TV Everywhere in Your Home with the DISH Network WiFi Monitor

The DISH Network WiFi Monitor, a lightweight, portable, high-definition monitor developed by Sling Media, is the only free-standing monitor available today that can wirelessly transmit an HD video signal from a set-top box to anywhere in the home via a WiFi network. Designed as a companion product to the TV Everywhere Adapter and the ViP 922, the WiFi Monitor offers a 16 x 9 widescreen format that displays 720p HD quality and controls all features of a connected DISH Network HD DVR receiver, including viewing live TV as well as viewing and managing DVR recordings.

Manage Your TV Everywhere with the DISH Remote Access Mobile App

DISH Network continues to lead the industry in offering fully-featured remote DVR scheduling technology. The DISH Remote Access App, compatible with most SD and HD DISH DVR receivers, is the first and only app that offers satellite TV customers complete control of their TV everywhere. Users can set and delete timers on multiple receivers; browse and search nine days of shows; and manage their DVR library by setting recording priorities, resolving recording conflicts and deleting programs they have already watched. An added bonus, the DISH Remote Access App also includes a unique feature that transforms an iPhone or iPod touch into a remote control for televisions connected to compatible DISH Network receivers. Customers without an iPhone or iPod touch can still enjoy all DISH Remote Access benefits through the web browser on their PC or mobile device.

The DISH Remote Access App is now available for free for both the iPhone and iPod touch and can be downloaded from the App Store. DISH Network expects to launch the TV Everywhere Adapter, the ViP 922 and the WiFi Monitor in the second quarter of 2010.

As social networking grows increasingly pervasive, more employers are utilising these sites to screen potential employees. More than half (53%) of employers reported in a recent CareerBuilder survey that they use social networking sites to research job candidates. Another 12% plan to start using social networking sites for screening. More than 450 employers participated in the survey, which was completed in December 2009.

Of those who conduct online searches/background checks of job candidates, 43% use search engines, 12% use Facebook and 12% use LinkedIn. Three per cent search blogs, while an additional 4% follow candidates on Twitter.

Why Employers Disregarded Candidates After Screening Online

As job seekers gear up their search for employment in the new year, they are cautioned to be mindful of the information they post online and how they communicate directly with employers. Forty-three per cent of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them not to hire the candidate. The top examples cited include:

• Candidate lied about qualifications – 38%
• Candidate showed poor communication skills – 31%
• Candidate made discriminatory comments – 13%
• Candidate posted content about them drinking or using drugs – 10%
• Candidate posted provocative or inappropriate photographs or information – 9%
• Candidate bad-mouthed their previous employer, co-workers or clients – 9%
• Candidate shared confidential information from previous employer – 8%

Why Employers Hired Candidates After Screening Online

Job seekers are also encouraged to leverage social media in advertising their skills and experience. Half of employers reported they have found content on social networking sites that caused them to hire the candidate. The top examples include:

• Profile supported candidate’s professional qualifications – 61%
• Candidate showed solid communication skills – 41%
• Candidate was well-rounded – 37%
• Profile provided a good feel for the candidate’s personality and fit – 28%
• Candidate seemed creative –24%
• Candidate conveyed a professional image – 22%
• Candidate received awards and accolades – 15%
• Other people posted good references about the candidate – 15%

“Social networking is a great way to make connections with potential job opportunities in 2010 and promote your personal brand across the Internet,” said Farhan Yasin, president of CareerBuilder EMEA.

In addition, once job seekers land a position, they need to mindful of their online usage. 48% of employers monitor employees’ use of e-mail and the Internet. 28% of employers reported that they have fired an employee for information found on his/her social networking profile. The most common reasons for termination were due to negative posts about the company or another employee, because they shared confidential information or because they represented themselves in an unprofessional manner (38% each).

Yasin recommends the following DOs and DON’Ts to keep a positive image online this year:

1) DO clean up digital dirt BEFORE you begin your job search. Remove any photos, content and links that can work against you in an employer’s eyes.

2) DO consider creating your own professional group on sites like Facebook or BrightFuse.com to establish relationships with thought leaders, recruiters and potential referrals.

3) DO keep gripes offline. Keep the content focused on the positive, whether that relates to professional or personal information. Makes sure to highlight specific accomplishments inside and outside of work.

4) DON’T forget others can see your friends, so be selective about who you accept as friends. Monitor comments made by others. Consider using the “block comments” feature or setting your profile to “private” so only designated friends can view it.

5) DON’T mention your job search if you’re still employed.