Traffic Exchange Sites


Traffic Exchange Sites are websites where you get page views of your own site in exchange for visiting others. Many such sites are available. However, choosing the right one or a combination of them can be a very time consuming process.

Basically there are two types. Manual surfing and Auto surfing. Some Traffic exchanges cater for Manual surfing only, some cater for Auto surfing only and some cater for both.

Manual surfing - This requires your input by clicking a button after a specified time period, generally 15, 20 or 30 seconds, although there are a few other variations. With manual surfing, the surfer is expected to view each site. However, with most exchange sites, it is possible to minimize or resize the windows. This defeats the purpose because it allows multiple sessions to be run simultaneously. On the better exchange sites, security measures are often used to deter this. These are normally random prompts that require user input. For example, after x number of page views, you may be required to enter a code, select a color or image or perform some other variation of this.


Auto surfing - This requires no input. However in reality, your input may be required because of popup or frame breakers. Some traffic exchange sites require that the pages run are maximized and although you can minimize the page yourself, it will automatically maximize at the next refresh. You will also find that with some exchange sites, pages will run on top whereas with others, pages will run quite happily underneath, allowing you to do what ever you like without ever viewing the page content.

Both manual and auto surfing will bring traffic to your website, but there is a much greater likelihood of your web pages being actually seen with manual surfing.


Credits - As well as surfing, credits are usually acquired for subscribing, for referrals and for any winnings associated with exchange site lotteries, games or competitions. These credits can then be used to increase the traffic to your site. Some exchange sites will also allow you to sell your credits to other members.

Free or Paid - The majority of Traffic Exchanges offer a paid option. This option may give you a better surf ratio, bonus credits, money for referrals or other benefits. Before paying however, it is important that you test how targeted the traffic is that you receive. There's no point in paying for extra traffic if it doesn't generate any more income for you.

Click for Credits or Buy Credits - Is it worth buying credits?


This can depend on a number of reasons. The two main ones are time and money.

Let’s take an example

At the time of writing the cost of 2000 credits for free members of a well known Traffic Exchange Site was $40. This works out at $0.02 a click. For pro members the same $40 bought 2200 credits.

With the number of clicks limited to 250 per day and page views of 20 seconds this means that in theory it will take you 250 X 20 = 5000 sec or 83 minutes 20 seconds to view the 250 pages. However in practice you must allow extra time for clicking the next button, clicking the title of the page you will be viewing and any sites worth looking at.


Since I am a firm believer in practical results, I viewed the 250 pages. It took me 2 hours and 12 minutes to accomplish this. During that time, I accumulated 854 credits. To buy these credits would have cost $17.08 as a free member and approximately $15.53 as a pro member. Allowing for rounding up, this equates to almost 390 credits per hour or $7.80 per hour cash value.


Now ask yourself this. Would you work for $7.80 per hour?


I must emphasize that this is only one example and that other results will differ because of the random allocation of credits. It is shown here only as an example and to give you an idea of the cost implications for one particular traffic exchange site. The cost of credits may differ dramatically for different exchange sites. If you buy or intend to buy credits from a traffic exchange site, you can apply what is shown in the example. There's no need to click on a large number of websites to find out if your exchange site is giving you enough credits for your money. A sample of around 20 sites should give you enough information to produce a rough value-for-money guide.


If you enjoy this sort of thing or want a break from train spotting, you could expand on this. Increase your sample size, increase the number of samples, select a good representation of traffic exchanges and tabulate your results. Choose enough sites and you will be able to create your own league table. There’s a market for everything.




Whether you use traffic exchange sites or not in the quest for more visitors to your site, you should at the very least know what they are and what they do. But don't totally dismiss them. They are part of an expanding market. I recommend that you try at least one traffic exchange site. You could read every book on the subject, but without active participation, you will not be qualified to comment on their worth or suitability. The time taken for a few mouse clicks is a small price to pay. If it works for you, you have learned. If it doesn't work for you, you have learned.

Google’s Broadband Experiment

  
After creating a big buzz about Google Buzz on Tuesday, Google turned around and did it again Wednesday with news of an experimental fiber network. The news of Google offering to deliver 1 gigabit per second via fiber-to-the-home in a small number of trial cities in the U.S. kept the net buzzing all day. This will be their second venture into the last mile connectivity – if you want to count Google TiSP (2007 April Fool’s joke).






The plans are to offer service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people. To assess interest they have setup a site with a request for information (RFI) to help identify interested communities. Responses can be entered by local government entities or residents and community groups everywhere.


Google as your ISP?


Google doesn’t necessarily want to be your local Internet provider, but would like to shed some light on the true costs involved in bringing fiber to the home, and thus enabling 1gigabit per second connectivity to arrive faster. Stacey Higginbotham from GigaOm has additional details from Google’s product manager for alternative access Minnie Ingersol, who says Google will regularly push buttons in the industry to foster innovation and get things moving. It bid $4.6 billion in the FCC auction for U.S. wireless spectrum in 2008, and dabbled in the municipal WiFi arena by offering city-wide WiFi in its home base of Mountain View, California. The Google phone helped push the mobile industry along and separate the phone’s operating system from the carrier. The GigaOm interview ends with the question many asked – is Google going to become an ISP? The answer - this is a test bed for innovation and there are no plans to rollout a nationwide ISP network.


Rob Powell at Telecom Ramblings has an analysis of the innovation focus. “Google is trying to make a point about network architecture,” he wrties. “In fact it’s one that Dave Schaeffer of Cogent made to me recently. There are huge differences in both functional capacity and economic viability between building a broadband access network over a legacy vs modern infrastructure. It’s far easier to do (legacy) and that’s how most broadband is done in the US right now, but we really need to do (modern) to reach the kind of speeds everyone dreams of.” He also observes that “Google wants open access networks, and they’re willing to spend a large pile of cash to prove that they work.”


How large a pile? Barron’s Tech Trader Daily blog shares some cost estimates derived by Broadpoint.Amtech analyst Benjamin Schachter, who writes that “there are on average 2.6 people per household; so reaching 50,000 to 500,000 people means roughly 20,000 to 200,000 homes. The cost of the rollout – which will involve physically laying cable to individual homes – he thinks will be somewhere between $3,000 and $8,000 per household. That comes to anywhere from $60 million to $1.6 billion. At the midpoint – 100,000 homes, $5,000 each – you’d be talking $500 million.”


1 Gigabit per second!


Much of the discussion on the Internet is the uses for a 1 gigabit per second connection. The Google blog post announcing the news states things like downloading a high-definition, full-length feature film in less than five minutes or collaborating with classmates around the world while watching live 3D video of a university lecture. Additionally they mention the possibility of medical imaging over the web, seeing what developers can do for next-generation applications and exploring new fiber network deployment techniques. Google Health was launched in order to “take charge of your health information.” What if you could stream those three-dimensional medical images to your house? Otherwise there are any number of rich-media, medical, gaming or business possibilities to consume the 1 gigabit pipe.


Broadband trends in the U.S.


ReadWriteWeb highlights broadband speeds around the world from a recent Akamai State of the Internet report. This is another key frustration for Google that they would like to address: In the third quarter of 2009 average broadband speeds in the U.S. declined by 2.4% compared to the same quarter in 2008. Google has been active with the FCC’s National Broadband plan and pushing bold yet achievable goals.


Data is everything


As their ‘about us’ page explains, the name Google (googol) reflects the immense volume of information that exists, and the scope of Google’s mission: to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. There is a lot of data in the ISP realm and Google doesn’t want anything to get in the way of the end user’s Internet experience. Prior to announcing the fiber network Google became a partner in the M-Lab open platform that allows researchers to deploy Internet measurement tools in order to enhance Internet transparency. Built by researchers in Germany the M-Lab is set to gather data as well as uncover any discriminatory interference by a users’ ISP. To assist in running the tests Google has volunteered 36 servers in 12 cities.


Google will be accepting responses to the fiber experiment until March 26, with the target communities announced later this year.

GOOGLE INTERNET BUS  IN INDIA/KARNATAKA

Google Internet Bus

How to Block & Un-Block G-talk users on google talk.

1. How to Block G-talk online users from chat?

• To block G-talk online user first bring your mouse on the online user an small window will appear on the right side click on the navigation bar and select block option and the user will be blocked.

• To Un-Block the user which you had blocked, on the top of G-talk chat window their is an seeting information  click on it and you will get an seeting's control panel  select 4th option i,e BLOCKEDand UNBLOCK the user which you had blocked and click ok.Now the user is seen online on you G-talk chat window.

PS3 Sales rise but Sony are still making a loss

The battle of Microsoft and Google

• Microsoft’s Story

In 1998 Microsoft launched its own search engine called MSN search. They hoped that this would be a major player in the search engine market. It wasn’t. At the time, Yahoo was probably the most popular search engine, with most people using it. Google had only been founded two years in 1998, so it wasn’t a major player then.

• Google’s Story

Basically, Google had slowly been taking bits of Microsoft’s empire, making a better version of them and then giving it to the public. Google now has all the programs and software needed to go into an operating system. So guess what it is planning on making, Google OS (Operating System).

• http://www.googleadsensegenerator.com/

Preparing to travel

The world has changed a lot in the past century. Thanks to the invention of airplanes and high-speed trains, today's world is wide open to travel. In a day's time, we can travel to the other side of the world without using our entire life's savings. We also have a number of options open to us to help us plan our travels, and choosing wisely can help save time and money.


1. Travel Agents. Many people have the misconception that using a travel agent entails paying a fee. Nonsense. In actuality, most travel agents receive commissions from the vendors (airlines, hotels, tour agencies); they are the ones paying the fee, not you. A travel agent has access to deals that often are not available anywhere else. He or she can help take the headache out of planning, allowing you to sit back and relax while the logistics are plotted out. Another bonus is that travel agents often include travel insurance in their packages, to ensure that you are getting what you paid for.


2. Internet. With the widespread use of the world wide web, travel prices have gone down considerably. Using travel sites like Orbitz, Expedia, and Travelocity, buyers can find lower rates than ever before for airfares, hotels, and package deals. The downside? Truly finding the best travel deals often requires a lot of time and patience as you compare rates with other sites and with direct booking. Another downfall is that you can't always find availability at these lower rates, but it is nice to plan right at home.


3. Guidebooks. Tried and true, travel guidebooks are a traveler's best friend. Seasoned travel writers research and compile guidebooks based on their own experiences, and who better to give advice than someone who's been there, done that? Depending on your preferred level of luxury, you are sure to find a guidebook to meet your needs. Best of all, travel guidebooks are often available at your local library-for free!


4. Booking Direct. Sometimes travel companies will offer special deals to customers who book directly. This is especially true with tour and cruise companies who advertise travel deals to repeat customers. You can often find rates as low as half-price (or lower) if you book at the last minute. If you have the flexibility and the determination, this may be the way to go.


In any case, travel opens up our eyes to worlds our forefathers never could have dreamed of visiting. Whether you travel around the globe or just a city away, a little careful planning and an open mind can allow for an experience of a lifetime. Happy travels!

How to Pick a Travel Agency


"How To Pick A Travel Agency"


www.SouthBeachUncovered.com


The trip of a lifetime can take a lifetime to plan unless you know how to pick a travel agency.
A common misconception is that travel agencies add to the cost of your trip. In truth, finding and using a good travel agency to plan your trip usually saves you time, money, and frustration. So how do you pick a travel agency?


Ask around!


The best way to find a good travel agency is through word of mouth. Ask your family and friends who they've used and then ask them about their trip. How did they travel? Where did they stay? Was their trip enjoyable? Getting a few referrals from friends helps you to know in ahead of time what to expect from a particular travel agent and helps you weed out the good from the not-so-good as well.


Are you a member?

Many clubs and organizations offer travel services for their members and many corporations have established relationships with travel agencies that their employees can use. "Members only" travel plans frequently offer the best values.

Compare

Shop a couple of experienced firms. Travel agencies come and go like any other businesses. The ones that stay in business add experience and know-how to each trip they plan. Make your first inquiry with a travel agency a listening experience; judge how well the agent listens to you and how comfortable they make you feel.


A good travel agent will ask you to outline your trip. They'll ask where you're going and why, how you'd prefer to travel, how long you plan to stay, and what your travel budget is. Be open and honest with your answers. A good agent will readily put together a sample itinerary that describes availabilities in transportation, accommodations, and estimated costs.


If you feel like you're getting the "hard sell" or the travel agency tells you there's only package available, keep shopping. You can always go back if you find that they're right!


In addition to finding the best rates in lodgings and transportation, an experienced travel agent can also give you some helpful tips about your destination and here's the bonus- generally it costs nothing to use a travel agency! Because they can buy in volume, travel agencies get discounts on prices for both tickets and lodgings!


For travel made easy, use the services of a travel agency to make your outing a time to remember well!

Five Affordable World Travel Destinations


Locations


That Offer More But Cost Less


So


you want to travel the world but you have a tight budget?


Are you tired of reading about everyone else's exotic adventures and


ready to have some of your own? Have


you always wanted to take an international vacation but thought you couldn't


afford it? There are numerous


travel destinations across the world that are both exciting and affordable.


Five of them are described here to give you ideas and get you started


planning your own getaway.




There


are two ways to approach affordable vacations to distant destinations.


Either you will save money getting there or the savings will occur once


you arrive at your selected spot. If


you want the trip there to be affordable, many travel consolidators recommend


choosing well-known destinations that are served by numerous airlines and


receive millions of travelers each year. The


competition for customers usually drives costs down for everything from lodging


to tour packages. Airfares between


major hubs tend to be more affordable and there are often plenty of discounts


and last minute travel deals.




London


In


Europe, London is a top pick for affordable vacation destinations, for these


exact reasons. Not only do you have


more flights to choose from, they are cheaper than if you flew to a more remote


location. On average, staying in


London may be a bit more expensive than other European destinations, but the


seemingly endless choices in hotels, restaurants, transportation, tours, and


other travel essentials gives travels opportunities to mold their vacation to


fit their budgets. And you can use


London as your home base to set out on day trips to other more exotic locations


or buy a Eurorail pass and see those more remote countries without the expense


of flying there.










Playa


del Carmen, Mexico




This


theory also works well for traveling in the Caribbean.


Belize is an appealing destination, with wonderful Caribbean beaches and


a lush tropic setting, but since it has only recently emerged as a popular


travel destination, it is more expensive than Cancun, Jamaica or other


well-traveled locations along the Mayan Riviera.


With fewer flights, getting there is more expensive, and there are few


moderate lodging options. Development


of larger luxury resorts have begun to boom, but the only real alternative for


those on a budget is staying in local facilities that may be hard to locate from


home and may be more rustic than most travelers are willing to try.










Although


there are many options for affordable vacations in the Caribbean, an excellent


pick is Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Accessible


via flights to Cancun, which are often some of the cheapest in the region, Playa


is just a half hour away. It is


filled with a multitude of lodging choices, from expansive luxury resorts on the


ocean to quaint but clean hotels downtown.


From Playa, travelers can branch out and visit Tulum and other locations


on the Mayan Riviera or take the ferry across to the island of Cozumel where


snorkeling is prime and the attractions are many.










For


Asian destinations, travelers often do better to focus on saving money once they


get to their destination. Depending


on your country of origin, getting to just about any spot in Asia is going to be


a sizable chunk of your travel budget. The


difference will come from the cost of lodging, food, entertainment and other


travel expenditures once you arrive. By


choosing destinations where you get the most for your money, you can save a


great deal on your international vacation.


A drink or dinner in Tokyo will cost you many times more than what it


would in Saigon. The key here is to


go where your dollars buy you more and where the local cost of living is low.










Tioman


Island






An


affordable yet exotic choice for Asia is Malaysia and specifically Tioman


Island, knows as the mythical 'Bali Hai' from the film 'South Pacific.'


Tioman Island is located at the southern end of the east coast of


Malaysia on the South China Sea. Its sandy beaches, bordered by lush jungles and


stunning mountains make it a relaxing yet intriguing destination, ideal for sun


lovers, snorkelers and divers. The


island also has many villages for exploring and shopping.


English is widely spoken and the


rates are amazingly affordable, with a two night lodging package for a suite at


a lovely oceanside resort averaging around 100 U.S. dollars.


Typically visitors reach the island via the speed ferry from the


mainland. Although the trip can


take over two hours, it is enjoyable and provides opportunities for dolphin


watching along the way.














Buenos


Aires






South


America also has many destinations that are affordable because of the savings


once you arrive. Locales like Rio


de Janeiro in Brazil, the areas top destination, are coming down in price but


are still more expensive than cities such as Buenos Aires in Argentina, where


the rates are lower and the U.S. dollar goes further.














A


huge metropolis that is more European than South American, the city has much to


offer including cultural events, thriving nightlife, shopping, local sports, and


a host of tours and excursions. La


Boca, with its street performers, shops, and unique architecture is a big


tourist draw. The large number of


choices for lodging, restaurants, and activities provides opportunities for


budget travel and savings. Airfare to the city is relatively reasonable for an


international destination, with discount fares from the U.S. averaging around


$500 round trip. Buenos Aires might


not be one of the most exotic or inspiring destinations in South America, but it


is a city that everyone should see at least once, and with some of the most


affordable rates and fares around, it makes the list as a top South American


destination.














Las


Vegas






The


list would not be complete without a North American destination, and the champ


of all affordable locales is Las Vegas. It


too is a city that should be seen at least once, and many world travelers return


again and again for the gaming, art, shows and people watching that just can't


be found anywhere else. Close


enough to other top U.S. attractions like the Grand Canyon, Vegas provides other


options for those who have had their fill of casinos.














The


city has long been known for its cheap vacation packages with hotels and resorts


that offer discount rates for rooms, meals and entertainment in hopes of


attracting people to their gaming tables. Airfare


rates into Vegas are some of the most reasonable in the United States, no matter


the origination destination. And


with more than 100,000 hotel rooms to choose from, there is sure to be a lodging


choice that fits your budget.














The


world provides hundreds of affordable travel destinations. With all the options available, there is no excuse to put off that


life-long desire to travel to exotic places at the far ends of the earth. Destinations can be researched on the Internet or your


travel


consolidator can make


recommendations and help with locating cheap


international airfare and


lodging rates that fit your budget. So


what are you waiting for? Get out


there and explore the world.

Travel accessories

No matter what anyone says you can't travel without some kind of accessory. Whether it be suitcases, suit bags, brief cases or money pouches you will always carry some kind of travel accessory with you.






The travel accessories say a lot about the life and personality of the person carrying them. Depending on the style and color of their travel accessories, and indeed what particular accessories they are carrying, you can gain insight into what country they are from, whether they are happy, outgoing and energetic or rather old fashioned, whether they are well off financially or have little money to spare and a myriad of other details.


The buying team at Mori Luggage and Gifts recently returned from the Travel Goods Show in Washington, D.C. - the largest exhibition of travel accessories and leather goods in the world. For three days, buyers walked the aisles seeking the hot new trends in luggage, briefcases and travel accessories.






President of Mori Luggage and Gifts, John Mori, said the Travel Goods Show was an excellent opportunity to network with other businesses who also manufacture travel accessories.


"The Travel Goods Show allows us to meet with all of the leading manufacturers in our industry," he said.


"With the improving economy and travel increasing, we were pleased to discover lots of new, innovative travel products for 2004. Our customers expect us to always have the newest items that make travelling easier."






Mr Mori said manufacturers of travel accessories such as luggage, briefcases and leather goods were responding to consumer demand for bright colors - especially when it comes to women's business cases. While black will always be popular, fashion-conscious businesswomen can now pick a different color briefcase for each season. The Lodis Audrey Capri Brief has been tipped as a hot seller for spring and summer. Available in salmon and periwinkle, this beautiful brief is constructed of fine-grade Italian leather and features a streamlined exterior, organizer pockets for cell phone and business cards, and a removable shoulder strap.






The Zuca MobileLockerTM is a super-durable, lightweight rolling case. It was designed by a mom who couldn't stand to see her 4th grade daughter lugging 50 pounds of books each day and developing back pain so early in life. The main compartment holds books and important gear and can be used for school, picnics, or airline travel. The top is so strong you can use it as a seat and the magneto LED wheels actually light up as it rolls. It's an excellent travel accessory that is suitable for a wide range of uses.






One of the most interesting developments in luggage and travel accessories is the 22" Transformable Upright from Briggs & Riley. Either use it as a one-piece rolling carry-on or transform it into two separate bags: a deluxe duffle with optional backpack straps and a wheeled carry-on upright. Once the duffle is zipped off, a face panel zips onto the wheeled upright creating a new carry-on. Each bag can hold 2-3 days worth of clothes.






So just what's new in the travel accessories industry? Ever wondered if the airline pillow covers and blankets are as clean as you'd expect? After all, its one of the most commonly provided travel accessories you'll come across! According to a new company called pb travel, recent studies have suggested that many are not changed or cleaned often enough. That's why they have introduced the pb blanket and pb disposable pillow covers. The pb blanket is a warm polar fleece blanket that is machine washable and dries in just 10 minutes.






If you've ever flown overseas, you've probably heard of deep vein thrombosis and other circulatory problems that can occur during long flights. Compression Socks by Elastic Therapy use a graduated compression system to improve blood flow and relieve leg swelling and discomfort. They are definitely a must-have on your travel accessories list. They are also great for walking or anytime you plan to spend a lot of time on your feet.






Brushing your teeth while travelling or at work just got easier with the Travelon Toothbrush. Actually, it's a toothbrush and toothpaste all in one making it another one of those fantastic and ingenious travel accessories. Simply twist the handle and refreshing mint toothpaste comes up through the high quality






Ever seen a sophisticated man who carries his stack of dollar bills in a rubber band? We found a way for him to do this in style with the Grand Band from Budd Leather. Each Grand Band features a durable, colorful band with two replacement bands and a stainless steel plate that can be engraved. This is a useful and essential travel accessory for the stylish and professional traveller.