Facebook and SEO : 5 Ways To Optimize Your Business Page

Having a Facebook page for your business is a great first step, but to truly maximize it as a marketing machine and capitalize on the promotional power that Facebook offers, business owners need to successfully optimize their pages using proven SEO tactics and strategies.

Top Optimizing Tips For Transforming Your Facebook Page

If you’re ready to transform your existing Facebook page into an effectively optimized promotional resource, read on. Incorporating these five critical SEO techniques can help ensure that your organization is operating at the top of its Facebook game.

Tip #1 – Consider your featured photos: You may want to renovate your top five featured photos feed to ensure that visitors see your images in the order you want them to see them, each and every time they check your page out. These images can refresh each time you add a photo, or you can set them to present a fixed, branded visual to captivate your visitors.

Tip #2 – Tag your followers: Speaking of pictures, be sure to also tag your posted Facebook photos as needed with the names of your followers. The tagging fun doesn’t stop there; also tag fans directly in your posts by using the “@” symbol before the client’s name that you’re connecting with. This will instantly let them (and their entire network) see your update.

Tip #3 – Sprinkle keywords throughout your page: Keywords are still a magnet for search engine visibility. Occasionally use naturally-placed keywords in your status updates, photo descriptions, and overall communication to boost your page’s SEO benefit.

Tip #4 – Maximize the value of your page’s left-side panel: On the left side of every Facebook page is a list of links that can be displayed for every viewer to see. Adding relevant links such as “events,” “photos,” “discussions,” etc. can make your most important business information easily accessible to your clients. Remember, only 8 links can be viewed at a time before the panel requires visitors to click a “More” drop down menu…choose your links wisely.

Tip #5 – Embrace the vanity URL: Never settle for the standard issue Facebook URL that comes with opening your account; Facebook vanity URL’s offers business owners the chance to quickly direct users to an easy to remember link that can also help enhance brand recognition.

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Is this the death of 34B Bra?

The bra has been around for over a century and we still can't find one that fits. It's been estimated that as many as 85 percent of women in the U.S. wear the wrong size for their frame. If you've ever found your bra strap hanging down by your elbow, you're familiar with this fact. It's not only slightly embarrassing in a high-powered meeting, a poorly-fitted bra can cause sagging, neck and back pain. You'd think by now we'd have a better solution, aside from paying a custom fitter upwards of $400 to fix the problem.

"The entire bra purchase process is flawed," Dustin Cohn, Chief Marketing Officer for Jockey International tells Yahoo Shine. "Women are asked to measure their breasts with a tape measure. A woman's breasts are three dimensional, so it doesn't make sense to measure them with a two dimensional method. This changes the way bras support a bigger, bustier woman."

Jockey, the brand once known best for making men's sporty underwear, is strategizing a new way to mass market bras with more customized fits. But first they need women to let go of everything they know about the bra alphabet (A,B,C and so on.)

The company's self-created measurement system, called the Fit Kit ($20), involves 10 new and complicated numeric sizes (shaved down from 55), which are based on measurements of the shape of women's breasts (i.e. volume) rather than actual bust size.

It all sounds promising. "But is anyone ready for measurements like 1-30, 7-36 and 9-42?" asks the New York Times' Stephanie Clifford. The volumetric sizes number 1 through 10 in cup size from small to large, and then combines with band size. So instead of being a 32-B, someone might find they're a 2-32.

The kits are a do-it-yourself compliment of customization. Each comes with color-coded measuring tape, cups, protective lingerie wash bag and video instructions for taking measurements. The bras, which start at $60 and come in five styles, are sold separately.

"It's the closest thing to a custom bra that you'll find," says Cohn.

Still, it might take some adjusting. "I wish their sizing system was more translatable to the standard system," writes blogger Charla Welch, of Bra Crusader, in her review of the kit.

But Jockey isn't the only game in town revamping the fitting process. True&Co, an online retailer, combines mathematical principles with a questionnaire to measure customers for size. “We have an algorithm that defines 2,000 body types,” True&Co's Michelle Lam told the New York Times back in February.

If you're not ready to part with the traditional ABC's of bras, consider a few tips from the pros for finding the right fit.

First take your measurements. There are plenty of simple step-by-step instructions online (like this one) that take the confusion out of the numbers game.

Prepare to road-test. Don't rely on what the tag says because all bras fit differently. The bra should lie flat against your breastbone, the nipple should be at the center of each cup, the cups should not have wrinkles, and the back of the bra strap should rest in the middle of your back, not hike up. Straps should not be loose or you will not get the proper support. Avoid demi's if you have full boobs and want good support. "It helps to think of your bra like a seesaw," Susan Nethero of Intimacy Boutiques tells Redbook. "If the band is too loose and rides up in the back, the girls will sag. If it is level all the way around or lower, they'll be lifted."

Take care of your bras. Wash by hand or in cold water on the delicate cycle in a lingerie bag. And always air dry. Bras can last for two years if you take care of them well, according to Good Housekeeping. Still, don't expect your bra to stay the same over time. Like anything else, they tend to stretch. Nethero suggests buying a bra that fits best on the last hook so you can use tighter hooks as it loosens.

If all else fails, you can skip the whole thing. One recent study claims you'll stay perkier without any long-term support at all. Given the complicated process of finding that support, it's something to consider. - source

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The Viral Marketing Pros and Cons

The term 'viral marketing' was coined by Tim Draper, a Harvard Business School graduate and used extensively to describe the e-mails that aided advertising of products. Viral or chain marketing optimizes the extent to which social networking can benefit sales. There is extensive word-of-mouth viral promotion of products and services that is implemented. Depending on the quantum of sales, the strategy may also include video clips, interactive forums, advergames, newsletters, ebooks and images accompanied by dedicated text messages. However, it is not without its own unique advantages and disadvantages.

How Does Viral Marketing Work?

The basic idea is to generate an 'infection' of thought among the base users, who are also lured into the advertising gimmick for a promised commission that increases with every subsequent sale. The ripple effect created and paid for involves sharing of product benefits with potential users and causing nothing short of an epidemic, while generating multilevel marketing opportunities. There is a pre-designed logistic curve to map the users used to further the interests of the campaign. The success of the campaign largely depends on the rate at which the sales take place. These strategies are often put in place alongside other marketing communication systems such as dedicated public relations and/or extensive advertising.

The goal of viral marketing programs is to identify people who can contribute to sales via quality social networking potential. The aim is to generate viral or easy to understand and replicate messages that appeal to the common man and generate a dedicated marketing environment. Extensive social networking helps to increase the probability of the product or service remaining within the community for a longer time. Viral marketing is a stealth campaign that uses unscrupulous means of under-market advertising to generate an impression that the word of mouth enthusiasm actually springs from use of the product or service.

Pros

Viral marketing enables businesses to remain buoyant within the competitive business world, via a strategy that is not only easy to integrate within a defined buyer-society, but also one of that empowers the unattached onlooker with training, tips and guidance.

This marketing strategy enables business propositions to reach out to a global audience, by effectively putting the Internet connectivity to play. Extensive use of Internet affiliate marketing, ezines and interactive forums enables the entrepreneur to promote the business, globally.

The word-of-mouth concept ripples on to peer-to-peer recommendation of the product or service. It also enables the business to generate revenue from local interest in the venture.

Cons

In this strategy, association with groups and individuals who are unknown could generate scope for the promotion to be subject to competitor viewing. The strength of the marketing depends on the transmission of enthusiasm between people, with regards to the benefits of the product being sold. The presence of a competitor within the generated link could dampen the desired strain.
Exposure to the Internet, to further the interests of entrepreneurship and generate additional revenue from a global clientèle is not without spam threats, unwanted marketing mix, and also brand dilution.

Hard core selling to benefit from increased commission is widely responsible for many potential buyers being put off.

Viral marketing is capable of generating high product credibility at low cost. The advertising technique is great in the endeavor of making a particular product or service available across physical boundaries with dedicated Internet marketing and shows high efficiency in generating the opportunity for consistent promotions and commissions.

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Wi-Tribe Philippines My Experienced

Wi-Tribe Review in the Philippines. I’ve always used Bayandsl as my ISP, but as I moved to a new place, I wanted to try other ISPs. I tried calling other ISPs, most of their packages were bundled with other services (like landline phones) which I don’t really need. So I ended up trying out one of the popular ISPs called Wi-Tribe, and here’s my Wi-Tribe Philippines Review …

Wi-Tribe Philippines Marketing is really well done

Wi-Tribe Broadband has got 3 postpaid plans (1mbps, 2mbps and 4 mbps), and they’ve also got some prepaid plans that can go as fast as 6mbps. Luckily my brother had a prepaid stick (Wi-tribe 4G Stick) which I borrowed to test it in my place. Signal was ok, and I was getting speeds of around 1.75 mbps (up to 2 mbps) which was acceptable. I remember a lot of bad reviews from this company like speed capping, slow video loading, and slower speeds when downloading. But I thought it was the last few years and it could be better now. I called up the tech support team and they’ve said that the concerns I have has been addressed and is not a problem anymore.

So I went ahead and visited their shop to test their internet, I loaded speedtest from both speedtest.net and wi-tribe speed test which confirmed that the speed is indeed as fast as they claim to be. I was pretty convinced and so I went ahead and registered myself one, in less than an hour, I had a new modem and router on my hand (I took the 4mbps postpaid plan). I was lucky to get the promo where I was given 2 months free and instead of paying P1998, I only needed to pay P1298 per month! I was happy to get the deals and have a quick application.

Wi-Tribe Review

When I got home, first thing I did was to configure everything. I tested it on my laptop and used my own high speed router to share to other devices. When I tried with the Wi-Tribe speed test, I was getting 0.75 mbps (1mbps during the first 24 – 48 hours to test before locking in for 12 months). I thought it was ok and that 0.75 seems to be a reasonable speed at 1 mbps at most. I thought that if I can get 0.75 mbps on 1 mbps, I should get at least 3 mbps on a 4 mbps max speed (while BayanDSL was getting 2.2 mbps at 3 mbps max that is extended from another wireless extender).

Tech support called 48 hours later to verify if I want to continue and I said yes so I can try the speeds of 4mbps. After 12 hours of waiting, it was upgraded to the 4 mbps and when I got home I was excited to try it out. To my disappoinment, it only gave speeds of 1.80mbps – 2.20 mbps with their own speed test. I called tech support and this is what they told me to do:

• Turn modem off for 5 to 10 minutes
• Reset Modem (button at the bottom of the modem, press for 10 seconds)
• Find the best spot for signal (I had 4 bars which was ok)

After doing all that, it was still giving me the same speeds. Aside from the speed issues, what I noticed is that YouTube loads at a very very slow rate (compared to BayanDSL at almost same speeds). Then I realized they have this “Fair usage policy”, which allows them to cap your speed in heavy usage. But the only thing was that I wasn’t heavily using and I only have a browser open and trying to load up a YouTube video.

I’m already considering cancelling this service with them and going with another ISP. I feel that cable DSL might still be more reliable that wireless ones and I totally hate the fact that they control your speeds thus limiting you to what you can and cannot do. Wi-Tribe Internet Connection seems to be for very light users who surf and email without videos or downloading. I’m going to give them one last chance for the tech support to visit my place, if it still fails then I’m cancelling it.

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How to Associate Web Design With Search Engine Optimization

The SEO marketing that was once started as an individual small business has many massive corporations indulged in it in the present day and is a booming industry. Hiring a firm to solve the SEO marketing issues is the smartest idea that a business venture can apply to increase their sales drastically.

SEO firm will never be a waste of one's hard earned money as it will lead to only profit making. o, it is very important to take the help of only that SEO firm which has a good track record. This is perhaps the most incredible means to increase search engine traffic. Hiring the services of an SEO marketing firm can mean a lot of big difference in one's business.

In today's era, internet and search engine marketing can either make or break the online business. S Since most of the customers shop through internet, it is not a good option to stay visible on the net. A good SEO firm will act as an internet marketing consultant and help in marketing one's business on the internet.

Permanent one way link building is an important means of search engine optimization as the basic idea behind optimization is to establish link popularity. Meta tag optimization has also given adequate boost to many companies although this technique cannot be adopted by novices and requires the guidance of an established SEO firm. SEO is a huge business and one of the most offered service packages on the World Wide Web.

Designing the website that fulfills all the requirements of the Search Engine optimization is very crucial. Before putting your site in the search engine makes it sure that the content and new pages show up notably in the search engines. If this is not so, you may need to opt for a content management system. The business can be affected in both ways by internet marketing and appropriate guidance is essential to yield positive results. 

Online business is becoming complicated day in and day out and the competition both in and for the business is immense. Both web site developers as well as SEO marketing agencies work simultaneously for generation of effective business. CMS or (content management system) is actually a software package. It allows you to update your site and add content. Not all content management systems are created equally. Some can make SEO (Search Engine optimization) a natural and easy part of your workflow, while less SEO-friendly systems can help you fight every step to implement more common optimization practices.

There are some steps that you need to follow to get your website noticed in the search engine. These include:

First of all, you need to plan your Search Engine optimization (SEO) strategies. A good content management system might provide and a set-up and a structure that is conducive to SEO.

Look To the web page address of each page. Content management system offers human -readable URLS. It is one of the most important tasks.

Use standard, clean code and ensure templates. Whether you are building your own templates or using the ones provided by the CMS, check that the code of the template is clean, readable and solid.

Give importance to Metatag Customization.

You can opt for site maps that are automatically created.

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Voluntary Resignation: The Philippine Law

Voluntary Resignation

Resignation is defined as the voluntary act of an employee who finds himself in a situation where he believes that personal reasons cannot be sacrificed in favor of the exigency of the service and he has no other choice but to disassociate himself from his employment. (Virgen Shipping Corp. vs. Barraquio, G.R. No. 178127, April 16, 2009 citing Valdez vs. NLRC.)

The key is that resignation must be a “voluntary act”, and that the employee must have knowingly and voluntarily dissociate himself from his employment for his own personal reasons. It does not cover cases where the employee is forced to resign with the use of threats, intimidation, coercion or manipulation, or where resignation is imposed as a penalty for an offense.

The common practice of allowing an employee to resign, instead of terminating him for just cause so as not to smear his employment record, also fall under the category of voluntary resignation. (See J Marketing Corp. vs. Taran, G.R. No. 163924, June 28, 2009).

Resignation Notice

The Labor Code requires the employee to give an advance notice to the employer of his intention to resign. The notice of resignation must be in writing and must be served to the employer at least one month prior to the effective date of his resignation.

Resignation notice usually takes the form of a letter (commonly called “resignation letter”) addressed to the employer, expressing the employee’s intention to terminate his employment. It must state the date when resignation is to take effect because of the 30-day notice requirement under the law. It may also contain the reason or justification of the employee for filing his resignation, although legally, this is not important. The employee may resign for whatever reason, or even for no reason at all. Thus, in legal parlance, voluntary resignation is also called “termination by employee without just cause.”

Resignation letter normally contains explicit words expressing employee’s intention to terminate his employment. However, lack of explicit words stating the employees intention to resign is deemed not crucial, as long as the employees intention to resign can be deduced from letter itself. In one case, the Supreme Court held that a memorandum written by the employee containing his deep resentment towards his superior juridically constituted a letter of resignation. Even if the employee did not expressly indicate his intention to resign (neither of the words “resign” or “resignation” was mentioned), the resentful and sarcastic tone of the memorandum was held to be sufficiently indicative of such intention.

Effect of Failure to Tender Resignation Notice

If the employee fails to give the employer one month advance notice of his intention to resign, he may be held liable for damages.

Instances when Notice of Resignation is Not Required

The employee may resign even without serving any notice on the employer for any of the following reasons:

1. Serious insult by the employer or his representative on the honor and person of the employee;
2. Inhuman and unbearable treatment accorded the employee by the employer or his representative;
3. Commission of a crime or offense by the employer or his representative against the person of the employee or any of the immediate members of his family; and
4. Other causes analogous to any of the foregoing.

Resignation under any of the instance enumerated above is also called “termination by employee with justcause.”

You may want read the whole article here and you might learn a lot from the Q&A part of the website.

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Sunny Leone barred to perform cage dance in Dubai night club

Dubai: The sizzling Bollywood actress Sunny Leone was barred from performing a cage dance in Dubai nightclub called Wild and Sunny which was organized by Javed Shafi, CEO of Premiere Production House said.

Sunny Leone's show got cancelled last minute due to rejection from DTCM (Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing).

According to organizer Javed Shafi, all those who had purchased tickets to see Leone were refunded and the entry was made free for the night as opposed to the Dh100 tickets at the door. However, the audience had enjoyed the night with DJ Shadow, Hani and Bollywood dancers.

After this mess up, Sunny is expected to return with the cast of Shootout at Wadala at Ibn Battuta Mall, alongside John Abraham, Anil Kapoor and Tusshar Kapoor. Whereas the organizers of Premiere Production House are wondering how she will get a chance to promote and perform for her movie promotion in Dubai.

About Sunny Leone (born Karenjit Kaur Vohra; May 13, 1981) is a Canadian actress, businesswoman, model and pornographic actress. She was named Penthouse Pet of the Year in 2003 and was a contract star for Vivid Entertainment. Named by Maxim as one of the 12 top porn stars in 2010, she has also played roles in independent mainstream films and television shows. - Wikipedia

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Best Marketing Promotion Methods

It is said, that 'customers are the kings' and indeed they are. The marketing departments of every firm fight tooth and nail to lure customers and increase the sales of their products. Promotional methods are important and efficient marketing strategies of various companies. While millions of dollars are spent on advertising methods, promotional marketing methods are relatively less expensive and can be more effective.

What is Promotional Marketing?

Promotional marketing is a business tool that is designed to pull customers to buy the products of a company. Generally, promotional marketing is carried out by companies to launch their products or attract more potential customers. Before devising any strategy for promotional marketing, firms must ensure that they allocate a budget to the promotional marketing and set a target that gives them maximum return on the invested money.

Promotion Strategies

There are basically two promotion strategies; the push strategy and the pull strategy. According to the push strategy, the marketers give generous discounts and benefits to the customers, so that, the sales can be increased drastically. One of the most successful strategies, the method of giving discounts is often successful for most of the firms. In the push strategy, main focus is on reducing costs of the advertising. The other strategy, the pull strategy minimizes the use of different channels and the major focus is on advertising the product. Its goal is to create a potential market for the products of the firm.

Advertising

Advertising is an expensive method of promotional marketing, wherein, the products are made to reach a large number of people. For example, by using electronic media, TV, radio, press and outdoor hoardings, advertisers target the audience and try to create an impact on customers.

Personal Selling

One of the oldest ways of direct promotion is to sell the products by direct interaction between the seller and buyer. It is believed to be the most difficult form of marketing, as it requires skills of persuasion and excellent communication skills.

Contests

One of the effective, popular and most preferred form of promotional methods is to arrange certain contests for the customers. We all will agree to the fact that winning surprise prizes in a shopping mall or fashion store is simply exciting. One of the most attractive marketing strategies, organizing contests among the customers is a brilliant way to promote the products.

Pamphlets/Coupons

In the quest to attract more customers, companies distribute coupons and pamphlets about the products. The customers are either given basic information about the newly launched products or they are provided with discounted coupons on the purchase of some accessories/apparels. Coupons make for an effective marketing plan for small business units.

Free Samples

The idea of freely distributing products, sounds weird and crazy for any company, however, there is a certain element of truth in the fact that marketing firms have gained substantial promotion through the idea of free samples. While, it is not logical to just distribute your products, you can devise a strategy, so that, the idea of free samples doesn't incur losses for your firm.

While evaluating different methods of promotion in marketing, one should realize these strategies are not set formulas or recipes for the successful launch and eventually high sales of the product. No doubt, these strategies are effective, but there are various market forces that can affect the sales prospects of firms.

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Best Viral Marketing Tools

The practice of using viral marketing tools is in use since ancient times and finds mention in the Greek historical records, although it wasn't referred to as 'viral marketing'. A virus is characterized with a rapid multiplication after it infects a body and within a short period it infects every person in its zone of influence. The same principle applies to viral marketing.

Consider a scenario in which your high school friend is slapped by another colleague and 4-5 people notice this event. The next day you go to school and hear almost every person around you talking about the incident. How do you reckon this happened? Let us assume that each person who saw the incident mentions it to 5 people who further pass the news onto 25 people and so on. Within 2 more such iterations 625 people know that your friend had been slapped! This is a exactly how it works.

Understanding Viral Marketing

The aim of a viral marketer is to spread or rapidly multiply the message or information that needs to be conveyed. The most effective way to do this is a word of mouth publicity or through a fast medium like the Internet. The main advantage of using this technique is that, it requires less effort, as the medium of communication itself acts as the primary source of information and marketing. For example in the above mentioned case, the people themselves become the primary source and ensure rapid spread of the information. Thus it can be seen that viral marketing can be a very effective way of selling or presenting your product or service to the target clientèle.

Another important aspect is to understand the factors that can effectively and convincingly assist you in promoting your product. The best way to market an entity is through a network of closely related people since they trust the word of a friend or an acquaintance more than any advertising campaign. Hotmail is a classic example of the systematic use of this tools. It made use of the internet marketing platform to advertise its services. Hotmail services had tags attached to every e-mail account of the net user. The tags were simple signing up forms meant for adding further users. These customers would then send mails to their regular communicators most of whom actually did sign-up for the service, following the primary customer. The chain result was an exponential increase in the subscribers for Hotmail service.

Important Viral Marketing Tools

• Understanding the market psychology: A 'free' service is an instant attention grabber. Nothing sells a product better than giving it free of cost initially. It may sound ironic but the strategy is very effective, especially in the case of web services. Promoting a product by offering trials directly or through the existing customer base lures a client to at least try it or recommend a trial to their near and dear ones.
• Being a receptive domain: Willingness to accept a remark whether good or bad, is the hallmark of a responsible campaigner. People trust a service better if it is open to criticism and suggestions. If a person feels more involved in the process, there is a high probability of that person using the product or service. People who have Internet access are especially prompt in commenting on a service.
• Scrutiny and resolving: Once a detailed analysis of product sales and its feedback is done, acting on the results is crucial. This is a very sensitive medium. The information passed on at such speed also involves a lot of risk. The marketing medium cannot be controlled once the process begins. Therefore it is extremely important to project the desired and carefully studied image of the product. It involves rectifying the glitches or any shortcomings promptly and ensuring a constant watch on the market happenings.
• Taking care of the roots: Many firms take the existing promotion medium or regular customers for granted and as a result lose a large customer base. These tools are fabricated on the basis of trustworthy deliverance of service. The existing base is promoting a product either by default as in the case of hotmail or purposely because the client himself is convinced about its suitability for use. If the service rendered to this user is sub-standard or fades out, so will the marketing procedure following it. Therefore, always update the service to the satisfaction of even the most loyal and trusted user. This is one of the best way to develop a permanent client base and a reliable setup.
• Promotion and development: The recent Hollywood flick 'The Dark Knight' is a genuine example of viral marketing at its best. First, the huge number of batman fans across the world served as the biggest promoters of the movie. Besides them, the promoters ensured maximum reach of the movie by interactive movie games, contests and virtual participation in movie scenes like voting for the 'Gotham city' (the city in the movie) mayor and similar reel life experiences. Once the people could associate with the story and characters they became an 'unpaid' set of marketers for the movie. The results of a 'virally infected' movie mania are there for everyone to see.

These tools are like double-edged swords; if handled with caution they function the best, if not, they can cause severe damage. Hence, a careful and studied approach is highly recommended before trying it out in your business venture.

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Strategic Communication Process for Viral Marketing

"Viral marketing" may sound strange to those who have never encountered the term. It may strike you as to how a term like viral could be incorporated into the marketing industry terminology? Well, your doubts may hold the reigns of validity. It certainly delivers a deceitful connotation to those who don't gather the slightest idea of the concept.

Ironically, this is one concept that also grabs eyeballs in creating self-awareness. Viral marketing matches up to define itself as a thoughtful marketing strategy that concentrates on spreading awareness about a particular product; thereby, also maintains the word-of-mouth ideology. It is the marketing industry that systematically uses the terminology to elicit interest in the masses through the Internet. The communication process is such that the most important information which may attract the attention and interest of the consumer is put forth, or is circulated through the word-of-mouth technique.

The communication process may be termed as 'viral fire'. I say this, as I believe that to a certain extent, viral marketing works on the principle of how a virus is communicable in nature. It is through the virus spreading that many people may endure common colds, or fevers; in the same manner, it is only through viral marketing that there are people who pass on a good word about the product, or service they have availed of, and found it beneficial, or satisfying. It serves to be a virtual propagator that spreads the news, through its marketing strategies. There are essentially two ways in which the communication takes place: spontaneous and planned.

Methods of Communication

Spontaneous Communication

The spontaneous viral communication is a strategy that focuses on the provision of a product or service by the company. When the customers or consumers are satisfied, they would provide their feedback in the form of availing the service or the product all over again and continuing to use their offered methods. Through this method, those who have used this product will pass on their positive impression to friends or potential buyers who may be interested in the services and the product. In turn they may do the same for the ones they know. In a short period, you would have a number of people using the product or the service.

Planned Communication

A research conducted by Phelps et al. (2004), produced a forensic report publishing the efficacy and frequency of forwarding emails, with regards to classifying the email mode of communication into four sections. They also found that emails eliciting specific human emotions highlighting its minutiae, have a greater probability of being passed on. Emails that function as virtual bulletin boards are likely to garner attention by the receiver. Thus, while indulging in viral marketing, emails proves to be a strategic instrument for effective and agile communication pathway.

The email is, therefore, a model of planned communication. Planned communication is a program set up by the company or the organization to let the masses know about the products or services they have on offer. The communication process has a planned strategy that functions on the principle of the following elements.They are:

Take Away Products

This is a standardized, and the most popular method in helping the company market their presence. "Free" and "discounted rates" are favorite terms in the marketing terminology. They will offer their products for a free trial to let the masses know that they are 'in the market', and their products are competitive. In terms of services, there are text messages and emails forwarded so that the information may be utilized by those interested. Coupons and rewards are distributed through emails to create awareness about the product or service they are propagating. In short, they serve to be an incentive for the masses to try a product, or service.

Easily Communicable Messages

The organization devises certain techniques to help people pass on the message quickly and easily, without any fuss, or time-consuming tactics. They are of the view that the consumers are overworked, and it is best to provide them with an alternative that does not consume much of their time. This is how they could let others know, particularly when they have an accessible via media to do so.

Preparation for Varied Response

The organization that has released the campaign must be prepared for any one of two set response; it may be small-scale (involving very few people to participate); or large-scale (to face 'n' number of people being interested in availing the benefits that you have put forth).

Concentrate on the Typical Human Mentality

The organization has to understand; rather, predict what makes the consumers tick, and what are the motivational factors that make them all the more interested; thereby, igniting their curiosity meters. Use certain time-tested devices such as humor, love, the urge to be trendy, the desire to go around popular places in the world, and the riches. These are some of the tendencies that market men can play upon.

Human Communication Networks

The existing human communication networks are the most successful and effective, as they have close contacts and relations through networks on the Internet and social networking sites. This is the strongest way through which messages can be sent and passed on. They are instant, and don't require the individual to invest more time.

This is how the communication process of viral marketing materializes. I believe this article has given you the cycle that the marketers follow to have their strategies take wings, and reach new heights.

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6 Secrets for Successful Facebook Marketing

Facebook is the number 1 most visited site thus to promote your business on the Facebook is a very efficient method to increase you business revenue and awarness. In order to succeed in Facebook marketing, you will need to understand what are the best practices and unique opportunity to avoid Facebook Marketing pit fall. Here is the lists of 7 secrets to create a successful Facebook marketing campaign.

Successful Facebook Marketing #1 – No Hard Sell

Facebook is a place where people make use as fun social space on the Internet. People will check status, picture and even video of other people posted on Facebook to relax. You will need to join in the people community and become part of them rather then treated as business crook who hard selling the people.

Hard selling tactics that used in real life is not applicable on the Facebook marketing Advertising login, posting repeatedly on your product or service will not bring your message to you followers but instead it will causes a negative effect and resulting follower unfollowing as think that you are spamming their wall.

Successful Facebook Marketing #2 - Run a Contest

Facebook contest is always the best way to market and campaign your product/services. Organizing a contest campaign will raise the awareness to those non follower and growing your following lists to you business. People like free gifts and they will participate if there is any contest on this.

Here is some suggestion on what contest you can run. You can start running contest campaign such lucky draw where you will require the contestant to like a post. When the people like your post, it will post to their timeline thus the other friends will start know about this and some even will participate.

Successful Facebook Marketing #3 – Post Regularly

If your business Facebook page has follower, meaning these people are interested with your company service/product. You should be feeding the people with information on your services/product regularly. Statistic shown that 50% will check their Facebook at least once a day as they would want to know what’s the new feed on Facebook thus posting your product/service information will raise seen rate.

Guideline is that you should post at least once a day and when you post, make sure that the content is interest. This is to avoid your following thinking that you are spamming them.

Successful Facebook Marketing #4 – Using Own Personal Profile

Depending on the nature of your business, but if your business is branded by YOU (such as Realtor, author, consultant and etc), you may want to consider using your own profile to help out on your marketing. You can even share your personality and your success story while sharing news about your business.

This action will gain the confident from the people as they who they are the following. This method is likely to increase your business and success in Facebook marketing as this is a proven method.

Successful Facebook Marketing #5 - Use Picture or Videos

People will get attracted to appealing photo or videos thus this is a factor in making successful Facebook marketing. You should be using the picture or video frequently to keep your followers engaged. Here are some example of what you can post:

• If you are a personal trainer, you can post a video of how to do an exercise correctly
• If you are an architect, you can post how is a renovation progress day by day
• If you are in a clothing line, you can post the new clothing stocks that arrive

The picture or videos will attract people to click onto your post and check out the details of it.

Successful Facebook Marketing #6 Engage with your follower

The next secret of successful Facebook marketing is that you would need to nurture your relationship with your follower/subscriber. Well, it does take time to build a good relationship with other people so you will need to be patient on nurturing this. You can start of by replying comment if your follower has comment on your post.

You can also start to learn more about your customer thru Facebook insight. With this you can start to tailor your post to meet up with the needs based on the statistics from the Facebook insights.

These are the 6 secrets in making of a successful Facebook Marketing that you can adopt to improve the Facebook marketing and increase your business. Let me know of what you think and whether have you tried and whether it’s working well in your marketing campaign.

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Business Marketing By Using Facebook

Social networking sites are a rage all over the world for their power to interest and intrigue the users. A networking platform such as Facebook, can serve bigger purposes than just chatting with friends, if used wisely. The use of social networking as a tool to promote a business idea or create awareness about a social issue, is being widely felt. For amateur businessmen, using Facebook for business marketing reduces expenditure on advertisement. This cost-effective measure for advertising allows a business to be popular across international boundaries with just a little effort. What more could a startup want?

How to Use Facebook for Marketing Your Business

Attention

Using Facebook for business marketing, follow the same rules of advertising through any other medium. Seeking attention is the first step of advertising. Facebook gives you an option to create a page (an identity or a profile) for your business. Login to the site, and create this page, by adding a profile picture and details. The site will guide you at every instance and the instructions are quite simple to understand. A page will give your business an identity and a starting point.

Interest

Why would people look at your page? Why would they like it? What's in it for them? Fair enough. To increase views, likes and followers for the page, you need to make the page interesting with pictures, intriguing snippets, quizzes, polls, personal information about the founders, prizes and such other stuff. The second step of using Facebook for marketing business, is to generate an interest amongst the viewers and to retain it. Remember that the page has to be regularly updated and it has to be kept alive with interactivity to retaining its users' interest.

Desire

After you've got attention and generated interest, you need to arouse a desire amongst users about your products or services. More the interactivity, more desirous will be the product. Persuasive updates, consistent advertising messages, pictures that bring out the essence of your product and making offers of reasonable deals are some of the ways in which your followers will want to own your product or avail your service. Increased number of followers, constant interactivity, inquiries and suggestions are all indicators of the fact that your product has reached the desired state.

Action

This may seem confusing, as we are talking about a virtual marketing. Responding to queries, which increases your sales is the action in question here. Say for instance, you are promoting a startup event company. After following the aforementioned steps, if you get calls from potential customers who would buy the invites, it is a job well done. When it gets rolling because of its popularity, it is known as action, in advertising terms. The same holds true for Facebook.

Satisfaction

It is important to revert to your customers and get important feedback from them. A feedback will help you figure the levels of satisfaction and the scope for improvement. This makes your customers feel valued, which goes a long way is establishing a loyal customer base and increasing your clientele.

Virtual business marketing is easy but it requires dedicated effort minus deviations. It is one platform that will give you a wide audience that is spread across the world. Thus, launching yourself in the international world is just a click away. Advertising a product on a social networking website comes with a great responsibility of matching up to people's expectation. And they don't ask for much! Worth a shot, I say.

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Tablet PC History that Maybe You Don't Know

As we all know iPad is not popular all over the world, and maybe you will think that tablet PC is a recent invention, in fact, tablet PC is the result of many years of development and evolution. Perhaps you don't know that the tablets that are appearing on the market the two years are quite a bit different than the early versions for its long history.

The first appearance of what we would think of as a tablet today came in the early nineties. For the most part these were more like early laptops than they were like the current tablets. These tablets for the most part were developed into laptops mainly because nobody could figure out a good way to enter data into them that didn't use a keyboard. The addition of the keyboard created the shape of the laptop as we know it today. These early models did however serve to prove that there was a market for a portable computer and this led to the development of other technology.

The next step in the history of the tablet was the development of the PDA and the smart phone. Most of the technology that went into the current generation tablets has come directly from smart phones. The real leap forward was the decision to put an operating system on the smart phone, this truly made them portable computers. From there it was hardly a huge leap to realize that putting a bigger screen and more computing power on a smart phone would have a variety of uses. This is basically what Apple did when they brought out the iPad which was the first of the real tablet PC.

The iPad has proved to be surprisingly successful on the market. When it was introduced nobody was entirely clear on just why you would want one. After all they do basically the same thing as a smart phone or a laptop. The iPad has sold well, so more and more manufacturers begin to produce a scale of tablet PCs, especially for the android tablet PCs. This does lead to the conclusion that the success of the iPad had more to do with marketing skills of Apple. However, iPad is expensive to most of the average person, this certainly leads to the manufacturer followers imitate the iPad. So more and more cheap android tablets similar to iPad begin to appear on the market, maybe this is also the way that makes tablet PCs popular all over the world.

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Light and Infrared Irradiation in Cctv Systems

Over the past few years we have witnessed the appearance of day night CCTV cameras, all featuring a “miraculous” capability to amplify by many hundred folds the camera “minimum illumination” by removal of the IR cut filter and by turning off the color circuit. Usually, the day mode sensitivity ranges from 1 lux to 0.25 lux and leaps to 0.01 ~ 0.0001 lux for the camera's night (B/W) mode. This “miraculous” increase is not real; it is a measurement trick by exposing the CCD (Charged Coupled Device) to high power infrared emission and specifying it inadequately in a very low lux value.

Lux and Infrared power are not the same. Lux is a photometric unit that measures point to point illumination (dependent on the quantity of irradiated light and the distance between the light source and the illuminated object) while Infrared power is a radiometric unit - measured in Watts . Illumination makes it possible for us to see while infrared irradiation is invisible to the human eye.

The distinction amongst illumination and infrared irradiation is in the frequencies, or the wavelength. The wavelength of the visible spectrum ranges from 400nm (violet) to 700nm (red) which is divided into a rainbow of colors from red to orange to yellow to green to blue and to violet.

CIE (Commission International de l'Eclairage) also known as International Commission of Illumination, has clearly stated the measurement of light, known as photometry, applies only to the visible portion of the optical spectrum and includes units such as nit, lumen, candela and lux. Measurements of human's eye sensing ability have shown that the efficiency is highest to green color (100% at around 555 nm) and it declines to 50% near orange (around 610 nm) and blue (around 510 nm) and less than 10% near red ( around 650 nm) and violet ( around 470 nm). Humans do not sense radiated waves in the ultraviolet (below 400 nm) or the infrared (above 700 nm) regions.

CIE standards are quite complex but it will be sufficient to comprehend that the value for a green light source(555nm) with 1W of luminous flux, is equal to 683 lumen, which for a point to point measurement equals 683 Candela . In contrast, 1W of red (650 nm) luminous flux equals only 68 candela and 68 lumen and 1W of infrared (over 700 nm) radiant flux equals 0 lumen, 0 candela and 0 lux.

The problem is that few people know what lux and infrared radiation are, or how illumination and radiation are measured. One of the devices for measuring illumination in lux is the illumination meter, also known as a light meter. The light meter includes a filter and is calibrated to measure only light units within the visual optical spectrum as defined by CIE. This filter is similar to the IR cut filter preventing all infrared radiation from passing in order to keep the measuring accurate. That is why all the known exposure meters, light meters and other illumination measuring equipment will read 0 lux or some residual value when exposed to infrared radiation.

In CCTV light meters are used to measure the scene illumination observed by a security camera, but should never be used to measure infrared irradiation, because its reading will be 0 lux, or a residual reading like 0.001 lux, even though the scene may be exposed to considerable quantity of IR radiation.

In order to understand very well the significant impact that these measurements have in designing a CCTV system we must first understand how a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) works.

The CCD sensor is designed to resemble the human eye, with similar color sensing efficiency. That is why CCD sensors are most sensitive to the green (550nm) region of the spectrum and drop to 0 sensitivity in the ultraviolet (under 400nm) region. CCD sensors however do sense infrared radiation over 700nm and up to 1000nm (some are more sensitive and can sense up to 1200nm).

The CCD sensitivity is much lower in the IR region and drops to only 5-10% efficiency or less, as shown in a typical CCD efficiency graph.

Even though the sensor's sensing efficiency in the IR region is very low, at day time infrared radiation which is heavily radiated by the sun, by hot objects, by human body and by incandescent or halogen light bulbs must be prevented from reaching the color CCD. If such IR is radiated into the optical path of a color CCD, it will cause heavy disturbances in the processing of color pictures. That is why every color CCD (or CMOS) sensor must be fitted with an IR cut filter that blocks the infrared radiation from reaching it. As explained above, sensors are far less sensitive to infrared radiation than to visual spectrum. Therefore the concept that the removal of the IR cut filter increases the camera sensitivity a hundred or even a thousand times is a simple case of distortion, induced by the improper use of a light meter for measuring infrared irradiation.

The common inaccurate test for the night mode of a day night camera is performed by introducing a powerful infrared radiator (incorrectly named IR illuminator) for irradiating infrared onto a dark scene. The test is carried out by connecting a CCTV camera (with its IR cut filter removed) to a waveform analyzer for measuring the output signal. The day/night camera is placed to observe an IR irradiated scene. After that the light meter is positioned into the scene to measure the infrared irradiation in lux.

This is a misleading test that generates false results. We will get an IR induced B/W signal into the waveform analyzer with a value like 20 IRE, while the light meters will read 0 lux or a residual value, such as 0.01~0.0001 lux, which is used in the camera's technical chart to define sensitivity or its minimum illumination. You should be aware that IRE is a unit of signal level or strength and is not associated to infrared radiation in any way.

The correct but more “difficult” lab test of a CCTV camera's sensitivity or minimum illumination is performed by placing a standard 2000 lux source with a test chart in front of the camera (connected to a waveform analyzer) with its IR cut filter removed. After the initial are inserted in front of the light source until the video signal measured drops to 20 IRE. The minimum illumination will than be calculated on a basis of the neutral density filter reduction factor. Neutral density filters are available in different transmittance factors and reduce the luminous intensity by ratios such as ½, 1/16, 1/50, 1/100 etc. The neutral density filters are very similar to those used in auto iris smart lenses.

This is why whenever you see a day/night camera with a minimum illumination values like 0.001 lux or even 0.001 lux, try to keep in mind one thing – marketing strategies sometimes weight more than common sense.

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Understanding the Mini-facelift

The problem with the question is that for each of us, what constitutes a mini facelift or full face lift is different. For some surgeons the difference between a mini and full facelift have to do with the length of the scar, for some the difference has to do with whether or not the deep tissue (SMAS) is supported.

There is a trend in plastic surgery for surgeons to invent surgeries. This is no where more apparent than in facelifting. So heres the truth about what is going on. Surgeon X decides to name his facelift a superspeedy lift, or whatever. Other adjectives including quick, lifestyle, swift and basically anything else that can imply a quick and easy procedure have been used. Surgeon X now claims they are the only surgeon experienced in that specific technique.

In actuality true, every surgeon does any procedure in their own unique way. But in reality, the important parts of the procedure are actually not unique at all. These are all variants of the S lift or MACS lift. The trick is in the marketing. Why would anyone NOT want a procedure that sounds so simple?

For me, what I call a mini face lift , is a procedure that is appropriate for about 80% of people. The other 20% need a more aggressive lift. My mini-facelift involves an incision from the hairline to just behind the earlobe (hiding well within the creases of the ear and side burn) with elevation of the skin for approximately 5-6 cm (about half of the cheek down to the jawline). Liposuction (PAL) is done on the neck.

Sutures are used to reshape and lift the deep tissues (the most important part of the procedure). The skin is lifted mostly vertically (opposite the direction of sagging with aging) and removed and closed without tension. Similar to a MACS lift. I guess I could name it a no pain face lift and probably have people lining up to get it but for now I will continue to keep things above board and hopefully at least my patients can see through the smoke and mirrors.

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Malware hijacks Twitter accounts to send dangerous links

Twitter users in the Netherlands are being targeted by a piece of malware that hijacks their accounts, according to security vendor Trusteer.

The software vulnerability lies on the client computers of people using Twitter and not Twitter itself. Once a computer is infected, the malware injects JavaScript into the victim’s browser when they’re on their Twitter account page. The malware steals the user’s authentication token, which allows it to make calls to Twitter’s API (application programming interface) and post tweets.

Dana Tamir, Trusteer’s director of product marketing, wrote that the malware had been used in the past to steal user credentials for financial accounts but has been modified for Twitter.

The malware tweets messages in Dutch such as “Our new King William will earn even more than Beatrix. Check his salary” and “Beyonce falls during the Super Bowl concert, very funny!!!!” along with links.

Although Trusteer said it did not follow the links, it is suspected the links are malicious and aimed at infecting new users. The links are shortened URLs, making it impossible to tell where the links lead.

Hackers will send malicious links to potential victims that, if followed, will land them on a website that tries to attack the person’s web browser, looking for vulnerabilities in which to exploit and deliver malware.

“This attack is particularly difficult to defend against because it uses a new sophisticated approach to spear-phishing,” Tamir wrote. “Twitter users follow accounts that they trust. Because the malware creates malicious tweets and sends them through a compromised account of a trusted person or organization being followed, the tweets seem to be genuine.” - source

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Zotac's Mini-ITX Ivy Bridge-Ready Powerhouse

Intel's Ivy Bridge CPUs will be launched in a couple of weeks, so motherboard makers are showing their 7-Series platforms, even very small ones.

Contrary to what some may think, a powerful computer does not actually need to have a huge main unit, far from it.

It all boils down to the motherboard size and how many features a hardware maker can cram into it.

Zotac's Z77-ITX WiFi shows that even a mini-ITX motherboard can support all the Panther Point chipset and Ivy Bridge CPU features.

“ZOTAC is the global innovator when it comes to mini-ITX mainboards. We continue to push the performance envelope with mini-ITX to rival much larger systems,” says Carsten Berger, marketing director, ZOTAC International.

“The latest Intel Ivy Bridge processors paired with our ZOTAC Intel 7-series mini-ITX mainboards make an unbeatable performance combination without sacrificing energy-efficiency.”

Even when smaller than the ASUS Maximum V GENE, the ZOTAC Z77-ITX WiFi somehow crams together two DDR3-1600 memory slots (2,133 MHz when overclocked) and a PCI Express 3.0 x16 slot (for graphics cards).

Knowing how powerful video boards are nowadays, this means that small PC boxes can breeze through any game.

It doesn't take too much imagination to picture this platform inside a small LAN party case and loaded with high-end hardware.

That said, Zotac tossed in two HDMI outputs, a mini DisplayPort connector, two SATA 6.0 Gbps ports, two SATA 3.0 Gbps connectors and a bunch of USB ports/headers. Finally, 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 go without saying.

In addition to the ZOTAC Z77-ITX WiFi, the company has a H77-ITX WiFi board too, which lacks overclocking but is otherwise identical to the Z77.

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AOpen MP915-B MiniPC Snap Review

The AOpen miniPC, which was first revealed at Computex exhibition in Taipei in June, is set to hit US stores. The machine looks surprisingly a lot like a Mac mini. Both machines measure 165 millimeters square. The AOpen miniPC measures 50 millimeters high, just 1 millimeter shorter than the Mac mini. Both have the same rounded design and a CD slot at the top in the front.

The primary design difference? The miniPC has a power button in the front. Whoops, how could you have possibly called this a look alike!? I personally commend the originality and creativity behind the AOpen design team :)

The miniPC will run Intel’s Pentium-M processor and feature a DVD burner, built in ether, 802.11 a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB ports, IEEE1394 (Firewire) port, DVI, and S-video connectors. One version will ship with 512MB of memory and a 80GB hard drive. In short, it’s a PC Mac Mini.

The mini computers will be available in the US this month for $399 running Linux or $499 running Windows XP.

If it has a decent video card it might just become my home theater PC.

AOpen launched the XC mini MP45-BDR, a latest addition of the mini PC product family featured the Intel® GM45+ICH9M (Montevina) chipset and the new generation Blu-ray disc reader/DVD writer (Blu-ray Combo drive). It supports new Intel® Core™ 2 Duo (Penryn) processor and provides external frequency up to 800/1066MHz, thus maximizing the performance of the Intel® Core™ 2 Duo. It s also supports up to 4GB dual channel SO-DIMM DDR-II 667/800MHz. Its built-in GMAX4500MHD graphics engine offers full support for Microsoft® DirectX™ 10 to meet image quality and performance requirements for 3D games. In addition, a total of six USB 2.0 ports eliminates the scalability limitation of min PCs and ensures greater flexibility and space.

“Available in limited quantity only, the XC mini featured the high-end Blu-ray disc reader/DVD writer (Blu-ray Combo drive) aims to meet the world needs in high-quality video playback,” said Tony Yang, AOpen’s senior marketing Director. “It proves that its high performance has earned the trust of consumers and it becomes the hub of the digital home entertainment.“ He adds, “in addition to Blu-ray disc playback functions, the XC mini MP45-BDR also delivers DVD±R, DVD±RW, DVD-RAM and CD-R capabilities for data backup and video burning. Eliminating the installation and configuration processes, the preinstalled Blu-ray Combo drive enhances user convenience and is shipped with exclusive Blu-ray video playback edition of Cyberlink PowerDVD software. It offers one-stop shopping for all consumer needs in both hardware and software, demonstrating AOpen’s considerate services to the consumers.”

With even more compact design and only 1.36L in volume, the XC mini MP45-BDR includes six USB 2.0 ports and provides faster transmission as well as hot-pluggable e-SATA ports for easy connection to more devices. The XC mini MP45-BDR can also function as a digital home audio/video center. It support HDCP Full HD 1080P playback with 5.1 channel surround sound output, the new generation Blu-ray disc playback functions, and built-in GMA X4500MHD graphics engine. Through bundled DVI or HDMI port, it can connect to traditional computer monitor, LCD monitor or HDTV, providing high-definition, surround-sound experience.

Other than advanced audio and video playback capabilities, the XC mini MP45-BDR is positioned as a versatile flagship model. It comes with many optional dedicated accessories to meet the needs of a variety of applications. These accessories include: TV tuner for viewing traditional TV and digital TV, 802.11b/g wireless network modules for constructing wireless network at home, and Bluetooth technology for exchanging information with mobile phones and PDA. All these accessories demonstrate that AOpen is not only a leading supplier of mini PC, but also a leading brand creating user experience in mini PC. The XC mini MP45-BDR also fulfills the concept of environmental protection. In addition to set an example in carrying out power and space saving, it actually complies with EU RoHS directive (Restriction of the use of certain Hazardous Substances in electrical and electronic equipment), delivering safe, worry-free operations.

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TP-Link TL-PA511 KIT Review

Today I’m doing a review of the TP-Link AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapter starter kit. For those of you that aren’t aware of the powerline/homeplug standard it basically allows for internet (and LAN) access through your electrical circuitry within your home.

I’m also going to see how it stands up to a Gigabit connection and an older set of 85mbps powerline/homeplug adapters. I have been using Solwise 85mbps homeplugs for a few years now (they were one of the early models on the market) and one of the things that really bothered me about them was the very slow transfer rate of files from my NAS to my PC, download speed from the NAS was around 700kb/s and upload roughly the same. Considering I Get around 9mb/s on WiFi when I am back in the other side of the house (where WiFi reaches) this was quite a poor result for me. I have recently purchased a couple of TP-Link TL-WA901ND access points in order to upgrade the WiFi in both sides of the house and the homeplugs were the only thing holding me back in this half of the house where I have my ‘Zone 2′ AP running.

TP-Link offer 200mbps, 500mbps and wireless versions of their powerlines. I am reviewing their top of the range 500mbps gigabit adapter today. The product comes in their familiar green-coloured packaging with TP-Link’s 3 year warranty clearly stamped on the top of the packaging.

The TP-Link TL-PA511 KIT comes with the following:

• 2x AV500 Gigabit Powerline Adapters
• 2x CAT5 cables (ethernet)
• Resource CD
• 2x Purchasing Guides
• Quick Installation Guide

One thing I did notice was that CAT5 cables were supplied instead of CAT5e, this does mean that despite the adapters being equipped with Gigabit ports the max transfer rate we could see with the provided cables would be 100mbps (0.1gbps). I assume the reason is that, as with every other homeplug/powerline on the market, you will never see a full 500mbps because of varying quality in the electrical circuitry in your home, distance, intereference etc etc. All of that should be revealed with testing!

Now that we have the box contents out of the way, let’s get into the adapters themselves and testing.

The adapters themselvs come in white, with ventilation holes on either side of the units. When in use they get warm, but nothing to be concerned about. Each adapter has three LEDs, starting from the top and working our way down to the bottom we have the power LED, the powerline LED (green = data rate is more than or equal to 80mbps, orange = data rate is between 48mbps and 80mbps, red = data rate is less than or equal to 48mbps) and the ethernet LED which flashes when data is being transferred.

Pair button located next to the Gigabit ethernet port

TP-Link states that the maximum range for their homeplugs is 300 metres within your home. As previously mentioned, each unit comes equipped with a Gigabit ethernet port. The link between the two units is encrypted with 128-bit AES encryption. Simply plug one unit near your modem/router/switch and make sure the power is switched on, then press the pair button (located next to the Gigabit port) for 1 second. Next head over to wherever you intend to plug in your second homeplug unit, plug it in, ensure it is powered, connect an ethernet cable up to the device(s) that require internet and press the pair button on the second unit (for 1 second).

Pair button located next to the Gigabit ethernet port

Allow 60 seconds for the devices to pair together. Note: You do not need to connect ethernet cables up at this point, it may just be easier to do so incase you intend on placing one or both of the devices behind furniture etc. The units are rather energy efficient, they conserve up to 85% power when inactive (no data transfer) – this is particularly useful at night when very little data is likely to be travelling through your powerline/homeplug adapters. In my case, no data whatsoever will travel down the units at night as my phone (and any other device that receives e-mail, updates, notifications etc) are always in the WiFi Zone 1 during the night and not in the extended Zone 2.

Methodology:

All runs were repeated 3 times with the average result used (providing no erroneous data was collected)

All runs were recorded using LAN Speed Test by Totusoft (http://www.totusoft.com)

Both powerline/homeplug adapters were reading/writing data to a Gigabit NAS (Synology DS210J) however in order to avoid a bottleneck when performing the Gigabit CAT6 cable test I ALSO opted to run a LAN Speed Test between two computers as my NAS will not read/write much faster than 30mb/s and 20mb/s respectively. (240mbps and 160mbps) but a Gigabit CAT5 cable should be able to read/write much faster than this.

For the 500mbps TP-Link adapters: One test (3 runs) with both adapters side by side, one test with both adapters approx. 25 metres away from each other, one test with both adapters approx. 40 metres away from each other.

For the 85mbps Solwise adapters: One test (3 runs)with both adapters side by side, one test with both adapters approx. 25 metres away from each other, one test with both adapters approx. 40 metres away from each other.

For the direct Gigabit connection: One test (3 runs) with one 15m CAT6 cable running from one computer to the Gigabit switch and then to the NAS (both the computer and the NAS have a Gigabit NIC).

For the direct Gigabit connection between two computers: One test (3 runs) with one 15m CAT6 cable running from one computer to the other (both computers have a Gigabit NIC).

TP-Link adapter located in loft for 40m testing

Testing:

Hardware used: Belkin CAT6 cable (15m), 1x Synology DS210j, Linksys Gigabit Switch, 3x PC’s (i7 930, ASUS R3E // Xeon E5-2630, EVGA SR-X // i3 2120, MSI P67A-GD53).

Immediate Observations: It appears that the Gigabit CAT6 cable was able to read/write faster than what most are reporting with their Synology DS210j NAS, still the figures aren’t too far out and I reckon that most of the examples of max read/write that I found online were from users installing green/eco 5400rpm drives whereas I am using a 7200rpm drive in my NAS. There could still be a SATA controller limitation with regards to read/write speeds on my NAS though.

Without further ado, here’s the results:

Please bear in mind that all results are averages of 3 runs, however each LAN Speed Test run comprised of a MINIMUM of 10 packets (for the large byte count runs) and a MAXIMUM of 1000 packets (for the small byte count runs), this means that the actual average is the number of runs multiplied by the number of packets. I decided to do it this way to ensure that discrepencies/erroneous data was kept to a bare minimum as powerline/homeplug networking can be adversely affected by as little as appliances being switched on/off around the home.

Results:

Graphical Representations (Click to Enlarge):

First of all we can see that there is next to no difference between the two adapters when it comes to reading and writing very small files (1000 byte test performed). All of the results obtained are well within the margins of error. Things get more interesting when we start to test read/write speeds of 10,000,000, 100,000,000 and 300,000,000 byte file sizes. We can see that in each test the TP-Link adapters outperformed the older 85mbps Solwise adapters even when the TP-Link adapters were positioned 40 metres apart and teh Solwise adapters were positioned next to each other.

It is only at this point that we start to realise just how far the technology has progressed and I expect to see further improvements in longer distances with the release of the AV2 standard back in January 2012. It shouldn’t be long before we see some AV2 devices out there on the market! Writing speeds (to the NAS) on the TP-Link was consistently slower, which is to be expected as that is upstream. Interesting to note was that the Solwise adapters had a faster upstream than downstream when positioned next to each other, although by only 2-4mbps with all 4 packet sizes testes and this is still well within the margins of error.

In this test, I wanted to try and show the limitations of the NAS. We can see that writing a test packet from one computer to another computer (both running standard 7200rpm drives) the results strongly outperform those obtained from writing a test packet to the NAS. This is a limitation of the controller within the NAS.

One interesting thing to note was that the NAS caught up with the computer to computer transfer speed when performing the read test, which is rather odd because the computer it was uploading the test packet to was running the same hard drive, and a 6 core CPU instead of a dual core i3. Nonetheless it’s interesting to note that the NAS performs better at pushing data to your computer than receiving data from it. Both of the result sets shown in the two graphs above were collected using a standard 15 metre CAT6 cable. 

I didn’t use the Home Plug adapters for this, I just wanted to put these results out there to demonstrate that the Home Plug / Powerline standard still has a long way to go before being a viable replacement for CAT5e/CAT6 within your home IF this option is available to you. Obviously if you can’t run ethernet cables in your home’s walls (like is the case for me) then the Home Plug standard is the ideal solution for you and with the new AV2 standard already released to developers earlier this year, we should see another boost in performance, however we still do have to bear in mind that this will likely still be very much dependant on the quality of your internal electrical circuitry throughout your home.

Additional Testing:

These tests are very good at giving us a broad overview of how a particular device works however I wanted to show you just a couple of screenshots of downstream and upstream speeds to and from my NAS through these TP-Link adapters (40m apart).

For comparison, the older Solwise 85mbps adapters had an upstream/downstream of around 600-750kb/s, and transferring data wirelessly from within Zone 1 of the house (wireless AP connected directly to Gigabit switch) gives me an upstream/downstream of around 9.5-11mb/s.

This makes the TP-Link kit roughly 6x faster when performing an upstream operation, and 10x faster in downstream.

Just out of curiosity I also tried the TP Link utility software provided with the unit, it also states an expected throughput of around 80mbps between the two units, the same reading as is displayed by the green powerline LED on the unit itself.

Concluding Thoughts:

This kit provides a very stable connection (tested for over a week now with no loss of connection) for a very affordable price tag, (http://www.amazon.co.uk – £52.70). I was particularly impressed by its ability to maintain a strong connection and upstream/downstream speed when connected roughly 40 metres apart especially considering that our internal electrical wiring isn’t the most modern around.

One thing that did have me scratching my head were the data rates than the powerline LED claims to be getting. I am getting a solid green even when the adapters are plugged 40 metres apart yet my LAN speed tests show me getting 23-37mbps which would indicate that I should be getting a red LED on my powerline (Red = data rate less than or equal to 48mbps). I realize that it could also be the wireless between my TP-Link WA901ND access point and my USB dongle but this adapter and access point has shown to be able to push and pull as much as 9.5-11mb/s across so I very much doubt that.

The AP is connected to the second TP-Link adapter with a CAT5e cable. At the end of the day it doesn’t really bother me as i’m really pleased with teh speeds I’m able to get already, and I realise that LAN Speed Test isn’t the be all end all of network speed test software out there, having said that I wouldn’t pay too much attention to the LED’s although it does make the unit look nice! I also liked the idea of the 128bit AES encrption on the units.

One thing that I mentioned at the start is that I’d consider changing is the inclusion of CAT5 cables, they can only transfer 100mbps max whereas CAT5e/6 can transfer up to 1000mbps and despite the units not actually able to surpass the 100mbps limit of those CAT5 cables, the unit itself has a gigabit switch, from a marketing point of view I’d include CAT5e cables, especially considering that the price difference between the two is a matter of pennies even for a customer only buying one cable so I’d imagine that bulk buying cat5e over cat5 really wouldn’t set you back by much more.

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