Just to top off on a Google filled day (BTW I just downloaded Google Desktop for my Mac and by God does my Mac hate me right now – I assume normal service will resume after the initial index). Anyway ever fancied a job as one of the top executives of Google? Would it put you off if you knew that last year the top execs in Google were only paid $1 for their troubles? Granted these guys get plenty of perks and so forth and are worth a small fortune on paper in terms of shares in the company but surely a $1 salary for the year is a little mad? Haven’t they learned anything from past history of maintaining shares in internet companies? source: BBC NEWS | Business

Another Google related article! Looks like Google Desktop for Mac is finally set for release next week. Offering Mac users the ability to easily index their hard disk and their iDisk and return search results in a simple format. Finally an alternative to Finder/Spotlight… but why? source: Slashdot

Some time ago I set out to achieve something in the blogosphere: To improve my level of visibility in the world and to measure that using Technorati. I have been doing a number of things to help with this, some of which I will divulge others are trade secrets. When I started my journey a few moons ago my blog ranked somewhere around the 250,000 mark in the world. Today I am very proud and happy to announce that my goal of breaking into the top flight (at least my level of the top flight) has been achieved and my blog currently ranks at position 2334 in Technorati. Not a bad improvement I think you’ll agree? Now that I have gotten there I have to try to keep it going. I took a screenshot of the ranking (below) just in case I fall by the wayside and need a memory of the past. Currently I think this places me as one of the top ranked Irish blogs in Technorati, no pressure now.

No longer a problem! That pesky activation process can now be delayed for up to a year. Or such is the claim of Windows expert Brian Livingston. Seemingly a simple change to the Windows registry can postpone the activation for up to a year and research is being done to discover if it is possible to delay it even further. Soon you will be able to enjoy Vista with the absence of the web. source: Computer World

For the past number of months my life has centred on the development of a SIP-based instant messaging client (extensible for other protocols but focussed on SIP). Naturally, the aim of writing any SIP client these days is with a goal to achieving IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) compliance, whose backbone is SIP.

The development is Java-based for a number of reasons that I won’t enter into. It’s not the only choice but it made sense in this situation. The availability of Java SIP stacks is however far less than satisfactory and made the task far more arduous than one would have thought. In the end a decision was made to roll with the apparent leader and seeder of the JSR180 reference implementation, the NIST Jain SIP libraries. No doubt though the development was exciting and we managed to send the client to trade shows at 3GSM, CTIA, Globalcomm and Fall VON – no mean feat!

Read on if you are interested in the route to success…

Google have agreed to start anonymising server logs after a 18-24 month period. This data that was previously kept for indefinite periods and was used to ‘personalise’ services offered to end users was a source of contention for privacy bodies. The new decision by Google has been welcomed and is seen to strike a balance between personlisation and privacy. source: BBC NEWS | Technology

SanDisk have just launched their new 32GB solid-state, flash drive for laptops. I really like the idea of no more spinning hard disks but at twice the price and one fifth the storage capacity of a typical good spec hard disk, I’d be willing to put up with the noise for a little longer. source: Reg Hardware

Viacom are set to sue Google/YouTube for US$ 1 billion for alleged, wrongful usage of their video content. That’s a pretty big suit that if upheld could be a big problem for the free world of video sharing. source: BBC NEWS | Business

A lot has been said recently regarding the daylight saving move made by the US. Basically if you haven’t heard then this weekend, 3 weeks earlier than normal, the US rolled the clocks forward. The bid is predicted to save in the region of US $45 billion over the next few years. Not everyone is that convinced however, that extra daylight will save energy. source: Slashdot

Some time ago now I started making references in my posts to a character by the name of John Chow. Some of you will have followed the links and perhaps even trawled my OPML to find out who the man is that goes by the name of John Chow; now I’m going to tell you.

JohnChow.com is a website that I stumbled across by complete accident. However, when I did, the headline banner featuring two Pagani Zonda supercars immediately caught my attention. Pictures will only keep your attention so long but John has the content to keep you coming back. While not saving whales or competing to retain his Ultimate Fighting Champion status, John is a mild-mannered web mogul from Vancouver. His main focus is how to create a successful career from writing a blog; filled with plenty of tips that will both attract readers to your blog and also keep them coming back. Of all the bloggers that I have read over the years John’s techniques are pure simplicity, no gimmics, and that is the evil genius of John Chow. He’s successful because he knows that trying too hard will discourage readers but temptation and suggestion is paramount to keeping them. It’s a fine balance that takes skill to maintain – I’m not suggesting that it’s easy.

In addition to John’s top tips for writing a successful blog, you’ll quickly discover that John is very good buddies with some of the top names in the blogosphere. Having these contacts John is able to divulge information about all the latest happenings in the world and direct your attention to things that you would otherwise never hear of. This unique blend of insight coupled with John’s good humour, technology reviews, jaw-dropping cars, free stuff competitions, restaurant reviews, and entertaining banter is the reason that it took me no time at all to subscribe to his RSS feed and the reason that you too will be drawn into the enigma of his web-based money-minting machine.

John is also running a linkback scheme, following his own criteria for being a Dot Com Mogul and helping out other wannabe moguls. People interested in a linkback from John (and you should be) write a review of his blog and let him know. I’m am one of that legion and a linkback from John will certainly help my readership.