John Hesch

Check out this cool Text Link Worth Calculator that calculates the worth of a link on your site. The application uses such things as traffic, link popularity, and link placement to determine your sites link worth.

Google Tops Another Search Survey

Google has come out on top of yet another survey of the search-engine market, following the company’s top rankings on recent surveys by HitWise and Nielsen//NetRatings. Analysis firm ComScore Networks’ latest rankings report indicates that, in April, Google gained market share for the ninth consecutive month. The Reston, Virginia-based firm said that Google maintained its top position by capturing 43.1 percent of all U.S. searches. Yahoo remained in second place with 28 percent, while MSN came in third place with 12.9 percent.

Here’s a very detailed review of the soon to be released Windows Media Player 11. There are no screenshots but you can download a beta version on Wednesday.

From what I have read WMP11 is going to exceed the Apple iTunes in ease of use, GUI, organization and presentation of media files.

Wow!! Skype now offers free PC to phone calling.

Skype has now removed any cost barrier for its American and Canadian customers to keep in touch with friends, family and business associates. Skype anticipates that completely free calling in the US and Canada will expand Skype’s increasing penetration in North America and solidify Skype’s position as the Internet’s voice communication tool of choice. More people will now have the chance to benefit from Skype’s premium services and online calling capabilities,” the company said in a statement.

This is amazing. Say goodbye to all long distance charges on your phone bill. This is assuming you’re calling from and within the US or Canada, you have a broadband Internet connection, and the appropriate microphone-headset.

This is a good read by Richard Kuo in part 1 of his two part series on how to manage email effectively.

The take home message is turn off your email applications delivery notifications. To be effective you need large uninterrupted blocks of time, and that can’t happen when you’re constantly being interrupted. Every interruption costs 15 minutes of time.

Here’s a list of hard to find 800 numbers like Ebay, Yahoo, and Paypal. You can run but you can’t hide.

All times are MDT

To air May 7, 2006

• 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM - Saul with music by Envoy - Come My Way
• 4:00 AM and 4:00 PM - Run Away to Jesus with music by Courtney Gardner - I Know That My Redeemer Lives
• 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM - Lunar Eclipse with music by Rene Davis - Hold On, The Light Will Come
• Serve Thy Mother to air during the Sounds of Sunday with music by Cherie Call - She

To air May 14, 2006

MOTHER’S DAY

• 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM - Hannah and Samuel with music by Highland Choir - Prayer of the Children
• 4:00 AM and 4:00 PM - Sarah and the Angels with music by Jenny Jordan Frogley - A Woman’s Heart
• 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM - Mama’s Boys with music by Brian Blosil - Saturday’s Warrior
• Honor Thy Mother to air during the Sounds of Sunday with music by Dean Kaelin - My Mom

To air May 21, 2006

• 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM - Family Singing with music by Steven Kapp Perry - Look Up!
• 4:00 AM and 4:00 PM - That Incorrigible Class with music by Katherine Nelson - Keeper Of The Flame
• The Curb to air during the Sounds of Sunday with music by Becca Rammell - When All Is Said And Done
• 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM - Old Faithful with music by Michael McLean - You’ve Always Been There For Me

To air May 28, 2006

MEMORIAL DAY

• 12:00 AM and 12:00 PM - Beloved Mother with music by Michael Webb - Home At Last
• Sammie - Gift Of God to air during the Sounds of Sunday with music by Alabama - Angels Among Us
• 4:00 AM and 4:00 PM - Max and Joyce with music by Afterglow - Each Life That Touches Us
• 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM - The Divine Smile with music by Alison Aiken - Would I Know You?

Via Slashdot

Microsoft has released another weapon in its battle against Google. Steve Ballmer has announced today that Microsoft’s web properties (MSN, Live, etc.) will no longer use Yahoo!’s advertising services, and will instead use Microsoft’s new advertising platform ‘adCenter’.

The list of serious unpatched vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Internet Explorer keeps getting longer. Secunia finds another code execution hole in the world’s most widely used browser. Will it ever end?

Canadian music artists including Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Chantal Kreviazuk, Sum 41, Broken Social Scene, Stars, Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace, Dave Bidini of Rheostatics, Billy Talent, John K. Sampson of Weakerthans, Sloan, Andrew Cash, Bob Wiseman, a co-founder of Blue Rodeo, and the Barenaked Ladies recently launched the Canadian Music Creators Coalition.

One of the purposes is to lobby for music fans rights including the right not to be harrassed by the music industry. The coalition has identified three simple principles that should guide copyright reform and cultural policy.

1. First, we believe that suing our fans is destructive and hypocritical. We do not want to sue music fans, and we do not want to distort the law to coerce fans into conforming to a rigid digital market artificially constructed by the major labels.
2. Second, we believe that the use of digital locks, frequently referred to as technological protection measures, are risky and counterproductive. We do not support using digital locks to increase the labels’ control over the distribution, use and enjoyment of music, nor do we support laws that prohibit circumvention of such technological measures.
3. Third, we strongly believe that cultural policy should support actual Canadian artists. We call on the Canadian government to firmly commit to programs that support Canadian music talent. The government should make a long-term commitment to grow support mechanisms such as the Canada Music Fund and FACTOR, invest in music training and education, create limited tax shelters for copyright royalties, protect artists from inequalities in bargaining power and make collecting societies more transparent.

AMEN!