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The Internet has been crackling the last few days with people talking about Buzz, Google’s new social networking site. A lot of the feedback has been less than kind, but has the negative “buzz” hurt Buzz? And do the complaints have merit?

For me, there was only one way to find out.

Imagine my surprise—and slight chagrin—when I discovered that I didn’t need to sign up for Buzz: As a Gmail account holder, Google had already done that for me. And, helpful people that they are, they even gave me followers (and vice versa). Who are my new “friends” on Buzz? According to Google, they are “the people I email and chat with the most.”

I guess I can see their reasoning behind signing people up that way: Buzz is brand new and this is how they’re getting the service going. To their credit—they do give you the option of unfollowing and even blocking certain people.

That, however, is not good enough for one woman who was being autofollowed by her abusive ex-husband and his friends. She says it’s going to take her a few days, at least, of constant maintenance of her Buzz account just to make sure each one is blocked. (Warning for sensitive readers: She does use a few choice words.)

And some people are arguing that being automatically signed up for Buzz is a direct attack on their freedom to choose, besides being an invasion of privacy. A lot of people don’t want to be members of Buzz, but are anyway—possibly without knowing it, especially if they check their Gmail accounts infrequently. Which means contacts on your email list may have access to things you may not have wanted to give them access to: your photos, what you keep in your Google Reader, etc.

Besides your posts, what else shows up on Buzz? Google says your “Google Reader shared items, Picasa Web public albums, and Google Chat status messages will automatically appear as posts in Buzz.” You can also choose to connect more sites to Google Buzz, such as YouTube, Flickr, Twitter, and blogs you keep on blogspot or blogger. I was surprised to see Twitter on the list, as so many insiders are calling Buzz the next real Twitter competitor, but the most glaring omission was Facebook.

I hate to say this because it makes me feel like I’m betraying Facebook, but I like Buzz’s profile set up process so much better. It’s cleaner, has an open feel, and makes more sense. For example, the way they have you list the websites you’re connected to is so much easier compared to Facebook’s method, which seems awkward by comparison. A side note: Even though Google doesn’t offer to link to Facebook for you, you can add your Facebook profile’s URL to your list of websites.

Besides the privacy issue, another negative I’ve noticed is that to upload photos, you have to use either Picasa for the Web, Flickr, or another online photo sharing service of your choice. That’s inconvenient for me. I do use Picasa on my laptop, but haven’t uploaded any pictures to their web service. I also don’t currently use any other photo services, though I admit I probably should. I keep my digital pictures on my hard drive, and if Google wants to play with the big boys, they need to allow that sort of photo uploading, as well.

I should mention that one thing that will get me using Buzz is their mobile app. If you’d like to add Buzz to your smartphone, simply go to http://buzz.google.com from your phone’s browser. To add the Buzz icon to your home screen, tap the plus sign at the bottom of the page. Follow the instructions from there (on my iPhone, I’m then directed to tap the “Add to Home Screen” button).

From the Buzz app, you can also access Gmail, Google Talk, and many more options, including your Google Calendar, Reader, and your photos. One word of caution: If you’re using the app from home and you allow Google to “use your current location” via GPS, you’ll be displaying your home address to all Buzz users in your local geographical area. Yes, all Buzz users in your area, whether you know them or not. I would highly recommend not using this feature.

Apparently, most people are able to let some of Buzz’s negatives roll off their backs, evidenced by the fact that over 9 million posts were left during the first few days. And while Google Buzz does have some rough edges to work out and will most likely always have its critics (as do Facebook and Twitter), I think it may turn out to be a good thing.

Here’s a short video to watch if you’d like to learn a little more about Buzz:

Google Buzz Demo.

Sally Dinius is a YouCanSubmit writer. You’ll also find her blogging for ExerciseTV and at her personal blog, CrazyBusyMama.com. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/SDinius.

For nerds like me, part of the fun of entering a new year is reading the tech predictions from those in the know. Hold it – before you click away, just read on. I’ve gathered a few of what I consider to be the most interesting predictions for the world of technology for 2010, and your inner nerd just might find them fascinating, as well.

I’ll begin the list with my favorite prediction, then toss in one that borders on the outrageous but slightly cool. I will also include one I hope will never happen (even if it does, it won’t last long), and my own prediction of a current “big thing” that I think is destined to flop.

File this one under “Geez, I sure hope so!”

Remember when those laserdisc stores opened in the 80s? No? Well, I do. They were cool, because they weren’t cassettes like VHS or Betamax. Resembling huge, silvery LPs, they were somewhat cumbersome, but no one minded—they were new and fun to use. Despite their coolness, laserdisc movies never gained quite the following that VHS did, and even the Betamax video cassettes didn’t last long. No matter: They were all blown out of the water when the much smaller DVD came on the scene. It’s only real competitor, the VHS tape, fought valiantly for its share of the market for years before finally dying a quiet death.

Alas, the DVD began facing competition of its own with the emergence of the BluRay disc. But one thing that irks customers the most affects both the DVD and BluRay: scratches and fingerprints. To me, it’s a hassle when a movie quits halfway through because of a scratch I didn’t see before playing it. So what’s the next cool thing on queue for movie lovers? Movies on SD cards.

Not just for pictures anymore, the SD card holds a lot more memory than your typical DVD. That’s one good thing about it, besides being virtually scratch- and fingerprint-proof. The downside is it’s tiny size. If you have a digital camera, you know the fear of losing that itty-bitty card…or maybe you actually have. These already exist, but should the prediction of SD cards eventually replacing DVD and BluRay come to fruition, I’m sure their small size is something that will be addressed. At any rate, I’d love to see this one come true—and the sooner, the better. Wouldn’t it be easier to keep a large library of movies in an album rather than taking up room on shelves or in cabinets? Bring it on!

How you perceive your world now is plain vanilla compared to this…

You’ve heard of virtual reality, which makes you feel immersed in a computer-generated environment, but have you heard of augmented reality? Augmented reality, something that may seem more believable in sci-fi movies, consists of computer-generated images overlaid onto your field of vision by way of augmented-reality displays. According to How Stuff Works, these displays “will eventually look much like a normal pair of glasses.”

Augmented reality is very much like taking plain ice cream (our natural surroundings) and adding chocolate syrup, sprinkles, nuts, and whipped cream (graphics, sounds, feedback, and smells). Will we want to go back to the way things were after experiencing this new technology, if and when it becomes available on a wide scale? That may depend on the person. While some folks are completely addicted to technology (as with me and my iPhone), some are content to set it down and walk away. Read more about augmented reality and what it may become in the future in this article from How Stuff Works. Want a taste of it now? Click here to learn about ten augmented reality apps already available for smartphones.

“Say” it isn’t so. Please.

One rumor/prediction I’ve heard about Twitter is that it will–possibly in the near future–support audio micro blogging. Already the frontrunner of true micro-blogging (all “tweets” must be 140 characters or less), there’s a chance that some of those tweets may actually be audible.

Now, I’ll admit it would be cool to hear what my followers sound like, but this is one prediction I literally don’t have time for. Like other members of our tech-based society, I’ve gotten used to scanning tweets, posts, and articles to find the information I need. Taking time to listen to tweets that I can scan with my eyes in a matter of seconds makes no sense to me whatsoever.

iJust don’t know about this one…

I love my iPhone. Really the only thing that miffs me about it is Apple’s continued snubbing of Adobe’s Flash technology: I’m tired of finding videos or games that I can’t watch or play. The iPhone has other saving graces, however, so for now I will live with this exception.

That said, I refuse to buy Apple’s new iPad and will even go so far as to predict its failure. When I look at it, I see an overgrown iPhone that still is not compatible with Flash. I realize it has other cool features, but no Flash is a deal breaker…sorry, Apple. I have a strong feeling others feel the same as I do, and believe it will play a part in the iPad’s destiny of sitting in a desk drawer…alone and unused. That, and the fact that other companies are surely working at this very moment on tablet computers that will greatly upstage Apple’s.

What are your thoughts on these predictions and/or where technology is headed in the future? Make yourself heard!

Sally Dinius is a YouCanSubmit writer. You’ll also find her blogging for ExerciseTV and at her personal blog, CrazyBusyMama.com. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/SDinius.

When a 7.0 earthquake struck on January 12 near Port au Prince, Haiti, rescue teams and aid organizations from around the world sprung almost immediately into action. Social media users around the globe also got their fingers busy in a race to spread the word—and even to say what they’ve seen first-hand.

TwitPic, a site created for the sole purpose of sharing photos on Twitter, has been a resource for anyone wanting to see images not typically shown on TV or on news websites. You must have a Twitter account to post pictures using TwitPic, but anyone can view them and, in so doing, feel a little more connected to the plight of the Haitian people. (See two examples, below.)

TwitPic user: @marvinady

A much-reported story in the news and in social media networks has been the Red Cross’s jumping on the texting bandwagon to raise money for this crisis. The appeal — give $10 by texting “Haiti” to 90999 — was sent out over their website, Twitter account, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. Texting to raise money has been done before, as in American Idol’s almost-yearly “Idol Gives Back” episode, and by various charity organizations. Even so, it’s still a somewhat new way to go about it, but it worked for this cause and worked well. Why? Because most people will do something that’s made ridiculously easy for them, like picking up a cell phone and sending a quick text. The ability to pay later was another successful selling point.

Twitter user HaitiLiveFeeds is the Twitter side of the blog Live Feeds From Haiti. Live Feeds from Haiti searches for and showcases Twitter users who are blogging about ways to help the suffering in Haiti. The blog’s owner describes it as a “catalog and digest of who’s sharing information from or about Haiti, without the cross-chatter or noise.”

Among the must-see online champions of the Haiti earthquake on Twitter are:

TwitPic user: @LisandroSuero

InternetHaiti: InternetHaiti shares “retweets” and news about Haiti, including this human interest story from the LA Times.

HopeforHaiti: HopeforHaiti seeks to spread hope in Haiti “physically, mentally, (and) spiritually” and also shares news gleaned from fellow Twitter users and other sources.

Ushahidi: A “new free and open source platform to crowdsource crisis information.” Ushahidi, which means “testimony” in Swahili, has been providing valuable information to anyone interested in helping with the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake.

A quick search on Facebook, the number one most popular social media site as ranked by Website Magazine in the February 2010 issue, reveals many pages and groups set up to help Haiti’s hurting population. Some of the better known organizations with pages on Facebook are World Vision, the American Red Cross, and UNICEF.

The harsh reality about the crisis in Haiti is that the need for help will be ongoing. If you would like to give, please do, but use caution when deciding which group to contribute through. Scammers and crooks have jumped at the opportunity this disaster has opened up to them, so it’s important to know how to tell real charities from those that are fake. Your best plan of action would be to stick with well-known organizations by donating at their actual websites or by calling them directly.

Sally Dinius is a YouCanSubmit writer. You’ll also find her blogging for ExerciseTV and at her personal blog, CrazyBusyMama.com. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/SDinius.

It occurred to me recently that Facebook is very much an Alice in Wonderland type of world. It’s easy to tumble in head over heels, only to find yourself figuratively chasing the White Rabbit through door after door while reading updates, chatting with friends, and losing track of daylight hours. You’re doing well if you remember to poke your head back out to get a breath of fresh, real-world air once in a while.

Besides losing track of time, it’s easy to get so caught up in Facebook that you may forget your very public conversations are just that: very public. After all, you’re only talking on your wall to two or three friends…surely no one else is even paying attention.

Alice, it’s time to wake up from your nap. If you lose your head while in your online world, others may think the Queen of Hearts got to you, after all.

I’m not going to tell you to change your ways (much), or to stop your tea time conversations with the Mad Hatter, but I am going to implore you to take the following steps to safeguard your privacy.

Choose who reads your updates.

So many people have no idea this option even exists. You can create separate lists for family, friends, coworkers, old high school or college friends, and on and on.  If you don’t designate a particular group when leaving a status update, your post will be visible to everyone on your friends list.

To make a new list, log in to Facebook and click on “Friends” in the blue header at the top of the page. Then, click on the “Create a New List” button just above the first name. A pop-up window will appear that will allow you to name the list and begin choosing friends to add to it. After any particular list is created, you can add more friends to it later simply by clicking the “Add to List” button to the right of their name, then choosing the list you’d like to put them in.

When leaving a status update, look for and click on the arrow to the left of the word “Share.” Where you see “Make this visible to…these people,” choose “Specific people” from the drop-down list. Type the name of the list you want the post to be visible to. In that same pop-up screen, you may also choose to keep a post from being seen by certain people.

Now you can be sure you won’t be embarrassed in front of your coworkers on Monday because you spilled too much information on Facebook on Sunday.

Conversely, private conversations may be more appropriately carried out in the Facebook Inbox.

What’s posted on Facebook stays on Facebook…right?

Not anymore. In the interest of promoting “real time search,” your once-private Facebook updates are now being indexed by Google. That’s right: your updates.

Going back to the blue bar at the top of the page, you’re going to mouse over the word “Settings” and choose “Privacy” from the drop-down menu.  Ideally, you will go through each of these privacy settings and change them to make your Facebook experience as safe and secure – and embarrassment-proof – as possible, but for the moment we’re just focusing on “Search.”

First on the list is “Facebook Search Results,” which is self-explanatory. We want “Public Search Results.” To the right, you’ll see the word “Allow.” If the box in front of it is checked, uncheck it. You’ll get a message asking, “Are you sure? Public search listings make it easy for your friends to find you using search engines. If you opt-out, your friends won’t be able to see a preview of your Facebook profile.”

Of course you’re sure. Click “Confirm.” Your “friends” can just as easily search for you right on Facebook, so that statement is somewhat misleading. Unless you’re a public figure or have a Facebook page for your business, the safest way to play on Facebook is by making sure that what you say there stays there.

You may not see him, Alice, but the Cheshire Cat is listening in.

Sally Dinius is a YouCanSubmit writer. You’ll also find her blogging for ExerciseTV and at her personal blog, CrazyBusyMama.com. Follow her on Twitter at Twitter.com/SDinius.

For months before its release, Google’s Nexus One smartphone was the object of hype, rumors, and speculation. This was the phone, they said, that would finally give Apple’s iPhone some serious competition. The real scrutiny began upon its January 5 debut, when many began using the phone to see if it would live up to the pre-launch hopes and expectations.

SO JUST WHAT IS THE NEXUS ONE?

The HTC-built Nexus One is the first smartphone to carry the Google brand and the first to utilize the Android 2.1 platform. It follows on the heels of the Motorola Droid, the original Android 2.0 phone that made its appearance just two months prior.

Everyone has an opinion, it seems, especially when it comes to Google’s new phone. The sleek, touch-screen Nexus One has left many people oohing and ahhing…with plenty of rants among the raves. Read on for some of the pros and cons that have been floating around the internet, along with my own comparisons to the iPhone and Droid.

THE GOOD

The Nexus One has a touch screen that is reminiscent of the iPhone, as is the in-screen keyboard. Users who like the iPhone’s features and design but want a slightly different experience – or a carrier other than AT&T – will appreciate the familiarity.

The built-in camera has 5.0 mega-pixels…and a flash. As an iPhone user, I sincerely hope Apple takes note of that. I find myself deleting way too many pictures because they are too dark to see the subject. And 5.0 mega-pixels isn’t bad, either; a fact that makes me jealous when I compare it – again – to my 3.0 mega-pixel iPhone. Like the iPhone, the Nexus One can also record video.

The Nexus One features multitasking, an option not included in the iPhone despite its having been on the market for three years now. Admittedly, the iPhone’s inability to multitask has been a little frustrating to me.

This phone will cost you less over the long term when it comes to the price of your cell phone plan. T-Mobile, currently the sole service provider for the Nexus One, charges over $1,000 less for an unlimited two-year plan than do Verizon and AT&T. Word is, however, that T-Mobile’s 3G coverage is even worse than AT&T’s, so do keep that in mind.

Speaking of money, I’ve read a lot of complaints about the price of this phone. Honestly, I just don’t get it. The Nexus One costs $179 with a T-Mobile plan, and $529 without. The iPhone and Droid are both $199 with service plans, $599 without. Sounds like we have a winner.

THE BAD

Many people like the slim feel of the Nexus One (only .45” thick), but it’s a design that calls for an even thinner battery. A thin battery has a shorter life, which has been a concern to some. The good news about the Nexus One battery is that its talk time lasts two hours longer than the iPhone’s, but standby hours are only 250 compared to the iPhone’s 300.

Storage capacity for the Nexus One is only 4GB, small compared to the 16GB of both the iPhone and Motorola Droid. It is expandable, however, to 32GB (as is the Droid).

The Android Market is still in second place for app sales after the Apple iPhone, and in a small survey conducted by market research firm Flurry, some developers have been complaining about the low numbers. Android Market has 20,000 apps available for download, compared to the nearly 100,000 in Apple’s iTunes App Store. To put this in a clearer perspective, Apple receives about 20,000 app submissions each week; the total number currently available in the Android Market.

Another complaint has to do with the touch screen not having the multi-touch capability. For some, that’s a deal-breaker, while others don’t seem to mind.

And last, but not least…

THE COOL

Two things really set this phone apart from other Android phones. The first is the powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 1GHz processor. When it comes to connectivity, the Snapdragon helps the Nexus One leave its competition in the dust. It’s like the Speedy Gonzalez of the smartphone world.

Secondly, unique to the Nexus One is the Voice-to-Text feature. It has a few bugs, such as requiring an internet connection to work, but is still a viable option if you don’t want to bother with hunting and pecking on the in-screen keyboard.

Not quite sure what Android software is? Here’s a good overview: http://developer.android.com/guide/basics/what-is-android.html.

Sally Dinius is a YouCanSubmit writer. You’ll also find her blogging for ExerciseTV and at her personal blog, CrazyBusyMama.com.

For anyone selling their product online, affiliate programs are a definite option to boost sales. What most sellers want to know however, is whether or not it`s actually worth it to set up an affiliate program. After all, it does require extra work on your part and there are often fees required, as well, if you plan to use an affiliate manager such as Clickbank.

Why Affiliate Programs Are a Good Idea

There`s a very good reason for using affiliate programs. First of all, one person can only do so much promotion. You can reach a large number of potential buyers, but there are always going to be huge groups that you won`t even think of. Also, most businesses have a limited marketing budget, which will prevent some potential buyers from learning about the product, as well.

Through an affiliate program, you can reach thousands more. Each affiliate will have their own marketing methods that will reach people you probably never even considered and that makes this type of marketing extremely valuable.

That being said, just how effective ARE affiliate programs?

Effectiveness of Affiliate Programs

Just how effective YOUR particular affiliate program is will depend entirely on your product and the people who join up to sell it. No one can predict just what you`ll earn from incorporating affiliates into your business, but we can take a look at some examples of internet marketers who have done things the right way.

For example, Roy Oron started a website to sell online and found that he wasn`t doing a good job of marketing himself. After some major research, he set up an affiliate program and let others bring in the traffic for him. However, even with a program in place, he wasn`t getting the numbers necessary to really sell the typing software he was promoting. It wasn`t until Oron took the time to find and nurture his best affiliates that he was able to boost visits to his site . . . from 2 hits up to a current 8,000 a day. You can read more about his story here.

Making Your Affiliate Program Better

If you aren`t seeing great results with your program, even with an excellent product, it might be time to try something new. Here are a few ideas:

• Offer a money back guarantee
• Find top affiliates and offer them a bonus
• Redo your affiliate resources and offer new ads, articles, emails, etc.
• Increase your payout percentage
• Check that sign up is easy for new affiliates

Affiliate programs are being used very effectively by a number of big name marketers, including Yaro Starak , well known for his success in blogging and membership programs. You can make yours work, too, as long as you are willing to tweak it as needed to perfect the number of sales.

Genesis is a Youcansubmit writer. She also blogs at Pamil-Visions.com

Article marketing is a term that we hear tossed around quite a bit, but many businesses don’t make full of this great technique. It’s a method of getting plenty of publicity, links and building up your search engine ranking without spending huge amounts of money on marketing.

Apart from the fact that it is cheap, or even free, if you do the writing yourself, what are the benefits of article marketing? Here are five ways your company can benefit from this very useful technique.

1. Gain backlinks. This is a vital part of building up your business. Getting backlinks not only means you will end up with more visitors to your website, you will also boost your search engine ranking, which makes it easier for potential customers to find you. There are many ways to build backlinks, but article marketing is one of the quickest and easiest ways to do so. Backlinks are vital for increasing your rank on Google and other search engines, and with articles, you’re getting one way links, which are infinitely more valuable than reciprocal links.

2. Spread your content around. You can gain quite a bit of exposure through article marketing. While initially you will probably be submitting to article directories, it’s also possible to do guest posts and present your writing elsewhere. However, the biggest benefit comes from submitting such great quality content to directories that other websites pick it up and republish it, complete with your bio box.

3. Establish yourself as a guru. When your name appears on hundreds of articles revolving around the same topic, you’ll find that people start to look to you as an expert in your field. The more they’ve heard of you, the more they’ll trust you and that means more sales. Article marketing isn’t just about traffic, it’s also about providing useful information that people can use. When articles are nothing more than an ad, no one will read them or click through to your site, but when they see that you are actually offering them a solution, they will be eager to learn more.

No matter what your industry or business interest, article marketing can be used to boost publicity and increase search engine rankings. It does take some time and effort, as well as a little money if you need to hire someone else to do your writing for you, but it is something that is more than possible to do for a very low budget. With all the benefits that you reap, it’s most definitely worth it.

Genesis is a Youcansubmit writer. She also blogs at Pamil-Visions.com

Like much of the more common, face-to-face business etiquette, online business etiquette seems to have gone by the wayside today. If you’re serious about succeeding in the online business world, though, you should pay attention to business etiquette even if no one else does.

It’s something that can set you apart and brand you as a true professional — but only if you know how to address it correctly and don’t go so overboard that you seem stiff, overly formal, and too hard to work with. You still have to be friendly and personable, or you’ll make people uncomfortable and actually lose business based on that instead of gaining business based on the polite way you treat people.

Using Proper Online Business Etiquette

No matter what else is taking place, there are three things that you should be sure to do:

• Address the recipient of your communication by name, instead of a greeting that’s too casual. ‘Hey, man’ is not an appropriate greeting unless you know the person well, and even then you might want to avoid getting too ‘friendly’ with business contacts. There’s a reason that business and social lives are often kept separate.
• Make the message personal by letting the person know a bit about who you are, and be sure that it’s clear why you are sending the message or why you have contacted that person. Don’t just assume they know.
• Request action. There’s nothing worse than reading an email from someone and not having any idea what — if anything — you’re supposed to do next. Sending emails just to talk is fine for friends and family members, but it’s not usually done in the online business world, so make sure the person who reads your message knows what he or she is supposed to do with it. Whether that person takes action is then up to them, but leave the metaphorical ball in their court.

What If You Make Mistakes?

If you make mistakes — and most people will — be quick to clear them up. Even if you do something wrong and seem impolite or insensitive, apologizing quickly and providing a brief and realistic explanation (the person you’re apologizing to doesn’t need your life history) can go a very long way toward keeping businesses intact.

Avoiding mistakes is obviously better than having to apologize for them, though, so think before you click ‘send,’ before you respond to an email or other message in anger, and before you make a comment that you think is funny. That doesn’t mean that everyone else will share your amusement level, and with written communication it’s often hard to convey emotions. People can’t see your facial expressions or hear the sound and tone of your voice. Sometimes putting “:o)” after it is enough. Sometimes it’s not.

If you’re very unsure about how to proceed with online business etiquette or you feel that your skills are lacking, there are training courses that you can take and DVDs that you can buy to be more aware of business etiquette issues within the online community and in the face-to-face business world, as well.

Michi Beck is a YouCanSubmit writer. You can visit her on the Web.