Small Business Owners Name LinkedIn as the Most Useful Social ...

The Wall Street Journal asked small business owners which social media sites they used most often and which had the most potential to be useful in the future.

As you can see, LinkedIn came out on top, not only as the most used but look at that potential score. They beat every other side, even Facebook, with a big stick.

But, as I?ve said many times before, results are results but how you interpret them can vary. In this case, I?d like to see what kinds of businesses answered this survey. I can totally understand LinkedIn being the number one choice if the majority of the companies were B2B. LinkedIn excels in the area of industry networking.

If you?re looking to engage consumers, LinkedIn is not the place and that?s why I question these results. For consumer contact, Facebook (even though I grumble) is the place.

The WSJ reporter agrees. She quoted Todd DeMann, founder of a company that makes and delivers calorie-controlled meals as saying,

Facebook was the sixth-largest driver of online traffic to his website. Online scrapbook Pinterest, which the firm started using just four months ago, was 59th. Twitter ranked 117th. ?On Twitter, you can?t engage in a meaningful way.?

Pinterest beat Twitter 59th over 117th? That hurts. He doesn?t say what the top five traffic drivers are but I imagine none of them are LinkedIn or the reporter would have mentioned that. (Feel free to correct me if I?m wrong, Ms. Maltby.)

For Twitter, the only thing worse than their usage is their perceived potential. YouTube got 16% of the vote, even Google+ got 4%. The only thing worse than Twitter?s 3% was Pinterest and they have a very specific niche.

I like Twitter but maybe I?m wrong about it?s usefulness for business. Or maybe it?s just that the usefulness can?t be measured. Even if I don?t see a lot of clickthroughs from Twitter, I do see people sharing my articles and I?ve networked with a few interesting people thanks to my Twitter presence. I do agree with Mr. DeMann, that it?s not a place that encourages meaningful engagement but it?s good introduction to new products, ideas and people.

From a user standpoint, Twitter is my number one source for discovering new bloggers and my second source for news.

Where do you stand? Is Twitter an important part of your social media business plan?

Source: http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2013/01/small-business-owners-name-linkedin-as-the-most-useful-social-network.html

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Astronomers ask 'where are all the dwarf galaxies?'

Feb. 1, 2013 ? Astronomers of the international CLUES collaboration have identified "Cosmic Web Stripping" as a new way of explaining the famous missing dwarf problem: the lack of observed dwarf galaxies compared with that predicted by the theory of Cold Dark Matter and Dark Energy.

High-precision observations over the last two decades have indicated that our Universe consists of about 75% Dark Energy, 20% Dark Matter and 5% ordinary matter. Galaxies and matter in the universe clump in an intricate network of filaments and voids, known as the Cosmic Web. Computer experiments on massive supercomputers have shown that in such a Universe a huge number of small "dwarf" galaxies weighing just one thousandth of the Milky Way should have formed in our cosmic neighbourhood. Yet only a handful of these galaxies are observed orbiting around the Milky Way. The observed scarcity of dwarf galaxies is a major challenge to our understanding of galaxy formation.

An international team of researchers has studied this issue within the Constrained Local UniversE Simulations project (CLUES). The CLUES simulations use the observed positions and peculiar velocities of galaxies within Tens of Millions of light years of the Milky Way to accurately simulate the local environment of the Milky Way. "The main goal of this project is to simulate the evolution of the Local Group -- the Andromeda and Milky Way galaxies and their low-mass neighbours -- within their observed large scale environment," said Stefan Gottl?ber of the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam.

Analysing the CLUES simulations, the astronomers have now found that some of the far-out dwarf galaxies in the Local Group move with such high velocities with respect to the Cosmic Web that most of their gas can be stripped and effectively removed. They call this mechanism "Cosmic Web Stripping," since it is the pancake and filamentary structure of the cosmos that is responsible for depleting the dwarfs' gas supply.

"These dwarfs move so fast that even the weakest membranes of the Cosmic Web can rip off their gas," explained Alejandro Ben?tez LLambay, PhD student at the Instituto de Astronom?a Te?rica y Experimental of the Universidad Nacional de C?rdoba in Argentina, and first author of the publication of this study. Without a large gas reservoir out of which to form stars, these dwarf galaxies should be so small and dim that they would be hardly be visible today. The missing dwarfs may simply be too faint to see.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Leibniz-Institut f?r Astrophysik Potsdam (AIP).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Alejandro Ben?tez-Llambay, Julio F. Navarro, Mario G. Abadi, Stefan Gottl?ber, Gustavo Yepes, Yehuda Hoffman, Matthias Steinmetz. Dwarf Galaxies and the Cosmic Web. The Astrophysical Journal, 2013; 763 (2): L41 DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/763/2/L41

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/ufZqWZhbMxM/130201090359.htm

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Japan to send investigators to US for 787 probe

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's Civil Aviation Bureau is sending investigators looking into problems with Boeing 787 batteries to Seattle, where the aircraft are assembled.

The Transport Ministry said members of the team working on the investigation would leave Tokyo on Sunday for Seattle. It provided no further details.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing earlier dispatched investigators to join the probe in Japan.

All 50 Boeing 787s in use were grounded after a lithium-ion battery in a 787 flight by All Nippon Airways on Jan. 16 overheated, forcing an emergency landing. Earlier in January, a 787 operated by ANA's rival Japan Airlines suffered a battery fire while parked at a Boston airport.

Investigators on both sides are trying to determine why the batteries have overheated and how to fix the problem.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-31-Japan-Boeing%20787/id-e3f51eb6239f4af0a5f433f0d0b76837

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NetCitadel Pushes Security Intelligence into the Cloud

Gathering intelligence is one thing, finding a place to store and distribute it is another.

NetCitadel, a startup that came out of stealth mode this week, unfurled a OneControl Security Orchestration Platform that provides a central repository for collecting data about security events across the enterprise.

According to NetCitadel CEO Mike Horn, most IT organizations can?t afford to set and deploy complex security information event management (SIEM) systems on their own. And even if they do, there are no processes in place for delivering actionable intelligence.

Horn says the OncControl Security Orchestration Platform is a virtual appliance that creates an event bus over which a common security event framework can be extended across both physical and virtual IT systems. That includes the deployment of any new systems on the corporate network that don?t comply with established security policies.

Most importantly, Horn says that because that security intelligence is delivered as a service, the OneControl Security Orchestration Platform can be deployed on top of existing systems. In contrast, rival providers of security intelligence applications require IT organizations to either deploy expensive systems on premise, or upgrade their existing network infrastructure to access new analytics capabilities. The OneControl Security Orchestration Platform conversely makes uses of RESTful APIs to collect data from both existing and new systems across the enterprise, says Horn. Any solution that requires an organization to rip and replace existing systems simply won?t be accepted by IT organizations.

That information, adds Horn, is then used to not only identify potential threats, but also identify where the most risk is based on where business logic has been deployed.

Recognizing the importance of preventing all security threats from getting past the network perimeter, vendors are now rushing to provide security intelligence systems that automate the process of identifying potential threats. The assumption is that once those threats are identified, remediating those issues is a comparatively simple process.

It?s hard to imagine how IT organizations have coped this far without a comprehensive approach to security intelligence. As is often the case with all-things IT, an ounce of prevention is always worth several pounds of cure, so maybe the time has finally come to file security intelligence under the heading of better late than never.

Source: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/blogs/it-unmasked/netcitadel-pushes-security-intelligence-into-the-cloud.html

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Editor's Letter: BlackBerry takes over

In each issue of Distro, editor-in-chief Tim Stevens publishes a wrap-up of the week in news.

A new drinking game was invented this week by our editor Mark Hearn: every time you say "RIM" instead of "BlackBerry" you take a shot. As I don't drink myself, I'll take a pass on this particular pastime, but there were certainly plenty of opportunities to get tipsy this week, with the former Research in Motion finally rebranding itself as a corporate entity to BlackBerry. That was just one of the many announcements CEO Thorsten Heins made this week -- and just one of the announcements I wish the company had made years ago.

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/L-72L-LK2SQ/

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Guest Blogger: 6 Brightening Tips For Your Home This Winter

Entry #2061, January 31, 2012

The winter months are famous for bringing out the blah in the best of us. Spring may be made for cleaning, but winter is the time to kick some life into your home ? and the best part is, you don?t have to hire anyone or have Martha Stewart-type talent to do it. Here are six things you can do right away to re-energize your space and take back your home from the drab, depressing days of winter:

Clean It Up

Wipe away the cobwebs and suck up the dust bunnies from the tops of shelves and behind furniture. Doing so brings a lighter, freshly cleaned feeling into your home. TLC Home suggests moving the furniture, cleaning out the fridge and scrubbing the baseboards to bring in a fresh, spring-like feeling to your home.

Brighten your winter home

Image via: Jason Dewey

Focus on Windows

The windows are the main source of light in most homes, so why cover them up with heavy drapes? Valances and window treatments made from lightweight, breezy fabrics are great ways to bring a room?s look together while permitting natural light in. Using bold color or prints on windows can also bring new life to a room without having to repaint or buy expensive new accessories.

Re-arrange Your Space

One of the best ways to recharge your living space is to re-arrange the furniture. Why not try out different configurations in your living and family rooms? Experiment with moving couches and loveseats around ? even the simple act of putting lamps and bookcases in new spots can rejuvenate a room and cheer you up.

Purge the Cupboards

Empty your shelves of everything you don?t or won?t use, from expired food to servingware and glassware that you no longer (or never did) use. Toss any dry goods that haven?t been used in six months or more. Clutter doesn?t just make the cabinets difficult to navigate, but it weighs on your mind, too. Getting rid of the barely-used will leave open space and bring peace of mind.

Brighten Things Up

Dark-colored accents, especially in the gloomy winter months, can make a home feel even more cave-like. Swap out dark accents for lighter ones ? try covering drab pillows with colorful fabrics and ditch? anything heavy and wool-y for a lighter variety. Visit thrift shops and consignment stores to find brightly colored vases and accent pillows that can add to a room?s feeling of lightness.

Winter bedroom spring ideas

Image via: Schippmann Design

Stay Gold

When looking for ideas to add warmth to your winter home, remember to choose colors and textures that reflect what natural light is available in winter. Gold accessories look rich and stunning while helping bounce light around the room. Look for items like rugs, accessories, pictures and picture frames, vases and fixtures that come in gold or have gold accents. The smallest of changes can have the biggest impact on your mood, and with a little luck, spring will come early this year.

For more home decor ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Source: http://stagetecture.com/2013/01/guest-blogger-6-brightening-tips-for-your-home-this-winter/

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World stocks gain as Fed winds up 2-day meeting

BANGKOK (AP) ? World stock markets were slightly higher Wednesday as investors anticipated the U.S. Federal Reserve will stick to a policy of keeping its key interest rate near zero until a firm recovery in the world's No. 1 economy takes hold.

A two-day policy meeting of the central bank's Federal Open Market Committee wraps up later Wednesday. If the Fed sticks to its commitment to low interest rates, that would drive more money toward stock markets, said Linus Yip, a strategist at First Shanghai Securities in Hong Kong.

"The main focus is whether there will be some hints given out about what will be going on in future interest rate moves," Yip said. "Right now, market sentiment remains good."

Last month the Fed said that as long as the inflation outlook is mild, it could keep short-term rates near zero until the unemployment rate dips below 6.5 percent from the current 7.8 percent. That could take until the end of 2015, the Fed predicted.

Britain's FTSE 100 was nearly unchanged at 6,339.23. Germany's DAX rose nearly 0.1 percent to 7,852.80. France's CAC-40 advanced 0.1 percent at 3,789.28. Wall Street futures were flat: Dow Jones industrial futures stood at 13,908. S&P 500 futures held steady at 1,505.

Japan's Nikkei surged 2.3 percent to 11,113.95, its highest closing since late April 2010, as the yen continued to weaken against the U.S. dollar.

Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose 0.7 percent to 23,822.06. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.4 percent to 1,964.43 after the government said manufacturing output rose 0.8 percent in December from November.

Gains in resource stocks helped lift Australia's S&P/ASX 200 by 0.2 percent to 4,896.70. Mining giant Rio Tinto Ltd. gained 1.5 percent and rival BHP Billiton advanced 1.2 percent.

Benchmarks in Singapore, Taiwan, the Philippines, mainland China and Indonesia rose.

Meanwhile, a survey on U.S. consumer confidence Tuesday was unexpectedly weak, but analysts said the result was likely a one-time blip due to the payroll tax increase that was part of the agreement reached by U.S. lawmakers to avert bigger spending cuts and tax increases.

Wall Street stocks rose Tuesday after drugmaker Pfizer posted strong earnings. The Dow Jones industrial average ended higher for the seventh day in eight.

Currently, analysts expect fourth-quarter earnings for 2012 to increase by an average of 4.7 percent for S&P 500 companies, according to the latest data from S&P Capital IQ. That's an improvement on the previous quarter when profit grew by 2.4 percent.

Benchmark oil for March delivery was down 3 cents to $97.55 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract rose $1.13, or 1.2 percent, to close at $97.57 on the Nymex on Tuesday.

In currencies, the euro rose to $1.3511 from late Tuesday in New York. The euro hit its highest level against the dollar in nearly 14 months Tuesday after data was released showing a rise in German consumer confidence. The dollar rose to 91.16 yen from 90.69 yen.

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Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-stocks-gain-fed-winds-2-day-meeting-091822972--finance.html

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