The Shaolin Workout - Body and Mind

It's most important to stay loose and relaxed in mind and body. To enjoy your life, you must be relaxed. When we were children, our bodies were loose, relaxed, and flexible. We could do splits, flips, jumps, and twists without thinking about it. We were pure mind in babies' bodies.

But you're never too old -- we just get too tense, too stiff. We think too much. One of the most important lessons you can learn doing the Shaolin Workout is how to get back that childlike relaxation and flexibility -- to be at home in your body again. It makes no difference if you are in your twenties, fifties, or eighties. Relax. Never feel old. Tell yourself you're not getting older every year -- you're getting younger!

Sifu explains that there are two kinds of meditation: action meditation and no-action meditation. In the West, we're most familiar with the no-action kind. We can all form images of Buddhist monks sitting with their legs crossed and their eyes closed, still and silent, for hours and hours, as they strive to achieve enlightenment.

The only problem is that too much no-action meditation can be as bad for your joints, your back, your neck, as sitting at a computer all day. This is what Da Mo saw happening to the monks at Shaolin. They spent so much time sitting in meditation that their bodies were as stiff as wooden dolls. He saw that Ba Tuo had not given them the proper tools to adapt Buddhism to Chinese life. Why do we meditate? To cleanse our minds and open our hearts. But if we burden our bodies with tension and pain, our minds and hearts can't be cleansed. Your mind and your heart and your body are inseparable.

Kung fu is action meditation. The goal of kung fu is to relax your body and your mind, to extend your body and your mind, to cleanse your body and your mind. To be relaxed in your body, and relaxed in your life, is how you live fully in the present, experiencing this moment, here and now.

In our modern world, there's another benefit to action meditation. We all have lives, jobs, families. We have wonderful things coming into our lives every day. Who among us has the time to sit and meditate for hours a day, like monks in a monastery? As you'll find out, a half-hour of action meditation can be as liberating, for your body and your mind and your heart, as several hours of no-action meditation.

Kung fu and martial arts represent a refined form of action meditation. But any exercise program can be a form of action meditation -- running, swimming, playing tennis, riding a bike. In the West, we speak of that point in an exercise routine where we "get in the zone," where we "release endorphins," where we achieve "the runner's high." Those are all Western ways of approaching the same concept: action meditation. A relaxed mind in a relaxed body.

As you go through your day today, relax. Stay loose. Be flexible in your body and in your mind. Enjoy your beautiful life every minute of the day.

Reprinted from: The Shaolin Workout: 28 Days to Transforming Your Body and Soul the Warrior's Way by Sifu Shi Yan Ming © 2006 Rodale Inc. Permission granted by Rodale, Inc., Emmaus, PA 18098. Available wherever books are sold or directly from the publisher by calling (800) 848-4735 or visit their website at http://www.rodalestore.com.

an excerpt from the book The Shaolin Workout

by Sifu Shi Yan Ming

Published by Rodale; May 2006;$29.95US/$39.95CAN; 1-59486-400-4

Copyright © 2006 Sifu Shi Yan Ming

Sifu Shi Yan Ming, a 34th-generation Shaolin warrior monk, is respected not only in the martial arts world but also in the entertainment world by stars like Jet Li, Jackie Chan, Wesley Snipes, and the Wu-Tang Clan. His kung fu classes have been featured in USA Today, The New York Times, New York Daily News, and Entertainment Weekly. Brian Gray of Inside Kung Fu magazine has called him a "living treasure of China." He has also appeared on the Discovery Channel, MTV, and CNBC, among other major networks. Sifu Shi Yan Ming lives in New York City.

How to Download Learn Spanish Courses

Learning Spanish is becoming more and more popular. It is estimated that there are more than 400 million people around the world speak Spanish. In USA, there are more than 15 per cent to of the population who are Spanish speaking people. You can benefit from this information by knowing Spanish. You can learn Spanish quite easily on the internet. This article will give you some tips on how you can download learn Spanish courses.

1 Use the power of the search engine

You can use search engines like Google, Yahoo or MSN to find out how many lean Spanish courses available on the internet. You then decide which ones you want to download. Most of these courses may cost you some money but it should be worthwhile since most of the goods online are guaranteed. You can ask for the refund if you are not happy with the product.

2 Check to see if you can find this item on eBay

eBay can be one of the sources that you can find information. There may be some of the materials that you can find on eBay. Unfortunately, eBay has stopped the selling of digital products on their site this year. Therefore, you can download learn Spanish products there. But you can get some idea where you can dig further.

3 Check the learn Spanish Review site

There are many sites that you can look for the review of the courses that you can buy and that you can download. You can check out again at Google by entering "learn Spanish course +review". You will be able to get plenty of results you are looking for. Check to find which one matches you the most. This simple technique will help you to download what you want.

Learning Spanish online can be one of your choices if you are interested in Spanish learning. This article is about how to download learn Spanish courses online.

Jim Somchai

Want to learn Spanish fast? Discover the one that will help you learn Spanish faster and easier. Don't spend you money until you read this review. Visit Learn Spanish Lessons [http://learnspanishlessons.com] Now!

A Walking Meditation

• Are you feeling stressed and down?

or

• Are you feeling overwhelmed by life, the universe and everything?

or

• Are you feeling unable to cope?

Well the answer is only a few lines away. The key to de-stressing is obvious. It is RELAXATION. But we all know that you can't make someone relax or order someone to relax. That would be like asking them not to imagine a pink elephant wearing sunglasses.

So how can you achieve this wonderful, soothing state at will, when your mind is being pulled in different directions, when you have the worries of the world on your shoulders? You know what I mean. Maybe even as you read this, you can feel tension building up in your body; maybe it is in your stomach or in your neck and shoulders; maybe your heart is beating a little faster, you might feel you are unable to think straight as you ponder the backlog of work or deadlines to be met or family issues and so on.

STOP! You owe it yourself to free yourself from this state of mind and as soon as possible, to calm your mind, to give it a breather. I want to introduce you to one very simple, effective technique which only takes moments of your time, which you can learn easily and apply anytime. The technique I am highlighting is a form of self hypnosis, whereby you use your brilliant subconscious mind to help you to relax your mind and body. I hope you enjoy it. This is what I call the Walking Meditation and I have divided it up into a number of phases so that you can easily remember it. You can also record this and play it on an MP3 player.

This is what you do:

· PREPARATION PHASE

You can do this anywhere, for example in your office building or outdoors, walking from one place to another, or even in your mind! There is no need to be self conscious about doing this practice, and if you prefer do this somewhere where you are not observed. It is preferable to do this meditation in a quiet place, and if you are walking it for real, pick somewhere peaceful and safe and make sure you are dressed appropriately for the weather.

· INTENTION PHASE

Make a conscious decision that for the next 5 or 10 minutes (more if you can or want) that you are taking this time for yourself to relax from the stresses and strains of the day.

· ATTENTION ON YOUR BREATHING PHASE

Stand up straight and balance yourself squarely over your hips, feet shoulder width apart, head level, arms loosely by your side, eyes open and now focus on your breathing. There is no need to change the pattern of your breathing. Just stand there and notice the way you breathe in and out, and the more you focus on your breathing the more you relax and now slowly take a deep breath in, pause and exhale slowly and relax. Do this three times and with each breath just feel your body beginning to relax from head to toe, each muscle, nerve and fibre relaxing as you take in the perfect breath of air which is just right for you. And while you are doing this, you might notice noises in the background and you can relax and accept them, as they are just normal everyday sounds. And if you find some stray thoughts come into your mind, just accept them and bless them and send them on their way, like little puffs of smoke disappearing into the air. You can just blow them away.

· SCAN YOUR BODY PHASE

As you breathe you can begin to scan your body for areas of tension and if you find those areas, breathe in another breath of fresh air, this wonderful healing air and breathe this healing air right down into your body, sending it directly to the places of unease, easing the tension away and if necessary adjust your posture or your stance, so that you are even more comfortable and while you are standing there you can use your mind to talk to each part of your body, asking each part to 'SOFTEN' or visualise each part of your body and relax each part one by one from head to toe or from toe to head. It is all up to you as you are in control over everything you think, feel and do.

· WALKING PHASE

And now let's get ready to walk and you know the rate at which you usually walk and you know that this varies depending on your purpose. Sometimes it's very fast as you rush from A to B, sometimes it's slow as you amble along, relaxing outdoors. So I just want you to set off now at an average walking speed, a pace which is right for you and now here is the fun part, I want you to start slowing your pace down, maybe to half that pace and even to half that pace again. And for the next few moments and the time is up to you, I want you to walk along very, very , very slowly and maybe you are going at a snail's pace, barely putting one foot in front of the other and while you are going at this wonderfully slow pace, start noticing again your breathing, your body, how it is moving, notice the sounds your feet make on the floor. And maybe you notice the things around you now from a different perspective and allow your eyes to soften to take in more of the things that are around you and just notice how different everything is from what it was a few moments ago as you continue to breathe in and out, each breath relaxing you even more and more. And know this, that you are in control and you can do this walking meditation for as long or as little as your want, and I am sure the more you do it, the more you realise how good it is for helping you to relax by slowing you down, by giving your conscious mind some time out from everyday concerns.

· POSITIVE SELF SUGGESTIONS PHASE (Optional, I highly recommend this!)

And while you are in this wonderful state of relaxation, it is now time to treat yourself kindly by programming your wonderful subconscious mind with positive beneficial suggestions. So say the following affirmations 3 times (aloud or in your mind, it is up to you):

· I am calm, I am relaxed, I am in control, I am confident.

· I feel calm, I feel relaxed I feel in control, I feel confident.

And feel what it is like to be calm, relaxed, in control and confident. Feels good doesn't it?

· COMPLETING THE MEDITATION PHASE

And whenever you are ready to come back to 'now', just take another 3 breaths and notice how good it feels to be relaxed, knowing that you can achieve this state anytime you want, anywhere you want. On the third breath, just shake your body out, feeling good, relaxed, alert and energised.

Anne M. Courtney. I am a Certified Hypnotist based in Tralee, Co. Kerry, Ireland and am a member in good standing of the National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) based in the USA. My business is called Integrated Health Therapies and I offer three healing modalities - homeopathy, hypnotherapy and neuro linguistic programming. My aim is to help my patients or clients in a gentle and safe manner to overcome personal limitations on mental, physical and emotional planes.

So I hope you enjoyed doing the Walking meditation. If you want to learn some more about me, the services offered or hypnosis just go to my website where you will also find a free relaxation download. My contact details are also on my site if you would like further information: http://www.annemariecourtney.com or http://www.hypnosistralee.com

Can Symbian BREW Blackberry?

Perspectives of Wireless Marketing Wars - Who will Be the Winner?

According to the research held by analytics company Canalys the market of "smart" mobile devices in Europe, Near East and Africa grows more rapidly than market of mobile phones. Within the first half of 2005 9.6 million of smartphones and PDAs were sold compared to 3.6 million during the same period of the previous year. Such trend is observed worldwide - almost 70 million full feature handsets are sold worldwide. According to analysts the two main processes in progress stipulate such growth at the moment. On the one hand, ordinary users interchange their old smartphones and PDAs to newer ones. On the other hand, there is an upsurge in interest in mobile E-mail and extended abilities of smart mobile devices from companies and corporations.

Modern smart mobile systems are to be: always available (small sized / handy), always On (optimized memory usage, minimal battery use), extensible (new software can be added if necessary), affordable, and of various form factors. Moreover, a smart mobile device should combine the maximum of mobile technologies available at the moment: GPS, VoIP, Bluetooth, IrDa, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, mobile E-mail, support of HTTP protocol, MP3 etc. This is a vast domain for competition among manufacturers of operation systems for smartphones and PDAs.

There are several very large players in this market: Symbian OS, BREW OS, Blackberry OS, Windows Mobile OS and Palm OS etc.

Experts' Area

Ulf Morys, General Manager at Gameloft GmbH:

- Symbian: more important in the future, but still niche market (Nokia market share ca. 33 % overall; not more than 1/3 of this Symbian phones & some other Symbian phones). Overall optimistic estimate: ca. 10 % of total newly sold phone base.

- BlackBerry: interesting for business / productivity applications; no mass market.

- WindowsCE: difficult to judge. Microsoft will keep pushing it's platform, but results were often unsatisfactory in the past; make sure that the partners can actually bill for applications delivered to this platform. We've seen problems with this.

- BREW: real mass market potential in US and Chinese market, not very relevant for European market."

SYMBIAN

SYMBIAN - is a software licensing company that develops and supplies the advanced, open, standard operating system - Symbian OS - for data-enabled mobile phones and PDAs.

As of September 2005 60 phones that run under Symbian OS from eight manufacturers are shipped worldwide and a further 56 phones from eleven manufacturers (among them Fujitsu, Mitsubishi, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, BenQ and Motorola) were in development. Symbian OS is an undisputed sales leader in Europe and has a strong market share in other countries. Currently Symbian's market share is 55.9 per cent from worldwide sales (according to IDC analytics company), at that 82 per cent of devices were manufactured by Nokia (in whole since 2005 beginning there were sold approximately 34 million data enabled devices with Symbian OS on board).

Experts' Area

Philip Solis, ABI Research senior analyst, author of the study "Smartphones: The Market for Smartphones and Smartphone Operating Systems":

"Symbian's chief advantages are that it is easy to build applications for, and that it has a large developer community. Disadvantages are that Symbian is primarily limited to Nokia handsets, and its market is concentrated in "GSM-heavy" regions."

19 of 60 devices with Symbian OS support WCDMA. By the way, smartphone Nokia 6680 is recognized a 3G world bestseller telephone.

Key features of Symbian OS

Rich suite of application engines - the suite includes engines for contacts, schedule, messaging, browsing, utility and system control; OBEX for exchanging objects such as appointments (using vCalendar) and business cards (vCard); integrated APIs for data management, text, clipboard and graphics

Browsing - supports WAP 1.2.1 for mobile browsing

Messaging - multimedia messaging (MMS), enhanced messaging (EMS) and SMS; internet mail using POP3, IMAP4, SMTP and MHTML; attachments; fax

Multimedia - audio and video support for recording, playback and streaming; image conversion

Graphics - direct access to screen and keyboard for high performance; graphics accelerator API

Communications protocols - wide-area networking stacks including TCP/IP (dual mode IPv4/v6) and WAP, personal area networking support include infrared (IrDA), Bluetooth® wireless technology and USB; support is also provided for multihoming capabilities and link layer

Quality-of-Service (QoS) on GPRS/UMTS networks

Mobile telephony - Symbian OS is ready for the 3G market with support for GSM circuit switched voice and data (CSD and EDGE ECSD) and packet-based data (GPRS and EDGE EGPRS); CDMA circuit switched voice, data and packet-based data (IS-95, cdma2000 1x, and WCDMA); SIM, RUIM and UICC Toolkit; other standards can be implemented by licensees through extensible APIs of the telephony subsystem

International support - conforms to Unicode Standard version 3.0

Data synchronization - over-the-air (OTA) synchronization support using SyncML; PC-based synchronization over serial, Bluetooth® wireless technology, Infrared and USB; a PC Connectivity framework providing the ability to transfer files and synchronize PIM data

Security - full encryption and certificate management, secure protocols (HTTPS, WTLS and SSL and TLS), WIM framework and certificate-based application installation

Developing for Symbian OS - content development options include: C++, Java
(J2ME) MIDP 2.0 and PersonalJava 1.1.1a (with JavaPhone 1.0 option), and WAP; tools are available for building C++ and Java applications and ROMs with support for on-target debugging

User Inputs - generic input mechanism supporting full keyboard, 0-9*# (numeric mobile phone keypad), voice, handwriting recognition and predictive text input.

BREW

BREW - Binary Runtime Environment for Wireless is a combination OS, application platform, and marketing system. BREW started with QUALCOMM-based CDMA chipsets and technology - a vast market - but BREW is independent of the wireless technology utilized by a particular handset or network and can support other wireless technologies. Ideally, BREW can work with any device, and Qualcomm is planning to port it to Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). Qualcomm is trying to remove the gap between GSM and CDMA operators. As CDMA strengthened hand, the GSM lobby propped its own version of CDMA which they named WCDMA (Wideband CDMA). WCDMA has been launched in a group of countries (80 operators in 29 countries), and many more are gearing to launch it within this year, it is already successfully running in countries like Korea, Japan, China, India, Brazil and in some parts of North America.

So far prevalent in the CDMA domain, BREW is gradually transiting to the GSM bastion of Europe as the continent's operators introduce 3G services based on WCDMA (by the end of year 2005 the number of WCDMA networks users worldwide increased by 2,6 times compared to December 31, 2004 and reached 43,81 million users). Such a scenario could make Qualcomm a worldwide flag carrier in mobile market. In all, 40 commercial BREW device manufacturers (Audiovox, Kyocera, LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, BenQ etc.) offer over 135 BREW-enabled devices - as of January, 2006 according to Qualcomm. Almost 10% of all handsets shipped worldwide are BREW compatible and the number of application downloads (May 2005) exceeds 300 million. The success of BREW has been built on CDMA platforms of major mobile operators, including Verizon Wireless, China Unicom, Telstra and KDDI.

Regardless of platform, BREW requires little memory (150KB), which makes BREW applications workable even on low-end phones.

BREW provides basic capabilities for such advanced services as GPS, VoIP, Bluetooth 1.1, MP3 and MIDI support, video recording and playback, multimedia streaming, e-mail. The set of BREW services includes communication capabilities of TCP/UDP sockets, HTTP protocol support, SMS-MMS services, extended telephony capabilities. BREW supports several programming languages including Java, and via extensions BREW understands C/C++, interactive animation Flash and XML.

The Wall Street Journal paralleled BREW with Microsoft Windows in wireless communication domain.

Experts' Area

Victoria Alexandrova, Project Manager, PDA applications Department of QArea Company: "Who I see a winner? Symbian, of course. It is convenient, applicable, multi functional and easy for understanding. However, if I were in the USA I definitely would rather use BlackBerry, since they provide top quality service."

BLACKBERRY

BLACKBERRY - is a proprietary operating system, provided by RIM (Research in Motion, Canada), for the BlackBerry devices and BlackBerry enabled devices (BlackBerry email is already on a few handsets including Siemens SK65, Nokia 6820/6822, Motorola MPx220). BlackBerry is one of the leading wireless solutions, which allows users to stay connected with wireless access to email, corporate data, phone, web and organizer features. The true power of BlackBerry is mailbox integration. BlackBerry can integrate seamlessly with a user's existing corporate or personal email account providing a wireless extension of their regular e-mailbox.

The first BlackBerry was released in early 1999. The first BlackBerry with integrated cell phone, as well as the first BlackBerry sold outside of North America was released in 2001, using the European GSM/GPRS standard. RIM at the moment has a very dominant position in the mobile email market. BlackBerry is used worldwide, available from 95 wireless carriers in 40 countries. In November 2004, RIM announced the number of subscribers to the BlackBerry service to have reached two million, having doubled within ten months. Proceeding their steady growth, RIM announced an additional one million subscribers in May 2005, only six months after having reached two million.

Experts' Area

Rudy de Waele, CEO at Random One (R1):

"The market is going more Symbian due to the strategic moves Symbian did with S60 platform, delivering Symbian to various devices of different brand manufacturers and Nokia's latest partnership with Vodafone to increase the use of S60 as a standard software platform.
Windows Mobile is going to catch up bit by bit, they have the market advantage in US and they can benefit from the Microsoft PC/Mobile synchronization that becomes more and more popular and is a crucial element for the success of mobile data services, but I don't see them getting quickly at the same level of Symbian on a global level, it's going to take at least 4-5 years for them to catch-up, if ever they will...

Meanwhile I don't see a bright future for Palm OS, neither BREW, though BREW is still quite strong in the market due to Qualcomm strength on the market.

Nobody can compete with Symbian as of now, their competitors will have to come up with a stronger OS and that doesn't look obvious.

At last, don't forget about Linux who has a lot of potential, specifically in mobile, I see a bright and growing future for them."

No wonder, RIM manufactures a top notch device (with BlackBerry OS on board) that is secure, stable, and dominates market share with state and local government, the military, and with commercial corporations. In 2005 RIM was the first largest PDA supplier, and their technology BlackBerry occupied the second place among OS manufacturers giving Microsoft product the go-by.

RIM develops its own software for its devices, using C++ and Java technology. Third party developers applications must be digitally signed, that guarantees the application authorship.
Available services are: Wireless Email Service, Wireless Calendar Service, Wireless Internet (HTML and WAP formats) Services, Voice and SMS, Mobile Data Service, Attachment Service, Instant Messenger, GPS Service, Bluetooth etc.

Diagram Year-on-year increment of devices shipments

Note BREW includes CDMA and WCDMA chipsets

The full feature handsets market is hard to predict, however almost all analysts predict steady and increasing growth of this market (which is observed at the moment). Each manufacturer aspires to create a common OS to globalize and standardize application development, distribution and management (as they say) to develop applications for all but not for each distinct device. Some people welcome such opportunity and some are bothered by possible monopolization and subsequent abuses in this domain. What is observed at the moment that each of the manufacturers had occupied a distinct characteristic niche, where he is successful, and already from there with mixed success tries to "conquer" the mobile wireless world.

Experts' Area

Alexei Golovashov, Senior QA Engineer, QArea Group:

"BlackBerry? One of its main advantages is an advanced ergonomics both of the device itself and its software. The user interface, as of today, I suppose, is one of the best among developed for PDA devices. While its main disadvantage is absence of memory card. Absence of the latter means that it can not be used for other purposes, it is narrow directed. I use my Symbian as MP3 player and to watch movies. I will not be able to use BlackBerry for that even if I want to. BlackBerry is convenient only for business domain, I guess, while Symbian also can be used as a game platform, and its a rather essential part of users who use it that way. BREW, from my point of view, has no bright future at all. J2ME is that well-developed that nobody pays attention to BREW. Furthermore, all BREW applications are to be certified, that complicates their usage and distribution," - says Alexei Golovashov, QArea's Senior QA Engineer.

What then

The whole world, and wireless market in particular, moves toward high speeds, multiple functions and extended business possibilities. 3G networks is the next inevitable stage of mobile market development. It provides plenty of capabilities both for business and entertainment, communication and data transfer, Internet access and mobile e-mailing. Most of 3G devices should combine all available 3G technologies to be competitive. This factor will also affect the development of devices and operating systems for them. As we can see, the mobile market requires a device that could fullest reveal the capabilities of next generation mobile networks 3G and 4G. These numbers are dramatic confirmation of 3G leading position: 173 Commercial 3G Operators in 75 Countries worldwide (as of February 02, 2006), over 228 million reported 3G CDMA subscribers (as of November 30, 2005), 826 models of 3G devices worldwide. The industry standard for 3G wireless networks consists of 5 operating modes - three of them are based on CDMA technology: CDMA2000, WCDMA (UMTS) and TD-SCDMA. In this light BREW OS has a great opportunity to become a leader, though Nokia 6680 under Symbian OS is a 3G world bestseller telephone. The services by 3G carriers are quite actual already - 80% of British mobile users are ready to pay for mobile TV service, nothing to say about GPS, high-speed packet data access and high quality voice services.

Still large companies, financial giants, transnational corporations and government institutions adhere to the tried technologies - they use BlackBerry - undisputed leader in enterprise mobile solutions for mobile professionals and seek no alternative for it. However, if You still want an alternative for You BlackBerry You should be set for paying a pretty penny of some $500 for a new device and a new connection and it is not easy at all to find an equal substitution.

And let us don't forget that more players like Windows Mobile OS and Linux OS are on their way and hit their stride.
Table Annual global sales gain and market share of each OS
Note BREW OS is not included in the table

OS vendor	   2004	      % share	      2005	     % share

Symbian       14,365,850      61.2%	 34,000,000	      53,27

Linux	        6,380,160      27.2%	  9,300,000	      14,57

Palm Source    1,210,090       5.2%      2,200,000	       3,45

Microsoft      1,119,610       4.8%	 14,000,000	      21,94

RIM	          135,180       0.6%	  4,000,000	       6,27

Others	          277,520       1.2%	    322,000	       0,5

Total	       23,488,410		 63,822,000

Undoubtedly, there's still a long way to go: Symbian powered nearly 34 million devices last year, more than double what Microsoft was able to ship, but the gap is narrowing.

Microsoft is preparing their new mobile operating system Crossbow which is to replace Windows Mobile 5.0 launched in May 2005. Crossbow will have both Push Email and built in Internet Pager, thus Crossbow will provoke competition to BlackBerry OS. Microsoft aspires to get over Symbian and BB at a time and we know how this usually results. New product will take time to be tested to make sure it runs smoothly in operator's networks. After all, will operators agree to update their software and servers for new applications to run properly?

MS provided an adequate tool set for the developers to develop software for their platform. In many ways they are helping to open up software innovation on devices. While developers for Symbian OS quite often complain of its being bad documented and too many OS versions. Microsoft's long legacy includes an understanding of the Developer and providing Developers tools. Symbian is a newcomer. Still, we shouldn't forget about the power of open source: Why would a Developer want to restrict themselves into a platform with a proprietary software code? Some experts consider that just the developer support is going to be key in who wins in the consumer market place.

Much also depends on marketing and promotion: Symbian's operating system is used in many top-end business phones today, because of its support for features such as PIM, voice-conferencing, push email and Web access. Nokia phone stands for world recognized brand and image phone - and it does pay dividends. To have Nokia's smartphone is almost the same as to drive Mercedes.

The potential of growing markets should also be considered: the demand for mobile phones in India, China, Eastern Europe and Africa is not a new phenomenon. Just in time enter a growing market and you can lead the race (Industry analysts forecast that 80% of the next billion mobile phone customers will come from emerging markets).

This is a niche market, all around. We say Europe - we mean Symbian, we say USA - we mean Windows Mobile, BlackBerry and BREW. BREW - is limited to CDMA markets (US and Chinese markets), Blackberry - is closely tied to business and corporate clients, Symbian is prevailing mainly in Europe: it turns out they have nothing to "brew". I hope none of them comes to dominate, since that is a recipe for stagnation; the 3 equally balanced would be perfect for fair competition and product development. We can not provide adequate predictions for someone's success or failure. It will be just a forecast.

All is left is to guess who to place stake on ...
http://www.qarea.com

Why Should You Meditate?

Everyone's mind needs a little downtime. We all need time to focus on one task, instead of multi-tasking all day and night. In fact, your mind doesn't take a complete rest when you sleep. Your mind moves from dream to dream for about two hours per night.

Your mind needs rest and a vacation. Have you ever noticed that when you take a vacation, you come back with fresh ideas, a better attitude, and establish clear priorities? This is due to getting some time to relax and reflect on your life. The time off allows you to think clearly.

Our problem stems from being so busy that we lose touch with our inner self. We fill our time with too many activities to realistically accomplish them. Companies do this to their employees, but we voluntarily do it to ourselves. You have the ability to take control of your own life, and the solution is as simple as daily meditation sessions.

The answers to our problems are within ourselves, but many of us don't want to look that deep, for fear of what we might learn about ourselves. It is always easier to blame outside forces for our problems. However, closing down outside distractions and listening to our inner voice is natural medicine.

Who knows? You could actually find yourself and your identity. This could lead you to make changes and put ideas into action. All of this progress could happen as a result of you making a "meditation appointment" with yourself. It only takes 20 to 30 minutes a day for a single meditation session.

There has never been a better time to meditate than right now. People have so much "going on," these days; the only time they stop is when they are sick. The problem is how busy will people be in 20 years from now? Now you see why having downtime is so important.

Information about meditation techniques is widely available in books, DVD's, and CD's. You don't have to join a monastery, and live according to a strict moral code, with multitudes of rules, but you do need the self-discipline to continue a daily practice.

Strangely - self-discipline, alone, will keep the masses away from this ancient practice, which has survived a battery of tests and modern scrutiny. This is amazing when you think about the rewards of self-mastery, contentment, and mindfulness, which result from daily meditation practice.

Paul Jerard is a co-owner and the director of Yoga teacher training at: Aura Wellness Center, in North Providence, RI. He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. He is a master instructor of martial arts, with multiple Black Belts, four martial arts teaching credentials, and was recently inducted into the USA Martial Arts Hall of Fame. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness to children, adults, and seniors in the greater Providence area. Recently he wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students, who may be considering a new career as a Yoga teacher. http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html

Playing Pebble Beach

I have just come across an article which I wrote last year for publication in a UK Golf Magazine. It is exactly one year since I played my first round of golf in the USA...and yes, it was at Pebble Beach. What an experience. I still can't believe it.

Driving along the 17 mile drive from Carmel, looking out of the car window, avidly seeking my first peek of this magnificent course, passing some incredible properties, I cannot describe my excitement. We had booked a two night stay in the Lodge, with a 9.30 am tee time on the Monday. The Lodge itself is a luxurious place to stay; It has a small lobby which opens out into a lounge and terrace with unparalleled views of the 18th green and the sea beyond. Everything is quietly understated. We had an ocean view room, with open fire and double doors onto a balcony which looked straight out over the 18th green. Logs were neatly stacked outside the room and the fire all set and ready to go. And with that sea fog, the warm fire was very welcome. It might be 100 - 110 degrees inland, but on the coast it was more like 55-60 degrees.

Unfortunately, the sea fog obscured a lot of the view for much of our stay, but allowed tantalizing glimpses of the rugged coastline and the sparkling ocean. It in no way detracted from the golf, I hasten to say. It's an integral part of the Pebble Beach experience. My playing partners turned out to be a gentleman from New York, who had brought his 13 year old grandson to play here for three days, and also a gentleman from Illinois. I was once again reminded of the international nature of the game and the immediate connection which you have with total strangers, simply by sharing a passion for this splendid game. I cannot think of an easier way in which to meet such a wide range of people.

My own partner (who had booked this as a treat for me - lucky, lucky me) hasn't played golf for years and decided to caddy...except that's not allowed, so he drove the cart instead, and assures me he got an equal kick out of the experience as I did; And we're off to the driving range at Stanford later (the scene of Tiger's university time practice), seeing as he's now caught the golfing bug!

Back to Pebble Beach..the borrowed clubs were, needless to say, Callaway, graphite shafted and not far off new. The range was just up the road, easily accessible with the assistance of the courtesy bus and once there the golf balls were neatly lined up in baskets. It was great to get a few swings in and relax on the range, although the fog made it a bit difficult to see where the ball was going!! Still, if you cannot see the result, it's easy to assume that all the balls flew well!! (A positive mental approach is always best for your confidence!) And, joking apart, it does help you to hone in your kinesthetic awareness, and learn to feel better where the ball is going. That's always a plus in golf.

On the tee box, our starter had a few words to say - no mobiles, no mulligans, we were expected to take 4 hours 20 and to keep half a hole behind the group in front. The advice given was that the course is eminently playable...although the greens are all small and so not to go for the pin, just aim for the centre of the green...and to have fun. Sound advice.

I was aware of the amount of adrenalin coursing through my body due to sheer excitement, and wondered once again at the task professional players have in controlling this instinctive response whenever they play. It pays off to have as many mental skills as possible to draw upon, so as to stay calm and relaxed and focused. It also pays to have a plan of how you are going to tackle each and every hole, particularly so when the greens are as tight as these ones. You need to know your yardages and plan your ideal approach to the green and then play your tee shot accordingly.

It's no good just smashing your driver down the fairway and then seeing what you can do from there...that's not the way to play any course, let alone Pebble Beach. I can fully appreciate why Tiger spent a lot of time shooting into every green, practicing with every pin position, from every conceivable approach position, so as to produce the phenomenal result he did back in the 2000 US Open - 15 shots under his nearest rival.

Tiger showed us just how playable Pebble Beach is, so long as you use your mind as well as your body - thinking clearly and logically so as to employ the best course management, and then remaining calm and focused so as to execute that plan. Sounds easy, doesn't it? But that's the way good golf is played. Unless you use your mind well, all you will ever do is aim to hit the ball forwards and hope for a good result - sometimes you'll get lucky, sometimes you won't.

And this isn't the only difference between a professional and a good club golfer. A professional practices and practices and practices; every available moment is spent practicing. I'm not suggesting that all club golfers should do the same; simply that one cannot expect to play like a pro unless you undertake to practice as diligently and also to learn the mental skills which are equally essential. The mental skills, of course, take far less time to learn and to rehearse, and so this is the quickest, easiest and least time consuming way in which to foster consistency and, ultimately, to lower your handicap.

Those club golfers, who play for their scratch league team, or your area team, or such like, should all be emulating the professional golfer. If you are on a team, you owe it to your contemporaries to do your best. For the rest of us, it only matters to ourselves personally how we choose to approach the game. Whatever approach you want to take is the right one for you...but to play your best golf, learn from the preparation habits of a professional - practice different shots, learn the mental game...and don't forget to have fun; remember, golf is a game - enjoy it!

I certainly enjoyed Pebble Beach. I, like many other golfers, I'm sure, would play there every day, if only that were possible. Jack Nicklaus once said that if he only had one more round to play, he would choose to play it at Pebble Beach. The fairways are magnificent, the greens aren't too slow or too fast, the rough is fair, the bunkers are full of white powdered sand (I know - I spent a lot of time in them!), the holes are interesting and challenging, the views are great (even when seen through a haze of fog!), and there's nothing quite like playing this legendary course.

The US Open is back there again in 2010, and I for one will be getting tickets. I'm already looking forward to walking upon that hallowed ground once more. And, who knows, perhaps I'll get to play there again sometime?...and hopefully next time I'll retain my ball on the 18th...which I unfortunately hit rather too enthusiastically out of the bunker, over the green and off into the beautiful blue ocean! I wouldn't mind but I'd used that same ball all the way until that fateful moment; quite an achievement I felt. A dramatic end to my round, which only serves to fuel my resolve to play there again at the earliest opportunity.

Roseanna Leaton, specialist in golf hypnosis cds and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

With a degree in psychology and qualifications in hypnotherapy, NLP and sports psychology, and a great passion for golf, Roseanna Leaton is one of the leading golf psychologists. You can get a free hypnosis download from the website and view the GolferWithin golf hypnosis CDs and hypnosis mp3 downloads.

How to Clean a Computer Key Board

For proper maintenance of your computer it's a good idea to clean it regularly. If in doubt review the cleaning instructions from your manufacturer.

The supplies you will need are the following:

• Cotton swabs


• Rubbing alcohol


• Can of compressed air (can be found in most computer accessory shops)

1. Unplug your computer from the power source. This will ensure you don't get shocked and inadvertently hurt yourself.

2. Turn your laptop computer keyboard upside down and give it a bit of a shake. This will dislodge some of the dirt before you begin the cleaning process.

3. Next, grab your can of compressed air and give it a shake. Then carefully aim the nozzle to the spaces between the keys and spray. This will blow out loose particles of dirt and dust.

4. Now, take a cotton swab and dampen it in the rubbing alcohol. Don't soak it; it only needs to be dampened. What you don't want to happen is dripping alcohol between the keys and getting into the inner workings of your computer if you have a laptop.

5. Run the cotton swab around the outside of every key. Then do the same with the top of each key.

6. When you are finished, then and only then, plug your computer back in.

What happens if you spilled something on your computer keyboard?

1. Immediately turn off your computer.

2. Unplug it from the power source

3. Turn your laptop or keyboard upside down

4. Use a lint free cloth or paper towel to blot up the liquid. Don't rub, just blot

5. Now get your trusty can of compressed air and gently spray in between the keys

6. Let your laptop computer or keyboard dry over night before plugging it back into power

7. If the spill is large, remove the battery from the back as well (laptops) and when you start it up, if it does not work properly, call your computer technical support.

There are lots of things that can spill onto your beloved computer and keep in mind that liquids other than plain ordinary water can really mess your computer up. The best thing to do is to keep all liquids as far away from your laptop as possible. If you're like me and need that java fix....keep it handy but far enough away so that if it spills, it won't land on your computer.

Deb Marsden is an experienced Internet training customer support manager.

Deb and her good friend and equally experienced customer support gal,Lee Ann, have joined forces and offer their services to computer newbies and not so newbies, solve issues they may have in learning how to use their computer.

Also, for those Internet entrepreneurs who want help with their personal branding...this team has lots to offer.

Too much to do and too little time? OutMouseit! and let this dynamic duo work their magic with your personal online branding and more.

This short video will give you ideas for your own personal brand.

Essential Equipment For an English Lesson

So you're going to spend a year abroad teaching English? Full of enthusiasm, you pack your bags with tons of books, resources, teabags, so that by the time you've finished packing, you're three times over the maximum luggage weight allowance. Or perhaps you're a travelling teacher who has decided to backpack around the world, and you need a rucksack that you can carry. With limited space, do you actually need all of those heavy books to teach English? No, not really. In fact, the good news is that you need very little in the way of resources to teach fun-packed English lessons. The only really essential item is your imagination!

If you are lucky enough to teach in a state-of-the-art language school, where they have everything from satellite TV and video cameras to DVD players and an interactive whiteboard, then fantastic! But even if you are teaching in a small impoverished village, with little in the way of resources, don't panic. Here are a variety of suggestions of essential equipment to help you prepare for your time in the classroom.

Ideas, ideas, and more ideas (and preparation!)

Making your own lesson plans will not only build your confidence, but prepare you mentally for teaching English. Spend a little time thinking through lessons, and writing your ideas down. We guarantee that this is time better spent than searching for free lesson plans on the internet. These will often disappoint, and are rarely more than a grammar tables that suggest few, if any activities.

First, take a notebook and list a variety of games, songs and activities, and the age groups or levels you think they are suitable for. These will prove to be worth their weight in gold, and can be adapted and used as supplementary materials for every lesson. A few simple lesson plans and activities for beginners will give you space and time to organize yourself, and ensure you don't panic when you first start teaching English.

Teaching children?

Hand puppets are a small, light, and fun addition to the classroom! You can probably buy something from the local pound shop, or if you're a budding artist, they can easily be made! Make up stories, games, or simply start a simple conversation between the puppets. Also, make sure you always have a ball in your classroom, an indispensable item in numerous TEFL games.

No whiteboards?

Perhaps you have a fervent dislike of blackboards; maybe you're not sure of the facilities in your planned destination; or perhaps you're contemplating teaching privately in people's homes. Whatever the reason, it's always handy to have something to write on.

Now you can buy roll up whiteboards: plastic sheets that can be used exactly as a whiteboard, with all the added advantages of paper. Whether it's for brainstorming ideas, class presentations or creating role-plays, they can be passed round, written on and wiped clean ready for the next English lesson.

Blu-Tack?

Yes, Blu-Tack (or Poster Putty if you're from the USA)! Some of the cheapest objects aren't always easily found abroad. And it's incredibly useful material. Much-loved amongst teachers, it is recyclable, portable, and stickable to almost any material.

What about gadgets?

A year ago, we wouldn't have dreamed of suggesting, but the relentless march of technology has seen prices drop quicker than a stone thrown off the Empire State Building, so an MP3 player/recorder is definitely a worthwhile investment! Not only is it a brilliant piece of equipment, but an item you can stash in your inside pocket, and it won't add to that weight allowance. Record a scene from a soap opera, news items, a children's program, or a discussion on radio 4. You have dozens of options.

On one of these nifty gadgets, you'll also have songs for every age group to hand, and be able to record your students' role-plays. Cheap and portable, it's a really useful gadget, and a great way of bringing multimedia into any classroom to tap into your students' creativity.

Chris Soames - Online TEFL courses with over 20,000 course graduates each year, international accreditation and certification recognised by schools worldwide.

To Teach English abroad is the perfect opportunity for any English speaker to explore the world and immerse themselves in new cultures. Whether you're a trained teacher or a complete beginner, a TEFL qualification is your ticket for the journey of your life.

Contacts
For interviews, images or comments contact:
Chris Soames
Marketing & PR
Email: chris@i-to-i.com
http://www.onlinetefl.com

Cellular Phone Downloads

Cellular phones are taking a leap forward by offering camera phones with better picture resolution and MP3 players with plenty of memory, while offering these new features at prices lower than present models. In such a scenario, you can juice up your phone with several cellular phone downloads available on the internet.

Themes

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These cellular phone downloads are exchangeable skins and user interfaces for your cell phone. When you apply a new theme on your phone, it will get a totally new look. Not only does the wallpaper change, the menus and other bits of the interface might change as well. In addition a theme might contain a screensaver and a ringtone, to make the change complete. These cellular phone downloads are like getting a totally cool new phone for free.

Wallpapers

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These cellular phone downloads are another word for background or a logo. It's an image you can use as a desktop background on your cellular phone. You can have these cellular phone downloads on your mobile phone through WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) or upload it by bluetooth, infrared (IR) or by using a cable. The cellular phone downloads can be obtained in the following image formats: jpg, gif and png. The screen on the cell phone has a resolution of 128x128 and higher so it's best to use image cellular phone downloads that are exactly the correct size.

Videos

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These cellular phone downloads are 3GP videos that are small movies for your cell phone. It is like having your own portable movie player with you wherever you go. Although the image quality of these cellular phone downloads is sometimes uninspiring, seeing moving 3GP images on your cell phone can be quite cool. 3GP is based on the MPEG 4 (MP4) standard, and includes AMR for the audio soundtrack. These 3GP cellular phone downloads are a cool addition to your cellular phone.

Animations

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These cellular phone downloads are moving images (almost videos) that can be used in several ways on your phone. Such a gif animation can be used as a screensaver on your phone which activates when the phone is idle. These cellular phone downloads can also be used in picture messages (also known as MMS) which can be sent to your friends and family using your cell phone. Adding a cool screensaver to a phone and your picture messages is a popular way to customize it. Commonly, these cellular phone downloads are in gif format.

Ringtones

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These cellular phone downloads are different types of music files used as alerts on the mobile phone when receiving incoming calls. These cellular phone downloads can be customized and by doing this you get a personalized and cool cellular phone. There are many different types of ring tones but the most common format is midi (.mid extension). You get ringers in 4, 16, and 40 midi channels and most cellphones support at least 16. Another popular format is smaf (.mmf extension). These two cellular phone download types are called polyphonic ringtones. Newer mobiles support something called realtones or soundalikes. Realtones are music files stored in the popular mp3 format or as wav tones. You also get realtones in a format called amr and wbamr.

Games

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These cellular phone downloads are Java games that are interactive games for your cell phone. It is like having your own portable game console with you wherever you go. Although these cellular phone downloads used to be quite primitive, being only in black and white and with beeping sounds (like snake), the best of these cellular phone downloads now have great color graphics, sound and gameplay with well known characters.

Applications

------------

These cellular phone downloads are Java applications that are interactive software for your cell phone. It is like having your own portable computer with you wherever you go. Modern cellphone applications (usually in Java MIDP/midlet, Symbian SIS or Pocket PC format) can be quite advanced.

There are many ways to get the above accessories to your phone but the easiest is through cellular phone downloads from the internet through WAP. You can also carry out this cellular phone download from your pc through an infrared connection or by using Bluetooth if both your pc and phone support it. Many cellphones also have memory cards. If you have one and a memory card reader/writer for your pc, you can save these cellular phone downloads on the card and put them back in your phone. The last option is to transfer cellular phone downloads using a cable connection but usually mobile phones are delivered without such a cable.

According to recent studies, the demand for cellular phone downloads will triple within the next 12 months. According to a survey sponsored by LogicaCMG, 20% of mobile phone owners all over the world have already used cellular phone downloads, a percentage that is expected to grow 60% within the upcoming twelve months.

The study was carried out in Europe, Asia, North America and South America and has also revealed that monthly average of expenses with subscriber's cellular phone downloads is currently 6.32 euros. About 40% of interviewees have expressed expected growth of cellular phone downloads for upcoming years. Ringtones, games and music are the three most popular cellular phone downloads.

Forty-one percent of the interviewees want to have the possibility of sharing the content of cellular phone downloads with their friends. Moreover, 17% of mobile phone users expect their phone carrier to provide network storage for all their cellular phone downloads.

Saurya Ghosal for http://www.discount-cellular-phone.com Read more about Cellular Phones [http://www.discount-cellular-phone.com/audiovox-cellular-phone.html] Copyright 2005 http://www.discount-cellular-phone.com

Romulus and Remus, Apple and Google

My 2 favourite companies, Apple & Google. I feel like a child would feel watching parents fighting. You can't take sides because you love them both and you wish they could just live in harmony all the time.

For the tangible products Apple delivers the best experience matched by no other.

For the intangible Google provides me with a bevy of free to use cloud services that also deliver on a user experience not to be found any where else.

In the real world each has a master it must obey. The share holder. A share holder wants to see growth even if growth means playing Romulus to Remus.

We have seen Google strike the first blow.

I talk about brands for a very good reason as I believe it is in the brands that the direction and outcome of this war can best be seen.

A brand is an emotional anchor, it is a religious icon to the consumer. Every brand has an ideal that consumers who worship it believe in. It secures their loyalty at both the rational and irrational levels of consumerism.

Apple as a brand stands for beautiful to look at, simple to use, reliable and productive TANGIBLE products. Try thinking of Apple as the company that only provides. Mac/MobileMe? That leaves most people cold and probably the majority completely turned off. (iTunes isn't a service it's a shop)

Google as a brand also has a pearl veneer of simple to use, free to use and productive INTANGIBLE products. Their claimed mantra of "don't be evil", that Jobs recently scoffed at, is the clue to their ambitions of who they want to be. Google is stepping in to the space that Microsoft has owned for decades. A market that Apple could have owned but failed to win for its belief in delivering a complete solution in house. The only way Apple can provide the level of product excellence it does is to keep tight control of everything.

No clones.

Microsoft waged a clone war in the PC market and won. It focused on software and let others provide cheap hardware. The outcome was a product that left much to be desired by the user but was affordable and universal in format. Too often inferior technology wins the day over superior. Remember VHS & Betamax? We are witnessing the 2nd Clone war in the smart phone.

Google had it's own phone but has opted now for the Microsoft route, let others provide the hardware.

However Apple has a head start this time, a significant head start. Take a look at how it found itself in the mobile phone business. The iPod & iTunes have given Apple 25% of the USA music market. 1 in 4 songs are sold by Apple now in America. Technology moved on and the phone companies tried to muscle in on the iPod by producing phones that were also MP3 players. Apple responded by doing what Apple does best, innovating. The smart phone market today is Apple's creation, it defined the game and set the rules. It almost has a monopoly on the music market, a complete monopoly on the MP3 player market (80-90%).

Now the iPad arrives and Apples re-invents a whole market once again. Innovation not only in technology but in marketing and lifestyle. Sounds like Apple has it nailed doesn't it?

How dated does a 2001 model iPod look? Ancient, bulky, low capacity, etc. Today it's as small as your thumb and mass produced to almost a commodity. How will the iPad today be perceived in 10 years?

Jonathan Ives, Apple's gifted chief designer was quoted as saying about the iPad "we are most proud of what we have left out". Apple's refinement of the UI has boiled the device down to nothing more than a slate of glass. In 10 years time that slate will be a commodity. The value left to harvest in the market in another decade will be not be the hardware. It won't be the software either as Microsoft burned the world with a closed proprietary system.

Everyone embraces open standards now, software tie in is long gone. It will be the customer service and experience. Apple already is an expert in selling customer experience end to end. Just look at the Apple Stores.

If you can find a copy I highly recommend reading Pine & Gilmore's paper from the Harvard Business Review "Welcome to the Experience Economy". Would you pay just to enter an Apple store? In the future you might have to if these academics have got it right. The pioneers of selling consumers experience, Disney, now have Job's as their largest share holder. Apple theme parks?

In light of all this it seems incredible that we have yet to see or hear anything that indicates that Apple will provide service and experience in The Cloud. No indication, yet, of an iWork's online edition. Even Microsoft has conceded moving Office to the cloud.

Apple's major investment in the North Carolina data centre has been assumed to be for supplying virtualised content (music/video/books). Can it also deliver cloud applications and services?

Why do we need to buy and own a fully featured computer at all? Why should we backup regularly? The majority on the internet are consumers, not producers.

Apple doesn't have a crystal ball, it can't see the future although has proven it can define the future. Job's never saw the iPhone back in 2000 with the iPod. Fate, Karma, Moores-law & competition evolved Apple to that point. Unless Apple throws it's chips on the table and calls google on "The Cloud" it has no hope of a long term future. It's brand will peak now and fade with time. Google doesn't need to win the smart phone war, it's just a side show, a distraction.

Was it a planned move on Google's part to antagonise Apple into fighting and moving into Google's space? The world benefits most and history will remember a war that leaves humanity much in it's spoils.

To the victor in this war go the greatest honours and history will remember them.

Just like Romulus and Remus.

George Taylor's career spans over 20 years at the forefront of internet technologies beginning with the Scottish startup Spider Systems before moving to Cisco Systems R&D in San Jose in 1994. In 1998 Taylor persuaded Cisco to open a European R&D office in Edinburgh, Scotland and was instrumental in it's setup. After completing an MBA at Edinburgh he took over at Logicalware Ltd a provider of Cloud Computing services to the ecommerce market. After an 18 month sabbatical in New Zealand George has returned to Scotland and is looking for new ventures.

Free Targeted Web Traffic - Best Free Tools To Increase Your Online Traffic

With the abundance of information found on the 'net, it's no wonder you'll find both free and fee-based versions of keyword tools to help you in your quest to build a gigantic stockpile of the best words for your site.

Your initial list is what you'll use to plug into these sites and tools. You're probably thinking there's no way you could have left anything out because your list is HUGE.

But chances are, the online sites and software will do an even more thorough job. You want to use more than one tool or site - in fact, you should be using them all at some point in your business development.

Some you'll really prefer over others, but they all have a purpose and unique quality, which makes them useful. Let's start with the tools first - because when you're just starting off, it's good to keep costs down.

Overture is perhaps the most well-known keyword research tool online. When you go to the site, you simply enter one of your keywords and get the list of results. For example, when you enter "wedding," it gives you a list of other keywords and phrases you might be interested in - along with the number of searches conducted for them.

Here are the top 10 results:

• Wedding dress - 262,513
  


• Wedding cake - 198,769
  


• Wedding invitation - 197,530
  


• Wedding favor - 114,007
  


• Wedding planning - 110,391
  


• The wedding singer - 100,179
  


• Wedding gown - 84,008
  


• Wedding ring - 83,318
  


• Wedding song - 73,027
  


• Wedding band - 63,698

When you create your list, you'll notice that sometimes a word or phrase doesn't make sense to be included in your own keyword list. Using the above example, you'll notice that "The Wedding Singer" is actually a movie, so you could cross that one off as a potential keyword candidate so that you don't pay for traffic that's actually looking for a movie fan site.

What you may not know is that each of the search results listed is a clickable link. It's not a typical blue underlined hyperlink. But when you hover your mouse over one of your results, such as wedding cake, you can click on that phrase and it will generate a whole new set of words for you.

When you click on " wedding cake" in the above example, you get a new set of results - the top five of which you can see below:

- Picture of wedding cake - 35,868
- Wedding cake toppers - 18,872
- Wedding cake design - 6,684
- Square wedding cake picture - 4,203
- Wedding cake photo - 4,005

You may not have thought of the exact phrase "square wedding cake picture," but that could be over four thousand consumers your site could cater to if you had added it to your keyword arsenal.

When you're finished with the Overture tool, you want to make sure you also use the global version of it, which may generate new results. Located at www dot 123promotion dot co dot uk/ppc/index dot php, the tool gives you search results for the USA, UK, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Some tools go the extra mile to find words that may be related to your niche keywords. For instance, when you go to www dot webmaster-toolkit dot com/keyword-research-tool dot html, you can enter the phrase "wedding planning" and choose which smaller search engine you'd like to get results from.

What comes up are even more narrowed words you might want to use in association with this topic, including: African wedding gowns, African favors, African American weddings, maternity wedding gowns, and misspellings like the word favers instead of favors.

If you already have a website, make sure you have some way of tracking the traffic that comes to your site. For instance, if your account is hosted GoDaddy, then you might buy Traffic facts as an add-on.

This tool will let you see exactly how people are finding your site through the search engines - and you're guaranteed to find some words or phrases on that list that you had not yet considered.

Now, let's move on to the fee-based tools. Most 'net marketers have heard of and have used WordTracker at one point, if not continuously. I strongly suggest you take it for a test drive using their free trial, but if you like it, it's well worth the investment.

WordTracker has four tiers of payment you can use - daily ($7.92), weekly ($26.41), monthly ($52.81), and annually for $264.06. Some people only buy a day at a time for the days they dedicate to conducting massive amounts of keyword investigation.

What it does is that it compiles a database for you with clickable keyword results, so that you can dig down even further. But it outshines many other tools in how it puts phrases together that you may not have considered.

You also get information on how often people are typing the words and phrases in, how many competitors are using that keyword, and how easy it will be (or hard) to get a top 10 position for that keyword in the SERPs.

Throughout all of your research, make sure you include the following variations of each keyword or phrase that you find:

• Misspellings
  


• Typos
  


• Plurals
  


• Singulars
  


• Spacing (internet marketing, internet marketing)
  


• Apostrophes
  


• Hyphens
  


• Verb Forms (Get, Getting, Got, etc)

And make you don't forget to include a negative keyword list. Negative keywords are words you want to block from your search results. For instance, if you're paying for an AdWords Pay Per Click campaign, then you may want your ad to show whenever someone is seeking information on wedding favors.

But you don't want your ad showing when someone is looking for FREE wedding favors. Or maybe you don't want it showing up when someone searches for ADULT wedding favors.

Other words you may want included on your negative keyword list are:

• Pic
  


• MP3
  


• Cheap
  


• Sucks
  


• Scam

Basically, any word where the searcher isn't going to be a party interested in purchasing what you have to offer, whether it's a product, service, or membership site. Use your traffic stats to see how other people got to your site in the search engines and add anything negative to your keyword list for your paid advertising needs.

Do you want to learn more about how I use my secret traffic generation tactics to drive over 1123 unique visitors to my site each day?

Click on Free Targeted Web Traffic to find out.

Do you want to learn how to take Baby Steps But Giant Leap Results to generate tons of visitors? Click on Free Web Traffic Generation

Do you want to download a FREE toolbar that will give you all the information that you need to enhance your Internet Business? Get it here: Free Web Traffic Toolbar