Google Docs users will soon be able to upload any file type to a new online storage facility, the company announced on Tuesday.

It is already possible to keep certain file types in Google’s cloud for collaboration purposes, including text documents, forms, spreadsheets and presentations. The new facility -to be rolled out over the next few weeks – will make it possible to store and share ZIP archives, large graphics files and any other file type.

Each user will get a gigabyte of storage, and the maximum supported file size is 250MB, which is 10 times the maximum size limit for email attachments on Gmail.

Enterprises and organisations that subscribe to Google Apps Premier Edition will also be able to use the Google Documents List Data API for batch uploading, and third-party applications are available for the migration and synchronisation of files to Google Docs.

According to a blog post by Google Docs product manager Vijay Bangaru, Google Apps Premier Edition customers will also, at some point in the coming months, be able to purchase additional storage for €3 (£2.70) per gigabyte, per year. Bangaru described the new storage facility as a “great way to collaborate on files with co-workers and external parties”. “Instead of using cumbersome email attachments, you can upload files to a folder and share it with co-workers, who can then access and edit the files from a single place,” Bangaru wrote. “You can even have your sales team securely share contracts with external clients for review.”

Under EU data-protection legislation, European companies have to keep their sensitive and personal data on EU servers. At the time of writing, Google represenatives were unable to confirm that European business customers taking advantage of the new storage facility will not have their data stored elsewhere.

Lets see what Google come up with to fall in line with this ridiculous section of the EU data-protection rules.

Google is being inundated with complaints about its Nexus One phone.

The touchscreen smartphone was launched on 5 January and can be bought directly from Google and used on almost any phone network.

But confusion over who should answer customer queries has led many to file complaints on support forums.

Many people are unhappy with Google only responding to questions by e-mail and are calling for it to set up phone-based support.

Americans can buy the Nexus One directly from Google for $529 (£331) or on a contract with T-Mobile for $179 (£112). In the UK the phone will be available via Vodafone but prices and launch dates have yet to be released.

The support forums that Google has set up for the Nexus One are filling up with complaints from many of the first to buy the phone who need help.

The top query, with more than 500 responses, is about how much people should pay for the phone and whether existing customers of T-Mobile can get the device at a reduced rate. Only new customers of T-Mobile will be able to pay $179.

Almost 500 people have logged problems with the Nexus One’s support for 3G wireless networks. Others reported bugs when synchronising contacts or getting the handset to work with existing Google accounts.

Source: BBC Tech News

Google and all the other major search engines love blog’s.

But to grab and keep the attention of the search engines you need to add posts to your blog on a regular basis, weekly if possible. So what can you blog about?

Here are a few ideas you can use to help you create a regular stream of interesting posts.

1. The Latest Trends in your Business or Service

Sign up to a few emails, blogs, forums, RSS feeds about your type of business or service and look to for what the latest trends seem to be. When you blog about the latest trend, put your unique perspective on it. If you disagree with the latest trend why no write about that. Different views can develop into ‘debates’ that can come up with new suggestions/ideas.

2. Current World or Local Events

Open up your daily newspaper, online news or your RSS news reader and see what’s happening. Give your opinion about an interesting news story that mentions a common problem and, if possible, provide a workable solution and relate that answer to your business in some way.

3. Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve been in business for quite a while, you know the questions that clients ask you to answer over and over again. Instead of repeatedly responding to the same questions, write a series of blog posts that answer your target market’s most frequently asked questions.

4. How you helped a client Solve a Problem

If clients hire you to solve a specific problem they’re having, write a blog entry about the solution you came up with.

It’s quite a good idea to list all the recent problems that you have helped your clients solve. By doing this you will have plenty of material for future blog entries. It’s best not to use your clients name, address, email etc. Make the blog entry generic enough to hide your client’s identity.

5. Review Something

Blog about your experience with a product, book or service, highlighting both the high points and low points. Make a personal recommendation if the product is good and worth buying. This may even be an opportunity to earn some affiliate commission for the products you recommend.

6. Get up Close and Personal

Tell a story about what’s happening in your life or in your business that would be useful or instructive for your blog readers. Chronicle both your highs and lows, your wins and your struggles.

One key to successful blogging is getting personal with your readers. The more “real” you are with your readers, the better your reader gets to know you and begins to like and trust you.

7. Interview an Expert

What people do you know and admire in your industry? If you admire them, chances are that members of your target market do as well.

Contact these experts and ask if they can provide answers to three to five questions about their lives, their businesses, industry trends or how to solve a particular problem. Publish the interviews as blog posts, adding audio and graphics if you have them. Make sure you have the experts permission to publish what they’ve said.

8. Read other Blogs

Go to Google’s Blog Search or Technorati and find other blogs related to your industry, service or your target market. Add those to your blog reader and take an hour or two each week to read the posts on those blogs. Reading other blogs is a great way to generate ideas for your own blog.

9. Keep an Ideas File

Sometimes a blogging idea or concept will strike you when you don’t need (or want) to blog. Begin a ‘blog ideas file’ by creating a document or spreadsheet to track your ideas and thoughts.

10. Create a Tutorial

There’s always something you can tell your target market. For example QBS PC Help publish articles based on the computer repairs we have undertaken. We also design the occasional website and provide SEO services to a few companies, so we also write about these subjects. We announce these new articles in our blog. This in turn directs people back to the main QBS PC Help website.

To liven up a tutorial you could use audio or video to explain a process. The tutorial may need to created in multiple parts, like Part 1, Part 2, etc., which would make for multiple posts to your blog.

11. Take a Tour of your Competitors

Take an in-person or virtual tour of something useful to your readers. For example, if you’re a beauty consultant, tour the top five online beauty related sites and report your experiences as a client in each. If you’re a restaurant owner, visit three or four local restaurants and evaluate what’s often overlooked in staff training based on your experience as a customer.

12. Write about a Twitter or Facebook update

You only get 140 characters in Twitter to write about something. If you need more space, or want to respond in greater length to someone’s Tweet or Facebook status update, do so in your blog. Thought-provoking questions are often asked on Twitter, and the answers may inspire you to blog about them.

13. Create a “Best of” List

What are the top five blogs to read in your industry? How about the top five people to watch? What about the ten most useful online tools you use? Nothing attracts attention on a blog quicker than a list, so create one yourself or ask your readers to help you in the process.

14. Report from an Event

Try attending a professional trade show, conference or networking event? You can then report about your experiences at the event on your blog. Talk about the workshops you attended, the vendors you met and the speakers you heard.

15. Debunk a Common Myth

Each industry is plagued with myths and fallacies about success/failure or what does/doesn’t work in that industry.

Use your blog to debunk some of the most common myths/preconceptions/notions in your industry and set the record straight. This sort of post can often result in a lively discussion, with many comments on your blog entry.

16. Write about a Client Conversation

Typically the strategy/idea/technique you’ve discussed with a client will benefit your blog readers as well. The blog post should focus on the topic of the conversation, not the conversation itself.

Final Thoughts

These blogging tips will hopefully generate a few ideas for your blog entries. Take a look around your life, your business, your conversations with clients and colleagues and what’s happening in the world around you. You’ll soon begin to see plenty of opportunities that can be turned into successful blog posts.

Microsoft will issue one bulletin on Patch Tuesday next week that is rated ‘critical’ for Windows 2000.

The patch is designed to address a vulnerability that could allow an attacker to take control of a computer by remotely executing code on it, according to an advisory released on Thursday. It is rated ‘low’ severity for Windows 7, Vista, XP, Server 2003 and Server 2008 operating systems.

Meanwhile, Adobe is scheduled to release a patch for a vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat on Tuesday that was discovered in mid-December, which is being exploited by attacks in the wild to deliver Trojan horse programs that install backdoor access on computers.

Adobe will also be releasing a beta test version of a new automatic updater for Reader.

Source: ZDNet

If you want games, graphics, and other multimedia programs to run faster, upgrading to a more powerful graphics card should be one of your first priorities.

And the demands of Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Windows 7 with their 3D-accelerated Aero interface, gives you another reason to upgrade. To run Aero you’ll need at least a DirectX 9 capable graphics chip with 128MB of dedicated memory onboard. With a DirectX 10 or 11 capable graphics chip you will need at least 256MB or 512MB of dedicated memory to make your computer perform well.

Make sure you know what kind of graphic card will work in your PC before you go shopping for a new one. Unfortunately there are two main types of graphics card currently on sale and if you choose the wrong one it will not plug into your PC’s motherboard. The two types currently available are those that fit into an AGP slot and those made for the newer PCI Express slot. Your motherboard will have a slot for one or the other, but PCI Express only appeared in 2004, so many people could still have an AGP based graphics system, especially if they are still using Windows XP.

If your motherboard has a PCI Express graphics slot make sure that the power supply in your PC will support your new card. Today’s powerful graphics cards often need 17 amps or more on the 12 volt line of the power supply unit (PSU). If your existing power supply is underpowered you will have to upgrade to a more powerful one. To check your power supply’s rating open your PC and check the description that should be printed on its side.

Depending on how old your computer is, you might have to replace the entire motherboard, and even the CPU, memory, and other components, just to replace the graphics card. If this is your situation, then it’s probably better just to buy a new computer.

If you are still unsure what graphic card slot your motherboard has, check your motherboard or system manual or look on the website of your motherboard’s manufacturer.

Buying your Graphics Card

Once you have decided what graphic cards are compatible with your motherboard, choosing the right graphic card boils down to checking out each one’s performance, features and price.

The best way to judge performance is to read the monthly reviews in computer magazines like PC Pro, PC Advisor and Computer Shopper. These magazines (and their website’s) measure graphic card performance using 3D benchmarks and some of the most demanding games. This will help you work out which is the right card for you and your budget.

Some motherboards can accommodate two PCI Express graphics cards at once, which greatly increases your computers 3D performance. There are two dual graphics cards standards: SLI for Nvidia based cards and CrossFire for ATi based cards. If your motherboard doesn’t support the kind of card you want, it may be worth considering a motherboard upgrade.

Getting Ready to Install the Graphics Card

In addition to the new graphics card, you will need a small, nonmagnetic Phillips screwdriver and a simple anti-static grounding strap that attaches to your wrist. We recommend the Belkin Anti – Static Wristband.

Rather than using the supplied driver CD it’s a good idea to download the latest version of the drivers, for your particular graphics chip, from the card manufacturer’s website. This option is better because graphics cards nearly always ship with drivers that are not up to date. Two of the biggest card manufacturers are nvidia and ati – www.nvidia.com or www.ati.com.

Uninstall the old Drivers

Start by uninstalling your old graphic card’s drivers. In Windows right click My Computer, select Properties, and under the Hardware tab (or, at the top of the left hand list in Win 7) click on Device Manager. Double-click the name of your current graphics card, listed under Display Adapter, and under the Driver tab, click the Uninstall button.

If your PC has integrated graphics on the motherboard (i.e. there’s no separate graphics card), you’ll likely have to disable it before installing your new card. This will involve a trip to the BIOS. Pressing the delete or esc key repeatedly as your computer starts up will usually take you into the BIOS settings. Check your motherboard or system manual for details on what to disable. Then make the change and Save and Exit the BIOS so your PC reboots.

Now uninstall any other software used to manage your current card by running Add or Remove Programs, or Programs and Features in Windows 7 (both links can be found in the Windows Control Panel). Typically these programs will be listed under Nvidia, ATi or the model name of your graphics card.

Your screen might change to a lower resolution and colour depth during or after the uninstall process. When it’s done, the computer will prompt you to reboot. Say no! Instead, shut down the computer, unplug the AC cord, open the case, and prepare to remove the old card physically.

Remove the old Graphic Card

Check the cable that runs from you monitor to the card at the back of your PC. That’s your computer’s graphics card.

Now unplug your PC and position it so that you can comfortably reach into the case’s interior. If you have a tower case, you’ll find it easier to install a graphic card if you lay the case on its side. Remove the computers side panel, usually held in by screws or clips.

Ground yourself. Protect your PC’s delicate circuits from static electric charges on your body by properly grounding yourself. If you don’t have a grounding strap, at least ground your body by touching a metal faucet, pipe, or even a metal part on the outside of your PC’s case before touching the inside of your PC or any component.

If you haven’t already done so, unplug the monitor cable. Now remove the screw or screws holding the graphic card in place and remove the card by grabbing its edges and pulling it upward with an even force while opening the small clip at the end of the card slot. If the card seems stuck, try gently rocking it lengthwise but don’t use too much force as you may damage the AGP or PCI Express slot.

Place the card into an anti static bag. If you don’t have one handy, lay the card flat on a clean surface and later, when you’ve freed up the anti static bag that your new card came in, use it to store your old card. It may prove useful some day or perhaps can you can even sell it.

Install the new Graphics Card

Remove the new card from its packaging. Avoid touching the chips or circuits on the face of the card; hold the card by the edges only. Align the card’s gold connectors with the expansion slot and gently but firmly push down on the top edge with even pressure until the card is securely seated.

Secure the card to the PC’s chassis with the existing screw or another clamping mechanism. Connect any power connectors. Reassemble your PC’s case and plug back in your monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse. Reconnect your PC’s power cord and turn your computer on.

Cancel any Windows attempts to find new hardware drivers. Find the drivers that you downloaded and double click the .exe file to install them.

You’ll need to reboot when the driver installation is finished. After the computer re-boots the graphic card installation should be complete and your monitors screen should look normal.

The final step is to adjust the graphic settings to your preferences. You can do this by right clicking on your PC’s desktop and selecting Properties and the Settings tab

If you are using Windows 7 right click on your desktop and select Personalize or Screen Resolution.

The ‘Settings’ tab should state your graphic cards details and give you the opportunity to change the screen resolution and colour quality. You can usually use the software tools provided by Nvidia or ATi to achieve even better results.

If you cannot adjust your windows display properties try restarting your computer and trying again. If you still cannot adjust these settings you will have to reinstall the drivers.

Also visually check that your new graphics card is properly seated in its PCI Express or AGP slot and that the driver is displayed in Device Manager.

If problems persist, checkout our article – Solving Graphic Card Problems.

Windows 7 has been installed in more than half of all the computers sold through Europes top distributors since its launch, according to the latest figures from Context, a specialist business and consumer technology research company.

The analyst claimed sales of PC’s equipped with the business versions of the operating system are already performing better than Windows Vista.

Jeremy Davies, co-founder of Context, said: Our distributor panel sells close to 600,000 PC units weekly across all the major European economies. By the end of the week before Christmas this year, two months after the Windows 7 launch, we found that 11 per cent of all PC’s sold by distributors went out with a business version of Windows 7 installed.

Davies said this contrasted to the Vista launch, which after eight weeks saw just four per cent of PC’s with any business versions of the operating system installed.

Contexts figures hinted at encouraging sales for 2010. In the first two weeks of December 2009, Windows 7 business sales have already overtaken Vista, Context claimed.

Two months after Windows 7 was unveiled, 57 per cent of all PC’s sold through European distribution have the new operating system installed. Two months after the Vista launch, just 33 per cent of new machines were sold with Vista installed.

Davies said Windows 7 is in a strong position for the coming year, which will be welcome news to vendors such as HP, Dell and Lenovo, which are hoping 2010 will be the year when the delayed refresh cycle on business PC’s kicks off.

What could swing sales in favour of Windows 7 will be a combination of factors, Davies said. One of these will be compatibility with legacy XP applications via the Virtual PC for Windows 7 (XP Mode). Windows 7 does not require the highest hardware specifications to run effectively, which for example Vista demanded. At the same time, Windows XP is showing its age, especially in areas such as connectivity and security both areas that Windows 7 addresses.

Source: Yahoo Technology