Mediaboss Marketing

SACRAMENTO Legislation that opponents fear will strip the state Public Utilities Commission of its power to regulate Internet phone services in California put the commission on the spot, and it punted.

For the second consecutive meeting, the commission Thursday postponed taking a stance on the proposal that would prohibit the PUC and other state agencies from regulating phone service using Internet connections.

The commission, meeting in Fresno, had been expected to oppose a Senate bill written by state Sen. Alex Padilla (D-Pacoima) on behalf of AT&T Inc., Verizon Communications Inc., cable television companies and a number of high-tech business groups.

Proponents have argued that the bill would simply lock into law the PUC's current generally hands-off attitude toward Voice over Internet Protocol phone service and leave regulation to the Federal Communications Commission.

Silicon Valley investors, entrepreneurs and engineers said they needed legislative "certainty" that they would not be hit with new regulations so they could come up with new products and services in an extremely competitive telephone market.

Opponents contended that the Padilla proposal was unneeded and could hamstring future commissions that might want to take action to ensure Internet phone service quality and availability as the technology spreads.

"I think the whole structure of the bill is problematic," PUC Commissioner Michael Florio said. "It's extremely ambiguous in a number of places."

On Thursday, three of the five commission members spoke out against the bill, but none challenged a request from Commissioner Timothy Alan Simon to hold off voting until the May 24 meeting so that issues raised by Padilla in a letter could be addressed.

The senator questioned a preliminary commission staff financial analysis concluding that the bill, SB 1161, could cost state and local governments as much as $1 billion if it became law.

"We are concerned about the credibility of these cost estimates," said the letter signed by Padilla and other senators.

Here is the original post:
California regulator delays taking stand on Internet phone measure

The latest Xbox 360 rumor is that Internet Explorer will be an app, allowing users to surf the Web using Kinect.

Now that the Xbox 360 subsidized bundle is out of the bag and disappointing gamers nationwide, here's something new we may hear about during E3 2012: Internet Explorer coming to Microsoft's current console.

From the start, Microsoft has wanted to provide an entertainment hub for the living room, a place where family members can sit down, boot up the device, and listen to music, watch movies, and play games. The first Xbox really didn't fit that vision, and both Xbox Live and broadband was still in its infancy. It wasn't until the second-generation console arrived before the Xbox label became synonymous with the "entertainment hub" term.

Over the years, the Xbox 360 has become more than just a gaming console capable of playing movies. It's a media and social hub, and as of late, a makeshift cable box for streaming live TV. The gadget's multimedia aspect will broaden even more over 2012 as Microsoft works to bring even more TV content to the device. But there's one ingredient missing that even the Nintendo Wii can provide: Internet browsing.

Frankly it never made sense why the Xbox 360 -- which is PC-like in so many ways -- never allowed users to surf the Internet. But that's supposedly changing thanks to the latest rumor. Internet Explorer will supposedly be added to the list of apps already available for the console, and feature support for Kinect so that customers can use voice and gesture-based controls to navigate the Web. The browser will also be integrated into the console's social functions and Microsoft's Bing search engine that's already in place in the new Metro-like dashboard.

Still, don't have Kinect? Sources claim that Internet Explorer will still be usable, just "less than ideal" because its fine-tuned for Kinect. Of course, users could always plug in a USB keyboard for typing, but cursor management would be handled by the controller. Ok, maybe that setup is less than ideal after all.

Because this is a rumor, take it with a grain of salt until Microsoft makes the news official. Chances of Internet Explorer hitting the Xbox 360 console are high given that the browser is losing market share to Firefox and Chrome. There may also be other gaming-based reasons why Microsoft would add Internet Explorer, reasons we may soon discover next month at E3 2012.

Still, adding a Web browser opens up a whole new can of worms for Microsoft. Next thing you know, Mozilla and Google will be crying about their browsers not appearing on the console. Nintendo and Sony can get away with using integrated browsers on their devices because they're not actively competing in the browser market. That said, Internet Explorer on the Xbox 360 may simply be a rumor after all.

Visit link:
Internet Explorer Rumored to be Heading to Xbox 360

TRENTON Internet gambling is a step closer to reality in New Jersey after an Assembly panel this morning advanced legislation proponents say is critical to the survival of Atlantic City casinos.

The release of A2578 by the Assembly Regulatory Oversight and Gaming Committee sends the issue of internet gambling to the full Assembly for a potential vote before the state Legislature takes its summer recess in July. But the legislation and a companion bill in the Senate that already passed the committee phase, will most likely be taken up after the break in September, said Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester), a sponsor.

"This is another key piece of our effort to boost New Jersey's gaming industry by expanding and modernizing our wagering options," he said later in a release. "This will rejuvenate our tourist industry while increasing employment, capital investment and much needed urban redevelopment."

Only games offered in Atlantic City's casinos would be available online, according to the bill. Responding to Gov. Chris Christie's veto of an earlier version of the bill, A2578 prohibits commercial establishments such as restaurants and bar from hosting or advertising internet gambling. In rejecting the earlier bill, Christie said he wants to keep all forms of gambling inside Atlantic City.

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) voted against the measure because he said he wants gambling expanded beyond the resort town and believes race tracks such as the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park should be allowed to host internet gaming rooms.

Caputo's rejection of the bill did not sit well with Enid Torok, vice chairwoman of the New Jersey Casino Revenue Fund Advisory Committee, which distributes a portion of the state's casino revenue to 18 programs for senior citizens and the disabled, such as Meals on Wheels.

She said many of these programs have limited or even stopped services because of the cut in funding from the shortage in casino revenue.

"This is gut level," she told Caputo. "We're dealing with real human beings here."

Caputo, a former Essex County freeholder, said he was concerned about the shortage to the programs but was turned off by casinos looking for a 'bail out' from the state. "So don't come here and scold me," he snapped at Torok.

Under this bill, the state would get 20 percent of the gross internet gambling revenue and the casinos would contribute another 5 percent to the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

See original here:
Internet gambling in N.J. rolls one step closer to reality

On the back of Panda, Penguin and any other updates Google has stored in the Zoo, writing SEO content has become more and more about delivering a better user experience.

Gone are the days of keyword laden text that reads poorly and lacks substance. It has been laid to rest and will never return. Were not mourning.

With quality content the buzzwords on everyones lips, identifying areas in which you can deliver a better user experience whilst adhering to key SEO techniques is the overall goal.

Below are four aspects of on-page content that enable you to naturally combine interesting, marketable content with SEO copywriting techniques, resulting in a page that is not only likely to rank higher, but turn more visitors into customers.

Users arent going to read all of your content.

They wont.

As an SEO writer its something youre just going to have to deal with. OK? Have you recovered? Good.

The less content there is, the more users will read. Pretty simple but not advantageous if youre trying to get across a number of key selling points to new customers. Striking a balance between word count and design/usability should be the focus.

When writing, remember that readers are only going to consume a short amount of information, so make the most of the advantages you have!

The stuff you see when you first land on the page is whats most important. Searchers are fickle beasts theyll click onto another page quicker than you can say Gday, making it vital to get your key messages across quickly and efficiently.

View original post here:
4 Content Techniques That Will Improve SEO & Sales

Print

Posted 11 May 2012 10:40am by Graham Charlton with 4 comments

Is SEO a science,Yes, says Mike Baxter, Lead Consultant on Econsultancy's Digital Certificate in Search Engine Optimisation

Econsultancy recently launched the UK's first university accreditedDigital Certificates, which focus on strengthening digital marketing skills for those looking to begin or develop their careers in this industry.

Here, Mike discusses the value of the certifcates, and explains why SEO is a science, not an art...

Okay, that's a deceptively simple question with some big issues underlying it.Let's start by exploring just what SEO is and how, in an ideal world, we should approach training and professional development for new SEO practitioners.

Firstly, there IS a science of SEO,we have a systematic understanding of how search engines work and what changes to websites and the links between them tend to increase and decrease organic search engine performance.

Is our scientific understanding of SEO incomplete? Of course it is! Our scientific understanding of physics is incomplete but nobody ever suggests we shouldn't teach, or offer qualifications in physics because of it.

The science of SEO is, however, complex. Far too complex for the application of a few rules to guarantee success.

Read more from the original source:
Is SEO a science?