Web Browsers – What’s Yours?

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What’s your favorite web browser?

[tweetmeme source=”Ileane”]How often you search the web, and what you’re using the internet for – are most likely the key factors impacting your choice of browser. If you’re a novice, it’s quite possible that you may not even know that different browsers exist. You know enough to easily find the blue icon with the letter “E” and a yellow swoosh around it and you’re quite happy with that. You might even be aware that Internet Explorer is the most popular browser found on home and office PC’s around the world.
Bloggers, designers, developers, webmasters and other more advanced web users eventually explore more savvy browsers including the most popular ones from Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome and Opera. Similarly, cellular phone or mobile users will find “mini”, mobile or android versions of the same popular PC and Mac browser alternatives.

How do I know which web browser to use?

The simple answer to the question of which browser to use is – Try them all and pick the one you like. Hey the good thing about browsers is that you can use more than one. Right now I’m using Google Chrome but I also open Internet Explorer to access my work email account from Microsoft’s Webmail service. If you’re a blogger I recommend that you at least give Google Chrome a try.

A Growing List of Top Google Buzz Tips

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Once you realize that there is life beyond social networking on Twitter you’ll want to explore Google Buzz. This is a list of tips that I started but has been contributed to by members of the Buzz community.  I’ll expand this post with any significant Buzz tips that you have. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD SOMETHING PLEASE LEAVE YOUR SUGGESTED TIP ON BUZZ at:

Essential Tips for Google Buzz newcomers!

1. Learn how to mute a post! if you don’t every time there’s a new comment it pops back to the top of your stream
2. Don’t send your Tweets to Buzz!! Buzzers ignore tweets. If we want to see Tweets we open HootSuite (I mean Twitter)
3. Like posts and leave comments directly on Buzz – unless you don’t really want to meet anyone new….
4. You can have a conversation on Buzz. I mean a real honest to goodness conversation – not a conversation that gets cut off!
5. Don’t forget to leave comments on the blog, too, if the Buzz is about a blog post – via @Holly Jahangiri
6. You can track your Buzz posts AND comments by using this search formula via@Julian Bond
7. At the top of the Buzz frame you will see Web Clips “they grab stories from a default set of feeds. Under “Settings”, the “Web Clips” tab lets you control what feeds they read from, or turn them off entirely” via @Josh Wills
8. This tip comes from@Steve Pirk “We call it @’ing or summoning. To make a person a link, Enter this without the spaces – @ gmail-username @gmail.com . This creates a reference to the user and the message goes to gmail inbox.” For example if you want to “summon” me you would type @msileane@gmail.com
9. If you want people to comment on your Buzz posts, first you have to comment and interact with other user’s Buzzes. via @Robert Sanchez Jr
10. Search Gooogle profiles to find interesting Buzzers with this link http://www.google.com/profiles?q= via @Joe DeGroff
11. Customized Buzz charts track individual Buzz usage stats and they are provided by developer @Siegfried Hirsch
12. You can have a private conversation in Buzz, I saw these instructions posted by @Rob Gordon but he got them from @Steve Pirk
13. Update your Google Profile with your Profile URL. You can find this at the bottom of the edit profile screen via @Andrew Maxwell
14. TaggingBuzz is a Chrome extension (see video below) that allows you create Buzz tags and search for them later via @Nori Hamamoto

For advanced users, Steve Pirk shared a bonus tip for adding VERIFIED NAME to your Google profile. Currently VERIFIED NAME is available for US based users and Steve gives credit for this tip to @LindaLawrey.

Leave a comment and let me know if you find these Buzz tips are helpful. Remember if you have Buzz tips add them on Buzz.

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Promote Your Blog With a Podcast

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Podcasts on iTunes

I’m a self-admitted podcast addict. When I wrote Ode to My Podcasts in September of this year I had over 800 podcasts in my iTunes library. Today I have over 1,000.  Watching podcasts can often be very entertaining but most of the episodes I subscribe to are tutorials and how-to videos created by those that are highly knowledgeable in their given field of expertise.

This video short pays homage to my favorites.

Blog Promotion With Podcasting

Here’s how Apple describes iTunes.

iTunes is a free application for your Mac or PC. It organizes and plays your digital music and video on your computer. It syncs all your media with your iPod, iPhone, and Apple TV. And it’s a store on your computer, iPod touch, iPhone, and Apple TV that has everything you need to be entertained. Anywhere. Anytime.

We all know the powerful and lasting impact that videos can have, but unlike YouTube, podcasts are downloaded and stored by subscribers, who will most likely watch them over and over again.  I encourage you to create videos and include them as a podcast on iTunes. Podcasting can extend your social network and expose your blog to new audiences that otherwise may never find your blog.