Announcements from Google I/O

Posted on May 21, 2013 by admin

At Google’s annual conference for software developers, Google announced several new services and enhancements to its existing services. Here are a few of the highlights:

Google Maps

Google Maps has gotten a huge upgrade and is adopting a new method for how people use maps. Google Maps will be creating a map that is unique to each consumer, based on their input. It will take info from your recent search history, your reviews and places you save. The more you use the maps, the more accurate it gets. The look of Google Maps has completely changed. The map is full screen now, with thumbnails along the bottom and a small search widget in the upper left of the screen. Results are displayed as points of interest on the map. It will also accent places reviewed by your friends, and those that are rated highly. You can select a place from your search by clicking on its name in the search widget results, or by clicking on a pin on the map. Click brings up an info card with the pertinent details of the place, such as address, phone number and hours of operation. You will also be able to click an icon to get directions or a star to save the location for later. Google Maps now offers directions for cars, public transit, walking, biking and air.

All Access

All Access is Google’s new music service. It is a streaming service with a monthly fee of $9.99 that allows customers access to millions of songs and offers recommendations based on your music library. You can listen by going directly to songs you want, or you can listen to a radio station. A radio station allows you to adjust the playlist as you go by skipping songs, creating custom stations based on an artist, reordering the songs, and giving favorites a “thumbs up”. Users can also upload their own music collection from their computer. All Access syncs your music across all devices.

Voice Search

You can now ask questions verbally of Google Search in Google’s Chrome browser on your desktop or laptop computer and receive a spoken answer. You can follow up with a new question and Google Search will retain the context from your previous search. For example, if your original search is, “What is the weather in Phoenix?,” you can continue your search with the question, “How about in Tucson?” and Google Search will reply with the weather in Tucson.

These are some of the exciting new and enhanced offerings from Google. If you’re looking to stay ahead of the curve in the world of internet marketing, CyberDesign can help. For a free website evaluation contact us today.

Getting Organized with Google Spreadsheets

Posted on March 29, 2013 by admin

Google Spreadsheets is easy to use yet has heady capabilities. Most home or even business users don’t need all the capabilities that are built into Google Spreadsheets. These spreadsheets can help you make an impression and get the job done. For instance, Google Spreadsheets can help if you need to:

- Add a bundle of numbers or create a family budget

- “Number crunch” mountains of data with colleagues

- Create a few clever charts and graphs for an upcoming business proposal

- Create a spreadsheet with fiendishly complex formulas

- Make a spreadsheet available online to impress a client with your digital acumen

Like all spreadsheets, Google’s online version is a grid. Each rectangle in the grid is called a cell. The cells are organized horizontally in rows and vertically in columns. Google Spreadsheets provides a huge number of cells, rows, and columns – so many that you’re unlikely to need them all. For instance:

Rows: They are numbered 1, 2, 3, and so on.

Columns: They are lettered A, B, C, and so on. When the spreadsheet runs out of letters in the alphabet, it doubles up the letters and starts using AA, AB, AC, and so on; then BA, BB, BC, and so on.

Cells: They are identified by the intersection of row and column. This is called the cell address. For instance, cell D8 is located at the intersection of column D and row 8.

In contrast to other Google Apps, Google Spreadsheets wants to start autosaving immediately so that you don’t lose any important data. A pop-up message appears in the lower-right corner of the screen just a few moments after you create a new spreadsheet. Click the Start Autosaving link; a dialog box appears in which you can name your spreadsheet. If you decide later that you need to rename a file, you can do that from the Docs File menu.

This is just scratching the surface of Google Spreadsheets and what they can do for you. By continuing to follow CyberDesign’s blog, we will keep you educated and informed with the Internet and the programs that it offers. For more information, you can call (623) 414-4444 or visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Protecting Your Kids from the Dangers of the Internet

Posted on March 28, 2013 by admin

Before you even consider the positive aspects of Cyber-world, you need to protect your child against three of its primary dangers: predators, gambling sites, and Internet addiction. There aren’t any up sides to these features of Cyberworld; they’re pretty much all negative. So let’s see what you can do to keep your child safe.

With the increased popularity of wireless connections (technology that allows Internet access without any actual wires or cables) and with the growing affordability of laptops, many kids can pretty much carry their Internet hookup with them. At this point, in our opinion, computer location doesn’t really matter very much as far as your child’s safety is concerned. Here are a few things you can follow:

1. Don’t leave your child alone at the computer for extended periods of time. No matter where you put the computer, your child shouldn’t feel isolated with it, any more than he or she should be left alone for hours in from of the television. If your child wants a quiet, private place to do homework or write e-mails, fine-but pop your head into the bedroom or rec room every thirty to sixty minutes, just to say hello.

2. Get good filters. You can block pretty much any website or connection that you don’t want your child to access – and you should. You should also remember that your child has a whole world of cyber-cafes, friends’ homes, and other “outside” computers at his or her disposal. So like every other aspect of parenting, it’s ultimately a matter of values, communication, and trust.

3. If you have to, monitor your child electronically. You can get anything from a list of websites to a moment-by-moment replay of every minute your child spends on screen (this applies only to home computers and laptops that your family owns).

4. Keep the lines of communication open. Ask your children what they did online today. Who sent them e-mails? What new websites did they find? Did they learn something new about how to track down an elusive fact or a cool product? Listen to their tone of voice when they answer. If your parental antennae go up, keep them talking – and keep listening.

At CyberDesign, not only do we assist with all your internet marketing needs, but we also like to keep our clients educated on various topics related to the internet. For more information, you can call (623) 414-4444 or visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Looking At the World through a Glass Lens

Posted on February 28, 2013 by admin

CyberDesign would like to showcase Goggle Glass lens. This product has a small display on its frame that resembles eyeglasses and essentially is a hands-free device that displays information on the glass lens, which can interact with the Internet by voice commands. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, Goggle Glass will communicate with other gadgets and the web.

Scott Huffman, Google’s vice president of engineering for Search, has said “One thing that we’re really excited about and working hard on is transforming the way that people interact with Google.” The uniqueness Google Glass has everyone talking. The lens has a few different functions that it does. Here are a few:

- You say “take a picture” and it will take the picture for you.

- It will record what you see hands-free.

- It will share what you see – live.

- Want directions? You will get directions right in front of you.

- Need to send a message? Speak and it will send.

- Ask whatever is on your mind and it will respond with an answer.

- Need translation? It will translate the voice.

Google Glass, which is still not available to the consumer (hopefully by late 2013), is one of the very first digital technologies that is capable of recording the world around you constantly. At this time, there are only a selected few that are allowed to participate with this new technology. For one, Diane von Furstenberg had the opportunity to use Google Glass during last year’s New York Fashion Week. In Diane’s one words, she remarked, “I am so excited to introduce Glass to the fashion world and use this revolutionary technology to give everyone a unique perspective into fashion.”

CyberDesign not only showcases new technology, but we can create attractive, highly functional websites that are built according to your exact specifications. For more information, you can visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

The Benefits for Local Merchants to Sell Products Online

Posted on February 26, 2013 by admin

In this day and age when everyone is living a busy lifestyle and have no time to go from store to store to find the best deal, more consumers now are focused on finding the best deal on the internet. It has truly revolutionized the way we do our shopping and is ideal, not just for the busy people, but for any type of lifestyle.

Consumers now are willing to let the cheapest prices drive their purchasing decisions. Because of this, most local businesses have to lower their prices to try and compete with online sites, which in the long run will bring local business sales down. Michael Rubin, chief executive of Kynetic, stated this, “There will be a lot less retailers on this planet in another decade than there is today.” With so many tools available online, it’s easy for consumers to track down the best prices. Here are a few advantages of shopping online:

1) Convenience: You have the advantage of shopping any hour of the day, no travel time and you don’t have to wait in long lines.

2) Variety: You have an amazing selection of several different brands from different sellers in one place. You also have the option of purchasing products from all over the world.

3) Better Prices: Most of the products online come directly from the manufacturer, giving you cheap deals and better prices.

4) Less Expense: No need to spend money on gas, eating out, impulsive shopping etc. Also, you will have the ability to view the online shops comparison and research of different products and prices.

5) Send Gifts: Shopping online makes it simple and ideal to send gifts to friends and family living in different areas.

At CyberDesign, aside from creating highly functional websites and maximizing your exposure online, we like to educate and inform our clients about new and innovative online technology to help you. For more information, visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Google Has Reported a Rise in Profits

Posted on January 30, 2013 by admin

Since its initial public offering in 2004, Google has peaked interest among internet users around the world. With its strong efforts in research, advertising and development, Google’s rise in profits has provided an increase in revenues. The revenues in 2012 broke through $50 billion for the first time. The final three months of 2012 gained a profit growth and surged approximately 7%.

Analysts were very impressed by Google’s performance. Sameet Sinha from B Riley stated that, “Business looked really strong, especially from a profitability perspective – they really grew their margins in the core business, which is quite amazing.” Google has had the ability to grow their core business, which has grown their revenues year after year. In fact, the revenue from the previous year is approximately $14.4 billion, certainly not a bad achievement.

As you know, Google is the world’s largest search engine and has risen the most since 2011. Android, which is provided for free to manufacturers, has become a key part of the company’s push into mobile, giving Google access to user data around the world. Google will continue to create innovative technology that will keep customers hooked.

At CyberDesign, not only do we specialize in website marketing, but we like to inform customers on various technology trends and information. For more information about our services, please feel free to visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/web-design-services.php.

The Benefits of Using the Cloud

Posted on October 3, 2012 by admin

At CyberDesign, it’s our mission to keep you informed on all the services that the internet provides, which intern will help make your tech life more productive. One of these useful services is the Cloud, which helps people store, share and collaborate information.

The Cloud is beneficial in many ways. Below we list a few:

1) Long-Distance Update System – this will help you to share family updates in a safe way.

2) Keep a Family To-do List - by using a single spreadsheet in Google Docs, you can invite family keeping them aware of your to-do list and any changes that might occur.

3) Use it as a Homework Inbox – you can set your child up with their own cloud storage and encourage them to save all their homework. This will help your child to stay organized.

4) Optimize if for Entertainment – you can store your entire multimedia library in the cloud.

5) Use it as a Vacation Helper – you can create a folder that keeps all your trip information in one spot and will make it easily accessible for you.

This is just a few of the phenomenal things the Cloud can do. If you want more information on other innovative, technology trends in the industry, feel free to contact CyberDesign at (623) 414-4444 or visit http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Let’s Take a Look at Microsoft Office 2013: Part One

Posted on July 23, 2012 by admin

In this post, CyberDesign will cover the latest features of Microsoft Office 2013. With anything, programs are continually changing and updating their services to keep up with this ever-changing, high-tech world. Microsoft Office is doing its part to stay current with all the newest trends.

A newly developed prominent feature that will be loved by many is cloud syncing. Similar to Apple’s iCloud syncing, Microsoft will allow you to save all your documents in the SkyDrive folder. This will automatically save any documents that you have created with ease and no effort.

The visual features of Microsoft Word will have some impressive changes made to it. People always want a format that will make reading easy online. The Read Mode and Object Zoom will do just that. With the Read Mode tab, we will have the opportunity to create an easy read by splitting the text into columns, producing that magazine look and feel. The Object Zoom feature will allow you to double click on any chart, table, picture or video and allow you to see it full screen size.

The Microsoft Office features that we just covered are just a few of the expansive innovative tools that flourish in 2013. Not only does CyberDesign inform you on the latest trends in the technology world, but our talented, experienced staff can also assist you with eye-catching web designs, custom programming, Internet marketing and much more. For more information, visit us at http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Malware Viruses and Their Potential Harm

Posted on July 16, 2012 by admin

Were you one of the thousands of Americans last week that were extremely worried when the FBI stated that a malware virus, called DNSChanger, could potentially knock you off the Internet? Well thankfully, only a few people were affected and fortunately no major web problems from companies were found.

FBI officials have been following numerous computers that they believe are still infected by the malware virus. There are thousands of computers in the United States alone that are still affected. Time Warner will notify its customers if they are affected, that way they have adequate time to fix the problem on their computer before it’s too late. Verizon Communications will also assist with solving this malware virus problem for its clients throughout the entire month of July.

To help protect your computer from any type of malware, you should be consistent with monitoring your network for any type of virus traffic. For one, you need to build up your malware defenses by installing antispyware and antivirus programs, make sure it’s from a reputable source. Also, it’s highly recommended that you make sure to update your software regularly and always use strong passwords to prevent from possible hacking.

If you’re not sure how to properly maintain a healthy computer and protect it from a malware virus, it’s imperative to ask a website professional like CyberDesign to assist you in the process. We will guide you every step of the way. For more information, you can call us at (623) 414-4444 or visit our website at http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.

Social Media: Google+

Posted on July 16, 2012 by admin

There are many components to social media and what it can do for a company. For your business to be successful, social media is a must to attract attention and encourage readers to share within their own social media circles. In this blog, we will discuss the platform of Google+.

Google+ originally began as an “invitation-only” and was named Google Circles, but the high demand for new accounts was staggering that it on September 20, 2011, Google+ was opened to everyone over 18 years of age. Soon after, Google+ launched brand pages to represent businesses and organizations.

Essentially, Google+ is similar to Facebook, but Goggle claims it’s more advanced and does a better job at promoting and connecting businesses online. An official quote from Google states, “Today, the connections between people increasingly happen online. Yet the subtlety and substance of real-world interactions are lost in the rigidness of our online tools.”

Like Facebook, on Google+ you can set up your own profile and are able to create business pages from your profile page. The Stream, similar to the Newsfeed on Facebook, is where you share your information to connect within your Circles.

The brilliant thing about Circle sharing is that you can keep your conversations with friends separate from the general public. By putting your friends and business associates in different circles, you can update information that is appropriate and meant for them.

There are a few other platforms Google+ offers its online users that take sharing of information online to the next level. At CyberDesign, we can build and manage your Google+ page for you. Our highly-skilled web designers will assist in maximizing your online presence. For more information, call (623) 414-4444 or visit our website at http://www.cyberdesign.com/contact-us.php.