Category Archives: Online

Internet, Online, Privacy, Social Networking, Web 2.0, Web Marketing

Research Now earns respected TRUSTe Email and Web Privacy Seal of Approval

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Research Now, the leading global online sampling and data collection company, has announced that it has recently received the well-respected TRUSTe Email and Website Privacy Seal of Approval for its Valued Opinions panel in the United Kingdom. Research Now joins over 5,000 companies committed to building consumer trust online through participation in the TRUSTe Privacy Seal programme.

“The new certification is evidence of our commitment to not only be compliant with European privacy laws and meet all necessary requirements for safely collecting personal data and opinions through market research surveys, but also to implement best practices that go beyond this.” said Thomas Lapperger, Vice President of Panel Marketing and Customer Relationship Management at Research Now.

To achieve this certification, the Valued Opinions Panel had to undergo a very thorough review of its privacy policy and practices to ensure the programme is compliant with TRUSTe’s strict requirements, including transparency, accountability and choice regarding the collection and use of panelists’ personal information. Furthermore, through its Email Privacy Seal, TRUSTe reinforces the Valued Opinion programme’s commitment to good email practices by certifying email disclosures, reputation and unsubscribe policies.

Lapperger continued: “In times when online privacy becomes even more important for internet users, we are doing everything we can to ensure the survey experience is safe for our valued panel members. Receiving the TRUSTe Privacy Seal demonstrates our commitment to maintaining the strictest of privacy standards based on transparency and trust, and we will continue to work with TRUSTe to uphold these standards for our consumer panels worldwide.”

TRUSTe’s mission as an independent third party is to accelerate online trust among consumers and organisations globally through its leading privacy trust mark and innovative trust solutions. The TRUSTe seal is a signal to consumers that a website is safeguarding their personal information and values their online privacy.

Via EPR Network
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B2C, Entertainment, Events, Free Stuff, Internet, Online, Services, Social Networking, Web

New Review Site WasThatGood.com Delivers Independent Theatre Opinion

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WasThatGood.com, a new site dedicated to bringing informed and independent theatre review and opinion to stage fans, has been launched in the UK.

The site has been introduced to address a demand for genuine, unbiased theatre reviews which are different from the now-standard sites which are full of intrusive advertising. WasThatGood.com will offer true, honest reviews of shows like Chicago and Billy Elliot from people who have actually been to see them and who are not promoting anything.

WasThatGood.com has been built by Robert Stuart, a big fan of theatre and shows, who was tired of trawling through websites which consisted of nothing but advertisements. The new site will offer impartial opinion, show times and the chance to buy London theatre tickets too.

Robert Stuart says, “There was clearly a gap in the market for a genuine, honest theatre review website – hence why I decided to introduce WasThatGood.com. There are far too many websites around which are advertising based and which actively promote shows – I wanted to have a place where all fans of theatre can share genuine reviews.”

In recent times the economic crisis has resulted in lots of people choosing not to go to see shows any longer for fear of wasting their money. WasThatGood.com intends to address this by giving people unbiased, genuine reviews via which they can make informed choices about which shows to go and see.

In addition to its review services WasThatGood.com will also host show time and date information and will let people search for the highest-rated shows by peer review. Users will also be able to buy tickets for shows all over the country through the site.

About WasThatGood.com

WasThatGood.com was born in an attempt to give the public a say in the world of theatre by offering an independent forum for them to share their opinions. The intent is to promote open discussion regarding the theatre, which could very well lead to improvement as theatres will have to face reality and will no longer be subject to only a handful of critics who have a channel to the public.

Via EPR Network
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Findmypast.ie helps to reveal Dracula was Irish not Transylvanian

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findmypast.ie has conducted research on Bram Stoker’s family tree which sheds new light on how he created the gothic horrors of Dracula.

Count Dracula, the Transylvanian nobleman and daddy of all vampires, was originally Irish rather than Transylvanian, according to new research by the family historian who previously traced Barack Obama’s Irish roots, Fiona Fitzsimons.

Dracula is the title character of the 1897 Gothic horror novel by Bram Stoker, the Irish writer who died 100 years ago, on April 20, 1912.

Many historians have wondered how Stoker, a one-time Dublin civil servant and chum of Oscar Wilde came to imagine the gothic horrors of Dracula and now, new research into Stoker’s family tree by the genealogy website findmypast.ie provides the answer. The new findings are the fruit of months of research by Fiona Fitzsimons, a director of findmypast.ie and the historian who last year identified Obama’s closest living Irish relatives, enabling the U.S. President to meet them on his state visit to Ireland.

Bram Stoker turns out to have been of an old family with a glorious history. His direct ancestor, Manus “The Magnificent” O’Donnell, once ruled much of Ireland and led a rebellion against Henry VIII.

“We have discovered that Bram Stoker could trace his own direct family line back almost 1,000 years,” said Fitzsimons. In short, his own lineage turns out to have been remarkably similar to Dracula’s.

Fitzsimons added: “Stoker did not use overtly Irish references in Dracula, but his main theme is taken from Irish history – the history, we now learn, of his own family – recast in the writer’s imagination.”

Although the Stoker family on Bram’s father’s side were of humble stock, it was already known before now that Bram’s mother Charlotte was descended from the Blakes, a landed Irish family.

What Fitzsimons has now discovered, with the help of land records found on findmypast.ie, is that Charlotte also descended from the O’Donnells, one of Ireland’s greatest families, with one of its oldest recorded lineages.

The story goes back farther still; from 561 A.D. the O’Donnell lords were the hereditary keepers of the psalter (holy book) of St Columba, revered in Ireland as the patron saint of poets.

These objects remained in the O’Donnell’s keeping until 1843, when they were given to the Royal Irish Academy. Their donation received wide press coverage and was a cause célèbre.

Fitzsimons said: “Our research has proven links between the writer’s family, the oldest surviving Irish manuscript in existence, and one of the greatest treasures held in the National Museum of Ireland. The manuscript book and its reliquary provide evidence that Stoker’s O’Donnell family could trace their direct lineage back more than 1,300 years to 561 A.D.”

Fitzsimons believes the true inspiration for Dracula was Manus the Magnificent, Stoker’s direct ancestor.

This is not to say that Manus was either a vampire or a tyrant, since he was neither, but he was a feudal leader with great power over much of the country and hisheroics in gory battle are just as likely an inspiration for Dracula as any historical figure.

Via EPR Network
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Free Stuff, Internet, Links, Online, Web, Web Directories

Perfect for College Students & the Unemployed, Angels of Mercy Foundation Launches New Directory of Over 670 Work-from-home Opportunities

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Angels of Mercy Foundation has developed and made available a new 42 page directory of over 670 firms who have work-from-home opportunities available. These opportunities are perfect for college students, the unemployed or anyone at least 18-years-old in need of additional income. The data has been fully researched and includes links for immediate access. A bonus 17 page paid survey work directory is also included. Daily income is guaranteed if the individual is willing to work from their personal computer on a regular basis.

The work-from-home firms are in need of survey takers, mystery shoppers, data entry clerks, email processors, information research clerks and more. The bonus survey work directory includes hundreds of survey companies willing to pay people immediately after they complete surveys online. The directory costs $25.00 for the general public and $20.00 for high school/college students and senior citizens (age 55 and over) via Paypal.com to access your directories. After your payment is received, a ‘Thank You for your Purchase’ page will appear with two (2) links for downloading your ‘Work-From-Home-Directory and PAID Survey Directory. You will have access immediately.

Interested parties need to have a computer with internet access, a printer, a telephone and a prepaid debit card that accepts direct deposits. More information about acquiring a prepaid debit card with free immediate activation should click here:http://angelsofmercyfoundation.org/Prepajd-Debit-Card-Info.html. This prepaid debit card program will issue the user’s direct deposit banking information, immediately. Users will be able to write online checks through the program and they will receive the prepaid debit card in 5-7 days. This is the, only, prepaid debit card program that provides a Second Chance Checking Account for those individuals who need to write checks.

About Angels of Mercy Foundation

Angels of Mercy Foundation specializes in helping people in every area of their lives. Right now, they are dedicated to helping those individuals who have been out of work for several months and students, housewives, etc., who need supplemental income. Their market research has enabled them to develop these new directories. They have researched hundreds of companies around the world that spend huge amounts of money trying to understand how people think and shop, why they buy certain products, etc. This acquired information helps these companies improve their products and services.

Via EPR Network
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Findmypast.co.uk Publishes Crew Records From The Titanic For The First Time

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New analysis from findmypast.co.uk of the records of those on board the Titanic when it sunk suggests it could have been doomed from the start according to sailor superstitions.*

Six maritime myths rang true on that ill-fated day of 15th April 1912, including the presence of women, priests and red-heads on board the ship, according to the most comprehensive set of Titanic passenger and crew records launched online at findmypast.co.uk, a leading family history website.

Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, commented: “The records going live indicate sailor superstitions were wholly ignored on the Titanic’s doomed departure from Southampton. Throughout history sailors have been proverbially superstitious, but I bet few ever believed the ‘unsinkable’ Titanic would succumb to superstition. It leaves you wondering whether the cumulative effect of women, priests, dogs, barbers, flowers and red-heads on board – all commonly held superstitions among sailors – angered the sea so much it steered her towards her ill fate.”

The Unlucky Six Sailor Superstitions are:
– Women on board – 353 female passengers
– Dogs near tackle – 5 dogs reported rescued
– Priests on board – 5 men of religion
– Cutting hair on board – 3 barbers
– Flowers – 2 crew members with flower tattoos
– Red-heads – 2 on board; one crew member & the infamous Violet Jessop

Maritime birth, marriage and death records in association with The National Archives and White Star Line Officers’ books, are being launched online for the first time at findmypast.co.uk, sitting alongside the Titanic Passenger Lists and Merchant Navy recordswhich are already available to view.

Janet Dempsey, Maritime Records Specialist at The National Archives, commented:
“Death At Sea was an occupational hazard for those who made their living on the water but this rarely deterred mariners. Many who survived the Titanic went on to serve throughout the First World War and some even into WW2. The BMD registers really illustrate just how hard life was at sea even for those men and women who served on luxury liners that were just not expected to sink. With death so common place it was hardly surprising that seafarers were a superstitious lot.”

And still, 100 years on from the sinking of the Titanic, Brits are as superstitious as ever, especially when it comes to seafaring. One in eight (12%) is aware of the myth around un-christened ships bringing bad luck – something speculation famously claims about the Titanic – while the most well-known superstition for a third of Brits (31%) is an unbroken bottle during the christening of a ship.

Today’s Brits call on a number of superstitions for good luck and safe travel when embarking on a trip. Avoiding travel on Friday 13th takes the top spot (6%), followed by carrying a lucky charm such as a coin (4%), spring cleaning the house before travelling, and wearing a lucky item of clothing (2%).

Debra Chatfield concluded: “We can’t lead our lives based on myth and superstition, whether travel-related or otherwise, but in hindsight when considering the tragedy of the Titanic, it certainly is an eerie thought.”

Via EPR Network
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Online Codes Site DiscountVouchers.co.uk Offers New Choice of DIY and Grocery Deals

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Leading brand decorating items and home shopping this spring with consumer codes and vouchers specialist.

Retail codes and vouchers site DiscountVouchers.co.uk has announced new deals sourced to assist people in refurbishing their homes on a budget or affording more groceries this spring. Consumers can this week log on to the site and find new codes to save at top DIY stores Homebase and B&Q plus also Tesco.

DiscountVouchers.co.uk helps shoppers save at more than 800 retailers around the country and is this week offering savings at top store Homebase. Shoppers can get online and access new Homebase discount codes which can get them offers such as Save £50 Off £250 or £100 Off £400 spent on Furniture (exc. fitted bedrooms & garden furniture).

Consumers rely on DiscountVouchers.co.uk to get them savings at all the retail sector’s leading stores, and this week shoppers can access new B and Q vouchers. These deals are are available to help people save on home decorating – offers on show include Buy 1 Get 1 Half Price on Selected Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, Kelly Hoppen & Sophie Conran Designer Wallpapers.

More great value deals can be had from the DiscountVouchers.co.uk site this spring, including new deals for money off at Tesco. The latest Tesco discount vouchers sourced by DiscountVouchers.co.uk include deals like New Customers Save £10 On Your First Online Grocery Shop When You Spend £50 at Tesco.com.

Doug Scott, managing director of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, commented, “This spring we’re able to help people who want to do up their homes save and have also sourced savings on groceries. Thanks to the latest batch of new deals we have available for top stores like Tesco, B&Q and Homebase we can help people save a small fortune.”

DiscountVouchers.co.uk offers consumers money saving deals at major high street brands and specialist retailers, including stores like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Travelodge, First Choice, lastminute.com and Boden.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Youzzers secure social network. Intelligent, educational and interactive

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Steven Hori, a Swiss Internet and network specialist, is launching Youzzers, the first social network which is 100% secure and totally protects its members’ personal data. Thus when an account is deleted, the totality of all personal data is deleted. Youzzers is also available on iPhone, Androïd and notebooks.

A network that provides a large range of features and services.

Youzzers is both a professional social network and an interactive one. It provides a wide range of features and services. All of these are regrouped on a single platform and are managed at will by the user. It offers a higher level of confidentiality in comparison to other competitors. Ergonomic, simplified and secure, Youzzers does not require any particular skills to be used.

E-learning
Youzzers offers a network to schools and universities which allows them to make their courses available online. The network users can take these courses starting from the modest sum of 1 to 2 €.

Safety Box
Directly incorporated into Youzzers, this function offers the storage of personal data which is protected by a security encryption ranging from 128 to 256 bits so that it is only accessible to the user himself.

Mailboxes
Youzzers allows one to create an e-mail address my-email@youzzers.com to send/receive e-mails to/from members and non-members. It allows a POP connection on additional mailboxes, the sending/receiving of mail by SMTP, all of which is protected by antispam and anti-virus.

Personal multimedia albums
Youzzers accepts all formats (Photos, Audio, Video, Documents) on a simplified interface for better management of albums. They can be configured to be visible or secured and are available on mobile phones and notebooks.

Live meeting (audio/video)
Youzzers also includes an instant messaging service with incorporated whiteboard. This system allows “multiusers” to work together with bridges to MSN, AIM, Yahoo, ICQ, software.

Presently, Youzzers is available in French, English, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish. Turkish, Dutch and Arabic will be available by May 15th along with other features.

Youzzers also provides news, e-commerce, creation and consultation of ads, forums and surveys.

The site is open: www.youzzers.com.

Via EPR Network
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Findmypast.co.uk Publishes Westminster Parish Records Online

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findmypast.co.uk, a leading UK family history website, has published online for the very first time parish records held by the City of Westminster Archives Centre. The Westminster Collection at findmypast.co.uk comprises fully searchable transcripts and scanned images of the parish registers, some of which are over 400 years old.

The 1,365,731 records launched cover the period 1538-1945 and come from over 50 Westminster churches including St Anne, Soho, St Clement Danes, St George Hanover Square, St James Westminster, St Margaret Westminster, St Martin-in-the-Fields, St Mary-le-Strand, St Paul Covent Garden.

Debra Chatfield, family historian at findmypast.co.uk, said: “The Westminster Collection is one of the largest regional parish record collections we have ever published online and contains some truly wonderful gems. Family historians, wherever they are in the world, can now search this historical goldmine and uncover the fascinating stories of their London ancestors.”

The launch marks the start of a painstaking project to preserve digitally the City of Westminster Archives Centre’s collection, and sees the first tranche of its baptisms, marriages and burials go online. The remaining records are set to go live over the coming months, along with cemetery registers, wills, rate books, settlement examinations, workhouse admission and discharge books, bastardy, orphan and apprentice records and charity documents.

Adrian Autton, Archives Manager at Westminster Archives commented: “The launch of the Westminster Collection is of huge significance making Westminster records fully accessible to a global audience. This resource will be of immense value to anyone whose ancestors lived in Westminster and to anyone wishing to study the rich heritage of this truly great city.”

The records can now be searched free of charge by visiting the Life Events (BMDs) section at findmypast.co.uk, and then selecting parish baptisms or marriages or burials. Transcripts and images can be viewed with PayAsYouGo credits, vouchers or a full subscription to findmypast.co.uk.

The new Westminster Collection at findmypast.co.uk joins a growing resource of official parish records from local archives, including Cheshire Archives & Local Studies, Manchester City Council and Plymouth and West Devon Records Office, with many more in the pipeline and due to go live in the coming months. In addition over 40 million parish records from family history societies can be found at findmypast.co.uk in partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies.

Via EPR Network
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DiscountVouchers.co.uk Teams Up with International Daily Deals Specialist Dealgecco

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Online voucher codes specialist DiscountVouchers.co.uk has announced a new strategic partnership which will see users able to access more daily deals than ever. The company has teamed up with international daily deals expert Dealgecco.

DiscountVouchers.co.uk and Dealgecco announced the new partnership at this year’s DD Summit Europe event in London. The agreement will allow DiscountVouchers.co.uk to provide subscribers with new daily deals based on Dealgecco’s partnerships and relationships in international B2B deals.

Gerard Doyle, CEO of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, the title sponsor at the DD Summit Europe, commented: “We’re always pleased to make this kind of announcement, and our users will really enjoy the benefits this partnership brings. DiscountVouchers.co.uk daily deal users can look forward to big savings on all sorts of famous brands.”

“DiscountVouchers.co.uk online codes and daily deals users will really reap the benefits of our partnering up with an international specialist like Dealgecco,” Gerard went on.

Antonia Hammer, founder and CEO of Dealgecco commented: “Our years of expertise in the international daily deals space have seen us build up some very strong relationships and partnerships with suppliers. DiscountVouchers.co.uk users can look forward to enjoying a huge range of different deals on a daily basis now.”

Gerard Doyle joined Richard Dennys from Qype, on the “Customer Engagement and Interaction Strategies” panel, moderated by Aliya Zaidi, from Econsultancy, at the DD Summit Europe.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Findmypast.co.uk To Publish Canterbury Cathedral Records Online

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findmypast.co.uk, a leading UK family history website, has announced that it has been awarded a contract by Canterbury Cathedral Archives to publish historic records from the archive online. The first phase of the Canterbury Collection project will see an online version of the parish registers of the historic Archdeaconry of Canterbury, to be published in the coming weeks at findmypast.co.uk.

An estimated 270,000 images containing over a million entries will be published on the website, covering parish churches from a wide expanse of East Kent, including:
– the city of Canterbury
– the towns of Faversham, Wye and Elham
– Thanet
– towns along the east Kent coast stretching from Whitstable in the north round to Hythe in the south

The launch has been timed to coincide with the temporary closure of Canterbury Cathedral Archives for refurbishment, so that family historians and local historians can continue to enjoy access to these fascinating records until the Archives reopens in autumn 2012.

From the initial online launch in February, visitors to the findmypast.co.uk website will be able to browse through the scanned pages of the parish records to search for their ancestors. At the same time, findmypast.co.uk will start to transcribe the records, with a view to creating an index and making them fully searchable on the website later this year.

Paul Nixon, Content Licensing Manager for findmypast.co.uk, said: “We’re really looking forward to seeing these invaluable records from Canterbury Cathedral Archives go live on findmypast.co.uk, strengthening the site’s position as the natural home for UK parish records.”

Canterbury Cathedral Archivist Cressida Williams, added: “Working with findmypast has provided us with a wonderful opportunity to expand access to these records to a worldwide audience. This resource will be a great asset for anyone with an interest in the history of this part of Kent.”

The Canterbury Collection will join an impressive array of UK parish records at findmypast.co.uk, including records from Manchester Archives, Cheshire Archives, Plymouth & West Devon Record Office and Welsh Archives, in addition to over 40 million parish records from family history societies throughout the UK in partnership with the Federation of Family History Societies.

Anyone wishing to be notified when the Canterbury Collection becomes available can register online at findmypast.co.uk to receive a newsletter.

Via EPR Network
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Internet, Online, Programming, Security, Software, Web

New Firewall Hacking Book By HackerStorm For Penetration Testing & Ethical Hackers, Cowboy Testers Beware!

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HackerStorm.com has published a new ebook aimed at ethical hackers and security professionals who hire or manage penetration testing services.

‘Firewall Hacking Secrets For Security Professionals’, available via Amazon.com for kindle, is the first ebook in the series. For many, firewall’s are the first line of defence and with high profile hacking incidents on the rise, the requirement for good firewall testing is now essential.

Timur Mehmet, author of the ebook and creator of HackerStorm.com comments:
“Firewall testing and hacking was an easy choice as a first publication, many depend heavily on firewall security and a lot of organisations are being targeted for all manner of reasons which creates a demand for regular firewall testing”.

Timur Mehmet adds: “The aim of the ebook is to give people enough knowledge to enable managers and penetration testers to ask the right questions so that they can create a more meaningful test scope and test plan. All too often the testers ask what the customer wants and the customer really has no idea, all they know is they are worried about Anonymous, LulzSec and the rise in activity from Iran and China but have no idea on how to approach the testing or how to evaluate the testers”.

“Unfortuntately, some testers out there relish this situation becuase it enables them to do the minimum amount of work for the maximum amount of money leaving the hiring managers with a huge false sense of security, on the flip side, there are many penetration testers and ethical hackers who want to know if what they are doing is in line with best practice as most books on the subject provide very little information other than to download and install some free tools”.

‘Firewall Hacking Secrets For Security Professionals’ is a vendor neutral guide aimed purely at testing firewall technology. The book does not focus on how to use various tools or explain basic networking like virtually all hacking books to date. The HackerStorm.com ebook gets straight to it.

A summarised checklist is also provided to help create a test plan and to enable all parties to discuss the scope of testing to ensure the project is relevant.

The book is currently available in Kindle format via Amazon for immediate download with further formats plannned in the future. To stay informed about new tools and ebooks, you can follow hackerStorm.com on Twitter at @hackerstorm.

Via EPR Network
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Facebook Changes to Business Pages

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SEOwhat.com, a national leader in internet marketing, web design, and search optimization company, that specializes in both on-page and off-page optimization is recommending that online retailers stay abreast of the continuing and constant changes to Facebook rules and regulations to ensure sales are not affected by non-compliance. Staying up-to-date of the adjustments to the policies Facebook enforces to the places pages is a necessary part of business these days. Social media marketing is a key part of success for many internet retailers.

The most recent changes to Facebook Pages may affect business negatively if they do not comply. Review the Page Management to make sure the business name accurately reflects the Page content. The name cannot have symbols or all capitals letters, except for acronyms. The name needs to be simply just the name of the business. Name Changes and Migrations cannot lead to an unintended connection, nor can they result in re-categorizing a Page, this may result in a loss of “friends” when a business would like to combine pages.

One of the biggest changes that will affect businesses on Facebook is to the covers. They are a popular place for promotions and Facebook has tightened up these restrictions, they can no longer include price or purchase information. Contact information cannot be included or any references to actions such as, “Like” or“Share”. Promotions must be administered with Apps on Facebook.com. These rules and regulations can be confusing to the business owner and they change frequently. SEOwhat.com has experts in social media services to help ensure the businesses page on Facebook complies with these changes and keeps the client up to date with changes that are coming. Noncompliance can result in the page being rejected or removed from Facebook.

Via EPR Network
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SEO Agency Generates New Visitors For Luxury Hotel Resort

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Online marketing agency QueryClick has helped a luxury hotel resort dramatically improve its Natural Search returns by driving over 30,000 new unique visitors to its website between 2011-2012.

One of the specialities of the search marketing firm is to help businesses get better results online through Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), which ensures that their clients’ websites appear higher and perform better when Internet users make searches on Google.

The Edinburgh-based agency also helped generate 33,824 organic visits to the Rockliffe Hall website – an increase of 50% compared with the previous year. Of those visits, 3,883 came through on non-brand terms compared with 1,999 during the same period of the previous year. This represents a 94% increase in traffic from non-brand, organic keyphrases.

Chris Liversidge, founder of Queryclick, said: “We’re delighted with the success of our work with Rockliffe Hall since we started working on the search engine optimisation of their website in August last year.

“We helped with the design and launch of their new site at the beginning of December and since then it’s gone from strength to strength.

“The site has already reported a significant rise in total and organic traffic and in January the site achieved the highest level of traffic in 12 months with a total of over 48,500 hits with over 20,000 new visitors which is a massive achievement.”

Rockliffe Hall is the newest and most exciting 5-star luxury hotel resort to open in North East England and is set on a magnificent restored 18th century estate on the banks of River Tees. With there being strong competition in the hospitality industry success is increasingly linked to online performance.

Over the course of the campaign Queryclick ensured that Rockliffe Hall achieved a total of 82,926 organic SEO visits between January and March this year which is an increase of 23,008 during the same period in 2011.

Chris Liversidge added: “The results speak for themselves here and when you consider that since the new website went live in December there has been over 97,000 organic visits compared to 73,000 in the three months prior to launch, the value our expertise has brought the business is invaluable.”

“Going forward we’re eager to further improve website functionality and help increase traffic levels and conversion rates by implementing E-Commerce tracking, as well as completing outstanding page title and meta description updates.”

Via EPR Network
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Lulu.com Launches New Ecommerce Platform

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Lulu.com, the leader in self-publishing, has launched a new ecommerce platform along with major site upgrades that will give authors and readers the absolute best self-publishing experience for buying and selling books in any format across the globe.

Powered by leading ecommerce platform provider Elastic Path, the upgrades are designed to maximize author agility in a rapidly changing publishing industry and ensure that readers can easily buy books online anywhere in the world, including the places they already shop like Amazon.com, the iBookstore, and Barnes and Noble’s NOOK Bookstore. Customers can expect an even easier to use Lulu.com with new capabilities such as registration-less checkout, faster browsing times, enhanced international language and currency support, improved address validation, and customizable marketing tools for authors, adding to Lulu.com’s already free ebook publishing services.

“Lulu and Elastic Path have made publishing and buying quick and easy,” says Matt Dion, Vice President of Marketing for Elastic Path. “Lulu is a great example of an innovative company providing their customers with a compelling value proposition, cementing Lulu’s leadership position in the publishing technology arena for years to come.”

The new platform creates an entirely new infrastructure for Lulu.com to build upon, which greatly increases the speed at which the company can release new features and updates in the future to better equip customers with the tools they need, when they need them. For example, Lulu.com’s soon to be available ecommerce APIs (Application Programmer Interfaces) enables businesses and publishers to build Lulu.com and Elastic Path’s ecommerce tools into their own branded websites, absolutely free.

“We’re constantly looking for ways to make it easier for our customers to take advantage of the ever-increasing opportunities in publishing today, from easily creating print and eBooks, to expanding author reach to more places,” said Bob Young, CEO of Lulu.com. “We’re in the business of removing limitations for creators and with these upgrades, we’re providing publishers, authors, and their readers, with a world-class ecommerce experience.”

With just a few clicks of a button, anyone can upload content to Lulu once, and sell it through a global network of premier retail channels as a print book or eBook, all for free. Creators set their own price for their titles and keep up to 90 per cent of the profit whenever their works sell.

Interested parties can learn more about self-publishing and the new and improved Lulu.com by visiting, www.lulu.com, while British users can visit Lulu UK at www.lulu.com/uk.

Via EPR Network
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DiscountVouchers.co.uk Announces New Deals to Help Brits Save on Spring Styles

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Sprucing up a spring wardrobe can now be more affordable for UK shoppers thanks to new deals for savings at top fashion stores available via DiscountVouchers.co.uk. The online voucher codes specialist – which helps consumers to save money at over 800 stores – has this week sourced new deals for money off at New Look, Urban Outfitters and ASOS.

New stylish fashions for spring from popular high street outlet New Look can be had on a budget right now thanks to the new deals sourced by DiscountVouchers.co.uk. Both women’s and men’s clothing can be had with savings thanks to New Look discount code choices including Men’s Clothing Sale, Free Delivery To Your Local UK Store on Orders Over £20 and Up to £10 Off Women’s Denim.

Another of the country’s top fashion outlets to featured on the DiscountVouchers.co.uk website this week is ASOS, which offers women’s and men’s clothing via a regularly-updated online store. This week sees the voucher codes specialist offering new ASOS discount vouchers such as Save Up To 70% in the Clearance Subject to terms and conditions.

Urban Outfitters is a well-known supplier of street clothing and quality youth wear, and DiscountVouchers.co.uk can this week help shoppers get more for their money there as well. The DiscountVouchers.co.uk site is right now offering a choice of Urban Outfitters discount vouchers such as Save Up To 70% in the Sale.

Doug Scott, managing director of DiscountVouchers.co.uk, says, “With the spring weather kicking in people are looking to get some new clothing from famous stores – but they are still working to tight budgets. With that in mind our latest deals for top stores like Urban Outfitters, ASOS and New Look are perfectly-timed for helping people maximise their spends right now.”

DiscountVouchers.co.uk offers consumers money saving deals at major high street brands and specialist retailers, including stores like Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s, Travelodge, First Choice, lastminute.com and Boden.

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk.

Via EPR Network
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Entertainment, Internet, Online, Web

Soda Poker, A Whole New Way Of Enjoying Online Poker!

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A new multilingual poker room has just been launched by one on the main online poker publishers with the intention of becoming an alternative to the current online poker monopoly.

POKER hit the web in the mid 00’s and has since never ceased to grow in popularity. But governments around the world have decided that now is the time to impose regulations on online gambling and as a result you may have noticed that playing poker with real money is getting tougher and tougher (especially if you are living in the US!).

In the mean time, playing poker with virtual chips on social networks has never been as trendy, fun and easy! Don’t deny it; even your mom and your little sister are on it… These so called social poker games owe their popularity to the fact that while being built around a game you usually find in a casino; because you can’t cash out your winnings, for legislators, it’s not gambling so you (and the companies running them) are alright with them.

Now the companies running these models are seriously considering adding cash out options once the game will be regulated, and the companies running real money poker rooms are looking at social poker games as a way of not only offering a different version of the game, but also penetrating virgin territories such as social networks or mobile devices.

It’s going to be a war of the worlds when these gaming giants collide, but undoubtedly poker players will come out as winners, as the competition will generate new products and new offers for the end users…

In the mist of it all, Cmedia, a company based on the Spanish coast of Barcelona has launched Soda Poker, a social poker room that aims to offer a serious alternative to other poker rooms.

The name Cmedia may not ring a bell, but if you have ever been on a website related to poker or any other form of online gambling, chances are you were on one of theirs: with over 1000 websites online, they are amongst the biggest online gambling publishers in the world… so you can trust they know what they are doing when it comes to online poker. They are the people behind Freepoker.org and Pokerholdem.com.

Soda Poker is easy because unlike any other Texas Holdem poker site you can register and play for free in just a few clicks. It’s quick, easy and simple. It gets you seated at the poker table in just a few seconds without asking you for your bank account details, or your grand mother’s maiden name. And it’s freemium, meaning that every day; you can come back and play without having to deposit real money. But if you want to play the higher stakes you can always buy into the premium model and get more chips allowing you to play at a higher level. Because players don’t actually bet with real money, Soda Poker is a totally risk free game, you can just play for the fun of the game! It’s really the closest you’ll get to playing a home game with your friends, and that’s why it’s one of the fastest growing social poker communities and one of the hottest places to be dealt cards on the web right now!

Via EPR Network
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Advertising, B2b, Internet, Online, Search, Searching, SEM, SEO, Social Networking, Web Marketing

Google To Move Underwater And Take Internet Surfers For A Dive, Says SEO Company SachaMango

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From September, the Catlin Seaview Survey, run by the University of Queensland in conjunction with insurers the Caitlin Group, will take to the water to conduct 360 degree panoramic filming of the greatest reef on earth, with Google making all 50,000 images available on Google Results, Google Earth and Google Maps through a new feature in Panaramio. There will also be a dedicated YouTube channel and live streams of the expedition team at work.

Professor Hoegh-Guldberg, Director of the Global Chane Institute and Chief Scientist on the project, said “The Catlin Seaview Survey comprises a series of studies which will reveal to the public one of the last frontiers on Earth: the oceans.

“For the first time in history, we have the technology to broadcast the findings and expedition through Google. Millions of people will be able to experience the life, the science and the magic that exists under the surface of our oceans. This project is very exciting.”

The survey will take place in three stages; a shallow reef survey of 20 sites across the2300km of the reef, a deep water survey using robots to depths of 30-100 metres, and finally a mega-fauna survey that will explore how green turtles, tiger sharks and manta rays migrate in response to ocean temperatures.

A spokesperson for SEO Company SachaMango Media, said: “This is a great example of how technology can be used to not only to help make ground-breaking research a reality, but also to educate and inspire the public to learn more about the underwater world around us. It forms an important link between scientific knowledge and public awareness, and gives people an opportunity to see rare sites that they might never get to see unless they actually visited Australia and went underwater themselves. The project will allow us all to go for a virtual dive without ever leaving the comfort of our own armchairs!

The survey is set to begin in September, although the project’s website already has some images from initial equipment testing and a demo of how the panaramio images will be viewed. However, there are already plans underway to document some of the most important oceans in the rest of the world.

“It’s no surprise that Google has got involved,” said the spokesperson.” As the biggest occupier of search space in the UK – some 93% – and with the features like Google Results, Earth and Maps already popular with the public, it makes sense they should be the partner of choice to develop the applications needed on its advanced platforms to view the incredible images that will come from the project.”

Via EPR Network
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Internet, ISPs, Online, Services

Plusnet Reveals Nine Out Of Ten Mums Rely On The Internet For Parental Advice

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Plusnet has revealed that a staggering eight out of 10 (82%) mums rely on the internet for parental advice.

According to the survey* carried out by home phone and business broadband company, two in five (41%) mums say they do their weekly shop online to save time, with almost the same amount again (40%) banking online to avoid long in-branch queues. A massive 99% of mums spend up to four hours of their own ‘me time’ online each day.

The new generation of mothers are an internet-savvy audience with more than half (51%) researching their children’s homework online. Asking more than 3,300 mums, the study found that a quarter of mothers consider themselves as “networking mothers” who use online forums and other social media to get parenting advice. It is clear the internet has a big part to play in motherhood with well over a third of these networking mums (39%) finding it a vital resource when their child is ill and they need to look up symptoms.

It is not just parenting issues that these networking mums are clued up on, as half of those asked also liked the fact that while housebound with the kids, they can seek “adult conversation” from peers online through sites such as Twitter and Facebook.

Speaking about the survey results, Plusnet ambassador and Dancing on Ice Star Jennifer Ellison said: “It’s great that mums can find a quick way to get advice online when it’s needed. I personally really value being able to use the net to speak to my family when I’m away. Doing Dancing on Ice has made me realise how valuable something like video calls are – it’s fantastic to be able to see your little boy as well as talk to him on the phone. I’m also a big fan of online shopping – the last thing I want to do after a hard day’s training is go shopping – and I’d much rather spend any spare time with my family.”

The study conducted by Plusnet among the netmums community, also asked about favourite ‘mum moments’ in film and TV. Mother’s instincts struck a chord with this audience, with nearly a third (31%) voting for the most touching moment as that in the 2003 movie “Cheaper by the Dozen”, when Kate Baker, (played by actress Bonnie Hunt), sacrifices her career to care for her children at home. Meanwhile, Rachel Green from sitcom ‘Friends’ was voted the most admired mum character with more than a third (35%) of the results.

Jamie Ford, CEO of Plusnet said: “Through this study we can see how vital the internet is when you are a parent, in fact even us Dads are partial to turning to the net, especially for things like help with homework. With more and more people using the web for everyday needs Plusnet is committed to providing reliable and competitively priced broadband, perfect for family life.”

Via EPR Network
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B2b, Internet, ISPs, Online, Programming, Services, Software, Web, Web Design & Development

Increasing Numbers Of Pensioners Turn To Freelancing

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An increasing number of pensioners are turning to freelance work in order to boost their pension pots, according to research carried out by Future Foundation.

The study conducted for pension provider Friends Life suggests that enterprising pensioners take freelance jobs as consultants, set up as online traders and establish their own businesses, in order to supplement their retirement savings.

Researchers tagged the group ‘wearies’ (working, entrepreneurial and active retirees), saying that due to inadequate savings, by 2020 many people who are in their seventies will simply not be able to afford to completely give up work.

Martin Palmer, Head of Corporate Benefits Marketing at Friends Life, said: “Necessity is the mother of invention and ‘wearies’ will be among the most innovative and entrepreneurial contributors to the UK economy, despite their senior years.”

Just over half of the people surveyed who had already retired said they would be prepared to work part-time if it meant they could boost their pension pot, with three-quarters of those yet to retire saying they would be willing to do the same.

Unemployment could be set to rise further, potentially leading even more people to consider freelance work in the very near future. According to the Wall Street Journal, Adam Posen suggested in a speech at Nottingham Business School that hoarding of labour may have restricted productivity growth in certain sections of the UK economy, saying: “If market discipline hits the dawdlers, then most of the productivity puzzle goes away.”

However, Mr. Posen suggested that many of those made redundant would eventually find new work as the economy adjusts towards more productive industries. He also insisted that the financial crisis had not permanently damaged Britain’s economy, and that it could resume growth further down the line.

It’s thanks to the capabilities of the internet that continually aids freelancers in finding work, especially the many outsourcing websites. One outsourcing website in particular, called OutsourceMyProject, has seen a noticeable increase in the amount of freelancers bidding on the projects posted on the website, by many different companies.

Loren Holland, Managing Director of OutsourceMyProject said: ”The demand for freelance work is continually increasing. With over £1 million worth of projects posted on our site last year alone, freelancers of all ages are securing work everyday.”

He went on to say: “The service OutsourceMyProject provides is hassle-free and the ideal way for businesses to find the exact talent they are looking for. By choosing a quote that fits within their budget, businesses are able to increase their chances of surviving a recession by saving money at every opportunity, while freelancers are able to boost their income by putting their knowledge and skills to good use.”

OutsourceMyProject is a UK based platform that’s been created to open up the global market place for professional services across a wide range of sectors. To date, the concept of outsourcing professional services has been limited to large companies and organisations. However, OutsourceMyProject enables small and medium sized organisations, entrepreneurs and individuals to successfully outsource business both at home and abroad too.

Via EPR Network
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B2C, eCommerce, Internet, Online, Services, Shopping, Web

New Poll from DiscountVouchers.co.uk Finds Middle Classes Most Regular Voucher Users

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The UK’s middle classes are those most likely to utilise online voucher codes to save according to a new survey. The poll has been carried out by leading retail deals website DiscountVouchers.co.uk, and found that more well off areas of the country are home to the most voucher users.

Respondents to the poll conducted by the money-saving website showed that the middle classes around the country are those who most regularly use retail vouchers to get themselves savings on their favourite, must-have labels.

In order, the top ten UK places for using voucher codes were revealed to be:

• Twickenham
• Guildford
• Truro
• Chester
• Canterbury
• Durham
• Dorchester
• Doncaster
• Motherwell
• Chelmsford

Gerard Doyle, DiscountVouchers.co.uk CEO, commented: “Interestingly the more traditionally middle class places like Twickenham and Guildford were shown to be the places in the UK where shoppers are most likely to save money using online voucher codes.”

“However at the opposite end of the survey were cities like Liverpool and Leeds, places where consumers were shown to be up to three times less likely to use money-saving voucher codes to get more for their budgets.”

The DiscountVouchers.co.uk service has seen ‘middle class’ stores like Ocado, White Stuff, M&S and French Connection prove particularly popular with users in recent times.

The DiscountVouchers.co.uk poll found the ten least likely users of voucher codes to be located in:

• Liverpool
• Leeds
• Sunderland
• Telford
• Dundee
• Luton
• Glasgow
• Wolverhampton
• Bradford
• Edinburgh

For more information visit www.discountvouchers.co.uk

Via EPR Network
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