The Amazon website issued an apology to customers and admitted to having lost customer data due to its technical problems. The company has even offered a 10-day credit to customers who experienced additional technical problems with their websites. Amazon vows to learn from the experience to ensure the continually upgrade the way they do business.

The outage causing the server crash occurred outside of Washington near the Dulles Airport. The outage was noted to be caused by several complicated issues but ultimately was the result of human error during a traffic shift that was performed incorrectly. Many of the affected computers become frozen in recovery mode.

Amazon plans to investigate its process when making system changes to decrease the risks of the same kind of situation from happening again.

Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Speaks Out About Server Meltdown was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Microsoft has been making most of its profits by increasing sales in the business category, primarily with its Office related software, and software that runs servers, raising sales to just over 8% overall. This is in stark contrast to sales of Microsoft’s netbook, which is a lower cost, smaller laptop. This same category of electronics is where Apple has picked up sales. The Apple iPad tablet has been outselling the netbook. Regular personal computer sales have dropped almost 2% in the same time period.

This shows that consumers in the private sector are leaning toward tablet computers, and specifically, the iPad. Businesses have stayed away from tablets over all, and choose to still rely on traditional PCs with Microsoft-backed software. The increase of Tablet sales may very well make laptops obsolete for the average, non-business individual.

Microsoft closed this quarter with $5.2 billion compared to Apples quarter, that ended just shy of $6 billion. Microsoft’s stock is down more then 4% for the year.

Tablets are taking more and more of the of the regular consumer market, possibly pushing laptops out of the running altogether. Apple is dominating the tablet market despite the heavy competition, however, Microsoft continues to dominate the business and server software sales. This is also a good indicator of an improving economy, because people are spending money on convenience items like the iPad, meanwhile, businesses are improving their efficiency by investing in business software.

Reference:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-04-29/microsoft-profit-falls-below-apple-s-as-ipad-eats-into-sales.html

Tablet Computers Cut into Microsoft’s NASDAQ: MSFT) Profits was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Competitor AT&T (NYSE: T) has been having many technical difficulties with their network so Apple has not been exactly surprised by the steady increase. The number of users making the switch within a month’s time has indeed been impressive but there is no way to tell exactly how many customers AT&T will continue to lose. There are a number of influencing factors involved including the customers who will wait for the next phone upgrade or those who must wait out the end of the contracts.

Verizon is hopeful they can continue to bring more iPhone users to their network but only time will tell if this increase will continue since the iPhone for Verizon has only been on the US market for a little over a month. To date, an ad agency has set up a tracking system that is able to determine how many of AT&T users are showing up on Verizon’s network. The tracker was launched into play a day after Verizon began selling the iPhones to consumers and the statistics include older model iPhones.

As for AT&T, there are plans in the works for moving to LTE for the 4G network later in the year. IT will be the same broadband used by Verizon’s 4G network but it is expected that both carrier’s network will remain independent and either user will not be capable of roaming on each others networks. As AT&T continues to work on their network issues and since AT&T smartphone sales are limited without a contract, it is likely Verizon will continue to get their wishes in increasing their smartphone market share.

Verizon Already Snagged Nearly 15% of AT&T iPhone Users was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

There is anticipation to see how the 4G network runs especially in light of the problems AT&T (NYSE: T) experienced when it was discovered their 4G network was running slower than certain 3G devises on the AT&T network. Company reps at AT&T claim they had not yet turned on the fast functionality at the time due to its continued testing of the network

It is expected the device will be sold with an unlimited data plan for $250 with the required two year plan. Unlimited data plan are starting at $29.99. The unlimited data plan may be changing by the summer. Watchers suspect that the offering of unlimited plans is Verizon’s lure to bring new customers in. If usage among consumers is as high as the Apple counterparts, there may too big of a burden placed on Verizon to continue offering unlimited packages.

Thunderbolt will come loaded with media and services for entertainment which have be optimized for use on the LTE. The Android service also includes many Google products for mobile phones. Free mobile hotspot services will remain free for users until the middle of May. Verizon has not yet announced the pricing structure going beyond that time frame.

The Thunderbolt was debuted at the CES show in January. AT the time, Verizon displayed 10 LTE devices which included four different handsets. This indicates that at least three more handsets to be forthcoming in the year. For now, users will not be able to gauge the functionality of other models on the 4G network until more are released.

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A statement released by Apple’s spokesperson reads:

‘We are delaying the launch of the iPad 2 in Japan while the country and our teams focus on recovering from the recent disaster. Our hearts go out to the people of Japan, including our employees and their families, who have been impacted by this terrible tragedy.’

The US saw the iPad2 launch on March 11. Japan’s unveiling was scheduled for March 25. The planned release was also supposed to occur in 25 other countries in addition to Japan including the UK, Canada, and Germany.

There has been no follow up announcement as to when Apple plans to release the devise in Japan. It is possible there will be a long-term delay and Apple will choose to distribute the devices intended for the country to other locations since the demand for the iPad2 has been high while the supply has been short in the US.

Apple has also upped their efforts to aid the victims of the natural disaster in Japan. They have already started working with the Red Cross to promote consumer donations through the iTunes Store website. It has also been reported that the Apple Store in Japan has been providing shelter, food, and electricity to victims of the earthquake and tsunami.

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Customers on the rental plan are now able to stream a large collection of movies to their own televisions without having to procure an actual disc. The $7.99 a month rental plan was introduced to cover this feature and the prices of plans for both digital streaming and DVDs jumped slightly. Netflix said more than one-third of the new subscribers joined on to enjoy the streaming plan only.

Analysts do say that the company’s record-high subscriber numbers were much higher than expected but cited that Netflix’s profit margins were soft which is likely due to the cost of streaming content. However, it is expected that Netflix will continue to add new members and revenue which allow for more content acquisitions.

Netflix has no plans to stop shipping physical DVDs to customers any time within the foreseeable future, although the company does expect that requests for the DVDs will begin to drop off at some point. Netflix is continuing its effort to keep current customers happy with both streaming and DVD delivery options but it does appear the company is headed in the right direction with the ramping up of their digital streaming transition.

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Nintendo also said along with the launch of the device, more than 30 games compatible with the new 3DS will also be available at the time of launch up through early June. To date, older versions of the handheld gaming machines – the Nintendo DS and the DSI have been very successful. The company claims that the user experience for the new 3DS is ‘like nothing you’ve ever seen before.’

The new Nintendo will feature two screens similar to the older model machines. The bottom screen will remain a touch screen and the top level screen will display both 2D and 3D graphics. The device will feature a depth slider which allows users to control the levels of 3D graphics they are able to see. There are three built-in cameras too. One points at the player and the two additional cameras face outward, allowing the user to experience 3D images of themselves and the objects they photograph.

A motion sensor and gyro sensor is incorporated into the device which enables the machine to sense tilting and other motions of the user. The controls will also feature a new Circle Pad in addition to the original button controls and arrow control pads that allow users to have 360 degree access to directions during game play. The 3DS will also feature applications preloaded into the device. One application acts as a pedometer and users can earn coin rewards for the amount of steps they take. Coins can be saved and traded in for additional applications and gaming content. Another application, the Mii Maker application, lets players import their Wii avatar Mii into their 3DS system.

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The new product would use a Blue-ray player along with a set-top box. This would enable viewers to have access to Google TV. Consumers would be able to then use their TV set to do such things as surf the internet, check their emails, access and use their social networks and more, right from the couch in their living room. The technology would be similar to that of the current smart phones that are on the market.

According to Samsung no deal has yet been reached, “We are discussing with Google but there are a couple of issues to resolve and we want to make it a win-win deal for both of us,” Yoon Boo-keun told reporters without elaborating.

The company also said that it is always looking for companies to partner with in order to expand technology and offerings to consumers and this is just another means of doing so.

Google is a great option for a partnership as their software platform has been gaining ground at a rapid pace over the last year. A partnership between the two companies just might give others in the industry, like Apple, a run for their money.

In looking ahead to 2011 Samsung is hoping to remain at the lead in the marketplace when it comes to selling flat screen television sets. They sold 39 million units in 2010 and anticipate selling 15% more during the coming year for a total of 45 million. When looking at those figures the company plans that they will sell 12 million smart tv’s and 10 million three dimensional units. In 2010 they sold just 5 million smart TV’s and only 2 million of the three dimensional variety.

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Google made this announcement during the holiday season to stay “in the spirit of holiday giving and to help people keep in touch in the new year.” Google first launched their free calling in Gmail earlier this year in August. When it was launched, Google said that the service would only be available for free until the end of the year. Keeping the service free in 2011 is a nice gift to those who use it that could have been charged for the Google Voice service starting next month.

Though it is a generous offer for the spirit of holiday giving, Information Week believes that “While Google has framed the giveaway in the context of the holiday spirit, it’s more likely the latest move is primarily to boost usage of its Google Voice Internet telephony service, which has been integrated into Gmail. Google is building Gmail into a communication hub encompassing phone calls, e-mail, and instant messaging.”

With the hundreds of millions of Gmail users, the free calling service that is made through the Gmail platform is expected to be used by a wider range of users over time. Closed testing for Google Voice took a long time to make it work as they wanted before it was released, and has only been available to the public since June of 2010.

Skype is Google Voice’s major competitor in the Internet telephone service. Skype has over 23 million users that make calls on their service worldwide throughout peak times of the day. Google Voice claimed that they only had “more than a million active users” on their voice over IP service.

Part of the reason for Skype’s huge popularity is that it is a more established Internet telephone service than Google Voice, and has been widely used for voice and video calling around the world for many years. Skype’s biggest draw of all though, is that it is free to use between Skype users. Skype does however, charge for calls that are made to landlines and mobile phones. These charges incur a per minute charge that varies per country. Calls made in the United States cost 2.3 cents per minute, and calls to Canada start at 2.7 cents per minute. For Google to compete at Skype’s level, they will need to extend their free service to the extent Skype has.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Voice Remains Free In 2011 was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Amazon might be able to sell eight million Kindles in 2010. This is a huge number of Kindles, and if Amazon can in fact pull it off before the year is over, they will have accomplished selling more of the Kindle this year by two or three times what it has sold in any year since it was released. Eight million sold would also be as many Amazon Kindles sold as Apple has sold iPads!

The eight million quote is not confirmed by Amazon, but Bloomberg is reporting that it is what “two people who are aware of the company’s sales projections” are predicting could in fact be the final sales number for the year.

Amazon may reach the eight million mark because of the huge popularity of the Kindle. Many are also giving in and purchasing one because of the recent price drop this year, which brought the popular e-reader to only $139 per unit. There are also other e-readers doing well this year, but none has a better price or a better overall platform. If there was ever a good reason to buy one of these devices, it is now.

All that Amazon has said on the matter was posted on December 13, in a Facebook wall post stating that “in just the first 73 days of this holiday quarter, we’ve already sold millions of our all-new Kindles.” Some analysts were guessing that it was around the five million mark. According to Peter Kafka of AllThingsD’s, that might even seem to be bullish.

MSNBC gave Amazon the opportunity to respond to this matter, but they have not yet done so. At some point in the near future, they will have to reveal the actual sales number for the Kindle, but are so far, being mysterious about the actual facts. Will it be five million? Eight million? Ten million? Only Amazon knows, but hopefully they won’t keep us guessing for too much longer.

Can Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) Sell 8 Million Kindles in 2010? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

According to a recent report by Fox News, HP will show off their newest tablet called the PalmPad at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. The PalmPad is running a version of the webOS which was acquired from Palm last year. As stated in Apple Insider, “HP’s PalmPad will reportedly be offered in a variety of configurations that are “collectively a spin-off of the never-released HP Slate,” the report states. The Slate which ran on Windows 7, was released in partnership with Microsoft this fall, but only in a very limited capacity to business customers.

HP’s new hardware will be ran on the Sprint 4G network, but besides that the hardware specs are very similar to Apple’s iPad. HP’s new tablet is also thinner and weighs less than the Apple iPad. The PalmPad will also feature a USB 3.0 port, front and rear facing cameras that both have LED flashes – a great feature for people to take pictures of themselves.

The actual screen size of the three versions of the PalmPad is unknown, but it is expected to be similar to the 9.7 inch screen on the iPad. The fourth model which is intended for universities is expected to have an 8.9 inch screen as well as “any other specs specifically requested by the institution.”

The report also noted HP’s chief executive Todd Bradley stating earlier in August that, “you’ll see us with a Microsoft product out in the near future and a webOS-based product in early 2011.” HP did release the $799 Slate PC which ran on Windows 7 back in October. However, it did not sell very well at all and featured a 8.9 inch screen, weighed 1.5 lbs, and used an Atom processer, which is not a very desirable processor in the tablet or PC world.

For HP to be able to completely redesign and upgrade the PalmPad just three months after the release of the failed Slate, would be a miracle. It took HP ten months after the Slate was shown at the Consumer Electronics Show before it was released to market. So far, the images that Fox released of the PalmPad is almost identical to the Slate. Just how different it is will be seen at the show.

HP (NYSE: HPQ),Microsoft (NASDAQ: MFST) Take on the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL)iPad at the Consumer Electronics Show was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Around 2.5 million copies of Kinect were sold in the first ten days after its release in November 2010. Its great appeal is it does not need a controller. It is the only controller-free games and entertainment system available. The user controls, games, music and television with their gestures and voice.

“We are thrilled about the consumer response to Kinect, and are working hard with our retail and manufacturing partners to expedite production and shipments of Kinect to restock shelves as fast as possible to keep up with demand,” said Don Mattrick, president of the Interactive Entertainment Business at Microsoft. “With sales already exceeding two and a half million units in just 25 days, we are on pace to reach our forecast of 5 million units sold to consumers this holiday.”

Target, says that Xbox 360 is one of their bestsellers. Nik Naya, vice president, merchandising at Target says, “We expect Kinect will be a must-have gift this holiday season, so Target will continue to receive consistent shipments of Kinect throughout December. The hands-free, active gaming experience that Kinect offers is something that everyone in the family can enjoy.”

There are over 60 000 retailers in 38 countries selling Kinect and Xbox 360.

Kinect is an add-on to the Xbox 360. Without Kinect, a user can still play games on Xbox 360. This means users do not need to buy a new console when updating to Kinect. The audio and imaging A1 of the Kinect recognises faces and recognises a player from others around him or her.  Kinect also has speech recognition and can track up to 6 players at a time.

The general manager of Xbox Live, Mark Whitten, said in an interview. “How people are going to consume entertainment is changing in this amazing time we are in. When you look at Xbox 360 and what we have with Live, and the power to bring in Kinect, which gives you this natural user interface to drive on top of that, that’s what’s going to be really special–whether that’s about all the games you can play or the new user entertainment experiences. It’s really about how you get people to expect more out of their living room.”

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Balmer said, “All across the company, we are delivering compelling products and record financial results. I’m as excited about our future as I have ever been. Our opportunities to transform people’s lives on a global scale have never been greater.”

It appears that, “People are falling in love with Kinect, and they are just flying off the shelves. As soon as people experience controller-free gaming and entertainment, they want it. And the excitement over Kinect is also translating into even more excitement for our Xbox 360 consoles and games,” he said.

Customer demand for Microsoft online services and cloud technology is growing. This is noticed through the tremendous customer demand for Windows Azure. There is also a lot of interest in Microsoft Office 365 Service.

Cloud services, Xbox LIVE and Bing, are also recording steady consumer demand.

It seems that in 2011, business focus will be on developing cloud computing investments, as more and more companies are moving away from in house IT. Business leaders are not as skeptical about cloud computing and are starting to trust it more. This will be a bonus for Microsoft.

Windows 7 is selling at a phenomenal rate making it the quickest selling operating system so far.  There were 2.5 million sold in 25 days in 2010.

Analysts believe Microsoft will continue its 2010 growth. In 2011 they expect Windows 8 to be released by Microsoft. There will also be lots of Windows phone updates. Six new Microsoft stores, including one in New York will open.

Steve Balmer will be a keynote speaker at the 2011 International CES. In the past Microsoft has used the CES as a forum for announcing new products.  He will outline the strategic vision of Microsoft and comment on the future of the IT industry as a whole. 

CEA President and CEO, Gary Shapiro says of Microsoft, “Microsoft’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive have been major forces behind the success of the company and its impact on the global consumer technology industry. We look forward to hearing Steve’s strategic vision for the future of Microsoft and our industry.”

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MFST) Ends 2010 on a High Note was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Apple announced earlier this week that they were expecting to reach their one millionth sale of the Apple TV this week. As reported in Apple Insider, analyst Shaw Wu with Kaufman Bros. said in a note to their investors on Wednesday, that he sees the figures of the sales as “positive, but fairly immaterial.”

According to these sales figures, if the Apple TV continues to sell one million units per quarter, it would equal $400 million in annual revenue for Apple. Apple is expected to earn $88 billion in revenue in 2011, so the sales of the Apple TV would only be a small portion of revenue for the company.

Even though the sales for the Apple TV is not a big money maker for the company, Wu said that he believes that the TV is now in the position to soon become a “more material contributor and game changer in the TV space.”

Wu believes that a major determining factor for this would be the addition of an App Store for the TV which would allow users to download new apps for the Apple TV. The App Store for the Apple iPhone and iPad are a huge money maker for the company. Wu estimated that around 40 percent of the apps purchased and downloaded are games, which he thinks will become a huge selling point for the Apple TV. As stated in Apple Insider, “This capability isn’t available today, but we believe it could be added fairly easily as Apple TV uses a similar A4 processor architecture as the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch,” Wu said.

The big question many investors have asked concerning the App Store for the Apple TV is how they will incorporate the multi-touch capability on a TV. Wu explained that “our answer is the ability to connect the Magic Trackpad, similar to adding multi-touch to its desktop Macs including iMac, Mac mini and Mac Pro. We also see the potential in other peripherals including game controllers.”

Another big factor that many consumers want out of the TV is the ability to record TV to view later. Wu explained that this isn’t a “technology issue” and is instead being held up because of “licensing terms.”

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) Expects to Reach 1 Million Apple TV Sales Per Quarter was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The International CES is considered to be the largest technology trade show in the world. The new Ford Focus is a perfect fit for the CES with its high tech features that are in demand. These new features include: Ford SYNC, MyFord Touch, HD Radio, and in-car Wi-Fi capability, while also delivering 40 MPG on the highway. During the show, the Ford Focus will have a prominent presence there including demonstrations, displays, product specific signage, and materials.

As stated in Market Watch, “The all-new Focus harnesses the best of what Ford Motor Company has to offer, delivering class-leading features and technologies as well as an expected 40 mpg,” said Ken Czubay, vice president, U.S. Marketing, Sales and Service, Ford Motor Company. “We’re excited for Focus to reach dealers in North America and Europe in early 2011 and want to share that excitement and the unprecedented level of technology Focus has to offer with the global consumer electronics industry – an increasingly important influence on new vehicles.”

Ford President and CEO Alan Mulally will deliver a keynote address at the International CES for the third year in a row. This year Ford will also increase their displays floor space fourfold, expecting to have over twenty vehicles on display during the event. As stated in Market Watch, “We welcome Ford, Alan Mulally and the new Focus to the 2011 International CES,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), producer of the International CES. “Vehicles such as the Focus are built with the latest technologies that address consumer demand for on-the-go innovations.”

Recent studies conducted by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) reveal that as many as 77 million adults make up the “so-called technology enthusiast drivers population” with more than half expressing the desire or interest for a connected communications and information system in their vehicles.

The 2012 Ford Focus has the technologies that many of these vehicle enthusiasts desire in their vehicle including: Ford SYNC, Intelligent Access with Push Button Start, MyFord Touch driver connect technology, Wi-Fi availability, Sony Audio with HD Radio and Active Park Assist.

As explained in Market Watch, “Customers want smaller cars with outstanding fuel economy, but without sacrificing any of the style, technology, connectivity and driving quality they demand from larger vehicles,” said Czubay. “With the all-new Focus leading the pack, our next-generation of smaller cars and utilities will prove that Ford is ready to meet that challenge.”

2012 Ford (NYSE: F) Focus Is Named the Official Car of the 2011 International CES was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Verizon will offer a month to month data plan without a contract for a $20 monthy fee. It gives users 1GB of mobile data each month. The Tab is set up for free Wi-Fi too brownse in public places or at home.

Verizon will also offer Verizon-branded services for the Tab including V CAST Music, VZ Navigator, Kindle for Android, and Blockbuster on Demand. The Tab operates similarly to a phone but no voice calls are allowed. Consumers can still take pictures, send texts, and allows for video messaging.

Verizon is comfortable with the $599.99 sales price and is confident consumers will find value in the Galaxy Tab. Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Marni Walden said of Verizon ‘The Samsung Galaxy Tab brings together the reliability of Verizon Wireless’ 3G network and the power of Android 2.2 to deliver on our promise of providing consumers and business customers with a host of options to help manage their lives.’

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iPads can be purchased in-store at Walmart locations and can be ordered through the Walmart website. However, orders placed online must be picked up at a store location. The $499 price tag for the basic model with 16-GB, Wi-Fi enabled system at Walmart and other retailers will face some stiff competition from Target. Starting Sunday October 17, Target will be offering store card holders a 5% discount which gives almost a $25 discount on the iPad purchase.

Apple had a busy month in October when the iPad was listed beyond the Apple stores and the specialty electronics stores. Besides Target, the iPad went on sale through Amazon where it was only sold previously through third-party vendors.

Walmart plans to sell all six versions of the Apple iPad starting at the $499 price fot the 16 GB and increase in price with the $829 price tag of the 64 GV Wi-Fi plus 3G iPad model.

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Elop will be replacing Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, a thirty year veteran of the Finland-based company. Kallasvuo will stay on as a member of the board for Nokia Siemens Networks. Elop, a Canadian, will be the first non-Finn to head up Nokia.

Nokia is hoping to replace some of the ground they lost to Apple which has taken away $61 billion from the company’s market value. The company hopes that by appointing a software executive as head of the Nokia brand the company can ‘face the challenges of moving from a hardware-driven business model to software’.

Elop has stated that Microsoft and Nokia brands may do additional work together. Both companies have had difficulties with software products for smart phones, especially in light of the competition from Apple’s iPhone and the Android OS. Nokia’s foray into the smart phone niche but was forced to cut prices while losing profits defending it’s share in the market.
 
Elop is a computer engineer by trade and joined Microsoft in January 2008. Microsoft has not named a replacement for Elop but posted a statement on the company’s website calling Elop ‘good steward of the brand and business in his time here.’ Nokia began it’s CEO search in late May. Several internal employees were considered for the position before Elop was selected as a potential candidate.

Elop is quoted by the Associated Press as saying about his new position “My role as the leader of Nokia is to lead this team though this period of change, take the organization through a period of disruption. My job is to create an environment where those opportunities are properly captured, to ultimately ensure that we are meeting the needs of our customers while delivering superior financial results.”

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The Priority Inbox is designed to help users focus on the messages coming in that are a priority. Google’s Gmail which already filters bad emails into a spam folder automatically, will use the Priority Inbox system to highlight the good messages. Google engineer Doug Aberdeen stated ‘It’s like your personal assistant, helping you focus on the messages that matter without requiring you to set up complex rules.’

The Google Priority Inbox is offered as an opt-in service. It splits your inbox into three different sections: Important and unread, starred, and everything else. As the incoming messages are received, Gmail will automatically highlight those considered important based on a series of factors including emails from people you email often, messages you open and reply to, and which you tend to skip over. The more Google Gmail is used, the better Priority Inbox will work for users.

Google announced the official release of their beta test of the Priority Inbox system yesterday on their official blog. The company is asking Gmail users to test the system over the next week. Priority Inbox is also available to those who use Google Apps. To locate the Priority Inbox, users will be able to locate the link in the top right corner of their Gmail account screens on the in the tab located in Gmail settings.

Some users have already posted feedback online and not all reviews are positive. Some Gmail users feel that they are actually missing out on important emails based on the selection process of Priority Inbox.

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Makes Emails a Priority was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Ten One Design, a Mount Clair, NJ based company has partnered with Apple in the past as they specialize in finding the most technology advanced solutions possible for mobile devices. At this time the iPad does not have pressure sensitive capabilities, but this new touch technology has the potential to change that. This new state of the art software uses a special pen that with varying degrees of pressure can write darker or lighter on your iPad. Something no other technology has been able to do to date.

While the developers of the software are not yet willing to reveal all of the technical details or the specifics on how their invention will work, many are guessing that the pen will more than likely have some time of softened expandable tip. Another great feature that some just can’t believe possible is the palm rejection feature. If your hand, palm or anything else accidentally touches your screen, you will not need to worry. This new software is capable of recognizing unwanted contact and it will not affect what you are doing. Many are saying this sounds too good to be true, and can’t wait to test it out for themselves.

Ten One Design is said to be waiting for Apple’s approval and go ahead. If they agree this technology could be available for the iPad in the near future. Ten One Design will also at the time of Apple’s approval release the technology to other developers. When you think about this software’s potential, the impact of such technology could be huge. Its future development could make a major impact on all touch devices in the future.

There is no indication at this time of a future release date, but you can get a glimpse of this new magical technology, as some are calling it by taking a look at this video.

Apple’s (NYSE: APPL) iPad’s Could Soon Be Even More Tech Savvy was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

MapQuest’s services provide users with mapping functions for travelers. It was one of the first sites to allow maps to be embedded into web pages. At the time, it was innovative but after a while, the innovation stopped. Google took the lead in the map market online last year.

However, upon making a comeback, MapQuest has added several new features to its upgraded version including one-box searches for find maps, directions, and business location. My Maps has also been added that allows users to utilize a simple log in process from other sites like Google, Facebook and Twitter in order to access existing services. Users can also save trip itineraries on My Maps and share them through popular social networking sites. There will be an integration of Patch’s directory information into the search results of MapQuest to help users locate retails stores, restaurants, government offices, schools, and parks.

For those experienced with Google Maps, the updates to MapQuest are not surprising. The site finally appears to be keeping up with the competition after many years of no innovations. The site did add street-level photos last year but it was still two years after Google Maps did the same thing.

Along with the new features, MapQuest has changed the look of the site, which is no more modern. Even the logo has made some changes. There is no word on whether or not the site’s remodeling will make a difference to users who switched to Google years ago. It may be hard to take away the loyalty of those used to applications they feel comfortable using.

Still AOL’s Patch.com unit has one of the most interesting changes. The company has been spending money to ensure domination of the local news and local business information services. In the meantime, rumors that AOL is wanting to sell their mapping site and some speculate that the changes are only being made to attract a buyer.

AOL’s (NYSE: AOL) MapQuest Gets Upgraded was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Google has been in the social media circle for some time. Their current sites include YouTube, Blogger, and Gmail’s microblogging part of Buzz. They also have Orkut, the OpenSocial platform and tools for social application development launched in 2004. Orkut had gained some popularity in Brazil and India but didn’t do much in the US market.

To date, Google’s Orkut and Buzz sites do not compete with Facebook and Twitter but Google takes social media networking seriously. It has continuously been collaborating on social and community products to its list of work. In order to out-do Facebook, the company would have to create a fresh and innovative approach to make the user experience one of distinction. Anything close to Facebook, currently the dominant social media outlet, would fail without a doubt.

While Google continues to dominate most fields it has entered both online and off, Facebook stands at the top worldwide, passing out other competitors like MySpace. Yahoo shut down their Yahoo 360 site. AOL has recently sold their Bebo site. It is logical that Google would want to build a better site but the process won’t be easy and Google is said to be taking on ‘an enormous creative challenge’.

No one is sure whether or not Google is looking to create a brand-new social networking website or if it will strip down its current sites and services and consolidate them under a commonplace. Kevin Rose, founder of Digg and Adam D’Angelo, former CTO of Facebook has been commenting on the noise through blog postings but Google has yet to confirm their plans. It is believed the site will be called ‘Google Me’ and both men cite credible sources for confirming the talk is not all rumor.

Is Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Building Facebook Rival? was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Office 2010 is available in box form, as a download, or as pre-loaded software in PC products. Computer users can also purchase a key card at various retailers which will activate the software on new systems. This is a new ‘Click-to-Run technology that will allow users to run the software in minutes.

For the online version, Office Web includes internet editions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and is available through Microsoft’s Windows Live SkyDrive portal. The online applications are made specific to the Internet and therefore do not contain some of the desktop version’s tools but also features tools not available on the desktop software. Some of these features include tools that allow users to embed tags in their documents and post them onto blogs.

For businesses that purchase bulk subscriptions to Office 2010, they will also have access to the Web Apps at no additional charge. The Professional edition retails for $499 and the download is priced at $349. Home business software retails at $279 for boxed software and $199.  The Home & Student version costs $149 for the boxed software and $119 for the download version.

Stephen Elop, president of the company’s business division said Microsoft has made ‘”dramatic changes to the way we deliver Office 2010 to give consumers more buying choice, making it easier than ever to unlock the power of Office on new and existing PCs.”

Office is running on more than a billion PC’s worldwide. Microsoft has 90 million business customers and approximately 400 million Windows Live users. Analysts estimate Office Web Apps have the potential for a half billion users.

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Releases Office 2010 Online, In Stores was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

If you’re planning to “settle”, know that settling is a loose term. The iPhone 3G is still a powerhouse of a smart-phone whose features and applications still rival features and applications on newer phones. Its ability to navigate the net in the palm of your hand is still smooth and streamlined. The applications store is what helps keep the iPhone so fresh. People are still designing and releasing more applications, also known simply as apps, which provide the iPhone 3g ever more useful, or just plan fun, options.

If you’re planning to wait then I would suggest saving money now. As much of a powerhouse the old iPhone is, the new one will trump it. The internet is a buzz with rumors of all the features the new iPhone has. It’s supposed to be slimmer, sleeker, and have two cameras, the traditional mounted, and then a front mounted camera for streaming real time video chat. Of course, these features are just speculation at this time.

It’s expected that the new iPhone will be amazing, particularly because Apple is specifically waiting to release it until after the Droid and The EVO get released.

It should be noted that not all Wal-mart stores will have the iPhone available at the $97 price, or if they do they will be few in numbers, so if you’re going to make a move on it, you won’t want to wait too long.

Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT) Lowers Price on iPhone 3G was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The Internet is built around the Internet Protocol Addressing Scheme version 4 (iPv4) which was designed in the 1970’s. At the time, the four billion addresses seemed to be more than enough to accommodate the world. However, the Internet’s growth and the ability for accessories outside of computers to connect to the web, has lead to the depletion of available IP addresses. The IP addresses are the unique codes that enable users to access the Internet using computers, smart phones, cars, and other developing technologies.

According to a CNN report, there is a replacement system available, the iPv6, that would create trillions more addresses. The system is ready to go but businesses have not been proactive in adapting their technology to the new system. Technology experts are worried that within the next 18 months, there will be an Internet crunch and people will not be able to connect new devices to cyberspace.

Apple’s (NYSE:APPL) iPhone as well as the other smart phones’ popularity around the world has made the problem grow that much faster. Many businesses are still sitting idle waiting to see what happens. The major Internet entities like Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) and YouTube have already committed to the iPv6 system but smaller businesses are adapting more slowly. This leads experts to worry the Internet will soon become limited in its growth potential and in light of the recession woes companies are still facing, businesses need to act.

Cost is a factor for many of the businesses slow to move forward. However, the faster one acts to upgrade, the less they will need to pay. When crunch time is upon us, costs to upgrade will be significantly higher. Both systems are designed to work together but there have already been reports of glitches. Businesses that wait too long to upgrade may find more problems on the horizon when customers can not connect to them, potentially costing them valuable profits.

Connecting to the Internet to Get Harder in 2011 was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Microsoft has issued injunctions against SalesForce for very specific patent infringements such as “method and systems for stacking toolbars in a computer display,” and “system and method for controlling access to data entities in a computer network.”

Microsoft is seeking temporary, and permanent injunctions, as well as monetary damages. It’s claiming the infringement was willful, allowing Microsoft to claim up to three times the damages.

SalesForces is described as a software-as-a-service company. Software-as-a-service basically means that its software that you pay as you go. It’s accessed online as opposed to being downloaded onto a hard drive. In recent years, Microsoft has also developed several software-as-a-service companies, and seeks to further applications in this field. This has pitted SalesForce against the super force that is Microsoft. Examples of software-as-a-services include Microsoft’s Dynamics, SharePoint and Exchange. Both companies also offer cloud platforms, such as Microsoft’s “Azure“, and SaleForce’s “Force.com“.

Some may say that using the word “rare” is a bit off to describe this situation, especially since in 2006 Microsoft sued Belkin, a company that makes peripherals such as printers, and Primax Electronics, a mouse maker, in 2008. Usually Microsoft seeks licenses agreements with companies it generally alleges have infringed, and this is why its said that this is a rare move by Microsoft, because settlements have usually been reached before the cases got to court. Talks with SalesForce have dissolved, prompting Microsoft to take the next step in recovering its losses from its respective creative property.

This does serve a lesson to those in software development, to seek patent applications before publicly releasing your software. This ensures you do not find yourself going to toe to toe with a super company like Microsoft, as any possible infringement would be found early on. If you do find yourself having accidentally infringed upon on any other patent, then paying for licensing rights may be prudent, as it would save you the hassle of a possible trial.

Reference: http://arstechnica.com/microsoft/news/2010/05/microsoft-files-rare-patent-lawsuit-against-salesforcecom.ars

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Sues Salesforce for Infringement was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

 Nati Schubert, senior deputy director of the Israeli Communications Ministry says,

If you operate equipment in a frequency band which is different from the others that operate on that frequency band, then there will be interference.  We don’t care where people buy their equipment. … But without regulation, you would have chaos.

 Spokesperson Yechiel Shavi, also of the Israeli Ministry of Communications, further explains the reason for banning iPad from the country:

This device’s wireless strengths violate Israeli law and will overpower other wireless devices in Israel.

It was also mentioned that if Apple releases another version of iPad which complies with EU Wi-Fi standards, then iPad would be allowed in Israel. Apple responds that the iPad is in compliance with all international industry standards for Wi-Fi specifications.
The iPad uses a Wi-Fi chip which is standard across the industry, which makes it difficult for people outside Israel to understand the need to ban the product from the country.

American Universities Ban Apple iPad

Some of America’s ivy league schools are banning or blocking iPads from campus because they reportedly cause malfunctions that affect the school’s computer systems. Princeton University says the iPad is the root of DHCP client malfunctions – and that it causes interference among other wireless devices on the school’s network.
Princeton is working with Apple to solve the problem.
George Washington University has not banned iPad, but said that the current authentication system they’re using isn’t supported by iPad or iPhone and will be unable to log into the network. George Washington University hopes to have this problem corrected by next year.

 iPad Welcome at Cornell

Cornell, another ivy league school, says they currently have around 80 iPad’s connected to their school’s wireless network, and they haven’t caused any problems at all.

Apple’s (NYSE: APPL) iPad Banned From Israel and Several US College Campuses was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Cisco Telepresence creates the virtual meeting experience with high-definition video and audio. Meeting attendees actually appear on screen to be sitting around a conference table, making each participant feel they are actually sitting in the same room together.

Marc Gordon, the Chief Technology Officer for Bank of America, talks about the various benefits using Cisco TelePresence provides. In addition to helping Bank of America associates collaborate and work as a team worldwide, it also helps associates manage their work-life balance better with more flexible meeting options. Sometimes, using a virtual meeting program such as this will also reduce the need for traveling of Bank of America executives, which reduces expenses and supports their commitment to address climate change.

Bank of America is currently using 28 Cisco TelePresence systems for training purposes and for associate meetings.

Cisco Telepresence works through Bank of America’s existing network, providing the following advantages:

• Meetings can be set up without phone calls
• Meetings don’t require IT support
• All applications are plug-and-play
• Video can be recorded and shared with participants
• Up to 48 locations can be included in a meeting
• Can choose between 6 participants in a room or up to 18 people in a room

The agreement is set up as a managed service contract, which provides a number of benefits to Bank of America, including:

• Cisco will maintain, install, support and provide active monitoring and technical support for the TelePresence equipment. This means Bank of America will not need to employ additional IT support to manage the new Telepresence systems.
• Using Bank of America’s existing network means they aren’t installing expensive new networks.
• Bank of America will be able to meet with other companies using TelePresence technology through Cisco’s intercompany collaboration efforts.

Marthin De Beer, senior vice president of Cisco’s Emerging Technologies Business Group, said, “This managed service model, similar to those typically available from Cisco’s certified service provider partners, enables organizations like Bank of America to rapidly deploy Cisco TelePresence and to immediately reap the benefits of virtual collaboration.”

Bank of America (NYSE: BAC) Using Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) TelePresence Systems to Improve Team Collaboration was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The Cracking the Codes in the Digital World program launched during Time Warner Cable’s Connect a Million Minds Week on March 22^nd. Time Warner Cable delivers cable television, high speed internet and telephone services across 28 states of the country and to 14.4 million customers. A program like Cracking the Codes in the Digital World helps students see the science and math behind their cable and internet service in a hands-on discovery program. They see first hand how Time Warner Cable employees use math, science and technology to do their jobs, out of the classroom and in a real working environment.

Time Warner Cable’s vice president of public affairs, Bonnie Hathaway, said “this brings our Connect a Million Minds initiative in-house, to engage our employees as role models and mentors. We believe that by connecting the technology that underlies our business to STEM standards in a fun and interesting way, it can be the spark that encourages students to pursue STEM-related education and careers.”

In the program, students will learn how the digital signal is created and then transmitted through various hands-on experiments. Students will learn inquiry-based STEM activities through real-world perspectives of how Time Warner Cable uses STEM daily.

Alaina Rutledge, the Core Curriculum and Programs Extension Manager for Invent Now, Inc., says that the Cracking the Codes in a Digital World program challenges participants to launch a mock television signal, create pixilated art and discover how high definition programming is created, and understand how their televisions at home receive the video.

Later this year, Time Warner Cable will also develop and release “Cracking the Codes in the High Speed World” and “Cracking the Codes in the Wireless World” in an effort to encourage the next generation of scientists, engineers and technologists.

Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWX) Challenges Students to “Crack the Code” was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

There are plenty of great online photo sharing and file sharing tools available, and not every one of the services available is appropriate for every situation. For example, if you want to share photos with your friends, family, and anyone else who might be interested in seeing them, you might want to put your photos on Flickr, but if you don’t want everyone in the world looking at your photos, you should probably consider a more secure option.

If you want to share files with others online, you can use services such as rapid share, but then just about everyone in the world will be able to access them because there’s no security at all. If you’re concerned about security and want to share confidential documents with others, you could setup something like an SFTP server, but that requires significant technical knowledge. Alternatively, you could simply email your photos and files to others, but that doesn’t work for large files, and you will still need to use encryption software such as PGP to protect your data.

There are also some professional sharing services online that you have to pay for, but can be well worth it if you need to share confidential files with co-workers or family members and don’t want the world to see them. Each of these services offers different features, so you’ll need to compare them and make sure the service you’re looking at is offering everything that you need for a reasonable price.  For example, some might give you the ability to have an online calendar, but might not allow you to share large files, so make sure the service you sign up meets your individual needs.

Options for Sharing Files & Photos Online While Maintaining Your Privacy was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

It takes less time. You don’t have to take the effort of driving to a grocery store, desperately looking up and down the aisles for the one or two items you just can’t seem to line and waiting forever in the checkout line. Your time has a value, and if you can save an hour or two a week by having someone else get your groceries for you, it could be worth it.

It’s better for your car. You don’t have to pay for any gasoline to get to the grocery store or have additional wear and tear on your vehicle when you have your groceries delivered to you. Instead a van will take all the deliveries for the day out and drop them off for you and anyone else who ordered groceries that day.

Impulsive purchases are avoided. When you’re picking out your groceries online, you won’t get tempted to purchase some sweets that you really don’t need. You are far removed from the items that you are purchasing, so the impulsive purchases that normally occur at the grocery store just won’t happen. You’ll spend less on groceries and end up saving money in the long run.

Better Organization . When you shop for groceries online, you can easily plan out the ingredients you will need to cook for a week and order only those ingredients. It takes all the guess work out of grocery shopping. You’ll have exactly what you need and know exactly what you will be paying for it.

You will eat healthier. When all of the junk food at the grocery store isn’t right in front of your face, it is a lot easier to resist buying it. Since your further removed from your purchases, you can purchase food based on your intellect and what you know is healthy rather than the emotional cravings that hunger causes. You’ll end up getting a lot healthier food, probably without even realizing it.

Why Having Groceries Delivered To Your Door Might Make Financial Sense was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

With the vast expansion of the cell phone industry and internet communications, the need for payphones is now a thing of the past. Out of the 300 million people in the United States, over 250 million of them have cell phones! The 50 million Americans that don’t have them are largely children and the elderly who don’t have much of a use for a cellular phone.

One thing we’ll no longer have to worry about with the demise of the payphone as a means of communication in the United States is a crime called “shoulder surfing.” Criminals would take video cameras to airports and pretend to be filming their family and instead be filming travelers enter calling card numbers. The scam artist would then turn around immediately and sell those codes throughout the country within just minutes of filming it. By the time the passenger got to their destination, their card would already be stolen and it’s too late for them to do anything about it.

We won’t have to worry about people stealing our calling card numbers anymore, but these same types of criminals have now moved to just stealing cell phones and using them to make all sorts of expensive international calls, leaving customers with bills of several thousand dollars at the end of the month. One way to reduce the damage if your phone is stolen is to call your cell phone company and have them block international long distance calling, that way any criminal that got a hold of your phone won’t be able to make expensive calls overseas.

Just as we moved from the telegraph to the basic analog phone, we’ve now made another technological leap from traditional analog phones to personal communications devices. With the one of the largest operators of payphones in the United States going out of the business, surely the payphone is going the way of the dodo.

The End of the Era: Payphones Going Away in the United States was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

PayPal and a number of banks are offering one-time-use virtual debit and credit card numbers to their customers. The idea is that if you want to use your credit card but don’t completely trust the website you are visiting, you can request a one-time use number and designate a maximum amount that can be charged to it. The retailer you’re dealing with can charge your card once, the money is then taken out of your account or added to the balance of your credit card, and then the card number is invalid. That way if the retailer happened to store that number for later date and it was stolen, the number wouldn’t do anyone any good.

Using one-time-use virtual account numbers is great when you’re shopping at smaller online retailers and websites you’ve never been to before. For example, I recently purchased a copy of Age of Empires II to play with a couple of friends who had the game from a small gaming website. The product was only $8.00, so I wasn’t terribly concerned about the reputation of the site. I probably wouldn’t care if I was out $8.00, but if the retailer was unscrupulous and got a hold of my credit card number that I would care about. I hopped on to PayPal’s website, got a virtual debit card number, paid for the product, and went on with my life knowing that I hadn’t opened myself to any sort of security risk.

Research the retailer you are purchasing from and make sure they are reputable before giving them any personal information. Also make sure that there is a “lock” icon in the corner of your browser when entering your credit card number. That will indicate the connection is secure and encrypted. Virtual account numbers are not a be-all and end-all of keeping you safe when shopping online, but it is another line of defense you have available and you should make use of them when it makes sense to do so.

Prevent Identity Theft with One-Time Use Virtual Credit Cards was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The Securing Adolescents from Exploitation Online (SAFE) Act requires anyone who provides a “remote computing service” or an “electronic communications service” to the public who learns about the storage or transmission of an offending image or an illegal activity must register their name, mailing address, phone number, and fax line with the CyberTipline at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

The person finding the violation must also make a report to the CyberTipline that includes all of the information they know about the person as well as the illegal images themselves. This law would require individuals to collect, store, and submit any child pornography that an individual recognized to the government.

The bill was rushed through congress in a very hurried fashion that was only designed for non-controversial bills or emergency pieces of legislation. This means that there were no committee hearings and time for public comment. The vote passed the house on an extremely lop-sided vote of 409 to 2. Only Rep. Ron Paul and Rep. Paul Broun voted against the legislation. The bill will now move onto the Senate and then to the President’s desk for a signature.

The authors of the legislation claim that they are not trying to target individuals who have open WiFi routers, but rather internet service providers. Unfortunately the language in the bill is so broad that anyone enforcing the law could easily interpret the legislation to apply to individuals. There have been many instances in the past where the letter of the law has trumped the intent of the law. The Senate version of the legislation would be well served to clarify this section of the legislation so that individuals wouldn’t be forced to monitor, collect, store and report offensive imagery.

Have an Open WiFi Access Point? Be Prepared to Track and Report Child Porn or Face a $300,000 Fine was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

The company is currently offering 1,500 peak minutes for just $39.00 a month. A year and a half ago I entered a contract with Alltel that was $39.00 a month for just 500 minutes a month! For an additional $10.00 a month, T-Mobile will provide you with 1,500 peak minutes and unlimited calling after 9:00 PM and on weekends. This deal likely won’t be around for long, so if you’re thinking about getting a new cell-phone plan, the Christmas season is definitely the time to do it.

If you want to have your free nights and weekends calling start earlier in the evening, there’s a little trick you can use to get your free hours to start as much as three hours earlier. If you live on the Pacific or Mountain time-zones and know someone on the eastern seaboard, you can register or a cell-phone plan, have the phone sent to the person who lives on the east coast. You’ll get a number for whatever locality that person is in, but your nights and weekends will be based off Eastern Standard Time. So if you live in California and your phone is an east coast phone, your nights and weekends minutes will start at 6:00 PM! The one caveat with this is that you need to make sure that you aren’t in a plan that will charge you a bundle if you’re outside your specified plan. Get a nation-wide calling plan with your cell-phone to prevent this from happening.

T-Mobile Offering Great Holiday Deals was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

We have been able to get free long distance service with our cell phones and through VoIP for some time now, but international calling has remained relatively expensive. A new company called Talkser.com is hoping to change that service. It’s a completely free ad-supported phone service which will allow you to make international calls. There’s absolutely no registration necessary, so they won’t be harvesting your personal information and selling it to advertisers.
The Talkster service is also very useful to setup conference calls. It’s completely free to do this, but the parties involved will have to listen to advertisements before the conference call begins. If the people you’re talking to don’t mind it, go ahead and take the free service if you don’t have one available through your phone system.

If the parties you are interested in talking to overseas have an internet connection, you have a lot more options to communicate with them. A new service called Oovoo is offering a tool which will allow you to have a video-phone conversation with anyone in the world. Other services like this have come out before, but Ooovoo is very intuitive to use and lets you conference with several different people at once.

About a decade ago we moved to a system a domestic where long distance calling is practically free. Instead of paying for expensive long distance plans, we just got it with our cell phones or bundled services for free. In the next decade or two, we will likely see this extend to international calling as well with the proliferation of new technologies and increased market competition.

How to Call the Pope (And Other International Numbers) For Free was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Google Product Search – Google has created a tool called Google Product Search, which used to operate under the name “Froogle,” that allows you to search across thousands of different retailers for the products that you would like to purchase online. Google will look through the databases of each online retailer and get you the best price on the item you want to purchase. Google will even tell you whether or not the store is reputable to buy from based on the ratings of previous customers.

Coupon Codes – If you’re going to buy something online, it always makes sense to check and see if there’s a coupon code you can use to save money on the purchase before going ahead and clicking the ‘Submit Order’ button. Open up your web-browser, head on over to Google, type the name of the retailer you’re buying from, and type in the word “coupon codes” after it. You’ll see listings for dozens of different deal sites which will likely have money saving coupon codes for the retailer you’re shopping at.

Free Applications and Services – Google gives away dozens of different free web-applications which you would likely otherwise have to pay for. Before Google purchased Google Earth from Keyhole, the software was very expensive to purchase. Google made it free to everyone to download and try out. Google also offers a free word processor, spreadsheet application, presentation program and one of the best email accounts available.

Product and Retailer Reviews – Google’s search engine empowers individuals to make much more informed decisions about the products they purchase and the stores they purchase products from. If you head on over to Google, and type in the name of the product you’re looking to buy or the retailer you’re looking to purchase from followed by the word “reviews”, you’ll likely find all sorts of listings for product and retailer reviews. You could get to these sites manually, but Google conglomerates them all for you into a simple listing that you can browse through easily.

Advertising – Not very many of us use Google’s Ad Words program, but for those who do, it can save them a lot of money on advertising. Google has empowered advertisers to set their own prices and very specifically target their campaigns making advertising through Google much more effective than previously created services.

Google’s not going to make you a millionaire anytime soon (unless you were able to buy some of its stock right after the IPO), but it can save you a significant amount of money if you use it properly.

Five Ways Google Can Save You Money was created by and is property of American Consumer News.