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New Media News Every Morning

Survey: almost half of PC users don’t defrag

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defrag.jpgMore than 42% of PC users neglect to defragment their computers, according to a survey conducted by online opinion polling and market research service provider Vizu Corporation.

Moreover, Nearly 16% of those who answered the poll said they had “no idea” what disk defragmentation is, while more than 26% said they never defrag their machines.

Defragmentation reorganizes the file fragments on a hard disk into contiguous clusters that help speed response time. Tests have shown that activities such as word processing, email searches, Web surfing, and anti-virus and spyware scans can take almost 15 times longer on hard drives that have not been defragged than on those that have.

Make it a habit to defrag your personal computer every single day, so you will don’t have to suffer its dire consequences. It usually takes less than 30 minutes per day. For those who have no idea about this, read the Elder Greek for a simple tutorial on Disk Defragmenter Utility.

Originally posted on August 16, 2007 @ 11:44 pm

Apartments.com starts Possession Obsession Contest

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possession.jpgApartments.com, the most visited national apartment Internet listing subscription service, is calling all collectors of interesting or unusual items to join the first-ever Possession Obsession Contest and get a chance to win $20,000 in cash!

To enter, each contestant should send in a one-to two-minute video that shows their “Possession Obsession.” Each entry should include how their “Possession Obsession” began, reveal ways the collection has come to life in the contestant’s apartment and illustrate the funniest situations he or she has encountered because of this collection.

Collectors can submit videos online from August 13 through September 10 on the contest Web site. One grand prize winner will win a $20,000 cash prize and the two runner-up finalists each will receive a cash prize of $500.

Adding humor and contest will definitely build more traffic to this Website. I believe they can make this contest more relevant by offering free apartment rentals or huge discounts to the winners, instead of cash prizes.

Originally posted on August 14, 2007 @ 2:03 pm

MySpace adds Addiction411 to combat opioid addiction

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addiction.jpgWith the increasing misuse of opioids or prescription painkillers among 16-25 years old, Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals, Inc has partnered with MySpace to launch Addiction411 to help educate the public about dependence on opioids.

In the case of opioid dependence and addiction, many people’s reluctance to speak openly about their disease is a huge self-imposed barrier to finding treatment. The endorsement of the MySpace community of Addiction411 can help solve this problem and will serve as a model for future health-related information.

“Dependence on opioid painkillers and heroin is a major public health crisis, and the rise of MySpace as a leading online community makes it an ideal way to share important information about this hidden epidemic,” said Shaun Thaxter, president of Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Finally, the true value of social networking is realized with this clever approach made by Reckitt. However, it is enough to create a site and simply wait for people to stumble upon it. MySpace must make a strong effort to promote this to all community members to gain wider exposure. It would not hurt if a simple reward or games are added to appeal better to the younger generation.

Originally posted on August 13, 2007 @ 3:10 pm

MyTherapyJournal.com launches Personal Progress Graph

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therapy.jpgDesigned to replace the traditional diary, MyTherapyJournal.com is an innovative online journaling experience for people looking to express their sentiments and improve their lives.

It launches a new feature, the personal Progress Graph, to enable members to measure their own progress by responding to pre-set or customized questions. It also allows members to visualize their progress with the help of a user-friendly, personal Progress Graph. Members select questions from journaling-inspired categories or diagnosis-inspired categories. Based on their responses, the Progress Graph charts their progress. They also can customize it by creating their own self-inspired categories and corresponding questions that meet their own specific needs and goals.

If your goal is to minimize your expenses and earn more money, this site may not be for you. To enjoy this privilege, members have to pay at least $14.95 per month. It can go as low as $7.95 per month if you opt for annual membership or $95 per year. Fortunately, there is a 14-day free comfort trial membership to help you with your short-term goals!

Originally posted on August 13, 2007 @ 9:46 am

Yahoo! beats Google in customer satisfaction survey

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yahoo.jpg Yahoo! finally beats Google in terms of customer satisfaction.

In the latest annual American Customer Satisfaction Index report, Yahoo replaced Google as the top Web portal with a score of 79, up nearly 4% over last year. On the other hand, Google went down by 3.7% to get a 78 score.

“One of the reasons why Google’s score went down is the consumer perception that nothing has really changed with Google over the years. The reality is that consumers expect change, they expect improvement especially when they see other sites like Yahoo making improvements,” said Larry Freed, chief executive of ForeSee Results, which sponsored the survey.

Still, Google remains the runaway leader in the search market, owning about 53% of all US searches in June and registering a 46% growth compared last year.

What Google lacks is strong advertising of their new products. Yahoo! aggressively promotes every new feature or products they developed through their portals, email services, and every available space. Maybe it is time for Google to make some adjustments on their current strategy and learn from this new survey.

Originally posted on August 13, 2007 @ 11:59 pm