Living with my UK iPad for 4 weeks. The big bad iPad and iPad app review
I’ve been using the iPad that I purchased in the USA for about 4 weeks now. I thought I would follow on from the introduction I wrote a couple of weeks ago and post a much more detailed review, not only of the iPad but also of some of the apps I’ve been using.
The first thing I want to say is that I love it, I really do. It’s just such a gorgeous piece of tech and so intuitive and easy to use that you find yourself wanting to use it instead of your laptop or even desktop pc. Without exception, every single person I have shown it to has loved it. They’ve marvelled at how much the larger screen adds to the experience and just how easy it is to type on it and use the apps. I was using it on a train the other day and must have had 10 people come up to me and ask if they can have a look at it. It’s really hard to convey in a review like this how much fun it is to use, when it launches in the UK on the 28th May I urge you to go to your local Apple store and try one yourself, you will be hooked.
Note: All the screenshots I’ve used in this review are taken from my iPad. In order to be as realistic as possible I’ve avoided press shots released from the manufacturers and have relied solely on screenshots taken by myself.
The Keyboard - WordPress App for iPad
For my money, one of the biggest advantages of the iPad is the bigger keyboard. When in landscape mode and resting on a desk you can almost type as fast as when using a laptop. The keys are spaced just far enough apart for this and it makes text input so much easier. The above screenshot is from the WordPress iPad app (iTunes link) which is free and as you can see it’s fairly basic but does the job. However it doesn’t handle images well and I can’t help but get the feeling that they rushed the release out so I’m expecting more functionality in the next update. Having said that it’s perfectly possible to write a full blog post using it, in fact I did just that with my previous review.
YouTube for the iPad
As with the iPhone, the iPad gets a YouTube app as standard. Only this time it’s much easier to browse, search and view videos thanks to the additional screen size. As you can see from the picture it’s layout is different from online but takes advantage of the iPad perfectly.
iTunes for the iPad
As you can see iTunes has been reworked for the iPad. At the moment it just shows music, films, TV programmes, podcasts and audio books but when the iPad launches in the UK on May 28th it will also include apps and of course iBooks. For now though it does the job perfectly and once again the interface is so very easy to use. As usual with iTunes you just need 1 click to purchase too, perfect. The quality of movies and tv shows is amazing too, especially in HD. I took a screen grab of Monsters Inc. that obviously won’t do it justice due to screen limitations here but I was seriously impressed with the quality. The screen is just big enough to use as a media player too, you can easily sit holding it on your lap watching comfortably.
Monsters Inc. iPad screen grab
Email for the iPad
Unlike the email app on the iPhone you can now view all of your email folders on one screen while viewing a preview of the email to the right. As you can see from the screen grab I can access my email through Gmail and it takes seconds to set up and import your emails/folders etc. The interface is just once again, near perfect, one tap to reply, forward or delete etc. it just works so well. My only complaint with email (and it’s the same on the iPhone) is that you can’t save attachments separately. But this is part of a wider issue with the iPhone and iPad and their lack of folder structure. And maybe one argument why the iPad won’t replace your laptop just yet.
Notes for the iPad
As you can see the Notes app that comes as standard has had a slight redesign to take advantage of the larger screen. It’s still very basic but does what it says on the tin.
Calendar for the iPad
The calendar screen is beautiful. Designed to look like a traditional desk top diary it looks just lush. You can toggle between day, week, month or list view too and use the slider at the bottom of the page to quickly get to the date you want.
Calculator for the iPad
Bizarrely there is no calculator app as standard on the iPad. However, as you can imagine there are already lots available in the app store. I use Calculator for iPad (iTunes link) which set me back 59p and does the job very well.
Weather HD for the iPad
This brilliant app only costs 59p and is nothing more really than a weather forecast. But it looks just gorgeous. Whenever you open it you get a graphical representation of the weather outside where you are now (or anywhere you set it to) and it looks beautiful. This is the app I always show people to showcase the HD screen of the iPad. Obviously you can’t tell in the screen grab above but it’s a video and it’s super sexy. Get it here (iTunes link) for only 59p.
Bento for iPad
I’ve only just installed Bento (iTunes link) the other day so haven’t gotten round to using it much yet. It’s received lots of positive reviews for it’s iPhone version and the iPad app is even better. It comes with 25 database templates which you can customise any way you want to track projects and events as well as contacts and much more and it’s good value at just £2.99.
Kayak Flights for the iPad
Now this is a perfect example of how to create an iPad app. Instead of trying to create a mobile or “light” version of their homepage, travel comparison site Kayak (iTunes link) have built an iPad app that makes full use of the iPad’s large touch screen and intuitive controls. It’s incredibly easy to use and full of rich features. At the moment it only compares flights, but I’m sure there will be other Kayap apps coming soon. Oh and best of all, it’s free.
Mashable for the iPad
If like me you read Mashable daily you will probably be frustrated as to how long it takes to load the site. It’s so full of widgets, plugins and ads that it takes forever. So great news that it’s come out with an iPad app that as you can see from the screengrab simplifies the browsing and reading process. Grab it here (iTunes link), it’s free.
Maxim magazine for the iPad
One of the real benefits of the iPad I think will be the ability to read traditional magazines online. The large colour screen will make that possible but in addition you will (hopefully be able to play rick media embedded in the magazine, (think songs or videos) as well as clickable hyperlinks and other interactive fun stuff. The Maxim magazine iPad app is a good start but there is definitely room for improvement. When opening the app you can either view it just as a “flat” magazine or as a more interactive experience designed for the iPad.
If you choose normal layout then you turn the pages of the mag and the iPad displays each page in full, just as if you were reading the paper version of the magazine (above). In portrait mode the screen is just about big enough to read but you may struggle with small sections of text. The downside to this is that you can’t pinch and stretch the page, it’s set at a standard resolution. Nor is there any hyperlinks of video embedded, it’s just as if you’re reading the paper magazine, you even get all the ads.
Much better is the iPad layout (above) where the articles and features are produced specifically for the iPad. Photo’s are full size, you can stretch and shrink the screen and there are even videos included. A much richer experience. You can get the Maxim magazine iPad app here (iTunes link) and it costs £1.79.
Worms HD for the iPad
Months ago, I installed Worms on my iPhone and it was useless. The size of the screen meant it was pretty much unplayable. If only my iPhone had a bigger screen, i thought back then. Well I’m pleased to say that Worms HD for the iPad (iTunes link) is brilliant. The big screen means there is hardly any scrolling to be done and the touch interface is just perfect for wiping out those little slimy suckers. Game play is just as good as it ever was and it’s only £2.99.
Asphalt 5 HD
Asphalt 5 HD (iTunes link) is a perfect example of how you can immerse yourself in a game using your iPad. You simply grab hold of the iPad and tilt it left or right to steer when racing. The controls are superb and before you know it, you’re in the game gurning and pulling faces in an attempt to win the race. Graphics are gorgeous and the gameplay is addictive and very simple. It’s only £3.99 too.
TVCatchup.com
TVCatchup.com isn’t an app it’s a website where you can watch live UK tv. It’s very clever, you just signup from your iPad (takes 10 seconds) and then you can watch over 50 UK channels live. Yes it’s that easy. The quality is remarkably good also and even on my rubbish 1MB wi-fi connection it streamed with no buffering or slowdown. Take a look at the screengrab I took of Alien Resurrection last night. It’s by no means perfect but it’s definitely watchable and with a HD service coming soon I’ve bookmarked this site as I’m sure I’ll be using it again and again.
In fact I am now, its’s lunchtime on Sunday the 9th May and as I write this review on my study I have my iPad propped up on my desk so I can watch the F1 and do some work. Lovely.
So there you have it, my thoughts about using the iPad for 4 weeks or so. Lots of people have asked me if it will replace the laptop and I have to say I don’t think so and I don’t think it was ever designed to. There are a lot of people who call it simply a big iPhone, and it is. But let’s not forget that the iPhone is brilliant so that’s no bad thing. Finally, I can’t over emphasise how much of a difference the larger screen makes. The iPhone frustrates me when trying to enter any kind of data but the iPad delights me every single time. You can pre-order the iPad from tomorrow (May 10th) in the UK for delivery from May 28th. I recommend you do so.
UK iPad pricing:
16GB Wi-Fi only £429
32GB Wi-Fi only £499
64GB Wi-Fi only £599
16GB Wi-Fi + 3G £529
32GB Wi-Fi + 3G £599
64GB Wi-Fi + 3G £699
Pre-order a UK iPad exclusively from the UK Apple store from Monday May 10th 2010.
What I’m listening to right now: Philadelphia
Buy.at dream team invest in ShareMyPlaylists.com
I’m delighted to announce today that ShareMyPlaylists.com has taken on some seed funding from Buy.at founders Steve Brown, Malcolm Cowley, David Brown and Paul Fellows. These are the 4 guys who took Buy.at from a startup to a $125 million sale to AOL a couple of years ago.
I’ve known Steve, Mal, Dave and Paul for a number of years now and am really excited to be working with them on SMP. They all have unique experience, skills and talents to bring to the business and I’d also like to extend a very warm welcome to Steve who will be joing the board at SMP as a non-executive director.
There will be exciting times ahead as we plan the next stage of growth for the business and further enhancements and developments to the site. I’m very excited about this project and working with the original Buy.at Dream Team.
We’re also recruiting a senior developer, details here.
Full press release below:
A North East entrepreneur, Kieron Donoghue, has launched a social media website that is set to be the largest globally for the Spotify online music community after receiving a six figure investment from four successful internet business investors.
Sharemyplaylists.com (SMP) was developed by Sunderland based Kieron after he noticed a gap in the market to make music discovery easier for Spotify users and give them the ability to share playlists.
Spotify is an online music streaming service that allows subscribers to create their own playlists from any artist, album and genre free of charge.
After developing and launching the site and seeing it grow virally, Kieron pitched the opportunity to Steven Brown, David Brown, Malcolm Cowley and Paul Fellows - the ‘dream team’ that set up www.Buy.at from Newcastle which eventually sold for $125m to AOL in 2008 - who quickly spotted the potential of the business in the wake of other social media successes such as MySpace and Facebook.
Offering a social network so music fans can talk about their favourite artists and bands, as well as the opportunity to discover and rate other people’s music compilations, SMP already works with the major record labels and ran a promotion with Warner Music UK over Christmas to promote the latest R.E.M. album. Celebrity playlists are featured on the site from the likes of Robbie Williams, The Gorillaz, Will Young, The Saturdays, Leona Lewis, La Roux and Alicia Keys amongst others.
SMP will fund its growth through targeted online advertising sales to those wishing to reach music lovers on a national and global level.
Over 16,000 playlists are currently listed on SMP, the largest number on any site of its kind. Its success to date is such that the team are looking for new premises and to recruit full time developers.
SMP founder Kieron Donoghue has been self-employed for ten years and through running UK Offer Media Ltd and Content Now LLP has vast experience of online commerce. He said: “As a big Spotify fan, I was extremely excited by the opportunity to develop a complementary site that would further enhance the offer and just knew the concept had huge potential. Music is a real passion for many and Sharemyplaylists.com allows people to meet others with similar tastes to themselves, bringing in a real social networking element.
“Gaining the support of the former Buy.at team has been a fantastic leap forward and it’s a real privilege to have their expertise involved with the business. A key next step for me now is to use some of the investment to find new offices and get a talented and experienced workforce in place.”
Investor and ex CEO of buy.at, Steven Brown sits on the SMP board as a non-executive director and is also excited by the venture and working with both Kieron and the investment team once more.
Steven commented: “The online music sector is high growth and Spotify is a fantastic application that offers legal streaming music – a service that will quite simply become the normal way to consume music in future. Sharemyplaylists.com is brilliant in its simplicity and not only plugs a real gap and allows friends to connect through their common passion but, most importantly, is being launched at the perfect time. We have great ambitions for the business and firmly believe it has all the attributes to be tremendously successful.”
A spokesperson for Spotify added: “It is great to see Sharemyplaylists.com and the Spotify ecosystem continue to flourish. Social and sharing features are very important to Spotify and Sharemyplaylists.com has been at the forefront of playlist sharing since early on.”
What I’m listening to right now: Usher - “Raymond v Raymond“
Using an iPad from the USA in the UK, my experiences and iPad review
At the time of writing this blog post I’m stranded in Florida due to the Icelandic volcano so I thought I would put down some thoughts on my first impressions of the iPad. In fact this whole blog post is being written on my iPad.
Obviously at the time of writing the iPad isn’t available in the UK so therefore it’s not supported by the UK iTunes store yet. There are a few methods of signing up to the US iTunes store but I thought I would stick with the UK store and try my luck as frankly I couldn’t be bothered with the faff on.
So first of all…the bad
There is no iPad app store accessible from the iPad. When you click on the App Store icon on the home screen you get the message “app store not supported in this country”. Expected but still annoying. However you can overcome this by simply going into iTunes and searching for iPad apps. As yet there is no iPad app section in the UK version of iTunes but all you have to do is search for iPad in the app store and there are literally hundreds to choose from. So a slight inconvenience that you can’t access iPad apps from the iPad home screen but no big deal to sync from iTunes, plus this will only be an issue until the uk iPad app store becomes available.
No iBooks…the iPad’s killer app is undoubtedly iBooks but as I’m using my UK iTunes account I’ll have to wait a bit before I can use it. Again, I can wait, especially as Amazon are fighting back with the Kindle iPad app, more of which below.
Bugs…the Tweetdeck iPad app looks lush for example but it doesn’t update.
If you’re using your Gmail account as your main iPad account then you can’t send photo’s as attachments. UPDATE: just got this to work!
Neither are major issues and I suspect just teething problems from the first software release.
Now…the good
It looks and feels fabulous. It’s really hard to convey to people just how easy it is to hold in your hand and read websites, utilise apps and best of all type with the big keypad. In fact the keypad is so big in landscape mode that I prefer portrait mode as the keys are closer together. It’s heavier than a Kindle DX but not heavy enough that it’s uncomfortable to hold. In short it’s a joy to use and it’s why I’m writing this blog post with it.
iPad apps…I haven’t explored that many yet but the ones I have are very impressive. As mentioned above the column layout of Tweetdeck is very well suited to the extra screen estate of the iPad, it looks gorgeous - I’m just hoping they iron out their bugs. Likewise Flight Control is so much easier to play on the iPad, loads of fun. Best of all for me anyway is the Kindle app, it’s free and very useful if you already have a Kindle. All you do is sign in with your Amazon account and hey presto, all the books that you have stored on your Kindle are instantly available on your iPad. Clever voodoo. Ideal for people like me who forgot to bring their Kindle on holiday or perhaps for people who don’t want to bring 2 devices away with them. The Kindle iPad app also knows what page you last read on your Kindle as well as bookmarks etc. Very clever.
iTunes for iPad…as regular readers will know I don’t use iTunes for music (I’ve converted to Spotify a long time ago) but for movies, tv shows and music videos the iPad rocks. The screen is more than big enough to use as a media player and I’m even using it to watch some tv I’ve missed due to my extended stay abroad. the quality is superb too, it makes watching it a pleasure.
Email, contacts, diary, maps…all of these have been reworked for the iPad and are just stunning. The email interface is exceptionally good looking and very easy to use. The way that contacts looks like an old fashioned “little black book” is just beautiful. It’s really clear that Apple make the most intuitive and best looking interfaces there is.
So in summary…ignore those people who moan about the lack of flash (I don’t miss it) or the fact that it’s just a big iPhone without the phone bit. It is but so what? The iPhone is fantastic so why wouldn’t a bigger version be so to?
If anyone is thinking about buying an iPad and has any specific questions then let me know in the comments below. I’ll do my best to answer.
Btw 800 or so words written entirely on an iPad, no trouble at all 
What I’m listening to right now: Lady GaGa & Beyonce - “Telephone”
P.S. Anybody thinking I’m enjoying my extended break in Florida just look at the weather courtesy of the brilliant weather HD app.
FreeAgent Central Rocks! Accounting software for small businesses
I never thought in a million years that I would be writing a blog post about accountancy software, possibly the most dull subject ever. But here I am on a Sunday afternoon feeling compelled to put pen to paper to tell the world (well my blog readers at least) about an awesome bit of online accountancy software called FreeAgent Central. Disclaimer: that is a big fat affiliate link, however I have not been asked or paid to write this article or compensated in any way. The affiliate link is there purely because I have to pay the bills Nonetheless even if there wasn’t an affiliate programme available I would still be writing about this brilliant piece of kit.
I found FreeAgent Central a couple of weeks ago when it was the monthly invoice run at Content Now. Typically I hate this time of the month, as it literally takes me around 2 days to create, record and send out the monthly invoices to all Content Now clients. Not because we have a ton of clients but rather because I created all the invoices “by hand”, in other words via a Microsoft Word document. Which I would create for each client then also update a master spreadsheet that we keep that records all invoices and who has paid, cashflow etc etc. In other words it was very old school and a bit long winded. I needed a new system. So I did what any self respecting geek would do and I used the power of crowdsourcing to get my answer. I sent a quick Tweet out asking the Twitteratti if they could recommend any online accountancy software packages that would help make the process less painful. My Twitter posse didn’t let me down and I got loads of recommendations, but the one that seemed to be the most popular was FreeAgent Central. So I popped over to the site, took a look around, was very impressed and signed up to a free 30 day trial. I’ve not looked back since.
I’m a big fan of lists so I thought the best way to put across how cool the software is, is to simply list them as they come into my head. Here you go…
Cloud Based: Previously I created all my invoices in MS Word which means they were stored on my desktop PC. If I ever needed to access them or create new invoices when I was away from my desk then I simply couldn’t. As FreeAgent Central is online I can access it anywhere. Not only that, but my business partner has access also which means he can instantly get a snapshot of the business at any time without having to ask me.
Ease of Use: The interface is so clean and easy to navigate that it makes using it a pleasure. I’m going to sound like an uber geek here but I actually look forward to creatuing invoices or inputting new contacts etc. as it’s just so easy to use and looks so good.
Invoice Templates: There are a range of professionally designed invoice templates for you to use so the end result is your invoices look so much more professional than the old ones I did on MS Word. I’m very proud of our new invoices
It does so much! I admit that I use it primarily for invoice creation. However it does so much more than that. It can work out VAT, Tax, profit and loss and also tell you when all of the above are due to be submitted to the relevant authorities. I know a few freelancers who use it because you can set up projects, allocate and cost time to them and all sorts of really clever stuff. There is also an API for all you clever integration geeks. I think for a lot of small to medium businesses FreeAgent Central will negate the need for an accountant.
Customer service: I’ve found myself stuck a couple of times and have had to use the online ticketing system to ask a couple of questions. Refreshingly, on both occasions I got a response from a named customer service agent within 30 minutes and best or all THEY DIDN’T USE TEMPLATED ANSWERS! They spoke to me like a real person would, imagine that! Customer services people of the world take note. This is good. There is also a huge knowledge base, FAQ and a ton of how-to videos, these guys have got it right on the support front.
It doesn’t cost the earth: The prices start at £15 a month for a sole trader going up to £25 a month for a Limited company. I can’t fault that pricing structure at all, well worth it.
They are UK based: Edinburgh to be precise. Unlike other accountancy services which are based in the US and use dollars and clunky conversions, FreeAgent operates in good old pounds sterling.
I’m sure there are a load of other benefits to the service, after all I’ve only been using it for a couple of weeks and have just scratched the service as to what it can do. For affiliates, agencies and anyone who is self employed though I can’t recommend FreeAgent Central enough.
What I’m listening to right now: Usher - “Ooh Gosh”
Malcolm Cowley invests in Existem Affiliate Management
It has been announced today that Malcolm Cowley, one of the original founders of Buy.at has invested in Existem Affiliate Management and will be joining the board.
Malcolm left Buy.at in 2008 after it’s sale to AOL Advertising. During that time he’s kept his eye on the affiliate marketing sector and feels that now is the time to step back into the arena.
For my money this is a great move, I’ve always rated the Existem team as one of the top affiliate management agencies in the UK and often refer clients to them. Malcolm will be a great addition to the team and I’m sure will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to take the business to the next level.
Congratulations guys, I’m expecting big things!
What I’m listening to right now: Gorillaz - “Plastic Beach“
Affiliate Window buys Buy.at
After weeks of speculation that Buy.at was on the market and a few affiliate networks and consortiums were interested, it has been announced today that Affiliate Window (now known as Digital Window) have acquired Buy.at. Announcement here.
Being completely honest here I’m glad that Affiliate Window have acquired Buy.at and not one of the other networks who were in the running. Affiliate Window are without a shadow of a doubt the most proactive and innovative network in the UK. And now that they have snatched Buy.at away from the corporate red-tape monster that is AOL I’m very much looking forward to seeing Buy.at return to their former glory.
So, congratulations to Affiliate Window and Buy.at who are now officially the UK’s largest affiliate marketing network. Well done guys.
What I’m listening to right now: Kieron’s R&B Mixtape Vol. 4
Getting your site featured in Google News - with case studies
I’m writing this article because one of the most asked questions we get at ContentNow.co.uk is “can you help us get our site listed in Google News”. The answer is yes, in fact we launched our News product recently for that specific purpose. However, whether you write your own content, have in-house content writers or outsource your content to a company like ours I hope you find the following article of use. As I get asked about Google News so often I thought it would be a good idea to share my experiences. So first of all…
What is Google News?
In their own words, Google News is “aggregated headlines and a search engine of many of the world’s news sources”. So to put it simply it’s a massive online resource of “news” items taken from all over the world and covering many different sectors.
What are the benefits of appearing in Google News?
1. Your site will be seen as an “authority” on your subject. The very fact that is is featured in Google News implies authority as in “it must be a trustworthy source if Google deem it to be so”. This alone can be invaluable.
2. Backlinks - as you are an authority you will find other websites and news aggregators also linking to you and quoting your site in their articles. These links can come from other trusted sites and are very valuable in terms of search engine equity.
3. More traffic/visitors - your site will be exposed to a whole new audience, the tens of millions of people that visit Google News every week. So make sure you not only write frequently but make sure your content is interesting to stand out in the crowd and also to ensure repeat visitors.
How do I make sure my site adheres to Google News guidelines?
A lot of people think that there are stringent guidelines that you have to adhere to in order to get into Google News. This isn’t the case, although there are some technical guidelines there isn’t anything that you shouldn’t already be doing as best practice anyway. Other than that there are 3 main rules that I would stick to in order to ensure that you get into Google News.
1. Word Count: Ensure that you news articles are a minimum of 250 words each, ideally 300. Now before people comment saying that they have seen sites in Google News that are 200 words and less, yes so have I. But we have anecdotal evidence that news articles of around the 300 word mark have a better chance of getting in. Google won’t confirm or deny this but we have had some clients at Content Now who have tried and failed to get into Google News but upon securing our services and producing news articles of this length, have started to appear.
2. Frequency: Personally speaking I would aim to publish at least 1 news article per day to your site. More if you can manage it. Obviously the more you publish the more frequently the Googlebot will come to visit and the more often your items will be featured in Google News and you will benefit from increased traffic as a result.
3. Write for people, not search engines: Don’t use one of those horrible content bot services that churn out lots of so called “unique” content for your site. They *may* fool the search engines for a little while but they will not fool your visitors. Don’t try to stuff your content with keywords and write to keyword densities etc. Instead write engaging content that humans will enjoy. This will ensure that you get visitors coming back to your site and if you have comments open or forums then they are more likely to engage with you and eventually become a loyal member of your community. As well as “news” pieces try to write opinion pieces or humorous pieces too. All of which will make your site stand out of the crowd.
What is the difference between traditional content and news?
News content should be much in tune with what’s currently happening in your sector. For example, we have a client active in the stocks and shares market, SharePrices.com who have just successfully been included in Google News. We provide the site with twice daily news items that relate specifically to the UK shares, stocks and investments markets. The articles focus on the stockmarket in general and news as to why a particular company has suddenly proved popular/unpopular. Just like this and this both published yesterday.
Alternatively news could come in the shape of a new product review for something just announced/released. Maybe a review of the forthcoming Apple iPad or a new video game. It’s also possible to get really good coverage from other sites if you include videos in your news items. For example, Recombu (not a ContentNow client) did this excellent piece on the new HTC Desire, it was picked up (via Google News) from leading authority on all things tech, Gizmodo. By creating innovative and engaging content, Recombu have firmly established themselves as a major authority in their field, so much so that the main players in online tech are now quoting them regularly in their articles.
How many writers do I need in order to qualify for Google News?
I don’t remember where I read it but I do remember a Google News representative being quoted somewhere as saying that “multiple” authors were needed in order to qualify. This would seem to be backed up by the Google News submission page that asks for a link to a “list of authors and editors available on your site”. So a page like this one from SharePrices.com is a must. It would seem that Google News are looking for a clear organisational structure with multiple editors and authors, so it’s important to have this in place before submitting our site.
When should I submit my site to Google News?
Again there is no hard and fast rule for this. Personally I would wait until I had been up and running and producing quality news content on a daily basis for 2 to 3 months before applying. This will prove to Google that you have a track record and hopefully improve your chances of submission. A site with no history and no historical news content will almost certainly be rejected.
Overall, if you ensure that you’re writing good quality original content daily that isn’t copied from other sources then getting into Google News isn’t too difficult. The hardest part is maintaining the frequency and of course coming up with original content on a daily basis. And that’s why I set up ContentNow.co.uk, as I myself struggled with this and used to spend too much time writing content when I should have been looking at the bigger picture. Writing quality content is really time consuming, if you’re lucky enough to have in house content writers then perfect. If not then an outside provider such as ourselves may just be able to help
If anybody has any questions then I would be happy to answer them in the comments. Likewise, please feel free to share your experiences with Google News.
What I’m listening to right now: Gorillaz Pirate Playlist
A4U Awards and tips for entrants
It’s that time of year again, can you believe it’s the 4th annual A4U Awards. This year it’s at the Grosvenor House Hotel, Park Lane, Mayfair on the 9th June. As previous years it promises to be a glamorous night to remember, black tie and posh frocks will be the order of the evening and champagne will be on tap.
The important bit - if you’re involved in affiliate marketing in any way, shape or form then you MUST vote. If you don’t vote then you can’t complain at the winners, so head on over now before the closing date of 1st March.
Tips for entrants
It’s no secret that I’m on the judging panel for the awards so I thought I would give some advice on what makes an entry stand out.
Don’t be shy with figures
This is not the time to wear your tin foil hat and shout conspiracy. To give the judges the best idea of your business then please ensure that you give supporting figures in your entry. If you tell us that you increased sales year on year by “a lot” then I’m sorry but that won’t cut the mustard as much as cold hard sales figures. Please trust me when I say that the judges won’t steal your ideas, copy your business plan or share your figures with anyone else. It was a shame but last year I didn’t give some entries as high marks as others because they didn’t give enough information. So please, give yourselves as much a chance as possible and give us as much detail as you can.
Good luck, see you in Mayfair in June!
What I’m listening to right now: Kieron’s Valentine Mix
DFDS affiliate incentive - £4500 B&O sound system and Spotify Premium up for grabs
I’m not sure how this managed to pass me by but I’ve just noticed that DFDS have a rather brilliant affiliate incentive on the go at the moment. There are 11 prizes up for grabs including a £4500 Bang & Olufsen BeoSound5 and 10 Premium Spotify subscriptions!
The B&O BeoSound5 is a really cool sound system that picks the next song that it will play based on the sounds from the previous track, or you can just play albums and playlists you create yourself. The screen also displays album artwork as well, adding to the look of the whole system. Ideal for the home or (affiliate) office.
Like all good incentives it’s really easy to enter, all you have to do is make 1 DFDS sale for 1 entry into the prize draw. Obviously, the more sales you make the better chance you have of winning.
Out of the 10 Spotify Premium subscriptions on offer, 5 are to give away to people who add a piece of content about DFDS Seaways to their site or blog etc. For every bit they add DFDS give them an entry into the draw and obviously the more relevant and good quality content they add the more chance of getting sales and winning the top prize too!
The 5 remaining Spotify Premium accounts are for all those affiliates who didn’t make a DFDS sale in 2009 or have joined the program so far this year. So basically incentivising inactive affiliates.
The incentive runs until 28th February and full details can be found here.
MASSIVE TIP: As a rule entries into affiliate only competitions tend to be really low. No matter how good the prize it seems we can’t be bothered to enter. So make sure you enter and you may be surprised to find yourself a winner.
What I’m listening to right now: J. Holiday - “Round 2“
TechCrunch “Macbook AirGate”
I read with interest today about the Macbook AirGate scandal on TechCrunch. Basically it tells a story of how one of their interns, a young guy named Daniel Brusilovsky had allegedly asked for a Macbook Air in return for writing a post about a startup. TechCrunch got wind of this, the intern admitted it and now all posts from the intern have been removed.
Now, as soon as I read this, I thought I may know what post they are referring to. I clearly remember in November last year reading a post on TechCrunch about new tech site TechnoBuffalo. The TechCrunch review stood out to me because (forgive me TechnoBuffalo) TechnoBuffalo is nothing new, exciting or imaginative. It’s a tech blog and IMHO an average one at best, certain not newsworthy in any shape, way or form. There are thousands of tech blogs just like it and as far as I know, none have ever graced the pages of TechCrunch. So for those reasons I remember thinking at the time that someone was definitely calling in a favour somewhere as it just stood out a million miles as a post that should never have appeared on TechCrunch. I also remember that lots of TechCrunch readers left similar comments on the blog post itself. It seemed that nobody could understand why the post ever appeared in the first place.
Then today I read about Daniel at TechCrunch and “MacBook AirGate” and the first thing I think of is that TechnoBuffalo post. I wonder…
A quick search of TechCrunch finds that the original TechnoBuffalo post has disappeared. TechCrunch said that they had removed all posts by the intern so its possible that this is one of his. Luckily the Google cache of the original post is still up (gotta love Google). As you will see, the post is written by the intern in question, Daniel Brusilovsky.
Now I’m not saying that Techno Buffalo were the ones who gave Daniel a Macbook Air in return for a review. I have no evidence of this and I’m certainly not making any allegations. I’m simply saying that if you looked at the above evidence you could be forgiven for thinking that was the case.
The problem I have, is not with Techno Buffalo or with Daniel but with TechCrunch. If I, and others (judging by the original comments now sadly deleted, that were made on the post) then why couldn’t the TechCrunch editors? Surely TechCrunch has better editorial control in place than that? Especially for junior members of the team and interns. This whole thing wouldn’t bother me as much is it wasn’t for the fact that TechCrunch position themselves as being impartial and even go so far as accusing others of less than impartial reviews when receiving free products.
At least my bribe posts are clearly labelled
UPDATE: John Rettinger from TechnoBuffalo has responded to this post in the comments below, hopefully there is more to come on this story.
What I’m listening to right now: Usher — Little Freak (Feat. Nicki Minaj)
Welcome to my blog. My name is Kieron Donoghue and I am the founder of ShareMyPlaylists.com, ContentNow.co.uk and some other businesses. I thought it would be fun to blog, writing about my experiences in Internet Marketing. I'll include some personal stuff too, probably about my other passions, music and cars. Please feel free to post your comments and thoughts too.
