iTechSpeak :::...

Outside of MySpace, YouTube, Linkedin, Bebo, social networks and blogs are also being used by schools, stock traders, non-profit organizations, event planning companies and professional/trade associations.

There is a list you can scroll down to view more videos. Enjoy!!

What does Subscribe mean? has been previously covered in 2 articles posted on iTechSpeak; "RSS is a Double Edge Sword" and "Make Jobs or Clients Come to You using a RSS Reader".

Installing a RSS reader saves you much time by making information and business opportunities come to you. RSS epitomizes working smarter, not harder.

Video: RSS in Plain English by Common Craft

It is now a given that Google and other search engines are used more often to check out people and companies. Work that to your advantage. The Internet provides an awesome fertile platform for growing your business or career. The internet allows you to always be marketing.

Become an Internet farmer. Like growing a crop, your Internet web presence must be nurtured, watered and maintained. So you have a profile on LinkedIn, Monster, Career Builder etc.. Or your business web site is featured in a couple of Internet articles and it has some reciprocal links from other web sets. As far as search engines are concerned you're still only as good as your last home run.

Search engines work against you, if no new content is added. Your name or company name slowly gets pushed down on search engine results, unless you're continuously fertilizing the Internet with your presence.

Here's 5 ways to grow and maintain your web presence:

1. If you have a resume posted on any job boards, make Sunday night your time to feed your web presence. Open your resume in "edit" mode. Press the space bar any where in your resume. Then press the back space key. Now save Your resume. The search engine spiders will sense the change and push your resume up for higher visibility to recruiters and hiring managers. Successful Project Manager, Terry Opalka, provided this brilliant technique at a recent ETP Network event "Sunday night I would update my resume on the job boards, by pressing the space bar and saving it. By Monday my inbox would contain emails from people contacting me about my resume."
   
2. Participate in group forums that cover topics of interest. When replying to a topic thread, insert your full name, company name, web site and contact email address, in your signature. This is referred to as your tagline.
3. Maximize your reading of news articles. At the bottom of each article is usually a comment section. If you agree with the reporter or have something "positive" feedback, go for it. Add your tagline.
   
4. Add "key words" to your Linked profile, resume and web site. This seeding process should include the names of companies or clients where you previously worked. Add your skill set, services or products as key words. Add the names of high profile people related to your industry in your key words.
   
5. Start a blog or comment on blog articles, with your tagline. Search engines love blogs more than web sites. Content on blogs is updated more often. This provides exponentially better results when people are searching for you or your company. Google has a dedicated search engine just for blogs http://blogsearch.google.com .
   

The video above explains the steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft.

Identity theft is a serious crime. It occurs when your personal information is stolen and used without your knowledge to commit fraud or other crimes. Identity theft can cost you time and money. It can destroy your credit and ruin your good name.

Deter identity thieves by safeguarding your information.

• Shred financial documents and paperwork with personal information before you discard them.
• Protect your Social Security number. Don't carry your Social Security card in your wallet or write your Social Security number on a check. Give it out only if absolutely necessary or ask to use another identifier.
• Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you know who you are dealing with.
• Never click on links sent in unsolicited emails. Instead, type in a web address you know. Use firewalls, anti-spyware, and anti-virus software to protect your home computer; keep them up-to-date. Visit OnGuardOnline.gov for more information.
• Don't use an obvious password like your birth date, your mother's maiden name, or the last four digits of your Social Security number.
• Keep your personal information in a secure place
  at home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help, or are having work done in your house. Defend against ID theft as soon as you suspect it.
• Place a "Fraud Alert" on your credit reports, and review the reports carefully. The alert tells creditors to follow certain procedures before they open new accounts in your name or make changes to your existing accounts. The three nationwide consumer reporting companies have toll-free numbers for placing an initial 90-day fraud alert; a call to one company is sufficient:
  Equifax: 1-800-525-6285
  Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742)
  TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289

Virtual Worlds Review describes a virtual world is an interactive simulated environment accessed by multiple users through an online interface. Virtual worlds are also called "digital worlds," "simulated worlds" and "MMOG's." There are many different types of virtual worlds, however there are six features all of them have in common: 1. Shared Space: the world allows many users to participate at once. 2. Graphical User Interface: the world depicts space visually, ranging in style from 2D "cartoon" imagery to more immersive 3D environments. 3. Immediacy: interaction takes place in real time. 4. Interactivity: the world allows users to alter, develop, build, or submit customized content. 5. Persistence: the world's existence continues regardless of whether individual users are logged in. 6. Socialization / Community: the world allows and encourages the formation of in-world social groups like teams, guilds, clubs, cliques, housemates, neighborhoods, etc. Read more . . .


Virtual Worlds Review Directory lists quite a few different types of virtual worlds to live by such categories as:

• Children
  
• Technocrats
• Free Access
• Tweens
• Virtual World Newbies
• 20 & 30 somethings
• Graphic Artists
• Trend setter Ages 40+

Some of the popular virtual worlds are Second Life, There, The Sims Online. The media has been giving an extraordinary amount of coverage to Second Life. There have been reports of a young lady making $1million dollars selling real estate within this virtual world.

There was another story in the Wlall Street journal that asked the question "Is This Man Cheating on His Wife?". This is a bizzare question, because this man has a wife in real life, but has married and is playing house with his virtual wife in second Life. He has never met the actual woman in real life playing his virtual wife. He is maintaining his virtual marriage in

Since the U. S. Congress ordered the switch to digital television, regular TV is going away on Februaury 17, 2009. After this deadline, anyone who wishes to continue watching TV with the basic "rabbit ear" antenna that comes with the TV, must purchase a digital converter box. This box costs between $50 - $70.

To offset the cost the U. S. National Telecommunications and Information Agency (NTIA) is providing a FREE $40 coupon to offset the cost of purchasing the digital TV converter. The limit is 2 coupons per household. Click here to apply for your FREE analog to digital converter box coupon online. Another option is calling 1-888-DTV-2009 (1-888-388-2009).

The digital converter box will not be available for purchase until February or March 2008. If you apply for the free converter coupon(s) now, NTIA will send you the coupon at the time when the digital converter boxes are actually in retail outlets. The coupon is good for 90 days from date of issue.

A Reuters article "Strong start for TV converter box program for TV viewers" provides a list of retailers where the coupon can be redeemed towards the digital converter box.