Nothing is alarming about the metamorphosis of the language that is used for personal communication. However, the corporate lingo is seeing a definite change that is more inclined to match the change in its ideology. Corporate ideology has achieved a green nuance to suit the changing need of the times. Eco-friendliness is the emerging keyword and a prerequisite to any future oriented corporate program.

Obviously, the corporate world has incorporated green words in its vocabulary. Any corporate trying to pitch in with new ideas and products must be well conversant and use these green words.

Eco-friendly: (You may be very friendly on the Facebook.) Your business is not happening if it’s not ‘eco-friendly’. In simple words, every aspect of your business must take care of our precious environment and ecosystem.

Green marketing: (It has nothing to do with buying spinach and lettuce.) Your marketing methodologies must use the bare minimum natural resources and minimize, if not eliminate in total, its adverse impact on the environment.

Global warming: (We aren’t talking about the summers.) It is a slow but certain rise in the atmospheric temperature over the years. It is proving detrimental to our planet’s eco-system. A socially responsible corporate must contribute to check this.

Green house gases: Certain gases viz. Chlorofluorocarbons, per-fluorocarbons and hydro fluorocarbons are responsible fro causing global warming. (You are not alone.) most of these gases are banned from use in most of the nations.

Carbon footprint: (We know that everybody wears shoes in your office.) This is the impact that your business leaves on the environment. It may be in the form of emissions, wastage or energy efficiency.

Well, using this green lingo will show your concern for the planet we live on. Further, keep yourself abreast of the changes in the lingo and yes… you are free to invent some of your own green words.

This is a promising New Year, and we have it for real. There are going to be many new surprises that will follow, The Bloom Box is just the beginning. Our long awaited revolutionary energy breakthrough is finally here. A little power plant in a small box giving you inexpensive and clean energy with no emissions at all, and this is no more a pipe dream. With the help of this box, we will be able to generate our own electricity, and, which will be wireless. This is like having your own ‘Sun,’ our source of energy in the backyard.

The big power plants and transmission line grids, can now be replaced, and expected to be a thing from the past. We sure are good enough to make this world a better place to live in, just give us a little freedom and lots of time.

Bloom-Bloom energy – Bloom time

Dr. K. R. Sridhar is the CEO, and principal co-founder of Bloom Energy, KPCB’s first green-tech investment; a company engaged in the making of these tiny fuel cells called “Bloom Boxes”, that are able to create massive amounts of power. These flexible fuel cell systems produce clean, reliable and affordable energy using a wide range of fuels. This enables the consumers to be able to generate our own cheaper electricity. This will also help us cut carbon emissions by 50-100% per kW, depending upon the fuel consumed.

Fortune magazine has cited Dr. Sridhar as “one of the top five futurists that are inventing tomorrow today.”  Dr. Sridhar had earlier led a team developing technologies for sustaining life on Mars for NASA, and also worked as a professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, as well as Director of the renowned Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) at the University of Arizona, before founding his brainchild ‘Bloom Energy.’

Green-tech solution – a milestone

He is also a sought after speaker and adviser on energy and environmental issues. We are closing on to realizing his dreams, like he says “we can solve our current energy problems through a combination of technology, innovation and conservation.” May his words, as they are, come true.

Display – As clear as the content

With a perfect large screen displaying in vibrant colors, iPad enables you see the web pages like they actually are meant to be seen. Easy readability and navigation make the iPad one of the most wonderful devices ever made by man. When our finger, the most natural pointing instrument is going to be the boss, just imagine the kind of pleasure this can generate.

This will also make a huge difference to the internet and the world-wide-web. Imagine the convenience and the clarity with which you could conference, or watch videos, music videos and movies while relaxing in bed. With some crisp, vibrant displays and unique software features, this is also an extraordinary way to share pictures as well. You could sync these with your computer, download from email, or import the photos directly from the camera using the optional Apple Camera Connection kit.

Effective Content Management

You Tube, iPod, iTunes, iBooks and most of the other apps will make this device well appreciated and consumed for a long time to come. This is amazingly compatible and has been designed keeping all these factors in mind. There is hardly a thing that you will not be able to do with your iPad. This toy, like it fits around you, only weighs 680 grams, so you could conveniently tuck around. Your grand fiesta is finally here, so grab one as soon as you can.

• A corporate communications director making sure that the widest possible coverage of her latest press release through an RSS feed and ensuring dissemination via a news aggregator.
• The internal communications manager sending out daily reports, both internal data and externally sourced information, to all his company employees all around the world in the chosen RSS option. He is assured that no one is inadvertently left off the circulation list.
• A consultant needing to keep his customer regularly updated on a particular project. He creates a weblog and makes this available to his customer through a RSS feed; Rest assured.
• A competitive information professional using the RSS reader to gather regular information from direct competitors web sites, industry blogs, independent analysts, and the news media.
• A company who just released a new service and is expecting direct and regular feedback from chartered customers who agree to keep weblogs of their experiences with these services; and the company regularly receiving updates using RSS.
• A sales executive wanting to send regular messages to a valued customer concerning special promotions; they agree that the RSS feed is the surest, and the best answer.
• A Vice-President of marketing is organizing his company’s annual conference which includes customers, suppliers and staff. As the agenda and logistics keep changing, he uses the RSS to keep everyone updated. The updated document can be posted on the corporate intranet, and the changes can be highlighted using RSS.
• Corporate bloggers like the CEO wanting to communicate directly with staff or customers – need an audience. RSS is that quick trick for reaching out and getting a response.
• Project teams could be working on different continents, where RSS is an effective and secure way of sharing data and highlighting issues.
• When Company Documentation, including procedure manuals, employee handbooks, health and safety regulations, or price-lists need to be kept up-to-date, since they regularly change and the concerned staff needs to be notified; the updated documents could be posted on the intranet, and RSS used for highlighting changes.

Why should corporations promote the adoption of RSS technology?

There are a myriad of other uses where RSS can be put for use within a corporate environment. Broadly, RSS is best at delivering ‘FYI’ information, while e-mail is good for active – two way communication.

However, few companies have taken a policy decision to comprehensively deploy RSS within their organizations. RSS readers currently in use in companies are on account of personal initiatives alone.

Drivers for further uptake

The debate so far has only focused on the benefits of RSS versus E-mail. Increasing junk mail has given rise to even more draconian anti-spam measures. This is making it hard for the corporate managers to decide – a flood of unwanted e-mails each day, or risking with anti-spam software capable of blocking a vital message.

RSS is looking like an increasingly attractive and secure option for sending or receiving a regular report, message or an electronic newsletter within the corporate firewall, where the end user can control the flow in terms of what is received, the frequency and whether it alerts the users to the arrival of a message.

The “pull” aspect of RSS technology is appealing, and fundamentally differentiates from the “push” aspect of e-mail.

It’s an art

There should not be any doubt that writing is an art form. Like dancing, painting and singing; writing is also regarded as one of the art forms since ages. Good and prolific writers are always revered like gurus by the disciples of writing. Content writing, basically being a type of writing, qualifies to be called an art.

The only feature of content writing that differentiates it from other types of writings is that it is for the electronic media. Traditional mediums like pen and paper are not availed for content writing. That does not mean that it does not need basic skills required for an art form. Like any other art form, flair for writing is born within and it cannot be inculcated from outside.

It is a science

Content writing does not have a freedom like other forms of writing. It has many limitations and techniques involved. Writing for specific readership, limitation of word length, use of keywords, and its density, creating hyperlinks, etc are some of the features of content writing that makes it more like a technique.

Unlike other types of writings that give you freedom to explore various aspects, content writing is basically done keeping specific readership and electronic media in mind.  An author can give personal touches to the other types of writings, whereas content writing does not allow anything other than a professional touch.

Well, the debate is open for all. Do bring out your points of view.

What does it mean?

A podcast is a transmission of digital media files in audio, video or any other format, over the web. It is a series of many small parts that follow web syndication and can be downloaded. Like, on radio it is broadcast, on television, it is telecast; the same way on internet it is podcast.

Where did the term ‘podcast’ originate?

This term is a mix of two terms – the first part, pod, relates to the iPod, a popular portable media layer device by Apple Computers; and the second part, cast, is derived from broadcast. A British journalist, broadcaster and photographer, Ben Hammersley first mentioned this term in 2004 in one of his articles. He also suggested a few other names, but incidentally, ‘podcast’ caught on. Some others refer to it as Netcast as well.

What supports podcast?

Despite the name that has derived from iPod, the usage of podcasts is not restricted to this particular gadget. It can be played on any media player whether it is portable or system based like computers. Its format is easily accessible across playing platforms.

What are podcast types?

Though podcasts are mostly in user friendly MP3 file format; there are various types of podcast based on the format as well as what it contains.

An audio podcast is in simple audio format without any kind of video or graphics supporting it.

Similarly another popular type of podcast is video podcast. Sometimes it is also referred to as vodcast. It is mostly a video clip delivered online. Television serials that can be viewed through cable, a set top box or a computer, are all video podcast.

A podcast that contains an audio with simultaneous display of images is called as enhanced podcast. Images may be in the form of an artwork, animation or a recorded video. While playing podcast, all these are activated simultaneously within the window of the device on which it is being played. It is fast catching the fancy of one and all, as it enables audio and video to amalgamate and produce the required information. Educational institutes, business houses, entertainment producers are all vying for enhanced podcasts to achieve their purposes.

What is its utility?

Great! You have the sky – you display your flight skills now. What Podcast has been able to do is, given you an opportunity to be creative in a particular media.  What you are able to make out of this – is your take.

Audio and video podcasts can give a whole new meaning for ways to delivering web content. This will also be able to generate better audiences since is based on multimedia. Providing viable and meaningful content using podcast would be a challenging task.

How we are able to make use of this space would be very interesting. Unlike the verbal scripted text there is less room for blah – blah – blah. Multimedia may be difficult creating, but it sure makes a better impact.

Audio and Video Podcasts can give a fresh and new meaning to the working of the World Wide Web.

Your curiosity is killing you. You turn around and reach the provided address, to find a big shoe store. Their banner reads, ‘Improper and cheap jogging shoes can hurt your legs. Get the best quality shoes here.’

So in order to advertise their store, the jogger in the park teased you. He played a ‘teaser’. Got it?

Teasers in media

Similarly, in the world of advertising, any small caption, image, audio, video, animation, etc that grabs your attention for comparatively small span of time but leaves you curious is called a teaser! These days television channels are running plenty of teasers that go something like, ‘World is coming to an end! Watch special bulletin at 10 tonight.’ Does it not arouse curiosity?  Actually, it may be just another program. But amidst cutthroat competition, such teasers help to attract viewership. They do not reveal the real picture and leave you wanting for more.

Recently, some newspapers published teasers that read ‘Gold prices dropped. Turn to Page 3’. It leaves readers curious enough to turn to page 3 without reading headlines. Here, it talks about a new offer on its products that may fetch you gold.

These days every magazine on newsstand is trying to grab buyers’ attention by sporting teasers. It may be a catchy line or an image that compels us to pick up an issue and look inside.

Teasers on the web

Most commonly we come across teasers while surfing the net. They are in the form of pop ups, moving images and animations. They catch our attention, raise curiosity and vanish. They leave a link to be clicked to find out more.

How about articles and blogs on the net? Do they have teasers? Yes! They are mostly in the form of a catchy title, byline or an image.

Their characteristics

Though sounds simple, the teasers have three main characteristics. These are:

• They don’t reveal anything: They don’t tell you the story or hint at what’s on the offer.
  • They arouse curiosity: That’s for sure and that’s their primary task. They shall invoke the       response and hang up in mid air.
  • They are short lived: Their life ends after taking you to the main story. They lose effect or are of no use once the story is revealed.

Just Imagine This Scenario

• A corporate communications director making sure that the widest possible coverage of her latest press release through an RSS feed and ensuring dissemination via a news aggregator.
• The internal communications manager sending out daily reports, both internal data and externally sourced information, to all his company employees all around the world in the chosen RSS option. He is assured that no one is inadvertently left off the circulation list.
• A consultant needing to keep his customer regularly updated on a particular project. He creates a weblog and makes this available to his customer through a RSS feed; Rest assured.
• A competitive information professional using the RSS reader to gather regular information from direct competitors web sites, industry blogs, independent analysts, and the news media.
• A company who just released a new service and is expecting direct and regular feedback from chartered customers who agree to keep weblogs of their experiences with these services; and the company regularly receiving updates using RSS.
• A sales executive wanting to send regular messages to a valued customer concerning special promotions; they agree that the RSS feed is the surest, and the best answer.
• A Vice-President of marketing is organizing his company’s annual conference which includes customers, suppliers and staff. As the agenda and logistics keep changing, he uses the RSS to keep everyone updated. The updated document can be posted on the corporate intranet, and the changes can be highlighted using RSS.
• Corporate bloggers like the CEO wanting to communicate directly with staff or customers – need an audience. RSS is that quick trick for reaching out and getting a response.
• Project teams could be working on different continents, where RSS is an effective and secure way of sharing data and highlighting issues.
• When Company Documentation, including procedure manuals, employee handbooks, health and safety regulations, or price-lists need to be kept up-to-date, since they regularly change and the concerned staff needs to be notified; the updated documents could be posted on the intranet, and RSS used for highlighting changes.

Why should corporations promote the adoption of RSS technology?

There are a myriad of other uses where RSS can be put for use within a corporate environment. Broadly, RSS is best at delivering ‘FYI’ information, while e-mail is good for active – two way communication.

However, few companies have taken a policy decision to comprehensively deploy RSS within their organizations. RSS readers currently in use in companies are on account of personal initiatives alone.

Drivers for further uptake

The debate so far has only focused on the benefits of RSS versus E-mail. Increasing junk mail has given rise to even more draconian anti-spam measures. This is making it hard for the corporate managers to decide – a flood of unwanted e-mails each day, or risking with anti-spam software capable of blocking a vital message.

RSS is looking like an increasingly attractive and secure option for sending or receiving a regular report, message or an electronic newsletter within the corporate firewall, where the end user can control the flow in terms of what is received, the frequency and whether it alerts the users to the arrival of a message.

The “pull” aspect of RSS technology is appealing, and fundamentally differentiates from the “push” aspect of e-mail.

Latent Semantic Analysis

The principles of LSI in determining content of web-pages, was first used by a small company called Oingo. Later renamed Applied Semantics, they developed a search system for determining the relevance of page content for specific advert placement, and called this Adsense. This was bought by Google in April, 2003 and used for replacing their system which was still developing. Adsense was not developed by Google, but purchased, and a good bargain at that.

However, a general opinion of the LSI is slightly off-mark. Instead of thinking it to be just an algorithm screwed on to the search engine, this could be better understood as a concept. Tie in the phrase ‘Artificial Intelligence’ to the LSI, and we see this in better light.

When we search for Tiger Woods, the search will not result in putting forth pages related to the keywords ‘tiger’ and ‘woods’; instead what we get is what we call ‘relevance feedback.’  This search will present a number of pages relating to golf. LSI is the most potent tool available for the search engines, as of now.

The LSI enabled search platforms are most effective and able to make better sense since they do not just focus on a bunch of keywords. Conventional search engines were unable to give good results since they were basing results only on ‘keywords’ analysis.

This was the reason they were unable to tell the difference between:

• Similar words but with different meanings – and we have a whole lot of them.
• Words similar in meaning, but spelled differently – sickness/vomiting.
• Singular and plural forms of words – dice/die, man/men.
• Branches of words from the same root – like ‘bath’, ‘bathe’, ‘bathing’, or ‘bathed.’

LSI is different, a kind of ‘Artificial Intelligence’ really. Looking at the speed and number of web-pages being added on the net everyday, it definitely is a challenging task for any search engine to provide an ideal search result.

The fact is that LSI is able to fit in this slot of search process, widely & wisely capable of enhancing the qualities of any search engine using LSI.