Day: November 18, 2011

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Amazon’s Kindle Fire Reviewed – A Real WOW

I just bought my Kindle Fire yesterday from Staples and wanted to add a bonus blog post today telling you what I think about it. First, WOW, this is really revolutionary! I can afford any technology I want, money is not a problem, but  with the iPad over $500+ I just could not rationalize the purchase. I was just not sure how much I would really use it. I have a laptop, I have a smart phone, I wasn’t sure I would drag something so big around. Besides that, it is heavy and large a 10 inch screen. Way too big to fit in my purse.

When I saw the first announcements on the Kindle Fire back in September and October in the Washington Post, it was the price that made me look and the reviews that said it was a real competitor to the iPad. I wanted to hold one before I purchased it however, and so did not buy one in the presale period. Staples sent me a newsletter via email yesterday and I went to our nearest store to check it out.

This is what made me buy it and what I like about the Kindle Fire:

1. It feels nice in your hand; not cheap and lightweight. The unit weighs 14.4 ounces.

2. It has a glass cover and very slim almost non-existent shell border. Very nice and polished looking. It looks expensive. Don’t confuse the Kindle Fire with the regular Kindle. It looks and feels different.

3. It took me a while to learn how to use my smartphone and so I was also looking for out of the box simplicity and ease of use. I was not disappointed. There was only a card in the box to explain how to turn it on. You turn it on, add your Amazon account number, and Fire does the rest. I downloaded my first book and app in the first five minutes.

4. I read a lot, I mean really a lot, and so when my library said they now had Kindle integration to borrow books, that was very important. You select the book from your local library site and then the library forwards you to Amazon.com to check the book out.

5. I already have a NetFlix account for our home TV. I just connected my Kindle Fire to that and my kids watched the Gumby movie last night on my new Fire.

6. I can do email. Although I use my Droid for mail, I have connected my GMail account to my Kindle Fire. It was done in two easy steps.

7. I can use the Amazon app store. I have already bought games and downloaded several free ones.

8. The screen resolution is excellent. Viewing quality is totally wonderful – crisp and clear. Web pages are not so small you cannot read them and the browsing experience is excellent. You can swipe and scrunch to change the screen size just like you do on a smartphone.

9. Make sure when you buy yours you get a micro USB cord. I did not, and will need to buy one. This will make it easier to move files and music from my PC to my Kindle Fire.

10. Get a case with a stand. I got mine for $40. It allows you to set your Fire up for viewing on a desk top for you to share.

I have to say I just cannot believe that this bit of technology cost only $200. The Kindle Fire lives up to the other reviews you have seen online. Everyone who has seen mine now wants one. Although it doesn’t do some of the things the iPad does, for me it is a very smart tool that is more for fun than work. Besides that, it fits in my purse to be on the go with me so I can use it anytime with my smartphone’s mifi hotspot.

Way to go Amazon! You have created an innovative tool that is sure to bring you an excellent new revenue stream. I have never bought ebooks or online movies at Amazon and now with my Fire and 1-click easy purchase at Amazon I am have already bought several things and am making my purchase list.

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Google+ Requires Another Look

I was an early embracer of the Google+ platform, and then I grew tired of it. Google simply did not move fast enough to engage me in the long run. Issues were that I could not schedule my updates, the people who I wanted to connect with were not on Google+, it seemed like just another attempt to coral my time on a social platform, and there were no tools for businesses.

I have to say that Google+ is winning me back bit by bit. First, just this past week Google+ released the ability for businesses to set up Google+ Business Pages. Then AdWords has allowed the integration of Google+ Business Pages to your AdWords account.

Wow, those are very important new and exciting features. Additionally now on many websites and blogs, you can click the Google+ button and Google allows you to post an immediate post to your Google+ page making social interaction more immediate. These are all very good things! In fact so good that I am taking a much more careful look at Google+ again and how I can use it to connect with others, improve my organic placement, and promote my business.

First, here are a few articles you may also want to review about these new changes on Google+

Connect your Google+ Page to your AdWords campaigns
This article gives a screen shot and information on how to connect your Google AdWords program to your Google+ account for your business. You use the new ad extension called “Social Extensions” and enter the URL of your Google+ Business Page.

Get closer to your customers with Google+
This article gives you the information about how you can promote your business on Google+ and a link to go to set up your own Google+ Business page. It is very simple and is tied to your own personal Google+ account.

What is important to know is that first, by connecting your Business page to your AdWords account, you will be able to benefit from all your Google+ activity and likes both from your ads and your website. You will also be able to review your statistic of engagement in one location.

Google has been very clear that this social activity (clicks on your +1 button) will be factored into their organic search algorithm. It behooves all business owners to keep a very careful eye on what Google is doing with Google+. Just like early embracers of Twitter are reaping organic benefits from Google and Bing’s new SocialRank metric, Google+ activity, although seemingly unimportant right now, may translate into big gains and improved search placement for those businesses that are working the Google system now. We’ll be one of those businesses working the “Google System” for sure! What about you?