Turning a Corner into "New"

We are looking forward to an even more wonderful web in the New Year. As a small token, please find below our Year-in-Tech Top 10, a state-of-the-art interactive electronic Holiday Card, some useful links about small business marketing, some useful online applications, and even more good cheer. Please read on…

Happy Holidays!

Our gratitude for our clients’ support, the opportunity to be of service, and hopefully to make a real difference for others is beyond words. Suffice it to say, “thanks for the memories” and we are excited about the very NEW Year ahead.

Jon's Year-in-Tech Top 10

1. Apple iPhone
   There’s nothing like owning a piece of the future. From the Google Maps integrated GPS and impressive YouTube video quality, to my elegant meditation timer, and many more features. Mobile computing doesn’t get any better than this, at least for now. Get an iPhone
2. Facebook
   A joy to connect with old friends and make new ones complete with integrated one-click sharing of videos and a new kind of social activism. Did I mention that they are growing by 600K users/day? Visit Jon's Facebook page
3. Twitter
   More powerful than anyone can imagine until they “get it.” It’s not only micro-blogging, but a new kind of broadcasting, 140 characters at a time. Mark my words, if you aren't already, you will likely be using this by the end of 2009. Follow Jon on Twitter
4. WordPress
   The leader in welcoming a new era in website development. WordPress may very well be the publishing platform we have been waiting for. Discover next era web stuff
5. Apple “Genius Bar” Service
   I got service that blew me away. Sure I had a wait a little, but they took care of me in a way I never imagined that a computer company could. Step up, be served
6. Skype Video
   Cross-platform, easy to use, the next best thing to being there. Oh, and did I mention FREE. Open a video window on your friends
7. Central Desktop
   Our company’s personal pick for groupware, online collaboration, project management, shared documents and more. Empower your team
   
8. Apple’s Time Machine Back Up Software
   It worked flawlessly from the first time used it, brain dead simple, totally automated, fun to look at, extremely valuable. What’s more important than the security of your data? Better safe...
   
9. KeyboardR.com
   An innovative, real time search interface that starts offering Google results as soon as you start typing, and then refines them as you continue, while simultaneously offering other results from Wikipedia and YouTube. Try a search
10. SUZU Meditate
    A personal favorite iPhone application, a mediation timer complete with lovely Buddha image and even more pleasant “Zen” mediation bell ring tone. Sit for Peace

Apptera Interactive Holiday Card

Talk about bringing the Holidays into the 21st Century! ComBridges was pleased to provide animated Flash pieces for a fun Interactive Holiday Card (and mini-adventure) that includes voice-cell & SMS messages. And YOU can play along! Click here to get started

Small Businesses Tuning Into Internet Marketing (Mostly)

Not only does the world of internet marketing continue to open up opportunities for all of us, but it also provides a fascinating process as businesses both large and small struggle to “get it” and to put this new kind of marketing communications platform to work. Here are three intriguingly inconsistent views of this rapidly changing new set of marketing mediums:

1. The Wall Street Journal published an excellent overview of valuable social networking strategies in “The Secrets of Marketing in a Web 2.0 World” (Thanks to your new strategic partner, Tony Cook, for this link.)
2. The use of social networks by small business is expected to double in the next 12 months, according to this recent research report.
3. At the same time, most small businesses still don’t get the power and immediate impact that is available from search advertising (a.k.a. PPC or pay-per-click). Reputation management guru, Andy Beal provides an excellent overview of a new study by Microsoft AdCenter.

Appealing Applications

Here are two exceptional and free online applications that we are putting to use for our clients:

• Don’t email big attachments, post them. We’ve been using YouSendIt.com, but now we like the very slick, open and more richly featured drop.io for online file sharing
• More and more clients enjoy updating their websites themselves and value the integration of a blog. We’ve become CMS artisans and WordPress is becoming our website publishing platform of choice. This decision is now enhanced by the release of WordPress 2.7 “Coltrane (see video) which includes a user-configurable interface with many more features that will help us all get our work done more quickly. (And don't forget to ask us about the latest in WordPress templates.)

Happy Holidays and a "Brand New Day" New Year to your all!