It is nice to see good news in the market and I came across this article on CNBC today.
On the way down and on the way up, home prices always lag sales, but they may be beginning to catch up. A new report from Zillow.com finds home values stabilized in the third quarter of this year, as sales of new and existing homes grew.
Read full article here.
Web Browser Roundup
The Internet is constantly evolving. New technology appears (and sometimes disappears) faster than most of us can keep up with it. It’s hard to imagine that only a little over a year ago most of us thought a “tweet” was merely the noise that a bird makes. Now, not only do we have to keep up with the latest trends and technologies, but we must also keep our eyes on the vessel that we navigate this vast ocean of the Internet. I speak, of course, of the web browser. For many, it’s known simply as “the big blue ‘E’,” and for others it’s the centerpiece of their computer’s desktop. Whatever you may call it, the web browser is one of the most important pieces of software on computers today.
Apart from the security enhancements and performance, many browsers also add support for new features that take advantage of the most current technologies developers can use to make for a better experience on the web. I’d like to take this opportunity to expose our readers to the latest versions of all the popular browsers out there that they may or may not be aware exist. All these versions are current as of this writing.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 (Windows)
OK, this came out about a year ago, but it’s still not used as widely as some of the others. I mean, according to many statistics out there, there are some who are still using Internet Explorer 6! For those of you who haven’t updated to version 8, I have to tell you that you’re missing out on the best Internet Explorer yet. I highly encourage you to update, especially if you’re still using version 6.
Among the improvements you’ll find that security takes front and center. There are many new tools built in that help protect you while you’re browsing the Internet. Speed is something that has also been improved greatly. The differences between version 8 and version 7 are like night and day with version 8 running much faster than its predecessor. Finally, one of the most talked about features that version 8 boasts is support for many accepted web standards that web site developers and many popular web sites have been taking advantage of for some time now.
Check it out here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/internet-explorer/default.aspx
Mozilla Firefox 3.5 (Windows / Mac)
The Mozilla Corporation’s Firefox web browser has been a popular choice for many on the Internet. Some of you, like me, may remember the Mozilla name from it’s humble roots as the Netscape Navigator, but version 3.5 is a far cry from the now extinct browser. Firefox is most loved for its ability to add on new features (or plug ins) and to add your own unique look by downloading a theme.
Firefox 3.5 looks similar to 3.0 and has all the great security enhancements from 3.0, too, but the real difference is under the hood so to speak. Firefox 3.5 has vastly improved performance issues and memory leaks that have often been complained about. With version 3.5 also comes the support of new web standards including the budding HTML 5 specification. With it’s slick speed, customizable features and stability, this latest version of Firefox continues to prove itself as a solid choice and I would recommend giving it a try.
Check it out here: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/personal.html
Safari 4 (Windows / Mac)
Safari was once the new kid on the block in the world of web browsers. With the new Mac OS X came Safari, and over the years it’s evolved into a truly unique way to experience the web. Noted for it’s lightweight interface, speed, and adherence to web standards, it continues to grow in popularity in direct correlation to the growth in popularity for Macs. Ever since Apple has released a Windows version even PC users can join in on what Mac users have been experiencing for years.
Safari 4 currently touts itself as the “worlds fastest browser” and with its new browser engine, you’ll see why. Today’s Internet is full of rich internet applications and Safari 4 runs them with seemingly little effort. Along with Firefox 3.5, Safari 4 fully supports HTML 5 as well as a wide range of cutting-edge features and styles. Also, the all new Windows version works more seamlessly with Windows. Safari 4 has also made browsing your bookmarks and history simple by integrating their Cover Flow technology with them allowing you to quick look at your history and bookmarks as a small photo thumbnail.
Check it out here: http://www.apple.com/safari/
Google Chrome 2 (Windows)
Google Chrome is a new browser brought to us by the most popular search company on the Internet. There browser is very simple and without a lot of the bells and whistles you’ll find in the previous three examples. However, don’t let it’s humble exterior dissuade you from trying it out. There is brilliance in Google Chrome’s simplicity. This fast, stable and secure browser will surely impress the most skeptical.
While Google Chrome’s claim to fame isn’t a library of features, it continually strives to bring a solid, secure browsing experience to any who wish to use it. It’s all-in-one address bar is more than just a place to type in a web address. It will also act as a Google search box and even give you suggestions for what you are looking for.
Check it out here: http://www.google.com/chrome/
Well that’s it and my view on some of the popular web browsers the web has to offer. Enjoy the post.
I saw a post on Active Rain today that you can now pay to be the first FEATURED post on the AR home page. These “Sponsored Posts” will be visable for a 24 hour period from 12:00am to 11:59pm. AR claims to receive ~2.5M visitors per month, 85% of that is organic (from SERPS). So you’ll get lots of eyes on your post.
Sponsors can sell/advertise their products and services in most any fashion they see fit, so long as they coincide with ActiveRains Terms of Use. Certainly large brokerage’s can leverage this as a PR or recruitment tool as well. While you can still post on AR for free, if you want to be the first featured post you’ll need to pay for it.
While no pricing is posted, I have a feeling it is not cheap. Here is the AR post if tyou want to read all about it
By now most of the Twitter users probably heard Twitter was hit with a potentially harmful virus.
For those who did not see the posts around the net here is what basically happened.
Twitter profile pages are being infected with cross site scripting (XSS) attack. What this really means is that Twitter profile pages are being compromised by hidden javascript. When you visit an infected profile page, this script runs and infects your Twitter account. The script then send Tweets out to your followers to visit StalkDaily.com. The virus also inserts itself into your bio pages, allowing your bio page to become a host to infect others.
StalkDaily had said they are not the orginator of the attack.
If you are infected do the following:
1. Go to your Twitter account settings and switch your bio back to the normal setting.
2. Clear out your cache and cookies from your browser.
3. As a precaution, change your Twitter account password.
Twitter was pretty fast on knocking this down and posted this their status page:
Earlier today we were informed of a malicious site that was spreading links to StalkDaily.com on Twitter without user consent via a cross-site scripting vulnerability. We’ve taken steps to remove the offending updates, and to close the holes that allowed this “worm” to spread.
No passwords, phone numbers, or other sensitive information were compromised as part of this attack.
Some of you may have heard of the Twitter Phishing issue on Twitter these last few days. For those new to this type of scam read on.
What Is Phishing?
Wikipedia defines phishing as “the criminally fraudulent process of attempting to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card details by masquerading as a trustworthy entity in an electronic communication.”
So here is what happens. The Phishing website looks like a normal website, in this case Twitter. For the Phishing scam to work you must enter your username and password. So most Anti-Virus programs would not reconize any new Phishing sites so don’t get a false sense of security just because you have a anti-virus program installed.
The best protection against these sites is common sense. Why is this site asking this information? Always question this fact. Also NEVER give bank or social security information EVER on the Internet.
Read this link on how to avoid getting caught.
Some people may have clicked on the link and given their Twitter password to the phishing site. In those cases it would be possible for the phisher to send out direct messages on your behalf which could trick your followers.
If you gave your user information already change your password. Go here; http://twitter.com/account/password
I thought I would take the time to write about what I think might be some of the topics of interest in 2009 from my perspective in terms of how the Internet will grow for the REALTOR.
2008 saw the explosion of Social Networking and Blogging. 2009 will continue to see this growth and the smart Agent will embrace this. Social Networking is the next evolution of the Internet. Some say it is already here, I say we ain’t seen nothing yet.
I know a lot of people are confused about Twitter but 2008 saw Twitter users explode and the user base will continue grow in 2009. There are numerous posts on how to use Twitter (or Micro-blogging as some call it). While not for everyone, Twitter is certainly a tool for people to use.
Social Networks like AR and Facebook will continue to bring together social units for interaction on a grand scale.
You’ll see companies like ning.com pop up in droves. Ning and sites like them let you to create your own Social Network (kinda of your own Facebook). Why would you like to create a social network? For the person with a bunch of time or perhaps a company with the resources, having your own social network allows you to create brand awareness, interact with a group of people, share, and connect. I see it as abranded Facebook or AR group.
As Web 2.0 evolves the Agent website will become a portal for the hungry consumer. No longer are websites a pretty picture but they are a interactive collection knowledge based on the community. Don’t mistake it, the consumer is all about community. Find the niche and you’ll get the viewers. Blogs will become an arm of the Agent website and the interaction with listing data will evolve. IDX will continue to grow and we’ll see more VOW’s.
Listing data will be mapped instead of searched and consumers will be more interactive with the transaction more than ever.
The biggest lead generation growth might come from the Social Networks. Whether it is a blog, social network or micro blog, these tools will produce results and continue to evolve as the networks grow.
From a guy who designs and develops website solutions for Agents, my concentration will be on the interaction of the Agent and Consumer. Building tools to allow your website to become a true portal to your community. This will come from an array of back end tools the consumer will have access to and the Agent can data mine.
Well I hope you enjoyed my take on it…. I would love to hear your view on 2009 too, please share.
Happy New Year to all and wishing you a prosperous 2009!
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