Unbelievable 1 dollar web hosting !

Dear readers, I had stumble upon a best hosting plan in term of pricing and realibility to share with you all. $ 1 dollar web hosting is offering a cheap affordable web hosting for 1 dollar per month with 99.9% uptime. This is the first time I had met such a good deal.

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10GB of disc space
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4 add on domain name
CPANEL web hosting Control Panel

Moreover, they had a range of high reliable web hosting plans start from as low as 0.5$/mth to 5$/mth to cater your requirements.

Things to take note is that the hosting is under Linux platform, support MySQL database and PHP. They provide over 3400 Perl modules and performance is never compromise.

Start host your blog now!

Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) Western Union Exchange Rate is High

Recently, I had received a Western Union payment. I would not mention the amount but it look decent. The second thing I do was withdraw the payment from a bank. The nearest bank I had in mind is Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN). After filling up the form and received the cash, I was surprised to found the forex exhcange rate was 1 USD = RM 3.423. That day foreign exchange rate is USD 1 = RM 3.4400 for buying. It was big difference compare to pass few month at RM 3.20. The whole process take around 15 minutes and I am very satisfy of what I get.

I wondering other bank like CIMB or Public bank will offer better forex rate. If you had latest info, please share here. Anyway, you may try the Western Union services at BSN with the better forex rate offering.

Windows Live Messenger - “Show what I’m listening to” Doesn’t work

Windows Live Messenger sometimes doesn’t show the music you play on Windows Media Player even though you set it to show.

The work around is the following…

Open up Windows Media Player, and go to Tools => Options (You might need to hit the ALT key to see the hidden menu)

Click the Plug-ins tab, then on the Category Column, Click on Background and make sure Windows Live Messenger Music Plug-in is ticked. If not, tick it and Apply then OK.

See the following screenshot for more info…



Now you should be able to Show what you play on Windows Media Player.

Source: http://www.nishv.com/2007/10/live-messenger-show-what-im-listening-to-doesnt-work/

How to Remove/Uninstall Antivirus 2009 effectively?

Antivirus 2009 had been annoying internet users lately. I am also a victim of it unfortunately. Thanks to many forums and kind user, I had finally found the AntiVirus 2009 removal instruction.

Symptom of infected with AntiVirus2009:
1. Automatic installation


2.This program will automatically load when Internet Explorer starts, and when you visit certain sites, it will insert its own information into the web pages that are retrieved. Currently the information that is inserted into the Google home page and search results is a misleading advertisement for Antivirus 2009. The current text of the advertisement is:

Google Tips

Google has detected unregistered Antivirus 2009 copy on your computer. Google recommends you to activate Antivirus 2009 to protect your PC from malicious intrusions from the Internet.

The advertisement is actually one big link that if clicked will bring you to a page at the hxxp://microsoft.browserprotectioncenter.com/ site that says you are infected and should purchase Antivirus 2009.

Removal Tools: hijackthis (strictly not spyware. It is a powerful tool for removing unknown system threat)

Removal steps:
1. Delete following files:
c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009
c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\ieupdates.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\scui.cpl
c:\WINDOWS\system32\winsrc.dll

2. Delete the registry entries using hijackthis. Scan the registry and remove the item which contain part of the following word:

c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009
c:\Program Files\Antivirus 2009\av2009.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\ieupdates.exe
c:\WINDOWS\system32\scui.cpl
c:\WINDOWS\system32\winsrc.dll

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\75319611769193918898704537500611
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{037C7B8A-151A-49E6-BAED-CC05FCB50328}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Browser Helper Objects\{037C7B8A-151A-49E6-BAED-CC05FCB50328}
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "75319611769193918898704537500611"
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run "ieupdate"

If you need further help, kindly leave your comment and I will try to assist you.

Job Offer Rejection Letter

As the jobless rate is increasing, it's quite offensive to publish this post while people are hardly to find a job. No matter how, I believe there are some readers somewhere who are looking for reference and you might need it in future as well. Anyhow, I will post a couple rejection letter sample here.

Before I start, here are some quick tips to maintain your relationship with your prospect employer.

When you have decided to reject a job offer, you may want to let the employer know in writing that you are declining the offer. Your letter should be polite, brief, and to the point. You don't want to burn bridges and this employer may have a better offer for you down the road. So, don't get into any specifics. Even if the hours are awful, the work environment is terrible or the pay isn't enough to make ends meet, don't mention it.
You should include the following:

Thanks and appreciation for the offer

Written rejection of the job offer

Address the letter to the person who offered you the position. Include your contact information and phone number, even though it is on file with the employer.

Make sure that your letter is well written and does not contain typos or grammatical errors. Even though you are declining the job the job, you want to make sure all your correspondence is professional.

Sample Letter 1
XXXXXXXX
General Manager
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dear Mr. XXXXX,

Thank you very much for offering me the position of SEO Analyst with XXXXXXXXXXXXX. It was a difficult decision to make, but, my XXXXXXX XXXX XXXXXXX XXXX.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to interview me and to share information on the opportunity and your company.

Please extend my gratitude to staff for their time and generous insights. I am sure in the future our paths will cross again. I look forward to potential professional interactions with you and your company.

Thank you again for your offer. I look forward to meeting you again someday soon in a professional capacity.

Best regards,
Marhgil Macuha

Sample Letter 2
1111 Strawberry Lane
Smallville, OH 01234
(555) 668- 7789

March 12, 2001

Steve Smith
Vice-President
HIJ, Inc.
1234 Starfruit Way
Fruitville, OH 12345

Dear Mr. Smith:

I am honored to have received an offer for a position with your organization. My interviews with you and other members of the staff were productive and I was very impressed with the excitement, productivity, and strengths of HIJ, Inc.

However, I must regretfully decline your offer for I have accepted an offer at another firm.

I appreciate the opportunity to interview with your organization and want to thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Dave Davidson

Sample Letter 3

George Gilhooley
87 Delaware Road
Hatfield, CA 08065
(909) 555-5555

Date

Dear Mr. Gilhooley,

Thank you very much for offering me the position of Marketing Manager with Hatfield Industries. It was a difficult decision to make, but, I have accepted a position with another company.

I sincerely appreciate you taking the time to interview me and to share information on the opportunity and your company.

Again, thank you for your consideration.


Signature



Susan Markstone

[Inside AdSense] Defining invalid clicks and click fraud

We often receive questions from new publishers about what these two terms mean, and we'd like to help you understand the difference.

Invalid clicks are clicks for which we decide not to charge our AdWords advertisers, since they may artificially drive up advertiser cost or publisher revenue. These include extraneous clicks without any value to the advertiser, such as the second click of a double-click. They also include many other types of clicks that we've determined aren't motivated by genuine user interest.

"Invalid clicks" are often confused with "clicking on your own ads". However, we'd like to stress that invalid clicks are generally any clicks that artificially inflate advertiser cost or publisher revenue, regardless of their source.

Click fraud is a subset of invalid clicks that are generated with malicious or fraudulent intent -- in other words, clicks that are intended to drive up advertiser cost or publisher revenue artificially. Sources for these clicks include, but are not limited to:

-A publisher clicking on his own ads, or encouraging clicks on his ads

-Users or family members clicking to support the site / publisher

-Third-party programs with user incentives, such as paid-to-click services and click-exchanges

-Automated clicking tools, robots, or other deceptive software

The same principles above apply to ad impressions and conversions as well. Some sources of invalid impressions include, but are not limited to:

-Excessive page refreshes, generated either manually or automatically

-Third-party programs with user incentives, such as paid-to-surf or auto-surf programs

-Third-party programs for purchasing fixed amounts of traffic, e.g. "$10 for 1,000 page views"

As a reminder, any method that artificially generates clicks, impressions, or conversions is strictly prohibited by our program policies. You can also find more information about these topics in our Invalid Clicks FAQ.

[Inside AdSense] Five steps to optimising your AdSense performance

"I want to improve my AdSense performance, but I don't know how to get
started!"

We hear you. The myriad of optimisation tools and options AdSense
offers can be a bit overwhelming. Colors, placements, channels, ad
sizes -- there are more options to choose from than you can poke a
mouse cursor at! Ideally, we wish you could just click a button and
have a fully optimised webpage published to the Internet. But until
that magical day comes, we have a solution for you.

The Australian AdSense team has put together a short video that takes
the confusion out of optimising. The video goes through a step by step
guide to optimising AdSense performance - from analysing your page
type, to choosing the right ad sizes and colors, and tracking your
results. We also cover our most popular tips to increase eCPM, without
adversely affecting your community's experience on your page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpPX4A78jqg

So if it's been a while since you've refreshed your AdSense ad units,
or if you're confused on how to use channels to optimise, invest ten
minutes into the video. It's the closest thing you'll get to that
magic button.


Posted by Mel Ann Chan - AdSense Australia Optimisation Team
Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 10:15:00 AM

Yves Saint Laurent dead at 71

It was sad and a great loss in fashion industry that remarkable top French designers had left us. His designs and YSL brand will always in our mind.

Yves Saint Laurent, one the top French designers of the 20th century, died last night in Paris, a source in the fashion icon's foundation said.

"Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday at 11.10pm,'' the source in Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation said.

The reclusive French maestro, who had retired from haute couture in 2002 after four decades at the top of his trade, had been ill for some time.

One of a handful of designers who dominated 20th century fashion - on a par with Christian Dior, Coco Chanel and Paul Poiret - Yves Henri Donat Mathieu Saint Laurent was born in the coastal town of Oran, Algeria, on August 1, 1936, at a time when the North African country was still considered part of France.

A shy, lonely, child, he became fascinated by clothes, and already had a solid portfolio of sketches when he first arrived in Paris in 1953, aged 17.

Vogue editor Michel de Brunoff, who was to become a key supporter, was quickly won over, and published them.

The following year Saint Laurent won three of the four categories in a design competition in Paris -- the fourth went to his contemporary Karl Lagerfeld, now at Chanel.

Discerning the young man's potential, de Brunoff advised Christian Dior to hire him and he rapidly emerged as heir apparent to the great couturier, taking over the house when Dior died suddenly three years later.

However in 1960, like many Frenchmen of his age, Saint Laurent was called up to fight in his native Algeria, where an independence war was under way.

Less than three weeks later he won an exemption on health grounds, but when he returned to Paris Dior had already found a replacement for him, in the person of Marc Bohan.

With his close associate and lover Pierre Berge, Saint Laurent resolved to strike out on his own, with Berge, who survives the couturier, taking care of the business side.

Saint Laurent's success lay in the harmony he achieved between body and garment -- what he called "the total silence of clothing''.

He was also in the right place at the right time. Having learned his trade at the house of Dior, he founded his own couture house at the start of the 1960s, at a time when the world was changing and there was a new appetite for originality.

Saint Laurent rode his luck through the rise of the youth market and pop culture fuelled by the economic boom of the 1960s, when women suddenly had more economic freedom.

His name and the familiar YSL logo became synonymous with all the latest trends, highlighted by the creation of the Rive Gauche ready-to-wear label and perfume, as well as astute licensing deals for accessories and perfumes.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, he set the pace for fashion around the world, opening up the Japanese market and subsequently expanding to South Korea and Taiwan.

In his later years the depression that had haunted him all his life became more oppressive.

When he bowed out of fashion in 2002, Saint Laurent spoke of his battles with depression, drugs and loneliness, though he gave no indication that those problems were directly tied to his decision to stop working.

"I've known fear and terrible solitude,'' he said. "Tranquilisers and drugs, those phony friends. The prison of depression and hospitals. I've emerged from all this, dazzled but sober.''

AFP/AP

Key dates in the life of Yves Saint Laurent:
- 1936: Born on August 1, in Oran, Algeria.

- 1954: Moves to Paris to study design and wins three of the four first prizes in the International Wool Secretariat competition.

- 1955: Hired as a design assistant by Christian Dior.

- 1957: Dior dies unexpectedly in Italy, and Saint Laurent is appointed the house's chief designer.

- 1958: First couture collection for Dior, the Trapeze Line, receives rave reviews. Meets future lover and business partner, Pierre Berge.

- 1960: Outrages conservative Dior clientele and executives with his "Beat Look" drawn from the streets of Paris. Is conscripted into the French army in September but has a nervous breakdown and is exempted two months later.

- 1961: Saint Laurent and Berge start living together and found the couture house. Saint Laurent wins a lawsuit against Dior for unfair dismissal. Designs costumes for a Roland Petit ballet and a Zizi Jeanmaire revue.

- 1962: First own-label couture show in January receives mixed reviews.

- 1964: Launch of "Y", his first perfume.

- 1965: His "Mondrian" dresses take Paris by storm in the July couture show. Begins long association and friendship with actress Catherine Deneuve by designing her costume for Luis Bunuel film's "Belle de Jour".

- 1966: The spring couture show features the first tuxedo for women, while the controversial autumn collection is inspired by Andy Warhol.

- 1968: The "safari look" and first see-through dress cause a sensation at the spring collection. Dedicates his autumn range to the student protesters of May 1968, including duffle coats and fringed jackets.

- 1969: Launches Rive Gauche men's range. Rive Gauche boutique opens in London.

- 1971: Poses naked for an advertisement for the first YSL for Men fragrance. Launches "Rive Gauche" perfume.

- 1973: After a period of doing only ready-to-wear, returns to couture.

- 1974: Moves premises to Avenue Marceau in Paris's eighth district.

- 1977: Launch of the perfume "Opium". The first of many rumours circulates to the effect that Saint Laurent has died.

- 1982: Twentieth anniversary gala at the Paris Lido.

- 1983: Launch of "Paris" perfume. YSL becomes the first designer to have a retrospective dedicated to his work in his own lifetime. In New York, where it opens, it is seen by a million people.

- 1985: Awarded the French Legion d'Honneur.

- 1986: Italian industrialist Carlo de Benedetti takes a 25 per cent stake in YSL and helps finance a $US630 million ($A660 million) buy-out of the perfume interests from the American outfit, Squibb.

- 1989: Unfounded press reports claim Saint Laurent is suffering from AIDS.

- 1990: Speculation about his health continues after he breaks down at his home in Marrakesh and is admitted to hospital in Paris. Fails to attend ready-to-wear show due to nervous exhaustion.

- 1991: Saint Laurent discusses his drug problems and homosexuality for the first time in an interview with the newspaper Le Figaro.

- 1993: YSL is sold to Sanofi for $US650 million ($A680 million). January couture collection is dedicated to Rudolf Nureyev, the Russian ballet dancer who recently died of AIDS. Launch of the women's perfume "Champagne", leading to an ultimately successful lawsuit by producers of champagne wine over the use of the name.

- 1994: Successfully sues Ralph Lauren for copying a tuxedo dress design.

- 1995: Launches "Opium for Men" and relaunches the female version.

- 1999: Israeli-born Alber Elbaz makes his debut as designer for the ready-to-wear label in the spring collections. Gucci complete the takeover of Sanofi, the parent company of YSL and appoint their own creative director, Tom Ford.

- 2000: Ford is appointed to replace Berge as head of collections and named design and communications head for Yves Saint Laurent Couture and perfumes. A YSL museum opens in Paris.

- 2001: Saint Laurent celebrates his 65th birthday.

- 2002: In January, he marks the 40th anniversary of his couture house, and formally announces his retirement.

- 2008: Saint Laurent dies on June 1 in Paris, the Pierre-Berge-Saint Laurent Foundation says.

AFP

Universal Studios On Fire, Sets and Videos Destroyed

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. - One of Hollywood's largest movie studios starred in a disastrous sequel Sunday as a fire ripped through a lot at Universal Studios, destroying a set from "Back to the Future," a King Kong exhibit and a streetscape seen frequently in movies and TV shows.

It was the second fire at the historic site in nearly two decades, leveling facades, hollowing out buildings and creating the kind of catastrophe filmmakers relish re-creating. This time around, thousands of videos chronicling Universal's movie and TV shows were destroyed in the blaze.

But Universal officials said that they were thankful no one was seriously injured at the theme park and that the damaged footage can be replaced.

"We have duplicates of everything," said Ron Meyer, NBC Universal president and chief operating officer. "Nothing is lost forever."

The blaze broke out on a sound stage featuring New York brownstone facades around 4:30 a.m. at the 400-acre property, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Michael Freeman said. The fire was contained to the lot but burned for more than 12 hours before the final flames were extinguished.

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Damage was expected to be in the millions of dollars.

The iconic courthouse square from "Back to the Future" was destroyed, and the famous clock tower that enabled Michael J. Fox's character to travel through time was damaged, fire officials said. Two mock New York and New England streets used both for movie-making and as tourist displays were a total loss, Los Angeles County Fire Inspector Darryl Jacobs said.

An exhibit housing a mechanically animated King Kong that bellows at visitors on a tram also was destroyed.

All three sites were either damaged or destroyed during another fire at Universal Studios in November 1990. That fire caused $25 million in damage and was started by a security guard who was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading guilty to arson.

Hundreds of visitors who had waited for hours outside the park gates were turned away after officials decided not to open the area. On a typical weekend day, about 25,000 people visit Universal Studios. NBC Universal said in a statement that the park would reopen Monday morning.

Universal CityWalk, a shopping promenade, was also closed. The MTV Movie Awards, broadcasting live Sunday night from the adjacent Gibson Amphitheater, went on as planned.

Mike Herrick of San Diego watched the fire on television from his hotel Sunday afternoon before deciding to return to Universal Studios for a second day with his wife.

"By gosh, we're going to go and get whatever we can out of it," Herrick said. On Saturday, Herrick had ridden the tram that winds around the studio lot, snapping photos of the King Kong attraction, among other sights.

The fire broke out along New York Street, where firefighting helicopters swept in for drops and cranes dumped water on the flames. A thick column of smoke rose thousands of feet into the air and could be seen for miles.

"It looked like a disaster film," said Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Several firefighters suffered minor injuries. One firefighter and a Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy were slightly hurt when a pressurized cylinder exploded inside the building housing the videos.

The streetscape that burned recently served as a backdrop in such films as "Bruce Almighty" and television shows including "Monk," "Crossing Jordan" and "House," said NBC Universal spokeswoman Cindy Gardner.

Meyer estimated there were 40,000 to 50,000 videos and film reels in a vault that burned but said duplicates were stored in a different location. Firefighters managed to recover hundreds of titles.

The videos included every film that Universal has produced and footage from television series including "Miami Vice" and "I Love Lucy."

Universal Studios, nine miles north of downtown Los Angeles, has thrill rides and a back lot where movies and television shows are filmed, including scenes from "War of the Worlds," "When Harry Met Sally" and "Scrubs."

AdSense Introducing Third-Party Ads on the Google Content Network

The Google content network now accepts display ads served from qualified third-party vendors. Third-party ad serving has been a longstanding request from top brand AdWords advertisers who use third parties to create and manage their online campaigns. Initially, we will be only accepting third-party ads in English, but we hope to expand to other languages soon.

Making the Google content network more accessible to large brand advertisers also benefits AdSense publishers and end users. Third-party ad serving will introduce a greater variety of advertising into the Google content network, increase the inventory of quality display ads competing to show on AdSense publisher sites, and offer more engaging ads for end users. In the long run, we believe the increased inventory and ad competition will result in increased revenue for many AdSense publishers.

Rest assured that ad quality on the content network will remain one of our highest priorities. Only advertisers with whom we have proven relationships and who've clearly demonstrated commitments to our quality standards may participate in this program. And our policies governing ad content and formatting are unchanged.

How to control third-party ads show on your site
The same ad management features for Google ads also apply to third-party ads. You can use the Ad Review Center to filter specific placement-targeted ads from appearing on your site. To block contextually-targeted ads from a given advertiser, you can use the Competitive Ad Filter. (The Ad Review Center currently only shows placement-targeted ads, not contextually-targeted ads.)

Optimizing your site to allow third-party ads
To allow third-party ads on your site:

Opt into image ads - Currently, third-party ads are only available in image or Flash, so they won't appear in text-only ad units.

Enable advertisers to target your AdSense channels - Most advertisers who use third-party ads are brand-conscious. They prefer to specify websites where their ads will appear in order to optimize the targeting and effectiveness of their campaigns.

Opt into placement targeting - Placement targeting will allow advertisers to target their ads specifically to your site.

Following these steps will enable your site to accept third-party ads. However, we can't guarantee where or when third-party ads will appear on your site.

JinJinBlog.com Domain Transfer Succesful

I am pleased to announce that JinJinBlog.com had officially completed transfering its domain registrar from Yahoo to Godaddy. I had been busy with the transferring last week as JinJinBlog.com due next month. After a year of parking domain with Yahoo, I decided to give a try for GoDaddy. The few factor I considered include cost, realiability, and lastly the promotion they offering. So end up, the winner is GoDaddy. This follow by the Yahoo!'s annual domain renewal price increases from $9.95 to $12.95 per year beggining on March 11, 2008. However, GoDaddy offer $6.99 for the transfer of 1 year. Apparently, I signup for 1 year.

Firstly, I would like to share the transferring process from Yahoo!.

How do I transfer my domain to another provider?
If you'd like to transfer your domain away from Yahoo!, we strongly recommend transferring your domain before you cancel. (Trust us, this will save you headaches in the long run.)

If you're ready to transfer your domain:

Verify that it's at least 60 days after your domain registration date.
In accordance with ICANN rules, you cannot transfer your domain to another provider until 60 days after your domain registration date.

1. Make sure your domain is unlocked.
For your security, locked domains cannot be transferred. If your domain is locked, visit your Domain Control Panel and click the "Edit Domain Locking" link. Learn more.

2. Check your administrative contact email address.
Your new provider will send an email to your domain administrative contact to confirm your domain transfer. If you can't receive the confirmation, you won't be able to complete the transfer! Learn how to update your contact information. Please take note, the administrative email address is very sensitive. If you would like to change the contact email. It advised to wait 24 hours for the info to update all the nameserver else you will get trouble.

3. Get your authorization code.
To find your authorization code, head to your Domain Control Panel, and click the "View Your Authorization Code" link. On the following page, you'll see your unique domain authorization code. Print this code, as you'll need it to give to your new provider. Learn more.

4. Contact your new provider.
When you're ready, contact your new provider to begin the transfer process. Be sure to have your authorization code handy, as your new provider will need it to verify the move.

5. Cancel your plan.
Once your transfer is complete, we'll send you an email confirming the transfer (you can also check this status with your new provider — it should take about three days "In fact, it took 8 days for my case"). When you receive this confirmation from GoDaddy, you may cancel your plan.

Note that Yahoo! does not automatically cancel your service when you transfer your domain.
Note: Some hosting providers cannot manage domain registrations. If you'd still like to use your domain with this kind of provider, you can redirect, or redelegate, your Yahoo! name servers to point to that provider. In this case, do not cancel your plan, as you'll need it to continue managing your domain through Yahoo!; instead you may downgrade to a Yahoo! Domains plan.

Things to look out is copy down whole DNS record at your previous registrar for backup. You will need to reconfigure again the DNS at your new registrar. I found that GoDaddy had a more detail DNS management console. The tool and advice given is much straight forward. In conclusion, I was grateful everything run smoothly, short downtime, only the transfering among the registrar take 8 days annoy me. Good experience.

Adsense Sticker, Stick 'em up!

If you're well versed in webspeak, you're probably familiar with the concept of stickiness -- the quality that entices web users to stick around a given site. Here at AdSense, we're down with the web version of stickiness, but we've got a different kind of adhesive in mind: the kind that lets you take the AdSense logo a-go-go.

That's right, we're talking stickers.

We've printed up a batch of AdSense stickers, and we'd be delighted to send one or two your way, wherever you are in the world. The stickers are designed for laptops, but they'll work just as well for placement on mugs, skateboards, or temporarily on a shirt. (Note: turning a pal into a walking Google ad without their knowledge is not recommended.)

So how do you get one of these glue-backed masterpieces? Easy: send us a self-addressed, stamped envelope with enough postage to return 1 oz of sticker goodness to you from our office in California via standard U.S. mail. (Sorry, we can't help you calculate the postage to your location). Send your envelope, along with a note if you'd like, to:

Google AdSense
c/o Arlene Lee
1600 Amphitheatre Parkway
Mountain View, CA 94043
USA

Supplies are limited, so send your envelope soon! Then you can stick with AdSense wherever you go. (And one last thing to keep in mind: while we're flattered that you might want a whole box, note that we're only able to provide one or two per publisher.)

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

Malaysia Shell Launches New Ferrari Model Cars

Lets visit SHELL petrol stataion today to collect the new set of 7 Ferrari model cars.

To celebrate over 60 years of shared passion for performance by Shell and Ferrari, Shell today launched a new limited edition scale model (Scale: 1:38) collection of the highly popular model GT Ferraris with improved features.

The range had been launched in Singapore earlier on end of February.

This is the second and most ambitious of Shell’s Ferrari model car promotions. The first promotion in November 2006 saw about 280,000 of cars sold over a 12-week period.

The Ferrari model cars are designed as a collectable set of seven. Careful thought has been put into the selection of the models featured. The result is a mix of new and historic racing and road Ferrari GT cars.

Models represented include:

• Ferrari FXX – The most advanced GT car ever created at Maranello, the FXX is the flagship in the new Ferrari model car collection. This limited-edition GT car was created so that Ferrari’s most dedicated and passionate clients could become test drivers. Only 30 of this special prototype were ever produced.

• Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano – Ferrari’s stunning new all-aluminium Gran Turismo flagship model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in 2006. The sporty 12-cylinder two-seater was voted ‘Car of the Year’ by several leading car magazines. It can reach a top speed of over 205mph/330kmph.

• Ferrari F430 Challenge – An intensive series of tests at Ferrari’s private track, Fiorano, honed the many talents of the F430 Challenge. As always, the transfer from Formula One is significant – particularly in the braking system and Formula One gearbox.

• Ferrari 250 GTO – This superb early 1960s berlinetta proved to be an excellent racing car. The 3.0-litre, V12 came first in its class at 24 Heures du Mans in 1962, securing its legendary status amongst racing enthusiasts. The 250 GTO has a maximum output of 290bhp at 7400rpm.

• Ferrari F40 – One of the fastest, most powerful legal street-cars in the world, the F40 was produced from 1987 to 1992. The 3.0-litre, V8 engine has 478bhp at 7000rpm. It can reach a top speed of 201mph/324 kmph. It raced at the 24 Heures du Mans and in the American IMSA championship.

• Ferrari Challenge Stradale – Ferrari used its experiences in the International Ferrari Challenge series to develop what is often described as a ‘racing car for road use’. Powered by a centrally-mounted V8 engine reaching 425 bhp at 8500rpm, it can reach a top speed of 186mph/300kmph.

• Ferrari 575 GTC – One of Ferrari’s most exciting competition cars, the 575 GTC is designed exclusively for Ferrari’s gentleman drivers and is raced across several different series. The all-new 12-cylinder engine can still push out 810bhp.

The Ferrari model cars are available from now all Shell stations. Every RM40 spent on Shell V-Power entitles you to purchase a Ferrari model car at RM5.90 each. Alternatively, spend RM40 on Shell Formula Petrol 98/95/92, Shell Diesel or 4-litres of Shell Helix Super and get a Ferrari model car at RM8.90 each.

These promotions are valid while stocks last. Terms and conditions apply.

Updated Adsense Terms and Conditions

Every now and then, we update the AdSense Terms and Conditions to make sure they're in line with policies across Google, and to prepare for future changes to the products and services we offer. As part of these regular updates, you'll soon sign in to your account and see that the Terms have been updated, prompting you to read through and accept them.

This time around, most of the changes to the Terms and Conditions fall into two broad categories: 1) future products and features and 2) privacy requirements. Specifically, one of the main changes is that the terms anticipate future products that may become available in other advertising formats and mediums, for example Gadget Ads. As we look forward to monetizing more online and offline content, we've re-worded some portions of the terms to make them applicable across a broader array of media and formats -- anticipating, for example, that future products may be priced, paid, or managed differently than current ones.

We've also added some specific requirements that make it necessary for publishers to post and abide by a transparent privacy policy that users see. According to this policy, publishers must notify their users of the use of cookies and/or web beacons to collect data in the ad serving process. This change relates to advertisers' use of innovative products and features like Gadget Ads and other offerings in the future.

The changes aren't limited to the areas above, however; we've made small changes throughout, so it's a good idea for you to review them thoroughly before accepting.

Posted by Julie Beckmann - AdSense Publisher Support

沈殿霞病逝 Hong Kong Entertainer Lydia Shum Dies

Lydia Shum Din-Ha 沈殿霞
July 21, 1947 - February 19, 2008
also known as Lydia Sum, Fei-fei (肥肥, literally Fat Fat or Fatty)
HONG KONG (Reuters Life!) - Popular Hong Kong actress and comedienne Lydia Shum died on Tuesday at the age of 60, after a protracted battle with liver cancer.

Shum, possibly Hong Kong's equivalent of U.S. comedienne Roseanne Barr, was one of Hong Kong's best-known entertainers and fondly called "Fei Fei" or "Fatty Shum" for her corpulent physique and exuberant personality.

Her influence extended to greater China and Chinese communities the world over.

Leading lights in Hong Kong's entertainment and political circles paid tribute to Shum's life and career, intertwined with the collective memories of many Hong Kong families.

"The sound of her laughter has been a part of growing up in Hong Kong and brought us a lot of joy," Hong Kong Chief Executive Donald Tsang told reporters.

"She represented a kind of spirit that was respected by many Hong Kong people and her passing makes me feel very sad," Tsang added, noting her gritty fight against cancer and the care she showed for her home city.

Local media reported that Shum died in Hong Kong's Queen Mary Hospital. Her family could not immediately be reached for comment.

The entertainer, known for her high-pitched voice and laughter, initially built her career in Hong Kong, although her popularity later spread to Singapore, where she anchored the sitcom "Living with Lydia", speaking in accented but fluent English.

Born in Shanghai in 1947, Shum's multi-faceted 40-year showbiz career began as a child actress with the Shaw Brothers Studio. She later became a legendary compere for the TVB variety show, "Enjoy Yourself Tonight", which turned her into a household name.

Formerly married to actor Adam Cheng, Shum is survived by her daughter Joyce, who also has show business ambitions.

(Reporting by James Pomfret, editing by Sophie Hardach)

Rest In Peace Feifei..

More Information:
YahooNews
Wikipedia

A follow-up to Adsense Referrals Announcement

You may have seen our recent post about the upcoming changes to referrals promoting AdSense. Since we made this announcement, we've received a number of responses about the program being dependent on the location of the referring publisher. We've carefully considered your feedback, and have decided to modify the original plan.

The changes to referrals promoting AdSense will now depend on where your users are located, regardless of your location as a publisher. You'll earn $100 for every user you refer to AdSense who is located in North America, Latin America or Japan when they generate $100 in AdSense revenue within 180 days and they remove all payment holds. You'll no longer be paid for users you refer who are located elsewhere. These changes will go into effect the last week of January.

The option to add a referral unit for AdSense will reappear in your account when you target any referral unit to Japan and/or any countries in North America and Latin America. To ensure payment for valid conversions, we recommend that you check the targeting settings on your current AdSense referral units.


We've also heard from a number of you that you're no longer seeing recent AdSense referral earnings in your account. Please be assured that this is a display error -- past conversions have not been removed from your account. Our engineers are working hard to resolve this issue quickly.

Finally, we'd like to let you know about upcoming changes to the referrals programs for Google Pack and Firefox:

Google Pack: Currently, you can earn up to $2 when a user downloads and runs Google Pack for the first time after being referred through your link or button. Starting the third week of February, each successful Pack referral will earn up to $1. This change will apply to all referrals for Google Pack and is independent of user location or publisher location.


Firefox: We'll also be reducing payments for Firefox referrals from China during the third week of February. This specific referral payment change will only affect installations from users in China. Again, this is independent of your location as a publisher.

We understand that these changes may decrease revenue for some of you currently participating in these referrals programs. While it's our goal to help publishers earn as much as possible with the AdSense program, like any other referrals advertiser, we’re constantly evaluating our campaigns to make them effective and sustainable.

Again, thank you for your feedback and support of the referrals program.

Posted by Talia Brodecki - AdSense Product Marketing

Inside Adsense

Have you fill in your Adsense Tax form?

Sad to mention that, but is time for tax paying. For those who earn a healthy sum, you might give a cut back. If you havent meet your minimum adsense payment, you are avoided this time.

With tax season looming, we'll begin sending eligible publishers a Form 1099-MISC on January 31st. If you're eligible to receive one, you can expect it to arrive in the mail by the second week of February.

We'll send you this tax form if:

You submitted a Form W-9, are not a corporation, and were paid at least US $600 in 2007, OR

You indicated that you are subject to backup withholding and had taxes withheld

If you happen to have your earnings reported on this form, keep in mind that payments dated in 2007 will be reported in 2007. This means that unpaid earnings from 2007 that are rolled over to 2008 won't be included. For example, December earnings which are paid in January won't be included as earnings for 2007.

Whether you're new to AdSense or just find it hard to keep tax details straight, please remember that all publishers are responsible for paying any taxes resulting from participating in the AdSense program. We recommend checking your account to ensure your tax information is up to date.

Posted by Korey Lee - AdSense Publisher Support

Inside Adsense

Adsense Removed Referral Bonus

Are you currently displaying a referral unit for AdSense on your website? Then read on, because there are some upcoming changes to the referral program that you should be aware of. But first let me clarify that only referral units promoting AdSense will be affected by this change; referrals to other products and services remain unaffected at this time. This change to referrals promoting AdSense will differ depending on your location, regardless of where your users are located.

- If you're in North America, Latin America, or Japan, the pricing structure for AdSense referrals is changing.

About a year ago, as an experiment, we changed the pricing structure for AdSense referrals so that when a user you referred to the program earned $5 within 180 days of sign-up, you would also earn $5. When that publisher earned $100 within 180 days and removed all payment holds, you'd receive $250. We have decided to conclude this experiment and return to the original pricing structure. As a result, we'll soon no longer be offering the $5 bonus or $2000 bonus, and the payout for referring a user who generates $100 with AdSense in the first 180 days will return to $100.

These pricing changes will take place during the last week of January. A referred user who reaches $100 within 180 days of signing up and who removes all payments holds before the change occurs will generate earnings of $250 for the referring publisher. Any referred user who meets this conversion criteria after the change occurs will only generate $100 in earnings for the referring publisher. In addition, the $5 bonus will be removed at that time. Please note that the date a user was referred will only affect where the 180-day window is set but not necessarily the payout the referring publisher receives. For example, it's possible that a user referred in early January will meet the conversion criteria before a user referred in early November, and so the resulting payout may differ.

- If you're outside of North America, Latin America, and Japan, AdSense referrals will be retired.

For publishers not located in any of the three regions detailed above, we'll soon be retiring referrals promoting AdSense. We've found that this referral product has not performed as well as we had hoped in these regions. Again, please keep in mind that you can still generate referrals for the other products listed under the 'Referrals' section of your AdSense Setup tab.

Soon, you'll no longer see the option to create a referral button for AdSense in your account, although existing buttons will display as normal. This specific referral type will then be retired during the last week of January - any users who meet the conversion criteria (reaching $100 in earnings within 180 days of sign-up and removing all payment holds) before the change will generate earnings of $250 for the referring publishers. Any conversions which occur after this change is made will not be recorded in your account. You may wish to begin replacing any existing referrals promoting AdSense with referrals for another product or an AdSense for content unit.

We appreciate your support of this referral product, and hope it won't cause you any inconvenience.

Source: Inside AdSense

Ring in the new year with Newbie Central

We're excited to introduce you to Newbie Central, our complete resource for new publishers, now live in our Help Center.

We know there's a lot to learn when you're just starting out with AdSense, so we boiled the program down to the basics for our beginners. In Newbie Central, you'll find a walk-through of the initial steps getting started, from familiarizing yourself with your account to placing ads on your site to receiving your very first payment. We've also included some brief guides to help you get acquainted with our various features, policies, and tools.

One highlight is the Earnings and Expectations pages, which provide insight into how much you can expect to earn and you can do to influence your earnings. Whether you're considering applying and curious about potential revenue, or you're an existing publisher and want to boost your current earnings, the Earnings and Expectations section can help.

For you AdSense veterans out there, feel free to point your friends who've been on the fence about joining to Newbie Central, or even use it as a way to brush up on the basics for yourself!


Posted by Vineesha Malkani - AdSense Publisher Support

Inside AdSense: Ring in the new year with Newbie Central