06.13.07
Posted in Web Technologies at 10:36 am by admin
Apple has annouced the avaibility of Safari for Windows. Ok, you might say, it’s just another browsers, why would you bother? But for a lot of web developers, it’s good news. Eg Neowave can now test the application and Ecommerce CSS Template Design using just Windows PC. So if your online store design works well and looks sharp on IE, Firefox, Opera and Safari, then you bet most of the customers will see and experience your storefront the same way you do.
So, wait no further, download Safari and test drive it now. Wonder how is it differs? Joel has a nice post on the subtle differences on text rendering technology you will notice when you compare Safari to IE.
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06.07.07
Posted in Google, Online Marketing, SEO, Web Technologies at 9:50 am by admin
Google secret is partly revealed in Google Keeps Tweaking Its Search Engine
A must read in helping you to understand how Google works and how one its top secret department called “Search Quality” actually determine the fall or rise of your websites. and Yes, they are playing God – Internet God, period.
Do you know that the search-quality team actually makes about a half-dozen major and minor changes a week to the mathematical formulas that power the Google? (This is why nobody.. and we really mean NOBODY except those in the Google Search Quality Insider can guarantee you top ranking in Google organic results via whatever SEO whitehat optimization or blackhat tricks.)
This is the closest you ever got into Google search secrets…
Some interesting facts and quotes
Udi Manber, ex-Amazon search head, now overseas the Google Search-Quality Team.
If there’s some search-related problems, any of Google’s 10k plus employees can use its “Buganizer” system to report it to the Search Quality Team.
Google has preferred pages old enough to attract others to link to them. (comment: yes, history and age does matter, just like a business reputation, longer you stay in business, the more it says about you, generally.)
QDF – “Query Deserves Freshness” will actually determine whether a particular search should return “New and Current” content or not. If a topic is “HOT”, for eg a sudden burst of emerging topics carrying out the topic keywords in blogosphere, then most likely the users will want “current information” which Google will choose to return.
Google use over 200 variables (or so called “signals”) to determine the ranking of your web pages. PageRank (PR) is only one of the signal.
Google has a technology called “Classifiers” – it can tell, for example, whether someone is searching for a product to buy, or for information about a place, a company or a person.
Read on…
Want to know more from Amit Singhal? Download his slide below:
Below is the simplified process showing you how the search results are retrieved:
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06.04.07
Posted in Payment Gateway at 12:41 pm by admin
It’s amazing, it never occurred to me that KFC (Malaysia favorite Chicken Dish) will accept credit card payment, partly due to the fact that there’s latency in the process of credit card payment due to the need to – slotting in your fancy card, back-and-forth authorization, signing your big name plus signature authentication etc etc which will significantly slow down the paying process. That’s why most of the hypermart nowadays have an express lane cater for 10 items or below and they only TAKE CASH!
This photo is taken at Mid Valley KFC Outlet.
I cannot reason the logic on why would KFC, as a FAST FOOD restoran want to accept credit card payment. Isn’t cash the king? Can it really offer all-the-chicken-lovers a faster and smoother buying process? Can it cut down the queue time during peak?
On the other hand, I can totally understand why VISA/MASTER/JCB would love KFC (or McD, A&W etc) to do so, if you are observant, you probably will realize that in your daily transaction, food (referring to small amount transaction volume aka our normal meal) is where the credit card has the least significant presense. Most of us just pay for our normal meal by CASH! Especially very true for fast food as the name implies, you want the food FAST!
So If this experiment works well, it could contribute significantly to their bottom line even they capture only a small percentage of the amount as we are talking about billions of dollars of transaction every year over all these fast food chains! And best of all, super low chargeback & fraud risk, well, please tell me who will want to dupe a meal? It’s an insult itself for credit card fraudster to dupe on low value stuff as they too have self-respect and it cannot justfiy the cost!
Anyway, I think they are pushing this mastercard paypass service. But It’s not obvious to me whether they are accepting ONLY MasterCard Paypass or VISA WAVE. Both are contactless and works just like our ingenious Touch and Go (MyKad anyone?). They claimed it’s faster than cash transaction (Oh… is it?) as no signatures required and there is no need to hand the card to the cashiers. This contactless technology is specially designed to beat the queue, but can it really live up to the expectation?
Heck, who cares, sometimes we still prefer to carry cash. We suggest you to carry at least a stash of 10K and above as if you are being robbed, you are assured a front page coverage on the major news media and it can effectively pressure the police to investigate and put your case as top priority while claiming your-one-day-celebrity fame. Think 10K cash hanging at your pocket is a lot? Go ask Steve Wozniak
So, anyone tried to pay using their credit card in KFC? How’s the experience like? Please don’t do it while hungry kids and aunty are queuing along the line.. because they cannot understand why would anyone want to use a plastic paying for some chicken body that cost only RM6.80??
Well, bottomline is, if the experiment works well, you might be finding every hawkers store will start accepting credit card soon. 
Can read Mandarin?
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06.03.07
Posted in Entrepreneurship at 11:12 pm by admin
It’s such excitement to have both titans to be on stage sharing their thought on the industry and of course, each other! Great retrospect. It’s remarkable on what they have achieved and they are set out to do more! (instead of thinking of retiring and start polishing their golf games). These guys really really love what they do, and I think that’s the ultimate secret of their success. Watch on! Like it a lot? Download the video to your desktop using this website and play the file with this flv player.
Read the rest of this entry »
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