Articles by Brian R. Hook

This story was originally published on April 23, 2010, and is brought to you today as part of our Best of ECT News series. If you're low on cash it doesn't mean you can't get what you want or need.

As landing a high ranking through search engine optimization grows more competitive by the day, often blocking small-to-medium-sized enterprises from achieving top spots online, more businesses are turning to social media to find new customers Many customers, meanwhile, are also starting use the search functions on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn i...

Social media strategies are not just for consumer-focused companies anymore. Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and their ilk are finding their way into business-to-business firms. Solid waste service provider Waste Management, for example, has set up a Web 2.0 shop Interactivity is key, and social media are being used at Waste Management for educational...

Part 1 of this series on getting started with blogging addresses factors to consider when setting up a blog, such as platforms, hosting and design Once all the technical steps have been accomplished and your blog is up and operating, it is time to start adding content on a regular basis and integrating it with social media....

Starting your own blog does not have to be an arduous endeavor "You just do it! There is way too much anxiety over blogging," said Lorrie Thomas, chief executive officer of Web Marketing Therapy....

Newer versions of Microsoft's operating systems and software products are better at fighting cybercrime than older versions, according to a new report put out by Microsoft researchers Windows 7 and Windows Vista with Service Pack 2 had the lowest infection rates of any Microsoft OS, found the "Microsoft Security Intelligence Report," based on data ...

If you're low on cash it doesn't mean you can't get what you want or need. "You can barter literally anything," said Karen Hoffman, who along with former business journalist Shera Dalin authored the new book The Art of Barter: How to Trade for Almost Anything. The book outlines how individuals and business can trade in person, on websites, and thr...

Twitter's No. 1 focus is now on revenue, and the social-networking Web site wants to reassure software developers that they will get a piece of the growing pie At Twitter's first-ever conference for developers -- the Chirp conference being held in San Franscisco on Wednesday and Thursday -- the young company's leaders outlined in further detail th...

The constant drumbeat of bad economic news didn't stop Jennifer Cloud from pursuing a job in her chosen field of interactive marketing. Armed with a degree in communications and a desire to learn new technologies, she started using Twitter "I was wondering if the resumes I was blindly submitting online were launched into a vortex," Cloud said. "Wit...

The cocreators of the blockbuster "Call of Duty" series are back in the game Jason West and Vince Zampella, who formed Infinity Ward in 2002, are launching a new development studio, Respawn Entertainment, and the duo signed an exclusive publishing agreement with Electronic Arts, which will distribute the new studio's games around the world....

Photographers and illustrators claim that they are not being fairly compensated by Google, alleging the search giant's book-scanning project violates their copyrights Seeking what the visual artists assert is their fair share, James J. McGuire, lead counsel for the group, filed a class action copyright infringement suit against Google Wednesday mor...

HP is trying to steal some of the limelight from the iPad Less than 48 hours after customers lined up to get their hands on Apple's newly released tablet computer, HP unveiled a highly produced video of its yet-to-be released Slate tablet....

IBM is joining forces with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration to protect the nation's civilian aviation system from the ever-growing threat of cyberattacks. They are working on building a prototype security system capable of protecting the vast amount of information flowing daily through the FAA's computer networks This project will introduce...

The global market for mobile phone applications is expected to soar to US$17.5 billion by 2012, surpassing the total value of CDs sold, new research forecasts The revenue from mobile apps is expected to increase at a 62 percent compound annual growth rate from $4.1 billion in 2009 to $17.5 billion in 2012, according to a research report by Chetan S...

A day doesn't seem to go by without one software developer or another announcing the launch of a new smartphone application. Everyone seems to be getting into the mobile app game -- but is anyone actually making any money doing it? The consensus is yes -- but there is more than one way to make money....

Intel is stirring up the marketplace for digital storage with the introduction of a lower-cost, solid-state drive aimed at the value segment of netbooks and laptops The Intel X25 Value SATA SSD has 40 GB of storage and is priced at US$125, adding to the giant chip maker's storage line of 80 GB and 160 GB SSDs....

The three men accused of unleashing a vicious cyberassault that infected millions of computers worldwide may now be in jail, but the damage they left behind should serve as a warning for computer users to stay vigilant The Mariposa botnet, a massive network of infected computers designed to steal account information, infiltrated an estimated 12.7 m...

Gadget enthusiasts got their first sneak peak of a branded smartphone with Microsoft's latest operating system installed on a prototype Although mobile phones with the software giant's new operating system are not expected to hit the stores before the holiday season, Microsoft unveiled its first branded Windows Phone 7 Series device on The Engadget...

Lines are being drawn in the fight over control of wireless spectrum space On one side is the wireless industry, which is "facing a looming spectrum crunch," said Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski....

With its purchase of Vudu, an online service that delivers video to Internet-ready TVs and Blu-ray disc players, Walmart is hoping its sequel turns out better than its previous attempts to enter the online movie distribution business The deal will put Walmart back in competion with the likes of Netflix, Redbox, Best Buy, Blockbuster and Amazon.com....