Nook what the cat dragged in!

I must admit, I kinda want a Nook. I was never too keen on the Kindle, but this new offering from B&N appeals to me on a number of levels.

1. Wi-Fi to download books off my home network, useful since I live just outside AT&T's 3G coverage area
2. Expandable storage, giving me both unlimited capacity AND the ability to backup my digital purchases
3. Support for more file formats
4. Replaceable battery. I always worry about devices, especially expensive ones, that I can't replace the battery in on my own. I would prefer a standard-sized rechargeable battery, but I'll take this.
5. And, of course, the geek appeal of Android

I'm rarely an impulsive gadget buyer, but if I get through the holidays without receiving one of these then the first after-Christmas sale just might tip the scales for me.

Are you ready for some Futsal?

Sharing is Caring

As I've mentioned before, one of the things I enjoy about being among "The Learned" is sharing technology with friends and family. This afternoon I sat down with the editor of Futsal On-Line to discuss web site technology. His site has been covering futsal, a form of indoor soccer (or football everywhere else in the world) for several years and has attracted a respectable following. I recommended several free Google services for managing his online presence.

Knowledge is Power

Google Analytics provides a lot of useful information about your site's audience. In addition to counting and charting page views (hits), you can also see where your visitors are on the globe using the Map Overlay, find out how visitors are reaching your site, and much more.

Google Webmaster Tools provides information on how Google's webcrawler sees your site, where it ranks based on different search terms, and what sites are linking to yours.

Translating is Hard

... unless a computer does it automatically for you. This Google blog post talks about a translation gadget that you can add to your site to allow users to easily translate your site using Google's free automatic translation service. You can try it out in the sidebar of this very blog.

Money is Not Grown on Trees

I also suggested Google's AdSense for trying to offset the costs of running a website with a little ad revenue. This blog post includes a video by Google's Chief Economist, Hal Varian, on how the AdWords auction works.