Samsung is searching for bloggers and will invite them to London for a once in a lifetime trip to experience the London 2012 Olympic Games. Enter the Samsung Global Blogger competition.

All you need to do is to record a 30 second audition video in English and upload it before April 29th, 2012.

The judges will pick the best videos and the finalists will have next challenge to create a video report looking at how their hometown is connecting with the Olympics.

Samsung will provide the winning bloggers:

• All travel to and from London and accommodation during your stay.
• Admission to an Olympic sporting event
• A brand new Samsung Galaxy device (S3?!) to report with in London and take home with you (read: you could keep it!)
• Free promotion for your blog across 19 countries to be read by millions of people
• Last but not least, an exciting adventure to discover the best of London culture and share your unique experiences with the world.

Aren’t you interested? Enter now.

Editor’s note: This is NOT an advertorial.

Samsung to Send Bloggers to London 2012 Olympic Games is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Received an email saying that my blog, LiewCF Tech Blog, is nominated in the “Tourism Technology Blog” category in the Malaysia International Tourism Bloggers Conference & Award 2012 (MITBCA2012).

What the heck is MITBCA?!

Apparently, MITBCA2012 (I bet you can’t memorize this!) is organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia (Wow!). “The awards aim to encourage and honor the tourism bloggers across the globe for extensively promoting Tourism in Malaysia.”, according to the official website.

That’s funny. Firstly, I am not a tourism blogger. I am a tech blogger. Secondly, I did not promote tourism in Malaysia (sorry!).

To whoever nominated this blog to MITBCA2012, thank you very much. grin

So far there’s only 4 blogs in the “technology blog” category. Feel free to vote for this blog, click here

There are total 16 different categories for the award:

1. Malaysia International Tourism Fashion Blog
2. Malaysia International Tourism Entertainment Blog
3. Malaysia International Fabulous Food 1Malaysia Blog
4. Malaysia International Tourism Lifestyle Blog
5. Malaysia International Tourism Music Blog
6. Malaysia International Tourism Photography/Art Blog
7. Malaysia International Tourism Technology Blog
8. Malaysia International Tourism Micro Blogger of the Year
9. Malaysia International Celebrity Blog
10. Malaysia International Tourism Travel Blog
11. Malaysia International Tourism Blog of the Year
12. Malaysia International Expat MM2H Blog (MM2H = Malaysia My Second Home)
13. Malaysia International Eco Tourism Blog
14. Malaysia International Tourism Duty Free Shopping Blog
15. Malaysia International Homestay Blog
16. Malaysia International Tourism Tourism Destination Blog

You need to sign in Facebook to vote. Judging criteria is based on 80% public voting and 20% on judges’ decision. Meaning, the most votes is winner.

There’s a Tourism Bloggers Conference

Oh yes, there’s a 2 days conference on 8th-9th May 2012 at Seri Pacific Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. It is free registration. Tea break and lunch provided. Sounds great, huh?

But, who are the speakers? The website mention nothing about the invited conference speakers.

My two cents

Not sure how much did the Ministry of Tourism, Malaysia spent to develop the website, I think they can do much better with proper web design. The website itself does not get enough attention that I don’t see my fellow Malaysian blogger friends talk about it at all.

If you have a minute, please vote for this blog. I don’t mind to be awarded, anyway.

Malaysia International Tourism Bloggers Conference & Award 2012 is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Beside Google AdSense, now you can make money with your blogs using Google Affiliate Ads for Blogger by promoting relevant products in your posts.

Get started

First of all, you need an AdSense account. If you don’t, sign up here.

1. Write a new post on Blogger
2. If your blog matches available ad categories, the ‘Advertise Products’ gadget
   will appear in the Post Settings panel
3. Select an affiliate ad from the ‘Advertise Products’ gadget
4. Publish your post

You can type in a product, retailer or brand name into the “Advertise products” widget to get a list of products. then you can insert the affiliate ad as a link, image, or full ad.

How do you earn money?

When your blog visitor clicks on the ads and makes a purchase on the advertiser’s site, then you will earn commission. The payment will be paid through your AdSense account.

My two cents

Affiliate ads is “payment by action”. You don’t get commission if your visitor clicks but no purchase. However, the commission is usually much higher than “payment by click”. It’s good to have more ways to monetize your blog.

I wish the Google Affiliate Ads widget will be available to non-Blogger bloggers too (read: WordPress plugin!).

via Blogger Buzz

Make Money with Google Affiliate Ads for Blogger is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Dear all Google Adsense publishers, have you updated your ad unit codes to take the advantages of new AdSense features?

With the new ad unit code, you can get ads performance report for ad units, ad sizes, and more. Plus, you don’t need to update the code when you want to change the styles of your AdSense ad units.

The following InsideAdSense’s video shows you the new ad unit code features and how to create them:

(via InsideAdSense – YouTube)

AdSense: Update New Ad Unit Code and Gain Performance Insights [VIDEO] is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

WordPress 3.3, named “Sonny”, has been released. The new version features easier media upload, cleaner dashboard design, better co-editing, and new Tumblr Importer.

Easier media upload

WordPress 3.3 now makes it simpler to upload files with only only 1 upload button and auto detects the file type of your uploaded file(s). You simply drag-and-drop files into the upload area to upload your files. The uploader also added support for .RAR and .7z compressed file formats.

Cleaner Dashboard design

WordPress Admin dashboard now use flyout menus, instead of previous drop-down menus. Flyout menus efficiently speed up navigation and reduce mouse clicks. The WordPress Admin bar and the Dashboard header has been combined into single toolbar with submenus (if available). iPad or tablets users will found certain WordPress dashboard screens are looking better on their tablets.

Other improved features are better co-editing that you’ll only get co-editing warning if another person is still on the editing screen; Now you can import your Tumblr to WordPress using the Tumblr Importer. Imported Tumblr posts will be matching to WordPress post formats.

Check out the WordPress 3.3 feature overview below:

You can update to latest WordPress version via WordPress Dashboard or download here.

WordPress 3.3 “Sonny”: Easier Media Upload and Cleaner Dashboard Design is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

WordPress.com partner with Federated Media (FM) and introduce WordAds to WordPress.com bloggers who want to make money.

WordPress.COM (not WordPress.org) is one of the most popular free blog hosting site. Previously, you are not allowed to have advertisements on free WordPress.com blogs to make money online.

Now, WordPress.com partner with Federated Media (FM) and introduce WordAds (don’t confuse with Google’s “AdWords”) to WordPress.com bloggers who want to make money.

WordAds is 100% optional and is designed for bloggers who would like to earn money from their blogs by showing high quality ads from brand advertisers. FM is well known for representing top blogs with high quality ads for sites like AppleInsider, Bakerella, and BoingBoing.

You need to have a WordPress.com blog with custom domain ($12-$24/yr) before you can apply for WordAds.

Keep in mind that signing up for WordAds doesn’t necessary mean your blog will be accepted. The selection will be based on level of traffic and engagement, type of content, and language of your blog. In short, you need a quality blog.

WordAds Allows WordPress.com Bloggers to Make Money Online is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Everyday you enjoy reading unique, insightful content from bloggers. Why don’t you give a token of appreciation at the end of the year? Support your favorite bloggers, November 29 is “Pay A Blogger Day”

Created by Flattr (social micropayment system), “Pay A Blogger Day” suggest you to give something back to bloggers. Besides money donation, you can support bloggers by buying their wares or using Flattr service. Or, simpler, share the content you like to your friends on social networks (facebook, twitter).

For bloggers, there’s a small test to find out what blogging has bought you and options to tweet, embed a badge on your blog, or share on facebook.

Here is my Pay A Blogger test result screenshot:

“Blogging hasn’t even bought me a second hand car.” Ahem… not quite true.

I bought BRAND NEW FIRST HAND HONDA CITY in 2009, and bought a second hand house in 2011. Thanks for your support! Muacks!

The test is just for fun, anyway. Even “Google.com” don’t get the ultimate “blogger mansion”

Pay A Blogger Day video

How would you support bloggers whom you like?

November 29 is “Pay A Blogger Day” is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Competition online is fierce. To flourish, a blog must distinguish itself, and it does that by being mobile and engaging.

Today, smartphones account for about 40% of the cell phones in use. With mobility, the blog delivers content and insight as it occurs. By staying engaged with readers, a blog seizes attention, maintains it, and promotes participation. This type of approach earns the type of reader that keeps coming back for more.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when trying to stay mobile and engaged with your blog.

Engage Full Speed Ahead!

In order to engage effectively, we must ourselves engage. That means truly plugging in and being prepared to pounce on whichever story rises to the top. The great difficulty here is that we’re an aspect of the very network that we’re trying to serve, and that network is pure chaos. We need broad exposure while staying in touch with the blogosphere, and by doing so, we can deliver the type of content that readers will invest in and may go viral.

Tools of the Trade

Mastering the chaos may seem impossible, but appearances can be deceiving. Modern bloggers have tools at their disposal: smartphones, tablets, laptops, wireless dongles and, most importantly, applications.

Today, information is king. There is more to process and more to disseminate, and apps are key to getting it done. Here are some examples:

Dropbox – This app is a powerful cloud-based service that provides 2 GB of free storage for users. With apps for Android and iOS and software for PC and Mac, you can upload, download and share your files no matter where you’re blogging.

Evernote – For Androids and iPhones, Evernote helps us make sense of the chaos. In one sense, it is a note manager, but it is also a lot more than that. It works the way you do, and it handles ideas, snapshots and voice recordings.

NetNewsWire – This is one of many excellent apps that keep a handle on your RSS feeds. Well-chosen, well-organized RSS subscriptions are the most important tool you have to stay on top of everything going on around you, and NetNewsWire delivers this capability.

WordPress and the WordPress App

For those who blog using the WordPress platform — and if you don’t, you really should start — the WordPress mobile app is an indispensable FREE tool. Currently available for iOS, Android and BlackBerry, WordPress Mobile has a wide array of features that make many of the tasks we do from our smartphones simpler: check statistics, moderate comments, compose brief posts, location mapping, manipulating images and much more.

Blog Anywhere

Many bloggers prefer their laptop or netbook to their smartphone or tablet for the heavy lifting. To be mobile, the trick is getting that laptop a consistent internet connection.

The two most popular methods are the wireless dongle or tethering through a smartphone data plan. While purchasing wireless dongles can be an extremely convenient way of keeping your laptop connected, tethering often has numerous advantages including both flexibility and cost.

Tethering

Tethering is simply the process of using your smartphone as an internet connection for another device, and we often refer to it as creating a Wi-Fi hotspot when it can support multiple devices.

Today, most devices connect through Bluetooth, but you can also tether using a data cable, such as USB. The easiest way to tether is to have the capability as part of your data plan, and then connect your laptop via a Bluetooth connection.

Tech-savvy users can also circumvent provider fees by “jailbreaking” their phone and using tethering apps, such as MyWi or PdaNet.

Guest post: This article is written is by Blake Sanders, who is a tech writer at broadband comparison site Broadband Expert where he specializes in mobile broadband and wireless dongle information, as well as the latest industry news.

Image credit: Nathan Siemers – Flickr.com

How to Make Your Blog Mobile and Stay Engaged with Readers is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

Have you ever wished to create an iPhone app for your blog but cannot afford to hire an iPhone developer? Now you can create an iPhone app for your blog for free using Bloapp. Read my review after the break.

Bloapp is a blank iPhone app. After free registration, you setup your blog (RSS feed) with them, customize the app look and a QR code will be generated. Your readers snap the QR code and get your blog’s iPhone app.

Bloapp for bloggers

Bloapp offers 4 different layouts. You can choose theme color, upload own logo, upload header image, and customize background, font type, and text colors. You can also add mobile ads (320×50 pixels) into your app to make money from iPhone app traffic.

At the end of customization, you will get a QR code and its HTML code. Here is the Bloapp QR code for my blog (click on the QR code to download the app):

Bloapp for readers

Your readers need to install the free Bloapp app on their iPhones then use the app to scan the QR code to add your blog into the blank app. They can add more than one blog in the app.

The app re-format your blog’s RSS feed in the iPhone app and allow readers to share your articles via Facebook and Twitter. Basically, what you get in the iPhone app is same as what you get in a feed reader.

My two cents

Bloapp makes it easy to convert your blog RSS feed into an iPhone app. I’m surprised that it is free and ads free, plus it allows you to have mobile ads.

I’m not sure how many of you readers are willing to take 2 steps (install the app first then scan QR code later) to have your blog app in their iPhone but you have nothing to lose.

Click here to create your iPhone app on Bloapp.

P.S. I kept mistyping “bloapp” as “blogapp”…

Bloapp: Create Free iPhone App for Your Blog in 5 Minutes is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.

A failed blogger becomes beggar and asks for support for blog, on top of wife and kids.

I hope this will not happen to any blogger. As a full-time blogger, I won’t let this happen to me. I’ll support my wife and kids with the revenue generated from my blog.

[via constructionmarketinguk.co.uk]

When Blogger Becomes Beggar… is an article from: LiewCF Tech Blog. For more updates, please follow @liewcf on Twitter, join Facebook page and subscribe free newsletter.