Computer taking ages to start-up? Welcome to the future...

Everyone that has used Windows has used Internet Explorer. It is on every single Microsoft Windows PC, but in a recent European court case, users will have to choose to download internet explorer onto their PC or work computer.

On 11th of December 2008, Google publicly released their first version an internet browser called Google Chrome. In just under a year, Chrome has risen to almost 5% of the UK browser market whilst Microsoft's internet explorer has declined just over 10% within the same time period. Google claims that there are now 40 million worldwide Chrome users.

On the 7th of July this year, Google announced that they are to release their own operating system called Google Chrome OS. So what's the difference between the browser Google Chrome and the Google Chrome Operating System? Not much...

Google Chrome OS is essentially an internet browser that operates your whole computer. This has some major implications on the way estate agents access, manage and use their work.

Firstly, estate agents and general users will not install any programs onto their computer, all of it will be held in 'the cloud' (the internet). Meaning that estate agents do not have to install and manage their own programs, saving space and updating time.

Secondly having the minimum amount is held on the computer means that the start-up time for the beta version is currently a miniscule 7 seconds. No longer will estate agents start their computer, make a cup of tea and then sit around waiting their computer to load or wasting energy by leaving their computer on all night.

The last implication is security. Google boasts that Chrome OS distrusts every program that is run on it as well as not trusting itself while checking the code every time it is restarted so that it can repair itself if it senses something is wrong.

Troy Stanley, CTO of Resource Techniques comments, 'In the not too distant future, estate agents could take their Google Chrome OS on the road and take it from viewing to viewing.'

'Within seconds, their laptop will load up and an internet connection will allow them to access 'the cloud'. Instantly letting estate agents edit any of their work files without having to transfer or re-edit them back at the office.' - Troy Stanley

Estate agents, are you interested in finding out more? Contact us on Twitter or Facebook.

Dying to be remembered

A morbid subject but everyone has at one time or another pondered what happens to you once you die. Whether you go on to an afterlife, are reborn or just fade away into oblivion, one thing is certain. Your Facebook profile will still be there.

The good news out of this gloomy subject is that Facebook have decided to allow your memory to live on within their social network. They have announced that a profile can be turned into a memorial of its decreased owner. Facebook will remove contact information, status updates, change privacy settings and Facebook will no longer suggest the deceased member to other Facebook members - They will of course require confirmation of the deceased which must include verification from an obituary or a news article!

Sources indicate that the move has been prompted because some Facebook members being suggested to add as a friend, 'reconnect', or be reminded by a status updates automatically by Facebook's news feed of a deceased friend - something that can cause a lot of emotional pain.

The negative side of this is that you have no control over your Facebook profile once you have passed on. Not that Facebook has 'evil' plans for your profile, but estate agents may not want their memory to eternally held by a social networking company.

What isn't clear is what will happen to your profile, when sufficient time has passed and all your Facebook friends have passed on too. Will Facebook delete you or do they have a moral responsibility not to?

The positive side of this is that a Facebook tombstone is accessible from any of your friends and from anywhere on the planet. They can leave tributes on how you touched their lives and use your shared photos as happy memories that will never be forgotten.

Estate agents, would you like your Facebook profile to carry on after your ultimate demise, would you prefer for it to be completely erased, or do you simply not care?

Let us know what you think! Contact us on our Facebook fan page or Twitter profile or call us on 0208 457 4777.

Complete guide to creating an estate agent Facebook Fan page

This is a message to all estate agents that have not yet put their businesses on Facebook: Your Time Is Up! Stop giving excuses, now is the time to put your business on Facebook! Make contacts, share interests and then direct them to your fantastic website where they can view all your high resolution pictures, play with enhanced Google mapping and receive email alerts of new properties coming on the market. Yay!

The phrase 'You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink' comes to mind. Luckily this article is not designed to convince agents that social networking is free advertising with personal interaction between customers, but to instruct agents on how to create their own Facebook business page. Here goes...

Firstly go to create a new Facebook page. Click on the drop down box under 'Area' and chose the option 'Property'.



Next type in your estate agency name under the heading 'Name of Property'. Ideally you want to put something along the lines of '[Company name] - Estate Agent in [Local area]).



Next type in the words stated in the box. This is for security check purposes to check that you are human. If you have trouble reading the letters, click on 'try different words' to bring up two different words for you to type in or 'an audio CAPTCHA' to hear the words being said aloud.



Next tick the box next to 'I am authorised to create this Page' and then type in your name in the electronic signature and click 'Create Page:



If you are not logged in, you will see this screen. From here you can either pick 'I already have a Facebook account' or 'I do not have a Facebook account'. From here, please sign in or follow the steps to create a new account.

or



Once signed in, agents will see this screen:



It is the shell of your Business page or fan page. From here agents will need to fill in their company details so that it is accessible from your fans. Firstly click on the 'edit information' link on the right hand side. This will allow agents to add in information about their agency such as address, phone number, opening hours, website, parking and description of public transport.



Once this section has been completed, move your mouse over the big grey question mark in the top left. A small link should appear with the text 'change picture'. Once this link has been clicked, a small drop down box will appear with 5 different options. Choose the option 'Upload a picture'.





From here, a window will appear for you to upload a picture. Ideally you will want to choose your company logo. Once uploaded, the picture will appear instead of the grey question mark in the top left hand corner. Next click on the box on the left which says 'write something about...' Here you need to need include certain key words such as 'residential/letting' 'estate agent in' and the areas that you cover, plus a short description of the company.



To complete the fan page, upload photos and discussions. Discussions can include news articles and the latest property developments in your area. Once this has been filled in, click on 'publish this Page' and your estate agent Fan page will be accessible by everyone on Facebook.



From here, it is up to you to keep the page updated. See the screenshot below gauge the variety of postings and articles that fans love to read.



If you have any questions regarding setting up a Facebook page, please contact us via our Facebook Fan Page or call us on 0208 457 4777.