Back in 2011 Google made these 3 videos with the common theme: “What if we forced online shopping demands and user patterns in an offline scenario”. Spot on – the videos are crazy good -it’s funny because it’s true, and sadly they are still very relevant! Kudos to the UK Google team for these three gems – I’m fairly sure that you will be able to recognize some the points that are made here

Take 5 minutes out of your busy schedule and enjoy! My personal favorites are the “log in to check out”, system crash, and the additional express charge.

Online Checkout – Google Analytics in real life

To complete the checkout, please login and….

Landing Page Optimization – Google Analytics in real life

Other customers who bought this, also bought….

Google Analytics In Real Life – Site Search

It’s really not that easy to find what you are looking for

All images and videos are courtesy of Google©

The post Google Analytics and E-Commerce in real life first appeared on foged.net.

A lot of us have been waiting for the free Windows 10 update for quite some time now.  You know if you have been eligible for this update, if you have had the “Get Windows 10” notification in your taskbar, in the lower right corner
Edit: Had a question about “the little red icon” – it’s my VPN

Get Windows 10 notification in Windows

When ever you clicked on it, you just got this message – that basically said “We’ll get back to you”, after you finished the registration.

The “Thank your for reserving the free Windows 10 update” message

Perhaps it’s just me – the “OK, notify me when ready” (that we first saw about 2 months ago), felt a little bit like this situation

Yeah – We’ll get back to you, and your call is very important to us

So – it’s July 29th – Happy Windows 10 day!

Hooray! It’s here! All should bow towards Redmond, Washington, US of A in gratitude of the free Windows 10 update.

However…

Due to a gazillion people worldwide wanting to upgrade at the same time, Microsoft have made a queue for all wanting to update – so it might be some time before you are automatically prompted that your reserved Windows 10 update is ready.

But I want Windows 10 today… TODAY I SAID!!!

Fear not noble Sir / Madam – your request shall be fulfilled…. A solution has presented itself today on Reddit – and it’s actutally not too tricky. Just remember – just because it worked on my Windows 8.1 PC – it might not work on yours – don’t shoot the messenger

Here is what you should do:

1. Go to the folder “C:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution\Download” and delete everything. This is the download folder for Windows Updates, and will remove updates waiting to happen – no worries. If you can’t delete all of the folders – no problem, just delete the ones you can
   ….and just replace C:\ with another letter, if your Windows is not installed on the C:\ drive.
2. Find the Windows Update application, by pressing Windows key to start searching, and type “Windows Update”. And click on it – it should look something like this:
   

   Search for the Windows update application

3. Now press the Windows key again and Search for “cmd”, to find the Command Promt. Click on it with the right mouse button, and choose “Run as Administrator”
   

   Open the Command Prompt as Administrator

   ….we’re almost there

4. Do not press enter yet, but type “wuauclt.exe /updatenow” in the command prompt – this command will force Windows Update to check for updates, after you press Enter, which you shouldn’t do now.
   

   Admin Command Prompt to force updates

5. Go back to the Windows Update windows, and press “Check for updates” in the left side menu. Windows should now start checking for updates, as per usual
   

   Windows starts checking for updates

6. Quickly switch back to the Command Prompt, and now press Enter – even though nothing really seems to happen, the magic will now start.
   

   Administrator Command Prompt after pressing Enter

Voila – You have now started downloading Windows 10 and skipped the queue!

When you switch back to the Windows Upgrade Window, you should see Windows 10 Update has started to download.

Windows 10 has started downloading

Happy downloading your free Windows 10 upgrade!

Get yourself a cup of coffee while the Windows 10 update downloads, and feel great that you “beat the system”. Perhaps do like Carlton – now is the time

The post How to get Windows 10 today – skip the queue first appeared on foged.net.

My beloved Sony Xperia Z3 compact (perfect size, water proof, and AMAZING battery life) decided to give up on me today. I’m NOT a happy camper

Apparently it take one perfectly timed itty bitty drop to make the Z3 Compact completely self destruct. Lesson learned – I’ll reluctantly use covers from now on!

I’m actually kind of impressed – a 50 cm drop (2 feet) made the screen crack (and breaking the touch display, rendering the phone useless), crack the back panel AND the frame. I guess it’s an “all or nothing” thing…

…actually it wasn’t a drop per se – it slid of an surface, due to the Xperia Z3 Compact annoyingly slippery glass back panel.. Grrrrr….

The results of a 50cm slide’n’drop

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – Cracked display and touch digitizer

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – Cracked back panel

Sony Xperia Z3 Compact – Cracked frame

Dear Sony Xperia Team

Why oh WHY have you made this excellent phone with an Ultra Slippery McSlipster glass back panel – it literally slides off every single surface I put it on. Why not an anti-slippery back surface that DOESN’T CRACK? I suggest the same back material as on the Z4 tablet – it is lighter,thinner, doesn’t crack and doesn’t slide off everything.

So – what Z3-Compact-similar-sized, non-Apple,  Android Device should I go for now?

Who am I kidding – I’ll get the exact same model again – and an thin anti-slippery cover

The post My Sony Xperia Z3 Compact self-destructed first appeared on foged.net.

Day 1 – uninstall everything from Cupertino

The first sensational feeling was today when I could FINALLY uninstall iTunes, Bonjour, Apple mobile drivers, etc. on my computer. Never again will I have to wait forever when pluggin’ in an iPad, with the “Syncing” message running. Also not having do to all kinds of Ninja tricks to play my local media files on my iPad, media files that haven’t been purchased from the iTunes Store.

People who know me, know that I have liked (even loved) most of my Apple products but despised iTunes from my very first encounter in 2008. Actually I’m a bit baffled that Apple haven’t fixed that terrible piece of s… ehhh… Software. Anywho!

Admittedly – the whole thing about transferring my own media content such as DVDs, CDs etc. is in the year of 2015 a virtually non-existing problem, due to streaming services such as Deezer, Spottify, Netflix, HBO and the likes. Nevertheless, very much an annoyance in the past.

Ahoy – an Android tablet awaits in the future

Today was also the day when the 2-week countdown started to my iPad replacement will arrive, and I can’t wait. I think I finally found an Android Tablet that will last 1-2 years, like my iPads have done in the past

For the first time since the lauch of the iPad, an Android based tablet seem to be able to match and beat the iPad. And that is my own humble oppinion, if you were wondering.

And the new contender, that I pre-ordered today is: Sony Xperia Z4 tablet, here is a picture of the pretty little fellow (from Sony’s webstite)

By the way – I chose the WiFi only model. I had LTE in my iPad and never ever used it (use Wifi Tethering with Xperia Z3 Compact whenever needed, so decided to use that learning to save some bucks on my Z4 tablet.

So why the Sony Xperia Z4 tablet?

Actually for several reasons – all of which I haven’t really found another replacement until now.

1. Size matters! The Z4 tablet has the right one for me. It has a 10.1” display, and at 389 grams it’s close to perfect. Big screen and small weight – whats not to like?
2. The display form factor. I use my tablets a lot for streaming video – and the iPad 4:3 aspect ration is a little annoying in that regard, with big black bars on the top and bottom of the video. The Z4 has a 16:10 aspect ration, which is very close to normal 16:9 used in TV shows and most movies.
3. With an 2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, 64-bit Octa Core processor under the hood, combned with 3Gigs of RAM I’m fairly sure that performance won’t be an issue. As in – at all.
4. High resolution display. Lesson learned using the iPad Air – 2560×1600 pixels provides an crisp experience.
5. Long battery life. Apparantly up to 17 hours of video watching. When travelling, I need long battery life. Usually manufacturers tend to exaturate heavily on this parameter, but I have to admit that the amaing battery life of my Sony Xperia Z3 Compact has given Sony some extra bonus points here – hopefully the Xperia Z4 tablet will do the same. (Whatch and learn Samsung…)
6. It’s pretty and super slim. I like the design, and with 167 x 254 x 6.1 mm dimensions it’s super compact.
7. Micro SD expansion. SHAME ON ALL MANUFATURERS that decided to skip the Micro SD expansion option. No excuse here – just saying!
8. No “flaps” covering the Micro USB charging. Not a fan of them on my Z3 Compact.
9. The other stuff: Waterproof, NFC, Bluetooth 4.1 etc. yadi yadi yadi yadi… It’s all good.

Source: Sony Global website for the Z4 tablet

Is there anything I don’t like about the Z4 Tablet?

Yes. I basically have the some of same issues with the Z4 tablet as my Xperia Z3 compact. Remember that I haven’t actually seen the Z4 yet.

1. No QI wireless charging. Come on SONY – you create an amazing waterproof device, and yet you do not include QI charging? A little disappointed here
2. USB 2.0 connectivity, and not USB 3.0. Moving large video files back and forth would be so much faster with USB 3.0. Simple solution is obviously a snappy Micro SD card in a USB 3.0 cardreader – but still. USB 3.0 should be in a premium device like the Z4 Tablet
3. SONY’s modding of the Lollipop user interface, and bloatware. No – I actually haven’t triet it yet, but I imagine that this won’t be entirely different.
4. 32 GB storage including the OS is a bit on the low side.

Check out all of the specs here on SONY’s webpage

So what’s next?

Well – easy really. SONY needs to actually start selling the Xperia Z4 tablet, go through the pre-orders, find my order, pack it very very well – and finally pyt it in a massive canon and shoot the parcel in my direction!

Or… Just tickle have Amazon DHL a little bit as promised, and have the package delivered asap.

According to SONY the should start shipping on May 29^th, so I should have it here in Denmark in early June. When that happens, I’ll be back with an actual hands-on review.

Is it early June yet? Tic-toc… Tic toc..

The post A tale of tablets – the evolution first appeared on foged.net.

Goodbye, Apple iPad – we’ve had a great run together!

We have had an on/off relationship for better and worse. Ever since we first met in Denmark in November 2010 and you convinced me that tablets were the “real deal” (even though you were a bit on the slow side). Our relationship became better when you changed your name to iPad 2, speeded things with a sexy A5 processor and clickyti-click magnets and covers. I instantly grabbed you off the shelf in Chicago in the summer of 2011, and was a happy camper for a long time. Ahhh – good times…

A new contender – the Google Nexus 7

I know it was my fault that our relationship didn’t last.

I sold you when Google wanted to fight you with the Nexus 7, in the summer of 2012. Since 7 is my lucky number I couldn’t resist – I went for the Nexus 7.

Boy was that a bad choice! The Nexus 7 was poorly build (unlike you), had worse battery life, had to be replaced twice due to construction errors, overheating and failing touch sensors, and a terrible experience in general. On a personal note, the 7” display on the Nexus 7 was simply too small, and not worth switching to from my Samsung Galaxy SIII. And let’s not forget the missing tableoptimized apps in Google Play at the time… Shame on you Google, better luck next time.

Needless to say, my Nexus 7 went back on eBay sooner than I could say “I miss you iPad, so so much”

I couldn’t take you back though. You had changed!!!!
How to put this politely… You had gained weight (a lot) when you called yourself iPad 3/4/Retina, and I couldn’t take you out anymore. Simply put, you were heavy, chunky and no fun.

And then something happened! Your team in Cupertino made you exercise, and you became thin, super fast, fancy and elegant. The iPad Air was born, you were pre-ordered yet again, we rekindled our relationship, and for the last year and a half we have had daily contact.

But…

You come with attachments and iTunes and I will NEVER be friends. Your interface and ecosystem is completely shut off for people (like me) who like to change things up a bit. Moving my media (pictures, videos, and music) through iTunes, was simply agonizing, and I refuse to do it all over in iTunes – I spend MONTHS on digitizing my CDs and DVDs. Your user interface was groundbreaking in 2008 and iOS super tight, but seven years later in 2015 you have barely changed. I’m bored – and we are done, I’ve had it – I break up!
Android caught up with you – and I finally feel ready to go “all Android” for my mobile devices. Once I also had an iPhone 3G & iPhone 4, but they were replaced for good in 2012 with various Android mobiles – Samsung Galaxy SIII in 2012, HTC One (m7) in 2013 and now Sony Xperia Z3 Compact (in 2014), which is my current mobile.

So what tablet will I go for? Read my next post: A tale of tablets – the evolution.

The post A tale of tablets – the beginning first appeared on foged.net.

The Virtual Private Internet VPN service has an excellent throughput, which makes streaming of video services super smooth and painless, even though it is streamed through the VPN connection. Usually get roughly 85-90% of the bandwidth provided by my Internet Service Provider, I really can’t complain about that.

Super easy to install – just download a program to your Windows / Mac computer, enter your login details, and you’re good to go.

Tested quite a few VPNs over the years, and I stuck to this one the last two years. A combo of “if it ain’t broken” and a low subscription from only $ 3.33 per month.

But what about my Android, iPhone or iPad?

The VPN service works just as fine on Android devices and iOS devices, such as iPad and iPhone at no extra charge. Can be a little tricky to set up on iOS devices (took me a while to figure out), but the outcome is absolutely worth the effort. Android setup is super easy with an App, and similar to the Windows / Mac install.

At the same time good for making your digital profile anonymous for private, safe and secure browsing.

Yes – I’m a big fan of online privacy

Try the VPN service here

The post A great VPN  service first appeared on foged.net.

With this new update the Chromecast utilizes HDMI-CEC better, and the Chromecast just becomes even more value for money than it already was. (Yes, I’m a Chromecast fan-boy).

Android Police has bit more detailed description of the new funcionaly here: Chromecast Can Now Respond To Your TV’s Remote Control, But Only On Some Models

Great update  Google, keep’em coming.

Can’t wait to try it out soon at home

Edit: My otherwise excellent Samsung TV wasn’t one of the “Supported Models”, and neither was my Sony Home Theatre. Bummer.

I guess it’s time to go TV shopping, am I right?

The post Chromecast can now be controlled with your TV remote first appeared on foged.net.

This topic pops up quite often when talking with clients, since many are under the impression, that the highest bid always wins in an AdWords PPC auction.

For the same reason, people are often surprised to see how ad quality improvements and focus on optimal landing pages can improve the ROI  of AdWords significantly.

What should I work on to improve my position then?

The Google team made this excellent video in Mid 2014, that explains quite well, how the bid is only a part of ad performance (although a big part), and how other factors also are a big part of the equation.

Enjoy an “oldie” but goldie from the Google Ads team – they did well.

The post The highest bid gets the highest position in the Adwords Auction, right? first appeared on foged.net.