Web Analyst » Tools

Demonstrating brand decline with Google Insights for Search – Treo Example

Gaston — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 19:31:32 +0000

Google’s Insight for Search is going to be my favorite research tool. Take, for example, a search for the word “Treo”: http://google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=treo&geo=US&date=&clp=&cmpt=q

The Treo peaked in 2005, and is currently experiencing a small revival.

You can also demonstrate cycles, such as this search for “christmas Cookies recipe”: http://google.com/insights/search/#cat=&q=Christmas%20cookies%20recipe&geo=US&date=&clp=&cmpt=q

I just found a huge analyst cookie jar…

With new player, Real adopts software model of company it had threatened 7 years earlier (Streambox)

Gaston — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 15:48:25 +0000

New RealPlayer Instantly Downloads Online Video — www.RealPlayer.com

The new RealPlayer has sparked all kinds of deep copyright discussions, but the irony I note in this launch is the similarity of this new capability with that of the StreamBox Ripper. StreamBox Ripper was a product that allowed for the saving of – among others – RealAudio streams. Real threatened Streambox and Streambox backed down, in an early application of DMCA.

That said, RealPlayer was due for an overhaul.

Apple iTunes Plus still missing international purchases

Gaston — Thu, 31 May 2007 17:21:24 +0000

Apple Launches iTunes Plus

Apple’s iTunes launch of DRM-free purchases has bee rightly heralded as a happy jingle. However, Apple still misses the mark and a golden opportunity with international purchases.

As the holder of a US-based iTunes account, I can visit, but not purchase from, the iTunes store in France. I understand that, with different prices and agreements across the ocean, Apple wants to prevent cross-country arbitrage, but it’s beyond me why I can’t buy a tune from iTunes France when it’s not offered at all in the US.

Apple, give us an “Export” option! Make money in the process.

Microsoft Announcing Windows Live Mail

Gaston — Tue, 08 May 2007 21:49:21 +0000

Link to Windows Live Mail: Announcing the Upcoming Windows Live Mail!

Microsoft has cleaned up its free mail client approach and is merging the best of Outlook Express, Windows Mail and the Windows Live Mail Desktop.

and: no ads! (at least no banner ads)

Deeper, Juicer Analytics

Gaston — Tue, 21 Nov 2006 21:09:30 +0000

The good folks at Juice Analytics maintain a blog rich with analytical hints and tips.

See for instance the “Top Resources for Analysts: Excel, Data Analysis and Business Intelligence, and Charting, Visualization and Presentation“

Pivot Tables

Gaston — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 04:01:39 +0000

Any analyst who doesn’t know about Pivot Tables in Excel is either wasting time or charging their customer for useless time. Pivot tables are essential to quickly summarize data in Excel. They are the reporting equivalent of “back-of-the-envelope” calculations, but can also be used for long-term reports. Microsoft offers various tutorials on Pivot Tables, I recommend this one.

Analyzing folder contents using Firefox and Excel

Gaston — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:27:17 +0000

When a quick analysis of the contents of a Windows folder is necessary, navigate to that folder using Firefox. Firefox will show an html page with a directory index.

Copy the page content into Excel, and the data can then be manipulated, for instance sorted by date or included in a Pivot Table.

The same can be done from a list of e-mails in Outlook to Excel.

Quick process modeling reference

Gaston — Tue, 10 Oct 2006 03:23:30 +0000

http://www.agilemodeling.com/style/activityDiagram.htm

Provides a great simple reference to process modeling with key themes and examples. The specialist can dig deeper into UML, and the beginner can quickly grasp essential concepts.

Windows Live Mail Desktop: First Impressions

Gaston — Mon, 28 Aug 2006 22:35:31 +0000

This new mail client, based on Outlook Express, delivers more simplicity than its descriptive but uninspiring name (will the next Excel be called “Windows Live Spreadsheet Desktop”?)

At first sight, the program seems completely new, with a UI inspired by Vista and those soft, rounded edges… In reality, the foundation is clearly Outlook Express, as any visit to the options or the menus will show. Support for IMAP is improved (goodbye, “Purge”), although still wobbly (slow interaction with subfolders). Spellcheck is inline, and ads are back, something that Outlook Express lost long ago.

The UI is promising, but there’s a lack of visual contrast between the four vertical panes (shortcuts, list of messages, preview and ads), and between the different accounts in the shortcuts.

Hotmail/Livemail support is similar to Outlook Express – solid, but without support for the newer features in Hotmail, such as junk management.

Gmail support is claimed, but this relies on Gmail’s POP support. Nothing impressive there (the program started downloading two years worth of Gmail messages, which was not my intention.)

It appears that this client can import messages from PST, but not access a PST folder in the way that Outlook can

Goodbye Outlook Express, Hello Live Mail Desktop

Gaston — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 21:30:54 +0000

If anyone was wondering why the next version of Office for the home won’t include Outlook – here’s why. Microsoft is brewing a new desktop mail client called Live Mail Desktop.

Now if it natively and quickly handles PST archives, I’m leaving Outlook!