Wize Blog

Continued Support of the "Long Tail" for Search

There continues to be more and more evidence to suggest a need for change in how people find things online. According to this article at Australian IT, Bill Tancer (GM of Global Research at Hitwise) suggests that people are becoming frustrated with the search results provided by the major search engines and are looking for more specificity in their results.

This shift in the search industry was even more evident and a hot topic this past week at AltSearchEngines Day II, which was held in San Francisco, CA. We had the opportunity to listen to presentations and hear panel discussions from many of the thought leaders and CEOs of startups dedicated to improving search. It's clear to us all that there is SO much to improve upon and that users will continue to see and demand improvements in how they find stuff online.

There's no denying that Google is the leader in US Searches, but the evidence continues to show that people are expecting more and more and that's where alternative search engines and innovative niche services are going to shine.

In our research and user testing at Wize, we've learned how people shop for products offline and it's only natural that they would want to shop the same way online! When was the last time anyone went to the store and asked for a Oster blender with work top, 2 speed, 40 oz blender with pulse features?! People usually will ask for something more specific to their needs, such as the best blender for smoothies and this where the long tail shines...

Exploring the Deep Web and the Future of Finding Things Online [Update]

Please visit Vator.tv to read about Wize, deep web and the discovery landscape.

Looking forward to your feedback / thoughts. Email us @ wize.com!

Apple Releases A Brand New iPod Shuffe

 

What do you think of the new iPod Shuffle? I'm a fan of "The Apple Experience" and just like all of their previous releases, this one is full of all the great PR, display ads, commercials, etc., but this release also has some interesting aspects to it.

First of all the size of the iPod has shrunk even more than the previous ones and is smaller than the size of an average house key! The access controls are now located on the right ear bud headphone cord, which is probably going to be the reason for contention. Let me explain. For now at least, you have to use Apple's own headphones in order to control this device. Oh, but did you just shell out $300 for Beats by Dre? Well as Engadget has pointed out, you'd need to get another $20-$30 adapter to make that work!

I've already spoken to a few people and over and over I keep hearing:

"Sure, but what is apple thinking? It may look super sexy, but where's the usability? You can't just pick it up and start listening to music on it. Also, I doubt people want to pay $20-30 for an adapter to use their existing in-ear or wireless headphones. Two years ago, when people had more expendable income, they could get away with it, but I don't think now.

The one cool feature that has promise is the new VoiceOver feature they've introduced. It's easy to read online reviews about it and to read Apple's own description of the technology, but this to me is just one of those things where you have to try it out yourself. The best way to test this feature and figure out if it's as good as it seems is to get out on a treadmill and determine for yourself whether it's really going to keep the Shuffle as one of the best MP3 players for working out.

How Do You Search in Google?

Just came across this great article over at Direct Mag, which talks about a HitWise survey that found longer searches to be growing rapidly, while shorter 1-3 word searches actually declining. This is really interesting and also quite exciting. We've always been about creating a more personal experience with our users and really allowing them to find the exact products to match their needs.

For example, a friend of mine that has been much more health conscious lately, recently found some juicers for fruits and vegetables through a longer search on Google. There are lots of innovative businesses that are helping to revolutionize the space and this of deep interest to us here at Wize.

Let us know some of the more interesting long searches you have done recently and whether the results were satisfactory -- we'll collect the comments / emails and re-publish them later on.

Wize Blog Redesign

Dear Friends-

Thank you for all your continued support. We're working on some cool new changes for our company blog and want to get your feedback. We're going to continue to bring everyone great new content related to products, but we're also going to start providing our readers with other helpful resources we come across and also company updates of all the great things we're working on here at Wize.

Please write to us (via email) or in the comments and let us know what you think! We love to hear your feedback so that we can continue to improve. Also, let us know what you think of the new blog design and also what kinds of content you'd like to see here.

-Wize Team

How to Enhance your Television Viewing Experience

This has been a really interesting topic of discussion for us here at Wize. A lot of us are into watching television series and there's so much more to the experience than just the quality of the show. Obviously everything else is a non-issue if the show content doesn't interest you, but let's assume you have a set of shows that you love (i.e. American Idol, 24, Lost, Family Guy, 30 Rock, Grey's Anatomy, etc.), there are a bunch of other thing that go into your overall viewing experience.

Over at Wize, we have a bunch of pages dedicated to helping people find the best flat panel televisions for watching television, or even the best flat panel televisions for your family rooms. These are televisions that people around the web have written about for those exact situations.

Ok, let's assume that you have the right equipment and it's setup for optimal performance, there are some unique ways that you can continue to enhance your experience by leveraging the power of the Web. A really great site that we've come across recently is Predictify, which is a prediction platform that adds an interactive dimension to the news and popular events. I'm a huge fan of American Idol and I recently came across some awesome dialogues and community questions about American Idol and had a great time adding my personal insight. It's a great way to keep the excitement of your favorite shows even after the show ends. On top of that, you can actually earn some money as well. Looks like there's a $ question about John Grisham live on the site right now.

Finding Great Hotel Deals For Your Vacations

Spring Break is upon us and Summer is just around the corner. It's even more important these days for people to plan their vacations ahead of time and do the smart things to save money. That's not an easy task. There are so many resources out there, yet it's tough to find a place that you can trust.

I recently stumbled upon a great service for hotel deals at DealBase.com. It's simple to use and I've been able to find some great deals in just minutes. One of the best things about it is that it calculates how much the deal is actually worth, which also saves you a ton of time and effort.

There are lots of great events in music and sports coming up in the next few months, including Opening Day at the new Yankees Stadium, NCAA Basketball Tournament and the Ultra Music Festival. Here are some relevant hotel deals that can help you prepare for the above and other events: Las Vegas Hotel Deals, New York City Hotel Deals, Miami Hotel Deals.

We know a lot of people come to Wize.com to find great products for their vacations, so we're always happy to share other great services. 

Great Resources for Planning Your Vacations

There are so many great resources available on the Web to help people with their trip planning. It's revolutionary when you think back to a few years ago when there was no way to gather and parse through all of the information about places. Traveling abroad was a different experience because much of the exploration and research could only be done in the location itself. Now there are sleek, easy-to-use resources in abundance on the Web.

Let's say for example you are planning a trip to Europe and know that you want to really explore the countries you will be visiting. One of the many ways to do so would be to rent a car and drive yourself around. Obviously, you'd want to ensure that you have a great GPS Device that has International Maps included. According to Wize.com, the best GPS Device for International Travel is the Tom Tom GO 920.

Once you have that part of your vacation set to go, there's another great comprehensive resource available that can help you with your trip planning. I recently came across this great service that can help centralize your trip planning called: NileGuide Trip Planner. It's a very simple, and easy-to-use site that can help you figure out a custom plan for your trip and also let you print out a guide! The old days of outdated published guides may be over as people now have the opportunity to do the same thing with real-time, custom information.

T-Mobile Dash Review

If you loved your Sidekick, then T-Mobile has a new sleek phone to meet your needs. The T-Mobile Dash was designed to be appealing to the people who loved the Sidekick. This phone has been rubberized, rounded and better fit for being placed in your pocket. This phone works great for emailing and has Wi-Fi capabilities; you can also view documents with the office software. The phone doesn’t let you edit documents. The keyboard has tiny buttons that can make it hard to type on if you are not used to them.

There is a lot of entertainment software available on the T-Mobile Dash. There is a media player and a microSD expansion slot. This will allow you to add music from your computer to your phone via this expansion slot with the purchase of an external memory card. The battery, when tested in the lab, will last for 10 hours. Calls can be heard loud and clear. There is no on-screen dial pad so you are unable to dial the digits by their letter alternatives. Even with this downfall, this phone is a strong contender with all the PDAs on the market.

Latest Devices information provided by Devicepedia, guest author of the Wize Blog.

Creative Labs 1 GB Zen Nano Plus MP3 Player Review

If you are looking for an inexpensive flash based player then the Creative 1GB Zen Nano Plus is the player for you. This player is selling for $109.  It offers an FM tuner and will record from various sources. These sources include FM radio, internal microphone and a line-in port. The mini-USB port allows you to sync tracks using USB 2.0. This is done by simply dragging files to the device folders but can also be done using media players. The dial feature allows you to easily thumb through files and songs. It is also easy to see the names thanks to the Zen Nano’s backlit LCD display. There are many files that are supported by the player; these include MP3, Audible and WMA.

The Zen Nano Plus will produce less distortion and noise than many other players on the market. This player has earned a high overall score for its audio quality. It does use AAA batteries as a power source. It is rated to run 18 hours on each battery. There is no key-lock feature on this player so it will be possible that you could accidentally turn it on when placing it in your pocket or bag.

Latest Devices information provided by Devicepedia, guest author of the Wize Blog.