That's right, Linux fans – a new version of Ubuntu is due out today.

If you already have Ubuntu, your system should tell you when the update is available. If not, launch the update manager in Ubuntu and it will search for the new operating system for you.

If you simply want to switch to Ubuntu, head over to Ubuntu.com, hit the download tab and follow the directions. Bear in mind that you can have Ubuntu running alongside your current operating system or you can put it on a USB drive or DVD so you can test drive it instead of installing it on your system.

A couple of years ago, I was in the market for a Ford Mustang. There are two local dealerships that sell those – I’ll refer to them as Dealership A and Dealership B.

Like a lot of consumers, I started researching Mustangs on the Internet by visiting the sites of both dealerships. I found cars that met my requirements on both sites and asked for more information about those vehicles. Dealership B got back to me in a hurry while Dealership A responded much later. I bought my Mustang from Dealership B because that lot got back to me first. Both dealerships had similar cars and there wasn’t much difference in price.

The only difference between them is that one responded to me before the other one did – the quick company made a $28,000 sale, whereas the slow one lost a customer to a competitor.

What can we take from this? Response time matters and anyone who doesn’t realize that simple truth is living in a fool’s paradise.

Now, that all makes sense, and there’s data to back up that notion. A Kellogg study proving that the odds of connecting with a lead increases 100 times if contact is made within five minutes rather than within 30 minutes. Here’s something else – leads contacted within five minutes are 21times more likely to become customers than leads contacted within 30 minutes.

The name of the game, then, is lead generation. You can spend a ton of time and cash putting together a snazzy site that gets people interested in your business, but you’re not doing yourself any favors if a slow response time means you don’t convert leads into paying customers. You can have great content and an attention-grabbing call to action button that potential customers click like crazy, but all of that is wasted effort if your response time is so slow that interest leads wander to sites run by your competitors.

If you need some help in that area, you’re in luck – there’s a company called Speak2Leads that specializes into helping you turn those leads into paying customers.

That’s why your company started an Internet site to begin with, isn’t it? The whole point of putting your company on the Web is to find people interested enough to pay you money. If your company isn’t responding quickly enough to inquiries from potential customers, then what’s the point of its Internet site?

Do you want to know the worst part of owning your own business? All the piddling tasks that you have to deal with on a day to day basis.

Well, those tasks aren’t exactly piddling – they have to be done. We’re talking about stuff like billing, customer support tasks, answering email, scheduling appointments, bookkeeping, etc. If those tasks don’t get done, you’ve got some real problems just waiting to jump up and bite you.

While those tasks are important, they keep you from doing the things that made you decide to open your own business in the first place. I know about this firsthand from the days I was an attorney. I didn’t get a law degree, pass the bar and open an office so I could spent most of my time paying bills, checking my post office box and dealing with salesmen who wandered into my office. No, I opened a law firm so I could spend my time suing people and growling at other attorneys. In other words, I loved the freedom of owning my own office, but hated the day-to-day office stuff for which I had no training and no interest.

In my case, I wound up hiring a secretary to take care of everything from scheduling appointments to putting together bankruptcy petitions. The problem with a full time employees is that they are expensive, want benefits and may or may not show up to work on time. Now, I don’t want to bash my secretary – she was great and was great at keeping me from having to deal with the tasks that need to be done but which bored me to tears. However, she was expensive and cut into my profit margin like crazy.

If I had to do it all over again, I’d avoid hiring a secretary altogether and turn to virtual assistant services instead. Why? A virtual assistant can cost half of what a regular employee does and they handle those necessary tasks you don’t want to do and that frees you up to work on the large tasks you dreamt of when you started your business. Also, you can scale your workforce at will – grab some more assistants if you have a large project requires more help and then trim your workforce back as needed (in other words, there’s no full time employee drawing a salary when there’s no work to do).

By the way, hit the aforementioned link if you want to hire virtual assistants from an American company that has no shortage of professionals with university degrees. Oh, and you can hire those smart assistants for one of the lowest rates in the industry. Not bad, huh?

Click here for more Wordless Wednesday entries.

If you don’t have a horror story or two about dentists, the chances are good you know someone who does. As for me, I’ve been through serial extractions, wisdom teeth removal, braces and a number of things that have left me with a distinct dislike of dentists.

So, when you run across one that talks about “gentle” dentistry, it’s time to pay attention. That’s doubly true if the dentist has patient testimonials on hand to back up his claims. The great thing about the Internet, of course, is that researching is very easy – finding a painless dentist (or anything else) has become much easier than it used to be.

At any rate, I’m about to make that research a bit easier for you good people in Las Vegas. Forget about running searches for “dentist Las Vegas” or “root canal Las Vegas” and simply click, click, click one of those two aforementioned links to visit the site of a dentist who promises to be gentle with patients.

Now, any dentist on the planet can make that claim, but how can you tell if the dentist is telling the truth? Fortunately, you’ve got some testimonials on that site that back up the dentist’s claims. In the words of one client who submitted a review, “…fast, efficient root canal. Did not hurt at all and face did not swell up.”

That’s good stuff. Haymore Endontics backs that claim up further by showing off an A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau. Something else in the dentist’s favor is the ability to make an appointment online in about 30 seconds. You can even make an emergency appointment on the site.

That, folks, is the epitome of convenience. In this day and age where people are in a hurry and money is tight, good customer service is essential – if you’re going to pay for something, you want to make sure you’re getting your money’s worth, right? That fast-loading, informative site is indicative of a professional who knows the value of good customer service. That speaks volumes, folks.

Again, one of the advantages of the Internet is that doing some research on dentists or anything else is easy. I wish such a tool would have been available back when I was a kid and my parents were searching for a good dentist for me. I wound up with a dentist who evidently subscribed to a philosophy that suggests that causing a patient pain is merely an unavoidable consequence of getting dental work done. It’s nice to see a dentist bucking that trend, isn’t it?

Back in my 20s, I went to law school, passed the Arkansas Bar Exam and then went to work as an attorney. While I don’t practice law anymore, I do understand what the most difficult thing was about finding an attorney was hiring one that wasn’t awful.

What’s the best way to find a solid, competent attorney? Do some research. If you’re looking for a business lawyer in Lafayette, La., just click on the aforementioned link and you can start your research immediately. What will you find there? The firm’s philosophy, areas of focus and everything else you might need when wondering where to find a good business lawyer in the area.

If you want to move past the business lawyer area, make sure to read up on the Lafayette lawyers’ areas of practice. Remember – attorneys are expensive. If you need one, you’d better hire a good one as a bad one costs about the same and can really leave you in a world of hurt.

What can you say about a site that’s been online in 1997? It’s ancient by “dot com” standards and, as such, must have something going for it.

Travel.com.au has been around since 1997 and has managed to survive the shakeups that killed a lot of online companies. I particularly like this site because I’ve always wanted to visit Australia for one reason or another (possibly because there are some areas of that country that stay between 50 degrees and 70 degrees all year long and Arkansas isn’t exactly like that).

If you’re planning a trip outside the country, the chances are good that you’ll need a little help with international flights, international airfares and those sorts of things, right? If you’re a cheapskate like I am, you’ll probably want to find some cheap flights, too. So, I tested out the site and tried to figure out what flights were available from Little Rock, Ark. to Sydney, Australia, on June 1 from the Little Rock National Airport.

Within seconds, I got to see which flights I could take, how much each one cost, how long my travel time would be and in which airports my flight would layover. That’s very convenient and the site does a great job of listing every relevant provider – you might be looking for Signapore Airlines, Jetstar, United Airlines or Qantas (just a few examples) and you can see where each of those airlines fits into your international flight (or, indeed, if they are included at all).

That’s what we call convenience, folks. Check out the site if you’re in the mood to travel.

Every wanted to take your music underwater? Ever worried that you’d ruin your iPod by taking it in a swimming pool with you? Have you ever thought that a waterproof iPod might cost you a fortune even if such a thing existed?

Well, fear not – you can have your very own underwater iPod for around $165. Yes, we’re talking about a legitimate iPod Shuffle that comes complete with waterproof headphones and everything you need to take your music with you wherever you go.

Folks, that’ significant. Think back to the 1980s (well, think back to those days if you’re old enough to remember that particular decade) when the Sony Walkman came out. It was revolutionary simply because it allowed people to take their music with them just about anywhere and listen to it in anywhere. Music became portable and very individual. For a low price, you could listen to music on the bus, in your office, in your house in such a way that you wouldn’t annoy your family with it and – as I said – go anywhere with it.

Well, you couldn’t take it underwater. That was a major limitation when you consider that three-fourths of the world is underwater.

That underwater barrier, folks, has been shattered. The iPod was limited in that regard the same way the Walkman was, but that is no longer the case. Now you can pick up an iPod Shuffle for a low price and truly take your music wherever you want.

What do you get for your money? How about a legitimate Apple device that has been improved (as mentioned) and comes in a variety of colors? How about a one-year warranty and a guarantee that the device will be waterproof up to 200 feet? It’s a pretty cool device to be sure and it is backed by a company that will give you your money back if the waterproof iPod doesn’t work as well as advertised.

Think about that for a second – a little waterproofing makes a device that was once revolutionary but has become fairly common a revolutionary music player once again. Here’s another benefit that will be recognized by anyone who has had an iPod ruined by water – you can drop this thing in the kitchen sink and it’ll be OK. That, alone, is well worth the price of admission. Have a look at the waterproof iPod, folks – when you think about all the uses for it, it’ll just become that much more attractive.

Yes, the Weekend OTR series is back and as great as ever at First Arkansas News.

Yes, the series took a bit of a vacation due to the fact the editor of the site (uh, that would be me) dealt with health problems and had a slew of freelance assignments that actually paid me money.

So, now that things have calmed down a bit, it’s time to get back to work on First Arkansas News. So, one of my favorite series’ is back and you can catch a dandy episode of Gunsmoke (one of the best old time radio westerns) by clicking here.

Years ago, I made my living as an attorney in northwest Arkansas.

I learned a thing or two during the four years when I was a lawyer and one of the most important ones was this – there are times when someone accused of a crime was actually innocent. There were other times when someone accused of a crime was actually guilty of a lesser crime – a misdemeanor instead of a felony, for example.

Here’s the thing – the guilty and not guilty faced similar fates if they weren’t represented by a good, hardworking criminal lawyer. While there were a lot of hard-working, knowledgeable public defenders available in the counties where I practiced, they were often overwhelmed by the sheer case load that got dumped on their desks daily.

Look at it this way – if a good attorney is simply overworked, how likely is it that lawyer will be able to give a client the necessary attention? Sadly, I saw a lot of cases in which someone who warranted a great defense simply didn’t get it because they had an overworked lawyer.

The same was true when it came to inexperienced attorneys. Sure, they had time on their hands, but they often didn’t know the judges or prosecutors that well and, as such, didn’t have a great working relationship with them. Such a relationship is necessary in these matters – a prosecutor who has worked a few cases with a defense lawyer is more inclined to listen seriously when it comes to working out decent plea bargains or dropping cases entirely.

The point of all this? If you need a good criminal lawyer and you happen to be in Jackson, MS, click the aforementioned link and you might just find one.

Government Gone Wild!:Watch this SHOCK video about our government's "cradle to the grave" entitlement society!

This is a guest post by Terri Huggins 

Yes, we’ve all heard the rumors by now – Foxconn is apparently up to no good.

Foxconn, of course, is the Taiwanese subcontractor that makes a ton of electronics. Check out MakeITFair for reports on horrid Foxconn labor conditions in China, forced internships, riots, suicides, child labor and all sorts of awful things.

While most of the shenanigans in Foxconn’s Chinese factories are associated with the iPhone 5, singling out Apple isn’t entirely fair. Foxconn makes a lot of electronics for manufacturers all over the planet and, no, the company just doesn’t supply cheap labor for smart phones made by Apple.

Here’s the problem – is there such a thing as an “ethical” smartphone? You know – one that isn’t made by indentured servants under awful working conditions? That question is hard to answer.

Before I go farther, I’ve got to confess I’m a bit biased. I’ve had an iPhone 4. Hated it. I’ve got an iPhone 4S. I hate that one even more. The chances are very good that I’ll hate the iPhone 5, too – I’ve played with one, but not long enough to inspire that “I ought to throw this thing out of my car window” hatred that I’ve developed for every iPhone I’ve owned. In other words, searching for an ethical smart phone is easy enough for me. I’m not buying another Apple product when I’m due for a renewal with AT&T in a few months, so trying to find something that’s not put together by virtual slave labor isn’t a problem for me. I’m not tied into Apple by any means, so I’ve got some options.

By the way, there’s a certain irony in the fact that the most easily exploitable labor in the world appears to be in the largest communist regime on the planet, but I’ll leave that discussion for another time.

At any rate, finding that ethical cell phone is quite difficult as it seems electronics are manufactured by the cheapest labor available by most companies. Want proof? Have a look at this article and notice how virtually all of the companies listed seem to have a lot of evil in their supply chains. Apple scores horribly on the report referenced in that article while RIM (the failing manufacturers of Blackberry) comes out near the top of the heap. If you don’t want to be stuck with a dying line of phones, you’ll notice that HTC – which makes pretty solid lines of Android and Windows phones – comes out OK.

Yes, it seems that HTC – a Taiwanese company – is doing what it can to keep most of its manufacturing at home where labor laws are actually enforced by the government. There’s always the argument that Apple is an American company and, as such, buying from it is better for the U.S. economy. That’s a curious argument, to be sure, as it appears Apple seems to hoard its profits and dole out some cash to American employees and investors.

If Apple really wanted to boost the U.S. economy and dodge those nagging accusations of using easily exploitable labor, perhaps the company should take a page from HTC’s book and actually building the things in its home country. Yes, there’s always the argument that American companies would be forced to jack up the prices of their stuff if they used domestic labor, but there’s something curious about that claim.

Here’s the thing – according to this article, it costs Apple $167.50 to build a 16GB iPhone 5. While it costs a cell phone customer $199 to get that same iPhone under contract, bear in mind that the build of the phone is paid off throughout the length of that contract. Customers actually wind up paying $649 for the phone (that’s the cost you’d pay if you bought an unlocked one direct from Apple). That adds up to a profit for Apple of $481.50 per phone. So, here’s the question – that’s a lot of room for a solid profit. Why not pay some American workers a bit more and realize a profit of, say, $100 or $200 per phone?

Perhaps that old line about U.S. manufacturers having to resort to cheap, foreign labor in order to keep costs to consumers down is a bunch of nonsense. It may be more likely that they’re mostly interested in maximizing profits to an obscene degree at the expense of the U.S. economy.

Yes, the rumors are true – real estate markets are still in the doldrums (just like everything else in the current economy, seemingly).

Ah, but that does create some opportunities for both buyers and sellers in certain markets. Seaside Properties Group maintains that sellers are in good shape in the luxury market in south Florida due to a lack of supply and buyers are attracted by historically lower prices. Also, it seems that builders are struggling to keep up with demand for high end properties in the area – a sure sign that a housing market is improving. You can weight the facts for yourself about the market for luxury oceanfront condos at Acqualina by clicking the aforementioned link.

When you do head to that link, you’ll find a site that’s full of information about the luxury condo market in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas. Judge for yourself how things are going down there and whether this is, indeed, a good time to buy or sell waterfront, high dollar real estate. Check out, for example, some testimonials from customers who used the site to research upscale properties such as luxury oceanfront condos at One Bal Harbour.

You want more? OK. Let’s say you’re interested in luxury oceanfront condos at Bal Harbour. You’ll find a blog that is updated regularly that discusses the markets in south Florida at length and serves as a resource for people interested in real estate in that area. Pay it a visit – it’s free to visit and you just might find something you like.

Her Bunk: Barack Obama's fund raising efforts. Audio from the archives of the Rush Limbaugh Show.

Recalling murky Chicago politics. Thank you to the Obama campaign for pointing their fingers at the "man in the white suit." They reminded us that four fingers on each hand were pointing right back at them. I guess since they said it first, we can not cry FELON without fear of being called racists.&

So pencil in your own remembered examples of Obama's murky past and less than favored associations in the comment section.  If Obama were not president, by now the FBI would be tracking his past activities because ...

AF "Tony" Branco:

A.F. "Tony" Branco, Contributing Editorial Cartoonist:

If you haven't been following the Lum and Abner comic strip over at First Arkansas News, you're missing out on all the fun.

Who are Lum and Abner? They were a couple of Arkansas boys who made it big nationally in the 1930s through 1950s when old time radio (OTR) was king. Out of all the rural comedy acts, Lum and Abner stood head and shoulders above the rest (yes, that is an opinion -- I'm very biased here).

The Lum and Abner comic strip, penned by the skilled Donnie Pitchford and put together as a collaborative effort with First Arkansas News (yes, I do own that site), is a project we started in late May 2011. We've just bought the rights to use the characters for another year and are looking forward to year two of the series.

Do we get a lot of money out of it? Uh, heck no. We do it because it's fun and pays homage to a couple of legendary Arkansas performers (well, we hope it pays homage to them, at least).

Ready to wind that clock back about 80 years and take a trip down memory lane to rural Pine Ridge, Ark.? If so, click here and have a look at the strips we've posted so far. A new strip is posted every Sunday and you lucky folks who live in the Arkansas cities of Amity and Mena can check out the strip every Thursday in your local newspaper.

So, there you are – you’ve realized that the Yellow Pages section of the phone book doesn’t work anymore and you need to market your local business through the Internet.

So, how can you do that? Bear in mind that marketing a business locally is a bit of a challenge. It might seem like a bit of a paradox, but reaching those customers located within your local market online can be more than a bit difficult. How would a business owner just getting into the game of Internet marketing go about it? Do you have the skills to take on such a project that will either pay off very well for you or fail as your competitors cut into your customer base?

Fortunately, there is a company out there that is set up to help small to medium-sized businesses market locally on the Internet – RevLocal. What is that company? That bunch has spent the past 17 years (an eternity in “Internet years”) dealing with search engine optimization (SEO). What is SEO? Simply put, good SEO means that your business pops up in search engines ahead of competitors, making it easy for customers to find you first. What you need, precisely, is local SEO and RevLocal has the background to help you out in that regard.

Any local business owner out there needs to take advantage of the power of local search and many of them need help getting in front of customers. There was a time when getting in front of local customers simply meant taking out a decent phone book ad and waiting for customers to respond. If you business is still doing that, consider this – how much business is that tactic getting you these days?

The fact of the matter is that more and more people turn to the Internet first when looking for local businesses. If you’re not in front of them, one of your competitors will be. It was predicted in the 1990s that the Internet would change the way we do business. That forecast has come true and local businesses would be wise to adapt to the new landscape.