We are delighted to be able to announce the latest exclusive Fresh Pod offer for fans of the little green ethylene control wonder, across the social media sphere.

All you need to do to receive the unique code, earning you a massive 33% off is to follow Fresh Pod on Facebook and Twitter. We have even provided the links to do so to save you all that pesky searching. You're welcome.

The offer expires on 26th November 2011 - giving you just enough time to stock up on gifts for friends and family this Christmas.

In yet more good news, we are delighted to welcome our latest Work Experience recruit to the team. Daniel White has joined on an 8-week work experience placement from Norwich Jobcentre. Daniel is using his voice of an angel (find out why) to help us manage our Online Business Directory's.

We are delighted to have Daniel, who has proved willing to get his hands dirty (metaphorically) with a range of tasks and hope we can give him the experience needed to go on to a fulfilling career in his chosen field.

We have one more marketing, sales and events work experience vacancy available at the moment - for more information on how to apply please contact our Marketing Manager Andrew Lawn on 08456 345 185 or email him and he will be happy to help.

 Google is a fascinating proposition.

If you discount for a moment the beautiful simplification of the idea in the first place. Discount, the fact that at the last estimate, it dealt with over 400,000,000 different queries EVERY day (that's over 4,600 a second). Even discount just how much knowledge (and skating boarding animals) Google gives us - Google remains fascinating.

As a result of the above; the science behind how Google determines who should sit top of their listing for any request is big business. Numerous companies, in numerous guises, pledge to send you to the top of Google in the blinking of any eye. Some of them may even do it. But the beauty is, no-one can ever guarantee it, because what puts you there, evolves as fast as the internet itself and remains firmly under lock and key at Google HQ.

Long ago, keywords were essentially (but not entirely) the be-all and end-all. The more your website said the words "marketing agency" the higher Google placed you. As such, clever SEO specialists would fill your site with invisible keywords (i.e. in white text on a white background) which Google would swallow up. Unsurprisingly, it did not take Google long to see through this cunning rouse and adapted their ranking criteria accordingly.

Today, the mix is much more subtle and designed to ensure that the user gets the most relevant information out of any search. As such Google looks far wider than keywords and in a far-more intelligent way than merely reading and counting. Now Google looks for everything. All the content on your site is judged by it's accuracy and relevancy to any given search. Therefore, unlike before, if your site says "we outsource to a marketing agency" and a user searches "marketing agency" Google will recognise the context of the keywords in that sentence. As such the quality of your sites content is more important than ever. No longer will it do to just say (or be a) "marketing agency".

Google will do the same thing with links. Both internally and externally Google will look at who is linking to your site and why. Not only that, bu the more illustrious Google deems those who link to you, the more your site will bask in that reflective glory. (Incidently this is why membership of our Online Business Directories is so valuable...).

Google manages the same trick with it's adverts, both on searches and in services such as Google+ and Gmail. Try it out for yourself - send an email to a friend and say you fancy a trip to the cinema and Google will populate the side panel with cinema listing websites. Say that you can't afford the cinema and Google will give you adverts for DVD rentals. The software is so advanced that in a recent research project I discovered Google can pick up on the emotion of an email and stops putting adverts in emails which talk about sombre subjects such as terminal illness or death.

In our opinion, all of the above makes Google the closest thing to artificial intelligence that we have produced - use it in your business and if you aren't sure how, speak to us as we could talk about it all day.

 Events and exhibitions play a key role in many marketing campaigns. Therefore alongside our marketing experience, at The Lively Crew we have a dedicated Events Team, who manage and assist in a range of events, ranging from Trade Shows, Awards ceremonies, Business Seminars and Forums to taking a mobility trike from England’s south coast, through France, across the Swiss Alps and back again - and everything in between.

We excel in:

• Planning
• Events Team - focused on outcomes
• Management
• Stand and sponsorship sales
• Brochure/programme sales
• Sponsorship

The Lively Crew doesn’t just do events. We step into your organisations shoes and become part of your exhibition team. With no shrinking violets in the team, we know how to approach potential business, how to behave professionally on a stand and always achieve targets whilst doing so, allowing you to enjoy quality time spent with people you want to meet knowing your stand is in good hands.

We can also assist in selling an event too. From awards ceremonies, corporate, hospitality, fundraising activity and formal dinner events, make use of our great team, renowned for making an event go smoothly whatever the occasion.

 Disabled Motoring UK was saddened to hear the announcement from Motability today that significant changes will be made to the Motability scheme. Although these changes are being made to ensure the scheme is protected in years to come there will be less choice for customers in the type of car they can choose.”

When making the announcement Motability Chairman Lord Sterling said: “Despite meeting the mobility needs of disabled people for over 33 years, it is very important that we are not complacent.  We must continuously strive for excellence by examining and refining all aspects of the Scheme.  During 2011, we have reviewed a number of issues including the range of cars available on the Scheme and the clarity of our policies on how the cars are used and by whom.”

The changes announced today include:

•    Limiting the range of vehicles available to cars with an Advance Payment of £2,000 or less, approximating to a Recommended Retail Price limit of circa £25,000.  These changes will be fully implemented in December 2011.  

•    Limiting the nominated drivers to those who live within 5 miles of the customer in order to minimise the risk of the car being used other than for the benefit of the disabled person

•    Piloting new vehicle technologies to monitor how cars are used where the greatest risk of abuse is perceived.

•    Requiring a Statement of Responsibilities to be signed at the beginning of each lease by the customer and nominated drivers together with the supplying motor dealer to ensure that the key responsibilities of each party have been communicated and are clearly understood.

•    No longer accepting nominated drivers under the age of 21 on the Scheme from January 2012, unless they reside with the disabled customer.  

•    Restricting young drivers under the age of 25 to cars in ABI Insurance Group 16 or lower which also have a power output of 115 BHP or less.

Helen Dolphin, Disabled Motoring UK Director of Policy and Campaigns said: “With so many negative stories in the press it was inevitable that Motability was going to have to make some changes to the scheme. Although it is disappointing that these changes will mean disabled people will have less choice, we know that the longevity of the scheme is the most important thing. The scheme has been running for over 30 years and has helped numerous disabled people to be mobile. We hope that these changes will stop some of the negative press reports and focus future attention on the enormous benefits that this scheme provides to seriously disabled people.”

 We are contacting MP's about Cosy Pod following calls for action from David Cameron and senior figures, who are in demanding measures to reduce household energy bills.
 
According to the Norwich Evening News article:
 
Mr Cameron yesterday held a summit meeting with the chief executives of the "big six" energy suppliers, along with community groups and watchdog Ofgem.
 
The prime minister told them it was "absolutely vital" that consumers struggling already with rising food and petrol prices were not also hit by higher fuel bills.
 
Energy firm bosses agreed a number of measures and millions of customers will receive letters from the government offering advice on how to reduce costs by switching to different payment methods and taking advantage of free or subsidised insulation.
 
Suppliers have also agreed to put a message on bills this winter encouraging people to check whether rivals offer a better deal and to provide better information to help them switch.
 
Prime Minister David Cameron addresses a meeting of energy heads flanked by Energy Secretary Chris Huhne during a summit on gas and electricity prices in London. Picture: Matt Dunham/PA Wire.Last week, Age UK warned that fuel poverty could hit Norfolk harder than elsewhere in the country, because of its higher than average elderly population.
 
Phil Wells, chief executive of Age UK Norwich, said last night that the core issues which needed addressing were of a long-term rise in energy prices and the fact that the poorest often had to pay more for their energy per unit than the richest.
 
"Energy costs will go up and up and up, there's no doubting that as we're running out of oil and gas, and it seems to me that we are rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic at the moment by changing the billing.
 
"We must now address that we've got big problems for people on low incomes keeping warm and we need completely different ways to resolve that."
 
He said that current housing stock would be considered "laughable" in many European countries, adding that the real solution was to build new energy efficient homes and not draw on a stock that dates back to the Victorian years. 
 
He added: "The current range of home insulation techniques can save a good 10pc of costs and that's nice but it's not a game changer. We need to half our costs and that's by putting in new build housing that's more energy efficient."

Brenda Arthur, leader of Norwich City Council, called for more working together between central and local government on the issue, which she did not thing was completely understood.
 
She said: I think that a large sector of the government doesn't have a clear idea of what fuel poverty is like and a large number of people are increasingly facing fuel poverty. 
 
"Until they totally understand what an impact it has on their lives, I don't think we're going to get anywhere."
 
In recent months, Norwich City Council has struck deals with energy company Carillion to carry out £2.4m worth of work on homes which will see solar panels and insulation installed.
 
It also agreed a similar scheme in July to work with British Gas to invest more than £800,000 into improving the energy efficiency of homes in Bowthorpe. 
 
Mrs Arthur said: "I take on the point from David Cameron people need to use their energy wisely, but I don't think the people who are struggling that I've met are being profligate- they're doing their best to make ends meet.
 
"It would be good to see central government supporting us rather than beating us up which is how it feels."
 
Norwich North MP Chloe Smith described the government's move as "helpful" and said: "I know most people I speak to in Norwich are worried about their bills, so it is sensible for government to get energy suppliers and Ofgem round a table to see how consumers can be helped." 
 
Norwich South MP Simon Wright defended the government's moves and pointed to the unveiling of a programme named Green Deal next year that will allow people to borrow money off future energy bills to increase the energy efficiency of their homes. 
 
He said: "The vast majority of housing stock is several decades old and we need real action to ensure that they're brought up to high standards."
 
We believe that Cosy Pods, part of the Enviro-Pod range can prove a big part of the solution by keeping people warm, without the need for electricity. As such we have contacted the relevant MPs as well as the Ministers for Climate Change and Health with details on the blankets.