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Geek Christmas Wish

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:55:16 +0000

Geeks all over the world are hoping for some great Christmas gifts this year, and chances are you know at least one or two certifiable geeks who you have no idea what to give as a gift. Geeks, thank goodness, are fairly easy to shop for. You can almost always find something geeky that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg: it might have to do with Star Trek or Star Wars, or some algebraic equation or algorithm that could appear on a nice tie or T-shirt. Or a computer company logo on a hat. It could be a lot of things really. But what if you have that one really special geek in your life and you want to go all out and really impress her or him? What if money is really not an object, and you want to make this an unforgettable Christmas? Read on.

This Christmas the most popular and wanted gifts, by geeks themselves, are neatly categorized in the infographic below into several sub-groups: On the Go Geek, At-Home Geek, The Great Gamer, Tech Junkie, Say Cheese Geek, The Mini Geek, and Geeks Young and Old. Here you can find something for any geek on your Christmas list, and you’ll be sure you have scored a hit.

Breaking Down the Durbin Amendment

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:55:53 +0000

Many businesses that process credit card payments will notice big changes in swipe fees, and other onerous fees in the coming months, thanks to legislation enacted by the government to reverse some dubious practices by banks who rely heavily on the questionably fees as sources of high profit margins. The Durbin Amendment emerged as a last-minute addition to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and since then has sparked tremendous debate.

The amendment just took legal effect on October 1st, but already we’re seeing several of its ramifications. Banks, that stand to lose profits due to the fee caps imposed by Durbin, have priced those changes right into their checking account services. For the consumer, this means less free or rewards checking, if any at all. At the same time, retailers who promised to lower prices if these fees were reduced, since lower fees means they profit more on products they sell because of not paying those fees for credit and debit swipes, have not made good on their pledge to pass savings on to consumers, except for puveyors of adt security and some other valued services. Check out this infographic for a breakdown of the impact of this amendment:

Business Cards Past and Present

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 20:48:23 +0000

Business cards are an important part of everyday life for busy executives who spend a lot of time out of the office wining and dining prospective clients. The fast paced world of hand shaking and deal making simply must have business cards that can quickly be passed between people who have recently met and will need to be in touch again. Where, and when, did this time honored means of making contacts originate?

Here is a brief list of things you might need to know about them. The infographic below (you’ll need to click the image to see it full size) takes us from where business cards started all the way through what you can do to make your cards stand out from the pack. Using this valuable information should help you create great business cards. Perhaps you already know of some excellent tips and tricks for making business cards that are more than just flimsy cardboard stock with black lettering on white. Have you ever received a business card that you kept forever, just because it was so awesome? What does your business card look like, and what information does it contain? Let us know in the comments section!

If Legal Herbs Direct Impacted Tax Revenues

Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:24:51 +0000

Imagine if marijuana were legal in all 50 states, and not just for medical prescription purposes. Think of the tax revenues that could be collected on the legalized sale and state regulation of marijuana. Well, there are certain substances from http://www.legalherbsdirect.com available for sale that are synthetic but are reputed to have similar effects to marijuana — but let’s face it, they are just not the same as the real thing. If states regulated the manufacture and sale of legal herbs that were legalized marijuana, what a great promotional tool it would be for taxing and collecting revenues. It would also help to cut down on crime, and free up the legal system from dealing with people for small time drug offenses such as possession of personal amounts of herbs.

Here is an infographic that predicts how much tax income some states would enjoy as a result of legalization. Click to expand:

How Are You Spending Your Money?

Mon, 08 Aug 2011 17:30:14 +0000

This infographic seeks to answer the question: “how are you spending your money?” Not you, in particular, but people in general. We all know that we surf the net everyday searching for bargains, promo codes, discounts, and steals everywhere from online to brick and mortar stores, all the way to the online auction sites. In the United States and civilized Western Europe, everyone pretty much expects that online commerce is going to be a huge part of retail in those countries. But what’s the global online shopping market share looking like these days?

Enjoy the infographic. Hopefully, you’ll learn something.

Best Places to Buy College Textbooks

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 16:03:32 +0000

It may not even be the Fourth of July yet, but recent high school graduates and returning college students alike are already thinking about dorm life, exciting new classes, and where they might find the best deals on those terribly expensive college text books. A single text book can easily cost from $75 — $200. When you consider that most college students enroll in at least 12 semester hours of coursework each semester, that’s at least four classes: right there, you’re looking at at least $300, and as much as $800. Throw in the fact that many classes require more than just one book for the course, and the prices can become even more astronomical.

Thankfully, the school book store is not the only place to get those required texts. With a little knowledge from students who have gleaned this valuable information from fellow students, you can find several ways to save money by buying textbooks online. Here are some of the top rated places to shop:

Half.com, a subsidiary of eBay, accommodates students with books to sell or books to buy. Got an old biology text book laying around in your closet? You can sell it on Half.com and at least get a little something back for what you paid for it. And if you need the next book, it’s very likely someone on Half.com has just what you need. Used books cost a lot less than new ones. Just be sure to double check the ISBN number so that you get the edition that is right for your class.

Amazon.com offers buyers of used books the opportunity to hook up with independent sellers, and the result is a lot of competitive prices for good quality used textbooks. Amazon has been around for a long time, and is a name most people trust when it comes to online shopping. Give Amazon a try if you can’t find what you need at Half.com.

TextbookX.com has a cool Facebook app that lets people conduct buying and selling directly through their Facebook profiles. It’s incredibly easy and is one of the best kept secrets among rising college freshmen and experienced seniors alike. The main interface begins by asking for the textbook’s particular ISBN number, so you will never accidentally get the wrong edition of a book.

WWDC 2011

Mon, 06 Jun 2011 18:16:43 +0000

From the Moscone Center, on Monday, as Steve Jobs delivers the keynote address at Apple’s 2011 Worldwide Developers Conference.

The wait is finally over, and Apple fans from all over the globe can rejoice because Steve Jobs has taken the stage at the Moscone Center for WWDC 2011. Right now, Steve is talking about Mac OS X Lion, the next big cat version of the Macintosh operating system.

Scrollbars disappear. Why have them when you don’t really need them, anyway? Instead of static scroll bars in windows, the scroll bars will now only appear when you are actually scrolling. Also, there are many more gestures for the touchpads and magic mouse devices. Tap to zoom, pinch to zoom, and swiping have all received upgrades. There will also be full screen apps. Steve showed off iPhoto, demonstrating the great full screen capability of apps in Lion. Macworld’s Jason Snell commented that full screen interfaces would be a challenge since lots of apps just don’t scale to fullscreen.

There is also a full screen Photobooth UI now. The software now features targeted facial enhancements like “enlarged eyes.”

A three-finger swipe takes you to Mission Control– giving a birdseye view to everything on a person’s Mac system. It is a combination of Expose and Spaces.

AirDrop is a quick, ad hoc file transfer system. You can drop files between computers easily without setting up sharing systems and stuff, or going through IM. This will be a great addition to the Mac platform.

The price for Lion is only going to be $29.00! That is amazing, because previous versions of the operating system have been priced at $129. The reason for this great price? It is only available via the Apple App Store as a 4 gb download that installs in place. It can then be installed on all authorized Macs. Nice!

Next topic of discussion: iOS 5. It’s going to be a major release, with ten new features. The first one? Brace yourselves:

One: Notifications. Yes, and they will be able to display on your lock screen, just like in Android.

Two: News Stand — a feature that combines iBooks with magazines. Reading on the iPad can now allow audio and video at the same time, too. The App Store has a special area now for just newspapers and magazines.

Three: Twitter? That’s what Steve said, but I don’t get it. I thought we already had Twitter. OH well, I guess this is a highly integrated form of Twitter.

Four: Safari — Safari engine, open sourced, accounts for about 90% of all mobile browsing, including on Android. Now, Safari mobile gets Reader, lightning fast switching between tabs, full tabbed browsing on the iPad, and that integration with Twitter mentioned earlier.

Five: Reminders — Now, reminders are automatic, truly save time, and don’t rely on third party apps. You can make lists and keep multiple ones, and dates. You can assign locations. I can remind you when you arrive and when you leave. Reminders sync with iCal.

Six: Camera — This will make taking photos on the iPhone faster, thanks to a shortcut on the lock screen. At last! You double-click the home button and it brings up the shortcut to the camera. You can also use volume up to take a photo. Pinch to zoom and built in photo editing are coming to the camera as well.

Seven: Mail — The Mail app is one of the most used apps on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, and in iOS 5, there will be rich text formatting and full text searching, and even indentation control. Wicked.

Eight: PC Free — This is for the Post PC world, and no longer will you need a PC to setup a new iDevice. You setup and activate, right out of the box. What this means for software now is Delta Updates, needing no PC to install them.

Nine: Game Center — Social gaming includes photos with profiles, game recommendations, purchase and download right from Game Center, and added support for turn-based games.

Ten: iMessage — iMessage is for all customers. It brings messaging to any iDevice, not just the iPhone customers. Send text messages, photos, videos, contacts, group messages. Get read receipts, and delivery receipts. Push capable. Works over 3G and wifi. Everything is encrypted.

Eleven: cable bundles power all your electronics

Great improvements from Apple!

Apple Cracks Down on iPad Giveaways

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 18:12:01 +0000

Kidneys for iPads?

The iPad is getting a lot of attention since yesterday, when a report came out that a Chinese teen named Zheng, took to the Internet to find a way to raise money so he could buy himself an iPad 2, according to Chinese news agencies. This was very dangerous of course, and the teen did not inform his family beforehand, but went as instructed to a hospital that was later found to be not certified for the removal of organs or for performing transplants. Zheng’s mother, reasonably concerned, took him immediately to the police upon noticing the very dark red scar and asking questions after he came home with new tech goodies and some money. The hospital where the surgery was performed had no records of the kidney removal, since the room where the surgery took place was not under their jurisdiction.

When asked why he gave up a kidney, Zheng said, “I wanted to buy an iPad 2 but could not afford it. A broker contacted me on the Internet and said he could help me sell one kidney for 20,000 yuan.”

This should be a warning to young people everywhere, that there are indeed predatory surgeons in the world seeking to obtain healthy organs for transplants by whatever unethical means they must. Since the surgery, the teen has developed some complications related to the kidney surgery.

Giveaway Police

In other news, Apple has decided to fix its own attention on, what else, iPad giveaways. Apparently, Apple is concerned about the tacky way some companies display its products for promotional giveaways. The following guidelines were released today:

“If you choose to give the product away in any form of promotion or use Apple products in promotional materials such as advertising, you must follow these guidelines. Strict adherence is essential because you and/or your company may be held responsible if your use of Apple products for promotional purposes do not conform with the following guidelines. In any event, we reserve the right to revoke our consent to your use of Apple products in your promotion at any time and for any reason. For purposes of this Agreement, “Apple products” include: iMac, Mac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPod shuffle, iPod nano, iPod classic, Time Capsule, Apple TV, Apple Gift Cards and iTunes Gift Cards. iPod touch is only allowed to be used in special circumstances and requires a minimum purchase of 250 units. iPad, iPhone and the iPhone Gift Card may not be used in third-party promotions. Please contact a sales representative for more information. ”Free” as a Modifier in Apple Product References.The use of “free” as a modifier in any Apple product reference in a prominent manner (headlines, callouts, etc.) is prohibited. Additionally, “free” as an modifier of Apple products in a less prominent context is strongly discouraged unless it is clear to the end consumer that the third party, not Apple, is gifting the product in return for some transaction. (Ex. “Sign up for a checking account and we’ll give you an iPod shuffle.” or “Win an iPod nano when you refer a 10 friends to [INSERT COMPANY NAME]“). All Promotional Materials Require Apple’s Review.You must submit all marketing materials related to the promotion of Apple products to Apple for review. Please provide materials to your Apple account representative with sufficient leadtime to enable Apple to complete its review before you begin use of the materials.Use of Apple Products In Promotions—General.You may NOT use Apple products or photographs thereof in any manner that falsely suggests an association with Apple or is likely to reduce, diminish or damage the goodwill, value or reputation associated with Apple products or Apple, itself.Use of Photography and Product Imagery.If you are using the iPod shuffle, iPod nano, or iPod touch in your promotion, your Apple representative can supply you with a product image that you may use in your materials.”

Best Affiliate Programs

Mon, 23 May 2011 14:27:13 +0000

Are you interested in making extra income from participation in affiliate marketing programs? Perhaps you have already tried affiliate programs with your web hosting company, a favorite online book seller, or even a niche product like electronic cigarettes sales. Many cell phone companies offer referral discounts to their loyal customers who bring them more clients. There are many of these kinds of companies out there, and nearly all of them have something to offer you in the way of either discounted services or outright paychecks based on a percentage or set fee for completed transactions. Affiliate programs can be fun to participate in — but are all of them created equal? Industry experts say “no.” Just as a good affiliate opportunity can help you save or even earn more money, a bad affiliate program can bog you down and waste your time without giving you anything in return. So how do you tell the good ones from the not so good ones? You investigate their reputations and make careful evaluations, that’s how. And today, we are here to help you with that. Here are the top paying affiliate programs:

Amazon.com

Amazon affiliate networks are utilized by bloggers around the world to generate extra income through advertising. The Amazon API can let you embed product reviews right on your own site, and with Amazon.com’s huge selection of products, you can target your selections to suit your readership.

LinkShare

This is among the oldest affiliate marketing networks in the world, and has a massive global user base. Linkshare’s attractive user interface for tracking and monitoring is one of its most appealing features.

Commission Junction

Comission Junction enjoys the reputation for being one of the most preferred affiliate network programs in existence. As an online advertising company owned by ValueClick, Commission Junction covers the maximum percentage of the 500 highest earning web retailers. This makes participation highly lucrative for webmasters.

Google Adsense

Google Adsense is used by many webmasters to generate extra income by placement of targeted ads on their blogs and websites, with tracking available. This is PPC advertising, although there may be some additional revenues available as commissions on certain products. Check with Google for more information.

Whether you are just getting started in affiliate relationships or are a seasoned cooperator in online marketing, we hope this article has helped point you in the right direction. Beyond affiliate marketing and ad revenue sharing programs you can collect data on your vistors with online forms for better marketing strategy. Got any marketing or affiliate news to report? We’d love to hear from you. Please leave comments below, and enjoy being an online marketing guru.

Modern Business Communication

Wed, 15 Sep 2010 13:16:31 +0000

While technology advances are made at a very frequent rate, modern business find it hard to keep and adjust. While there are numerous benefits that can be obtained from switching to these more modern advances in technology, many business owners, managers as well as numerous other organizations choose to keep whatever technology they have as it, apparently works for them.

Modern business technology has also made great strides and there are many tech-savvy applications, gadgets and software systems that can aid a business in making modern communications more effective, friendly and save time as well as effort.

Modern business technology has seen most technologies that were thought of as cutting edge in the final decade of the last century almost redundant. Some of these include the fax machine, Telex machine and the telephone switchboard. While all companies did strive to invest in these kinds of communication gadgets, these are all now all but done away with. Modern organizations hardly use faxes or Telex machines.

Modern communications equipment and technologies used in business are fast, easy to use and have wide capacities. A good example of a modern business communication gadget is the hand held device, the Blackberry. A blackberry is a modern communications device that users can use to communicate. A blackberry device is portable and can be carried away from the office or business. This device can make phone calls, access the internet and send emails. The device can be used at any time of day or night and even on weekends. It can access office files and other files remotely. It is best used for =communication between workers of the same organization.

Any good business will have an online website that can be accessed via the internet. The internet has expanded globally and customers from across the world can view web pages as well as view a company profile in real time. Having a website is useful as it ensures that a company can be accessed by its customers at any time of day or night. Here customers can contact the company by sending an email or leaving an online message. Websites also contain other contact information such as a physical address, phone contact as well as a postal address.

Good business communications also allow for the use of an official company email. Emails are an effective communication tool that lets organizations, partners, business affiliates, clients and others communicate with each other in real time. Email communication is instant, regardless of where the sender or receiver is. Emails have all but made sending letters, forms and other documents irrelevant. An email is basically a letter drafted and sent via the internet.

Finally, any good business or organization should consider advertising its products, services and others, using the internet. Internet technologies can allow a relatively small and local business be viewed, accessed and contacted by millions of potential customers by simply advertising wisely on the internet. There are several tools that web experts can advice to make an small company a potential fortune five hundred company.