Archive for the 'Technology' Category
March 7, 2010 - 12:03 am - Posted by Sherri R
The world of social networks has grown by leaps and bounds thanks in part to the pioneers that had the vision to connect people with similar interests and allow them to create their own communities. n the last 6 months and even more in 2010 more social networking sites are coming online. They attracted a lot of younger people some of the newer sites are creating niche sites that focus on business people, bloggers, those that love pets and more. They can be found throughout multiple listings and internet directory websites. What started out as a place for young high school kids and college kids to hang out online has become a very big business. This has created a need for more focused sites that can offer something unique to their members and offer a robust experience where they can share pictures, videos, and their daily happenings.
There are several hundred social networking sites that are now trying to find a niche. Some of the site are relatively new and have about 600 members as of this post. The great thing about new sites like this is that if you get in early you can make a name for yourself and grab some of the cool names that can be a huge benefit when the site takes off. Some are offering cool features that they are launching called Shout Cast where you can be a DJ online or just listen to what others are mixing up. I do like how they show the latest members, videos, and blogs right on the front page so that everyone can get exposure and hopefully attract new friends. So why not get in early and join to make a name for yourself in one of the greatest social experiments on the internet.
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February 26, 2010 - 7:58 pm - Posted by admin
A few years we were presented with the opportunity to convert our 8mm and old VHS tapes to the standard DVD format. I was able to acquire the software, and hardware to start the CD DVD replication process. I found that there are several free magazines that target home based digital photographers who want to transform their pictures and movies to a digital format. What I was not told was the amount of time that this would actually take. Not only was it not as simple as putting in the old tape and then clicking convert there multiple conversion steps that had to take place in order to get the video to convert properly. To make matters more complicated there were three varieties of DVD’s available which some were compatible with current DVD players and other were not. Then there was the process of getting the video and audio to synch up which that was whole other tutorial. Needless to say I went through dozens of DVD’s and hours trying to make them work.
Thank goodness now there are professional companies who at the time we were looking to make the conversion were pretty expensive. Now that the technology has become more affordable and the medium that is used has come down in cost it makes sense for individuals and businesses to send these projects out to have them done. The typical turn around time is about 1-2 weeks depending on the size of the order and what you need done. Most of the companies will even offer DVD replication where they can master and burn thousands of disks so if you are trying to send out a training video it can be more cost effective.
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January 9, 2010 - 10:27 pm - Posted by admin
Text messaging has become part of the standard communication tool for young adults. It is amazing to watch as people type on their cell phones and try and carry on a conversation. I love the commercial for a cell phone company that shows the girl and mom communicating in text lingo. My BFF Jill is a classic line and has introduced a new vocabulary to our kids. This is now a new avenue for club and bar owners to create and distribute new marketing messages. Through Mobile Marketing owners of clubs can contact their loyal customers to announce special events and guest appearances. It allows business owners a simple platform to communicate with their customers and even send them coupons to bring and use on their next visit.
This creates a new mode of marketing called Text Mobile Coupon Marketing. Imagine you are at one of your favorite stores and you receive a text that they are having a customer appreciation night tomorrow from 5-8 PM. This is only open to those who bring in their text invitation. For business owners the possibilities are endless. By using mobile marketing you can create customer loyalty and build your brand by tailoring your offering to a specific age group or gender.
For restaurant owners this is a huge opportunity to announce open tables, specials on a customer favorite dish, or to announce happy hour. The owner can text a coupon to their patrons that the next 20 people can bring in the electronic coupon for 15 % off their bill. This can be done when business slows down and the owner is trying to fill the seats.
Posted in Marketing, Technology | No Comments »
December 20, 2009 - 4:03 pm - Posted by admin
Having a reliable web hosting company is important. You don’t want to face downtime’s, or have support that isn’t around to help you. Make sure that your growing business can flourish with your hosting company. Many of hosting companies will have unlimited bandwidth and virus protection but you have to refer to the web hosting guide at Web Hosting Rating to really the reliability of some of these hosts. So you don’t have to worry about a virus destroying your website, that you have worked so hard to create. Also, you will have a blog with any plan you choose. Be sure you put your blog to use, it’s an effective marketing tool for any size business. There are many other things that your plan will include. So look at Concentric before you make your final decision on a hosting account.
No matter what you do, where you go or what you buy, I don’t think there is anything better than knowing you have a good customer support operation in control. In so many areas of our day to day lives, things can go wrong and we will need some assistance from a customer support service. If you ever had the pleasure of dealing with some of these so called customer support places, I can only imagine the frustration and anger you have received from them not being able to help or assist you properly in a timely manner.
One such host that we are using and have are listed at Web Hosting Rating is Blue Host. Blue Host takes pride in its customer support team and they are ready to help you via phone or email 24 hours a day; 7 days a week! They do provide easy-to-use tutorials, guides, forums and FAQ’s that can help you with all your questions or concerns. If you can’t find the information there, you can rest assure that a real person will be there to step in and answer all of your questions and get you and your website back on the same page again.
You can take advantage of their great customer support and tons of features for a very low price. You will have plenty of disk space, unlimited sub domains, POP accounts, high monthly transfer rate, 100 MySQL databases and lifetime domain name and domain privacy. Blue Host has also recently announced the addition of unlimited domains, file transfer, and bandwidth while offering great feature like easy to install blogs, forums, b2evolution and Wordpress to their website hosting plan. You will also get to take advantage of cPanel; which is one of the best controls in the industry.
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November 19, 2009 - 2:31 pm - Posted by admin
While having access to affordable health care is agreed upon by everyone the topic of who is going to pay for biomedical research if the government ultimately sets prices and forces companies to reduce their spending on R&D.
People may sometimes forget and take for granted the wonderful medicines and treatments that have been discovered and brought to market from the biotech and pharmaceutical industry. Biotech drugs are becoming needed as we try and more specifically target various disease states. As the debate grows and the public is made aware of the predicted impact of the health care bill hopefully there will be a meaningful debate where Americans are given a choice and health care does not become an entitlement.
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October 5, 2009 - 9:53 am - Posted by Sherri R
One of the best iphone accessories that I purchased for my new 3g model is a hard cover. Because of the black high gloss finish it could be very easy to scratch your new Iphone so I made the decision to purchase a cover right with the purchase. It has paid for itself over many time because you can see the various scratches and nicks on the cover that could have taken their toll on our phone. I have seen some of the iphones from friends that have not taken that extra step and their phone is starting to look a little ragged on the back cover. So our recommendation for a great iPhone accessory is to invest in a cover immediately.
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July 31, 2009 - 10:28 am - Posted by Sherri R
The world of online social media continues to grow at a rapid pace and there are now several key players that are trying to stay ahead of the curve and anticipate the next new software development opportunity. Who would have thought that by sharing 140 character conversations on the web would launch a new way in which we communicate . Texting has now entered the social media space and the companies that can develop and launch to the market will have a huge advantage and possibly be able to capture the market if their product is unique and simple.
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July 25, 2009 - 12:33 pm - Posted by Sherri R
The war over laptop sales is heating up as Apple filed suit against Microsoft complaining their ads are misleading. The PC ads give a person $1500 to buy a new laptop that they want and they look at Macs but keep complaining that for the money the features that they get with a Mac is not near what you would get with a laptop. This new battleground is heating up because the sales of PC’s are slowing down and laptops are increasing. People want the ability to be mobile and having a new laptop is appealing to the younger crowds as well the baby boomer age because they are seeing the freedom of staying connected on the go.
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April 23, 2009 - 9:49 pm - Posted by Sherri R
For our Daughters birthday we got her a simple digital camcorder that she could use to capture clips with her friends. It has turned out to be one of the best presents that we have gotten because her and her friends have gotten creative and are now shooting their own music videos. With the upgraded micro sd card which now holds about three hours of video they lip sync to some of the more popular songs like Poker Face from Lady Gaga which is quite good and funny at the same time. They are hoping to get a few of these uploade to Youtube so that they can share with all their friends at school.
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March 25, 2009 - 12:21 am - Posted by Sherri R
I recently saw an ad for a 22 inch lcd monitor for under $200. The new LCD monitors are now offering HDMI and DVI connections so that you can watch your favorite shows on the internet in HD as well as surf the internet in much broader view. You will notice that the view on these new larger displays are much easier on your eyes. They are especially nice if you do any type of graphic arts or web design because you can see mutiple screens in one view without having to sacrifice quality. If you do upgrade to a new larger LCD display I would also recommend upgrading your graphics card because you will notice a much better picture and have the ablility to view TV through your PC with the right video card.
Posted in Technology | 1 Comment »
February 28, 2009 - 9:44 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Its not considered breaking news now, but at one time it was top secret information that dolphins were assisting the U.S. military. A lot of talk has been made over the dogs in Veitnam and all the service they provided for our country. Medals have been awarded to the dogs that have served in war time and I do think they deserve them. They have stood tall with America and the dog handlers that took care of these war dogs had a tremendous amount of respect for them. I’m not sure if a dolphin handler gets the chance to bond with their partner as much as the dog handlers did. I’m sure they are some stories of death that dolphins gave for this country and they have played a big part in helping us at sea.
The U.S. Navy has dedicated a lot of time and energy into training these dolphins to help serve in war time and in peace times. Dolphins can’t help soldiers on the battlefield, but when the battlefield moves below the surfaces of the oceans, then the dolphin becomes a good soldier for America. It’s really incredible to think about all of the things we have used dolphins for in the past and what possibilites these beautiful animals can provide for us in the future. I’m not sure if anyone knows just how many dolphins our government or the military have in their possession for tasks at seas, but I’m sure the slogan would read something like “We are looking for a few good marine mammals”. These soldiers might not be new, but dolphins may play a crucial part in our peace efforts and these may just be the new soldiers of America.
America’s ability to think outside the box has allowed us to stay ahead of other countries in a military mind game. American troops now have the newest and latest tech gadgets to assist them in their duties. The unmaned drones that fly over battlefields and in hostile regions are great for taking pictures, recording information, and laying down firepower when needed. This type of technology will save lives for our troops now and in the future. The use of animals like dogs and dolphins only makes us that much stronger as a military nation that seeks world wide peace someday.
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January 19, 2009 - 9:19 pm - Posted by Sherri R
What is your wireless connection could cover a few miles instead of a few feet? What if it were faster than wired broadband? The technology may be closer than you think. With the introduction and deployment of WiMax that idea is now a reality. It is basically Wi-Fi on steroids with faster and farther connections. You will also want to check the latest memory upgrade for your PC that will connected to the WiFi connection because this may cause some slow down in your transfer rate. Currently there is only one small installation in the US with the majority being in the Asian Continents.
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January 14, 2009 - 10:54 pm - Posted by Sherri R
You can have the best services or products, but if no one knows who you are it can be quite difficult to achieve business results. Most businesses online will do a fair job at getting the word and promoting their online site. The best advice we have found is to keep it simple, keeping your customer base in mind. Use news releases and blogs to talk about events related to your services, and provide appropriate links to your pages. Using directories that are specific to your business is also important, and getting listed is another key step in getting noticed. All these can be done strategically to help in driving customers to your site. Find out how to shop online online.Plus, the more your site is referenced in various places, the better your search engine placement will be.
A brand new site that has launched offers businesses within the San Diego area, or those looking to attract customers in this region a place to meet. San Diego yellow pages can be used to locate resources that can help your business. Use their services to get in front of other businesses and build your network of potential clients as well as referral sources. They offer free listings as well enhanced services that will help your business.
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December 23, 2008 - 10:08 am - Posted by Sherri R
This holiday season we are thinking about getting one of our kids a laptop for Christmas. We have seen the new micro laptops that seem to be catching that have a 8-9 inch screen and are made primarily to surf the web. One major drawback with these little laptops is that upgrading the laptop memory is not an option. So if your young teenager wants to be able to use for other applications you are mostly out of luck. So while they are trendy and my daughter thinks that they are so cute, I believe we will be spending our money on a more traditional laptop that will grow with her as she grows older and advances her education.
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November 21, 2008 - 1:28 am - Posted by Sherri R
As the holiday season grows closer we are now starting to see LCD tv prices fall below $500 for a 32 inch LCD model. This is great news for us since we are looking at replacing the set we have in our bedroom and the newer LCD TV’s offer such a great picture and now that all the broadcasts will be in digital output starting in February this is the time to invest.
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November 19, 2008 - 9:01 am - Posted by Sherri R
It appears that Microsoft, makers of the xbox 360, is playing to win the battle of gaming consoles this holiday season and take back some of the market share lost to its competitors. It has just recently lowered the costs on its main gaming system and created a new holiday bundle that is sure to attract some new fans. This new bundle consists of Lego Indiana Jones, and Kung Fu Panda at no added cost to the overall system. These games are at the top of everyone’s list so bundling them together could help the xbox 360 more attractive for those looking to upgrade their current system.
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November 14, 2008 - 11:07 pm - Posted by Sherri R
Adopt your very own Alien at stores like Walmart and Target where you can receive a test tube with a white powdery substance, that whe you add water they come to life with a spongy like alien computer chip for a brain. You will see it’s heart start to beat and you can even interact with it through the online research lab where you and the use of infrared signals help you communicate with your newly hatched Alien. This looks much better than the the Tamagatchi’ s we just got for our kids.
Your alien will actually grow as you feed it the sloog that comes with each kit that contains nutrients to help your alien mature. As your alien matures to adulthood you can continue to interact with through the online portal. They are selling the kits for approx. $40 online. Go to alienadoptionworldand secure your alien for Christmas and be the talk of the neighborhood.
This is a sample of the kit that is available online for approx. $40. This will be the next new cyber pet to have.
Posted in Technology | 2 Comments »
October 31, 2008 - 7:50 am - Posted by Sherri R
With the mad rush for PS3 , Wii, and Xbox we have already seen some retailers take precautions to limit the madness that is sure to breakout. In this weeks ads, most stores are doing a lottery type system, where they are handing out tickets starting at 6 AM the morning of. While the hype around PS3 has been somewhat lacking, it is sure to be the thing to have this upcoming Christmas. This has led more people to upgrade their current TV’s to realize the high definition games that they are buying. We have even seen new pop up tv cabinets that allow the TV to recess into the cabinet so that it can be out of the way when not in use and your living room is not over taken by this new mammoth TV.
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October 16, 2008 - 8:18 am - Posted by Sherri R
Blazing a Trail with a nice new tool
This new tool called http://trailfire.com Allows you to share your travel path on the internet. SO WHAT!
Well, let’s take the ever popular MySpace. Imagine if you could visit others pages, leave a quick note, and then send all those link to your friends. They click on one link, see your comments, and then they just scroll the profiles that you visited. No more, having to call out 15 different MySPace names. Watch for more on this subject.
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September 26, 2008 - 10:51 am - Posted by Sherri R
I was watching one of the latest previews for this falls realtiy TV shows and it will feature workers that have to work on the worlds toughest building projects. If you have ever watched the Discoveries channel features on some of the modern marvels today you understand the danger and planning that goes into these large projects. They are using industrial clamps that would amaze most of us. These are not the clamps that would you find in your garage and can hold several tons of steel and concrete. There has to be a limit on these types of reality shows because they are running out of ideas.
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