November 6, 2007
Bullzip PDF Printer
-Pros: simple PDF creation. Advanced settings for security and display via dialog box or from command line.
-Cons: Can't set initial zoom level for PDF files or translate Word comments to PDF annotations.
Pownce
-send invites, share files and videos
-pros: good interface. options for lightweight desktop with notification, private sharing.
-cons: no mobile posting or notification. No public page of posts.
Totalidea TweakVI
-configure hard drive details, CPU settings, and boot manager.
-pros: installs intelligently, provides scads of system information, makes configuration highly accessible.
-cons: somewhat costly yearly subscription for advanced versions.
Top 100 Undiscovered Sites
Info, Reference, and Search
-Aftervote (www.aftervote.com): search aggregator that combines results from Google, Yahoo and MSN.
-Footnote (www.footnote.com): has a deal with the National Archives to digitize and upload every document it houses.
-Hard to Find 800 Numbers (www.hardtofind800numbers.com): organizes companies alphabetically and displays phone numbers and hours of operation.
-Ninjawords (www.ninjawords.com): faster dictionary site.
-Uncyclopedia (www.uncyclopedia.org): nonsense presented with a straight face.
-Wikisky.org (www.wikisky.org): draggable space model with constellations highlighted, learn about distant stars, or see a model of the stars above you.
-Wink (www.wink.com): people-search engine that culls results from social-networking sites, followed by results from other sites where users keep public profiles, followed by results from the Web at large.
Health and Food
-Cork'd (www.corkd.com): helps you organize your cellar, user-generated reviews and recommendations.
-ExtraTasty (www.extratasty.com): search for drink recipes, share drink recipes, and talk to friends about drink recipes.
-Lumosity (www.lumosity.com): play games that have been tested and shown to improve memory, attention, processing speed, and even cognitive control.
-Menupages (www.menupages.com): menus and reviews for thousands of restaurants in NY, SF, LA, PHI, BOS, CHI, DC, and South Florida.
-Top Secret Recipes (www.topsecretrecipes.com): clones the secret recipes of popular restaurants.
-Who Is Sick? (www.whoissick.org/sickness): maps out illnesses, showing you who's got what and where.
-The World's Healthiest Foods (www.whfoods.com): info on how foods affect our health and can boost energy.
Lifestyle & Entertainment
-Dethroner (www.dethroner.com): men's magazine with topics like beer, meat, and danger.
-EXPN (www.expn.com): photos and videos featuring skating, surfing, motocross and the X games.
-FirstShowing.net (www.firstshowing.net): movie blog keeps you up to date on the hot gossip.
-Going.com (www.going.com): search local events by location, popularity and time.
-I Can Has Cheezburger? (www.icanhascheezburger.com): collection of pictures of cats that are captioned to hilarious effect.
-iminlikewithyou (www.iminlikewithyou.com): online meet-and-greet but you must "bid" on a particular user.
-I Watch Stuff (www.iwatchstuff.com): posts about film news, trailers, and clips.
-MeeVee (www.meevee.com): TV listing with personalized recommendations.
-MyPunchBowl (www.mypunchbowl.com): online party invitations.
-Skeptic (www.skeptic.com): videos, articles, and podcasts on controversial subjects.
Money & Career
-BullPoo (www.bullpoo.com): swap tips or stocks and talk money.
-Indeed (www.indeed.com): checks job sites, newspapers, and company career pages by keyword and location to fit your needs.
-Kiva (www.kiva.org): make small loans to deserving entrepreneurs world-wide.
-Rentometer.com (www.rentometer.com): compares your rent with the rest of your neighborhood.
-Trulia (www.trulia.com): real-estate advice and extensive home listings.
Music
-AllHipHop.com (www.allhiphop.com): record reviews, industry rumors, and editorial content.
-Amie Street (www.amiestreet.com): tracks start off free and go up to $0.89 as they catch on.
-Beethere.net (www.beethere.net): track your favorite artists and their tour dates.
-Imeem (www.imeem.com): social-networking/music-discovery site.
-Musicovery (www.musicovery.com): free music players asks you to plot your mood on a spectrum and then creates a chart of songs to fit that mood.
-SingShot (www.singshot.com): record to karaoke tracks, rate others' recordings, and enter your songs into contests.
-Slacker (www.slacker.com): Internet radio service with station browser, "heart", skip and ban options.
News, Politics & Government
-Guerilla News Network (www.guerrillanews.com): independent news organization.
-MediaStorm (www.mediastorm.org): multimedia stories that incorporate video, audio, photography, and personal essays.
-Tech President (www.techpresident.com): keep tabs on campaign sites, YouTube postings, etc.
-Topix (www.topix.net): local sections for thousands of towns and communities.
Reading
-Act-i-vate (community.livejournal.com/act_i_vate): "serialized graphic novels" by some of underground comics' brightest stars, including Haspiel, Bertozzi, and Goldman.
-copyblogger (www.copyblogger.com): blog about online marketing, with excellent tips and practical advice for online writing and blogging.
-Goodreads (www.goodreads.com): combines nosy fun of snooping through friends' bookshelves with the antisocial, shut-in joy of not actually having to go to their homes.
-Ironic Sans (www.ironicsans.com): sharp and clever blog with great ideas and musings on design.
-Librivox (www.librivox.org): audiobooks for free, featuring a collection of public-domain books read by volunteers.
-The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs (fakesteve.blogspot.com): a uniquely Jobsian perspective to the insane media coverage of the Apple empire.
-Verbotomy (www.verbotomy.com): create words from meanings with daily challenges. The site provides a definition and you invent a verb (or Verboticism).
-xkcd (www.xkcd.com): drawings are simple stick figures, but the jokes are a source of nerdy glee.
Shopping, Classifieds, and Travel
-The Bargainist (www.bargainist.com): scours the Web for the best bargains, coupons, and free offers.
-Do My Stuff (www.domystuff.com): send your chore into cyberspace where businesses and individuals place bids: the lowest bidder wins.
-EuroCheapo (www.eurocheapo.com): hotel reviewers show you how and where you can save a buck.
-Roadside America (www.roadsideamerica.com): definitive resource for kooky, nichey, and downright bizarre landmarks.
-TheThingsIWant.com (www.thethingsiwant.com): service for creating shopping and wish lists lets you make sure your friends and family pick out the perfect gift for you.
-Ugallery.com (www.ugallery.com): helps college artists find recognition.
-Wikitravel (www.wikitravel.org): for the sheer amount of info, no travel site touches the user-generated content of Wikitravel.
-Yapta (www.yapta.com): enter your flright ino and the price you paid for your tickets, it will track the ticket price for your flight(s) from that point on. If the fare drops before you leave on your trip, the site will let you know the price difference and how to claim a refund or vouchers from the airline.
Download and DIY
-afreeDLL (afreedll.com): makes finding, downloading and restoring DLLs a breeze and all of the downloads are free.
-DaFont (www.dafont.com): almost 7,500 fonts uploaded by various users worldwide.
-DZone (www.dzone.com): developer's dream and much more - a vast network of user-submitted links to message boards, news, coding tricks, and more.
-Infected or Not (www.infectedornot.com): excellent and free NanoScan tool to ascertain quickly whether there's malware on your machine.
-InviteShare (www.inviteshare.com): free service lets early beta users share their invites.
-MajorGeeks.com (www.majorgeeks.com): free and paid apps and utilities for your PC that have been tested to recover, repair, protect, back-up, etc.
-OldVersion.com (www.oldversion.com): roll back to the good old days of products like Quicktime and AIM.
-ProgrammableWeb (www.programmableweb.com): keeps tabs on mashups and open APIs across the Web.
-Website Grader (www.websitegrader.com): submit your URL and it will give you some basic feedback on how your site is doing and in what areas it can improve.
Gaming
-Armor Games (www.armorgames.com): home of countless free Flash-based games, all playable on the web.
-K2xl (www.k2xl.com): watch dots, place cursor on dot, click mouse, watch chain reaction as dots explode. Repeat. The game is Boomshine.
-Kongregate (www.kongregate.com): flash-video game site driven by user-generated content.
-LikeBetter (www.likebetter.com): presents you with two pictures and you click on the one you like better.
-Line Rider (www.official-linerider.com): send a fragile, scarf-clad man hurtling down a steep, crudely drawn slope on a sled.
-Shacknews (www.shacknes.com): go-to spot for all gaming news.
Hardware News and Blogs
-All Things Digital (www.allthingsd.com): uses both text and video to dish on the hottest tech news.
-Anything But iPod (www.anythingbutipod.com): tracks the market for non-Apple audio hardware, software, and accessories.
-Everything USB (www.everythingusb.com): gadget blog dedicated to the one-wired-connection wonders that are USB computer peripherals.
-GoodCleanTech (www.goodcleantech.com): keep apprised of all manner of environmentally conscientious technology in illustrated, user-friendly format.
-iLounge (www.ilounge.com): industry news, hands-on product reviews, tips, tricks, downloads - everything you want to know about the iPod and iPhone.
-Phone Scoop (www.phonescoop.com): resource for mobile-phone users and enthusiasts with emphasis on news, reviews, and building a mobile-phone community.
-TechMeme (www.techmeme.com): hottest tech news stories on the Web.
Software and Internet Blogs
-AppScout (www.appscout.com): great place to find software tips and tricks, cool or useful web sites and applications, and the latest news from the world of web technology.
-Download Squad (www.downloadsquad.com): Engadget for software and web apps (owned by the same company).
-eHub (www.emilychang.com/go/ehub): Emily Chang manages to get wind of every web 2.0 app before the rest of the blogging world does.
-MakeUseOf.com (www.makeuseof.com): quick but comprehensive roundups of apps and sites in a given space.
-Mashable (www.mashable.com): blog devoted to covering MySpace, Facebook and their ilk, reporting on the exploding world of social networking apps and features.
-Uncov (www.uncov.com): bizarro equivalent of TechCrunch, mercilessly reviewing start-ups.
Video
-Dabble (www.dabble.com): aggregates video clips from major services.
-ScienceHack (www.sciencehack.com): video-search engine dedicated to the world of science. Every indexed video is screened and approved by real scientists.
-uLinkx (www.ulinkx.com): finds the most popular videos from across the Web and makes aimless video browsing fun and easy.
-Ustream.tv (www.ustream.tv): makes it easy to stream your footage live, as it's being recorded.
-VideoJug (videojug.com): "encyclopedia of everything".
Web Apps
-Bubbl.us (www.bubbl.us): helps you organize your thoughts into readable and colorful mind maps to print and to share online.
-Eyejot (www.eyejot.com): combines elements of email, voice mail, and video chat into one free streamlined solution. Lets you record a video message and email a link to your friends, who can click ont he link at their leisure, view your message, and reply via their own video messages.
-Media Fire (www.mediafire.com): free file-sharing and storage service that lets users upload unlimited files and images.
-Meebo (www.meebo.com): log on to all of your IM accounts at once, without installing software.
-Only2Clicks (www.only2clicks.com): set up a customzed home page with instant access to the sites on which you spend the majority of your time, along with previews of what's on their home pages.
-Picnik (www.picnik.com): Upload or import photos (from Flickr, Picasa, etc.), then use online manipulation tools to crop, sharpen, adjust exposure and color, etc.
-Remember The Milk (www.rememberthemilk.com): handy online list-making app.
-Wetpaint (www.wetpaint.com): makes good-looking, easy-to-create wikis a reality.
-Zamzar (www.zamzar.com): convert anything (images, docs, YouTube videos) and have it emailed back to you in 4 quick steps without downloading anything.
-Zoho (www.zoho.com): typical stuff (word processor, spreadsheet, presentations) along with Creator DB, notebook, Wiki, and collaboration tool. Not all the modules are free (e.g. project manager and CRM).
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Stuff from Inc., December 2007
Before launching an overseas charity, ask yourself these questions:
What do I want to achieve?
Identify your cause narrowly. Instead of trying to eradicate hunger in Africa, focus on a water project in one village.
Who else is doing it?
Don't hesitate to build on the work of others. Western philanthropists often undervalue local efforts already under way.
Where do I go?
Existing business contacts may make it easier to operate in some locations. If you worked with great lawyers and accountants in China on an outsourcing contract, for example, they may be willing to do pro bono work there.
Do I do this alone or with a partner?
You'll need help from someone on the ground. Sean Downs, CEO of technology start-up Enclarity, launched the Sumba Foundation to provide healthcare and education to residents of a small Indonesian island with help from Claude Graves, an American expat. Without Graves' help, Downs says, he couldn't have negotiated the maze of culture and bureaucracy.
How do I overcome distrust?
Don't discount the local culture. Villagers were reluctant to visit a Sumba Foundation-sponsored clinic until Downs and his partner recruited a local shaman to refer patients. "He gets paid a referral fee now," says Downs. "It's not unlike the US health care system."
At a time when products are being recalled and consumers are wary, managing your Chinese contractors is more important than ever. Here's how:
Meet your maker
Go to the factory. Meet the management. Tour the facilities.
Drive a hard bargain
Negotiate for copious product testing, and put together a written quality control and ethics agreement. Set the rules on subcontractors, and insist on a transparent supply chain. Use carrot and stick, rewarding factories that deliver high-quality goods, shunning those who don't.
Communicate clearly
Know the ethics and compliances standards for all your customers, and make sure your factory knows them, too. Let your contractors know that the penalty for failure will hurt not only you but them as well. Put all necessary documents in Chinese.
Diversify
If possible, have two primary suppliers. That can reduce the likelihood of supply interruptions should faulty products or recalls force a factory shutdown. If it's too expensive, spend more on testing to minimize the potential for problems.
Be prepared for delays
The spate of product recalls has thrown the entire China supply chain into a state of chaos. Testing labs are backed up. Big recalls can seriously affects container traffic and shipping schedules.
Understanding geeks: A field guide to your tech staff
Habitat
If there's one common characteristic of an ideal techie workplace, it's darkness. It's not that geeks are depressed. Multiple monitors bombard users with a lot of light already; adding overhead fluorescents or superbright halogens would be a recipe for migraines and madness. A small desk lamp, perhaps, is all the light most geeks can comfortably handle while at the keyboard. A dim, cavelike environment also helps programmers focus and tune out distractions; often, headphones are used to get even depeer into the zone.
Developers are particularly fastidious about their setup, but other techies also like their desks just so. Whether that means a pristine work surface or a desk that looks like the site of a bombinbing, non-techies should keep one thing in mind: do not touch anything.
Psychology: some common geek character traits
Perfectionism. "Good enough" really isn't for most geeks. The tendency is mostly a good one, but a well-oiled tech department needs a combination of perfectionists and "incrementalists", willing to crank out necessary improvements right now, even if they aren't perfect.
Lust for gadgets. The shinier, the better. Possessing the latest gizmo from Tokyo is a badge of honor.
Intellectual curiosity. Put a "regular" person in front of a computer, and he'll just sit there. A geek will dig in, figuring out what's inside and how he can tweak it. Not because it's his job, but for fun. This curiosity may manifest itself as NADD (nerd attention-deficit disorder), a compulsion to consume as many streams of information as possible at a seemingly impossible rate.
Systematic thinking. Geeks see nothing magic about technology, only problems to be broken down and solved.
Wrong? Never. Geeks often have a powerful intellectual vanity. That makes it hard for them to admit mistakes. Hence, the plethora of expressions that blame the victim.
Competitive nature. Being smarter than their peers is really important for geeks. Developers are constantly honing their skills with the aim of doing something that no one's been able to do.
Dos and Don'ts
DO try to gain a basic understanding of the technology. Though the techies will always know a ton more than you, you need to be able to evaluate the level of truth coming out of your team. Having a good translator (in the form of an IT project manager with strong communication skills) is a big plus.
DO provide context. Executives what short answers: "Is it going to work?" To an engineer, it's never that simple. What do you mean? Is it going to work here? Is it going to work for a million users? For 10 million users?
DON'T add a "little" last-minute feature and expect to hit your product deadline. Nontechnical people often don't understand the code-checking and debugging process that even small additions require.
DON'T let your employees bypass the proper channels for submitting IT requests. If you interrupt a programmer who's deep in the zone because you need help with your email, you deserve his wrath.
DO cross-pollinate IT with other departments. Going out on a sales call, for example, can be revelatory for a developer. Being reminded that there are real, human customers is also good for geeks, who don't deal with them often.
DON'T wait to befriend tech support. Sudden sucking up followed shortly by a request to help move your iTunes library to a new machine is transparent and will backfire.
Motivation
Geeks like money as much as everyone else, but there are other ways ot make sure they do a stellar job.
Give them props. Nerds like recognition for what they've done and want to talk about it. Take your tech stars to lunch and get them to tell youwhat they're up to. It's about the relationship and building trust.
Let them play. Giving geeks time to work on their own projects is another great incentive. Google's developers are allowed to spend 20% of their work time working on projects of their choosing - with the caveat that anything they produce belongs to the company. The tinkering is rewarding for the techies, and even if most of the work comes to nothing, the 10% that yields valuable new products makes it worthwhile.
Earning More From Your Website
Google AdSense (www.google.com/adsense): Best for making money with little effort
-Display text, image, and video ads based on your site's content
-Pays from 5 cents to $15 a click, depending on the content in the ad
AdBrite (adbrite.com): Best for selling ads to your customers
-Serves text ads, banner ads, and interstitials
-Expect 10 cents to $10 per 1,000 views
AuctionAds (auctionads.com): Best for keeping rivals at bay
-Delivers ads that feature random items being auctioned on eBay
-You get about half of the fee sellers shell out to eBay, which is typically from 3% to 4% of the sale price. You can also collect about $25 if someone clicks on your ad registers for the first time at eBay and bids on an auction within 30 days.
Chitika eMiniMalls (chitika.com/mm_overview.php): Best for promoting ancillary products
-Serves up image ads that hawk consumer products. Each ad contains up to four products as well as a short description, pricing and links to retailers.
-20 cents to $2 per click, depending on the product.
Vizu Answers (vizu.com): Best for keeping visitors on your site
-Conducts market research by placing polls on websites. You get paid when visitors see a poll on your site.
-For every 1,000 people who view the poll on your site, you get from 50 cents to $10.
ValueClick (valueclickmedia.com): Best for displaying banner ads
-Offers banner ads from national advertisers
-25 cents to $2 for every 1,00 people who see the ads.
What do I want to achieve?
Identify your cause narrowly. Instead of trying to eradicate hunger in Africa, focus on a water project in one village.
Who else is doing it?
Don't hesitate to build on the work of others. Western philanthropists often undervalue local efforts already under way.
Where do I go?
Existing business contacts may make it easier to operate in some locations. If you worked with great lawyers and accountants in China on an outsourcing contract, for example, they may be willing to do pro bono work there.
Do I do this alone or with a partner?
You'll need help from someone on the ground. Sean Downs, CEO of technology start-up Enclarity, launched the Sumba Foundation to provide healthcare and education to residents of a small Indonesian island with help from Claude Graves, an American expat. Without Graves' help, Downs says, he couldn't have negotiated the maze of culture and bureaucracy.
How do I overcome distrust?
Don't discount the local culture. Villagers were reluctant to visit a Sumba Foundation-sponsored clinic until Downs and his partner recruited a local shaman to refer patients. "He gets paid a referral fee now," says Downs. "It's not unlike the US health care system."
At a time when products are being recalled and consumers are wary, managing your Chinese contractors is more important than ever. Here's how:
Meet your maker
Go to the factory. Meet the management. Tour the facilities.
Drive a hard bargain
Negotiate for copious product testing, and put together a written quality control and ethics agreement. Set the rules on subcontractors, and insist on a transparent supply chain. Use carrot and stick, rewarding factories that deliver high-quality goods, shunning those who don't.
Communicate clearly
Know the ethics and compliances standards for all your customers, and make sure your factory knows them, too. Let your contractors know that the penalty for failure will hurt not only you but them as well. Put all necessary documents in Chinese.
Diversify
If possible, have two primary suppliers. That can reduce the likelihood of supply interruptions should faulty products or recalls force a factory shutdown. If it's too expensive, spend more on testing to minimize the potential for problems.
Be prepared for delays
The spate of product recalls has thrown the entire China supply chain into a state of chaos. Testing labs are backed up. Big recalls can seriously affects container traffic and shipping schedules.
Understanding geeks: A field guide to your tech staff
Habitat
If there's one common characteristic of an ideal techie workplace, it's darkness. It's not that geeks are depressed. Multiple monitors bombard users with a lot of light already; adding overhead fluorescents or superbright halogens would be a recipe for migraines and madness. A small desk lamp, perhaps, is all the light most geeks can comfortably handle while at the keyboard. A dim, cavelike environment also helps programmers focus and tune out distractions; often, headphones are used to get even depeer into the zone.
Developers are particularly fastidious about their setup, but other techies also like their desks just so. Whether that means a pristine work surface or a desk that looks like the site of a bombinbing, non-techies should keep one thing in mind: do not touch anything.
Psychology: some common geek character traits
Perfectionism. "Good enough" really isn't for most geeks. The tendency is mostly a good one, but a well-oiled tech department needs a combination of perfectionists and "incrementalists", willing to crank out necessary improvements right now, even if they aren't perfect.
Lust for gadgets. The shinier, the better. Possessing the latest gizmo from Tokyo is a badge of honor.
Intellectual curiosity. Put a "regular" person in front of a computer, and he'll just sit there. A geek will dig in, figuring out what's inside and how he can tweak it. Not because it's his job, but for fun. This curiosity may manifest itself as NADD (nerd attention-deficit disorder), a compulsion to consume as many streams of information as possible at a seemingly impossible rate.
Systematic thinking. Geeks see nothing magic about technology, only problems to be broken down and solved.
Wrong? Never. Geeks often have a powerful intellectual vanity. That makes it hard for them to admit mistakes. Hence, the plethora of expressions that blame the victim.
Competitive nature. Being smarter than their peers is really important for geeks. Developers are constantly honing their skills with the aim of doing something that no one's been able to do.
Dos and Don'ts
DO try to gain a basic understanding of the technology. Though the techies will always know a ton more than you, you need to be able to evaluate the level of truth coming out of your team. Having a good translator (in the form of an IT project manager with strong communication skills) is a big plus.
DO provide context. Executives what short answers: "Is it going to work?" To an engineer, it's never that simple. What do you mean? Is it going to work here? Is it going to work for a million users? For 10 million users?
DON'T add a "little" last-minute feature and expect to hit your product deadline. Nontechnical people often don't understand the code-checking and debugging process that even small additions require.
DON'T let your employees bypass the proper channels for submitting IT requests. If you interrupt a programmer who's deep in the zone because you need help with your email, you deserve his wrath.
DO cross-pollinate IT with other departments. Going out on a sales call, for example, can be revelatory for a developer. Being reminded that there are real, human customers is also good for geeks, who don't deal with them often.
DON'T wait to befriend tech support. Sudden sucking up followed shortly by a request to help move your iTunes library to a new machine is transparent and will backfire.
Motivation
Geeks like money as much as everyone else, but there are other ways ot make sure they do a stellar job.
Give them props. Nerds like recognition for what they've done and want to talk about it. Take your tech stars to lunch and get them to tell youwhat they're up to. It's about the relationship and building trust.
Let them play. Giving geeks time to work on their own projects is another great incentive. Google's developers are allowed to spend 20% of their work time working on projects of their choosing - with the caveat that anything they produce belongs to the company. The tinkering is rewarding for the techies, and even if most of the work comes to nothing, the 10% that yields valuable new products makes it worthwhile.
Earning More From Your Website
Google AdSense (www.google.com/adsense): Best for making money with little effort
-Display text, image, and video ads based on your site's content
-Pays from 5 cents to $15 a click, depending on the content in the ad
AdBrite (adbrite.com): Best for selling ads to your customers
-Serves text ads, banner ads, and interstitials
-Expect 10 cents to $10 per 1,000 views
AuctionAds (auctionads.com): Best for keeping rivals at bay
-Delivers ads that feature random items being auctioned on eBay
-You get about half of the fee sellers shell out to eBay, which is typically from 3% to 4% of the sale price. You can also collect about $25 if someone clicks on your ad registers for the first time at eBay and bids on an auction within 30 days.
Chitika eMiniMalls (chitika.com/mm_overview.php): Best for promoting ancillary products
-Serves up image ads that hawk consumer products. Each ad contains up to four products as well as a short description, pricing and links to retailers.
-20 cents to $2 per click, depending on the product.
Vizu Answers (vizu.com): Best for keeping visitors on your site
-Conducts market research by placing polls on websites. You get paid when visitors see a poll on your site.
-For every 1,000 people who view the poll on your site, you get from 50 cents to $10.
ValueClick (valueclickmedia.com): Best for displaying banner ads
-Offers banner ads from national advertisers
-25 cents to $2 for every 1,00 people who see the ads.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Stuff from Esquire, November 2007
What can other countries teach us about eating right?
Costa Rica:
Fruit every day, especially papaya (contains enzymes that help break down food in the stomach and promotes growth of good bacteria in the gut)
Sardinia:
Sardinian wine from the Nuoro region contains 5-10 times the procyanidins (antioxidants with cardiovascular benefits) of most other wines.
India:
Curry spices (turmeric, chili, and cinnamon) help reduce everyting from inflammation and chronic pain to bacterial infections and cancer.
Japan:
Green tea contains the most antioxidants of all teas. Also, Hara hachi bu: eat only until you are 80% full. Calorie restriction is the single most potent anti-aging trick.
Turkey:
Kefir, a thin yogurt popular in Turkey, helps gut health with its live cultures (also kimchi and kombucha, a Russian health drink). All are probiotics, supplying good bacteria needed to absorb maximum nutrition from food.
Best New Restaurants of 2007
-23Hoyt Restaurant & Bar, Portland, OR (529 NW 23rd Ave., 23hoyt.com)
-Addison, San Digo, CA (5200 Grand Del Mar Way, addisondelmar.com)
-All'Angelo, Los Angeles, CA (7166 Melrose Ave., all-angelo.com)
-Fearing's, Dallas, TX (Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 2121 McKinney Ave., ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/dallas/dining)
-Brasserie Beck, Washington, DC (1101 K St., beckdc.com)
-Cafe Majestic, San Francisco, CA (Hotel Majestic, 1500 Sutter St., the-hotelmajestic.com/restaurant.html)
-Anthos, New York, NY (36 W 52nd St.)
-Catalan Food & Wine, Houston, TX (5555 Washington Ave., catalanfoodandwine.com)
-Dennis Foy, New York, NY (313 Church St., dennisfoynyc.com)
-Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, SC (125 Parsons Rd., woodlandsinn.com/dining.cfm)
-NoMI, Chicago, IL (Park Hyatt Chicago, nomirestaurant.com)
-Adobe Restaurant & Lounge, Santa Monica, CA (1541 Ocean Ave., adoberestaurant.com)
-Oceana, New York, NY (55 E 54th St., oceanarestaurant.com)
-LarkCreekSteak, San Francisco, CA (845 Market St., larkcreek.com/larkcreek_steak)
-Meadowood, Napa Valley, CA (900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena, meadowood.com)
-Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, FL (130 NE 40th St., michaelsgenuine.com)
-Oyamel, Washington, DC (401 7th St., oyamel.com)
-PorterHouse New York, New York, NY (10 Columbus Circle, porterhousenewyork.com)
-Rae, Philadelphia, PA (2929 Arch St., raerestaurant.com)
-Rialto, Cambridge, MA (1 Bennett St., rialto-restaurant.com)
-Rocca Kitchen & Bar, Boston, MA (500 Harrison Ave., roccaboston.com)
-Shaun's, Atlanta, GA (1029 Edgewood Ave., shaunsrestaurant.com)
-Table 45, Cleveland, OH (InterContinental Hotel, 9801 Carnegie Ave., tbl45.com)
-Trois, Atlanta, GA (1180 Peachtree St., trois3.com)
Costa Rica:
Fruit every day, especially papaya (contains enzymes that help break down food in the stomach and promotes growth of good bacteria in the gut)
Sardinia:
Sardinian wine from the Nuoro region contains 5-10 times the procyanidins (antioxidants with cardiovascular benefits) of most other wines.
India:
Curry spices (turmeric, chili, and cinnamon) help reduce everyting from inflammation and chronic pain to bacterial infections and cancer.
Japan:
Green tea contains the most antioxidants of all teas. Also, Hara hachi bu: eat only until you are 80% full. Calorie restriction is the single most potent anti-aging trick.
Turkey:
Kefir, a thin yogurt popular in Turkey, helps gut health with its live cultures (also kimchi and kombucha, a Russian health drink). All are probiotics, supplying good bacteria needed to absorb maximum nutrition from food.
Best New Restaurants of 2007
-23Hoyt Restaurant & Bar, Portland, OR (529 NW 23rd Ave., 23hoyt.com)
-Addison, San Digo, CA (5200 Grand Del Mar Way, addisondelmar.com)
-All'Angelo, Los Angeles, CA (7166 Melrose Ave., all-angelo.com)
-Fearing's, Dallas, TX (Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 2121 McKinney Ave., ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/dallas/dining)
-Brasserie Beck, Washington, DC (1101 K St., beckdc.com)
-Cafe Majestic, San Francisco, CA (Hotel Majestic, 1500 Sutter St., the-hotelmajestic.com/restaurant.html)
-Anthos, New York, NY (36 W 52nd St.)
-Catalan Food & Wine, Houston, TX (5555 Washington Ave., catalanfoodandwine.com)
-Dennis Foy, New York, NY (313 Church St., dennisfoynyc.com)
-Woodlands Resort & Inn, Summerville, SC (125 Parsons Rd., woodlandsinn.com/dining.cfm)
-NoMI, Chicago, IL (Park Hyatt Chicago, nomirestaurant.com)
-Adobe Restaurant & Lounge, Santa Monica, CA (1541 Ocean Ave., adoberestaurant.com)
-Oceana, New York, NY (55 E 54th St., oceanarestaurant.com)
-LarkCreekSteak, San Francisco, CA (845 Market St., larkcreek.com/larkcreek_steak)
-Meadowood, Napa Valley, CA (900 Meadowood Lane, St. Helena, meadowood.com)
-Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, FL (130 NE 40th St., michaelsgenuine.com)
-Oyamel, Washington, DC (401 7th St., oyamel.com)
-PorterHouse New York, New York, NY (10 Columbus Circle, porterhousenewyork.com)
-Rae, Philadelphia, PA (2929 Arch St., raerestaurant.com)
-Rialto, Cambridge, MA (1 Bennett St., rialto-restaurant.com)
-Rocca Kitchen & Bar, Boston, MA (500 Harrison Ave., roccaboston.com)
-Shaun's, Atlanta, GA (1029 Edgewood Ave., shaunsrestaurant.com)
-Table 45, Cleveland, OH (InterContinental Hotel, 9801 Carnegie Ave., tbl45.com)
-Trois, Atlanta, GA (1180 Peachtree St., trois3.com)
Legit ways to make $ online
Ejury.com and Onlineverdict.com: provide feedback on court cases
Cafepress.com and Zazzle.com: create and design and sell the goods
ProductionTranscripts.com and Tigerfish.com: transcribe speeches and interviews
Cafepress.com and Zazzle.com: create and design and sell the goods
ProductionTranscripts.com and Tigerfish.com: transcribe speeches and interviews
Sunday, October 21, 2007
PC World Snippets
February 2007
Links
www.stickis.com: mark up web pages and share the results with others via feeds
SpeedFan: watches data on the temperature and fan rpm rate. LINK
M.Dev Software ZipGenius 6 Standard Edition: free alternative to fee-based file-compression programs generally competes well against its commercial competition
March 2007
Links
Network Advertising Initiative's opt-out page: consumers can turn off the tracking cookies from some online ad networks
ProfileLinker: lets you update profiles on many sites at once
Process Explorer: list your PC's active processes, like Task Manager, but with better descriptions and organization
ClearType Tuner: improves font legibility on some LCD screens
Tweak UI: granular control over your privacy settings and operations, even over the way you log in to your PC
Alt-Tab Replacement: adds previews of each page when you switch between open applications using Alt-Tab
Torpark: Firefox-based browser designed to access the Tor network of encripted proxies. When you use the browser, your session bounces through multiple secure proxies, encrypted all the way, until your request reaches its final destination
Tweak Tester II: improve network performance modestly
PureText: copies text and strips all formatting, such as italics and HTML tags
AOL Active Virus Shield: AOL merely puts its logo on this heavy-duty antivirus system; the actual security engine is from Kaspersky. Works with Win98 and up
AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5: great spyware removal tool when others fail
SpamBayes: Outlook anti-spam plug-in doesn't rely on blacklists but instead learns what to block according to how you train it
HTTrack: configurable offline browser mirrors pages or sites onto your PC for later perusal
KeepVid.com: record Flash-based video; just enter the video's URL and KeepVid converts it into an FLV file you can download.
Vixy.net/flv_converter: Convert from FLV files to AVI, MOV or MP4
April 2007
Links
GoodStorm: design custom t-shirts
Fabrik: online media storage simplifies sharing content, but minimalist interface hides some features. Free for up to 1GB of storage.
Clean the "Open With" menu
-Start > regedit > HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts > choose extensions whose Open With list you want to edit > delete any entry on the list of keys in the right pane > double-click the MRUList > delete the letter of the program you just removed
May 2007
Link
SightSpeed 6.0: easy-to-use, no-cost program supports good-quality videoconferencing and calling
October 2007
Link
Platial: The People's Atlas, links maps to RSS feeds, allows you to add images and video to text posts
CPU-Z: in-depth info on your CPU, motherboard and memory, from the chip's code to the motherboard chip set
Links
www.stickis.com: mark up web pages and share the results with others via feeds
SpeedFan: watches data on the temperature and fan rpm rate. LINK
M.Dev Software ZipGenius 6 Standard Edition: free alternative to fee-based file-compression programs generally competes well against its commercial competition
March 2007
Links
Network Advertising Initiative's opt-out page: consumers can turn off the tracking cookies from some online ad networks
ProfileLinker: lets you update profiles on many sites at once
Process Explorer: list your PC's active processes, like Task Manager, but with better descriptions and organization
ClearType Tuner: improves font legibility on some LCD screens
Tweak UI: granular control over your privacy settings and operations, even over the way you log in to your PC
Alt-Tab Replacement: adds previews of each page when you switch between open applications using Alt-Tab
Torpark: Firefox-based browser designed to access the Tor network of encripted proxies. When you use the browser, your session bounces through multiple secure proxies, encrypted all the way, until your request reaches its final destination
Tweak Tester II: improve network performance modestly
PureText: copies text and strips all formatting, such as italics and HTML tags
AOL Active Virus Shield: AOL merely puts its logo on this heavy-duty antivirus system; the actual security engine is from Kaspersky. Works with Win98 and up
AVG Anti-Spyware 7.5: great spyware removal tool when others fail
SpamBayes: Outlook anti-spam plug-in doesn't rely on blacklists but instead learns what to block according to how you train it
HTTrack: configurable offline browser mirrors pages or sites onto your PC for later perusal
KeepVid.com: record Flash-based video; just enter the video's URL and KeepVid converts it into an FLV file you can download.
Vixy.net/flv_converter: Convert from FLV files to AVI, MOV or MP4
April 2007
Links
GoodStorm: design custom t-shirts
Fabrik: online media storage simplifies sharing content, but minimalist interface hides some features. Free for up to 1GB of storage.
Clean the "Open With" menu
-Start > regedit > HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts > choose extensions whose Open With list you want to edit > delete any entry on the list of keys in the right pane > double-click the MRUList > delete the letter of the program you just removed
May 2007
Link
SightSpeed 6.0: easy-to-use, no-cost program supports good-quality videoconferencing and calling
October 2007
Link
Platial: The People's Atlas, links maps to RSS feeds, allows you to add images and video to text posts
CPU-Z: in-depth info on your CPU, motherboard and memory, from the chip's code to the motherboard chip set
PC World Snippets
September 4, 2007
11 Ways To Search Without Google
i) Technorati (www.technorati.com): blog-search service
ii) ChaCha (www.chacha.com): lets you chat with a real live professional guide who takes your query and returns related results tailor-made to your specifications
iii) Rollyo (www.rollyo.com): roll your own search engine, helps limit the number of sites searched
iv) Kosmix (www.kosmix.com): topical search engine conducts searches by category
v) Ask.com: uses subject-specific popularity
vi) Clusty (www.clusty.com): first aggregates results from several search engines, then arranges them in clusters to help you further refine your search
vii) StumbleUpon (www.stumbleupon.com): gives you thumbs-up/thumbs-down icons in your toolbar and lets you rate pages and sites you come across. It learns your preferences and gets better at directing you to stuff you'll like
viii) Draze MetaSearch (www.draze.com): lets you collect search results quickly from Google, MSN, and Yahoo!
ix) netTrekker (www.nettrekker.com): good one for the kiddies, this is aimed at schools and students and every site listed in the search has been hand-picked by a staff of educators to ensure safe surfing. But it costs $4.95/month.
x) AfterVote (www.aftervote.com): aggregates results from the Big Three and adds a social element by letting users "vote" results up or down
xi) Can't Find On Google (www.cantfindongoogle.com): less search engine than message board, people can post queries that came up empty and wait for others to help out
October 2, 2007
Hack the Wireless
Control things like power, bandwidth use and DHCP reservations with firmware that is more powerful than what the manufacturers supply: DD-WRT (www.dd-wrt.com)
11 Ways To Search Without Google
i) Technorati (www.technorati.com): blog-search service
ii) ChaCha (www.chacha.com): lets you chat with a real live professional guide who takes your query and returns related results tailor-made to your specifications
iii) Rollyo (www.rollyo.com): roll your own search engine, helps limit the number of sites searched
iv) Kosmix (www.kosmix.com): topical search engine conducts searches by category
v) Ask.com: uses subject-specific popularity
vi) Clusty (www.clusty.com): first aggregates results from several search engines, then arranges them in clusters to help you further refine your search
vii) StumbleUpon (www.stumbleupon.com): gives you thumbs-up/thumbs-down icons in your toolbar and lets you rate pages and sites you come across. It learns your preferences and gets better at directing you to stuff you'll like
viii) Draze MetaSearch (www.draze.com): lets you collect search results quickly from Google, MSN, and Yahoo!
ix) netTrekker (www.nettrekker.com): good one for the kiddies, this is aimed at schools and students and every site listed in the search has been hand-picked by a staff of educators to ensure safe surfing. But it costs $4.95/month.
x) AfterVote (www.aftervote.com): aggregates results from the Big Three and adds a social element by letting users "vote" results up or down
xi) Can't Find On Google (www.cantfindongoogle.com): less search engine than message board, people can post queries that came up empty and wait for others to help out
October 2, 2007
Hack the Wireless
Control things like power, bandwidth use and DHCP reservations with firmware that is more powerful than what the manufacturers supply: DD-WRT (www.dd-wrt.com)
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
The benefits of quitting smoking
How long after I quit smoking are there benefits?
a) 20 minutes: after a few minutes, your blood pressure returns to normal levels
b) 2 days: your sense of smell and taste return, while your risk of having a heart attack begins to decrease
c) 3 days: the bronchial tubes relax and your overall energy levels begin to increase; you can walk up the stairs again!
d) 1 year: the probability of having a heart attack drops by half
e) 5 years: the likelihood of suffering a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker
f) 10 years: your odds of getting lung cancer return to non-smoker status
g) 15 years: your risk of a heart attack returns to non-smoker levels
a) 20 minutes: after a few minutes, your blood pressure returns to normal levels
b) 2 days: your sense of smell and taste return, while your risk of having a heart attack begins to decrease
c) 3 days: the bronchial tubes relax and your overall energy levels begin to increase; you can walk up the stairs again!
d) 1 year: the probability of having a heart attack drops by half
e) 5 years: the likelihood of suffering a stroke returns to that of a non-smoker
f) 10 years: your odds of getting lung cancer return to non-smoker status
g) 15 years: your risk of a heart attack returns to non-smoker levels
Friday, August 24, 2007
Snippets from Inc.
May, 2007
Search For Tomorrow: fledgling companies taking on Google
-The technologists: www.hakia.com and www. powerset.com, using "natural language" technologies
-The people-powered: www.chacha.com and search.wikia.com, using "guides" to help stumped online searchers
-The specializers: www.toptenwholesale.com, www.zillow.com, and www.kayak.com, "vertical search" specializing in a topic or industry and using rudimentary search means
-The comeback kids: www.yahoo.com, www.ask.com, and www.live.com, rebranding to make themselves more attractive to advertisers if Google's keyword prices continue to rise
-The Adsense assailants: www.contextweb.com and www.quigo.com, the Adsense network allows website owners to display Google ads in return for a share of revenue, is responsible for 39% of Google's revenue ($4.2B)
How to vet a board member: here's how to get the right person in the chair with smart questions
i) "What will it take for my company to grow from $10M to $100M?"
-Insert your own sales figures, but the point is to find out how much a candidate knows about building a business and how he'd take yours to the next level. His ideas may be different from yours, which is fine. Good directors challenge your thinking and help you hone your strategy.
ii) "Why do you want to be on my board?"
-A retired CEO might enjoy mentoring up-and-comers. Other candidates may see it as a chance to expand their networks or as a smart career move. All of these answers are legit. Take a pass if someone only talks about how much money he stands to make. "Upside shouldn't be one of the top reasons," says Clark Waterfall, managing director at BSG Team Ventures, an executive search firm in Boston.
iii) "Are you on any other boards?"
-Be wary of candidates who collect board seats like candy. Conscientious directors seldom sit on more than three or four boards at a time.
iv) "How do you expect to be paid?"
-Directors generally spend at least 25 to 30 hours a year participating in meetings, phone calls, and committee work. In return, according to Waterfall, a private company with less than $25M in revenue typically offers 0.15 to 1 percent of equity, meeting fees ranging from $750 to $1,250, plus travel expenses. Tack on an annual stipend of about $2,500 to $25,000 if your business does more than $25M a year.
v) "Do you require D&O insurance?"
-Directors and officers insurance protects corporate officers and board directors if a business get sued, and you'll have a hard time luring A-list candidates without it. A D&O policy for a small company runs about $10,000 to $50,000 a year, says Waterfall, so if you're not willing to pay for it, tell a candidate up front. It could be a deal breaker, especially for individuals with high net worth.
vi) "Are you willing to be evaluated every year?"
-Your board members should be reviewed like everyone else in the company. A candidate who plans to take his role seriously won't have a problem with it. For early-stage companies, Waterfall suggests that outside directors serve a one-year term at first, then be re-elected, perhaps for a longer term, if the board is working well together.
Travel: easy come, easy go
-The security line fast track:
--Clear (www.flyclear.com) has express security lanes at five airports in New York, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Orlando, and San Jose. They'll need four fingerprints and an iris scan. It claims to cut average wait times down to a few minutes.
--Fast Lane Option (www.fastlaneoption.com) will be creating express lines later this year.
-The best of first class:
--Singapore Airlines (Givenchy pajamas), Virgin Atlantic (swinger-lounge/massage parlour), Emirate Airlines (private suites with closing doors and minibar), and Qatar Airways (separate terminal for first- and business-class passengers with a jacuzzi and saunas). Compare the best of the best with Skytrax (www.airlinequality.com).
-Websites that can help you search for a good seat:
--www.seatguru.com: spellbinding details about every nook and cranny of seats on a wide array of carriers. It eve lists which plane models have electrical outlets, TVs, and earphone jacks.
--www.boardfirst.com: if you're flying Southwest Airlines, spend $5 on this site to reserve an A pass, which allows you to be first in line to jockey for a seat.
--www.webflyer.com: helps you get the most out of your frequent-flyer miles and find the best way to swap between programs.
--www.flightstats.com: lists the percentage of delayed and cancel flights by airport and carrier. Also estimates when a particular flight will really take off and land.
-Five ways to lighten your load
--Shoes go first: pick one or two pairs of versatile footwear and coordinate your clothing with them.
--Pack by color: base your wardrobe for each trip on one set of colors so you can mix and match. Bonus: take at least one suit jacket that can be worn with jeans.
--Buy it when you get there: you know exactly where to shop for anything from toothpaste to a tasteful new suit.
--Use the hotel laundry service: most you really need is a few days' worth of clothing.
--Ditch the laptop: for short trips, a PDA will usually cut it. It you have a lot of typing to do, pack a folding keyboard.
-Door-to-door luggage delivery services:
--Luggage Free: typically offers refunds for late shipments ($220 per bag)
--Luggage Forward: offers a refund and up to $500 if your domestic shipment doesn't arrive on the right day ($305)
--Luggage Express: part of a large logistics company, so it can offer low rates ($153)
--SkyCap International: bundles FedEx shipping with its own customer service ($159)
-Snacks on a plane:
--www.dietdetective.com/content/view/1916 lists the caloric content of the snacks offered on six of the largest domestic carriers.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Large Cities (Employment base of 450,000)
i. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.: manufacturing, business services, leisure
ii. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.: retail, business services, leisure
iii. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: business and financial services, education and health
iv. Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.: business and financial services, wholesale, leisure
v. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.: retail, business services, transportation
vi. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.: business services, leisure, transportation
vii. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.: education and health, government
viii. Honolulu, Hawaii: information, transportation
ix. Northern Virginia: business services, retail
x. Salt Lake City, Utah: business services, education and health
xi. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.: business services, leisure, retail
xii. Jacksonville, Fla.
xiii. Washington, DC-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.
xiv. Nashville, Tenn.
xv. Sacramento, Calif.
xvi. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
xvii. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas
xviii. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
xix. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Md.
xx. Portland-Beaverton, Oreg.-Vancouver, Wash.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Midsize Cities (Employment base of 150,000-449,999)
1. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.
2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
3. Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Fla.
4. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.
5. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla.
6. Lakeland, Fla.
7. Provo-Orem, Utah
8. Reno-Sparks, Nev.
9. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
10. Savannah, Ga.
11. Bakersfield, Calif.
12. Tucson, Ariz.
13. Baton Rouge, La.
14. Tacoma, Wash.
15. Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.
16. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah
17. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Fla.
18. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.
19. Albuquerque, N.Mex.
20. Springfield, Mo.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Small Cities (Employment base less than 150,000)
1. St. George, Utah
2. Yuma, Ariz.
3. Prescott, Ariz.
4. Naples-Marco Island, Fla.
5. Morgantown, W.Va.
6. Bend, Oreg.
7. Laredo, Texas
8. Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Fla.
9. Las Cruces, N.Mex.
10. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
11. Casper, Wyo.
12. Midland, Texas
13. Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Fla.
14. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
15. Dubuque, Iowa
16. Dover, Del.
17. Ocala, Fla.
18. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Fla.
19. Auburn-Opelika, Ala.
20. Idaho Falls, Idaho
June, 2007
A boss's guide to buying flowers
Get well:
-tip 1: deliver an bouquet to a home address as some hospitals have rules against fresh flowers
-best picks: sunflowers, gerbera daisies, and hyacinths
-tip 2: arrangements should be big and bright, and easy to care for
Apology:
-tip 1: stick with the understated and pared down, avoid bright colors. An over-the-top bouquet can look like you're trying to bribe someone.
-tip 2: always include a handwritten card
-best picks: orchids because they are elegant, simple, relatively neutral, and expensive-looking
Client thank-you:
-tip 1: think less to impress, get the wow factor with the quality of blooms, not the quantity
-best picks: careful selection of a few exotic or harder-to-find blooms such as frilled tulips, peonies, or dendrobium orchids
Birthday:
-tip 1: big and showy, sent directly to the person's desk
-best picks: lilies because they're large and come in attention-grabbing colors like bright yellow and orange
Sympathy:
-tip 1: deliver to a home address, delivery to a desk may draw unwanted attention
-tip 2: always include a handwritten card
-best picks: classic white calla lillies tend to be too mournful, so opt for irises, tulips, or freesias in gentle hues like blue, purple and pale yellow
Company milestone:
-tip 1: go for something big and extravagant; the flowers should attract the level of attention that this exciting achievement deserves
-best picks: arrangement of one kind of premium flower; too dramatic for other occasions, but fits the bill here. Try cymbidium orchids, irises, or stargazer lilies
New baby:
-tip 1: don't worry about finding pink or blue, the new parents will have more than enough of these. Just stick with vibrant, warm colors
-best picks: mix of seasonal flowers; spring and summer flowers like tulips and hydrangeas; in the fall, dahlias or assorted berries
Greeting a client (lesson from a professional driver)
a) The sign: hold it at chest height; write the client's name (last name only) in black felt-tipped marker; bring a clipboard to hold behind the sign so it doesn't flutter in the wind; close up your o's, sloppiness is an insult to the customer; when the client is in the car, place the sign neatly back in your briefcase, never fold or dispose of the sign in front of the customer.
b) The briefcase: carry extra signs (paper and laminated), and an extra marker
c) The shoes: keep them well-polished; people notice shoes
d) The greeting: look your client directly in the eye and prepare to greet with a firm handshake; be aware that some people don't like to shake hands, always be reading your client's mood
July, 2007
Funding terminology
-Ratchets: automatically rewards extra shares to prevent your original investors from having their stakes diluted. If you've given these to seed investors, get them to give them up, or forget about raising VC funds.
-Preemptive rights: related to ratchets, preemptive rights give investors the option to buy more shares during a subsequent round, thus maintaining a large stake. Remind friends and family investors that small is beautiful. Dilution is not necessarily a bad thing if the company's overall value increases.
-Liquidation preference: shareholders with this status get paid first in the event that the company is sold or goes bankrupt. This will decrease your chance of a windfall and put off VCs, who almost always demand that they get paid before your seed investors do.
-Veto rights: these give friends and family the right to veto a subsequent investment. Most professional investors will force you to waive veto rights before beginning negotiations.
-Board seats: it's okay to create a board that contains seed investors, but friends and family should understand that they'll probably have to give up their seats in the event of a deal.
How to find the best market research firm for your company: Questions to ask
i) Have you worked with businesses like mine? Researchers tend to specialize by industry and by client size, so ask for a list of references and look to see if it includes your peers. If a firm has done work for a director competitor, however, make it sign a nondisclosure agreement.
ii) What methodology will you use and why? Researchers collect data in three ways: through face-to-face interviews, over the phone, and online. If you are looking for answers to basic questions about your customers, then an online survey, which costs only pennies per respondent, is right for you. If your company is entering a new market and you want qualitative research on your new customer base, then a researcher may recommend face-to-face interviews with potential customers, although that kind of project can cost hundreds of dollars per respondent.
iii) Can you correct for any skey in the sample? Certain methods allow researchers to cross-reference participants' answers in order to verify that they are telling the truth and not just saying what they think the researcher wants to hear. On this score, Internet surveys come up short: They are often anonymous and there may not be a way to crosscheck a respondent's answers. You also want to be wary of a sample that includes too many people who have taken part in numerous previous research projects because they can "become less like humans and more like expert panelists," says Joel Huber, editor of the Journal of Market Research and a professor at Duke University.
iv) Are omnibus surveys planned for the topic in which I'm interested? Omnibus surveys are conducted on behalf of many different clients. Some research firms will let you buy a question on these generalized surveys for between $100 and $1,000. This is a good way to score original research on the cheap.
v) Who will own the rights to the research? Typically the client owns market research, but a research firm may want some rights to its work. Negotiate this up front.
vi) May I have a weekly progress report? Ask your firm to report each week how many interviews it has completed and to provide you with selected interview transcripts and spending activity. This is a good way to guarantee that a study stays on the right track.
August, 2007
SWAG resources (and sample products)
-corplogoware.com (fishing lure)
-epromos.com (gummi worms, back massager, stapler, flashlight)
-baileygp.com (matches)
-theideacatalog.com (fleece blanket)
-leedsworld.com (tape measure, steak knives, hydration backpack)
-promoideas.org (travel pack)
-onsalepromos.com (iPod docking station)
-ipromo.com (USB drive)
-cables4computer.com (wireless travel PC mouse)
-swervepoint.com (notebook)
Culturally Appropriate Gifts
India
-what: chocolates, dried fruits, fancy nuts, crystal vases or sculptures; company-branded items, such as thumb drives.
-how: status in India is key. Those with a higher rank should get a more expensive version of the same gift. Present the gift in a social setting, not at the office.
China
-what: pens, small electronic devices, golfing items. Stay away from clocks, handkerchiefs, and anything white, as these items have bad connotations in Chinese superstition.
-how: give the gift at the end of your first meeting or at a social event after the business is done. The receiver will likely decline the gift three times before accepting. You will be expected to do the same when you are offered a gift.
Nigeria
-what: think luxury - engraved high-end pens, or a $100 to $200 bottle of wine, assuming the executive is not Muslim.
-how: give a gift at initial meetings and at high-level sales calls. Give a nicer gift to senior executives than you do junior ones. If the CEO is a man, you can also bring gifts for his spouse.
Brazil
-what: gifts are generally more personal and should represent the interests of the executive. For example, if he is a sports fan, bring a jersey from a top US team. High-tech gadgets also are appreciated.
-how: give the gift at the end of the meeting or in a social setting after business matters are concluded.
Russia
-what: a good bottle of liquor is appreciated (cognac or whiskey, not vodka), as are cigars. Chocolates and flowers also are appropriate.
-how: gifts aren't generally expected in Russia. If you want to give a gift, do it at the end of a meeting or in a social setting.
Six Social Networks Worth Knowing About For Businesses
i) LinkedIn, best for finding professionals.
-A membership service through which 11 million people list work experience, references, and job goals. LinkedIn's search engine, which scans the profiles, is an excellent tool for recruiting and job hunting. It's aimed at individuals, though some companies use it. Basic version is free. Premium version offers more introduction requests, fuller access to other people's profiles, and the ability to directly contact people who aren't connected to you.
ii) Small World Labs, best for looking good fast
-An online service that hosts customized social networks that use your own branding and Web address. Small World builds it; you can use it to link employees or to turn customers into a social network so they can share ideas. $10,000 to $75,000 setup fee, monthly hosting fees between $500 and $3,000.
iii) MySpace, best for marketing to Gen-Y
-About 65 million people us it to create pages with personal pictures, blog entries, video clips, and links to the pages of their friends. Its size and the passion of its users make MySpace a good way to build buzz among consumers, especially younger ones. Bands and authors build pages looking to get linked to by MySpace members and featured on MySpace pages dedicated to music or artists. Free.
iv) Twitter, best for mobile marketing
-A message-posting service designed to let people send very short messages (140 characters or less. While many people use it for short-form blogging, marketers can use it to post quickie updates to customers and work groups can use it to keep tabs on what other members are doing.
v) Yelp, best for hearing customers
-An online service that lets users rate and comment on local businesses. You can see what your customers think about you and engage with them. Free to register, sponsorships cost $250 to $2,000 a month.
vi) Visible Path, best for helping salespeople
-Software that integrates with email, CRM applications, and other corporate programs to produce a searchable web of the relationships that exist within and outside a company. Basic version is free; added support and administration is $20 per subscriber per month.
September, 2007
What To Look For In An Ad Agency: Questions To Ask
i) Describe my brand. This gives an agency a chance to demonstrate that it's done its homework. Its staff should be well versed in your overall message and strategy as well as tactical matters, such as where you've placed ads before. As the agency folks talk about your company, look to see how passionate they are about what you do. And look for any special insights about your positioning in the market, which will show that they are not only good researchers but also independent thinkers.
ii) How many clients do you have? How big are their accounts? Every agency has a pecking order. Ideally, you want to be one of the several lead clients, says Dave Beals, CEO of Jones Lundin Beals, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in agency search and selection. "You need to balance attention to your account versus the breadth and depth of an agency's resources," he says.
iii) How well do you know my industry? This is a bit of a trick question. You want a company that is familiar with your industry, but if the agency works exclusively in one field, there's a chance it won't be very innovative - or worse, that it'll end up repurposing old ideas. An agency with experience in a few different areas is more likely to try something new.
iv) Can I meet your copywriters and art directors? Agencies always trot out the bigwigs for pitch meetings. Make sure you meet the little guys - the account people and the creative team with whom you'll actually interact, says Mel Sokotch, author of Shortcuts to the Obvious: How to Get More Effective Advertising More Efficiently. How impressive are they? And how confident are their bosses when it comes to introducing you to them?
v) Tell me the story behind a winning campaign. Ask the agency to identify how it moved from the client's direction to the creative execution, where the ideas came from, and how they were tested. Then loop back to the client. The agency's process should become clear - as should its willingness to collaborate.
vi) What are the different ways that I can pay you? Some agencies still live by the vaunted billable hour, while others charge a flat fee per project. Some companies, including Procter & Gamble, now offer incentives to their agencies, says Beals, by paying a percent of sales, for example.
Search For Tomorrow: fledgling companies taking on Google
-The technologists: www.hakia.com and www. powerset.com, using "natural language" technologies
-The people-powered: www.chacha.com and search.wikia.com, using "guides" to help stumped online searchers
-The specializers: www.toptenwholesale.com, www.zillow.com, and www.kayak.com, "vertical search" specializing in a topic or industry and using rudimentary search means
-The comeback kids: www.yahoo.com, www.ask.com, and www.live.com, rebranding to make themselves more attractive to advertisers if Google's keyword prices continue to rise
-The Adsense assailants: www.contextweb.com and www.quigo.com, the Adsense network allows website owners to display Google ads in return for a share of revenue, is responsible for 39% of Google's revenue ($4.2B)
How to vet a board member: here's how to get the right person in the chair with smart questions
i) "What will it take for my company to grow from $10M to $100M?"
-Insert your own sales figures, but the point is to find out how much a candidate knows about building a business and how he'd take yours to the next level. His ideas may be different from yours, which is fine. Good directors challenge your thinking and help you hone your strategy.
ii) "Why do you want to be on my board?"
-A retired CEO might enjoy mentoring up-and-comers. Other candidates may see it as a chance to expand their networks or as a smart career move. All of these answers are legit. Take a pass if someone only talks about how much money he stands to make. "Upside shouldn't be one of the top reasons," says Clark Waterfall, managing director at BSG Team Ventures, an executive search firm in Boston.
iii) "Are you on any other boards?"
-Be wary of candidates who collect board seats like candy. Conscientious directors seldom sit on more than three or four boards at a time.
iv) "How do you expect to be paid?"
-Directors generally spend at least 25 to 30 hours a year participating in meetings, phone calls, and committee work. In return, according to Waterfall, a private company with less than $25M in revenue typically offers 0.15 to 1 percent of equity, meeting fees ranging from $750 to $1,250, plus travel expenses. Tack on an annual stipend of about $2,500 to $25,000 if your business does more than $25M a year.
v) "Do you require D&O insurance?"
-Directors and officers insurance protects corporate officers and board directors if a business get sued, and you'll have a hard time luring A-list candidates without it. A D&O policy for a small company runs about $10,000 to $50,000 a year, says Waterfall, so if you're not willing to pay for it, tell a candidate up front. It could be a deal breaker, especially for individuals with high net worth.
vi) "Are you willing to be evaluated every year?"
-Your board members should be reviewed like everyone else in the company. A candidate who plans to take his role seriously won't have a problem with it. For early-stage companies, Waterfall suggests that outside directors serve a one-year term at first, then be re-elected, perhaps for a longer term, if the board is working well together.
Travel: easy come, easy go
-The security line fast track:
--Clear (www.flyclear.com) has express security lanes at five airports in New York, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Orlando, and San Jose. They'll need four fingerprints and an iris scan. It claims to cut average wait times down to a few minutes.
--Fast Lane Option (www.fastlaneoption.com) will be creating express lines later this year.
-The best of first class:
--Singapore Airlines (Givenchy pajamas), Virgin Atlantic (swinger-lounge/massage parlour), Emirate Airlines (private suites with closing doors and minibar), and Qatar Airways (separate terminal for first- and business-class passengers with a jacuzzi and saunas). Compare the best of the best with Skytrax (www.airlinequality.com).
-Websites that can help you search for a good seat:
--www.seatguru.com: spellbinding details about every nook and cranny of seats on a wide array of carriers. It eve lists which plane models have electrical outlets, TVs, and earphone jacks.
--www.boardfirst.com: if you're flying Southwest Airlines, spend $5 on this site to reserve an A pass, which allows you to be first in line to jockey for a seat.
--www.webflyer.com: helps you get the most out of your frequent-flyer miles and find the best way to swap between programs.
--www.flightstats.com: lists the percentage of delayed and cancel flights by airport and carrier. Also estimates when a particular flight will really take off and land.
-Five ways to lighten your load
--Shoes go first: pick one or two pairs of versatile footwear and coordinate your clothing with them.
--Pack by color: base your wardrobe for each trip on one set of colors so you can mix and match. Bonus: take at least one suit jacket that can be worn with jeans.
--Buy it when you get there: you know exactly where to shop for anything from toothpaste to a tasteful new suit.
--Use the hotel laundry service: most you really need is a few days' worth of clothing.
--Ditch the laptop: for short trips, a PDA will usually cut it. It you have a lot of typing to do, pack a folding keyboard.
-Door-to-door luggage delivery services:
--Luggage Free: typically offers refunds for late shipments ($220 per bag)
--Luggage Forward: offers a refund and up to $500 if your domestic shipment doesn't arrive on the right day ($305)
--Luggage Express: part of a large logistics company, so it can offer low rates ($153)
--SkyCap International: bundles FedEx shipping with its own customer service ($159)
-Snacks on a plane:
--www.dietdetective.com/content/view/1916 lists the caloric content of the snacks offered on six of the largest domestic carriers.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Large Cities (Employment base of 450,000)
i. Las Vegas-Paradise, Nev.: manufacturing, business services, leisure
ii. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.: retail, business services, leisure
iii. Fort Lauderdale, Fla.: business and financial services, education and health
iv. Orlando-Kissimmee, Fla.: business and financial services, wholesale, leisure
v. Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.: retail, business services, transportation
vi. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton, Fla.: business services, leisure, transportation
vii. Raleigh-Cary, N.C.: education and health, government
viii. Honolulu, Hawaii: information, transportation
ix. Northern Virginia: business services, retail
x. Salt Lake City, Utah: business services, education and health
xi. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Fla.: business services, leisure, retail
xii. Jacksonville, Fla.
xiii. Washington, DC-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.
xiv. Nashville, Tenn.
xv. Sacramento, Calif.
xvi. Austin-Round Rock, Texas
xvii. Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas
xviii. Seattle-Bellevue-Everett, Wash.
xix. Bethesda-Gaithersburg-Frederick, Md.
xx. Portland-Beaverton, Oreg.-Vancouver, Wash.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Midsize Cities (Employment base of 150,000-449,999)
1. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla.
2. McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
3. Sarasota-Bradenton-Venice, Fla.
4. Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, Ark.
5. Deltona-Daytona Beach-Ormond Beach, Fla.
6. Lakeland, Fla.
7. Provo-Orem, Utah
8. Reno-Sparks, Nev.
9. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho
10. Savannah, Ga.
11. Bakersfield, Calif.
12. Tucson, Ariz.
13. Baton Rouge, La.
14. Tacoma, Wash.
15. Charleston-North Charleston, S.C.
16. Ogden-Clearfield, Utah
17. Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, Fla.
18. Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, Fla.
19. Albuquerque, N.Mex.
20. Springfield, Mo.
Top 20 Boomtowns, Small Cities (Employment base less than 150,000)
1. St. George, Utah
2. Yuma, Ariz.
3. Prescott, Ariz.
4. Naples-Marco Island, Fla.
5. Morgantown, W.Va.
6. Bend, Oreg.
7. Laredo, Texas
8. Port St. Lucie-Fort Pierce, Fla.
9. Las Cruces, N.Mex.
10. Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
11. Casper, Wyo.
12. Midland, Texas
13. Fort Walton Beach-Crestview-Destin, Fla.
14. Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach, S.C.
15. Dubuque, Iowa
16. Dover, Del.
17. Ocala, Fla.
18. Sebastian-Vero Beach, Fla.
19. Auburn-Opelika, Ala.
20. Idaho Falls, Idaho
June, 2007
A boss's guide to buying flowers
Get well:
-tip 1: deliver an bouquet to a home address as some hospitals have rules against fresh flowers
-best picks: sunflowers, gerbera daisies, and hyacinths
-tip 2: arrangements should be big and bright, and easy to care for
Apology:
-tip 1: stick with the understated and pared down, avoid bright colors. An over-the-top bouquet can look like you're trying to bribe someone.
-tip 2: always include a handwritten card
-best picks: orchids because they are elegant, simple, relatively neutral, and expensive-looking
Client thank-you:
-tip 1: think less to impress, get the wow factor with the quality of blooms, not the quantity
-best picks: careful selection of a few exotic or harder-to-find blooms such as frilled tulips, peonies, or dendrobium orchids
Birthday:
-tip 1: big and showy, sent directly to the person's desk
-best picks: lilies because they're large and come in attention-grabbing colors like bright yellow and orange
Sympathy:
-tip 1: deliver to a home address, delivery to a desk may draw unwanted attention
-tip 2: always include a handwritten card
-best picks: classic white calla lillies tend to be too mournful, so opt for irises, tulips, or freesias in gentle hues like blue, purple and pale yellow
Company milestone:
-tip 1: go for something big and extravagant; the flowers should attract the level of attention that this exciting achievement deserves
-best picks: arrangement of one kind of premium flower; too dramatic for other occasions, but fits the bill here. Try cymbidium orchids, irises, or stargazer lilies
New baby:
-tip 1: don't worry about finding pink or blue, the new parents will have more than enough of these. Just stick with vibrant, warm colors
-best picks: mix of seasonal flowers; spring and summer flowers like tulips and hydrangeas; in the fall, dahlias or assorted berries
Greeting a client (lesson from a professional driver)
a) The sign: hold it at chest height; write the client's name (last name only) in black felt-tipped marker; bring a clipboard to hold behind the sign so it doesn't flutter in the wind; close up your o's, sloppiness is an insult to the customer; when the client is in the car, place the sign neatly back in your briefcase, never fold or dispose of the sign in front of the customer.
b) The briefcase: carry extra signs (paper and laminated), and an extra marker
c) The shoes: keep them well-polished; people notice shoes
d) The greeting: look your client directly in the eye and prepare to greet with a firm handshake; be aware that some people don't like to shake hands, always be reading your client's mood
July, 2007
Funding terminology
-Ratchets: automatically rewards extra shares to prevent your original investors from having their stakes diluted. If you've given these to seed investors, get them to give them up, or forget about raising VC funds.
-Preemptive rights: related to ratchets, preemptive rights give investors the option to buy more shares during a subsequent round, thus maintaining a large stake. Remind friends and family investors that small is beautiful. Dilution is not necessarily a bad thing if the company's overall value increases.
-Liquidation preference: shareholders with this status get paid first in the event that the company is sold or goes bankrupt. This will decrease your chance of a windfall and put off VCs, who almost always demand that they get paid before your seed investors do.
-Veto rights: these give friends and family the right to veto a subsequent investment. Most professional investors will force you to waive veto rights before beginning negotiations.
-Board seats: it's okay to create a board that contains seed investors, but friends and family should understand that they'll probably have to give up their seats in the event of a deal.
How to find the best market research firm for your company: Questions to ask
i) Have you worked with businesses like mine? Researchers tend to specialize by industry and by client size, so ask for a list of references and look to see if it includes your peers. If a firm has done work for a director competitor, however, make it sign a nondisclosure agreement.
ii) What methodology will you use and why? Researchers collect data in three ways: through face-to-face interviews, over the phone, and online. If you are looking for answers to basic questions about your customers, then an online survey, which costs only pennies per respondent, is right for you. If your company is entering a new market and you want qualitative research on your new customer base, then a researcher may recommend face-to-face interviews with potential customers, although that kind of project can cost hundreds of dollars per respondent.
iii) Can you correct for any skey in the sample? Certain methods allow researchers to cross-reference participants' answers in order to verify that they are telling the truth and not just saying what they think the researcher wants to hear. On this score, Internet surveys come up short: They are often anonymous and there may not be a way to crosscheck a respondent's answers. You also want to be wary of a sample that includes too many people who have taken part in numerous previous research projects because they can "become less like humans and more like expert panelists," says Joel Huber, editor of the Journal of Market Research and a professor at Duke University.
iv) Are omnibus surveys planned for the topic in which I'm interested? Omnibus surveys are conducted on behalf of many different clients. Some research firms will let you buy a question on these generalized surveys for between $100 and $1,000. This is a good way to score original research on the cheap.
v) Who will own the rights to the research? Typically the client owns market research, but a research firm may want some rights to its work. Negotiate this up front.
vi) May I have a weekly progress report? Ask your firm to report each week how many interviews it has completed and to provide you with selected interview transcripts and spending activity. This is a good way to guarantee that a study stays on the right track.
August, 2007
SWAG resources (and sample products)
-corplogoware.com (fishing lure)
-epromos.com (gummi worms, back massager, stapler, flashlight)
-baileygp.com (matches)
-theideacatalog.com (fleece blanket)
-leedsworld.com (tape measure, steak knives, hydration backpack)
-promoideas.org (travel pack)
-onsalepromos.com (iPod docking station)
-ipromo.com (USB drive)
-cables4computer.com (wireless travel PC mouse)
-swervepoint.com (notebook)
Culturally Appropriate Gifts
India
-what: chocolates, dried fruits, fancy nuts, crystal vases or sculptures; company-branded items, such as thumb drives.
-how: status in India is key. Those with a higher rank should get a more expensive version of the same gift. Present the gift in a social setting, not at the office.
China
-what: pens, small electronic devices, golfing items. Stay away from clocks, handkerchiefs, and anything white, as these items have bad connotations in Chinese superstition.
-how: give the gift at the end of your first meeting or at a social event after the business is done. The receiver will likely decline the gift three times before accepting. You will be expected to do the same when you are offered a gift.
Nigeria
-what: think luxury - engraved high-end pens, or a $100 to $200 bottle of wine, assuming the executive is not Muslim.
-how: give a gift at initial meetings and at high-level sales calls. Give a nicer gift to senior executives than you do junior ones. If the CEO is a man, you can also bring gifts for his spouse.
Brazil
-what: gifts are generally more personal and should represent the interests of the executive. For example, if he is a sports fan, bring a jersey from a top US team. High-tech gadgets also are appreciated.
-how: give the gift at the end of the meeting or in a social setting after business matters are concluded.
Russia
-what: a good bottle of liquor is appreciated (cognac or whiskey, not vodka), as are cigars. Chocolates and flowers also are appropriate.
-how: gifts aren't generally expected in Russia. If you want to give a gift, do it at the end of a meeting or in a social setting.
Six Social Networks Worth Knowing About For Businesses
i) LinkedIn, best for finding professionals.
-A membership service through which 11 million people list work experience, references, and job goals. LinkedIn's search engine, which scans the profiles, is an excellent tool for recruiting and job hunting. It's aimed at individuals, though some companies use it. Basic version is free. Premium version offers more introduction requests, fuller access to other people's profiles, and the ability to directly contact people who aren't connected to you.
ii) Small World Labs, best for looking good fast
-An online service that hosts customized social networks that use your own branding and Web address. Small World builds it; you can use it to link employees or to turn customers into a social network so they can share ideas. $10,000 to $75,000 setup fee, monthly hosting fees between $500 and $3,000.
iii) MySpace, best for marketing to Gen-Y
-About 65 million people us it to create pages with personal pictures, blog entries, video clips, and links to the pages of their friends. Its size and the passion of its users make MySpace a good way to build buzz among consumers, especially younger ones. Bands and authors build pages looking to get linked to by MySpace members and featured on MySpace pages dedicated to music or artists. Free.
iv) Twitter, best for mobile marketing
-A message-posting service designed to let people send very short messages (140 characters or less. While many people use it for short-form blogging, marketers can use it to post quickie updates to customers and work groups can use it to keep tabs on what other members are doing.
v) Yelp, best for hearing customers
-An online service that lets users rate and comment on local businesses. You can see what your customers think about you and engage with them. Free to register, sponsorships cost $250 to $2,000 a month.
vi) Visible Path, best for helping salespeople
-Software that integrates with email, CRM applications, and other corporate programs to produce a searchable web of the relationships that exist within and outside a company. Basic version is free; added support and administration is $20 per subscriber per month.
September, 2007
What To Look For In An Ad Agency: Questions To Ask
i) Describe my brand. This gives an agency a chance to demonstrate that it's done its homework. Its staff should be well versed in your overall message and strategy as well as tactical matters, such as where you've placed ads before. As the agency folks talk about your company, look to see how passionate they are about what you do. And look for any special insights about your positioning in the market, which will show that they are not only good researchers but also independent thinkers.
ii) How many clients do you have? How big are their accounts? Every agency has a pecking order. Ideally, you want to be one of the several lead clients, says Dave Beals, CEO of Jones Lundin Beals, a Chicago-based firm that specializes in agency search and selection. "You need to balance attention to your account versus the breadth and depth of an agency's resources," he says.
iii) How well do you know my industry? This is a bit of a trick question. You want a company that is familiar with your industry, but if the agency works exclusively in one field, there's a chance it won't be very innovative - or worse, that it'll end up repurposing old ideas. An agency with experience in a few different areas is more likely to try something new.
iv) Can I meet your copywriters and art directors? Agencies always trot out the bigwigs for pitch meetings. Make sure you meet the little guys - the account people and the creative team with whom you'll actually interact, says Mel Sokotch, author of Shortcuts to the Obvious: How to Get More Effective Advertising More Efficiently. How impressive are they? And how confident are their bosses when it comes to introducing you to them?
v) Tell me the story behind a winning campaign. Ask the agency to identify how it moved from the client's direction to the creative execution, where the ideas came from, and how they were tested. Then loop back to the client. The agency's process should become clear - as should its willingness to collaborate.
vi) What are the different ways that I can pay you? Some agencies still live by the vaunted billable hour, while others charge a flat fee per project. Some companies, including Procter & Gamble, now offer incentives to their agencies, says Beals, by paying a percent of sales, for example.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Notes from Computer Shopper
Let me start by saying that I'm now on Blogger because the Friendster blogging software failed me one too many times... and I'll stop there before I start ranting...
Alright, onto my Computer Shopper Notes
October, 2006
Fun and Practical Web 2.0 Sites
-Clipmarks (www.clipmarks.com): clip a piece of a web page the way you'd tear an article from a magazine, then tag, store, organize and share your clips.
-Dropcash (www.dropcash.com): helps you organize and manage your fundraiser. You'll need a Paypal account to receive funds.
-43 Things (www.43things.com): list your goals, share your progress, solicit advice and encouragement from others trying to accomplish the same goals, and browse other aspirations.
-Gliffy (www.gliffy.com): for your diagramming needs, like MS Visio. Lets you build flow charts, floor plans, network diagrams or just about any type of drafting you need.
-Google Page Creator (pages.google.com): not for blogging or sharing photos, but for bare-bones Web pages containing text, images, and links.
-Goowy (www.goowy.com): blurs the lines between Web browser and desktop, it's a Web-based operating environment.
-Imeem (www.imeem.com): online community using client-side software that allows sharing of messages, files, photos, music, and video.
-JotSpot Family Site (familysite.jotspot.com): social-networking site catering specifically to families.
-Lala (www.lala.com): allows users to trade CDs for a $1 charge and 75 cents for shipping.
-Meebo (www.meebo.com): browser-based IM access to AIM, Gtalk, ICQ, Jabber, MSN or Yahoo.
-Mozy (www.mozy.com): backup data with wizard-driven utility that automatically scans your hard drive for data it thinks you'll want to back up (Word, photos, MP3s), with 2GB free storage.
-Pandora (www.pandora.com): like your personal DJ, streams music from selected artist, then others like him/her/them.
-PeerTrainer (www.peertrainer.com): helps you get fit and trim by logging your meals and workouts, while connecting you with a peer group.
-Shadows (www.shadows.com): tag, store, organize, and share your bookmarks like del.icio.us, but with a different interface and more-compelling community features.
-Sportsvite (www.sportsvite.com): connects you with players and teams in your area.
-Ta-da List (www.tadalist.com): to-do list on the web, where you can manage multiple lists, share them with friends, and even track them via RSS.
-Windows Live Local (local.live.com): maps, virtual pushpins to mark out routes, driving directions, business addresses and phone numbers, and traffic conditions.
-Yahoo Answers (answers.yahoo.com): everyday users share info, advice, and opinions.
-Zillow (www.zillow.com): research tool with meticulous details on houses.
-Zoho Writer (www.zohowriter.com): Web-based word processor.
November, 2006
Price-Comparison Sites
-Froogle (www.froogle.com): Pro: incorporates local brick-and-mortar price searching with Google Maps. Cons: results are difficult to digest, no way to compare totals with tax and shipping fees.
-MySimon (www.mysimon.com): Pro: plenty of buying guides and expert shopping advice. Cons: home page is cluttered, buying advice isn't integrated into price searches.
-NexTag (www.nextag.com): Pros: Lots of filtering options, price history featuring graphs past pricing, downloadable toolbar. Cons: no buying guides or expert reviews, doesn't remove sellers with lots of negative user feedback.
-PriceGrabber (www.pricegrabber.com): Pros: easily searchable merchant info, member protection policy protects buyers from fraudulent sellers. Con: no buying guides.
-Shopping (www.shopping.com): Pros: plenty of filtering options, stringent trusted store criteria. Con: eBay listings could be better integrated into pricing results.
-ShopWiki (www.shopwiki.com): Pros: innovative feature offerings, plenty of user-submitted buying advice. Cons: innovative features are poorly executed, indigestible, often inaccurate price results.
-Shopzilla (www.shopzilla.com): Pros: large number of merchants, good integration of buying tools into pricing pages. Con: cluttered launch page.
-Smarter.com (www.smarter.com): Pros: predictive text searches, SMS pricing tool, downloadable toolbar. Con: rebate and coupon information not integrated into pricing results.
May, 2007
The Best Free Software: (http://computershopper.com/feature/200704_the_best_free_software)
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