Reviews and Previews

Police CD Double Disc

2007-07-03T17:18:00.000-07:00

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I'm a bit behind the times, but perhaps you know about The Police. They're going on a huge tour, and they released a great Police CD on June 5th. Tickets for their concerts are going like crazy, but maybe you've been able to snag some. I think some of my friends have been able to get tickets.

The CD release is a two-CD compilation of hits. You're getting a heck of a lot in this set. You get tons of great songs. AND you get a great vintage poster. This poster of The Police will look awesome on your wall! If you're at all a fan of The Police, don't overlook this CD set. Sales are undoubtedly going through the roof, due to the great content of this compilation.

Here are the songs you'll get on the CD set. Can you really do without these?

Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

Now you can watch the UK commercial for The Police. See it below!

For those of you who are unfamiliar with The Police, they're a three-piece band that formed in the early 1980s. It's composed of Sting, Andy Summers, and Stewart Copeland. They're doing a huge international world tour until the middle of 2008, celebrating the 30th anniversary of Roxanne, a hit single. There is definitely a lot of information on the internet about them, from blogs and fan sites to great articles on Wikipedia.

VLC Media Player is Free

2007-06-17T13:14:00.000-07:00

I removed Dell's MediaDirect player from my Inspiron e1405. But that left me without a media player. So I had to find a new one.

VLC media player is a great free option. It has a ton of features, but it also works well as a basic media player.

After downloading and installing it, I just set it as my AutoPlay default for DVDs. Now DVDs automatically play in VLC on my laptop. Pretty cool.

I haven't figured out how to make the media buttons on my machine to control VLC, but I hope to soon.

PayPerPost Obtains $7 Million in Funding

2007-06-12T11:45:00.001-07:00

Sponsored Post

PayPerPost provides a great way to advertise on blogs. They've been running strong for a while now, and they just got a new infusion of capital - $7 million!

The coolest part about this company is that it truly pays out money to its publishers. One postie has already earned over $10,000! Several posties earn over $500 per month, and many more earn several hundred every month. They're running a great business!

This new round of capital could be really interesting for PayPerPost. They've just launched a new website, and I'm sure that's just the first of many great changes we'll see in the coming weeks.

One great thing they could do is keep working on PayPerPost Direct. This service allows advertisers to pick individual blogs on which to advertise. It's definitely a great method, and PayPerPost only takes a 10% cut in the review price. That's the lowest cut in the industry!

A change that I would love to see is some better visual design for their websites, including the postie back-end pages. The pages function pretty well, but the design style is pretty outdated, in my opinion. Maybe they could hire a couple new designers and get a more updated, Web 2.0 look. Where's the cool AJAX and transparent elements?

For more info on this funding, check out the official press release:

The PayPerPost Revolution Accelerates, Sponsored
Blogging Marketplace Secures $7 Million Series B

Draper Fisher Jurvetson leads round and joins Board of Directors

ORLANDO, FL – (June 12, 2007) – PayPerPost, the leading marketplace for advertisers to reach bloggers and other consumer content creators, today announced it has completed a $7 million second round investment led by Draper Fisher Jurvetson, an investor in the company's Series A and one of the world’s leading high-technology venture capital firms. The financing brings the total amount of capital raised by PayPerPost to over $10 million, giving the company considerable resources for further development as the industry’s leading Consumer Generated Advertising marketplace. Additional participants in the round include existing investors Inflexion Partners and Village Ventures as well as new investor DFJ Gotham. With this investment, DFJ Managing Director Josh Stein also joins PayPerPost’s Board of Directors.

“PayPerPost created this exciting new advertising space and has established itself as the industry leader,” said Ted Murphy, chief executive officer of PayPerPost. “Although we’ve only used a portion of our first round capital, this added support from investors unlocks significant growth potential. Our content creator and advertiser ROI metrics clearly demonstrate the upside for PayPerPost’s model. We intend to use this capital to build the infrastructure, visibility and professional expertise necessary to reach and retain a greater network of advertisers and content creators than ever before.”

Since its founding in June of 2006, PayPerPost has signed more than 6,500 advertisers to its groundbreaking service, which has enabled Consumer Content Creators to be compensated for their efforts discussing specific companies, products or services via blogs, videos or other media. The content creators are required to disclose relationships with advertisers on their blog, providing transparency for the end reader. Over 125,000 Internet postings, most in the form of blogs, have already earned money for their creators through PayPerPost’s innovative marketplace. PayPerPost recently released PayPerPost Direct, a disruptive new service that allows advertisers to contract and negotiate directly with individual bloggers they identify through a safe, managed system.

“PayPerPost has laid a strong foundation for the future,” noted Tim Draper, founder and managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “It continues to attract a critical mass of participants from both the advertising and blogging communities. Analogous to Overture’s sponsored search model, we believe PayPerPost’s business model holds disruptive potential and will enable the company to thrive in the evolving paid-content arena.”

To mark the $7 million dollar funding, PayPerPost has launched a new website detailing the company’s service offering at http://www.payperpost.com. Bloggers and advertisers can easily sign up at the site and begin leveraging the self service marketplace.

Don't Overlook Generic Soft Drinks

2007-06-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I'm definitely a caffeine addict. Are you?

The bad thing is that soft drinks are pretty pricey. My beloved Dr. Pepper costs over $1 for a 20-ounce bottle. I'm willing to shell out some cash for my fix, but I do try to save money when I can.

That's why I'm drinking a generic soda right now. I got it from the local grocery store for much cheaper than Dr. Pepper. It's definitely not quite as good, but it's pretty tasty. You might need to try a few different flavors to find one you like, but you'll save some money in the end. And you can still get your caffeine fix!

Find a Cool Night Vision Scope

2007-06-09T14:17:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

I don't know about you, but I've always been fascinated with night vision scopes. Anything that lets me see in the dark is definitely a cool thing.

The best part about night vision is how affordable scopes and goggles have become. Optics Planet has a cool set of night vision goggles for only $205. If I spent much time outdoors at night, I would definitely consider getting these. They're just too darn neat.

This site also has a full line of regular binoculars, scopes, radar guns, cameras, and other similar equipment. It's definitely a comprehensive site for this kind of technology. And it looks like many of the products have free shipping. That's always a good thing!

Consider an Exam Preparation Class

2007-06-09T14:12:00.000-07:00

Standardized tests are intimidating. A lot hinges upon them, and it's definitely a stressful experience.

But because the tests are standardized, you can easily find an exam preparation class to help you get ready. There are several companies which specialize in this type of program.

Exam preparation is generally recommended for people who need a little extra self-discipline to study. It helps you focus on the important things for the exam. You'll be all set for the big day, and hopefully a little more relaxed.

Good luck!

Get Educational Help from Score

2007-06-09T14:04:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

Many children benefit from having personal tutors. There's definitely something useful in having one-on-one instruction, in addition to regular classroom learning.

Score! Educational Centers have a wide range of tutors, including math tutors. They also have people available to help with every grade level.

If you're looking for a tutor for your child, this could be a great option. Definitely check out Score!

Watch Your Favorite TV Shows Online

2007-06-09T13:43:00.000-07:00

Do you enjoy TV? Of course you do! If you're not watching TV online, you're really missing out.

All of the major networks have the latest episodes of their popular shows online. Simply go to the network's site (like ABC) and click on the video option. The video players all differ, but they provide streaming full episodes of great shows.

Now you don't even need Tivo to catch up on the episodes you lost. And these episodes are available for free!

Decide Who Gets Cool Prizes Online

2007-06-09T11:53:00.002-07:00

Sponsored Post

There are plenty of prize websites out there. But now there's a cool new one: whogets.com.

To win a prize at WhoGets, you simply register for a free account. Then you sign up for each contest in which you're interested.

After a certain number of days, a few contestants are randomly picked for a given prize. Each person gets to explain why they want it, and you get to vote on who will receive it. Isn't that fun?

This is definitely a new and refreshing way to win prizes online. Check it out!

Save Money by Making Coffee at Home

2007-06-09T11:53:00.001-07:00

We're all well aware of the latte factor these days. Some people don't care, and others never buy a cup of coffee. Personally, I think balance is important.

I love a good latte, and I drink at least one a day. But I only buy one at Starbucks on occassion. It's been a good compromise for me.

I was able to get a great little home espresso machine, and I use it to make my daily fix. I've even gotten to where I can make a latte that rivals anything you can buy at a coffee shop.

But I still enjoy a latte that somebody else made. There's no work involved on my end, and I don't have to clean up. Plus, I don't have some of the syrups that I can get at a coffee shop.

Life is all about balance and moderation. Save money, but don't deny yourself every little luxury.

Build Links with ViralTags

2007-06-08T04:43:00.000-07:00

I posted the other day about Viralink. Now it's time for the second generation: ViralTags.

Simply copy and paste the text below, and add it to your site. Follow the instructions, and you can be on your way to building links!

Thanks Andy!

============= Copy and Paste below this line ===============

Instructions:

1.) Copy and paste the matrix of “ViralTags” below courtesy of Founders Cafe (to support Jimmy’s quest of launching his own Internet Startup with a shoestring budget, please consider subscribing to his Full RSS Feed to see his triumps and struggles in real time).

2.) Substitute the Host Tag and one of the “Viral Tags” in the matrix with your anchor text of choice with your blog’s URL. Please keep anchor text to a max of 3 words to keep the matrix size manageable.

3.) When you get a ping back from someone that has your link in one of their “Viral Tags”, practice good karma by copying his/her Host Tag’s anchor text (automatically the associated link will also be copied) and paste it over one of your “Viral Tags” below.

4.) Encourage and invite your readers to do the same and soon this can grow virally.

Host Tag: Reviews and Previews

Important: Once I get a ping back from you (I promise to do the best I can), I will add your anchor text and the associated link you designate as “Host Tag” here, replacing one of the “ViralTags” from the matrix above. As more and more bloggers copy and paste this matrix, the more backlinks you will have with your anchor text. If everybody who copy and paste from your blog does the same, pretty soon this will spread and go viral. So, the sooner you participate, the more links with anchor text you will receive.

=============== Copy and Paste from Above this line =========

Check Out a New Astronomy Gadget

2007-06-05T20:10:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

I've always been a bit fascinated by astronomy, have you? My biggest problem is that I stink at identifying things in the night sky. I'm finally able to see the Big Dipper, but that's about it.

But there's hope for me. Meade now has a gadget called MySky that will identify over 30,000 celestial objects. All you do is point at the object and click a button. That's darn cool!

There are also tons of great telescopes available, if you're more astronomically-adept than myself. I'm just pretty challenged in that respect. Maybe some day I'll be able to study up on my constellations. Surely I can get a few more down. Orion might not be hard to spot. :)

Car Rentals Become Cheap at 25

2007-06-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

If you've ever tried to rent a car before age 25, you know what a pain it is. You'll have to pay an underage driver fee. Depending upon the car rental company, this is anywhere from $10-25 per day. Some companies won't even rent cars to people under 25, and you definitely can't rent a car if you're not 18. Yep, it really sucks to be young.

But once you turn 25, you can rent a car from any company without any worries. You can truly get a good deal on some cool cars. Awesome, right?

I've got to travel this weekend, so I reserved a car through Enterprise. It's only $41.07 for a day. That might seem steep, but it sounds cheap to me, since I've been paying an extra $25 per day for years. It's great to be 25!!

Paris Might Get a Staph Infection

2007-06-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

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There's apparently some buzz going around that the jail where Paris Hilton is serving her time has a big staph infection problem. Honestly, I think that's hilarious!

Fortunately, there are good products out there to help prevent staph infections, or MRSA. One product is called StaphAseptic. It's an antiseptic and pain relieving gel that also helps prevent staph infections. That's a pretty cool trio of uses, if you ask me.

I didn't even realize this, but StaphAseptic is available at major pharmacy chains all around. You can pick it up at CVS, Walgreens, and Eckerd, just to name a few. Very handy.

I wish my mom would've had something for "soothing" wound care, not that hydrogen peroxide junk that burns like crazy. I still hate that stuff!

What Your Preference? - Cross or Parker?

2007-06-05T19:49:00.000-07:00

Honestly, I've always been a fan of Cross ink pens. I have one on my desk right now that I've owned for 6 or 7 years. I've temporarily lost it several times, but it always comes back.

But for my recent graduation, a good friend gave me a really nice Parker ink pen, engraved with my name and everything. It's too cool to not use. But I don't think I'll carry it much, since I definitely don't want to lose it.

But now is when I ask you guys about your pen pleasure. Cross? Parker? Bic? What do you think?

Win Prizes with the Lowest Bid

2007-05-31T16:00:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

I've previously written about a really cool prize site. It's called Bid4Prizes, and it uses a unique bidding system to award prizes.

You must have the lowest bid to win the prize in question. But you really need to have the lowest unique bid. The bid keeps moving as other people under-bid you, so you have to keep re-bidding. Neat, right?

I found a cool bike at Bid4Prizes that I'd love to win. It's called the Paratrooper. It's a collapsible mountain bike. You should definitely go check it out.

The final thing to mention is that you can bid via TXT message on your cell phone. The auctions count down in time like a typical auction, so you can stay on top of it during the last few minutes, no matter where you are.

Now, go bid for some prizes!

lowest bid

Exercise in the Morning for Best Results

2007-05-31T15:46:00.000-07:00

I have trouble getting motivated to exercise. There are so many other things in the world to do. If I wait until the evening, exercise gets put off.

This is why I'm trying to exercise in the morning. My goal is to get up at 6:00 AM and go on a 12-mile bike ride. If I do it first thing in the morning, I can't put it off. Nothing else will get in the way.

Plus, exercising in the morning should give me more energy for the rest of the morning. I won't be sluggish, and hopefully I can concentrate better on working and studying. We'll see how it goes. :)

A Spiffy Credit Card - MINT

2007-05-31T15:35:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

I'm sure you don't have a shortage of credit card offers. If you're like me, they come via email, regular mail, and even the phone. But here's one you might want to check out.

MINT offers a neat system to apply for a credit card. It's got a slew of standard credit card features and promotions. There are actually some decent rates on this one:

14.9% APR (variable)
0% on purchases - until Jan 1, 2008
0% on balance transfers - until Aug 1, 2008

The coolest feature that stand out in my mind is the ability to manage your account via TXT messages. Automated phone services are handy, but TXT is the current way to communicate, especially for young people. That's a cool feature for your credit card.

If you're in need of a new credit card, give MINT a try.

Build Links with Viralink

2007-05-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's a fact of internet life that we need links to our sites, to help with search engine rankings. Andy Coates came up with a cool way to easily share some links. The result is Viralink. Here's everything you need to know, courtesy of Andy himself:

———copy and paste the Viralink and instructions below this line———

Below is a matrix of 120 stars, I have already added a link to my blog onto one of the stars, all you need to do is copy and paste the grid into your blog and add your own link to one of the other spare stars, and tell others to do the same!

Viralink

********************
********************
********************
********************
********************
********************

New Addition: When I receive a ping back once you have added the Viralink to your site I will add your link to this grid, and each person who copies the grid from here will also link to your site!

———copy and paste the Viralink and instructions above this line———

Honestly, I'm not sure how well this will work for people later in the game (like myself). But I might as well give it a shot!

Get Your Site Reviewed by PayPerPost Direct

2007-05-24T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

PayPerPost did it again! This leader in blog marketing has just launched a new service that allows advertisers to select blogs to advertise directly to consumers. The new program is called PayPerPost Direct.

The process is really simple, but the PPP guys have made a great video to explain it. Bloggers will place badges on their sites, offering to review products or sites for advertisers. An advertiser simply clicks on the badge to create a new opportunity for that blogger. The parties can negotiate on price, the advertiser approves the post, and the blogger gets paid immediately upon approval. It just couldn't be easier.

Notably, PPP only takes a 10% cut of the total post price. Other services such as ReviewMe take 50% of the total price paid for the review. Thus, PPP looks to be leveraging their strong market position to undercut some of the competition. I'm sure bloggers will love that. And it will provide lower-cost reviews for advertisers. This service looks to be a win-win for everyone involved.

So keep your eye out for the PPP Direct badge. It'll probably be on a blog near you very soon. And if you don't the see badge, you might ask the blogger personally whether they're a PPP member. Most of us are. :)

Schedule Quick Breaks for Yourself

2007-05-18T16:01:00.000-07:00

One of the quickest ways to burn yourself out is to work nonstop. To prevent this, schedule small breaks for yourself.

A great method is to work for 55 minutes, then take a 5 minute break. This gives you a steady pace of work to keep up throughout the day, but it also gives you a fun couple of minutes to relax. Also, by working for 50-55 minutes at a time, you won't be chopping your day up into bits that are too small to be productive.

Here are some great things to do in your 5 minute breaks:

Take a brisk walk around the office
Use the restroom
Grab a drink (preferably juice)
Read your favorite websites
Go get some fresh air

Taking frequent breaks will keep you refreshed and rejuvenated throughout the day. You won't regret it!

Calling all People who Need Calling Cards

2007-05-15T19:36:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

Do you use calling cards? You've no doubt figure out how expensive they area. Thankfully, Pingo has your back.

Pingo is a leading prepaid calling card provider. Among many other deals, Pingo has the cheapest prepaid phone card to call India.

If you sign up today for at least $20, you will receive $5 in free international calls, as well as a $25 gift card for several online merchants. That sounds like a sweet deal to me!

Finally, Pingo offers rates for calls within the United States as low as 1.8 cents per minute. Here is more information about United States calling card rates.

If you do any amount of traveling, you really should consider purchasing an emergency phone card. You never know when it could come in handy.

Find Exercise Equipment on Craigslist

2007-05-15T19:30:00.000-07:00

Have you ever needed some exercise equipment? I'll bet you were surprised at the cost in sports stores. There's a better option: craigslist.

I've been looking for a new road bike for several weeks now. Prices for a brand new one are just prohibitive on my budget. So I started perusing the internet and craigslist. I've found several good options in my area. In fact, I'll be going down in the morning to take a test ride on one. I think it will be perfect!

One thing not to overlook is actually posting a "wanted" ad on craigslist. Just because the perfect item isn't posted does not mean that you can't find it. I found the bike I'm looking to buy through a "wanted" ad that I posted. Don't assume that everything people want to sell is actually posted on the site itself.

What are you waiting for? Go find the perfect sports equipment!

Blog for Cash and Cool Products

2007-05-14T20:37:00.000-07:00

Sponsored Post

PayPerPost has done it again. They're already a premier company that lets you blog for cash. Now they're also giving away cool prizes too.

Every Tuesday will now by HDTV Tuesday at PayPerPost. Specially marked opportunities will have a prize reward, instead of actual cash. This is all thanks to Bid4Prizes.

You're probably wondering what kind of things you can win. I'll bet that you'll be impressed. People have already earned Apple TVs, a PS3, and other cool electronics. On May 15, they'll feature a Slingbox, a Wii, a Yamaha surround sound system, and Logitech universal remote.

Heck, at the end of the month, they're giving away a brand new HDTV. That's a darn cool prize, just for blogging.

PayPerPost has definitely gotten its share of criticism in the blogging community. But it does one thing really well: please its posties. The people behind the scenes are continually coming up with new ways to reward the grunts who do the real work: us posties. They know that the company would fall to pieces if bloggers would not write for them. So they keep us all happy. It works well.

This latest announcement just proves that PPP is not going to let us be bored any time soon. In fact, I bet they'll have something even cooler in the future. Who knows what it will be?

Try a Fruit and Walnut Salad

2007-05-12T21:08:00.000-07:00

If you're looking for a decent snack at a fast food restaurant, try the fruit and walnut salad at McDonald's. It costs about $2, and it provides a decent healthy snack.

You get a small dish of apple slices, grapes, candied walnuts, and vanilla yogurt. The total calories are 330, with 8g of fat and 25g of sugar.

Honestly, I've tried many of the "healthy" options at other fast food restaurants, and this is one of my favorites. It's not as healthy as you can get, but it's a great snack when you're on-the-go.