Nesting Buddy

"Enter the Dragon" Swatch Contest

2012-02-21T11:13:00.001+08:00

For seven straight years, The Philippine STAR and Swatch partnered to present the Annual Chinese New Year Art Competition. It's 2012 — the Year of the Dragon — and the competition theme is "Enter the Dragon" for the T-shirt contest. The competition is open to all.

Renowned fashion designer Frederick Peralta sketches for us his dragon design. He envisioned a two-sided embossed dragon with heads extending all the way to the sleeves. He imagines his design on a cotton jersey with silver zippers and knitted collar to create a polo jacket shirt.

He explains, "My inspiration for this design is the Swatch Irony Chrono Alu Reptile Light Blue. The reptile skin pattern on the strap along with the red and turquoise dials match perfectly well with the colors of a dragon."

Join now! Create your own dragon design and play with patterns, textures and colors, using a Swatch watch as an inspiration. Submit an actual T-shirt entry from up to 29 February 2012 at Swatch Stores, Swatch Kiosks and Hole In The Wall Shops. Also get a chance for you and your family and friends who were born in the Year of the Dragon to be a part of the culminating, grand Dragon Ball celebration.

See posters for more details.

Swatch is available at Swatch Stores in SM Megamall, Glorietta 4, Greenbelt 5 and Trinoma; Swatch Kiosks in SM Mall of Asia, SM City North EDSA, SM City Davao, Glorietta 3, Trinoma, Rockwell Power Plant Mall, Greenhills V-Mall, Shangri-La Plaza, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Festival Mall, Ayala Center, Cebu and Abreeza Mall, Davao; and Hole In The Wall Shops in Alabang Town Center and Ayala Marquee Mall, Angeles, Pampanga.

Level-Up Inc. and e-Games Merged

2012-02-16T14:05:00.000+08:00

The impact is not yet clear at this time, but it is expected that local online gamers will tune in on further developments and upgrades that resulted from the reported merger between e-Games and Level-Up Inc. Considered as the main players in the country's multibillion online gaming industry, Newsbytes reported that e-Games and Level-Up Inc. have reached an agreement on 14 February 2012.

E-Games, a unit of technology conglomerate IPVG, has battled PLDT-owned Level-Up for supremacy in the highly competitive gaming sector in recent years. E-Games vaulted to popularity by offering free-to-play games, while Level-Up is associated with the pioneering game Ragnarok Online.

n accordance with the agreement, most of E-Game's titles and assets relating to its game publishing business will be transferred and merged into Level-Up's associated online game publishing company, Playweb Games Inc.

In exchange, E-Games will receive equity in Level-Up, a commercial interest in Playweb Games, and an undisclosed cash consideration. The completion of the deal is subject to closing conditions, the statement that both companies released said.

E-Games and Level-Up, as a merged entity, are expected to account for the majority of the Philippine online games market, the statement noted.

"The merged entity and its associated company, Playweb Games Inc., will have the widest gaming pre-paid cards and PINs distribution network and offer a portfolio of hugely popular and successful games between them," the statement added.

The combined games include Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs) such as Cabal, Audition, Pointblank, Ragnarok, Grand Chase, Rohan and newly launched (by Level-Up) Bounty Hounds.

The merger is expected to strategically benefit both companies as a result of future operational synergies and savings, the statement said.

E-Games, which will maintain its brand, is the first listed online gaming company in the Philippines. Through RAN Online, it spearheaded the free-to-play game model and has about 16 million registered gamers and an average of 3.5 million active users per month.

Recently, it has aggressively expanded its Internet café network through acquisitions (Netopia and CyBr cafes). It ahs also acquired the rights to operate and sell advertisements for the NBA.com Philippine portal.

"It is currently developing game enhancement technologies between its Internet cafes and online games titles and is eager to extend these synergies with LUI online games," the company said.

Level-Up, meanwhile, pioneered the online game business in the Philippines. Its parent company, Level Up International Holdings (LUIH), has a subsidiary in Brazil which likewise pioneered and leads the online game publishing business there.

Aside from its presence in the Philippines and Brazil, LUIH also has a joint venture in the United States with an established Korean developer.

Internet Usage Gaining Ground in the Country

2012-02-04T13:44:00.000+08:00

It appears that there is no stopping internet from dominating and influencing the lives of Filipinos in the coming years. This was confirmed by a study showing that internet usage in the country has overtaken access to radio and print media.

The study, dubbed TNS Digital Life 2012, reported that 45 percent of the Filipinos connect to the internet, 36 percent listen to the radio, 12 percent read newspapers, and four percent read magazines. Access to television, on the other hand, remained the highest at 89 percent.

Lester Sualog, associate research director of TNS Philippines, told The Philippine Star that the survey was conducted mostly in selected urban areas in the country.

"A total of 85 percent of Filipinos aged 16 to 20 years old have accessed the Internet within the past four weeks, followed by 74 percent of Filipinos between the ages 21 to 24 years old," Sualog said.

The study also showed that more males were accessing the Internet (58 percent) compared to females (52 percent).

The study also discovered that the incidence of internet usage is over 50 percent across the urban areas in the Philippines, said Gary de Ocampo, managing director of TNS Philippines.

De Ocampo noted about 71 percent of Filipinos from the ABC socio-economic classes (SEC) and 51 percent from the D SEC have access to the internet.

Details of the study also showed most online users are still accessing the internet through personal computers at home (50 percent), and internet cafés (49 percent).

Consequently, consumers accessing the internet through their mobile phones and tablets earned 12 percent and 1 percent rates, respectively.

Sualog added the online medium, alongside the mobile phone, is now the primary communication channel for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) and their families.

He said a total of 81 percent of families who have relatives abroad communicated using the internet through their personal computers, with 77 percent using their mobile phones via SMS and MMS messages.

Only 24 percent of respondents continue to use landline phones. Majority of family members were likewise found to belong to social networking sites, primarily Facebook (90 percent).

Allaying Fears on Google's Privacy Policy

2012-02-01T14:30:00.000+08:00

A few days ago, everyone with a Google account (i.e. Gmail, YouTube and Google+ products) received an email on the planned changes to their privacy policies. Not only were account holders caught by surprise, but some US lawmakers expressed concern that it might take away the control its customers have over how data is collected and used.

According to Google, it was unifying 60 of its privacy policies to allow it to treat information from most Google products as a single trove of data, which the company could use for targeted advertising. By consolidating numerous product-specific privacy policies into one comprehensive policy, "we're explaining our privacy commitments to users of those products in 85 percent fewer words," said Pablo Chavez, Google's director of public policy, on the company's public policy blog.

However, a bipartisan group of eight US lawmakers questioned whether the new policy would allow Internet users to opt-out of data-sharing systems and expressed concern about the safety of customer data.

In a letter dated Monday (30 January 2012), Chavez responded directly to the lawmakers' concerns, stressing that, "the updated privacy policy does not allow us to collect any new or additional types of information about users."

The company defended its decision to consolidate the policies, saying it would create a better experience for users, and added that most of its product-specific policies already allowed information to be shared across product lines when users are signed onto their Google accounts.

But the previous varied policies did not allow Google to, for example, recommend cooking videos when a signed on user went to YouTube after searching for recipes on the search engine, the letter said.

"We want to change that so we can create a simpler, more intuitive Google experience—to share more of each user's information with that user as they use various Google services," Chavez said in the letter.

The letter also said the company's products can still be used without signing into a Google account. Google's privacy tools remain in place under the consolidated policy, allowing users to edit information stored in their account, change personalized ad preferences and control how their data is collected and used.

US regulators are already looking into whether the company manipulates its search results to favor its own products, among other issues.

Shazam App for iPhone

2012-01-24T11:06:00.002+08:00

For music lovers, iPhone has new treat for you. If you can't remember the lyrics to your favourite songs, a new app might be able to help you look for it.

Release only last week, the Shazam Player is a new app that plays songs and shows the lyrics of those songs as well. It also provides access to the song's music video, album reviews and artist tour dates.

Shazam is already well-known for its song identification app that uses the smartphone's built-in microphone to gather a sample of a song being played in a room, and then instantly reveals the title and artist name. The service has over 60 million users in the United States and 175 million users globally.

While the core Shazam app is focused on providing a simple and straightforward way to discover new music, the Player app is designed to provide a rich experience for discovering additional information about the music that people already own.

"This is a great way to rediscover that music," explained David Jones, Shazam's executive vice president of marketing, adding that many people have forgotten the details about the music on their smartphones.

When playing a song, lyrics scroll across the screen in sync with the music, and visualizations are tailored to the album being played.

Lyrics are available for approximately 50,000 songs, with thousands being added weekly prioritized based on song popularity.

According to Jones, Shazam is the largest mobile affiliate for iTunes in the world, selling more than $100 million worth of music each year. The Player app is positioned to give people the opportunity to buy more music by the artists they already like.

Since launching on the App Store, some users have complained about issues with lyrics being out of sync, and other user interface bugs. Jones said the company is working on the issues, and also has a feedback button for user input.

Choosing the Right Home-Based Business

2012-01-12T15:16:00.000+08:00

With the rising cost of operating a stand-alone business in the Philippines for the average pinoy, particularly the cost of rent especially in prime locations like malls, sometimes its better to look into starting your own business right at home.

To know if you are ready to work on your home-based business, you need to have the desire and motivation for it to succeed. If you have no idea at all where to start or what to expect, then it might be difficult for you to choose a business that will work for you.

Skills and Interest

The first thing that you may want to consider I to find out what is your skills and interests, and be open to the idea of doing several closely related things. You may want to make sure that you choose the one that is right for you and that meets your needs. Choose ideas that you would enjoy doing, or have a strong interest in learning and doing, because you'll be spending a lot of time doing them. Try to remember that there is fine line between many home-based jobs and home-based businesses, and sometimes you are doing both at the same time.

Potential Income

Of course, income potential should also be considered. That means an evaluation of how much you want to earn, if it’s a primary or secondary income and just what your aspirations are in terms of what you want to do.

Taking Care of Children

You also have to consider things such as whether you can afford a ‘yaya’ for your children because that will determine the type of business you choose. If you are going to be an accountant, data entry operator, secretary or other such occupations, you will not have the opportunity to work the schedule around your children unless they are all of school age. Even though you are working at home, you still have obligations and you can not just drop everything and decide to take your children to the mall or to the park because you wake up and find that you have a long weekend ahead of you.

Commitment After Office Hours

You have to be willing to commit to your business just as though you were working in an office or had an actual building where you were operating. Sometimes it cannot be helped to work beyond the normal working hours because some of your clients may demand your goods and services only after they have finished working. For instance, if you are operating a cleaning or spa-services at home, clients will ask you to provide the service when they are already at home or after the normal office hours. If you try to avoid potential clients because you think you deserve a break, then you are not going to achieve any degree of success in your home business.

Non-Internet-Based Business

A home business does not have to be Internet based by any means. You may choose to operate a cleaning or contracting business from your home and use the Internet only for billing and advertising.

In fact, with the opportunities that the Internet offers, many people in blue collar businesses do that very thing. Very often, they do the manual end of the job while the wife stays at home and handles all of the paperwork, advertising and setting up the appointments for quotes.

Separate Business from Relationship

If you and your spouse work well together, a home-based business that both of you work can be the ideal set up. It is important to understand that you will likely be spending a great deal of time together, hence, it is important that you know where the boundaries between business and marriage are.

Not everyone has the ability to work and live with the same person for twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Before you make a final decision on the home business that is right for your needs and talents, review all of the advantages and disadvantages. Look at what you want from the business and what you hope to achieve by working at home instead of going out into the corporate world. Remember, some people cannot handle the home business because they need that human interaction on a regular basis, so you have to look at that aspect as well when you choose the type of business you want.

Lastly, successful business stories always begin from simple idea and uncomplicated set-ups. It does not have to be a grand project or labor-intensive. Start small, but think big.

Features of Internet-Based Ponzi Scams

2012-01-09T09:12:00.000+08:00

The following are some of the features of an internet-based Ponzi investment scams:

No SEC registration
Investment in foreign currency, preferably in US dollars
Offers of guarantees a huge profit in a very short period
Utilizes a binary network (i.e. upline and downline) to earn commissions
No paper trail
Promises little or no financial risk
Provision for a lock-up period where an investor cannot touch the investment (i.e., 60 days)
Assures pay-off of investments in a short time
Uses high-pressure methods to convince investors to reinvest their earnings
unknown principal office, address, founders, directors, or officers
Conducts orientation seminars informally

To report companies engaged in Ponzi investment schemes, contact Hubert Guevara, director of the SEC Compliance and Enforcement Department, 5/F SEC Building, EDSA, Greenhills, Mandaluyong City, Tel. (02) 727-3367.

To verify of a company is authorized or licensed to solicit investments from the public, call the SEC Market Regulation Department, Tel. (02) 721-5058, or the BSP's Supervision and Examination Department V, Tel. (02) 524-7011 loc 3017 or (02) 523-2582.

Adgitize is Closing Down

2011-12-28T13:32:00.000+08:00

I just received an email from Adgitize announcing their imminent closure soon. This information was confirmed by Ken Brown's blog post saying that all services will be taken out by 31 January 2012. The primary reason for the closure of Adgitize appears to be the rising cost of running the network.

For those who are not ware of Adgitize, it is an affiliate advertising company. It was founded by Ken Brown to provide an alternative advertising platform for bloggers in the summer of 2008.

It has a social gathering area where bloggers can share ideas for blogging, advertising, earning revenues and raise blog traffic. Adgitize has a unique point system that translates into real dollars for bloggers with blogs of all sizes big or small.

The complete announcement of Ken Brown is posted below:

I regret to inform you that we are closing Adgitize. We have enjoyed working with you over the last 3 years and we hope that you have enjoyed our services. Adgitize tried to fill a niche market but the costs to run the business were more than the revenues generated. Here is what to expect over the next 30 days.

Beginning on December 27th, 2011, you will not be able to open any new accounts. We will shut down the ability to create or renew any ads. On January 1st, 2012, we will officially stop showing ads and all member publishers will NOT receive revenue for any Adgitize Ads shown. If you had an ad running with us we will refund a prorated portion of your ad price.

Prorated portion of ad price means if you have an ad running and it expires on January 15th, 2012 then we will send you a PayPal payment of 15/31st of the purchase p, rice. If the purchase price was $14 then you will receive $6.77 USD from Adgitize. We expect to make all payments to refund advertisers fees by January 4th, 2012. If you want payment by check then you will have to wait until after the 12th of January before we send those payments out.

We will send PayPal ad refunds to the PayPal address you have on file with us. To verify that your PayPal email address is valid check the Profile section of Adgitize.

Payouts for publishers and affiliates for the month of December will run on the normal schedule and should be complete by January 10th, 2012, except for those requesting checks which won't be processed until January 12th, 2012. There is a processing fee of $5.00 per check if your preferred payment method is by check. All publishers with monies owed them who have given us a valid payment method will be paid from $0.01 USD and up.

If you have chosen the credit service within Adgitize, we will payout those earnings to your PayPal address on file with us.

We expect all services and websites to be taken out of service by January 31st, 2012. If you have not given us a proper payment method to send your earnings by that date then there will be no way to make payment to you and you will forfeit those earnings.

To communicate with us over the next 31 days feel free to use the contact us link, the forum or the blog comment section. We will be monitoring each of those communication methods until the web site is shut down.

What you should do. Make sure you have given us a valid PayPal address or street address to send your money to. Remove all Adgitize Ad Groups from your blogs. (You will stop receiving points and revenues from them after December 31, 2011).

I am sorry this is the decision we had to make and wish you the best in blogging for the new year and beyond.

Sincerely,

Ken Brown
Adgitize

An "Angry Bird" Playground Soon

2011-12-26T08:55:00.000+08:00

It started with an app game, followed by several merchandising products and it was even used as a design for a formal gown in a presidential gathering. Now, tThe world's most popular computer game will become live attractions for children next year when the first "Angry Birds" playgrounds appear in Finland.

The developer said last 12 December 2011 that two Finnish towns will get the first playgrounds kitted out with equipment inspired by the game's characters as it signed a global deal with playground equipment manufacturer Lappset.

"The playgrounds fit perfectly into the Angry Birds world and our way of thinking," Rovio marketing chief Peter Vesterbacka said in a statement.

The Angry Birds playground product range features animal spring riders, swings, sandpits and a range of climbing towers with slides, and a unique Angry Birds arcade game.

Mobile gaming firm Rovio, which plans to go public within a few years, said last month its hit game had reached a record 500 million downloads less than two years after its launch.

Unlike most mobile game crazes, Angry Birds, in which players use a slingshot to attack pigs who steal the birds' eggs, has stayed atop the charts since it was launched for Apple's iPhone in 2009.

Reuters reported that Rovio is expanding the brand across traditional merchandising, to the big screen with film studios.

Earlier this year, Rovio raised US$ 42 million from venture capital firms including Accel Partners, which previously backed Facebook and Baidu, and Skype founder Niklas Zennstroem's venture capital firm Atomico Ventures.

Rovio was founded in 2003 after three students including Niklas Hed — CEO Mikael Hed's cousin and now Rovio's COO — won a game-development competition sponsored by Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia Oyj and Hewlett-Packard CO.

Google Person Finder Tool for 'Sendong' Relatives

2011-12-20T15:50:00.004+08:00

The sheer number of people looking for friends and relatives who have gone missing because of tropical storm 'Sendong' has convinced Internet tech giant Google to do what it can to help.

Google has set up a Person Finder tool to locate people in the disaster-affected areas in Northern Mindanao, specifically in Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro. The tool, which can be utilized using either English and Filipino, also allows people to share information about people in the flooded communities.

To search information regarding a person, one only needs to enter a name in the tool and it will provide information based on records in database.

The tool was tracking 200 records of people as of Monday afternoon (19 December 2011). As of posting, the death toll from Sendong had reached 900 fatalities, with 82 people still missing according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

A total of 84 bodies found in the flooded areas have yet to be identified and claimed by their relatives.

Google also has a user-generated Crisis Map for Sendong, wherein people can share information regarding the disaster-stricken communities in the Visayas and Mindanao.

The crisis map has resources and links to data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, the Philippine Red Cross, shelters and evacuation facilities, donation centers, weather updates, and YouTube videos.

Google earlier created similar Person Finder and Crisis Map tools during the Japan earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear leak disaster.

Iligan is Asking for Your Help

2011-12-19T07:47:00.004+08:00

This is to inform everyone who wants to help the victims of the flash floods in Southern Mindanao that the Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc. is accepting donations in kind for the victims of Typhoon Sendong in the city.

More specifically, they encourage the following items for donations: canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soaps, toothpaste, rice, used clothings, slippers, and cash donations.

Philippine National Red Cross already bringing Sendong's death toll to 652 in all of Southern Mindana, higher than the 464 recorded by the government in 2009 when typhoon Ondoy poured record rainfall over Metro Manila and nearby provinces in Luzon.

Iligan-based donors can go to St. Michaels' Cathedral, DXIC Radio Station, City Hall, Rizal Park, and Calda Pizza Iligan City Branch. If you need to verify the validity of this request for assistance, then do so now. However, do not let your doubts delay your help even further because time is of the essence for many of these victims.

For non-Iligan-based donors, you can ship your donations via LBC for FREE and send it to this address:

ONE FOR ILIGAN (Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc.)
c/o CALDA Pizza, The Strip
Quezon Ave, Pala-o,
Iligan City, 9200

LBC has been generous and accepts shipping of donation to affected areas for free. You may call their hotline at (632) 858-5999

For Paypal donation you can use this ID singcol.inquisitor@gmail.com or deposit it in the Union Bank account of Revilla N. Carbonell (Noel) with account number: 109451077611

For those who want to volunteer, please look or call Erika Cruz (cellphone number: 09052802002) or go directly to Rizal Park at 8:00 AM everyday, until the need subsides.

You can contact the ILIGAN BLOGGERS SOCIETY, INC. in the following social sites and addresses:

SITE: http//:iliganbloggers.com
EMAIL: iliganbloggers@gmail.com
FB Fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/iliganbloggers

Testing iPhone 4S Speed from 2 Networks

2011-12-17T13:38:00.000+08:00

Competition is expected to be the critical driver of performance and innovation in business. The benefir accrues to everyone by allowing them to choose from an array of excellent products at affordable prices. Competition also encourages the adoption of innovation as companies evolve and new ideas flourish in the marketplace.

It appears that competition is the reason right now why both Smart Communications Inc. (SMART) and GLOBE Telecoms are offering their clients the "best iPhone ever" – iPhone 4S. Among its new features are its dual core A5 processor, a 10-megapixel still camera with 1080p video capture, and its ability to connect to 4G HSPA networks.

For three years running, GLOBE has the monopoly of the lucrative iPhone market. That ended on 16 December 2011 after SMART launched their own iPhone 4S offerings. This is significant for the latter because it will be the first time that iPhones will be offered to its 47 million network users.

So what's the difference between the two network's iPhone 4S plan? The price won’t be much of a factor since the level will stabilize later or if not, the difference will be very negligible. There must be something that the consumers would like to see if ever they want to part ways with their hard-earned money.

"We invite everyone to put our phones side by side with those of the competition and see for themselves just why Smart is the best choice," said Smart chief wireless adviser Orlando Vea.

The challenge of side-by-side testing was accepted by a local blog, www.unblog.ph. A barrage of speed tests were made in different parts of Metro Manila using two units of iPhone 4S with unlimited data activated from the two networks.

The test parameters are the following:

Speedtest iOS app is the main measurement tool.

DL speed has more priority than UL speed. However if DL speeds are too close to call the blog looked at the UL speeds as well and Ping.

Server was set to Hong Kong to make sure of telco neutrality in the results.

www.unblog.ph also did some Youtube HD downloads

The result: SMART iPhone 4S performed better in all eight (8) areas in terms of DL speed. GLOBE fared better in only two (2) areas out of eight (8) in terms of UL speed.

The blog reminded its readers that the test is 100 percent conclusive since there are tons of factors that can affect mobile data speed like congestion and weather. However, if the consumers will be tied up for two years with one network, it is better to use something close to a scientific and evidence-based than nothing at all. Many consumers are well-aware that listening and watching movie stars promote products from GLOBE and SMART are not enough. Most would like to get the value for their money.

Early Stages for IZEAMedia Network

2011-12-14T15:59:00.000+08:00

There is a new blog display advertising network right now and it seems to be offering a better opportunity for blog publishers worldwide compared to existing affiliate programs. IZEAMedia has just announced its soft opening to complement their sponsored content network of over 600k publishers. Their goal is to help bloggers better monetize their blogs and connect them with as many brands as possible.

Becoming part of the IZEAMedia network could help increase blogger's chances for Sponsorship opportunities.

The only problem for now appears to be their strict requirement for inclusion. In order to participate in IZEAMedia the blog must:

Have Google Analytics installed
Have a minimum of 5,000 page views for the previous month
Have at least 51 percent of their traffic coming from the US (according to Google Analytics)

Now, the first two conditions could easily be met if a blogger is conscious enough to promote their site actively and ensure that their regular readers get the most updated and applicable articles at least four times a week.

However, the last requirement is very discriminatory. A regular blogger would never try to limit his or her exposure to U.S. audience alone. In fact it might be more profitable for bloggers to cater to their home country first before increasing the readership base in the U.S. The third qualification could have been intentionally included to satisfy clients whose products are meant to serve the American consumers.

Once a blog can meet all three prerequisites, they can choose from 300×250, 160×600 or 728×90 pixels ad units. The ad unit must be visible "above the fold" on a screen resolution of 1024×768. At least one ad unit will carry IZEAMedia branding to help drive purchase.

IZEA has also volunteered to handle all accounting arrangements and provide the Publisher an online summary of the activity of their site within their SocialSpark account. Total monthly payment to the Publisher will be the greater of:

The gross sales revenue generated by IZEA on the Publisher Site(s), minus Admin Overhead, multiplied by Publisher Revenue Split.

-OR-

The Buyout Guarantee if one exists.

Payments will be made on the fifteenth day of each month to the SocialSpark account for all campaigns that ended at least 45 days earlier regardless of whether the advertiser has paid IZEA. SocialSpark account balances can then be cashed out to PayPal.

The 'Angry Birds' Fashion

2011-12-11T23:32:00.000+08:00

Move over fashion designers and aspiring models because the Angry Birds ballroom gown is coming to town. Well, maybe that was what the wife of an executive of Rovio, the company behind the hit game, was trying to achieve at the Finnish Presidential Palace to celebrate Finland’s independence.

Not contented with T-shirts, toys, bags and even a cookbook, Teija Vesterbacka, wife of Rovio chief marketing officer Peter Vesterbacka, sported an off-the-shoulder ballroom gown with an "Angry Birds" motif to the event.

However, Teija’s enthusiastic promotion was not shared by her husband who showed up clad in a formal suit.

According to the site, Marshable, there were a mixture of reactions online and on Twitter, as some called it “epic” while others were “disgusted.”

A certain Nanea Reeves tweeted that she was “Sooooo glad my husband didn’t create ‘Angry Birds.’ Quelle horreur! This dress is a nightmare.”

Angry Birds is still growing in user base every day, and the company is planning to expand to cartoon and plush slingshot toys. The branding and growth of Angry Birds has been phenomenal and analysts placed its earnings to around hundred million dollars per month.

Kindle Fire's Inability to Screen Orders

2011-12-07T15:16:00.002+08:00

With a retail price of only US$ 199 Kindle Fire device has been embraced by many as a cheaper version of Apple's iPad (US$ 499 and up). Aside from allowing users to browse the web, play games, video and music, which are not available with Kindle readers, Kindle Fire comes with your very Amazon account information preloaded, along with "1-Click" ordering.

The additional feature of Kindle Fire was meant to streamline ordering an extensive array of goods sold by Amazon.com. So, the process is simplified. Good? I’m afraid many think this feature could be the downfall of the Amazon tablet despite its low price.

Some parents are already bristling over the simplicity at which children can order from the retail giant and the inability to stop them without crippling the device. Their beef is with the "1-Click" ordering feature which allows holder of the device to place an order, whether it's their account or not. No prompts come up to confirm the purchase or ask for a password. Competitor Barnes and Noble, which released its Nook Tablet (US$ 249) without the same fanfare as Kindle Fire, requires users to confirm their purchases before they go through.

Amazon’s email in response to questions from Reuters about Kindle Fire did not address concerns about the "1-Click" ordering, but says it has provided the ability for parents to limit what their kids buy when using applications downloaded for the devices. How they can do that remains a mystery and was not clear at this time.

Other concern involves theft or losing the device, which can be then easily be accessed for purchases unless a user sets a password to lock the screen when it's not in use. The company also has not acknowledge any issue with shipping preregistered devices, even though there have been reports that devices have been removed from the clearly marked boxes and used to make purchases by unauthorized users.

Logitech Mouse Promo

2011-12-01T13:23:00.000+08:00

Logitech has just recently launched its Christmas special to make shopping for essential peripherals easier during the holidays.

Until 31 December 2011, Logitech is also giving free a S150 digital USB speaker headset for every purchase of Logitech wireless mouse M325 or wireless combo MK220, or free Logitech USB headset H390 for every purchase of Logitech anywhere mouse M905 or wireless solar keyboard K750.

It will also give away Logitech stereo Z110 for every purchase of Logitech couch mouse M515 and Logitech ultra flat keyboard Dark Shine for every purchase of Logitech wireless mouse M505.

Founded 30 years ago in Switzerland, Logitech is the world's leading provider of personal peripherals. This Christmas, the company will only be too happy to assist tech shoppers buy what they want.

"We always seek to enhance our customers' shopping experience," said Prasenjit Sarkar, South Asia director of Logitech. "By having a Christmas promotion, we are able to give our customers a chance to own Logitech peripherals."

One QWERTY Contest for Christmas

2011-11-28T08:59:00.004+08:00

This could be the contest for you if you think you have a QWERTY lifestyle. This is your chance to share to the world how the QWERTY revolution changed your mobile life with Nokia's "Why do you QWERTY!" promo.

The contest is open to all QWERTY phone users and all they need to do is to write a 200-word essay on the topic "How using a QWERTY phone changed my mobile life for the better."

The essay should describe your positive experiences and interesting anecdotes about using your QWERTY phone. It should also be accompanied by a photo in JPEG format of yourself and your QWERTY phone. Send your entry via e-mail to nokiaqwertypromo@ovi.com.

Make sure to put some pizzazz to your essay and photo as entries will be judged according to uniqueness (40 percent), relevance (30 percent), and visual quality of photo (30 percent).

Four entries with the most interesting stories and the most creative photos will win a new Nokia QWERTY phone each: a Nokia Asha 200 for the third prize; a Nokia Asha 303 for the second prize; a pair of Nokia Asha 200 for the first prize; and a pair of Nokia Asha 303 for the grand prize.

The Nokia Asha 303 is a touch-screen device with a full physical QWERTY keypad. This stylish and slim device has lots of processing power that gives a rich experience of the Internet and social networking applications. It lets you stay connected with your loved ones and lets you have fun with great apps and its music player.

The Nokia Asha 200 is ideal for young, urban consumers who find QWERTY phones aspirational and wish to connect to their social networks, but are also price-conscious.

It is suited for their need to send messages quickly and listening to music, and most importantly gives control over costs with the Easy Swap function.

Deadline for submission of entries is on 30 December 2011.

Amazon's Black Friday Deals

2011-11-22T11:01:00.006+08:00

Black Friday is an exciting day for shopping, both online and in stores. On this day, shops open around 4:00 A.M. and most shopkeepers announce exclusive deals to pump up the heat and get those shopping blood flowing.

With offers being announced on the fly and with almost every other shop announcing offers, knowing how to find the best Black Friday Deals 2011 helps. This is the reason why Amazon strives to bring low prices every day and inbvested a lot in informing consumers that they hate to miss a good party like Black Friday.

And it is obvious that Amazon hate it when the party is over too soon before anyone take advantage of the bargain and amazing deals they offer. That's why Amazon's Black Friday 2011 isn't just a day to them but a whole week. They will have Black Friday deals and sales all day, every day this week, including Black Friday itself of course, with those big after-Thanksgiving sales everyone been waiting for.

What sorts of deals will Amazon offer during Black Friday Deals Week? Consumers will find limited-time sales and specials from across Amazon, including sales on electronics, low prices on DVDs, magazine subscription specials, toy bargains, and fashionable deals on clothing, shoes, jewelry, and more. They will find Amazon's best deals of the year so far during Black Friday Deals Week, and Deal of the Day bargains they will snap up for holiday gifts.

Another day-that's-not-just-a-day that everyone is excited about is Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Amazon will be kicking off Cyber Monday Deals Week with a week's worth of Cyber Monday deals on Sunday, 27 November 2011, just in time for everyone to get back to work after Thanksgiving ... and shop online.

Everyone will find more great deals and low prices every day during Cyber Monday Deals Week.

So, stop by Amazon, any day ... every day.

"FarmVille" Toys Coming Soon

2011-11-19T20:08:00.000+08:00

For those who are keen on buying toys that were made famous by their online version, then you may be for a treat this Christmas. After Rovio release "Angry Birds" items in the market, plush versions of the animals from Zynga's monster hit Facebook game "FarmVille" are following suit.

According to tech site Mashable, the first batch of online animals are already available for pre-orders, at least in the United States.

"We've seen Rovio do something similar with plush toys based on its megapopular multi-platform game Angry Birds, with amazing success. It'll be interesting to see if FarmVille-based plush toys can reach a similar level of success," Mashable said.

The plush domesticated animals - pigs, goats, cows, sheep, chickens, ducks, horses and rabbits - will be dressed in "seasonal winter outfits" and will cost US$ 9.99 each.

Mashable reported the toys will also come with 10 free Farm Cash, as well as a digital code that can be used in the game to collect a limited-edition virtual version of the plush toy.

Also, the report said players who collect all eight animals will receive an in-game Super Orchard.

It added the pre-orders should go live soon, and the toys may be available at Best Buy stores on 25 November 2011.

However, some critics are expecting the flood of cheaper and fake version once the market responds well with the promotional and advertising programs of Zynga. There are already some imitation available in the black market and this may compel mass production once Christmas season starts.

IZEA's SocialSpark Deals

2011-11-14T16:02:00.000+08:00

IZEA Holdings, Inc. (IZEA:OTCBB), the world leader in social media sponsorships, announced early this month that they will be introducing SocialSpark Deals. The new feature allows SocialSpark publishers to promote and participate in the monetization of valuable e-commerce deals within their blogs. E-commerce merchants are able to leverage the blogger's reach and promote their site on a cost per action basis through the blogosphere, Twitter and Facebook.

"The current model utilized by many "daily deal" companies is broken. They prey on restaurants, spas and other small business owners who don't have the technology to track the effectiveness of the deal or easily retain a customer once a discount has been given," explained Ted Murphy, CEO of IZEA.

"Our solution focuses exclusively on e-commerce merchants who are better equipped to track repeat customers and obtain contact information for future marketing. Our goal is to help great companies of all sizes attract and retain customers, not cycle through a new deal every day."

Unlike other platforms that rely on saturating email inboxes, SocialSpark Deals leverage IZEA's social media publisher network to distribute deals online. Bloggers can write posts, embed widgets into their sites, tweet and Facebook, the deal to share it with friends. For each purchase generated through their content, the blogger receives a percentage of the sale.

"With more than two million sponsored posts to-date, SocialSpark Deals are a natural addition to the IZEA portfolio of offerings," said Jerry Biuso, Vice President of Client Services, IZEA. "Our clients get new, loyal customers; our blogging community receives additional revenue; and consumers get great deals!"

"IZEA is continuously creating new ways for businesses to leverage social media," said Drew Sirico, Director of Internet Business, Pexagon Technology, Inc. "We are excited to be among the first of the e-commerce sites offering a deal through SocialSpark - US$ 50 worth of personalized products for US$ 25."

For more information on SocialSpark Deals, visit and sign-up at www.socialspark.com.

Access to Effective SEO Optimizers

2011-11-09T09:57:00.003+08:00

When you are blogging or developing your own site in the web, one of the first things that you tend to focus on is the improvement of volume and quality of traffic. The process of directing traffic from search engines via "natural" (organic or algorithmic) search results for targeted words is known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

Usually, the earlier a site is presented to the world or the higher it ranks compared to other sites, the more searchers will visit it. SEO helps by targeting different kinds of search, such as image or industry-specific vertical search engines. SEO also considers how search algorithm works and what people are searching for nowadays, which are really important considerations when trying to improve a site's relevance.

However, SEO efforts may be complicated for many bloggers who are contented with writing unique content and ensuring that the content is easily indexed by search engine robots. Marketing and promoting the site through SEO involves the site's coding, presentation and structure, as well as fixing some technical problems here and there.

Hence, many are tapping and sourcing their SEO needs from search engine optimizers or consultant whose main task is to carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients. These SEO services are found in several sites and blogs ranging from site designs to content management systems, but there is one site that provides a comprehensive service and one-stop shop menu for bloggers and site owners to connect with these SEO consultants. SEOClerks is a site where search engine optimizers may offer stand alone services or part of a broader marketing campaign. While paid advertising through Google Adwords is still one of the best options, alternative modes provided by SEOClerks are advisable for sites that seek to penetrate a specific market.

Updates for ShareThis and Google

2011-11-08T14:00:00.000+08:00

There were two important updates that will could give more options for bloggers to promote their sites and maximize the content of their blogs. The first one was released awhile back and the other one was supposed to have been implemented last month.

Firstly, the new ShareThis analytics dashboard gives bloggers a quick summary of sharing driven social activity on their site. Bloggers can easily drill down in specific areas for detail like, for instance, which social networks drive the most sharing? Which content was shared most? A "Live Shares" tab shows what's being shared from the particular site in real time.

In addition to live metrics, ShareThis created a summary page that shows a graph of shares, clicks, and page views from overall sharing activity for the specified time period. A list of top shared URL's are also listed with their share metrics. One can conveniently get a glimpse which social networks drive the most sharing, a list of known influencers (anonymized for privacy), and a geographic distribution of where the most sharing occurs on a site.

Secondly, Google will introduce the +1 button and personal recommendations to display ads next month. The +1 button will begin to appear on AdSense for Content and AdSense for Mobile Content display ad formats -- image, animated gif, and Flash. +1s will be one additional signal to help determine an ad's relevance and we'll continue to show the ads that will generate the most revenue for blogger.

Google previously launched the +1 button on search and for publisher sites to make it easier for people to share and discover content across the web. Soon, users will be able to endorse specific ads and make the ads more likely to appear to their social connections. It is expected that these recommendations could help readers notice ads on blogger's site more, leading to higher returns for over time.

Yahoo! Purple Hunt Extended

2011-11-01T13:12:00.000+08:00

There were hundreds of requests for an increased in registration sites so Yahoo! Philippines has decided to extend its Purple Hunt Family Edition until 15 November 2011. with the grand finale set the following day at SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

Purple Hunters have two more weeks to unlock clues that will give the participating families the chance to win exciting prizes, including a PhP 2.2-million home.

Promising Yahoo!'s characteristic "fun factor," the day-long event at SM Mall will be packed with games, booths to explore, Yahoo! goodies to hunt for, and cool items to collect.

Live music and live act performances, demos and talks will continue throughout the day to make it a memorable event for all.

Participating families in the finale event stand a chance to win Globe Tattoo Prepaid Broadband Stick; plane tickets to Bacolod, Iloilo, Cebu, Busuanga, Cagayan de Oro and Singapore from Airphil Express; McDonald’s birthday party packages; and MyPhone mobile phones.

The lucky winner of the Purple Hunt 3.0 Family Edition will walk away with the grand prize: a Presidio condominium unit at Lakefront from Camella Condo Homes.

Purple Hunt was started in 2009 to help Filipinos find, share and connect with the things that matter most to them. The online adventure has become a highly anticipated event and spurred by its success and popularity, Yahoo! Philippines launched the family edition with an aim to bring the whole family together to explore the Web, discover the various Yahoo! Properties, and spend quality time bonding.

Guided by three values - Pledge together, Surf together, and Play together - Purple Hunt 3.0 promotes responsible use of the Internet by educating parents and their children about online safety and netiquette.

Express Yourself with Express Suits

2011-10-29T08:22:00.002+08:00

This post brought to you by Express. All opinions are 100% mine.

For a woman who wants to make a mark in the business world, there is one some key point that must be remembered: wearing a proper suit has its advantages. During business negotiations or presentations, a women's suits play a supporting role.

This in combination with their conduct, their interpersonal skills and their ability to articulate intelligent and well thought out responses to questions are the most important elements. Wearing the appropriate suit for a business meeting not only supports a woman's image it also supports them as a person who takes the meeting process seriously and understands the nature of the industry in which they are trying to convince. A woman needs to be aware that in some male-dominated companies, contacts and image presented to the customer is critical. The more corporate a woman project herself, the more their attire will be judged critically.

In a more relax and loose atmosphere a woman can easily go casual the way they want to be and inform people about their line of work. But once they meet this person again for some serious business negotiation or to present a proposal, a suit from Express will have a bigger impact then just being dressed nicely. There should never be any confusion between a business meeting and a social event or considering it as "I know that person, so I can be myself in a casual atmosphere".

When a woman wants to be taken seriously in business, they should wear a suit from Express, no substitute. Express suits mean business. Always did and always will.

Another good thing about getting suits from Express right now is that they are giving their customers a chance to win US$500 Suiting Makeover. Enter the Express sweepstakes everyday and earn an additional entry (up to 20 total) when you share this opportunity with a friend who also signs up. So why not take advantage of this opportunity to win some cash, get some new suits and impress the people you want to work with.

If you want to say something, especially on what is the purpose for wearing a suit, just post it in the suggestion or comment box and we will try to make a suit that is appropriate to your situation.

Preparing Franchise in Crisis Mgt.

2011-10-23T07:29:00.000+08:00

One of the best things that a franchisee appreciates is that they are always part of the team. Their franchise gets quality exposure whenever the mother company advertise the products or whenever events are organized that features their franchise. However, with all good things, bad things come with it.

The bad thing about being part of a franchise is that, should any misfortune strikes the company or a fellow franchisee, everyone tied to that brand will also feel the heat. One good example is the case of the Domino's Pizza, whose YouTube video went viral after Domino's employees spitting in the food. The company lost a lot of money from commitment withdrawals and low product consumption. It does not matter if the incident happened in one branch only. All franchisee will have to weather the crossfire and become victims by association with the company.

To mitigate the impact of such a negative image for the product, a franchisee needs to know how to deal with it. A single proprietor can easily deal and control the situation though massive public relation programs, but it is different for a franchise where one misstep in one location can have devastating multiplier effect on everyone in the franchise system.

Here are some suggestions from several sources on how to play down the impact of the chain reaction and uplift franchise goodwill in a more calculated step:

Stay focused on the customer. Whether your customers are aware of the bad press or not, making sure that they leave your location happy is the best thing that you can do to decrease the potential damage.

Have a crisis management plan in place. It is the franchisor's responsibility to have one in place for their franchisees. The franchise company must provide a clear and easy-to-understand crisis management plan, offer training sessions to franchisees on how to implement these steps and protocols, and show solidarity with the franchise. Franchisors and franchisees need to be on the same page regarding the answers to the questions from the media.

Look for support from the outside. A franchise can use third-party supporters like public officials, prominent clients, and fellow business owners to stress the high standards their business.