CoolAdzine for Marketers

Will That App Kill Your Phone?

2012-01-23T11:18:00.000-06:00

Apps and widgets for smart phones have proliferated, with over half a million available for the iPhone alone. However, with the apps come danger from criminals determined to ruin your day and kill your phone.

You can protect yourself and your Android™, iPhone® or Windows® Phone. So before you casually download your next app or widget, think about it.

Who Wrote the App or From Where Did it Come?

Apps are built by anyone, including a cyber thief with malicious intent.Stop and think before you hit the DOWNLOAD button. Are you downloading app from an official site of the platform your phone uses? Is the app highly rated and downloaded often?

2) Avoid Peer-to-Peer Networks

File sharing websites are more prone to distributing malware and Trojan horses. You may think downloaded the app from a p2p site is going to save you money But, if you cannot resist saving a buck by grabbing an app or widget from a p2p network, be very careful. You may just kill your phone.

3) Read the fine print.

When you download an app, you may be asked to give the developer permission for such activities as preventing the phone from sleeping, allowing the phone to read data on who called from where or accessing to the phone’s Internet connection.Read the contract. Otherwise, you may find a huge data or text phone bill next month.

4) Protect your devices.

Stay ahead of the bad guys. Research and visit related forums and then download an antivirus program for your smart phone. Make sure you are on the website of the official app shop. Save your apps, your information, your privacy and your phone.

5) Escape the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (pictured above).

I did not know the blue screen of death has still around. Knock on wood, I have not seen one since I quite using Win-98. When you see this screen, there is nothing left to do with the phone except throw it, stomp on it, throw on the concrete, put it in a compacter, drop it in the toilet, or turn the service off and give the high-priced toy to your nephew.

Losing Rights and Freedoms

2012-01-18T00:48:00.000-06:00

Caught Sharing Downloaded Games

Source: The Daily Link

Losing the Freedom of the Internet

The Congress and the House of Representatives have come up two separate bills to further curtail our freedoms. I guess it is just too hard for the poor peeps to tackle something important, like sending jobs overseas, corruption on capitol hill, the environmental dangers posed by fracking and the XL pipeline, climate change, the disappearing middle class, etc.

Oh, but they have time to write the bills that will take away the few pleasures left to the public that is struggling to work, live and pay taxes.

Congress is about to pass Internet censorship, even though the vast majority of Americans are opposed to it. We need to kill the bills - PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House - to protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and prosperity.

S.968 - PROTECT IP Act of 2011

PIPA - Establishes process by which a website is taken down because the Justice Department (DoJ) says the site is conducting infringing activities. The DoJ or the copyright owner would begin legal action and the DoJ could demand that search engines, social networking sites and domain name services block access to the targeted site.This could all be done without anyone being heard by a judge.

Stop Protect IP Adresses (PIPA) - Read the bill here.

H.R.3261 - Stop Online Piracy Act

SOPA - Basically the same as PIPA, with some additions: ". . . against any site they deem to have 'only limited purpose or use otherthan infringement,' . . . It would also make unauthorized web streaming ofcopyrighted content a felony with a possible penalty up to five years in prison." This bill combines two separate Senate bills -- S.968 and S.978.

Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) - Read the bill here.

Protests Tomorrow

People are saying these bills will break the Internet. In protest many of the large websites, like Wikipedia are "blacking out" their websites tomorrow 1/18.

Click the infographic below to take action.

Do it today.

Dream on Monday for Those Who Can No Longer Dream

2012-01-15T15:18:00.001-06:00

Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., studied Gandhi's teachings in college and visited India to gain experience with civil disobedience. From Gandhi, he learned that nonviolent resistance was the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for freedom.

The principles of passive resistance and civil disobedience is credited with winning civil rights for black Americans. No matter what, no protester ever fought back while the Rev. King was alive. To use violence would have nullified everything in which Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi believed.

There was a horrific scene in Birmingham, Alabama in the spring of 1963, during which black demonstrators were attacked with fire hoses, cattle prods and police dogs.

This protest was televised and shocked many Americans. President John F. Kennedy, Jr. addressed the nation on television about the issue of civil rights. All through 1963, JFK worked to pass a moderate civil rights bill. He died before he could complete the bill.

President Kennedy was assassinated in November of that year. After the assassination, President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed the 1964 Civil Rights Act through Congress. Although codifying civil rights in law was a step in the right direction, Rev. King struggled with related issues for four more years until he was assassinated by a sniper on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, TN.

With Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr., gone, the civil rights movement lost ground. A leader failed to emerge and the movement stalled.

Free Mobile Marketing Workshop

2012-01-07T04:31:00.001-06:00

Mobile Marketing Driving You Crazy?

By 2014, mobile devices will overtake computers as most popular way to surf the Internet. We ignore this mobile media explosion at our peril. It is time to develop a mobile marketing strategy for our businesses. Luckily, HubSpot is presenting a free two-hour workshop, Master Mobile Marketing in 2012.

Learn How To

Develop, launch and run mobile marketing campaigns
Create mobile-optimized ads
Leverage social media on mobile devices
Design and use mobile applications

Register

Marketing professionals who want to learn about mobile marketing should attend. No technical experience needed. You will need a computer with speakers or headphones and an Internet connection. The workshop is free, but you must register. Take a moment now and register.

REGISTER BY CLICKING LINK BELOW

Master Mobile Marketing in 2012

Thursday, January 12, 2012

11 am to 1 pm (CST)

See you there!

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands : Sales and Marketing

2011-12-03T22:20:00.001-06:00

Introduction

Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands : Sales and Marketing, The Essential Cultural Guide--From Presidents and Promotions to Communications and Closing by Terri Morrison and Wayne A. Conway is the latest in the Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands series.

This book is extremely useful if you travel on business to other countries. The book provides social, cultural and demographic information for 20 countries, including the United States.

Each country contains a background page and contains specific cultural, advertising and marketing notes.

General Topics

Icebreakers - questions or topics to get the conversation going and to fill those awkward silences.
Boorish - how to put your foot in your mouth and offend your host.
What Time Should I Arrive? - different time frames for different folks. Learn their time or be ready to spend yours, waiting.
Work Week - holidays, vacation, correct times for appointments.
How Close Should I Stand? - this book will keep you from invading the private space of people you meet.
Do I Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands? - in Saudi Arabia, your left hand is considered "unclean," so you shake hands and eat with your right hand. The Japanese are big on bowing and the depth of the bow is very specific to status. In India, you will perform a Namaste or shake hands, so be ready.
Business Cards - all cards should have your information in English on one side and the same information translated on the other side. The cards should be in a holder that is placed in your inner jacket pocket (not pants pocket). With the Japanese, there is a ritual you must follow or you might as well tear your card up in front of them.
Three Tips for Selling - great insights into how to impress and sell to your potential clients, specific to their country. Some potential clients want to get down to it, while others will spend days developing a relationship.
Language - Americans speak English, so it should be easy to understand and to be understood in Great Britain, right? Wrong. Learn the basic terms that will show you are polite and learning the language.
Wow Factor! - in some countries, email and direct mail are not used; door-to-door sales personnel are used. Most countries export something and you should know what it is and be prepared to try it (wine, delicacies, beef, coffee, etc.).

Is this information really necessary?

Yes. Who can forget George W. Bush massaging the German Chancellor's neck in 2006? Germans like a like large personal space. Just recently, President Obama went to Saudi Arabia. He sat down, crossed his legs and exposed the soles of his shoes to everyone, thus insulting them all. While in Great Britain Mrs. Obama hugged the Queen. This is just not done.

This book is in an easy to use format and is full of useful information. Take the book or copy the relevant pages and keep them in your pocket or purse. You may always duck to the rest room to refresh your memory.

Conclusion

I once worked for the State Tourism Bureau. I used to put together Culture On a Page, using The World Fact Book, a website run by the Central Intelligence Agency, and talking with consulate personnel. I could have used this entire series back then.

You can use this series today, so do it. Any edge you can develop to put you ahead of the competition is worth it.

Happy Galactic Christmas

2011-11-30T09:57:00.032-06:00

I have no idea how these creative people do this. If you are technically inclined, please visit the site. There are many incredible sketches to amaze you. Some are interactive, all require Java and will put a heavy load on your server.

Updated 12/5/2011: I had to lose the Galactic Christmas due to the bandwidth it was using. Below is a screenshot of the image.

The original is in motion, ever changing and much more spectacular. Please visit

Galactic Christmas by dotlassie, licensed under Creative Commons at OpenProcessing.org.

Veteran's Day 2011

2011-11-11T05:52:00.001-06:00

I wanted to thank the young people that stand vigil today so that I might live free to die of old age. God bless you Bravehearts in the Middle East. Thank you for giving your lives and your health to protect usl

I also wanted to pause and think of the men and women all over the free world who have sacrificed their lives so that I might exist today. You are the true heroes of my story, my life, my children.

Veteran's Day - A Reason I Blog for Peace - Dona Nobis Pacem

Dona Nobis Pacem (Grant Us Peace)

2011-11-03T04:21:00.001-05:00

Blog Blast for Peace
November 4, 2011

The world waits for a great nation that has the common sense,
the imagination, and the faith to devote to the science and
practice of nonviolence so much as a tenth of the money,
brains, skill and devotion which it now devotes
to the madness of war preparation.
What is that nation waiting for

before it undertakes its mission?

~ A. J. Muste (1885-1967), American peace activist ~

Blog Blast for Peace 2011

Become a Peace Blogger

One easy way to place PEACE in the minds of others

and to make an impression on our leaders

is to join hundreds of bloggers

from all over the world for one day.

Join us

Click the logo above or thelink below for details.

Mimi Writes:
Announcing BlogBlast For Peace 2011!

Please visit with peacebloggers on FaceBook, Twitter,
Mimi Writes and many of sites around the world.

See all my peace globes:

blog.TexasRVTravel.com

Advertising-for-Success.blogspot.com

EndangeredSpaces.blogspot.com

No Costume? Got Balloons?

2011-10-31T01:04:00.000-05:00

I just had to share these costumes made of balloons. Every year, my sons run around trying to manufacture a costume on Halloween. These balloon costumes take a lot more time, but I think they are great.

This could be a wedding dress if it were toned down a little. Note the hair accessory.

These two dresses are cute and I love the hats. So creative!

Monster and updated Roaring 20s dress. I love it! Note the shoes and headpiece on the monster.

My favorite is the alien on the left.

Have a wonderful Halloween and if someone needs a costume, hand them a bag of balloons and tell them to get busy! LOL

Eyeglasses as a Fashion Accessory?

2011-10-31T00:36:00.000-05:00

My husband and I are really trying to economize. Two adult children have moved back in with us, we are finding it difficult to budget on a monthly basis. I find myself doing without to cover monthly expenditures.

However, I was trying to read the customer service phone number off the back of a credit card and could not do it—with or without my glasses. My eyeglasses are scratched, the finish is tarnished and the prescription does not correct my vision.

It is time to make an appointment to have my eyes examined and send the new prescription in the mail to zennioptical.com. This way, I can receive new glasses and keep within my budget. The glasses, even for my old eyes, are relatively inexpensive. To sweeten the deal, zennioptical offers flat rate shipping and a 50 percent refund/30 day policy if you are unhappy with your new glasses.

While reading their blog, I was amazed that some people purchase eyeglasses to match their clothing or mood. One woman has 20 pairs of eyeglasses and more coming in the mail. Another woman and her daughter each have 10-12 pairs of eyeglasses. I have never thought of eyeglasses as a fashion accessory, but I am going to start. I have been wearing eyeglasses for over 50 years, so I think I should start to enjoy them. What do you think?

Tags: zennioptical, prescription eyeglasses, online optical store

Happy Halloween

2011-10-30T23:39:00.000-05:00

From ghoulies and ghosties
And long-leggedy beasties
And things that go bump in the night,
Good Lord, deliver us!

~Scottish Saying~

Untitled Jersey City Project

2011-10-25T23:40:00.001-05:00

This post brought to you by Untitled Jersey City Project. All opinions are 100% mine.

The Untitled Jersey City Project is an ongoing experiential television drama. You may view eight short episodes on YouTube. I viewed episode one and it was action-packed.

The first scenes of the first episode show New York City and New Jersey waterfronts as you will never see them: quiet, deserted and peaceful. It reminded me of a post-apocolypse city.

Cut to a deserted building site, complete with barbed wire protection, As your perspective changes to a high floor in this building, your attention is riveted by two gunshots.

Moving perspective again, you are standing on the sidewalk with a body falling toward you from the top of the building. You do not see the body hit, thank goodness.

Seque to Frank, a young architect, who does not answer his cell phone because his libido gets in the way. When he finally does answer the phone, he is told by Ray, that his associate is lying in a pool of blood in front of the project.

As if to make up for his dilly-dallying earlier, Frank breaks all records getting to the murder site. In fact, when he pulls up to the building he has a police escort!

I think this Jersey City Project may be a good series if it makes it off YouTube. If you watch one of the videos, stop back by and let me know your thoughts on the video you watched in the comments.

Car Jackings are UP--Pass It On

2011-10-24T03:35:00.000-05:00

Something Evil This Way Comes

Last Friday night we parked in a public parking area in Galveston. As we drove away I noticed something sticking to the rear window of the car. Luckily, my husband told me not to stop. He warned that someone could be waiting for us to get out of the car. When I took the tag off after I got home, I realized it was a cash receipt for gas. Puzzling, but nothing frightening! Then we received this email yesterday:

Warning

WARNING FROM POLICE * APPLIES TO WOMEN AND MEN * BEWARE OF PAPER LEFT ON BACK WINDOW OF YOUR VEHICLE * NEW WAY TO CARJACK

New Form of Car Jacking

Here is what can happen to you. You walk across the parking lot, unlock your car and slide inside and lock your doors. You start the engine and check your mirrors. When you look into the rear view mirror, you notice a piece of paper stuck to the middle of the rear window. So, you shift into Park, unlock your doors, and jump out of your car to remove that paper.

Stay in Your Car

When you reach the back of your car, that is when the carjackers appear out of nowhere, jump into your car and drive off with your purse, your keys, your driver's license, checkbook, credit cards, insurance documents and any other personal items you may have had in the car. Your home and identity are now compromised! So, if you see a piece of paper stuck to your back window, just leave it.

Other Forms of Carjacking

You do not have to be in a parking lot to be carjacked. Below is a graphic detailing many other ways you may lose your car. Someone can run into your car at a red light or stop sign to get you to exit the vehicle. Do not exit.

Call the police and ask them what you should do. Insist that they come to the scene of the accident or tell them you are driving your car the police station. If something is hinky, get out of there. You can go to the police department within 24 hours to report the accident with penalty.

Stay in Your Car

Men are not immune to carjacking. Women carjackers may appear beside their apparently disabled car dressed in sexy attire or these women can walk up to the car like they need help. Open that door and you will have a gang driving off your car within less than five minutes. Some carjackers have even staged dead or stuffed animals in the roadway, complete with crying children, so that people stop, thinking they ran over the family animal.

Your Belongings or Your Life

Give up your car, your keys, your purse, your jewelry or anything they want. AVOID getting in the car with the carjackers. If you do, there is a good chance you will be killed. Stay aware for opportunities to bail out of the car and run for your life.

Children in the Car

One aspect I did not cover is what to do if you have a child or children with you. It is best to think how you would best handle this type of situation: drive away, call the police or On Star and like services, use teargas, gun, stun gun . . . Think it through BEFORE it happens. Nothing will make a parent crazier than a child in danger, Have your plan mapped out before it happens.

Be Aware of Your Surroundings | Do Not Enter Space that Feels Wrong | Call Security Guard to Escort You | Do Not Shop at Night | Park Close to Building | Shop in Groups | Leave the Kids with Babysitter | Bring the Dog with You

RIP Steve Jobs

2011-10-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

Steve Jobs 1955-2011

Founder of Apple Computers

"I want to put a ding in the universe."

Give Peace a Chance : BlogBlast for Peace 2011

2011-10-02T23:30:00.000-05:00

One easy way to put peace out there in the world

November 4, 2011

**click the logo above or link below for details**

Get Your Peace Globe in 4 Easy Steps

Peace Globe from Prior Year

Join us this year. It is fun and pulls a bit of creativity through your neural pathways. We will be sending a huge blast of peace out into the ether. Cannot hurt and it may help! Join us.

Please visit with peacebloggers on FaceBook, Twitter, Mimi Writes and many of sites around the world. By 11/4, I will have a different peace globe on each of my blogs.

Magic Brownies?

2011-10-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

Cheech and Chong are always funny, so General Mills could not miss using them for the ad campaign for Fiber One 90-calories. The "Magic Brownie Adventure," is about Cheech and Chong taking a van load of magic brownies to a festival on the West Coast. There are several episodes of the adventure posted on YouTube.

Of course, the magic brownies are filled with fiber and not marijuana. Worse, when they finally arrive at the festival, the announcer bursts their bubble: "because now that you are getting older, you need a new kind of magic from your brownie."

Good concept, I guess, but from the comments, it is evident that people expected another Cheech and Chong movie and not a fiber commercial. This attempt to draw in the Boomers with icons from the past is transparent and contrived.

Most Boomers I know are concerned with health, but these "magic brownies" are 90 calories of sugar, palm oil, chocolate flavored chips and fructose, to name the worst ingredients. Unfortunately, not only does palm oil promote heart disease, but the vast plantations that grow oil palm trees have contributed to the destruction of the rain forest and wildlife of Southeast Asia.

Perhaps General Mills could draw in environmentally conscious boomers by making healthy brownies. Now, that is a concept!

DnB NOR: George Clooney, Wedding, Horse Sex, Tatoo You

2011-09-20T06:26:00.000-05:00

This is a really different commercial for George Clooney. Reminds me of someone waking up in Las Vegas and saying, "Oh no, tell me I didn't . . ."

Some people are lucky in life=
For the rest of us, saving up can be smart
S for Saving Plan
DnB NOR - Bank from A to Z

Here is another commercial about saving for pensions. It is as bizarre as the one with Mr. Clooney.

It is a good idea while you are young

To know you will be older later

Save for you pension

DnB NOR - Bank from A to Z

What do you think of these ads. I think they are edgy and catch us off guard. I would never have guessed that either were banking commercials. That is a good thing!

The Beginning of the End for Our Way of Life

2011-09-10T23:55:00.001-05:00

September 11, 2001

When the planes hit the towers, they destroyed more than lives and buildings. It was the beginning of the disintegration of our society. Nothing has ever been or will ever be the same again.

How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn

2011-09-03T23:51:00.000-05:00

Did you know that 57 percent of companies using LinkedIn have acquired a customer?

If you would like to learn how to generate leads using LinkedIn, HubSpot has a free ebook for you to download.

This ebook covers how to::

Get started with LinkedIn
Grow your network
Cross-promote content on LinkedIn
Generate leads from LinkedIn

Download free eBook--How to Generate Leads Using LinkedIn

Consumers Saved $2 Billion With Coupons So Far This Year

2011-08-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

U.S. Consumer Package Goods (CPG) marketers distributed 167 billion coupons in the first six months of 2011, down 6.2 percent from 2010, 5.7 percent higher 2009 and 18.4 percent higher than the first half of 2008 (NCH Resource Center),

Despite the reduced number of coupons available, redemption reached 1.75 billion coupons, a 2.9 percent increase over 2010. The largest share of coupons, 89.6 percent, were Free-Standing Inserts via newspaper and shared mail delivery methods. This reflects an increase of 2.1 share points from the first half of 2010.

The average face value of coupons offered during the first half of 2011 was $1.57, up 5.4 percent from 2010. Additionally, 27 percent of coupons required multiple purchases, up three share points from the same period a year ago. From drop date to expiration date.the coupon had a 10.1 week average fuse, continuing a trend from 2010.

Among retailers, redemption increased in the first half of 2011: drug stores (26 percent growth); other dollars stores (11.2 percent growth) and mass merchants (up 10.4 percent). This trend is consistent with pre-recession shopping behaviors where non-traditional retail channels were seeing a growing share of redemption volume at the expense of traditional supermarkets.

So far this year, consumers have saved $2 billion with coupons, up 5.3 percent from the first half of 2010. For charts and more information, please view complete article: MediaPost Publications Consumers Saved $2 Billion With Coupons in 1st Half 2011 08/02/2011

Hubby's Gift

2011-08-08T22:19:00.000-05:00

I couldn’t decide what to get my husband for his birthday, mostly because he had just about everything a person could want. If he saw it, he bought it so there was nothing he needed in the way of clothing, books or anything else like that. We had recently redone our backyard to include a really great grill area and it hit me: I’d put in a giant plasma TV! I bought it and a weatherproof box and even subscribed him to satellite from www.Direc.tv/ and covered it all with a tarp outside. He was more than excited when I gave it to him and has already been talking about all the great football parties he’s going to have later in the year but if you ask me, he’ll probably just sit out there with a beer watching Jeopardy at night like he loves to do. I like making him happy and I really get a kick out of finding something he doesn’t already have to give him as a gift!

Thanks to Olga Quinn

The're Here: Generic Top Level Domains (gTLDs)

2011-07-26T02:06:00.002-05:00

"What are gTLDs?"
"How Can I Make Money from gTLDs?"
"Who the h#ll came up with that acronym?"

ICANN will take applications for new gTLDs starting in 2012. However, application costs could exceed $200,000. When researching whether to acquire a gTLD, start with a solid business plan, written and supported by your business and marketing people.

Marketers moving from .com to .brand or .generic, should be careful about the cost of a gTLD and the SEO consequences.So, right now, look at the money ($200,000+), study your business plan, visit with your ISP and, if you want one, reserve a gTLD. In the mean time, read about how money will be made (or not).

If you want one, reserve a gTLD. At this point in time, no one really knows what to do with the gTLDs.

Stay tuned or explore on your own . . .

Rob Garner at Search Insider - advice and articles he has written about these domains.
Lydia Leong Technology Spectator - great article, showing a true understanding of the issue.
New gTLDs Practical Guide - the money part
ICANN - history of a process

More Tools You Can Use from HubSpot

2011-07-15T18:58:00.000-05:00

Free e-Book

99 Tools to Generate Leads with Social Media

If you want more than free e-books, you may want to try out HubSpot for 30 days free. Your free trial gives you access to all of HubSpot's tools and customer-only resources. There's no risk, no obligation, and no credit card required.

Your free trial includes tools and techniques to help you::

be found more readily by qualified visitors.
convert more visitors into leads.
close those leads efficiently.
make smart marketing investments based on analytics..

Don't forget to download your free e-Book, 99 Tools to Generate Leads with Social Media.

Free eBook : Marketing With 7 Google Tools

2011-07-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

HubSpot is a great resource for marketers. The most recent HubSpot tool you can use is an eBook that will teach you how to unlock the power of Google tools. The eBook, 7 Google Tools to Increase Your Marketing Effectiveness, is free to download.

In this eBook, you will learn how your marketing can benefit from:

1. Google AdWords
2. Google Docs
3. Google Keyword Tool
4. Google Alerts
5. Google News
6. Google Reader
7. Google Places.

Download free eBook today. Each tool is explained in plain terms, to ensure you are using the tools properly. I never have used AdWords, but I plan to read up on the other 6 tools this week.

Have a good one, CyberCelt.

Happy Independence Day in the USA

2011-07-01T18:47:00.000-05:00

This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson ~