With the economy the way it is right it is important to have a hold on your finances. But sometimes it is hard. Lots of people are on strict budgets and every penny helps. There are many people that I know, myself included, that have had a major life change and could definitely use the money. Job loss and layoffs have been a huge problem over the past couple of years. Home prices are down, and they have not taken a turn for the better yet. I think it’s been about 4 years now that the mortgage industry has been in a depression so to speak. Foreclosures are very often the subject of newscasts. We hear every day about how the rate is rising. This has been especially true here in the Chicago area.  Add to that the rising cost of gas and food and it is enough to depress you. And just recently here in IL we were shocked when they not just raised, but increased highway tolls by as much as 110%!! That gives new meaning to the term highway robbery.

Because of this a lot of us might wonder what to tell our kids about money. Well… I for one due not shelter my children. And sometimes this is the subject of debate with friends who say “you talk to your kids about your finances?”  ”Well yes…. I sure do.” I do not give them specifics on how much money Mommy makes or anything. But, I make certain that they know that they do not just get everything that they ask for because things cost money. And making money is sometimes hard work. I want to make sure that they do not have a false sense of security. They have everything that they need, and more. But they also know that if they want that fancy new gadget that just came out that they may not get it just because. As they get older, they learn more about the value of money and what it means to work.

Now we are at the end of January and that means that tons of people are already thinking tax refund they will get. As you drive around you may notice that it seems more H&R Block Offices just popped up overnight. For some this may be the one time of year that they feel a little financial reprieve. At tax time hopefully most of us feel a glimmer of hope. We hope to get ahead of the curve a bit when it comes down to getting a refund. Many people look forward to using their tax refund to take a vacation, get home improvements, or pay off bills. As W2s and 1099s roll in, you should think about making sure that you get the maximum refund available to you. Many people think they are saving money by doing their taxes themselves when in reality they may be unknowingly cheating themselves out of hundreds, or even thousands of dollars. This may not be the case if your tax situation is simple and you have no home business, properties, or otherwise. But, if you are a small business owner, you own a home, you have children, or any other expenses that may be written off, a professional tax consultant can make sure that nothing gets missed. You would be surprised how just finding one more thing to claims you net you a few more bucks.

So when you get your taxes done, never settle for less. The Never Settle for Less campaign means that an H&R block agent can help you weed through the unknown and make sure that you get the best refund. Continue to Never Settle for Less by Filing online at http://www.hrblock.com/index.html or in an H&R Block Office.

Disclosure: Although this is a compensated post on behalf of H&R Block and Technorati, all opinions are my own.

Tablets, tablets, tablets. Tablets are everywhere. What tablet should you get? How much should you spend? What features are you looking for? For most consumers, the basics is fine. They want to be able to check and send email, browse the web, or take notes during a meeting. And of course with the economy the way it is now many of us have to be budget conscious. Not everyone can afford to spend $499 on a tablet. But, that does not mean that you cannot get one. Several companies have stepped up to create affordable entry level tablets that work fine for most people’s needs.

The Impression 7 is one of those tablets. It is an Android 2.2 OS based tablet. And it also does Flash. Now, there are a few drawbacks to having a low cost tablet. I am assuming that due to licensing many of these do not include the official Android Market. The Impression 7 includes the SlideME Market. But, this is honestly not a deal breaker. I was able to download the Amazon App Store to use as well. The main drawback of not having the official Android Market is having to go through a little work to install official Google apps like Gmail. But, it can be done by finding and installing the APK.

The Impression 7 is by far a decent tablet. It is sturdy and feels well made. And it comes with a nice snap case to keep it protected. Of course if you are used to using a high end Android tablet like the Xoom, you are going to notice some shortcomings. However, if you have never used one, or you do not expect it to be as good, the Impression 7 will work out just fine. It actually has a couple of pluses over some other tablets. It has a full USB 2.0 port. This allows you to plug up a USB hard drive for accessing and copying files like documents, photos, and music. You can also hook up a USB keyboard. And it has a microSD card slot for adding more storage (up to 32gb).

It has a front facing camera, although at only .3 MP, the quality is not great. But, this is not for taking pictures, it is for video conferencing, and for that it works out just fine.

Full specs:

• 1Ghz Processor and 512MB RAM
• 4GB memory
• 802.11 b/g/n
• Two USB 2.0 ports

Although we have been having extremely mild weather here in Chicago this winter some places are covered in snow. We usually are by this time of year. And we still have a ways to go according to Phil the Groundhog. It is early February so we still have the potential to be covered in snow and freezing temps. And when it is cold outside I try to find plenty of useful things to do inside. Right now, as mentioned before, I am reorganizing my home office. One of the things that I keep coming across is photos, lots of photos. I always take a lot of photos, but they do not always make it off of my computer and onto any type of display. And this is pitiful! I am a photographer for goodness sakes. I make photo gifts for others all the time, but my own photos usually stay on my hard drive. So, I think that once I get this office to a happy state I am going to reward myself by putting some photos on the wall, and making a nice photo book.

With Valentine’s Day coming this is the PERFECT gift for your husband, wife, boyfriend, or girlfriend. I actually made one last year and it was loved! Collect a bunch of pics of you and your sweetie from the past year. Then head on over to Mixbook and click on photo books. They do all of the hard work for you. The prices are very reasonable and range from $6.99 for a 6″ x 4″ book perfect for carrying around to $49.99 for a 12 x 12 book perfect for displaying on the coffee table. And now coupon code VDAY20 will get you 20% off which brings the prices down even lower. But act fast because that coupon expires tomorrow, February 5.  But, even if you miss the coupon the prices are still good.

And check this out… Mixbook has a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee – If you are unhappy with our product in any way, we’ll make it right and replace it for free! 

Now go and get those photos and get to work!

Oh the power of the internet… because of social media I have met and interacted with so many awesome, smart people. And I have made SO many new friends. One of those awesome friends is the fab Chris Curtis. I have had the pleasure of being a guest on Chris’s radio show, Tech Tuesday, a couple of times and we always have a great time. The Chris and Kris show rocks. LOL! 

Anyway, this lady knows her stuff when it comes to maintaining a business-like etiquette on the web. And we are always on the same wavelength when it comes to this stuff. I could have written the exact same post. Read the below and soak up the advice.

Behind our computers we are anybody we want to be. A new confidence comes over us and there’s nothing in our way to connect to the massive universe at our fingertips. We are super-people. We are opinionated. We are invincible! For some, that influx of confidence hinders the balance between Id and Ego, and often manifests as Tweets, Facebook posts and blog topics that could prove embarrassing or fan flames later on.

No worries. You can always turn over a new leaf. Here are some tips for getting your web spaces in order:

Review & Delete
Remove anything with profanity, and any unsavory of “iffy” connotations. Now is not the time to show off your off the cuff perspectives, or your witty one-liners. They could be deemed offensive and cost you an interview or worse, the job. Start thinking like the people who read what you’ve posted. Just because you post it, doesn’t mean people get what you were trying to say. Do they understand the tone and perspective that you meant when you wrote it? If you’re not sure, or if the answer is no, take it down.

Google Yourself. Bing Yourself. Yahoo! You.
What you don’t know, may hurt you. Comments on blogs, Twitter and other online places may show up in search engines, if someone searches your name or a particular keyword. If you can’t remove it, at least you will be aware of it and be able to address it, should it come up in a conversation (or job interview). Everybody has a misunderstood post at least once in a lifetime. Just know that telling someone you had a “brain fart”, won’t get you off the hook. Have something positive to say and be willing to acknowledge your mistake openly and honestly.

Tell Your Friends and Family to Behave
Sometimes it’s not your own doing that causes problems in the internet realm. It could be a post or comment from another person. Let everyone know you’re cleaning up your act, and ask them to play nice or risk being deleted. The last thing you need is to do hours of work cleaning up your web spaces, only to have your 5th cousin post a picture of you sitting on the toilet at last years family reunion. Be firm, and be direct. This is no laughing matter. People will respect your wishes when they see you’ve changed your tune. Be prepared to have a few casualties along the way. You may have to remove offenders.

Limit Your Topics
Most of the time, you can talk about anything you want. Just be aware that certain topics automatically draw blood or spark fires online. Topics that surround gender, race, politics, sex, sexual orientation, and religion often turn ugly. If you’re going to brave it anyway, at least keep your perspectives neutral so as not to cause undue attention to yourself. Business owners and those in job hunting mode, stay clear of these topics completely!

Remember, the web is a fun place to be, however, “With great power, comes great responsibility.” 

Chris Curtis is a National Internet Business Strategist and Web Marketing Consultant helping business owners and entrepreneurs build, manage and grow online businesses. A veteran in the web world, Chris teaches you how how to get “beyond the point of pretty pages” to the point of profitability. For more information, visit www.chris-curtis.com.

Have you ever wondered exactly what goes on inside your camera after you snap a photo? Or do you want to know the benefit of  having a faster memory card for your camera? Fast memory cards can save a lot of time. The photos save faster so you can move on to your next shot even faster. This is important to me.

Depending on your camera, you can get a memory card as fast as 1000x! Remember back when (well some of you might actually still do this), you have to snap a photo and watch the red light and wait…and wait… and wait… to snap another photo? You would not have that problem with a new high speed card.

Check out the below video by Lexar to get an inside look at what goes on under the hood of your camera. You will learn:

• The journey an image takes from the processor to the buffer and finally to the memory card
• How a faster memory card can benefit the photographer with an itchy trigger finger
• How to speed up the process of moving images from a card to a computer

Check out the specs on your camera and then find a compatible high speed card to save yourself time and capture some great images! I am definitely going to check my own to see if I can benefit from a faster card.

Earlier this month I went to Detroit for NAIAS (North American International Auto Show). This was my second year, although this year I was with GM. I have nothing but great things to say about GM and their social media efforts.  I could go on and on, but I won’t.

The most fascinating part of GM in Detroit for me was not about a car, but about the campus. Wow. We did not get to see much IN the actual GM corporate offices, but get this… the GM facility is actually connected to the Marriott. The GM Renaissance Center is HUGE. It is a big circular maze. You could walk miles in there and never see the same place twice, LOL! And the view is absolutely stunning. The building is situated right on the Detroit River. And guess what is across the river? Windsor, Canada! You can see it here on the map. “A” marks the GM center.

As the map shows, Canada is actually south of the United States! If I would have known I would be so close I would have taken my passport so that I could pop over just to say that I had been to Canada. I will next time. The view of the river and the casino across the way were magnificent at night. See Caesar’s palace? That is Canada!

Inside the Renaissance Center is everything you could possibly think of. It is a huge hotel, so it has all of the amenities. Rooms, a gym, Starbucks, a few restaurants, a CVS Pharmacy, a gift shop,  an entrance to the People Mover, and much more. When I first heard that we were going to take the People Mover I was like “The what??” That is Detroit’s cute little train that goes in a loop around the downtown area. It is an appropriate name indeed.

Everywhere you go in the building you know GM is there. There are cars on display in the hall which I found really cool. The bar inside the hotel is called the Volt Bar. Although the building is a lot of hard rock, it is very, very cool.

I’m told that ironically the facility used to be owned by Ford. And when GM first bought it Ford still owned the parking lot. LOL!

We were on the go a lot so I did not get to see as much of the place as I wanted. When I go back I want a full tour. There just seemed like so much to do and see and take photos of.

Up Next: The Onstar Command Center.

Have you ever wondered just who it is that you talk to when you call customer service for a company? Do they really have a room full of people that do nothing but answer the phones? A lot of companies might. But, chances are that they may use a outsourcing service like Global Response. And guess what? This could be better for a lot of reasons.

One common complaint of customers is that they call the 1-800 number of ____ (insert large company name here) and they end up talking to someone in India that barely speaks English. Or heck… you might even talk to Peggy! I have to admit that I LOVE Peggy. But I do not want to talk to him when I need help. LOL! I want to talk to someone here… in the US… that understands what I need. Just the other day I was talking to someone that called IT for a company and he got transferred to 3 countries before actually getting to the rep that could help him! It should not be that way.

Global Response  is located in the sunny state of Florida. They are exclusively US based, so there is no worry that your call has been forwarded to a foreign country where it is the middle of the night and the rep is sleepy. Or Peggy… who appears to be in Antarctica in a shack. LOL!  :) At Global Response every rep is in the US and every rep is trained and knows exactly what they are doing. There is no getting the run around. This is awesome for consumers.

For companies, this means a lot less complaints about customer service. This means a cost savings for the company as well. And with outbound call center outsourcing, think of it as an extension of your company. They take the time to learn everything about your company and brand. Some examples of outbound services include:

• Market research—We develop a list of questions from scratch, or help you refine yours so that the results you get from a survey or poll are statistically valid and can lead to the insights you’re looking for.
• Outbound sales—We collaborate with you on a script that effectively boosts conversions and revenue from cross-selling and upselling.
• Lead generation and prospect qualification—We save you time and money by allowing your sales team to do what they do best—speak with highly qualified prospects. We create a call plan to introduce your company and products to the marketplace, qualify prospects, and pass on only the best leads to your sales team for follow up.
• Crisis management—We help you be proactive by handling product recalls, customer alerts, or setting the record straight on news stories or legislation.
• Performance review—We contact your staff to determine if they’re delivering the level of service that meets your standards.
• Quality assurance—We follow up with customers to get feedback on their experience with your products and your company.
• Direct mail and email—We follow up on your direct mail piece or email to update and cleanse your mailing list, and take the next step in the sales process, including sending more information and scheduling an appointment.
• Customer retention—We follow up with customers whose subscription or lease or other arrangement is about to expire and offer them such options as extending their agreement and rewards for renewing.

Global Response is currently used by companies such as National Geographic, Crate & Barrel, Toyota, JCPenney & more. And the list is growing every day.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by Global Response. But all opinions, stories and references to Peggy are my own.

As January comes to a close a lot of us are reflecting on how we are doing with our New Year Resolutions. Some of us (like me) may be getting a late start. January was a whirlwind of changes, emotions, and thoughts. I have spent a lot of time thinking, and a lot of time resting! It is amazing how when you actually have the time to relax you realize just how tired you really are.

I could probably have several lists of resolutions for different aspects of my life. But, which ones do I really want to stick to? Some items on my resolutions list are just items on my to do list. But, they still count. I still want to get them done. Some of them I kind of have to get done. In 2012 I want to…

Launch a successful business: Technically I already run a couple of businesses and I have been for some time. But now I need to consolidate some ideas, come up with a true plan and launch my parent company. By launch I mean stop lollygagging around with my websites. Not this one, but my business websites. I started them a while ago, but I have not gotten them to the point where I want to share with the world yet. Since I have the time now I need to just get it done. And once that is done I need to focus, promote, and do.

I have mentioned before that I have an addiction to really nice laptop bags. They need to be beautiful, functional, and roomy. I also love phone cases, laptop sleeves, and tablet cases and sleeves. And if it all matches that is even better!  But besides that it has to protect. After all, we pay a lot of money for our fancy devices, and putting something pretty around it means nothing if it will not protect it.

As part of the AMD Tech Moms program we were introduced to Nuo Tech. They are based in Austin, TX  along with AMD, and some other great tech companies. When roaming around the town it was cool to see their products showcased in a couple of the local stores. And back here in Chicago I also noticed someone else carrying the exact same Nuo Slim Laptop Brief that I received from them last year. So, you may not have heard of them yet, but they are out there. You may remember that during the 2010 summit we actually got to meet Chloe Dao, one of the designers and a former contestant on Project Runway. During our last summit we once again got to see some of the latest styles and hear what goes into making the bags. They are doing some really cool things with recycled materials.

I love the vibrant colors available. These materials are being used to make things like iPad cases and netbook sleeves, but the possibilities are endless.

I received this awesome tablet sleeve which fits my iPad or my Xoom.

Chloe Dao for Nuo rolling Laptop Brief

I have been toying with the idea of getting a rolling laptop case for at LEAST 5 years, but I just had not gotten around to it. I kept chickening out. There were many that I saw that looked good, but I wanted to try one out to know for sure that it would work for me. To test out while traveling I received an awesome rolling laptop bag. This pattern and model are newer in the line so I was lucky to receive a pre-production unit for testing. The Lotus Turquoise Blue-Black-White print is sooo pretty! And not only does it look good. It is very functional.

The unit can hold up to a 15.6″ laptop in a heavily padded pocket. It has 2 inner pockets that are the perfect size for a mouse or portable hard drives. There are pockets for cards, pens, a smartphone and more. And there is still plenty of room for books.

The case is also airport friendly. It opens up and folds flat so that you do not have to remove your laptop from the bag when going through airport security. Although depending on what you have in the other side it just might fall out when you do this. For this reason, the snaps might need to be reconfigured, or just a strap or something could be added to that side to hold the items inside. I would also like to see a thicker liner on the non-laptop side to protect other gadgets that might go over there, and to keep the handles from affecting what is inside.

I love that the handle raises nice and high which makes it very easy to pull behind me. It is extremely roomy and holds everything that I need. The only other thing that I would change about this bag is the addition of a removable shoulder strap for those times when you need to pick it up.

Chloe Dao for Nuo 15.6″ Laptop Satchel

Along with that I received a matching 15.6″ laptop satchel. What I love most about it is the slot that allows it to slide down over the top of my luggage handle which make it awesome for use as a carry on. And this makes it very easy to move through the airport. Although both these bags are laptop cases they can be used together. I just use the satchel to hold other items besides a computer.

Check out NUO on Facebook and watch for coupons and special deals. And check out the Nuo website for the latest prices and sales. Tell them I sent you.

I am always talking about how important it is to have a great bag when attending conferences and such. The wrong bag is well… bad! Shoulder bags and computers and walking around all day don’t mix. You will end up with a sore shoulder. And another thing that I preach is having portable power. You do not want to be out with a dead phone and having to tether yourself to the wall every chance you get.

Well imagine having an awesome bag that can charge your gadgets too! Enter the Power Bag. I received the standard Backpack for review. This is a great, full-sized backpack with plenty of room for everything that you need to carry. It has a dedicated laptop pocket in the back that zips up securely, a huge internal pocket for holding books and other things, a dedicated tablet pocket, and several other pockets for holding portable mice and other things.

They state that the internal battery will let you charge an average smartphone in full twice. But, I have done more than that. Once charged, the bag’s battery holds a charge for quite a long time. The side pocket includes built in cords that fit micro-USB and mini-USB, and iOS or iPod devices. The battery itself has an extra USB charging port so that you can plug in your tablet or other compatible devices.

The bag charges via the external plug that you can plug into the wall whenever you have access to an outlet. Then of course throw it in the bag and carry it with you for travel. The charging port has a waterproof cover for when you need to carry the bag in the rain.

You can check the battery level on the bag by tapping the button on the front of the bag. To start the charging just hold the button in. 4 LED lights show up to show you the level, and they start blinking when charging.

Device Compatibility

Powerbag is able to charge almost any USB-powered device including most smartphones and many tablets. AC powered devices such as laptops and some tablets are not supported. The following tablets are compatible:

• Amazon Kindle™ (All generations)
• Barnes & Noble NOOK™
• Samsung Galaxy Tab™ – The Galaxy Tab requires a unique USB power source to charge at full speed. Powerbag will supply only 500mA (similar to computer charging) to your tablet. During this time, the Galaxy Tab may state that it is not charging, when in fact it really is.
• *Tablets must be charged with their own USB cable through Powerbag’s on-board USB port.

The following Apple^® products are compatible:

• iPad^® and iPad 2
• iPod touch^® (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation)
• iPhone^® 4, iPhone^® 3GS, iPhone^® 3G, iPhone^®
• *iPod nano^® and iPad^® may be charged with their own USB cable through Powerbag’s on-board USB port.

Specifications

Interior dimensions of compartments in bag:

• Laptop – 18″ x 10.5″ x 1.5″
• Tablet – 8.5″ x 10″ x .5″

Exterior dimensions:

• 4.5″ x 13.5″ x 23″
• Weight: 3.1 lbs

• Dedicated tablet compartment
• Holds up to a 16″ laptop
• Battery: 3000mAh Lithium Polymer, weight: 0.2 lbs
• Input: 12VDC, 1.2A
• Micro-USB, Mini-USB Output: 5VDC, 800mA combined
• Apple Connector Output: 5VDC, 1A
• USB Output: 5VDC, 1-2.1A

What’s Included

• AC wall adapter
• On-board battery system: Removable Powerbag 3000mAh battery; built in Apple, Micro- and Mini-USB connectors and USB port
• Owner’s Manual

This bag has been awesome. I have been able to charge my gadgets wherever I am including an airplane. And I’ve charged while it was on my back. I have been able to carry a laptop, an iPad, a Motorola Xoom, a DSLR camera, a USB mouse and various cords and other accessories. Check out the pics below to see all the stuff I have jammed into the bag. It is very versatile and things can be moved around to fit more.

The Power Bag Backpack is $139.99 and well worth every penny.

Disclosure: The Power Bag was provided to me in exchange for this review.