Archive for the 'Tech' Category

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Facebook Group vs Facebook Fan Page: What’s Better?

Published on September 8, 2010 in business, communications, marketing, Social media and Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

When it comes to Facebook its hard to know whether it’s best to make a fan page or to use a group page. I came a cross a great description on Search Engine Journal.

Here’s a quick summary of Ann Smarty’s review of the two features. I didn’t include it but her article includes a great table that compares the feature of pages and groups.

  • Pages are generally better for a long-term relationships with your fans, readers or customers;
  • Groups are generally better for hosting a quick active discussion and attracting quick attention.

via Facebook Group vs Facebook Fan Page: What’s Better? | Search Engine Journal.

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Snapped4U — A tool for photographers to sell photos

Published on July 22, 2010 in business, marketing, photojournalism, Social media, Tech and Tools. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I remember seeing photographers doing this on campus when I was in college but it was before every soccer mom had a super camera. Now you can have a basic camera and a few business cards and “work the crowd” to make money doing what self timers and tripods once did.  I’m curious how well this actually works and if people will pay $4 for a jpg of themselves.  Will people they actually go and check the pictures out.

Here’s how it works:

  • You go out and shoot photos of people at some event where there are lots of people.
  • Send them to Snapped4U’s web site
  • They search for their images and hopefully buy lots of them.
  • You get paid (via PayPal) $3.50 per image they buy.
  • They get a jpg of the image e-mailed to them.

I like the idea behind this, but wish they had a print option as well. For four bucks it seems like they should get a print, but that would involve printing and shipping…unless they teamed up with Wal-Mart or Walgreens to provide digital delivery to a location near you!

Maybe the future of vacation photos will be something like this…your family is out in front of the St. Louis Arch having a picnic and some guy comes buy takes some pictures and gives you a card to Snapped4U. You get back to the hotel, check it out and buy a few copies, post them to Facebook and click on a button to have them both e-mailed to you and prints delivered to your neighborhood Walgreens Photo Center. When you get home, you drop by Walgreens and pick up your pictures to show the neighbors.

Here’s what Snapped4U says about themselves:

Snapped4U is about getting pictures of people, particularly the group shots they can’t get themselves. Watch for events like concerts, fairs, festivals, markets, and sporting events. Think of places such as parks, beaches, monuments, and scenic overlooks. Choose a venue, then go when it’s busy and work the crowd.

via Snapped4U – The Place for Photographers to Post and Sell Their Photographs.

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Review of Gravity Water Filtration Systems

Published on June 23, 2010 in missions, Saving money and Tools. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I’m considering a gravity water filtration system. These can be a key element to personal health especially when you’re dealing with water sources that are not sanitary.  Here’s what I’m discovering so far:

1. ) La Natural Terracotta Base with ceramic filter

Combines old technology (naturally cooling effect of terracotta with modern filtration technology. Pour 1 gallon of water into container and gravity pulls it through a “dual micro-pore ceramic/activated carbon filter that removes 95% of chlorine, pesticides, heavy metals including iron, aluminum, lead and 100% cryptosporidium, giardia and sediment.” Can filter 6 gallons a day…if you keep up with filling it. The filter lasts one year or 2500 gallons.

Costs: $198 (from watersavers.com)

Replacement filter: $72

Positives: Natural cooling effect is nice.
Negatives: Small capacity, heavy for shipping and fragile for transport. Pricing seems high compared to more higher tech and ones with better ratings than this. Continue reading ‘Review of Gravity Water Filtration Systems’

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Brands of the World | Download vector logos and logotypes

Published on June 22, 2010 in business, communications, marketing and Tools. 0 Comments

Did you get sponsored by a major brand, but they’re not sending you their logo? Look here and get an .eps vector logo and finish the project!

“Brands of the World is the most comprehensive library of brand logos in vector format. BotW is also a great place for designers to upload their logo designs and professional details to get exposure, recognition and clients.”

via Brands of the World | Download vector logos and logotypes.

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Media contacts for the Grand Rapids, Michigan area

Published on June 17, 2010 in communications, marketing and Tools. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , , , , .

I needed to put this list together and though it would be useful for others who are trying to get their event, organization or project out in front of the Grand Rapids Area Media. Here are contacts and links to most of the area media outlets.

PRINT or NEWSPAPERS:

Grand Rapids Press

Continue reading ‘Media contacts for the Grand Rapids, Michigan area’

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Apple Offers ‘Freedom from Porn’

Published on May 22, 2010 in Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Ah…Freedom!

At times like this, I’m proud to own a Mac and have Apple stock in my portfolio.

In response to a question about what Bob Dylan would think of the iPad  and freedom, Jobs responded:”Yep, freedom from programs that steal your private data. Freedom from programs that trash your battery. Freedom from porn. Yep, freedom. The times they are a changin’, and some traditional PC folks feel like their world is slipping away.” via Jobs: Apple Offers ‘Freedom from Porn’

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Zubbles: The 11-Year Quest to Create Disappearing Colored Bubbles

Published on March 26, 2010 in Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Photo from www.zubbles.com

It can be done! An interesting article by Popular Science’s Mike Haney

“Tim Kehoe has stained the whites of his eyes deep blue. He’s also stained his face, his car, several bathtubs and a few dozen children. He’s had to evacuate his family because he filled the house with noxious fumes. He’s ruined every kitchen he’s ever had. Kehoe, a 35-year-old toy inventor from St. Paul, Minnesota, has done all this in an effort to make real an idea he had more than 10 years ago, one he’s been told repeatedly cannot be realized: a colored bubble.”

Read the whole story here:  Zubbles: The 11-Year Quest to Create Disappearing Colored Bubbles.

See these incredible colored bubbles here.


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Bloom Energy in a box

Published on February 23, 2010 in Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , .

Interesting! Check out the new energy company that launches February 24, 2010. Bloom Energy is KR Sridhar’s $400 million power generator idea that is generating lots of hype in the media right now. It sounds like a great idea, ” to have $3,000 household generators” that let you get off the grid, but I’m feeling my “Show Me” state roots dampen my excitement.

Watch the report here…

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Spacecraft escaping the Solar System

Published on February 22, 2010 in Tech. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

I was wondering about some of the old spacecraft that has been launched over the years. Whatever happened to ol’ Sputnik, Voyager, and others? Well, I did a little research and found out…

Sputnik 1  launched by the USSR in October 1957, burned up in the atmosphere in January of 1958 when it fell from orbit after kicking off the Space Race that put the USA in second place as the king of technology and space exploration.

Voyager 1 was launched on Sept. 5, 1977  just months before I was born and hurtled on it’s way to tour  Jupiter and Saturn  in a flyby. It is “currently the farthest man-made object from earth” according to Wikipedia’s entry.

New Horizons, — on it’s way to Pluto

Voyager 1, — exploring the “boundaries of the Solar System”

Voyager 2, — slowly dying

Pioneer 10 — On it’s way out of the Solar System but not communicating

Pioneer 11 — Jupiter and Outer Solar System

You can check out the mission locations by visiting Heavens Above site which…

shows the current positions and other interesting data of the five spacecraft which are leaving the Solar System on escape trajectories – our first emissaries to the stars. The graphics and data table are generated dynamically and so always represent the latest positions. The New Horizons spacecraft on its way to Pluto has been added to the table, and now the charts too.

via Spacecraft escaping the Solar System.

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Twitter becomes a corporate tool for handling PR problems

Published on February 15, 2010 in marketing, Social media and Tech. 0 Comments

Here’s an example of how corporations are using Twitter to handle PR problems effectively!

Southwest, apparently schooled in its social networking knowhow, responded quickly and efficiently to the impending PR disaster, contacting Smith directly through its own Twitter account with tweets such as “Hey folks – trust me, I saw the tweets from @ThatKevinSmith I’ll get all the details and handle accordingly!

Read the whole story at Death + Taxes Magazine.

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