Reviews and Previews: June 2007

Sunday, June 17, 2007

VLC Media Player is Free

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

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

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

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

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

PayPerPost Obtains $7 Million in Funding

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

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

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 The pages function pretty well, but the design style is pretty outdated, in my opinion.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

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

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

Draper Fisher Jurvetson leads round and joins Board of Directors

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

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

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

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

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

Don't Overlook Generic Soft Drinks

I'm definitely a caffeine addict. Are you?

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

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

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Find a Cool Night Vision Scope

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

Consider an Exam Preparation Class

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

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

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

Good luck!

Get Educational Help from Score

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

Watch Your Favorite TV Shows Online

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

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

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

Decide Who Gets Cool Prizes Online

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

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

Save Money by Making Coffee at Home

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

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

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

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

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

Friday, June 8, 2007

Build Links with ViralTags

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

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

Thanks Andy!

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

Instructions:

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

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

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

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

Host Tag: Reviews and Previews

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

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

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Check Out a New Astronomy Gadget

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

Car Rentals Become Cheap at 25

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

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

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

Paris Might Get a Staph Infection

Sponsored Post

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

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

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

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

What Your Preference? - Cross or Parker?

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

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

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

Reviews and Previews

Sunday, June 17, 2007

VLC Media Player is Free

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

PayPerPost Obtains $7 Million in Funding

Don't Overlook Generic Soft Drinks

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Find a Cool Night Vision Scope

Consider an Exam Preparation Class

Get Educational Help from Score

Watch Your Favorite TV Shows Online

Decide Who Gets Cool Prizes Online

Save Money by Making Coffee at Home

Friday, June 8, 2007

Build Links with ViralTags

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Check Out a New Astronomy Gadget

Car Rentals Become Cheap at 25

Paris Might Get a Staph Infection

What Your Preference? - Cross or Parker?

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