We live in an exciting age of human innovation, where a single generation can witness extreme shifts in technology and way of life. One of the most si

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EC Throws Monkey Wrench Into Oracle

EC Throws Monkey Wrench Into Oracle, Sun Deal
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By Erika MorphyE-Commerce Times 11/10/09 12:09 PM PT
Sun Microsystems has been bleeding cash for months, as European regulators considered whether to allow Oracle to acquire it as planned. The deal has the blessing of the U.S. Department of Justice, which has been taking an aggressive posture against anticompetitive issues. However, that wasn't enough to sway the EC, which issued a formal statement of objections to the merger this week.
Run Your Entire Contact Center in the CloudMany businesses are increasingly seeking ways to improve the quality, flexibility, and scalability of their traditional call centers. Download this free white paper and learn the top 8 reasons to consider going virtual. Europe is ratcheting up its opposition to Oracle's (Nasdaq: ORCL) proposed US$7.4 billion acquisition of Sun Microsystems (Nasdaq: JAVA). The European Commission has issued a formal statement of objections to the deal , based on a perceived threat to competition.
Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes raised those concerns last month in a meeting with Oracle's top executives, arguing that Oracle ownership of Sun's open source MySQL database software would represent unacceptable consolidation in the database space.Two nonprofit European organizations, the Open Rights Group and Knowledge Ecology, joined software developer Richard Stallman in sending a letter to Kroes on the proposed acquisition, citing users' fears that Oracle would focus its attention on its proprietary database to the detriment of MySQL.Oracle responded sharply to the EC's latest action, as it has in the past, citing the U.S. Department of Justice's approval of the deal and the fact that there are eight strong database companies in the European market, among other factors.DoJ's Position The Justice Department also weighed in on the matter after the EC issued its statement, reiterating the variety of choices it believed customers would still have a after an Oracle-Sun merger.Although that was an unusual move, the Justice Department has little influence over its European counterparts, noted Ryan Radia, an analyst with Competitive Enterprise Institute.The U.S. and Europe approach antitrust issues differently, Radia told the E-Commerce Times. The U.S. approach is formulaic, based on established law that has been tested and subsequently upheld in various court decisions. The EC, by contrast, traditionally tends to give greater scrutiny to business arrangements on a case-by-case basis.The acquisition of Sun Microsystems by Oracle was certain to prompt an investigation, he said, but this latest development is particularly worrisome because it represents the start of a process that could end with the EC requiring a divestiture of MySQL before the deal can go forward.If history is any guide, the situation is not looking good for Oracle."The last time the Department of Justice commented on a pending investigation by the EU -- in 2000, regarding the proposed GE takeover of Honeywell -- the EU ended up blocking the proposed deal," Trey Branham, a principal in the Law Offices of Charles W. Branham, III, told the E-Commerce Times.
There are some differences in the two situations, however. GE and Honeywell occupied a much larger portion of their market in 2000 than Oracle and Sun do, he pointed out."MySQL is not a major product in Europe," noted CEI's Radia. "It accounts for small portion of Sun's overall revenues, and it is also open source. There is no reason to believe that ability of users to license MySQL and support it would change under the deal."The question the EC is likely mulling, though, is whether the proposed new entity will occupy such a large portion of the marketplace as to have a truly unfair competitive advantage, Branham said.
"U.S. investigators answered that question in the negative, but the EU has different rules and guidelines. Traditionally, the EU takes a harder line on mergers of this size," he reiterated.
What's Next? With the possibility appearing stronger that the EC will only approve a deal that does not include Oracle's takeover of MySQL, speculation is turning to what such a deal would look like for Oracle -- if it survives at all.
Oracle CEO Larry Ellison ruled out spinning off MySQL in a speech at an industry gathering in September. Even though Sun was losing about $100 million a month due to the merger's delay, he said, Oracle had no intention of selling it off to satisfy Europe's concerns.
Of course, if the fate of the entire acquisition were hanging in the balance, he might change his mind.
"From a revenue perspective, I don't think MySQL is all that critically important for Oracle in its grander strategy for the Sun acquisition, Jarrad Zalkin, vice president of TM Capital, told the E-Commerce Times.
"This deal is about Oracle becoming a total tech and solutions provider in the same fold and style as IBM (NYSE: IBM). Spinning off MySQL would not derail that, although it could be a blow to any plans Oracle might have for making inroads into the SMB database market

Mobile CRM User, Know Thyself

Mobile CRM User, Know Thyself
Sales reps need access to customer data while in the field, but they don't need access to the entire database -- they're best served by a system that is streamlined for their purposes. Also, it's important that the data be properly secured against theft or loss. And it's critical that a mobile CRM system functions well as part of the overall CRM system. Fragmentation means failure. Increase Customer Sales with VerticalResponse Email Marketing! Quickly and easily send email newsletters, coupons & sales announcements to your customers – no technical expertise needed. Sign up for your Free Trial today and send 100 emails on us!
With the proliferation of smartphones and similar handheld devices, it only makes sense that data -- especially customer data -- is following these devices into the field. The scenarios in which sales and field service people can use the data collected by CRM are many and, in a lot of cases, obvious. However, there are also many ways for CRM to go into the field, and it's crucial to match the needs of your workers with the IT and security priorities of your company.
Unfortunately, in most cases, the mobile CRM discussion is subordinate to the primary decision of choosing a CRM solution. In other words, the default is usually to the mobile solution offered by the vendor already selected by an organization. Still, any organization looking to change vendors or upgrade its solution's CRM suite has the opportunity to factor mobility into its decision.
The Right Stuff Users of SaaS CRM have a fairly straightforward opportunity to add mobility to their arsenals, since vendors including Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM), Maximizer and SugarCRM already build their products to be delivered via the Internet. Ostensibly, if you can connect to the Internet, you can sign on and use the CRM solution. With in-house CRM, most vendors -- notably Oracle (Nasdaq: ORCL) and SAP (NYSE: SAP) -- have made major investments in their own mobile solutions, and companies like Vaultus Software and Antenna Software offer their own technologies for extending CRM applications to mobile devices. As a result, in some organizations, smartphones are supplanting laptops as the crucial tool for sales reps.
However, as with all CRM, the power often comes from customization of the solution. For mobile users, that means the simplification of the fields for data entry and for the kinds of information users have access to in the field.
An overwhelming amount of data entry on a mobile device is likely to harm adoption. So is an overwhelming amount of data to swim through. The data needs of a sales rep in the field are far different from the needs of a sales manager back in the office. Sending the right data into the field is likely to make sales reps happy -- and to make your IT security team very, very nervous. The more portable a device is, the more likely it is to be lost or stolen. If your team only uses your mobile CRM solution in an online mode, that's one thing. However, many mobile solutions also provide an offline component to make them useful when users are out of range of a wireless connection. In this mode, a certain amount of data is stored on the device; the amount and nature of that data varies by solution and by handheld platform. The problem this poses is very similar to what exists with laptop computers, and the solution is similar, too. Increasingly, vendors are including encryption as part of their mobile solutions; should a device be stolen, the data stored on it would be exceptionally difficult to retrieve by anyone who lacked authorization. So, how do you pick the right solution for your organization? First, unless you're building a CRM strategy from the ground up, understand that the mobile component needs to fit into your existing CRM infrastructure. A fragmented CRM approach is a failed CRM approach.
Also, just as you need to understand how your sales force works in order to choose a CRM solution that will actually be used, you'll need to understand what data is needed in the field in order to customize the solution properly. What you don't want is a failure to get these things right and for sales reps to create their own ad hoc mobile workarounds. This can result in the decentralization of information, which CRM is supposed to avoid, and it can put protected data on handheld devices without any security measures in place. If you get it right, however, the result for sales reps is real-time access to information on customer sales, payment history, previous contacts and other information about a prospect -- and the ability to learn this at exactly the right time -- for a much more nimble sales force.
CRM Buyer columnist Chris Bucholtz has been a technology journalist for 15 years and has immersed himself in the world of CRM since 2006. When he's not wearing his business and technology geek hat, he's wearing his airplane geek hat; he's written two books on World War II aviation, and his next two are slated for publication in 2010.

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Postal addresses, and other personally identifying information and data will be used to promote Computerworld and IDG products and services, and may be rented and/or licensed to selected outside firms for promotional purposes. Offers for which the names are rented and/or licensed for use and the users are required to target their offers carefully.
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Print Subscribers or applicants who do not want their names used in any of the above ways may write and ask to be removed from the promotion list. Requests should be sent to:
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Below is the current policy regarding the usage of personally identifying information and data collected by the IDG Publishing Network. We reevaluate this policy on an ongoing basis based on feedback from readers. The IDG Publishing Network reserves the right to change its privacy policy. However, if there are any changes to the use of personally identifiable information and data that is different from that stated at the time of collection, we will notify you by posting a notice on our website.
About the IDG Publishing NetworkThe International Data Group, Inc. (IDG) family of on-line and print publications consists of hundreds of award-winning titles including CIO, CSO, Darwin, InfoWorld, Computerworld, Game Pro, Network World, Macworld and PC World. The IDG Publishing Network is a growing collection of IDG web sites that presently includes cio.com, csoonline.com, computerworld.com, darwinmag.com, infoworld.com, networkworld.com, macworld.com, maccentral.com, pcworld.com and gamepro.com. A complete listing is available at .To access restricted content on any IDG Publishing Network web site you must be a member of the IDG Publishing Network. To become a member of the IDG Publishing Network, you need to provide certain information about yourself. Any of the IDG Publishing Network sites may use this identifying information for internal analytical and business development purposes and, to send you email. However, other forms of communication, including postal mail, may be directed to you pursuant to the site's specific privacy policy, as may be updated from time to time.
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ComputerworldPrize Drawing Official RulesNo purchase

ComputerworldPrize Drawing Official RulesNo purchase or survey participation necessary to enter or win. Void where prohibited by law.1. This Drawing: This drawing begins on October 26, 2009 and ends on November 9, 2009. The drawing is sponsored by Computerworld, 492 Old Connecticut Path, Framingham, MA 01701. 2. Who Can Enter: The drawing is open to any adult legal resident of the U.S. or Canada (except Puerto Rico and Quebec) who has received an email invitation to participate in the survey to which this drawing relates. Employees of Computerworld, its affiliates and agents, and their immediate families and household members are not eligible to participate or win. The drawing is void where prohibited or restricted. 3. How to Enter: No survey participation is required to enter or win. Survey participation will not increase your chances of winning. Each potential entrant will have received a unique entry code in the form of an Internet address (URL) included in his or her invitation to participate in the drawing. Using your entry code URL, you may enter the drawing in one of two ways: (1) Complete and submit the online survey and contact form, which are accessible on the Internet via your entry code URL; or (2) To enter without participating in the survey, legibly print your name, street address, city, state, zip code, telephone number, complete e-mail address, and your full entry code URL on a 8.5” x 11” piece of paper, and fax to Claudette Sears at IDG Research Services, fax # 508-766-5600. Please reference “Sweepstakes Drawing – Computerworld's Handheld Mobility Survey” in your fax. The entry code URL is necessary to identify the specific sweepstakes contest being entered. Faxed entries that do not include the full entry code URL address will not be valid. All entries must be received on or before November 9, 2009, 5:00 PM EST. Only one entry per individual will be accepted, regardless of entry method. Participants must provide their email address. Notification of winning will be provided only by email. Late or incomplete entries will not be eligible. Computerworld is not responsible for telephone, modem, or fax failure, or for incomplete, garbled or delayed online or facsimile transmission. All entries become the exclusive property of the Computerworld and will not be acknowledged or returned. 4. Prize; Odds of Winning: One winner will be selected at random for a $250 cash prize. The odds of winning are dependent on the number of eligible entries received. All federal, state, provincial, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winner. For purposes of compliance with tax regulations, cash prize winners must provide their Social Security numbers or taxpayer IDs to claim the prize. Only the winner will need to provide this information 5. Selection of Winner: The winners will be selected from among all qualified, timely entries in a random drawing to be held within seven days after the entry deadline. If the selected winner is a Canadian resident, he or she must correctly answer a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question in order to claim prize. In the event of a dispute regarding who submitted a winning entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized account holder of the email account specified in the entry. All decisions of Computerworld shall be final and binding. 6. Winner Notification; Claiming of Prize: The winner will be notified via email sent to the address specified in the winner’s entry. The winner will be required to respond to the email to claim the prize, and may additionally be required to sign and return a release of liability, declaration of eligibility, and where lawful, a publicity consent agreement. If the winner does not respond within 10 days of Computerworld’s attempted email notification, or if the winner fails to sign and return any required documents according to Computerworld’s reasonable instructions, an additional notification will be sent to the winner by email. If the required response is not obtained from the selected winner by the date specified in the second email notification, or if the selected winner is ineligible or otherwise fails to properly claim the prize, a replacement winner will be drawn at random. The process will be repeated until the prize is awarded. 7. Limits of Liability: By participating in the drawing, you agree that Computerworld will have no responsibility whatsoever for losses or damages of any kind that result from acceptance, possession, or use of the prize or entry in the drawing, and you further agree to release and hold harmless Computerworld (and its agents and representatives) from any losses, damages, claims, and liabilities arising in connection therewith. Without limiting the foregoing, Computerworld will not be liable for: (a) late, lost, incomplete, or improperly transmitted entries, notices, forms, or other correspondence; (b) any electronic, network, or other technical error, malfunction, or unavailability; (c) any conditions caused by events beyond Computerworld’s reasonable control; and (d) any printing or typographical errors in materials associated with the drawing. Computerworld reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to suspend or cancel the drawing at any time if any technical problem or outside tampering corrupts the administration, security, or proper play of the drawing. 8. General Terms: By entering, each participant agrees to be bound by these official rules and the decisions of Computerworld, which shall be final. Computerworld reserves the right to disqualify any person that Computerworld determines to be in violation of any term contained in these rules. To obtain a copy of the winner’s list, send your request, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope, to Claudette Sears, IDG Research Services, 492 Old Connecticut Path, Framingham, MA 01701, Winner’s list requests must reference the entry deadline for the particular drawing.

New Website Checklist

New Website Checklist
by Neville SilvermanMany companies and small businesses have a Website that is reasonably non-functional. The Websites just do not attract visitors, let alone customers or bring about sales – and a fantastic marketing opportunity goes to waste. With Internet competition on the increase, more and more Websites are being left out in the cold. So before creating a new Website, it is essential to do some preliminary research. Identifying the Target Market and the resulting Keyword Research are necessary precursors to Website implementation. Read More Google Caffeine Update - is it Good News for You?by Richard GilmoreGoogle Caffeine was big news when first announced back in August. No doubt it's going to be even bigger news when the update goes live. The question is whether this is going to be good news for your site?. 21 Offline Marketing Ideas for Your Online Businessby Terri SeymourA lot of us work hard to promote our online business but one thing we might forget is that we can get a lot of traffic by promoting offline as well. Following is a list of ideas you can use to promote your online business, offline.. How I Made A Gazillion Dollars My First Day In Network Marketing.by Andy AcciaioliInflated income claims are everywhere over the internet casting a dark shadow over the legitimate business opportunities which can be found online. When you consider participating in any type of network marketing company, remember if earning claims seem too good to be true, they are just that: too good to be true..
How To Embed Your Affiliate Links Into YouTube Videosby Malcolm LeyshonA quick tutorial on how to embed your affiliate links into YouTube videos.. Video SEO Blends Traditional SEO With A Relatively New Platformby Julie Ann RossIn this article, we'll explain why you should integrate video SEO into your current search marketing strategy. We'll also provide a few key ingredients that will help you avoid potential pitfalls along the way. Lastly, you'll learn what to look for when choosing a video SEO company that can drive more traffic and higher conversions. Link Building Prohibition Bill That Should Govern Your Off-Page Optimization Campaignby Cristian Lungu14-Points checkList of backlinking practices you must avoid in order to ensure a healthy start and ongoing positive results in your off-page factors optimization campaign..
Does Your Copy Ignore Your Visitors?by Karon ThackstonSometimes choosing which company to buy from is about like deciding which brand of canned peas is the best. To make matters worse, the copy on most websites doesn't offer any help, By keeping the focus of your copy on your company, you prevent your target customer from knowing the benefits they'll reap after working with you. .
Sponsored Conversation: How To Leverage Paid Blogging Through A Sponsored Blogby Julie Ann RossSponsored conversation has become a potent tool for brands that want to reach new markets or increase their exposure. You can use this marketing strategy to leverage blogs, which continue to gain momentum in the media, within the search engines, and among a growing audience of loyal readers. Like any tool, sponsored conversations can be as damaging as they are effective. The key to using them effectively is in your approach..
How to Understand Social Media and How It Helps You Get More Customersby Tinu AbayomiPaulSocial media can help increase your profits. Get a better understanding of how these sites correspond to your offline activities, and you'll have better insight into how to use them to grow your business.

Google Caffeine was big news

Google Caffeine was big news when it was first announced back in August. No doubt it's going to be even bigger news when the update goes live. The question is whether this is going to be good news for your site?
The next-generation search infrastructure [codename Caffeine] that will be replacing current Google is supposed to be better in every way. Caffeine will be faster. It will index more pages. It will be more accurate and will serve better, more relevant results. Or at least that's what we hear from Google. But every search marketer knows what relevant search results are - the ones where your own site's on top ;) So let's see whether things are looking up for us.
There are two reasons why checking your rankings in Google Caffeine is a good idea.
1. The switch to Caffeine is sure to happen sooner or later.
2. The search results in the new Google will be very close to the ones we see in the developer preview at http://www2.sandbox.google.com/ (Both ideas are backed up by Matt Cutts (head of Google's Webspam team) on his blog).
Manually checking your rankings on Google and Caffeine and comparing them is too much of work. Split-screen comparison tools make it a bit easier but are not enough to grasp the full picture of the ranking changes. Good thing is there's finally a tool that lets you track multiple keywords and easily compare your rankings in Caffeine against the 'old' Google. The tool is called Rank Tracker. It's a rank checker and keyword suggestion tool that's been around for a while but it's just now that a version with Google Caffeine has been rolled out.
I've run a test check for site-reference.com and it looks like Google Caffeine is good news for this site. Here's a screenshot of the rankings report generated by Rank Tracker.
As you can see the overall visibility of site-reference.com is up by 11% on Google Caffeine against the current Google. Which means that the site ranks higher for more keywords: site-reference.com ranks in the top 10 for 9 keywords in Caffeine (only 7 in Google), 17 against 13 in top 20, and so on.
I used 27 keywords that I suppose are relevant for Site-reference such as [SEO articles], [SEO videos], [marketing articles], [online promotion], etc. Alongside with slight ranking differences there are considerable breakthroughs. For instance, for a very popular keyword - [online promotion] site-reference.com ranks #40 on Caffeine while it's not in the top 100 results on the current Google.
So it looks like Caffeine is good news for Site-reference. And I would say it's also a win for everyone who needs useful information because with quality web-sites ranking higher, this information gets easier to find.
We don't really know when Google Caffeine will go live and substitute the current Google. It's hard to tell for sure what new features and changes the new search architecture will bring, but obviously it's better to start preparing for the big change beforehand. So that the day when what's known as Google Caffeine becomes just Google we won't be surprised seeing our rankings suddenly go either way (I'd prefer up). And even before this switch happens we can influence our future rankings if not by optimizing for Google Caffeine then by testing the new search mechanism and learning more about what works there in terms of SEO. Check your sites rankings in Google Caffeine and find out whether the coming update is good news for you. And here's a collection of quality SEO tools that let you optimize your site for Google Caffeine, test what techniques work there and stay a step ahead of your competition
Richard Gilmore is an Internet marketer, freelance SEO, author and addicted guitar player.

A few months ago, we did a blog posting for budding musicians

A few months ago, we did a blog posting for budding musicians, with some helpful product ideas on guitars, drums, basses and all kinds of accessories. Well today, we’re going to take it up a notch.If you’re a musician/songwriter, professionally or otherwise, you certainly know all too well how expensive it can be to get into a studio to record your songs. Between producer costs, renting studio time, and post-recording work like mixing and mastering, it can get really pricey fast. However, many independent musicians thrive with the DIY approach (do-it-yourself), and recording your songs should be no different. We’re going to show you how to build your own small home studio that will work perfectly whether you’re recording tracks for fun, or producing your very own album.The first decision to make is whether you want to use a traditional production device or record through your home computer. Now, recording on a computer takes up a lot of space on the hard drive, perhaps more than you have to spare on the average run-of-the-mill home desktop or laptop. So instead, invest in a ‘tracked’ recorder, which works as your production station and recorder all in one. Each voice or sound gets assigned a track, which produce a song when mixed all together. Years ago, these devices worked with audio cassettes, but not anymore. Now they’re digital, offering a greater range of possibilities for your recorded sounds. If you’re a solo act, and won’t be using complimentary backing vocals or instruments, go with a digital four-track. If you’re recording with a band and need more tracks, then go with the eight-track instead. Most come with detailed instructions to help you quickly figure out how to use them.For those of you with hard drive space to spare, there are really only two choices when it comes to home recording software. Garage Band is the basic software platform that allows for solid editing and sound modification. It’s also pretty easy to learn, meaning you can likely install it and then staring recording on the same day. However, if you want something a bit more professional, try the Pro Tools family of software, used by many professional sound technicians and engineers in their own studios. We’re not going to lie. Pro Tools is comprehensive and will literally do everything you need to make your song “radio ready” but it is EXTREMELY difficult to learn. You can pick up an instructional guide to help you out but be forewarned that the learning curve on Pro Tools is steep. We wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re someone who’s serious about recording professional-sounding material and has enough time on their hands to learn it. Otherwise, go with Garage Band.You’re going to obviously need microphones but don’t skimp! Not all mikes are the same. We’d recommend doing at least an hour’s worth of research on brands of microphones. Read the customer reviews on the websites that you shop on, and if possible, consult colleagues who have purchased and used microphones for home recording. If you’re planning on recording vocals, it’s advisable that you buy a vocal microphone for that on top of the normal studio mikes that you’ll use to record instruments.No matter what you think you know about home recording, it helps to have a guide. Books like Home Recording for Dummies will help you discover the best ways to maximize your sound-making experience. There are also a bunch of instructional DVDs out there to help. As with most things musical, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Good luck

NFL’s Top Selling Jerseys

NFL’s Top Selling Jerseys
November 2, 2009 by ecommercejunkie
Replica jerseys are hands-down the most popular piece of fan gear out there, and have been ever since manufacturers started making them widely available to fans a little over a decade ago. Baseball, basketball, hockey and even soccer offer some stylish jersey choices for both die-hard fans as well as those simply looking to make their own sporty fashion statement, but the NFL’s jerseys are still head and shoulders above the rest in terms of popularity.
This year’s top selling football jerseys feature some players who have changed teams, as well as the heroes of the past few Super Bowls. If your favorite player isn’t here, don’t worry. They’re sure to be available with most major retailers:
–Brett Favre, Vikings: we did a post exclusively for Brett a few months ago but his Vikings Jersey is the NFL’s best seller thus far.
–Jay Cutler, Bears: controversial quarterback traded from Denver to Chicago in the off-season. Troy Polamalu, Steelers: popular Steelers’ safety and Madden 10 cover boy is one of two Pittsburgh players in the top five. Michael Vick, Eagles: out of prison, back in the NFL and in the top five for most popular jersey.
Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers: two time Super Bowl champ and one of the NFL’s brightest young stars. –Mark Sanchez, Jets: only rookie on the list, Sanchez is already a crowd favorite in New York with his gutty play.
Tom Brady, Patriots: Golden Boy quarterback has recovered from last year’s season ending injury. Adrian Peterson, Vikings: has quickly elevated to the status of best running back in the NFL.
–Eli Manning, Giants: Super Bowl MVP two years ago narrowly edges out older brother Peyton in these rankings.
Posted in Online Shopping Tagged Adrian Peterson Jersey, Ben Roethlisberger Jersey, Brett Favre jersey, Eli Manning Jersey, football gear, Jay Cutler jersey, Mark Sanchez Jersey, Michael Vick Jersey, NFL fan gear, Online Shopping, Sortprice.com, Tom Brady Jersey, Troy Polamalu Jersey Leave a Comment »
Home Recording
October 26, 2009 by ecommercejunkie
A few months ago, we did a blog posting for budding musicians, with some helpful product ideas on guitars, drums, basses and all kinds of accessories. Well today, we’re going to take it up a notch.
If you’re a musician/songwriter, professionally or otherwise, you certainly know all too well how expensive it can be to get into a studio to record your songs. Between producer costs, renting studio time, and post-recording work like mixing and mastering, it can get really pricey fast. However, many independent musicians thrive with the DIY approach (do-it-yourself), and recording your songs should be no different. We’re going to show you how to build your own small home studio that will work perfectly whether you’re recording tracks for fun, or producing your very own album.
The first decision to make is whether you want to use a traditional production device or record through your home computer. Now, recording on a computer takes up a lot of space on the hard drive, perhaps more than you have to spare on the average run-of-the-mill home desktop or laptop. So instead, invest in a ‘tracked’ recorder, which works as your production station and recorder all in one. Each voice or sound gets assigned a track, which produce a song when mixed all together. Years ago, these devices worked with audio cassettes, but not anymore. Now they’re digital, offering a greater range of possibilities for your recorded sounds. If you’re a solo act, and won’t be using complimentary backing vocals or instruments, go with a digital four-track. If you’re recording with a band and need more tracks, then go with the eight-track instead. Most come with detailed instructions to help you quickly figure out how to use them.
For those of you with hard drive space to spare, there are really only two choices when it comes to home recording software. Garage Band is the basic software platform that allows for solid editing and sound modification. It’s also pretty easy to learn, meaning you can likely install it and then staring recording on the same day. However, if you want something a bit more professional, try the Pro Tools family of software, used by many professional sound technicians and engineers in their own studios. We’re not going to lie. Pro Tools is comprehensive and will literally do everything you need to make your song “radio ready” but it is EXTREMELY difficult to learn. You can pick up an instructional guide to help you out but be forewarned that the learning curve on Pro Tools is steep. We wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re someone who’s serious about recording professional-sounding material and has enough time on their hands to learn it. Otherwise, go with Garage Band.
You’re going to obviously need microphones but don’t skimp! Not all mikes are the same. We’d recommend doing at least an hour’s worth of research on brands of microphones. Read the customer reviews on the websites that you shop on, and if possible, consult colleagues who have purchased and used microphones for home recording. If you’re planning on recording vocals, it’s advisable that you buy a vocal microphone for that on top of the normal studio mikes that you’ll use to record instruments.
No matter what you think you know about home recording, it helps to have a guide. Books like Home Recording for Dummies will help you discover the best ways to maximize your sound-making experience. There are also a bunch of instructional DVDs out there to help. As with most things musical, the more you do it, the better you’ll get. Good luck!
Posted in Online Shopping Tagged digital 4 tracks, digital 8 tracks, Garage Band, Home Recording for Dummies, Home recording tips, Pro Tools, Sortprice.com, studio microphones Leave a Comment »
Halloween Help–Masks
October 14, 2009 by ecommercejunkie
Time is running out for you to decide on your 2009 Halloween costume and we’re here to help. Maybe you’re not the type of person who gets excited about Halloween, or perhaps you don’t have the time to shop for the perfect costume, but you need something and you need it fast.
Enter the Halloween mask. Pairing one of these up with clothes you already own is a simple and cheap way to craft a costume. Here are 5 masks that we suggest:
1. Barack Obama This happens to be one of the most popular costume themes of the year already and you can complete the look either with a suit and tie, something more casual or get really creative and don some athletic gear for the pickup basketball version of President Obama.
2. Mr. BurnsAnother character that you can pair up with a suit for a quick costume. As masks go, this one is a bit cheaper than the Obama one as well. And if you can perfect Mr. Burns’ creepy voice, you might just be the hit of your next Halloween party.
3. Napolean DynamiteThe appeal of Napolean Dynamite has not waned even several years after the blockbuster movie. Couple this mask with some funky clothes and moon boots, or make your own “Vote for Pedro” t-shirt.
4. Eric CartmanSouth Park’s most popular character is always a big hit this time of year. Add a pair of brown pants and a red sweater or sweatshirt and you can tell everyone to respect your “author-i-tay”.
5. Dr. Spock Live long and prosper this Halloween with the Dr. Spock look. Black pants and a homemade blue Starfleet uniform shirt will transform you instantly into this popular Vulcan. You can also buy Star Trek costume tops online as well.
Got more suggestions for Halloween masks and costumes? Leave us a comment below.

WEB BUGS: TEN STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE

WEB BUGS: TEN STEPS YOU SHOULD TAKE
Internet advertisers are collecting detailed
information about the online behavior of
consumers. Consumers may not be aware
this is happening. Web site operators need
to notify consumers of the information
collection practices associated with their
pages (whether these practices are controlled
by third-party advertisers or the web
site itself) and give consumers a reasonablyaccessible
method for opting out.
What’s a web bug? A web bug (sometimes
called a “clear gif” by the advertising industry) is
an inconspicuous graphic loaded on a web page,
usually from a different server than that used for
the rest of the page. Web bugs are often invisible
because they are extremely small. They are
placed on a page to allow the source to record
“hit” information about visitors to that page. (A
“hit” is the retrieval of any item, like a page or a
graphic, from a web server.) This hit information
is reported to the advertising networks who have a
relationship with the site.
What information does a web bug report? A
web bug gathers the Internet Protocol (IP) address
of the computer that produced the hit. (An IP
address is the unique numeric identifier for a
computer attached to the Internet.) It also reports
the Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the
page on which the web bug was placed (e.g.,
www.quicken.com); the URL for the web bug
graphic or image (which usually comes from a
different server); the time the web bug was
viewed; the kind of browser (e.g., Internet Explorer)
the user is using; and information about
any “cookie” set by the web bug. (A “cookie” is a
piece of information stored on the user’s disk
drive when the web browser accesses a server.
The browser stores the information in a text file,
and this information is sent back to the particular
server each time the browser retrieves a page from
that server. Cookies are used to identify unique
users.)
Because each advertising company has relationships
with a network of sites, information gathered
from multiple web bugs hit by a single user
can help the advertising network build a detailed
profile of what sites a particular person is visiting,
and their activities on those sites.
Why should you care? On November 8, the
Department of Commerce and the Federal Trade
Commission held a joint public meeting on online
profiling — the creation of numeric profiles of
users’ online activity by advertising agencies and
others. At this meeting, representatives of the
Internet advertising industry and consumer groups
discussed advertisers’ practice of placing “web