C2G, LLC has announced that consumers will never again have to wonder what it costs to drive places, or if its cheaper to fly, thanks to the launch of the revolutionary Cost2Drive iPhone application. The new iPhone app leverages C2G’s industry-leading Galculator technology to calculate the cost of driving anywhere in the US and compares it to the cost of flying, making it the only mobile app to help people quickly determine if it’s cheaper to drive or fly to a destination.

The Cost2Drive iPhone app, which launched in Apple’s iTunes Store over Labor Day weekend, quickly caught the attention of the press including CBS News affiliate WPEC (West Palm Beach, FL), CNET TV and Autoblog Green. It’s also currently being featured in a special ‘On the Road’ section of the iTunes App Store for top car apps and has already made it into the ‘What’s Hot’ category for popular travel apps.

“We had a good sense this would be a hit.” said Jim Kovarik, the President and Cofounder of C2G. “Visits to the Cost2Drive Website from mobile devices have been soaring recently and so we knew there was strong demand for a mobile version of the app.”

Some of the features include utilizing the smartphone’s location services to automatically fill in current location information and integrating with the iPhone’s address book to easily add the address of a friend or contact. The Cost2Drive app also enables users to store up to 5 vehicles and takes advantage of the iPhone’s touch screen to quickly compare the cost of driving different vehicles with a simple swipe of a finger.

Unlike other road trip apps that require the user to manually enter items like a vehicle’s MPG or local gas prices, the Cost2Drive app removes that burden by including fuel-efficiency information on over 20,000 cars and light trucks and by tapping into current fuel prices for three grades of fuel (regular, premium and diesel) from over 100,000 retail outlets across the US.

“We’re incredibly focused on creating a seamless experience” said Mr. Kovarik “so we do it all for you. We believe this focus on extreme simplicity is the key to delighting users.” The Cost2Drive iPhone app does provide users with the option to manually enter vehicle information to modify EPA ratings or to add custom vehicles like RVs and motorcycles.

There are many practical uses for the Cost2Drive iPhone app including:

• Discovering if its cheaper to drive or fly on vacation
• Seeing if a great deal 60 miles away is still worth it after factoring in fuel costs
• Divvying up fuel costs among friends for road trips
• Assessing the commuting costs for a new job or house purchase
• Determining which car to take on a trip
• Knowing what to charge for delivery orders or ride shares

The Cost2Drive iPhone application estimates trip costs based on the fuel-efficiency of a vehicle (as determined by the EPA) and current gas prices along a route. This is important as fuel prices can vary tremendously from city-to-city and state-to-state. The app also displays driving time and distance and provides a link to view additional information such as route maps and where to find the cheapest gas at refueling points along the way.

The US version of the Cost2Drive iPhone app requires Internet access and is currently available in iTunes for a special introductory price of $2.99. It’s available in all country stores so that people planning to visit the US can utilize the application to help plan their trip. Additional country versions are under development as are versions for the iPad and Android-powered devices. Routing and maps are powered by Google Maps API, fuel prices are provided by OPIS (Oil Price Information Service) and airfares are the cheapest airfares found by users of Kayak.com.

About C2G, LLC

C2G, which stands for ‘Cost To Go’, is located in Northern Virginia and is focused on helping people quickly determine the cost of going places. C2G President and Co-founder Jim Kovarik is a 20-year veteran of the online industry and served as the General Manager of AOL Travel before leaving to co-found C2G in 2008.

Learn more about C2G on our company blog and by following us on Twitter and Facebook.

Contact Information

For more information on this topic, or to schedule an interview with Jim Kovarik, please call him at 571-294-7418 or email him at jim(at)costtogo(dot)com.

Fonolo, the company that improves the call center experience by extending it to the web and smartphone, is pleased to announce that Travel Planners International, a leading travel-management company dedicated to providing travel services to both leisure and corporate clients, has selected Fonolo to provide a more pleasant and cost effective calling experience.

Travel Planners International (TPI) is a full-service host travel agency, supporting independent contractors and travel agencies since 1988. Through its growing national sales force of professional travel agents/agencies, TPI sells all types of travel, including air, car, hotel, cruise and tour products. Several months ago, TPI embarked on a major redesign of its agent-facing web platform, TPICENTRAL, and became convinced that adding Fonolo would help agents immediately become more productive.

“We are constantly looking for ways to help our agents do their work more effectively,” said TPI General Manager Erwing Hernandez. “Losing incoming calls from agents not willing to wait on hold is unacceptable and we recognized that there was an opportunity to improve the process of connecting callers to the call center.”

TPICENTRAL now features Fonolo’s visual dialing interface. Agents who need to contact the call center can now request a call with one click, avoiding phone menus and hold time. Because Fonolo’s cloud-based service can integrate seamlessly and automatically with any call center, TPI did not have to change any of its infrastructure or business processes.

“The most impressive feature of Fonolo was the setup. It was seamless and very easy,” said Hernandez. “Fonolo is a key to the success of our new platform. We are now providing a better phone experience for our agents.”

“We were thrilled that TPI selected Fonolo as part of its new agent platform,” said Fonolo CEO Shai Berger. “This is another great example of how Fonolo’s visual dialing interface and virtual queuing system can improve the calling experience and make call center agents more efficient.”

TPI began offering its agents Fonolo services in August.

About Fonolo

Fonolo’s cloud-based call center solutions provide companies with visual dialing and virtual queuing services, improving customer satisfaction and lowering call center costs. Callers simply click on the phone menu option they want from the company’s website or mobile application, and Fonolo connects them to the right agent – every time.

A growing list of organizations, including the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Sirius Satellite Radio Canada and VoIP Supply have discovered the value of using Fonolo to connect their call centers with their web sites. The privately-held Toronto-based company has received numerous awards, including “Best Contact Center Solution” from ITEXPO Conference, “50 Best Websites” from Time.com, “Best New Product” from Emerging Communications Conference, “Judges’ Choice” from GigaOm’s Mobilize Conference and “Top Telecom Idea” from Springwise.

Learn more at fonolo.com.

About Travel Planners International

Travel Planners International is a full service host travel agency, supporting independent contractors and travel agencies since 1988. TPI sells all types of travel including air, car, hotel, cruise and tour products through its growing national sales force of professional travel agents/agencies.

Learn more at www.tpionline.com

PRIVATE WiFi, a new and innovative company in the security software market, in conjunction with the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), is proud to announce its latest contest, called “Hide Your Face on Facebook.” This contest will run the entire month of October, which is National Cyber Security Month.

This contest encourages Facebook users to go to the PRIVATE WiFi Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/privatewifi) and upload pictures that show themselves covering their faces in support of safe online identities. They encourage creativity! Users must make sure to tag PRIVATE WiFi so it shows up on the company’s wall.

Each week in October, they will select one of the winning photos at random which will be the featured picture on PRIVATE WiFi’s Facebook wall. Additionally, they will create a photo album featuring all of the photo entries they receive.

PRIVATE WiFi is also giving out great prizes. Every Friday in October, they will give out one free yearly subscription to Facebook users who upload photos to their wall’ that is four in total throughout the duration of the contest! And one lucky grand prize winner will receive an iPad 2!

“Each day, more and more people are realizing how important it is to protect their online identities,” PRIVATE WiFi CEO, Kent Lawson, writes, “Our software does this, and we are committed to educating as many people about protecting themselves from online security risks as we can through contests like this one.”

Private WiFi and the ITRC want to spread awareness on this important issue in a fun and engaging way. So they encourage everyone to show their support for keeping their online identities safe while getting a chance to win great prizes from PRIVATE WiFi!

About Public WiFi Online Identity Risks

Public WiFi usage has been increasing exponentially in recent years due to its convenience and accessibility. These days, you can access the Internet from just about anywhere: coffee shops, airports, public libraries, hotel rooms, and just about any other public place. However, most of us are not aware the online identity risks inherent in using a public WiFi network.

WiFi networks use radio waves to connect computers to one another. This means that when you connect to a public network, you are basically exposing all of your computer files, including personal data such as credit card information, passwords, and social security numbers, to anyone within that network. This has led to a new type of hacking called “sniffing.” Sniffers are computer tools that don’t require physical access to your computer. With the right software, easily available on the Internet, hackers can use sniffers to steal any unencrypted data on a public WiFi network. It could even be the guy sipping his coffee at the table right next to you.

The best way to protect your sensitive information is to use a Virtual Private Network, or VPN, which encrypts the data moving to and from your laptop. The encryption protects all your Internet communication from being intercepted by others in WiFi hotspots. In addition, VPNs can prevent hackers from connecting to your laptop and stealing your data files.

Most large companies have a company-support VPN to protect corporate communications. Private WiFi provides the same capability for individuals, business travelers, and small and medium-sized enterprises.

About ITRC

Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) is a nonprofit, nationally respected organization dedicated exclusively to the understanding of identity theft and related issues. The ITRC provides victim and consumer support as well as public education. The ITRC also advises governmental agencies, legislators, law enforcement, and businesses about the evolving and growing problem of identity theft.

About PRIVATE WiFi

Private Communications Corporation is a security technology company that protects personal data and information on the Internet. PRIVATE WiFi, the company’s flagship software offering, encrypts all computer data across unencrypted WiFi networks, enhancing online privacy for those without access to virtual private networks. Founded by software entrepreneur Kent Lawson, Private Communications Corporation is headquartered in Sherman, CT. For more information, visit us athttp://www.privatewifi.com and for articles and other online privacy resources, please visit www.private-i.com. You can also connect with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/privatewifi.

Private WiFi protect your identity and sensitive information by becoming invisible on any public WiFi network. For further information, please contact us at 1-888-525-3078

The FireWhat Inc. and Pusher teams are proud to announce the launch of the FireWhat iPhone app in the Apple App Store. Together, the two companies have developed a truly revolutionary product for wildland firefighting. The FireWhat App puts critical incident information into the palm of the wildland firefighter’s hand. Today’s firefighters receive little to no information prior to arriving at the scene of a wildland fire, but with the game-changing FireWhat App, fire information, maps, reference guides and calculators are at the first responder’s fingertips.

Spearheaded by professional firefighters Jeremy Orozco and Sam Lanier, the FireWhat iPhone app gives the user everything he or she needs to respond to wildland fire incidents. Orozco and Lanier, two of FireWhat Inc.’s co-founders, modeled the app to be a valuable tool on the fire ground where quick decision-making and rapid response are critical. FireWhat’s third co-founder, MIT grad and data specialist, Sondra Suazo, streamlined the data collection process so that timely and accurate fire information is made available through the app. Nathan Johnston (Stanford & Harvard grad and former Apple employee) and Bryce Craig (visual artist and master designer) led the Pusher team in the technical development and design of the app. The result of this hodgepodge of industry experts? An app that is at once beautiful, innovative, data-rich and incredibly useful to its users.

The FireWhat App’s key features are:

• Detailed wildland fire incident information from FireWhat.com.
• Active fire perimeter mapping.
• Fire calculators including Weather and FDFM/PIG.
• Quick reference guides for Safety, Weather, Operations, and Size Up reports.
• Fire maps with custom overlays including Severe Weather Warnings, Smoke Cover, and NEXRAD Radar.

The app provides life-saving information for firefighters, responders, and residents of fire prone areas. Current weather conditions at the scene of major incidents, perimeter tracking and Google Map imagery are provided to direct responders and commanders to areas in highest danger. These features give responders visibility of homes in the area, creeks for water sources and areas for staging before they even arrive on scene. With this app, firefighters and commanders will be able to make pre-arrival considerations, allowing more time for critical life-saving decisions. The vital information provided by this app will save lives and property and will reduce responder errors in a critical time of need.

The app also features a suite of wildland applications for firefighters in the field. Common guides, safety check lists and procedures, and fire calculators have been built into the app.

FireWhat and Pusher have been working to prepare for the next versions and updates. One of the most exciting future additions is the Fire Behavior Calculator which will help firefighters understand how the fire will burn, in what direction, and how intense the expected fire behavior may be based on manual data input.

For more information about the FireWhat App, visit http://www.firewhat.com/app. You can now find the FireWhat App release 1.0 in the Apple App Store.

About FireWhat Inc.

FireWhat Inc. is a start-up company founded by an MIT grad and two professional firefighters. FireWhat’s mission is to provide a professional platform that inspires the highest quality of emergency service training and education. Through development of web and mobile products, FireWhat Inc. seeks to update the antiquated delivery of emergency services training and to incorporate innovation into a technology-deprived industry.

About Pusher

Pusher offers custom web development, iOS app development and video, photo and music production. In addition, Pusher is actively involved with the Dunsmuir, CA community hosting workshops, dance classes, film screenings and live music performances.

Video, Audio or E-Book content owners can now turn their Facebook page into a direct sales channel with social interaction. Facebook friends or others browsing the page can preview, order and consume the content right inside of Facebook or by using the native apps available for virtually every connected device (PC, iPhone, iPad, Android, Mac, BlackBerry).

Major Hollywood Studios such as Warner or Universal are already using their Facebook presence for direct sales. For the first time, smaller studios and independent content owners can now do the same with their content and combine social marketing power with a secure and powerful cloud-based distribution platform.

“We currently serve about 1500 content owners, and being able to use Facebook for revenue generation and not just customer communication was a frequent request,” says Michael Schmidt, VP Marketing of FlickRocket. “With the FlickRocket Webshop, content owners can directly harvest from their social marketing activities without losing conversions through a transfer out of Facebook.”

About FlickRocket

FlickRocket (http://www.flickrocket.com) is a division of ACE GMBH, located in Germany, which is a pioneer in secure cloud-based multi-platform content distribution solutions, used by major Hollywood Studios and VOD services. FlickRocket, with offices in the United States and Germany, operates direct-to-consumer webshop solutions for content owners worldwide.

WordPress Hosting Reviews, http://wordpresshostingreviews.com was established in 2009 with the goal of helping those looking for a WordPress hosting solution. The site provides a place for posting customer reviews along with expert how-to guides and news. They are very pleased to announce their site’s latest improvement, the best hosts section. This lists their top company picks, shows off their new site redesign, and makes it very easy to find the best host.

The Best WordPress Hosts (http://goo.gl/lAjRG) section has been redesigned to make the search for WordPress hosting even easier. All of the companies chosen are ranked by the experts at WordPress hosting reviews. Customer reviews and ratings over the years are partly what guide their decisions.

Improved ranking design: they have included a video outlining the points made in the best hosts page, icons for demonstration, and improved the formatting for easy reading. On this page, you will also find excerpts of the top WordPress Hosting Companies.

Design: with the new, up-to-date list of favorite WordPress hosts, the surrounding elements are also designed to compliment the page. Each paragraph has an icon that illustrates the purpose of that paragraph.

Ranking System: the editors provide a whole page that explains the way they review their hosts http://wphostingreviews.com/how-we-review/. The ranking is simply the highest reviewed companies with the editor’s and customer’s opinions both taken into account.

Paul Cowley, Graphic Designer with WordPress Hosting Reviews, said, “The design of the best hosts page is much like the rest of the site in terms of color and layout. However, we did spend a lot more time with the text and link colors, as well as icons for the paragraphs. Overall, we realize that this may well be the most looked at page on our site, so we made it one of the best.”

Best Hosts: This page is designed to help people find the best WordPress hosting. The video goes over basic highlights of each company as well as person experience from the editor. After the video, there is a list of best hosting companies. Each company has an summary of why the editors like it.

About WordPress Hosting Reviews — WordPress Hosting Reviews, established in 2008, is owned and managed by Intown Web Design of Atlanta, GA. The site was created as a place for WordPress users to post reviews and learn about the best WordPress hosting companies. It is a website that helps to the WordPress Hosting community. For more information:  http://twitter.com/wphostingreview/.

About Intown Web Design (http://www.intownwebdesign.com) — Intown Web Design, located in Atlanta, Ga, is a web design and development firm with a focus on creating functional websites for business. Clients range from startups to corporations traded on the NYSE. Founded in 2007, with a specialty in open source technologies including PHP, Joomla and WordPress. They have continued to expand their expertise into improving site performance, usability and search engine rankings. For more information: http://twitter.com/intownwebdesign/.

Imagine arriving on a business trip in an unfamiliar town and needing a place to eat – fast! Often you don’t have the time to do a lot of research. QuickClick Apps from Marketimpacts.com can locate and map places to go with one button tap.

The QuickClick Locale Series offers a number of apps, each focused on a specific need. Apps for dining include:

• Restaurants
• Fast Food
• Coffee
• Health Food
• Dessert
• Nightlife
• Parking

“Many apps make it just a little too difficult to get quick results” said Don Cowan, the lead QuickClick apps developer and Director of Software Engineering at Marketimpacts.com. “When you need to find someplace fast, you want something that’s easy to use. We designed these apps to deliver instant results with as little as one click. People can mix and match our apps to give themselves a custom group of easy to click icons.”

“We put a lot of effort into designing the user interface” said Cowan. “If you need to enter some extra information, such as the type of cuisine for a restaurant, it can all be done on just one QuickClick screen.”

“Studies, and our own experiences, have shown that the popularity of an app is directly correlated with how quickly it can be learned and used. QuickClick apps are designed around these needs.”

According to statistics on the Android Developers Console, downloads of the QuickClick apps are growing at a rate of 30% month over month and they have been installed in over 50 countries.

QuickClick Apps are available for download on the Android Market and more information can be found on the QuickClick Apps web page. To find the apps from a smartphone or tablet, search the Android Market for “QuickClick Apps”.

The Marketimpacts.com team develops software for smartphones, tablets and PCs.

Marketimpacts, QuickClick and Locale are trademarks of Arelinda Technology Group, Inc.

For more information, visit http://www.marketimpacts.com.

Let’s circle back later. Is that plan fully baked? This team has great synergy! Hilton Garden Inn today launched BizWords, a new interactive iPhone/iPad app, to help business travelers decode and navigate the business speak that has become so common in the workplace. The free app will also serve as a professional social network and a practical tool for on-the-go business travelers.

Once the BizWords app is downloaded from iTunes, users are greeted by the home screen and prompted to create a profile, which becomes their business card complete with a BizWords job title. Users can “climb the corporate ladder” to more important titles based on additional interactions with the app. The app features a crowd-sourced collection of trending business buzzwords and phrases from across the country, and the hottest local terms – all of which can be viewed on a dynamic virtual heat map of the U.S. Users can add their favorite business terms and acronyms by simply entering the word and a definition – a leader board tracks business buzz words frequency.

“The BizWords app was developed as an extension of the brand’s “We Speak Success” positioning, combined with the insight that business professionals have created a unique lexicon of words and phrases,” said Judy Christa-Cathey, vice president, global brand marketing, Hilton Garden Inn. “We know that mobile usage indexes very high with both our business and leisure guests, so we developed the BizWords tool to give them a platform to connect, share, and have fun all while giving a wink to the business-speak we’ve all become accustomed to using. “The BizWords app also contains a link to the Hilton Garden Inn mobile booking application, which will allow users to easily make hotel reservations on-the-go.

Other app features include a word detail screen, which offers an entertaining definition and use of the word or acronym. This screen will also be home to a virtual map of the United States that displays areas where the game is being played and how specific words are trending across the country. To encourage friendly competition among users, a leader board will display the top 25 app users, allowing other players to view their business cards.

For more information on Hilton Garden Inn, visit www.hgi.com or www.hgimediacenter.com. To download the free BizWords app, visit the iTunes Store.

About Hilton Garden Inn

Hilton Garden Inn is the award-winning, value-focused and dependable hotel brand guests can count on to ensure they have everything they need to find success on the road. From our oh-so-comfortable Garden Sleep System® bed to complimentary Wi-Fi Internet access in all guestrooms, count on Hilton Garden Inn to support its guests on their roads to success, through a trusted and appreciative experience forging a loyal relationship. Whether on the road for personal or business reasons, Hilton Garden Inn offers the reliable amenities and services for guests to sleep deep, stay fit, eat well and work smart while away from home. For more information about our locations around the globe, visit www.hgi.com or call 1-877-STAY-HGI.

About Hilton Worldwide

Hilton Worldwide is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For 93 years, Hilton Worldwide has been offering business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. The company is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands. Its brands are comprised of more than 3,750 hotels and timeshare properties, with 615,000 rooms in 85 countries and include Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts, Conrad Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Hotels & Resorts, DoubleTree by Hilton, Embassy Suites Hotels, Hilton Garden Inn, Hampton Hotels, Homewood Suites by Hilton, Home2 Suites by Hilton and Hilton Grand Vacations. The company also manages the world-class guest reward program Hilton HHonors®. For more information about the company, visit www.HiltonWorldwide.com or connect with Hilton Worldwide at www.HiltonWorldwideGlobalMediaCenter.com.

HeyStaks, the social search start-up with offices in San Francisco and Dublin, today announced an innovative one-stop mobile search solution combining the best search results from both your community and search engines.  The product is presented in an interactive and engaging newspaper-like user interface to help users quickly and easily get more relevant and personalized search results. HeyStaks is releasing apps for the iPad and Android tablets today. The apps are also featured as one of the fifteen best of the web apps on the Sony Tablet S Honeycomb devices rolling out globally in the U.S., Asia and Europe this month, and on Sony’s Tablet P rolling out later this fall. HeyStaks apps are already available on iPhone and Android phones.

Based on the premise that people sharing common interests will generate the best and most personalized search results, HeyStaks is powered by search communities – anonymous users joined in a group based on their mutual interests, such as California travel, wineries, sporting goods, gadgets, news topics, etc. The app generates results that are much more relevant to people with similar interests, in addition to standard search engine results.

“People expect more from their searches. They want to search less but find more, and that is where HeyStaks comes in. Our users receive search results that are more targeted to their specific interests because they are generated from communities of like-minded people around a specific topic. Importantly, identities are protected and never revealed, yet users still get the benefit of the best of each other’s searches, simply by searching as normal” said Jonathan Dillon, CEO of HeyStaks. “We are excited to continue our mission of being the go-to search solution across tablets and smart-phones worldwide.  Our iPhone and Android phone apps are already gaining traction and the introduction of our tablet apps for iPads and Android devices is our next step to achieving that vision.”

HeyStaks is pioneering the next wave of search technology by combining communities of people and search engine recommendations to help users find the most relevant information quickly. Upon searching on a particular topic, users simply tap to join the most appropriate community based on that topic and are immediately presented with targeted content that users with shared interests have searched for in the past. While the user interface is simple and engaging, the model is built on unique and proprietary relevance and reputation-based social algorithms. HeyStaks also complements current search engine results by featuring Google and other search results in a newspaper-style format, and will feature more third party content sources as it continues to grow.

Pricing and Availability

HeyStaks is a free application and is currently available on Android tablets, iPads, the iPhone, and Android phones.

Additionally, the HeyStaks social search app is currently featured in the Select App site on the new Sony Tablets, where Sony features fifteen of the best of the web apps for their customers, with HeyStaks featuring in the categories:

• What’s Hot
• New Ideas

About HeyStaks

HeyStaks is a University College Dublin (UCD) spin-out company founded in 2008. HeyStaks is based on technology developed as part of Professor Barry Smyth’s research group and the CLARITY Centre for Sensor Web Technologies, a Science Foundation Ireland funded research center.

HeyStaks secured venture funding in 2010 from NCB Ventures. The company’s U.S. headquarters are based in San Francisco, and its development center is in Dublin, Ireland.

Saveology, an innovative daily deal startup that features national, regional and local deals in 28 markets, is proud to announce the launch of its newest market: Honolulu. One of the world’s foremost tourist destinations, Honolulu consumers will finally have access to Saveology’s next-gen deals. Further, local businesses will be able to utilize Saveology’s revolutionary daily deal 2.0 model which features a larger percentage of revenue to the merchant and the fastest turnaround time on payment delivery.

“Honolulu has it all for vacationers and locals with an incredible nightlife to some of the most relaxing resorts in the world,” said Saveology CEO Benzion Aboud. “It’s going to be an incredible place to launch daily deals, not just for locals but for tourists vacationing on a budget.”

Today, Saveology also opened deals in 14 other markets including Las Vegas, Seattle, and San Antonio.

Saveology presents a business model that benefits both merchant and consumer through a variety of different avenues including an extremely competitive merchant revenue-share on deals purchased, a lead generator, a coupon generator and a reach of over 4.5 million people that is increasingly broadening brand awareness.

Saveology’s daily deals offer local and national businesses unique deals ranging from car leases and excursions, to sporting events and family-fun packages. Subscribers can even set up a profile to get only certain deal types to only receive deals of interest.

To subscribe to deals, visit saveology.com. Additionally, Saveology encourages subscribers to visit the Facebook and Twitter pages.

About Saveology

Saveology is a leading Internet-based direct marketing platform focused on providing consumers the ability to obtain the best deals on services and products. Through Saveology Home Services, the Company operates the largest comparison shopping destination focused on cable, satellite television, Internet, telecommunications, home security, financial, warranty, wireless, tech support and moving services. Saveology Daily Deals is a new and innovative daily deal startup leveraging the home services business and featuring national, local and regional deals in over 28 markets. Saveology Daily Deals’ performance based media outlet approach includes a larger revenue share with merchants than other daily deal companies, lead generation programs, coupon generators and access to millions of people for brand awareness. Saveology.com’s corporate offices are in Fort Lauderdale, FL. To learn more about Saveology Home Services, visit http://www.saveologyhomeservices.com. To subscribe to Saveology Daily Deals, visit saveology.com.

Cyber criminals are stealing as much as $1 billion a year from the accounts of small to medium companies (SMEs) in the United States and Europe, according to estimates from Dell SecureWorks, a security arm of the computer maker. With rising incidences of hacking and other such network defence issues, network defence expert EC-Council advises SMEs to educate their employees on good information security practices and habits.

According to a recent Bloomberg report, overseas gangs target small commercial accounts protected by rudimentary security measures at community or regional banks. The accounts typically aren’t covered by fraud insurance, as individual accounts are, and businesses often find themselves held accountable by the banks for their losses.

Owners of SMEs conventionally face the challenge of having to be a jack of all trades, combining a keen knowledge of their core businesses with a basic knowledge of many other specialised fields such as IT security.

When it comes to IT security, small companies face a particularly problematic situation. While they have data which requires protection, most of them have neither the staff nor the capabilities to protect it effectively. Network protection has remained at the same levels for decades while viruses and other malware have grown more advanced in nature, able to bypass even the most updated network defence.

As such, network security courses are important in training SME’s limited staff in the basics of network defence, such as learning to use effective passwords and encrypting sensitive data, says Jay Bavisi, President of EC-Council.

Some examples of courses offered by EC-Council would be the Advanced Network Defence course, a three-day comprehensive course that will educate participants from the psychological standpoint of a hacker, using that as the foundation for defending against such attacks.

The course will also cover techniques that will improve the security posture of any network from the smallest basic infrastructures to the largest enterprise networks.

“It is often said that the best defence is a good offense, and this course provides an offensive mind-set to provide a robust and solid defence”, said Bavisi.

Through network security training like these, employees can learn the latest and best defence methods to stop or at least mitigate the impact of network attacks, including any advanced persistent threats to a database.

Before investing in security technology, small businesses should assess their current network defence capabilities, and choose solutions specific to their individual situations. In the past, IT security for small businesses has been notoriously expensive and difficult to set up. However, it is an undeniable necessity in the digital marketplace of the 21st century.

About EC-Council

The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) is a member-based organisation that certifies individuals in various e-business and information security skills. It is the owner and creator of the world-famous Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (CHFI), and as well as many other programs that are offered in over 60 countries through a global training network of more than 450 training partners. For more information on network security training, visit http://www.eccouncil.org/

grouptime GmbH today launched its unique social messenger for mobile devices. The free messaging app allows users to text, group chat and privately share with the people and groups in their life at absolutely no charge. grouptime is the only messenger that works with posts like a social network and enables users to easily exchange messages and instantly share with groups with one click. The free app lets users send unlimited text, photo, audio and location messages, and post status updates and receive comments in real-time. grouptime is the new app to communicate, share and get together with family, friends and colleagues.

The idea for grouptime is based on the limited capabilities of SMS/MMS and other mobile messaging solutions as well as the increasing privacy concerns with social networks. „For many users – especially for teens and young adults – texting is the most important feature of a mobile phone. However, until now it wasn‘t possible to post status updates, perform group chats and share multimedia content with contacts or groups of your choice instantly via your mobile device“, said Tobias Stepan, managing director of grouptime GmbH. „Our free app offers users the combined benefits of texting, group chat and social networking with the people from their mobile address book at absolutely no charge.“ Unlike other messengers, grouptime operates with posts like a social network and while the app has a simplified user-interface to make messaging as easy and fast as possible, the messenger has extensive privacy features to ensure that it is a private place to communicate and content is shared exclusively with the people intended.

Like SMS, grouptime sends push-notifications to immediately inform users of new personal or group messages. However, contrary to SMS, the free app utilizes the data connection of a smartphone and thus eliminates all texting related costs. For teenagers and young adults, who often send more than 50 text messages a day, this means huge savings. Besides, the free messaging service integrates directly into the mobile phone‘s address book, saving users the time they normally require to manually connect with people and find friends with traditional messengers or social networks. Users only need to download the free app for their smartphone and are set to go. The grouptime messenger is now available as a free download for iPhone/iPod/iPad in Apple‘s iTunes app store. An Android app will be launched soon.

About grouptime: grouptime GmbH is a technology start-up based in Munich, Germany. The company was founded in 2010 with the goal to offer smartphone users an easy to use messaging app to instantly communicate and privately share with groups like family, friends and colleagues. grouptime is a cost-free social messenger for mobile devices that allows users to exchange all kind of text and multimedia messages with the people and groups in their life as well as post status updates and receive comments in real-time. For more information or to download the free app please visit http://www.grouptime.com. Media contact: Tobias Stepan, managing director of grouptime GmbH, phone +49 89 99807905, info(at)grouptime(dot)com

TripIt, the leading mobile travel organizer from Concur (Nasdaq: CNQR), has announced that its free Windows Phone App is available in the Windows Phone Marketplace. Now, travelers with Windows Phone devices can access all their travel plans in one place, and share them with others.

TripIt makes organizing travel easier – no more frantic searches for flight numbers in the inbox. Instead, travelers have all trip details at their fingertips on their smartphone, calendar or online – for free. To get started, travelers simply forward travel confirmation emails from anywhere they book to plans@tripit.com. TripIt automagically creates a simple, smart itinerary, combining travel plans with maps, driving directions and more – which can easily be shared with others.

The TripIt for Windows Phone app also supports TripIt Pro, the premium service which acts like a personal travel assistant while traveling. With all the benefits of TripIt – which makes it easy to organize and share travel information from one place – TripIt Pro goes much further by keeping the traveler in the know with status alerts and fare refund opportunities. The Windows Phone app provides TripIt Pro users with access to all their frequent traveler points in one place. Greater peace of mind while traveling is available for $49/year.

“Windows Phone is backed by a rich developer ecosystem that is creating a variety of quality apps and games, like TripIt, from Concur, which help users take advantage of the phone’s dynamic design,” said Todd Brix, senior director, Windows Phone Marketplace, Microsoft Corp. “TripIt is a great example of the rich applications that people will find on Windows Phone Marketplace to get the most out of their phone,” he continued.

The Windows Phone app adds to TripIt’s growing collection of smartphone and tablet-native apps, which includes iPhone, iPad, Android and BlackBerry. Features were designed to leverage the Windows Phone platform, and includes the ability to add, edit and share trips.

“We heard from many Windows Phone users that they wanted a native TripIt application to make traveling easier,” said Gregg Brockway, General Manager and Executive Vice President of TripIt. “We have an active mobile roadmap and will solve problems for travelers on all the platforms they are using.”

For more information, go to http://tripit.com/uhp/mobile.

About TripIt

TripIt®, the leading mobile travel organizer from Concur® (Nasdaq: CNQR), makes it easy for millions of travelers to organize and share their trips.  Simply forward confirmation emails from anywhere you book to plans@tripit.com and TripIt automagically creates one simple, smart itinerary to access on a smartphone, calendar, or anywhere online.  For even greater peace of mind while traveling, TripIt Pro acts like a personal travel assistant that keeps travelers in the know regarding flight status, alternate flights, and more; tracks all frequent traveler points in one place; and monitors eligible flights for fare refunds. TripIt for Business is an easier way for companies to organize office travel; keep track of who’s traveling when and where, and whether travel dollars are being spent wisely. For more information, please visit www.tripit.com and follow @TripIt at http://twitter.com/tripit.

Microsoft, Windows and Windows Phone Marketplace are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

Since the emergence of iPhone in 2007, this amazing smartphone has attracted more and more users with its incredible techniques, featured applications and powerful video/audio capabilities. Every member of the iPhone family is marked by words such as cutting-edge technologies, environmentally-friendly and low energy costs. It has been used by many people as a mobile movie player as well.

It’s a pity for iPhone fans not being able to enjoy the newest movies with their iPhone. But with the help of AnyMP4 iPhone Converter, this problem can be solved easily. Specially designed for iPhone zealots, AnyMP4 iPhone Converter is capable of convert video to iPhone with incredible speed and excellent video quality. It can also convert BD/DVD to iPhone for better visual experience.

Since iPhone possesses advanced video playing capabilities and can even play HD movies, you can use the versatile editing tools provided by AnyMP4 iPhone Converter to optimize video quality as you please. These tools enables you to trim video for your needed length, crop video frame to remove black edges, join video clips together and add text/image watermark to personalize your video. You can also adjust output parameters to bring the video effect one step closer to perfection.

With the help of AnyMP4 iPhone Converter, you can turn your iPhone into a mobile cinema and enjoy your favorite movies anytime and anywhere.

For more information about this compelling software, please visit the webpage below:
http://www.anymp4.com/iphone-converter/

System Requirements

OS Supported: Windows XP (SP2 or later), Windows Vista, Windows 7
CPU: 800MHz Inter or AMD CPU or above
RAM: 512MB RAM or more

Pricing and Availability

AnyMP4 iPhone Converter is available now at $35.00.
For more information and get a free trial version, please visit:
http://www.anymp4.com/iphone-converter/

About AnyMP4

AnyMP4, a software producer, aims to provide the best and world-class solution of converting Blu-ray Disc, DVD and video/audio files. AnyMP4 is dedicated to developing the most powerful multimedia processing software for users all over the world. Our product portfolio ranges from video tools, DVD tools, Blu-ray tools, etc. on both Microsoft Windows and Apple’s Mac OS X platforms. All these software can help you easily solve almost all DVD/Blu-ray/video issues. For more details about AnyMP4, please visit: http://www.anymp4.com.

Media-X Systems is excited to announce that their new product offering for Apple iPad, eStudent, is now available.

“We have been showcasing eStudent all year at trade shows, presentations and meetings and are so excited with the feedback and reaction from our clients and the people that we have met” said Bonnie Homewood, Manager of Client Services for Media-X. “Many educators are excited about the effective and engaging nature of new technology, and now eStudent brings them a simple, effective tool for engaging their students using iPad devices either on a one-to-one basis or in an iPad lab environment.”

eStudent opens the door to interactive group collaboration within the classroom for problem solving and higher order thinking activities. It also offers flexible, fast content creation for lessons with the ability to push them out and interact with students in real-time. Key features of the program include: group or private chats monitored by the instructor, group collaboration, media distribution, real-time and offline lessons and quizzes, self-reporting and reflection, learning journals, homework notes, calendars, reminders and more.

“I’m impressed by how easy it is to put my own content in the program and differentiate my lessons and resources sent to students using groups” said a teacher in a recent presentation. “I also love the chat component, which will allow my students to interact with me and each other in a format that they currently use, yet still allow me to monitor their usage to ensure a safe and productive classroom.”

Media-X will be demonstrating eStudent and seeking feedback in several locations including: Long Island BOCES, Oct 18 and ECOO in Richmond Hill October 20-22, 2011.

MORE INFORMATION

Steve Moretti, steve(at)media-x(dot)com, 613-722-9990 ext. 106
Bonnie Homewoo, bonnie(at)media-x(dot)com, 613-722-9990 ext. 113

Media-X Systems, founded in 1996, is a software development company providing innovative products and services to over 800 K-12 school districts in the US and Canada. Media-X technology is also used to power solutions from a variety of strategic partners.

My Personal DataSafe is vital new online tool in accessing critical information before and after a disaster. Utilizing patent-pending personal information management (PIM) software that provides the subscriber ability to enter medical and insurance information as well as upload copies of birth certificate, passports and deeds. Additionally, they can itemize and upload a video of their household inventory.

The Red Cross Hurricane Safety Checklist recommends people keep copies of personal documents for disaster preparation. They state the following as the minimum amount of personal information a family should have available, “medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies.”

The FEMA Disaster Supplies Checklist further expands on the Red Cross list. They recommend having copies of the following: “marriage certificates, driver’s license, social security cards, wills, household inventory, bank and credit card numbers and emergency contacts.”

While these recommendations of having hard copies are valid, they can be lost or destroyed during a disaster. My Personal DataSafe takes disaster preparedness to a new level by allowing subscribers to enter and upload personal information to be stored and available online in a state of the art, encrypted site with the ability to share the information with family, friends and professional advisors.

In preparing for a disaster people have a lot to worry about such as what they should be doing or what supplies and information they need to have available. My Personal DataSafe provides peace of mind knowing that they will be able to access their critical information when they need it.

After reviewing the My Personal DataSafe software a doctor in Tampa, FL stated, “I had a new patient that was displaced from Hurricane Katrina who had lost all of her medical records. A subscription to My Personal DataSafe would have allowed her to easily create a report with all her medical information.”

Disaster preparedness is a discipline which involves being prepared for a disaster before it occurs. Disasters can occur with little or no warning – don’t get caught unprepared. My Personal DataSafe provides the platform to prepare for disaster before it occurs and is available for an initial annual subscription fee of $99.99 and an annual renewal of $59.99. A free 30 day trial is available by at the website http://www.mypersonaldatasafe.com.

About My Personal DataSafe

My Personal DataSafe © (http://www.mypersonaldatasafe.com) is a revolutionary patent-pending personal information management (PIM) software. As a subscriber enter and update personal, medical, financial, legal and insurance information online to a state of the art, encrypted site with the ability to authorize complete or partial access to advisors, physicians or family members. Personal information can then be retrieved conveniently from a variety of custom report options. My Personal DataSafe is available on an annual subscription basis and offers subscribers a 30 day free trial.

iPhone Speaker Reviews (http://www.iphonespeakerreviews.com), has just released their video review of the Logitech S715i. This unit is one of the better portable speakers available today.

The S715i is a portable iPhone speaker system with a rechargeable internal battery. It is very well constructed and sounds great even at loud volumes. Read the full Logitech S715i Review at iPhone Speaker Reviews.

Logitech is well known in the computer speaker and accessory world and has built an excellent reputation. The S715 is the next generation of portable speaker system picks up where the Logitech Pure-Fi Anytime 2 left off. The S715i has an improved sound, trayless dock, and over all design.

The review points out several good features of the Logitech S715i including great sound at loud volume, solid construction and an all-around, solid performance. There were not many negative remark other than the price but for what you are getting the price is understood.

“The Logitech S715i is the complete package,” Steven explains, “They have dotted all the I’s and crossed all the T’s, from excellent sound to helpful features such as auto off and on”. The review explains, “The design is sleek, subtle and strong” and the sound has “Great depth and loudness.”

Included in the box is the Speaker System, a carrying case and remote control.

If you would like to see how the S715i compares with other portable speakers, check out the Portable iPhone Speaker Review page http://www.iphonespeakerreviews.com/reviews/tag/speakertype/portable-iphone-speakers/

About iPhone Speaker Reviews

iPhone Speaker Reviews, established in 2008, is owned and managed by Intown Web Design of Atlanta, GA. The site was created as a place for iPhone and iPod owners to research and review iPhone speakers. At their website you will find editor and user reviews, video reviews and expert advice articles and guides. They are no way related to Apple or any of the speaker companies that are reviewed.

About Intown Web Design

Intown Web Design, (http://www.intownwebdesign.com), located in Atlanta, Ga, is a web design and development firm with a focus on creating functional websites for business. Clients range from startups to corporations traded on the NYSE. Founded in 2007, with a specialty in open source technologies including PHP, Joomla and WordPress. They have continued to expand their expertise into improving site performance, usability and search engine rankings.

mSeven Software is announcing the launch of mSecure 3.0, offering additional security, accessibility and ease-of-use features for iOS, Android, Mac OS and Windows. mSecure 3.0 now supports groups for categorizing records, the ability to mark favorite records for fast access and a new Security Everywhere architecture for improved data security when syncing with cloud services such as Dropbox and iCloud (Q4).

mSecure 3.0 introduces the Security Everywhere sync architecture to accomplish three main goals:

• Sync securely without concern about the security of the cloud system.
• Sync anywhere using a general Internet connection without the hassle of firewall and router settings.
• Sync anytime keeping all mobile and computing devices in sync without a sync server.

“Cloud sync offers the great advantage of being able to sync anywhere and anytime without firewall restrictions and sync servers, but this convenience cannot come at the expense of data security,” said Ray Marshall, president of mSeven Software. “We will support multiple cloud systems and our private wireless sync system to provide our customers options as part of our ‘security everywhere made simple’ principle.”

mSecure’s Security Everywhere architecture adds additional encryption and compression to its proven 256-bit Blowfish encryption such that a brute-force attack by supercomputers would take 100 years to extract the data.

Another key feature in the 3.0 release is the support for Groups (a.k.a “Categories”). The group feature enables users to assign records to personal, business or custom-defined groups. The user can also also mark any record as a favorite from multiple groups making it simple to access the most-used records quickly and easily.
Other new mSecure features include:

• Sharing of records via email, SMS or clipboard
• Sync button on main toolbar to make it easy to keep records in sync with other platforms.
• Record counts by group, type and record name
• Sync reports to track changes in synced data.
• Email backup/restore for iOS and Android for quick backups.
• New convenience menus and toolbars to access most-used functions.

mSecure for iOS is available via the iTunes App Store as a Universal app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. mSecure for Android is available in the Google Marketplace, Amazon App Store and Verizon Media Store. The price of mSecure for iOS and Android is on sale for $6.99 during an introductory period after which the price will be $9.99.

mSecure for Mac OS is available in the Mac App Store for $14.99 and mSevenSoftware.com, where the Windows version is also available, both for $19.99 each. A $5 off coupon for mSecure MacOS/Windows is available to mSeven Software Facebook fans (not applicable on Mac App store). Details on this special offer can be found on the company’s Facebook page at http://facebook.com/mSevenSoftware.

About mSecure

mSecure continues to be held out as an industry-standard in password and personal information protection for mobile and computing devices. mSecure uses ultra-secure 256-bit blowfish encryption to protect personal information such as account numbers, usernames, passwords and more. mSecure provides seventeen popular personal information templates with the ability to create custom templates to facilitate easy entry of user information.

About mSeven Software

Based in Portland, Oregon, mSeven Software has developed and supports mSecure and several other applications for the iOS, Android, Mac OS and Windows platforms. As a leader in the productivity category, mSeven Software operates on the principle that useful software is “made simple for everyday users.”

New social networking web site FourNote.com combines the useful features users expect with a sharp eye on privacy and customization. Savvy individuals are turning their backs on bloated, intrusive networks and turning toward FourNote.com. That’s because FourNote.com users keep in touch while keeping control. FourNote.com is an advanced exchange portal for business, academic and personal users. Crucially, FourNote.com users can not only exchange pictures, share video, chat, but a huge range of file types (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, Illustrator, Photoshop, eps, Postscript, TTF, Zip, Rar and much more).

“Fournote.com is for select individuals and groups who want to retain privacy while sharing their lives on the Internet,” Alessandro Bani, founder of the new site. “It’s easy to use and designed for friends, schools, students, communities, social organizations, families and businesses.”

At it’s core, FourNote.com (http://www.fournote.com) makes keeping in touch more efficient, more fun, more secure and more private. It’s a more intelligent way of messaging that cuts down on inbox clutter. FourNote.com lets users create filters through which to share information. “No longer do you have to choose between sending messages to one friend or all your friends. Create separate spheres for different parts of your life,” said Bani.

This aspect of FourNote.com is revolutionary. Businesses can adopt FourNote.com, knowing that different work groups can easily talk only amongst themselves, talk one on one, or talk to everyone in the organization. “Users can be in multiple groups. Max can be in Jerry’s friends group and co-workers group. Jerry’s friends aren’t bothered by messages intended only for his co-workers, and his co-workers won’t see the more casual messages Jerry might send to his friends. The names of the group are customizable by the user and specific to the user, so different users can give unique names to the same network,” Bani said.

Privacy continues to be a major concern for social networkers. FourNote.com is a private, powerful social network that puts the user, not the network, in charge.

Online Forex Broker Tadawul FX today announced the launch of its mobile trading platforms including iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android, Windows Mobile and smartphone applications.  A web-based forex trading platform has also been introduced, accessible via both desktop PC and mobile phone, allowing clients to trade on the go at any time without needing to download any software.  The full range of Tadawul FX mobile applications and Web Trader are immediately available in 10 languages.

Tadawul FX, the European licensed online forex and commodities broker, today launched its new mobile applications. The new applications allow forex trading on the go via the MetaTrader 4 platform (MT4) to its many clients around the world and have been launched for several popular mobile platforms including iPhone, iPad, Android, BlackBerry as well as windows mobile and other smartphones. The broker has also created a web trading platform, allowing users to login and trade without the need to install the MT4 software directly onto their desktop or mobile phone.

The new applications are available in 10 languages and enable trading to be done in a very similar way to the regular MT4 desktop platform.

There are a host of services available via the applications. Traders can monitor live prices on forex and CFDs, as well as create their own’ favourites’ or set up specific ‘watchlists’ for pairs of interest to them or key to their portfolio. They can also open and close instant market orders, place or amend existing orders including BuyStop, SellStop, StopLoss and TakeProfit.

There is also a charting facility, allowing them to both create and view charts in order to keep on top of market trends and sudden movements at all times. The applications also have a news and announcements section, enabling traders to stay on top of important upcoming movements and ensure they are fully aware of potential opportunities.

Stavros Yiannakou, CEO and Partner of Tadawul FX says this is a key development for its clients. ‘Mobile trading is now very common amongst traders, and we understand that our clients need to monitor and manage their positions and trades at all times in this highly unpredictable and sometimes volatile market. We decided it was important to be able to provide a mobile application for all the major mobile platforms, to allow the majority of our clients to be able to trade regardless of their choice of phone but also more importantly to keep them updated on all market news and key information when they are on the move, which is when they may miss key opportunities for profitable trades.”

Thomas Papantoniou, Chief Operations Officer and Partner, also says the functions that the mobile applications offer have been chosen to ensure traders are always on top of their trades and positions, with a complete overview of their performance at any time.

“As well as allowing our clients to manage their positions, equity and monitor their exposure to key market movements at all times, they can also generate reports on their mobile phones, allowing them additional flexibility and insight into their trading performance” says Mr Papantoniou. The applications have been designed to be very user friendly and practical, enabling our traders to quickly take advantage of these excellent resources. We have created user guides for each of our mobile trading applications, which are available immediately on our website and the apps themselves can be downloaded easily and securely to mobile devices.”

Following their recent awards, Tadawul FX remains focused on continuing to improve and upgrade its services, as well as continuing to provide its competitive fixed low spreads and strong Islamic forex offering.

“Our focus is always on enabling better trading for our clients, and we firmly believe that an informed trader is a better trader. The decision to provide these mobile applications with all their inbuilt functionality is yet another step for us in our constant efforts to always strive for better services for our clients, to listen to their feedback and suggestions and to keep innovating in this competitive but exciting market,” says Mr Yiannakou.

About Tadawul FX

Tadawul FX, also known as TDFX, is an online forex broker. TDFX is licensed and regulated by the Cyprus Securities & Exchange Commission (license number 103/09) and is also registered with the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) with registration number 516667, as well as the German regulators BAFIN (Reg 123252).

Tadawul FX offers mobile MT4 trading applications for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, Android and Windows Mobile as well as a Web Trader application for both desktop and smartphone. For further information and to access user guides for the mobile apps please see Tadawul FX MT4 mobile trading.

For more information, visit http://www.tadawulfx.com or contact Tadawul FX at support@tadawulfx.com or telephone: +357 25 200 920.

Parker Software, announced today the integration of their Live Chat Software, WhosOn, with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011. Integration is also available with Microsoft Dynamics CRM online, which delivers Microsoft Dynamics CRM 2011 as an on-demand service.

This new release follows Parker Software’s previous successful integrations with Microsoft Dynamics CRM 4 for both their live chat application and also their Email2Db advanced email automation solution. This latest release provides improved flexibility for greater customisation.

Key to this recent development was the ability for both applications to work in harmony, to enable enterprise scalability, easy interoperability with the dynamics platform and point and click configurability. The integration now brings a whole new level of website visibility and interaction, with the WhosOn solution enabling the tracking and engagement of website visitors in real-time, ultimately adding additional levels of productivity to sales, marketing and customer service departments and marketing organisations worldwide.

Through the WhosOn interface, live website visitor details or prospects can be sent directly to Dynamics CRM 2011, as can call back requests and live chat transcripts which in turn can be added to a case, the history of a prospect or created as a lead or customer. This is an incredible tool to focus prospecting on the visitors who have already shown an interest or conducted research in your company via your website.

Further enhancements to the WhosOn Live Chat platform include a new interface design to reflect a standard Microsoft product for enhanced user personalization, ease of use and improved user adoption.

WhosOn live Chat, with the Dynamics CRM 2011 integration will now provide organisations the necessary insights to enable them to respond quickly and have a competitive edge in an ever-changing world of business.

A new website called Judge It Live makes its debut the week of Sept. 19th for the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars on ABC and the U.S. version of X Factor on FOX. According to site creator Dave Verhaagen, “Judge It Live is like the world’s biggest focus group.” Visitors who go to the site or download the application for mobile devices can judge selected live entertainment events in real time and compare their ratings to the other viewers.

As viewers watch a featured show, they turn a dial from 0 to 100 based on their enjoyment of the segment. If they love a performance or segment, they turn up the rating; if they don’t like it, they turn it down. A scrolling graph shows viewers how their tastes compare to other viewers. At the end of each show, viewers can scroll back over the entire show and see the highs and lows of the episode.

Beginning the week of September 19th, viewers can judge Dancing with the Stars and X Factor, but Andrew King, the website’s designer, says other shows are slated for judging later in the year. “We hope to have more than two dozen series and special events scheduled for the coming season,” King said.

For the past few years, the major networks have clearly desired to increase viewer participation during their live shows. NBC’s The Voice and the recent MTV Video Music Awards both used live reporters to give feedback about Twitter trends related to the show. Judge It Live allows the audience to see viewer feedback immediately and visually.

What will networks think about Judge It Live? “I think the networks will love it once they realize people will be watching their shows in real time and will be watching all their ads and sponsors,” Verhaagen said, noting, “In our testing, the biggest surprise we found is that people love rating the commercials — and their retention for what commercials they watched goes way up.”

Judge It Live debuts online on September 19th during the season premiere of Dancing with the Stars. Mobile apps will be available for iPod, iPad, and Android devices. To see the website ahead of time, go to http://www.judgeitlive.com.

Contact:
Dave Verhaagen
Judge It Live, LLC
Tel: 704-904-1588
Fax: 704-552-7550
Twitter: @judgeitlive
Email: judgeitlive@gmail.com

The rumors have really been flying lately about Amazon’s new Kindle coming to the market. It is very real and it is just around the corner. How much will the new Amazon Kindle cost and what can you expect from it when it launches just in time for the holiday season?

Amazon has some pretty stiff competition in the ereader market, but they have easily managed to stay on top with their current Kindle offerings. Barnes & Noble has been competing very well with the Nook Color, but things are going to change real soon.

The new Amazon Kindle is real and it is almost ready to be launched. Right now it is being called, “Amazon Kindle.” This name is short, simple and sweet, but the ereader device won’t be so simple. It will be loaded with many features to compete with the iPad and the Nook Color.

The new Amazon Kindle will feature a full color seven inch touch display. We all knew that was coming. Something else that the rumor mill has been busy churning out was the fact that the new Amazon Kindle will be running Android. This is true as well, but only partly.

The new Amazon Kindle will be running a heavily modified version of Android. It looks and feels nothing like the current Android tablets on the market. This is Amazon’s own version of Android and it has nothing to do with Google. In fact, the Google Android Marketplace will not be available on the Amazon Kindle at all. Instead Kindle users will have access to Amazon’s very own Appstore for Android. Now things are starting to make sense.

The new Amazon Kindle is currently making its rounds internally through Amazon Employees. It is not yet finalized, therefore it is not even been put into production. However it will be available this holiday season, and the question on everyone’s mind is, “How much will the new Amazon Kindle cost?” The answer is a very competitive $250.00. That is half the price of an iPad and the same price as The Nook Color.

This ereader device will be revolutionary. Users will have access to their ebooks, the internet, the Amazon App market, Amazon’s huge music selection and Amazon’s video service. Amazon has done an excellent job of building a very strong foundation for the new Amazon Kindle, and chances are it will be a best seller this holiday season.

About ereadercomparison.org

Ereaders are poised and ready to replace paper books in the not so distant future. Ereadercomparison.org is your source for the latest news regarding ereaders and their counterparts, ebooks. Keep on top of the latest ereader devices like the Amazon Kindle, The Nook, iPad, Story HD and more. Find out information on new ereader models before they hit the streets. Educate yourself with ereadercomparison.org

Source Ereadercomparison.org

OnlineSchools.com, a digital resource for online education from kindergarten to graduate school, today announced the launch of a brand new content series which focuses on how social media and technology have transformed the way bullying occurs in schools. As part of the series, the site launched a new infographic “Tormenting Teachers,” which illustrates how cyberbullying doesn’t only occur between students but that teachers are victims, as well. Citing statistics from stories done by USA Today and BBC News, the infographic shows that while 35 percent of teachers say they have been bullied, only three states have anti-bullying laws that protect teachers. Moreover, 23 percent of those bullying are parents.

“When they hear reports of cyberbullying, most people think it must be between two students,” said OnlineSchools.com spokesperson Seth Restaino. “But the sad realization is that the advancement of technology and social media has made it easier to bully teachers as well. This new infographic has some eye-opening statistics that will show just how painfully cyberbullying has evolved.”

Emerging technology has made it easy for students and their parents to be creative in their bullying –from secretly recording teachers in the classroom to posting slanderous and personal insults on teacher review sites. To make matters worse, the schools seem either unaware or unwilling to help teachers who are the victims of bullying. According to the infographic, in 70 percent of cases where a teacher has been bullied, senior management offers “little or no useful help,” and 75 percent of teachers say they need more help combating bullying.

“The statistics make it clear that teachers are being bullied more often, and the problem is being ignored for the most part,” Restaino said. “This is an issue that’s not going away and hopefully this infographic can help raise awareness so we can begin to get these teachers the help they need.”

Among the upcoming pieces of content in this series will be an interactive video feature that will highlight some recent and more prominent examples of teachers being cyberbullied. To find more information on this infographic and other education news, follow @OnlineSchools on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook.

About OnlineSchools.com

Launched in 2011, OnlineSchools.com provides a comprehensive directory of accredited schools serving current and potential online students at every grade level. The site advocates online learning and supports parents and students as they progress from one educational decision point to the next. OnlineSchools.com is owned and operated by QuinStreet, Inc. (NASDAQ: QNST), one of the largest Internet marketing and media companies in the world. QuinStreet is committed to providing consumers and businesses with the information they need to research, find and select the products, services and brands that best meet their needs. The company is a leader in protecting Internet visitor privacy and in ethical marketing practices. For more information, please visit QuinStreet.com.

Currency Banknotes can convert currencies as quickly and easily as any other conversion app in the market. The kicker though, is the app’s special feature that showcases banknote images together with the conversion rates. Truly a first of its kind, the Currency Banknotes app displays a total of nearly 1000 currency images, including rare and hard-to-find banknotes. Users can even zoom in and out of the images to see the paper bills in full detail.

TechiXoft CEO John Nicasio pointed out the lack of variety between other currency converters in the App Store. “They each have a different user interface, some of them have graphs, some convert more currencies than others, but Currency Banknotes is the only app that has detailed images of banknotes.”

All the paper bill images are stored in the app’s wide database, allowing users to swiftly browse through the Currency Banknotes gallery even without an Internet connection.

Another distinct feature of the app is its “Top 10 Currencies” tab, in which users will be able to instantly calculate the top 10 currencies of the world, all in one page. Instead of individually crunching the numbers for each of the 10 major currencies, the app simply computes everything with one tap of a button.

A Must-Have from the Finance Category

TechiXoft aims to make Currency Banknotes the go-to currency converter in the App Store. “We believe that it’s an app that a lot of iPhone users will benefit from. After all, everyone needs a converter app in their phone,” said Nicasio.

For Touring and Education

Currency Banknotes was also designed with the average traveler in mind. “I’m just your usual and regular tourist, and when it comes to a currency converter app, I don’t need charts or graphs and whatnot, I just need a simple tool that I can use. Currency Banknotes is exactly that.” He furthered that the app is ideal for travelers because it allows them to convert currencies while on the go, and also gives them the opportunity to familiarize themselves with foreign paper bills before or during their trip. The app’s user interface is clean and straight-forward; and the CEO stated that it’s precisely the app’s “no frills” quality that makes it great.

Moreover, Currency Banknotes offers a unique opportunity for people to get a glimpse of foreign cultures. “The app gives users the chance to admire the architecture, people, and traditions of other nations. You can learn a lot about other countries simply by examining their paper bills,” said Nicasio.

Going Beyond Travel and Finance

Nicasio stressed that Currency Banknotes can be used and enjoyed by practically anyone. The CEO mentioned, “It’s not just for travelers or people keeping an eye on foreign currencies. The app has a wide gallery of paper bills that everyone, from students, to banknote collectors, to your average Joe can appreciate.”

Sources and Acknowledgements

Aside from donations from friends, most of the banknote images were obtained from Banknotes.com, a popular banknote website owned and run by Audrius Tomonis. Banknotes.com is one of the most comprehensive websites for banknote collectors, primarily designed to engage individuals to learn more about collecting world paper money. According to Nicasio, “Audrius has really managed to create a good community for banknote collectors. We learned a lot from Banknotes.com, and we appreciate the help that the site has provided us.”

As for the 150+ currencies, Nicasio stated that the data and capabilities of Currency Banknote’s converter were pulled from the Yahoo! Finance API.

Imagine Learning has released a significant upgrade to Bookster™, an interactive reading app for kids. The popular app was designed to entertain young readers while helping them develop reading skills. The app now features a bookshelf with eight new books and is available for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch, as well as Android devices.

Bookster is a read-along storytelling app that not only reads to kids but also records and plays their voices—all while teaching vocabulary. With turnable pages, a read-along mode that highlights words as they’re read aloud, and an easy-to-use interface, Bookster is designed to make reading fun and easy for even the youngest of learners.

The upgraded version of Bookster features nine books filled with dynamic artwork from acclaimed artists, including New York Times bestselling illustrator Maryn Roos. New page previews and story summaries allow users to preview books before adding them to their bookshelves. The app can be downloaded for free through iTunes, the Android Market, or the Amazon Appstore for Android. More books will be added to the app in the coming months.

Imagine Learning, best known for its award-winning language and literacy software solution, Imagine Learning English, sees mobile applications as another way to deliver engaging, effective literacy instruction to children.

“Kids naturally love to explore picture books, but today’s mobile devices invite an even higher level of engagement,” said Clydie Wakefield, executive director of curriculum development. “With Bookster, kids can touch the words on the screen and hear them read again, turn pages, listen to a narrator and even become narrators themselves by recording their own voices. In the process, they learn print concepts, expand their vocabulary and develop a love of reading.”

The app was designed with both children and educators in mind, said Derek Dobson, director of product management at Imagine Learning. “Bookster is a wonderful app for both home and school use,” said Dobson. “More and more classrooms are implementing mobile devices like iPads and iPods as part of the curriculum, and we are working to meet schools’ technology needs by supplying them with quality content that is both educational and engaging.”

In a review on iPad Curriculum, a website that spotlights top educational iPad applications and practices, Edublog award-winner Kelly Tenkely identified Bookster as a valuable tool for helping students develop fluency.

Tenkely noted that giving students feedback on proper pronunciation and enunciation can be a challenge. Bookster helps teachers provide better feedback by enabling students to “play back their recording and compare what they recorded with the prerecorded narration, hearing the difference for themselves,” Tenkely wrote.

About Bookster

Designed by educators to help kids of all ages develop literacy skills, Bookster makes beginning to recognize and read new words fun and easy for even the youngest of readers.

Your kids will love Bookster’s

• Entertaining illustrations
• Engaging narration by kids their age
• Read-and-record mode that records as they (or you) read out loud
• Listen-to-recording mode that reads the book with their narration
• Read-along mode that highlights words as they are read aloud, teaching word recognition and vocabulary
• Easy-to-use interface
• Turnable pages that let them move at their own pace
• Interactive pages with tappable words

According to the 2011 Arketi Web Watch Media Survey, 92% of today’s journalists are now actively using LinkedIn. That’s up 85% from just 2 years ago.

“That’s more than any other social network,” said LinkedIn marketing expert Kristina Jaramillo. “Small business owners, marketing executives and PR professionals need to take advantage of the huge opportunities to get more publicity with LinkedIn.”

In her new free LinkedIn Publicity E-Course at http://www.HowtoGetMorePublicitywithLinkedIn.com, Jaramillo offers these tips to business professionals looking to build and maintain relationships with the media:

• Businesses need to create a media-friendly, expert LinkedIn profile that shows that they are thought leaders in their industry. “This includes adding your media kit in your profile using the Box.net application, use Google Presentation and Slideshare to show your videos, feature your audio and places where you have been published and showcase where you have been quoted or featured by adding a ‘Quoted Media Expert’ position in your experience section,” says Jaramillo. “Lastly, your headline and your summary should pull media professionals in and make them want to get to know you.” Jaramillo’s Instant LinkedIn Marketing Templates at http://www.InstantLinkedInMarketingTemplates.com can help create a media-friendly LinkedIn profile more effectively.

• Start your own LinkedIn group and community — and start sharing your content and information freely. Jaramillo says, “This will give prospects and referral sources a sneak preview into your expertise so they’ll feel more comfortable investing in your products and services. Plus, it provides media professionals the opportunity to see the type of content you can provide their readers, listeners and/or viewers. And, it will help you keep your information in front of the media — so when they need someone of your expertise, they’ll think of you first.” That’s how Jaramillo recently got quoted by Advisor.ca (a top website publication for financial and insurance advisors) and invited by ImediaConnection.com and a Hewlett Packard site to become a regular contributor.

• Research the websites, blogs, publications and other media types that your audience goes to for information you can provide. Then, go to LinkedIn and invite the editors, journalists and other media professionals to connect. In your invitation to connect, Jaramillo says, “You have to show the media professionals what you can offer them — you need to give them a reason to why they should connect with you.” If you need help finding the media that should be featuring you, Jaramillo suggests investing in the media lists found at: http://www.GetPRHelp.com.

• When you do get published, featured or quoted, you should thank the journalist on LinkedIn and invite them to connect and to your LinkedIn community. “This way, you can stay in touch with them, which gives you a greater chance of getting multiple media mentions from that single source — instead of getting just one-time mentions,” says Jaramillo.

• Mix your article marketing, video marketing, traditional PR and LinkedIn marketing efforts to get even more exposure for the publicity you generate.

• Complete competitive intelligence on your competitors. See where they are being featured, quoted, interviewed and published. “You want to be found where your competitors are being found,” says Jaramillo. “Why should they get all of the traffic, publicity and profits? Research where they are being found and then invite those media professionals to connect on LinkedIn. Show them that you have information to share as well.”

By following Jaramillo’s LinkedIn marketing and publicity advice, Help My Website Sell Founder Adam Hommey said, “Within two months I received 150 new subscribers, four new coaching clients, $6,259 in immediate profits and two media interviews.”

To get more information on how to get more publicity with LinkedIn, go to: http://www.HowtoGetMorePublicitywithLinkedIn.com.

About Kristina Jaramillo - LinkedIn Marketing Expert & Founder of GetLinkedInHelp.com

LinkedIn marketing expert Kristina Jaramillo has articles published and featured in top publications and websites like The New York Times, Home Business Magazine, Electronic Retailing Magazine, Visibility Magazine, About.com and Site Pro News.

Along with creating the first and only LinkedIn Marketing Templates, and her FREE LinkedIn Publicity E-Course, Kristina is also the creator of the Top 14 LinkedIn Marketing Mistakes and the Opportunities Most Business Professionals Are Missing Special Report found at http://www.Free14LinkedInMistakesReport.com.

If you are interested in getting LinkedIn marketing support, you can check out Kristina Jaramillo’s services at her main website:http://www.GetLinkedInHelp.com. You can also reach her by phone at 609-306-6205 or email at: Kristina@getlinkedinhelp.com.

Contact:
Kristina Jaramillo
609-306-6205
Kristina@getlinkedinhelp.com

Business people use social media networking to build their careers, promote their business and grow their reputations. But they might be doing more harm than good if they violate the etiquette of social networking.

“As with e-mail, cell phones, and other technological devices, we got the technology first and we have backed into the rules for using it with courtesy and consideration,” says Ramsey, a Savannah, Georgia-based social media etiquette expert and president of Manners That Sell (http://www.MannersThatSell.com).

“The world of online networking is new to most of us, but there is little difference in connecting with people online and offline. The same basic tenets hold true. Trust and authenticity remain high on the list,” says Ramsey, who conducts seminars on business etiquette to corporations throughout the Southeastern U.S. as well as around the world.

Here are Lydia’s 12 tips on the etiquette of social networking for becoming a polished professional.

1. Fill out your online profiles completely with information about you and your business. Use your real name and your own photo. Your cat may be adorable, but unless you are a veterinarian specializing in the care of felines, don’t get cute.
2. Use a different profile or account for your personal connections. Business and pleasure do not mix in this medium.
3. Create a section on your main profile detailing who you are seeking to befriend. Everyone need not apply.
4. Offer information of value. Don’t talk just about yourself and your company.
5. Don’t approach strangers and ask them to be friends just so you can try to sell them on your products or services. You will quickly lose credibility and friends.
6. Pick a screen name that represents you and your company well. Don’t call yourself “Loser1″ unless you want to be known by that.
7. Don’t send out invitations to play games or other timewasters for those using the site.
8. Don’t put anything on the Internet that you don’t want your future boss, current or potential clients to read.
9. Check out the people who want to follow you or be your friend. Your mother was right when she said that people will judge you by the company you keep.
10. If someone does not want to be your friend, accept their decision gracefully.
11. Never post when you’re overly tired, jet lagged, intoxicated, angry or upset.
12. Compose your posts, updates or tweets in a word processing document so you can check grammar and spelling before you send.

“People are connecting with, listening to, following and collaborating with each other online at a rapidly increasing rate,” says Ramsey as she consults on business etiquette. “By following my 12 rules for social media etiquette, business people will position themselves for much better results in the marketplace.”

About Lydia Ramsey

Lydia Ramsey is an international business etiquette expert. She is the president and founder of Manners That Sell, a firm based in Savannah, Georgia, offering seminars, keynote speeches and executive coaching to corporations, associations and universities. She began her career as an etiquette consultant over three decades ago.

Lydia is the author of several books including “Manners That Sell – Adding the Polish That Builds Profits,” and “Lydia Ramsey’s Little Book of Table Manners” as well as the co-author of “Success Tweets for Creating Positive Personal Impact.”

She has produced four training videos, including “Dining for Profit,” which was featured in the Wall Street Journal as one of the top four training videos on business dining. She served for over seven years as the business etiquette columnist for The Savannah Morning and was hired by The Voice of America China Department to write scripts on business etiquette which are broadcast to China, Thailand and other countries in the Far East. Her business travels have taken her as far as India and theMiddle East. She brings a global perspective to business etiquette while preserving Southern traditions.

Lydia is a popular media figure and has been quoted in numerous national television and radio media outlets.

For more information about Lydia and her expertise, please visit http://www.MannersThatSell.com.

Contact:
Lydia Ramsey
Lydia@mannersthatsell.com
912.598.9812

According to a comprehensive research study conducted by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI), today’s technically advanced, sleekly designed hearing aids are helping people with hearing loss regain their quality of life and remain socially involved. In fact, eight out of ten hearing aid users say they are satisfied with the changes that have occurred in their lives specifically due to their hearing aids. And 82 percent of hearing aid users would recommend hearing aids to their friends.

The findings of this nationally representative survey are both timely and encouraging—particularly given that an increasing number of Americans are suffering from noise-induced hearing loss at increasingly younger ages, oftentimes many years before retirement and even as early as their teens.

“This survey clearly reveals how dramatically people’s lives can improve with the use of hearing aids,” says Sergei Kochkin, PhD, BHI’s Executive Director. “In this comprehensive study of more than 2,000 hearing aid users, we looked at 14 specific quality-of-life issues and found that today’s hearing aids are a tremendous asset to people with even mild hearing loss who want to remain active and socially engaged throughout their lives.”

The improvements that people saw in their quality of life as a result of their use of hearings aids were broad and varied. Nearly 70 percent of hearing aid users said their ability to communicate effectively in most situations improved because of their hearing aid. A little more than half said their hearing aids improved their relationships at home, their social life, and their ability to join in groups. And roughly forty percent noted improvements in their sense of safety, self-confidence, feelings about self, sense of independence, and work relationships. Between 25 and 33 percent of hearing aid users said they even saw improvements in their romance, sense of humor, cognitive skills, and mental, emotional, and physical health.

According to Kochkin, outdated notions about hearing aids pose a significant barrier that inhibits people from addressing their hearing loss. All told, public perception of hearing aids hasn’t kept pace with the new technologies and discreet designs of today’s modern devices. And unfortunately, these misperceptions are holding people back from improving their quality of life by addressing their hearing loss.

The BHI study bears out that 79 percent of people who do seek help and use hearing aids are satisfied with them, and 86 percent are satisfied with the benefit they derive from hearing aid usage.

What’s more, as hearing aid technologies advance, individuals are becoming even more satisfied. Consumers, for example, are more satisfied with mini-BTEs than ever before and report superior sound quality, cosmetics, and functionality in more listening situations. In fact, in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids because they have become miniaturized and nearly invisible due to the fact that an ear-mold is no longer necessary.

Ninety-one percent of all hearing aid users surveyed are satisfied with the ability of their hearing aids to improve communication in one-on-one situations. And more than three in four are satisfied in small groups (85%), while watching television (80%), outdoors (78%), during leisure activities (78%), while shopping (77%), and while riding in a car (77%).

“Today’s hearing aids are about staying young, not growing old,” Kochkin explains. “People want to hold onto their vitality as they enter and move through middle-age. But when someone ignores a hearing loss—which oftentimes has progressed gradually over time as a result of repeated noise exposure—that individual unwittingly begins losing the very vitality they treasure. What this research shows, however, is that those who do face their hearing loss and use hearing aids are experiencing significant and satisfying improvements in their quality of life.”

Another important take-away from the study is that benefit received from the hearing aid, and quality of life improvements, were highly related to the quality of care provided by the hearing healthcare professional. Ideally, hearing health professionals will include testing in a sound booth; use probe microphones to verify the hearing aid fit; use an array of counseling tools to help people hear better and adapt to their hearing aids; and validate improvement in hearing associated with hearing aid use.

To help consumers in purchasing hearing aids, and to guide them in what to look for in quality hearing healthcare, BHI has published a comprehensive publication entitled, “Your Guide to Buying Hearing Aids,” which is available at http://www.betterhearing.org, within the “Hearing Loss Treatments” section under hearing aids.

The four-part BHI survey used the National Family Opinion Panel to assess consumer perceptions of the functionality of modern hearing aids; compared the new invisible mini-BTE hearing aids to traditional style hearing aids; asked respondents to share how their lives changed as a result of their hearing aids; and evaluated the role the hearing healthcare professional had on consumer success with hearing aids.

“If you want to keep your mind sharp and life complete, don’t leave hearing loss unaddressed,” Kochkin advises. “Protect your vitality and quality of life before they silently slip away and you find yourself isolated from the human experience. The first step to preserving your future enjoyment in life is to make an appointment with a hearing health professional and get your hearing checked. Our research shows that millions are glad they did.”

About BHI

Founded in 1973, BHI conducts research and engages in hearing health education with the goal of helping people with hearing loss benefit from proper treatment. For more information on hearing loss, visit http://www.betterhearing.org. To take the BHI Quick Hearing Check, visit http://www.hearingcheck.org. For a copy of “Your Guide to Buying Hearing Aids,” visit http://www.betterhearing.org within the “Hearing Loss Treatments” section under hearing aids.

Typically when one thinks about house cleaning, high tech does not come to mind. Better Life Maids a green house cleaning service founded in St. Louis, MO is changing that perception. Better Life Maids has built the leading technologies into all of its systems including marketing, sales, customer relationship management, scheduling, dispatch, accounting, human resources, and field service tools. The iPhone is used extensively by Better Life Maids and they have even developed a cleaning checklist that helps deliver consistently excellent results. With their strong focus on systems and technology, Better Life Maids is positioning itself to grow through franchising.

The iPhone is used extensively as a business tool by Better Life Maids. The iPhone is a central part of each Better Life Maids cleaning team’s resources. It has critical documents stored on it including MSDS (material data safety sheets) for all of the Better Life natural cleaning product, human resource forms, training material, GPS navigation, and the cleaning checklist developed by Better Life Maids.

“Each team carries an iPhone. It is an important part of how we get things done. As a business tool it allows us to do so much. Our teams arrive on time due to the GPS. We know where they are at any given time due to the tracking software. Team members can make requests to be off from the phone. And our cleaning checklist allows them to be more consistent and improves results. We also get exact geo stamped in and out times, and other important information when the cleaning checklist is completed.” Said Matt Ricketts the President and Chief Experience Officer of Better Life Maids. He goes on to explain how the data from the checklist allows them to provide a better experience for their clients, and make their day-to-day operations more efficient.

The iPhone is being adopted by more and more organizations. It is just unusual to find a cleaning service taking such a high tech approach to a traditionally old fashioned business. “Leveraging technology has been a huge part of our success. Most small businesses are struggling to make the transition onto the web, social media, smartphones, etc. We have a huge advantage being able to use all of these new technologies so effectively.” Said Ricketts. In a time when many small businesses are afraid to make new investments, Better Life Maids has continued to search for and adopt technologies that improve the way they do business.

With these systems and technologies in place Better Life Maids has positioned itself to expand through franchising. Ralph Massetti the CEO of The Franchise Builders stated. “I have worked with a lot of start up franchisors. Matt worked as an airline pilot prior to starting Better Life Maids. He really thrives on order, processes, checklists, and systems. In fact I counted him say systematize 3 times in a sentence once. I definitely see how being a pilot and the way he thinks made Better Life Maids unique in the house cleaning vertical. When I saw how they operated their business I was impressed.”

Better Life Maids chose The Franchise Builders to help develop a high quality franchise system. The Franchise Builders helped add to the technologies of Better Life Maids, including web sites optimized for local search, a library of print and web ready franchisor approved marketing pieces, a franchise intranet with a library of critical documents always available, and more. These franchising systems compliment an already well developed business system.

Better Life Maids is a green house cleaning service founded in St. Louis, MO. Better Life Maids is seeking to grow in select markets through a franchise development program, as well at the addition of new company owned units. Better Life Maids has partnered with Better Life a green household cleaning products company to help create the first national green product and service brand. For more information visit http://www.betterlifemaids.com or http://www.cleanhappens.com.

Women are leading the way in online beauty purchases. 55% of respondents to a recent MyFaceMyBody survey reported using an online retailer to purchase cosmetics and skin care aids. Thanks to faster broadband speeds, a growing awareness of skin health and the economic climate women are purchasing more skincare online than ever before.

Beauty bloggers and skincare websites are the beneficiaries of this new trend for online skincare retailing as they see sales rising up to 10%.

The MyFaceMyBody online shop is one such retailer who is benefitting from the growth. The idea behind the store is to remove the inconvenience from the sales process and simplify the decision process for deciding what’s best for you. It does this with a 30 Second Skin Test as well as skin care guides and easy-to-find solutions to common skin problems.

Such creativity from online beauty retailers has also contributed to the continued growth of the Internet market. Stephen Handisides, presenter of the Sky TV show MyFaceMyBody, said: “Innovations like the MyFaceMyBody 30 Second Skin Test, new product Tweets and online-only offers draw in consumers and provide them with benefits and discounts they can’t find in an actual high street store.

“Online beauty retailers can offer a variety of choice, competitive pricing and information/advice which high street retailers just can’t compete with.

“MyFaceMyBody can help bloggers and beauty websites add an online store to their site and grab a slice of the internet market, thanks to our ‘Online Store For Everyone’.

“I believe that with the development of mobile internet and Apps buying high quality skincare products for specific skin issues, such as acne, sun-damage andanti ageing solutions will boom on the internet.”

MyFaceMyBody is the ultimate guide to cosmetic dentistry, cosmetic surgery and aesthetics. With hundreds of video guides online, from teeth whitening and dental implants to breast augmentation and dermal fillers. Find exclusive offers from cosmetic dentists, surgeons and doctors throughout the UK. You can also view the Sky TV show MyFaceMyBody on demand.

Rankmymechanic.com has been launched with the goal of assisting consumers in any city in the U.S in finding the local mechanic that is the most optimal for their needs. By using the five ranking criteria: Affordability, Customer Service, Time Efficiency, Quality of Work, and the Overall Score, the site provides consumers with a plethora of information to allow one to make an intelligent decision on who to choose to repair their car, truck, motorcycle or boat.

Rankmymechanic.com was created to provide consumers with information on mechanics in their neighborhoods. A simple enter of one’s zip code will issue consumers a list of mechanics in one’s area. The site also gives mechanics the opportunity to create a profile and create an advanced listing on the site. The site has networks of mechanics across the U.S, and includes an assortment of service types from Auto Radio and Stereo services to Auto Wheels and Tires and everything in between. Once again, the site doesn’t just cater to regular car drivers, but even has rankings and reviews on Big Rigs from Detailing to Repair, Boats from Cleaning to Covers and, Motorcycles from Customizing to Classics.

The several categories provided on the site, allows consumers to find specifically the service they are looking for, without having to sift through mechanics who may not provide the needed service. Anyone can register; therefore, the rankings and reviews are written by individuals whose rankings and reviews benefit their neighbors, and guide them in the right direction. Register at http://www.rankmymechanic.com

Rankmymechanic.com is a database that can help both consumers and mechanics by increasing awareness on the services provided at each shop, as well as by distinguishing the quality mechanics from those who are not. Categories are provided to aid in finding the specific service that is being sought. The five category rank criteria allows for decision making to encompass Affordability as well as Quality of Work, while still keeping in mind Time efficiency and Customer Service. The quality of an overall experience at a mechanic includes many facets, and this site provides the tools necessary to find the best mechanic for each specific consumer.

Rankmymechanic.com helps consumers find specialized mechanics in their area. Ratings and reviews are the opinion of users and not Rankmymechanic.com