Grab Bag: Your Five Links of the Week

Posted in: Website Links

  1. www.testimonialdirector.com – People want to do business with companies that other people trust. So, have you considered showing potential customers just how much your current customers love you by adding more testimonials to your website? TestimonialDirector automates the processes of collecting, managing, and publishing your testimonials. Your customers can easily provide feedback, including video, by simply accessing a specific page in your site and answering the questions you prepared in advance. Fast for you, fast for them. Even better, the program allows you to publish your testimonials directly to your site without any help from your web company. Plans start at $27/month and you can test drive a free 30 day trial beforehand to make sure the service is right for now. And though I can’t verify this, the TestimonialDirector website claims setup takes just 5 minutes.
  2. http://tinyurl.com/6b22cua - Backseat driver, anyone? ToyToyota’s fun little app lets your kids drive from the backseat, using GPS data to match their screen to the actual route. Make sure you click the orange “Watch Demo” button on the homepage here (the video is fun and short—just 1:48).
  3. http://tinyurl.com/4tq4xwd – The VMware view client for iPad allows you to easily access your Windows virtual desktop directly from your iPad. Fast, powerful, stable, easy to use.
  4. http://tinyurl.com/3ksrx8p - Can switching over to Chrome from Internet Explorer, Safari, or Firefox actually save you money?
  5. http://tinyurl.com/3o7pdwb - A former vegetable farm employee shares his story, illuminating just how poorly Walmart can treat their suppliers. (Actually, the word “poorly” doesn’t begin to do their actions justice here.) Ever wonder how Walmart can offer such cheap food prices? Imagine harvesting your crop, having Walmart arrive for scheduled pickup 4 days late, deliver your crop in a non-refrigerated truck to the Distribution Center 6 days behind schedule, then tell you they won’t pay you anywhere near the contract amount because too much of your crop is damaged. Because this story was posted on a popular social networking site (Reddit), hundreds of people have linked to the story and chimed in, sharing their comments and stories. Some have explained how they’ve gone through similar experiences in trying to supply Walmart with hard goods. Others have delved into discussions about supply and demand. And, as can be expected whenever comments are open to everyone, others have become a little, shall we say… sidetracked. Nonetheless, it’s a wonderful thing to have sites like Reddit in which interesting stories, information, and opinions can be shared so quickly, freely, and easily with so many.

Videos of the Week: Slo Mo Guys

Posted in: Website Links

Have you ever watched the Slow Mo Guys video clips on YouTube? They’re fun. They’re short. They’re educational. They’re really cool. Watch what happens when life slows down anywhere from 1,000 - 5,000 frames per second (translation: up to 200 times slower than real-time).

Online Marketing Tool of the Week: BringShare

Posted in: Online Tools

Built for small businesses committed to social media through ongoing time and money investments, BringShare.com collects data from Google Analytics, Twitter accounts, Facebook pages, email campaigns, Adwords account, etc. and enables business owners to quickly understand what’s working and what’s not.

Unlike competing services, Bringshare doesn’t just aggregate results onto a single screen. It actually mashes all of a company’s data together in a clean, stylish manner and generates intuitive, valuable reports. The reports allow businesses to gain birds-eye views of their social media efforts by highlighting information such as which marketing efforts produce the most leads and how much interaction is generated by Twitter and Facebook accounts.

If your company invests in ongoing social media efforts, consider visiting the BringShare homepage (www.BringShare.com) and clicking the big green “Watch Demo Video” button beneath the main illustration. Within one minute you’ll have a good idea as to whether or not the service could benefit your company. It’s free for 30 days. After that, choose from a $49/month, $99/month, or $199/month plan based on your needs.

Grab Bag: Your Five Links of the Week

Posted in: Website Links

  1. http://tinyurl.com/3b4hsj5 - Great article delving into the ongoing PC vs. Mac safety argument: Who Says Macs Don’t Get Viruses?
  2. http://tinyurl.com/69ct5lw - This is hands down, by far, without a doubt one of the most interesting and enlightening articles I’ve read about general health and weight in quite a long time. The author explores the massive impact sitting has on your overall health, expected life span, and your weight. Think your hour and a half at the gym makes up for the complete lack of movement you experience each day at your office or school? Think again.
  3. http://tinyurl.com/3dvwjsp - What can you do to protect your computer from lightning and electrical surges?
  4. http://zite.com - For your iPad: The Zite app learns what you like (getting smarter over time) and uses the information it gathers to generate a beautiful, constantly updated, personalized magazine customized to your specific interests. It’s kind of like a You Magazine.
  5. http://tinyurl.com/4xtf9tt - “Six YouTube Channels That Won’t Waste Your Time.” A great blog post. Very little text for you to read. Just a list of channels that can broaden your imagination, invoke critical thinking, and increase your knowledge on a variety of topics. Channels like Funny Cat Videos and Hilarious Girlfriend Pranks didn’t make the cut.

Super Simple, Time Saving Photoshop Tips

Posted in: Computer Tips & Tricks

Maneuvering about and managing your layers in Photoshop by using keyboard shortcuts eliminates unnecessary mouse movement and clicks. Layer-related keyboard shortcuts save you time and allow you to stay focused on your work.

When working within your Photoshop layers, use these basic, absolutely essential keyboard shortcuts. Period, end of discussion. Use them.

(As always, the Ctrl key on a PC = Command key on a Mac and the Alt key on a PC = Option key on a Mac)

• Select the layer up or down from the layer you’re working on: Alt + ] or Alt + [
• Duplicate the layer you’re working on: Ctrl + J
• Toggle the Layers palette on/off: F7 key
• Create a new, blank layer above the layer you’re working on: Ctrl + Shift + Alt + N (If you’d like the option to name your layer before creating it, you don’t need to hit the Alt key.)
• Move the layer you’re working on up or down your layer stack: Ctrl + ] or Ctrl + [