How do you Contact?
January 18th, 2010I have been using several e-mail companies to send out my bulk email marketing. I have heard that iContact is the best option out there for anyone who wants to send out email newsletters. They have great inbox deliverability, an extremely easy to use interface, great prices that start at $9.95 per month, lots of templates, and also include surveying, autoresponder, and blogging capability from the same application at no additional charge. Has anyone ever used them? What are your thoughts?
They say that iContact is an easy to use email marketing, surveying, autoresponder, and blogging tool that allows small businesses, non-profits, and associations to easily communicate online with their customers, prospects, and members.
They take care of managing bounces and unsubscribes for you. They also take care of making sure your message gets to the inbox of your recipients through their ISP relations, feedback loops, and whitelist status. This sounds perfect for an email newsletter.
The company currently has over 15,000 customers and 100,000 users. The product is used primarily by small businesses but also has a number of Fortune 500 companies like Bank of America, Ford, Nissan, Super 8 Motel, and International Paper, and political campaigns like Barack Obama ‘08. The company is based in Durham, NC and was founded by Ryan Allis and Aaron Houghton in 2003.
iContact is working to change the way businesses and non-profit organizations communicate online by making it really easy to manage all online communications from a single web application.But I think this tool would be perfect for bloggers as well but I would like some feedback if anyone has used it. And, if like me you are looking for any easy and inexpensive way to put your emarketing on autopilot and get great deliverability, check out iContact. AND, You can try a 15 day free trial of iContact at www.icontact.com.
The FOTOBOX
November 23rd, 2009Have you ever been on the go and wish you could turn all your photos into a slide show to share with friends and family along the way? Well, now there is an easy solution that will help yo do just that in 5 easy steps. FOTOBOX is a portable USB device that easily turns your photos into spectacular slide shows in minutes. You simply insert your SD Memory card into the FOTOBOX and plug the FOTOBOX into a USB port on any computer. The FOTOBOX user interface will appear on the screen to create a slide show easily and quickly. There is no software installation needed, everything is contained within the FOTOBOX device to make it easy to use anywhere on any computer. FOTOBOX makes a great gift for families, photo buffs, college kids…anybody really. It is so easy to use that even my 12 year old has had no problems with it.
The FOTOBOX also includes 2 modes…Easy mode for beginners or Advanced Mode for more customization. Photos can be easily uploaded by inserting the user’s digital camera memory card into FOTOBOX; fun themes, background music and narration can be applied to slideshows; and all content can be shared with family and friends via YouTube and Facebook
System Requirements:
* Operating System : Windows® XP, Windows Vista®, Windows 7
* USB 2.0 Host Controller/Port
* Processor : Intel® Pentium® IV 2.4 GHz, Pentium® D, Pentium® M 1.3 GHz,
Pentium CoreTM Duo, or AMD® Athlon® 64 processor
* Memory : 512MB of RAM
* Free Hard Disk Space : 10GB for DVD creation
* Other :
Microsoft DirectX 9.0 or higher
Windows Media Format SDK 9 or higher
Windows Media Player 7 or higher
QuickTime Player for MOV
CD Writer for VCD, SVCD
DVD Writer for DVD
Microphone for narration
Priced at $79.99, the product can now be purchased on honestech’s Web site, and at leading retailers and/or on their Web sites, such as Amazon.com, Buy.com, Micro Center, OfficeMax, and others.
FOTOBOX provided a sample product for review and testing. I was in no other way compensated for this post. All opinions are my own and please remember that individual results may vary.
Does your System need a Mechanic? (GIVEAWAY)
November 18th, 2009THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED !!!
You can however visit System Mechanics for ordering information and you can always check out some of the other great giveaways going on here at The Post-It Place.
When I was contacted to try out System Mechanic I was a little leery. My past experience with software that “fixes” computer problems has been less that stellar. But, I thought I would give it a shot just to see. WOWSER, am I ever glad that I did! We tried it out on Bric’s computer first without stellar results, but he keeps his up to date and it is always in good condition. Then we decided to check it out on mine. I am so ashamed. Please don’t tell anyone about this but I had like 43, 000 different errors (hangs head in shame). I am not good about doing the things to my computer that need to be done. I had missing links, I had registry errors…it was just a HUGE mess. I knew it wasn’t running all that great but good grief, I think it should have already laid down and died. But, I have to say, System Mechanic saved the day. It fixed every error and problem I had. We were all stunned and impressed! It will make a great gift for the computer guru OR the computer novice. It is simple to use and that makes it the perfect gift for anyone who owns a computer.
System Mechanic is a PC tune-up software which can help fine tune and speed up a PC to keep it running in optimal condition, saving time and frustration. It’s been highly praised for its function and ease of use, and has won the PC Magazine, LAPTOP Magazine, PC Plus, and CNET Editor’s Choice awards. The latest version, SM9,which has some cool new tools such as NetBooster and PCAccelerator is available online and at retailers nation wide. And, each box can be loaded onto 3 different computers. All for the sweet price of $39.99 online or possibly $49.99 in a retailer near you. What all does it do? Well, here are a few of the features:
* Cleans, defrags, & repairs registry
* Accelerates PC startup 19 ways
* Defrags & recovers orphaned RAM
* Boosts internet speed
* Complete low-level drive defrag
* Turns off unused background programs
Perform dozens of performance boosting optimizations in one step.
Yeah, makes a lot of sense to me too. Whatever all that means, I can tell you that it makes your computer run smoother and faster. And that my friends was enough for me! I loved it so much, System Mechanic and I want to give away 3 (YES THREE!) boxes of the System Mechanic software to some really lucky readers.
To Enter: Visit the System Mechanic site and leave me a comment telling me why you need to win it. All entries must be received by November 30th at 5 PM EST. All entries must have a valid US mailing address. Winners will be selected at random and will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail.
Want Extra Entries:
Blog about this contest and Vista Print customized products, with a link back to here (leave link where the post can be found).
Subscribe to The Post-It Place (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list for contests and giveaways).
Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at).
Follow me - Jillybean01 on Twitter and Tweet this contest making sure to use the @Jillybean01 (leave ID in a comment and I will follow you back).
Follow Me on Facebook.
PS: I haven’t forgotten your boiled peanuts, they will go out soon (the person who this is intended for will know exactly what I am talking about even if it makes no sense to you)
System Mechanic provided me with a copy for review and giveaway, all opinions are my own and always remember that individual results may vary
Rosetta Stone
November 17th, 2009
This Christmas give the gift of language. Being able to speak more than one language is such an accomplishment and can help young ones to go much further in college and life. It can help adults further their careers. There are so many people that can benefit from learning a second language and Rosetta Stone can help.They teach based on a completely immersive environment so there isn’t so much memorization involved and you can learn at your own pace instead of taking a class and having to try to keep up.
As a child, you learned to speak instinctively by experiencing the world around you. Their solution recreates this experience through a fully immersive environment right on your computer.
No translation or memorization. They have eliminated the traditional approach of using translation and grammar rules, empowering you to think in your new language. There are no flash cards, dictionaries or memorization drills.
A carefully designed sequence of activities. By surrounding you with words, images and the voices of native speakers, the Rosetta Stone method lets you progress naturally from words and phrases to sentences and conversations.
Rosetta Stone has made learning a second language not only educational but fun. For these reasons they have been the leading language software for years. I love their efforts to preserve endangered languages and to help revitalize them. What an amazing thing! They have been used by the Military, Nasa and many other corporations.
So, if you are looking for an educational gift this year, how about the gift of a second language? Check out Rosetta Stone.
Rosetta Stone provided me with a 30 day trial in order to write this post. Opinions are my own.
For the Artisit in your Family (GiveAway)
November 2nd, 2009THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED!!!
This edition of my Holiday Gift Guide focuses on the artist or craftperson in you or your family.. .Meet Corel Painter Essentials 4
Corel® PainterTM Essentials 4 is the ideal way to get started with digital art. This
simple-to-use home art studio is based on the world’s most powerful painting
and illustration software - Corel® PainterTM X.
With its streamlined user interface, easier workflow, and increased creative
options, Corel Painter Essentials 4 lets home users create beautiful, handmade
digital-art keepsakes that are perfect for framing, using in crafts projects, and
sharing as special gifts to friends and family.
This is one that I did. It is of our new puppy and her brother and sister. Corel Painter Essentials 4 is so easy to use and fun. I stayed up all night playing with all of the different features one night. You can do virtually anything with this program. From beautiful and serious to fun and funky. You will love playing with all of the features that it provides.
Digital Camera Users and Photography Hobbyists
Digital camera users and photography hobbyists use their cameras to capture special moments and to express themselves creatively. They are always looking
for new ways to add unique touches to their photos, and Corel Painter Essentials 4 gives them the ideal solution. The completely redesigned user
interface and the simplified Photo Painting System make it easy to add artistic flair to any project. With the new Smart StrokeTM technology, it’s now even
easier to turn a photo into a natural and expressive hand-painted work of art.
Scrapbookers and Arts & Crafts Enthusiasts
Working with photos, sketching, and painting are some of the hands-on projects enjoyed by scrapbookers and arts & crafts enthusiasts. Whether they want to
transform a photo into a painting, sketch or paint an original image, or add creative elements to any project, Corel Painter Essentials 4 makes it simple. Users
can create stunning images that are perfect for hanging on the wall or for adding an extra personal touch to scrapbooks or other creative projects.
Art Students and Teachers
Ideal for both at home and in school, art students and teachers have a way to explore the visual arts without the costs and mess associated with traditional art
supplies. Corel Painter Essentials 4 provides students with an ideal learning environment in which the techniques of classical art training are combined with
all the benefits offered by computers. Students can explore their creativity with digital media in ways that are just not possible with conventional art supplies or
photo-editing software.
There is no way I could tell you all of the options and features of Corel Painter Essentials 4. I can tell you that you that you will love it. It will make the perfect gift for the artist or crapft person in your life. I had a friend over and we had more fun playing with Corel Painter Essentials 4. We made our photos to look so many different ways and the drawing section provided hours of entertainment. It provides so many different features that I haven’t found in any other software. Beware, it is fabulous and addictive. You won’t be able to put it away. You will constantly be saying “ohhh, just one more picture”. And Corel is offering you the chance to win it for yourself.
Enter To Win: Visit Corel, then leave a comment here stating which Corel product you would most like to won and why. All entries must be received by Nov. 20th at 5 PM EST. All entries must have a valid US mailing address. Winner will be selected at random and will have 3 days to respond to the verification e-mail.
Want Extra Entries:
Blog about this contest and the Corel Painter Essentials 4 software, with a link back to here (leave link where the post can be found).
Subscribe to The Post-It Place (either by a reader or request in your comment to be added to the e-mail list for contests and giveaways).
Place my button on your blog (leave link it can be found at).
Follow me - Jillybean01 on Twitter and Tweet this contest (leave ID in a comment and I will follow you back).
Follow Corel on Twitter (leave ID in Comment)
Corel provided the software for review and for giveaway for this post. I was in no other way compensated and the opinions provided in this post are those of my own and are in no other way influenced by any outside source.
CyberPatrol
April 30th, 2009
Are you concerned about the time your children spend on the internet? Do you know the sites that they visit? What about the information that they share? You should be concerned.
It’s a fact. Many kids don’t tell their parents what they do online. They give out their personal information to people they don’t know. They’re stalked by predators in chat rooms and social networking sites. They’re cyberbullied by other kids. They visit web sites that contain content you don’t want them to see. They download files that are illegal or harmful to your PC. Studies show that:
•72% of kids don’t tell their parents what they do online
•61% admit using the Internet unsafely or inappropriately
•55% have given out personal information to a stranger
•12% met in person with someone they first met online
•Nearly 50% have been bullied online
*Sources: NCMEC; Senate Resolution 567; Harris Interactive
CyberPatrol Parental Controls meets these threats head-on by allowing you to monitor and manage your children’s Internet use in a flexible way that best suits your family. It’s easy to use, and fully customizable to fit each child’s age, needs and interests. It allows you to actually monitor your child’s activities online, set time restrictions, set a timer and enable very safe searching of the web dependent on the child’s age - ie toddler, child, young teen, teenager, adult.
This has been a HUGE blessing to us. Tate is notorious for finding his way to places that he really, really, really should not be. But with Cyber Patrol, I can rest assured that he will no longer be exposed to content that I do not want him to be exposed to. And I can monitor very closely every site that he visits and what he does there. I can also limit the time that he spends on the internet…which in the past has been A LOT! He would even sneak and get back up after everyone had gone to bed just to play online. CyberPatrol has really made it easier for me to rest at night in the knowledge that I am protecting my children better with their experiences online. We had tried another parental control software at one time but it was so expensive and it did not do all that we needed it to do. CyberPatrol offers all the different features that we were looking for and it is economically feasable for us to use. So, if you have been looking for the right software to protect your family while online…I HIGHLY recommend Cyber Patrol! Easy to use, Reliable, Affordable and will give you peace of mind!
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