Archive of Luis Sandoval.

Luis Sandoval is a Media Strategist and Founder of Advantj Media based out of San Antonio, Texas. He writes on topics related to media and technology for a variety of sites around the web and publications.

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Zumbox: Turn Your Snail Mail Green

Image representing Zumbox as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase

The world over there is a common word that we all understand when it comes to virtual messages…spam! That same concept can be related to the countless pieces of junk mail we receive in our snail mail boxes. In an attempt to curb physical mail, Zumbox was created as a way to save paper and go greener.

Zumbox is a virtual mailbox that is accessible from anywhere in the world, and all your mail can be directed to this. No major warehouses needed with hundreds of scanners, it simply takes your mail from teh database that your mail is created in and sends the file directly to your account. You can browse your mail just like you would browse it in your home after checking your mailbox.

It’s a great idea, and I’m completely behind it, but the one drawback is immersion. This concept would have to be fully accepted for Zumbox to saturate the market and reduce 100% of all physical mail. Still it’s a great start and I encourage you to at least input your address. The service is free, it’s easy, accessible, and leaves less of an imprint on the planet then all the junkmail you receive. With special filters, reduced junk mail, checking your “mail” may actually be fun again…save for the bills.

Brandstack: Instant Branding for Your Company

brandstacklogo

Entrepreneurs and start-ups alike are prime candidates for branding opportunities. Existing companies looking at changing their appearance, their direction, or product/service may also be looking for a way to change their existing branding, and what’s quicker than instant?

Nothing.

BrandStack is the quickest way to get your new logo and start building your brand. The depository has hundreds of designs, but along with the logos, you also get domain names pre-registered for you along with other additions that will get your business off the ground instantly.

Previously known as Incspring, Brandstack is literally stacking the layers of possibilities to make your endeavors as profitable and successful as possible. Founder Wes Wilson is always looking for designers who want to upload their extra logos to the site and further expand what it has to offer. A definite most for those looking to purchase and build, and designers looking to sell their extra or new designed logos.

Give BrandStack a try and take the stress of the creative process off your shoulders and start with the real details that will help build your company for your customers.

Mobile Devices Can Prevent Speeding Tickets

United States speed limit sign in miles per hour
Image via Wikipedia

…perhaps not entirely true, we’re on our way to making this a reality thanks to the mobile app Trapster. From time to time many of us find ourselves hurrying from one place to another. Crenk does not support breaking the law, but if you find yourself going over the speed limit, knowing where the speed traps are can really save you some dollars and grief.

Naturally all of the speed traps must be reported by other users. With a click of a button or a phone call to the number given, everyone’s app can be updated within a matter of minutes all will be notified of where the speed trap is and avoid or adjust speed if necessary.

I’d really love to hear if this app has saved you from getting a ticket, or what your thoughts are if you have used it. Be sure to let us know!

Classy, Unobtrusive Twitter “Follow” Badges

We at Crenk scour the net for stories, apps, humor pieces, and useful additions for your productivity and websites. Here’s a quick something that a lot of us on Twitter have been looking for, a classy badge.

Lots of sites out there offer Twitter badges that you install and more often than not they can take up valuable real estate on your site, so here’s a nice SITE that can help you instantly create a very unobtrusive “Follow” badge for your site that users can click on, while saving space on your site.

It’s not an issue for everyone, but I thought it would be useful for some.

Social Networking Site for Collectors

colnect_logo_255

While social networks are great at connecting people and bringing them together for various aspects, sometimes a nice site is what you’re looking for. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and such just don’t server your needs, and perhaps you’ve tried the Ning communities to no avail.

For those of you out there that are collectors of various things such as stamps, bottle caps, dolls, coins, or just about anything else, Colnect is for you. This social networks brings togethers collectors from around the world to buy, sell, trade, and share stories and locations with people. This niche specific network is amazingly popular, so if you’re a collector and missing that special, cornerstone piece to your collection, perhaps this network can help you complete your empire!

Shared Education For the Online Community

Remember the days of sitting in a classroom or auditorium listening to long drawn out lectures on topics that you just did not care for. College requirements dictated that you sit in this class and pass before you “pass GO and collect $200.”

Now with Lectr, you have the ability to find the topics you like, and listen some some of the world’s best recorded lectures on any topic. These degreed professionals were recorded and now the community benefits by having their lectures shared with the entire online community.

Topics range from Physics, Chemistry, Math, Biology, and Criminal Justice. These recordings come from some of the most prestigious colleges and universites from around the globe, all at your fingertips.

Give it a try, get your education on, and learn something!

Intro to New Apps Thanks to AppGiveaway

Apple bling iPhone wallpaper
Image by The Pug Father via Flickr

All of us with an iPhone or iTouch know the addiction of downloading applications. For those of us with the 1-click purchase mode have probably found ourselves just clicking away before we realize we’ve spent some major money on what we think are useful applications.

For the rest of us that don’t have that luxury and are happy to play with free apps, perhaps this site is for you. AppGiveaway is a site that offers you promo codes to get iPhone apps for free or at deeply discounted prices. This is a great site to be introduced to apps that perhaps don’t get a lot of press, or get lost in the shuffle. The site introduces its readers to unique games, productivity apps, financial apps, etc.

Give the site a try and explore what they offer. I won’t say every app they offer promos for are worth it, but it’s a matter of introduction and taste, what works for me may not work for you, and vice versa.

Give it a try and let us know what you think!

The Ultimate Google Cheat Guide

Image representing Google as depicted in Crunc...
Image via CrunchBase

There’s a lot to find when surfing the net late at night, and thanks to RSS Feeds, a lot of the internet can come to you with some nice key words.

For those of you that want to sharpen your skills in searching, perhaps get more power out of Gmail, or even maximize your RSS efforts in Google Readers, this interactive guide is right up your alley.

This guide is not necessarily supported by Google, but they are aware of it, and having used some of these amazing “hacks” to get out of my google applications, it works and you’ll be happy to have used it.

Read the GOOGLE GUIDE!

All Your Data Connected Virtually Thanks to PogoPlug

How many of you have thumb drives lying around with little use for them? Perhaps you’ve got several external drives that you have to keep plugging in and unplugging when you are not using them. This frustrating experience cycles because there’s never been a suitable solution for all this.

#pogo

If you’ve not checked out PogoPlug, then this little device could be a life saver for all of you. PogoPlug is a device that allows you to plug all of your USB devices to it and via a portal, you have access to all of your data from any computer/laptop in the world.

Before you throw them away, take a look at PogoPlug and keep all your data accessible. The PogoPlug comes in at a reasonable $99 offering easy setup, easy sharing, and the kicker…iPhone access for those needed to access their PogoPlug on the go.

#pogo2

Push Apps Finally Coming to iPhone?

AOL Instant Messenger
Image via Wikipedia

With the release of the Palm Pre not even a month ago, the biggest attraction in the earlier stages was the ability to run multiple apps in the background as you navigate your device. Chances are, people are using their mobile devices much like they use their desktops or laptops, with multiple applications open, cross referencing their needs and multi-tasking as necessary. This functionality has escaped most mobile devices until the Palm Pre really focused on this ability in its new handheld device.

Is it the best execution, perhaps not, but it’s a step in the right direction!

Those using the iPhone have long griped over the lack of push apps and the ability to run apps in the background. While there is no sign of any progress on the background app idea, there seems to be more development in the “push” sector.

After reading TechCrunch’s article on how AIM for iPhone is coming out with push support, it’s noticable that more apps in the future will be offering push support to allow users to still get their messages, emails, and updates without actually having the app open.

Is this long overdue? Perhaps. Is this a suitable replacement for the lack of apps running in the background? Probably not.

What are your thoughts? What apps do you use that you wish has push functionality?

Clipta Video Search Offers More Results

For a long time YouTube has been the king of the video search. There have been numerous other video sites, and like the rest, they all fall short in their ability to really attract a wide audience onto their site. Recently I was made aware of Clipta Video Search, in what appears to offer a better interface than YouTube and offering more diverse results.

clipta

Clipta also offers distinct categories to make it easier to find videos with less of a chance that a mislabeled video would be placed under any given category. The community on here appears to be active and there is definitely some control behind the scenes to offer the users a better experience. While it may not rank as high as YouTube for your video searches, give it a try!

Get That Missing Album Art For Your Music List

It never fails that sometimes when I try to import my music CD’s that I don’t have the right album art to show in my music player.  When it comes to music I’m picky, and I like my music to be labeled correctly, ratings, rankings, album names, and definitely album art.

If you’re like me, then All CD Covers might be the place to stop in order to fill the missing void of album art you might have in your playlist. With over 100,000 album art and growing, there is a good chance you’ll find what you need.

As an added bonus they also offer movie and game cover art for all of your media. It’s a nice one stop shop to get yourself caught up and make your file listings attractive and cataloged just right.

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