Archive for: business
PayPal seems to have established itself as the premier method for online payments. I have a paypal account which I use on a regular basis myself, but the process can actually complicate even the simplest of situations. In some cases PayPal seems a bit overkill when something easier could be used. This is where Paystr comes into play.
The online application allows you to set up your own web page for collections purposes. The customization far outweighs the impersonal requests that PayPal creates, with the invoices they allow you to create. Instead Paystr really want you to customize your efforts and your attempts to collect funds for a variety of things. The site declares that its services are great for parties, events, games, gifts or whatever it might be you are collecting for.The focus of Paystr is for the user to focus more on the actual project and less time on the actual collections.
The site is free, creating an account is easy, but standard “PayPal” fees apply. The online site accepts credit cards also, to make it easier for you to collect your funds ahead of time. You can set up multiple payment methods and multiple levels of products or services giving your audience options, ease of use, and safety of knowing their payments are secure.
You can also follow Paystr on Twitter, @Paystr, or connect with them via Facebook.
iPhones seem to be everywhere these days and even the release of the G1 phone hasn’t really had an impact on their growing marketshare. Palm have also announced that they will soon be launching their new smartphone called the Palm Pre, which is getting a huge amount of buzz at the moment. Thus bringing us to the final major player in the market who is yet to release a smartphone that can actually take marketshare and thats Nokia.
Nokia announced about three months ago that they will be releasing the N97 which is their rival to the iPhone. The N97 will be release in the 2nd quarter of 2009 and its sure to raise some eyebrows.
Here at Crenk we are still yet to get our hands on a new N97 test version, but I thought I would provide our readers with a basic overview of the phone and how it compares to iPhone and G1.
Nokia N97 – compared to the iPhone3G and G1
3.5 inches screen size
( iPhone3G : 3.5 inch ; G1 : 3.2 inch )
640 x 360 pixel resolution
(iPhone3G : 320×480 pixels ; G1 : 480×320 pixels resolution)
16:9 Aspect ratio,the same as that of TV,PC Monitors etc
(both iPhone and G1 have aspect ratio of 3:2 )
Resistive touchscreen display with tactile feedback
(both iPhone & G1 boast a capacitive touchscreen(feather touch sensitive) )
Sliding QWERTY Keyboard
( iPhone : No physical keyboard ; G1 : Sliding QWERTY Keyboard )
Inbuilt WiFi,Bluetooth,HSDPA,A-GPS,3G
( Both iPhone and G1 have it )
32GB Onboard memory (expandable through microSD card upto 48GB as total capacity)
(neither iPhone nor G1 go beyond 32 GB as total capacity )
Battery : 1500 mAh (Heavy duty ! )
(iPhone : 1400 mAh ; G1 : 1150 mAh )
5 MP Digital Camera (DVD quality video capture)
(iPhone : 2.0 MP ; G1 : 3.2 MP )
OS : S60 5th Edition
(iPhone : iPhone OS 2.2 ; G1 : Android 1.0 )
Weight : 150 g (approx.)
( iPhone : 133 g ; G1 : 158 g )
Price : $550 (before network subsidies so expect it to go way cheaper than this)
(iPhone : $199(min.) ; G1 : $179(min.) )
Conclusions:
After a direct comparison with all the feature of the n97, G1 and iPhone3G the Nokia is by far the leader from a hardware perspective. However, it terms of the software and the OS, Nokia is a long way behind Google and Apple but this is expected.
The key also is that the App Store has made a huge impact on making the iPhone such a big success, and with the Android Market just being launched I’m sure that the G1 will slowly gain more and more marketshare. Where does this leave Nokia? Nokia really need to think hard and long about how they are going to open up their software to outside developers and then allow the average user the ability to pick and choose the applications that are right for them. OS has never been a strong point for Nokia, but it is about time they actually improved this sector if they are going to continue to be a major player in the smartphone market.
Also that the ‘App Store’ is something that has played a very critical role in making iPhone a worldwide success and now the same thing is occurring in the form of ’Android Market’ for G1, Nokia(being ‘new’ to open developer support for apps) can’t afford to reach the standards set by the other two veteran smartphones(specially iPhone)
I have been reading Gigaom a lot lately, which is one of the worlds best technology news companies. Gigaom announced back in November that they will be leaving Federated Media for advertising revenues and move over to IDG. Since this time I have noticed a few key changes at Gigaom and was wondering if the site was being affected by the lack of quality advertising on the part of IDG?
Below is a screenshot of the Gigaom site as seem by a UK ip address.
As you can see from the screenshot Gigaom has been showing a huge amount of advertising from Chitika. These ads seem to just make Gigaom look a lot cheaper and more amateurish. Do you think the look of these ads has been affecting visitors to Gigaom?
I think it must have some affect. I have noticed these ads and from being on Gigaom several times in the last few days they have no put me off from visiting the site and actually just reading the full RSS feed instead.
This morning I came across a new service called Ronin. Ronin is a flexible application designed for creative professionals looking for an easy, affordable, web-based way of managing clients and invoices. Ronin is more than just software, they are a service.
With the Ronin service there are no fees or update costs involved. All data is protected using industry standard SSL encryption and nightly back-ups.
There are a lot of different companies within this specific niche, but I do think Ronin is worth a try. I would also like to see them produce a few more services similar to this invoicing application, then they will have a nice little package that will hopefully moves users amoungst each product.
The net’s best kept secret is not so secret anymore.
Too often when we try to contact companies to ask questions and communicate with another human on the other end of the line, we end up hitting the damned evil messaging system. You all know this system, “Please listen to the following options and select the best choice…” Afterwards you’re given a dizzying number of options and numbers to press which leaves us as consumers frustrated and defeated.
This whole process reminds me of a lose-lose choose your own adventure book. At least with a real book there is a chance to actually succeed, with the messaging system you have more of a chance of punching a hole in the wall out of frustration then you do of actually succeeding.
Businesses tend to forget that putting on a human face is what we as consumers want to connect with. Since they’ve forgotten, Dial A Human has come in and offered us a chance to actually reach a real, working, paid employee of the company of our choice, according to their list.
If you’re tired of machines, check out the site and get connected to someone who can answer your questions!
Fire Eagle, a Yahoo property, has opened up its doors from beta to public use. After spending some lengthy time in development and beta, Fire Eagle looks to answer the question…Where Are You?
For starters do not mistake Fire Eagle for another social network, it is not. Fire Eagle works in conjunction with a variety of other social networks with new additions being worked on daily. This enhancement allows users of specific networks to know where you are, provided you update. Fire Eagle takes the address, location, or name of the place you are at and creates a map that others can see.
I have attached Fire Eagle to work with BrightKite and so far it’s been amazing. I’ve set up alerts to notify me when my friends are nearby, and I can always look at maps to see where my friends are worldwide, a very nice effect. Of course this app is made even more useful by allowing you input your location from your mobile device.
It’s great to set up impromptu meetings, a quick happy hour with friends in the neighborhood, or finding directions to where your friend is waiting for you.
Fire Eagle works with the following applications:
- BrightKite
- Dash
- Dipity
- Dopplr
- eKit
- Fire Widget
- J2ME mobile updater
- Lightpole
- Loki
- Map My Tracks
- Metosphere
- Movable Type
- Navizon
- Outalot
- Outside.in
- Plazes
- Pownce
- Rummble
- Spot
- Wikinear
- Zkout
- Zonetag
Marketing material costs for freelancers and new businesses can be an expensive investment for start-ups with little money. Sure it’s said “to make money you have to spend money,” but what if you didn’t have to spend a dime?
Do I have your attention yet? If you’re looking for a “quick and dirty” way to get yourself off the ground and utilize the full capability of print work to market your talents, look no further then BrandDoozie. This web-based design application puts the creative tools in your hands. You can design postcards, business cards, letterhead, and other important documents with clicks and drag-n-drops.
The only downside is the limited flexibility of the application, but the service is free, so the concern is moot. The ease of use and quick return make it possible for you to have marketing material in a matter of hours as opposed to weeks. Sure you’re going to sacrifice some of the self creative ideas you might have, but for a freelancer such as myself, I was able to create collateral the same day as a major networking event.
The interface is easy to use, and users are walked through step by step in the creative process. You can save your work mid-project, and even store your completed files in folders. Options to establish your brand, designing a logo, and accessing stock photos are all apart of the experience working within BrandDoozie.
It’s definitely worth jump starting your company’s image with this amazing brand establishing tool. If you need something in a flash, direct yourself to BrandDoozie and get yourself noticed!
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Working as a freelancer or running your own business with a fired up entrepreneurial spirit can be difficult when it comes to tracking your time and income on multiple projects. One of two things will happen eventually. You will either limit yourself in terms of projects and make just enough money to keep track of or you’ll end up losing money due to inability to properly and effectively keep track of your invoicing. Neither are suitable outcomes for someone starting out on their own.
To avoid such pitfalls, we have discovered a web application that is user friendly and informative, that application is Invotrak by Draconis Software. As a freelance writer I was able to utilize the software for an experiment in keeping track of my personal invoicing and time tracking needs, and I found this application to stand heads and shoulders above the others that I have used.
The Practical
Getting paid on time is important right? Correct invoicing is vital for the integrity and success of your business, so why complicate things any more than they should. Invotrak is a web-based invoice application that was specifically made with freelancers and small businesses in mind. In their words it’s difficult enough to work with clients and do the actual work that invoicing should be as simple as possible without having to hire someone else to do it.
When you sign up for an account, you are taken through several easy steps to get you started. Once on their home interface, you will notice that the smooth and easy to follow design is intuitive. There is no confusion in the labeling system so tabs are easy to find and easy to click. Again, why should invoicing be so difficult, Invotrak wants to make sure their application is as easy to use as possible.
The application does have a FREE option, but there is also a tiered pay structure ranging from as low as $9/mo to as high as $45/mo, depending on your needs.
The Features
Invotrak is full of features which make this free web application one of the more robust around.
- Invoicing – naturally the strong point of this application meant to keep track of all your clients and monies
- Client Database – keep track of everyone that you work with and never forget a name
- Timesheets – very important to keep track of time spent on projects to accurately invoice your client
- Create/Upload Invoices – have an invoice in a different format, no worries, the ability to upload ensures that you don’t have files laying around different programs.
- Reports – keep track of how your business does monthy, quarterly and yearly
These are just a few of the features that are made available to you. Here is a more comprehensive list of the features Invotrak offers.
The Analysis
Invotrak is a heavy hitter in the invoicing market. Rarely have I seen a web application so well put together. My only concern is their hierarchy. In the Free category you are only offered the ability to have up to 2 invoices a month and don’t get an unlimited number of invoices until you pay into the $45/mo plan. Seems like they’re selling the FREE aspect a little short for businesses that want to try the application for the first time. I believe the whole hierarchy is a little lopsided, but with over $3 million US dollars being tracked across Invotraks database, what do I know? Apparently freelancers and businsess worldwide are happy with it.
I highly recommend you give Invotrak a try and follow them on their blog.
Portable applications on a key-chain drive makes the idea of a portable office a reality. Whether you have a 1 gig, 4 gig, or even 512 mb, you can carry your files with you everywhere you go.
App-Stick gathers as many portable apps as possible and houses them under one “roof”. With various portable app sites available, some of them may lack what you are specifically looking for. With App-Stick, the site breaks down into categories to make searching easier, and downloading is a breeze. Like something specifically? You are able to comment on the apps you like or dislike most, and even rate them for future users who come to the site.
There is no special software UI to install as with the original Portable Apps program. Still the UI is not what you really want, though a nice touch, the real need is the apps themselves.
Visit App-Stick and get what you need for business on the go!
Here at Crenk we have been a part of the Forbes Business and Finance Blog Network from the very beginning. Crenk has reported about this blog network a couple of time when announcing the addition of Nick Ricci and also the initial launch of the network.
At the very beginning some journalists were discussing the possibilities of Forbes paying CPM rates of anywhere between $10 – $20. Initially I thought these CPM rates were very optimistic and now I can report that this hasnt been the case here on Crenk. CPM rates has been a bit lower, but overall I think the network is definitely moving in the right direction. The advertisers that are currently involved are of a very high standard and im sure this will only grow.
I would also like to hear confirmation about whether the network blogs will have any of their content syndicated across the Forbes network of sites. There has been a lot of rumours about this and it would be great for some smaller blogs to actually get their voices heard for a change.
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