As I always say I love reviewing computer hardware and electronics. That is why I really enjoy working on ThinkComputers so much. We have been getting a lot of products in lately, everything from motherboards to LCD monitors. Here are a few of the things that I will be checking out in the next week or so.
You may be thinking that this is just another FM transmitter for your iPod, but this is one of the only FM transmitters that will work with your iPhone. The Griffin iTrip Auto Pilot not only works with your iPhone it also features Griffin’s SmartScan technology that will scan for open frequencies and save them for you.
Ah a GPS…I really haven’t messed around with a GPS unit so it will be cool to check this out. TomTom is one of the best I’ve heard, along with Garmin. Not sure how often I will use the GPS considering I don’t drive that much, but I think it will come in handy sometime.
This has to be one of my favorite products I received lately, The ASUS MK241 24-inch Widescreen LCD Monitor! This will be the 3rd 24-inch display I have looked at and so far it’s the best. The huge 24-inch display will give you a nice large 1920 x 1200 resolution, it also features a 2ms response time, 3000:1 contrast ratio, and has an HDMI input so you can watch Blu-ray movies or play PS3 on it, very cool!
Stay tuned to see these products reviewed on ThinkComputers!
A couple of days ago I saw a few twitters about people saying they had posted their first 12seconds video. I wondered what 12seconds was so I decided to check it out. It is a video sharing site, but the thing is you can only make videos that are 12 seconds long. Just like how twitter is limited to 140 characters 12seconds is limited to 12 seconds. It is a really cool idea and something that you are like, “Why didn’t I think of that!”. It is currently in public alpha, but John Chow was nice enough to give me an invite.
Getting setup is pretty easy, you create a username and fill out a few other details. You record your video directly on the site itself, no uploading. Although you are able to upload videos from your cell phone. I assume if they are over 12 seconds they are just cut to the first 12 seconds. When you create a video you put in the title, tags, and location. It is pretty easy to figure out. Also you can add your twitter information so it sends a tweet every time you post a video. Just like twitter you can follow people and have followers. Here is my first video…
As you can see there is not much you can say in 12 seconds, that’s what makes it unique. Now is it better than twitter? I do not think so, yes it is video but say I want to tell people about something I have posted on ThinkComputers I can only say, “check it out on ThinkComputers”, while on Twitter I can give them the direct link. I do like that it is video though, it is much more personal than typing something out on Twitter. I would really like to see a 12seconds app like how you can add videos to Pownce and they show up right in the application, which would be really cool. Like I said 12seconds is only in alpha so we will have to see how things go. Right now I have 8 invites so if you would like one comment on this post, make sure you include a valid e-mail address because that’s where I will be sending the invite. If you are already a 12seconds member be sure to follow me.
The popular blogging community Performancing.com has started a new ad network called Performancing Ads. What is unique about Performancing ads is that it is a marketplace for 125 x 125 ads only. The 125 x 125 ad placement has becoming extremely popular with blogs like TechCrunch, JohnChow.com and other large blogs. Almost all blogs now have a 125 x 125 ad placement and if they don’t there is probably room for one.
How it Works
The first thing you want to do is sign up for Performancing Ads. After you are all signed up you can go ahead and add you blog. Performancing Ads work by listing your blog on the marketplace where advertisers can browse the inventory and choose blogs that match what they are trying to promote. For the ads to be displayed on your blog you just paste a small code on your blog and once ads are booked they are automatically displayed. Ads are sold on a 1 week basis and you are able to set your own rates. You get a 60 / 40 spit of the profit (via Paypal).
The Publisher Exchange Program
Performancing Ads publisher exchange program gives a nice perk to publishers by giving them credits whenever their ads are sold. Credits then can be redeemed for free ad space on similar sites. It’s a good way to give exposure to everyone, even small blogs.
The Referral Program
Performancing Ads has a very nice referral program. You will earn $10 for every person you refer. Not only that you will earn 5% of any ads sales generated by the new referral for life! That’s right for LIFE! You can definitely see the potential here in making easy passive income.
The Verdict
I think that Performancing Ads is going to do great. Just look at the blogs you visit on a daily basis, how many of them have 125 x 125 ads? Selling ads yourself can be time consuming and frustrating at times so it is nice for someone to do it for you. Performancing Ads is going to be great for smaller blogs and I will be implementing them on this blog very soon!
Sign Up for Performancing Ads Today!
One thing that people always assume is that I eat out a lot, I’m really not sure why that is because I rarely eat out. I work from home so it really is a pain to drive somewhere to eat and fast food is really bad for you too. I really do enjoy cooking and always try to learn new recipes, especially ones for food that is cheap and easy to make. I also like trying new things and seeing if they turn out ok. Well today I will show you how to make some really good grilled shrimp. Since it is summer you are going to be grilling a lot so this is the perfect thing for that summer barbeque.
First you will need some shrimp, I usually get a bag of frozen shrimp and set them out to defrost in the morning. After the shrimp have thawed go ahead and put them on skewers.
Now for our seasoning. The seasoning I make is a mixture of olive oil, pepper, garlic salt, and of course old bay seasoning.
Once you have your seasoning mixed go ahead and put the skewers on the grill and use a brush to season the shrimp. About 10 minutes and 3-4 flips the shrimp should be done.
This is a simple snack that takes only about 15 minutes to make and tastes great. One thing that I always try to do is find things that do not take a lot of time to cook because the longer it takes to cook the less time I have for work. Try making this shrimp and tell me what you think.
It looks like John Chow and Market Leverage have teamed up again to bring you another contest. All new Market Leverage members to sign up through the contest have the chance to win an iPod Touch and $200 Market Leverage American Express Rewards Card. They are doing the contest much like the Top Affiliate Challenge. So the top Market Leverage earner in 1 month will win the prizes. The iPod Touch and $200 Amex card give you some motivation to get into affiliate marketing if you haven’t already.
John is also giving away 10 2GB Market Leverage USB pens! The first 10 people who make $10 with Market Leverage will be sent a 2GB USB pen. Not only that, John is giving away a Flip Mino too! If you are already a Market Leverage member or do not want to compete in the contest then all you have to do is reply to the contest post for an entry into Flip Mino giveaway. If you blog about the contest you will be given 5 more entries!
This is a really great contest if you are looking to get into affiliate marketing. The prizes will definitely give you some motivation to really work on offers etc. I think I will be doing the challenge, hopefully I will have time. I got into affiliate marketing after I go back from Ad:Tech, but I was not that successful with it. Hopefully I can do better this time around. Check out all the details over at the contest page on John’s Blog.
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