Netflix Offers Movies on Your PC

Today, Netflix announced that it's getting into the download game. Although the service won't be available to all Netflix subscribers immediately, the company should have everyone online to enjoy movies on their PC by June 2007. Check out the press release, here.

I recently placed my Netflix subscription on hold since my son started working at the local video rental store - he can get all the movies I want after they've been out for 2 weeks, so I just decided to save a few bucks. I might have to try this out, especially if you can get TV shows as well - I never have enough recorders!

Restaurant Finance

Jimmy and I have talked about opening a restaurant, but have not really considered how much it would cost to create "the place to be." Not only do you have to have the right space, equipment, furnishings, and staff, but you also need a strong web presence, marketing, branding and a ton of advertisement to make your brand stand out. Guess what, it takes money to do all that - and a lot of it! I ran across ARF, a company who specializes in short term, working capital loans for small to medium-sized merchants. I also found out that by getting a working capital loan, the interest you pay is tax deductible which will give you a quicker ROI. I'm bookmarking them in case we take the plunge one of these days...


***This post sponsored by advancerestaurantfinance.com***

Restaurant Branding

Since I blogged about opening a restaurant, I've been looking around for some good companies who can creatively provide services from website design to branding to marketing. Today, I stumbled upon SPROKKIT which has a very cool website and it looks like they provide the web presence that one would need to be seen on the WWW. I also found a cool restaurant blog to help anyone thinking of opening a restaurant think again.

Netsimplicity Scheduling Software

Meeting-Crasher Syndrome: Have you ever walked into a conference room to attend a meeting and realized that there was already a meeting in progress which you weren't invited?

Ball-Dropper Syndrome: Have you ever forgotten to do an important task because you
jotted it down on a sticky note, then it fell off what you stuck it to?

If you've suffered from either of these conditions, you need to check out Scheduling Software from NetSimplicity. NetSimplicity offers software that will help you overcome Ball-Dropper and Meeting-Crasher Syndrom by simplifying the not-so-simple day-to-day office administration tasks by offering management and scheduling of rooms, equipment, and resources. They even offer a free 30-Day product trial.

***This post sponsored by netsimplicity.com***

B2B Defined

B2B, or business-to-business is a fast-growing marketing strategy on the web. Sure, you can go online and buy just about anything you want, but have you ever thought about where businesses get their products? The web is a huge marketplace for businesses, now and the market is fairly young and due to outpace B2C, or business-to-consumer sales in the near future.

From Whatis.techtarget.com:
On the Internet, B2B (business-to-business), also known as e-biz, is the exchange of products, services, or information between businesses rather than between businesses and consumers. Although early interest centered on the growth of retailing on the Internet (sometimes called e-tailing), forecasts are that B2B revenue will far exceed business-to-consumers (B2C) revenue in the near future. According to studies published in early 2000, the money volume of B2B exceeds that of e-tailing by 10 to 1. Over the next five years, B2B is expected to have a compound annual growth of 41%. The Gartner Group estimates B2B revenue worldwide to be $7.29 trillion dollars by 2004. In early 2000, the volume of investment in B2B by venture capitalists was reported to be accelerating sharply although profitable B2B sites were not yet easy to find.

Restaurant Design Service Online

My husband is an excellent cook - I call him Emeril, Jr when he gets all his dishes out to prep the meal. He should have gone to culinary school, I guess it's never too late. Anyway, he often talks about how he would like to open a restaurant, but the town we live in would probably not be the best place to start since most of the people here try to escape on the weekends. But, just up the road about 30 minutes away, there's a well-known, booming, golf/horse/retirement area called Pinehurst, NC that has several great, independent restaurants that are top shelf. I stumbled upon a website that specializes in Restaurant Design and bookmarked it in case we get ready to take the plunge. Thought I'd share since the restaurant industry is so difficult to be successful in, you really need industry professionals with experience to help with your business plan, strategy, concept and branding. Visit the Restaurant Design website for more information.


***This post sponsored by quantifiedmarketing.com***

TiVo Without a TiVo Box?

I just saw a blurb come across my Google Reader that mentioned TiVo was now available as a software platform. Seems that Comcast customers will have the TiVo software in the Comcast's DVR, cool. I'll have to do some more research on this to see what it entails, but that's really cool for Comcast customers because TiVo is the best. Now, why couldn't Comcast have bought out Adelphia? Dang...

Get Your Own SpritePimp!

Ok, this was easy and only took a few seconds - I made one and you can get your Free Custom Video Game Sprites from spritepimp.com. I chose Mario from Mario Brothers because I used to play that game until my fingers hurt. Yes, I'm a child of the 80's. They are planning some upgrades to the site that will allow the user to right click and save image, but right now, you just create and copy/past the code. You can put whatever text you want in the balloon like your website name. Here's how it looks...




***This post sponsored by spritepimp.com***

GP2X Gaming

My son has a video game addiction, so I try to keep up with the latest on gaming platforms, news, tournaments and reviews. But, I read about the GP2X today and it sounds like it would be a good toy for MOM! The GP2X is an open-source, Linux-based handheld video game console and media player that's created and sold by GamePark. The GP2X was released in late 2005 in South Korea and it's designed to play video and music files, view photos, and play games. One feature the GP2X has is the capability of running emulators which enables the user to run software from another system on the GP2X. Gamepark Holdings, creators of the GP2X just released the GP2X value pack which you can get for a mere $209 from http://www.gp2xstore.com. The Value Pack bundle includes the console, 4 games, video tutorials stored in memory, rechargeable batteries, hand strap, console pouch, and set headphones. I'll have to research this system some more, but at first look, it doesn't sound like a bad deal for $209 bucks, huh?

Please feel free to comment especially if you have one of these - I'd like to know!






***This post sponsored by gp2xstore.com***

What Will Your PR Be?

OMG! I'm so happy! I've been really concentrating on networking with other bloggers, researching, reading all the lastest news and attempting to write quality posts in my blogs. It's finally starting to pay off. My My Whole Enchilada Blog went from a Google PR of 0 (ZERO) to a 2 today!!! And, I just checked the Google PageRank Prediction tool which predicts my blog to be a PR4 in the future. Check out this nifty little tool to see into your blog's PR crystal ball!

Blog of the Day = Mine!

Today has started off well! I made a promise to myself this morning that I was going to get some things done before logging in to my blogs, payperpost, etc, because like my friend Amy, I spend to much time once I get into the blogosphere. Things were going along productively, then my friend, Ron stopped by to tell me that my blog is featured as the "Blog of the Day" on the front page of PayPerPost.com! Hot diggety dog! Leave me some feedback and please take a moment to visit what I like to call, My Whole Enchilada Blog! Thanks, PayPerPost!

Looking for Binoculars

My husband and I do quite a bit of fishing, but not as much as we'd like. If you know me or read any of my blogs, you know that I love the outdoors, photography and electronic gadgets. I'd really like to have a pair of binoculars for the boat, because you never know what you might see when on the lake, and if we had the binocular model that has a built-in digital camera, that would be really cool. I'm not sure how far the technology has come, and haven't a clue about the best brands - I may look into the Eagle Optics website for more info, but I know the next time I see some birds diving for baitfish that it would be nice to see if there was a school of fish churning the water under them.

Automotive Accessories

I work for a manufacturer of automotive accessories for the OEM and Aftermarket industry, so I thought I'd post a link to the website. We manufacture rear parking aids, backup camera systems, cruise controls, heated seats, transmission solenoids, transmission modulators, transmission wiring harnesses, and speed sensors to name the major ones. Check the website and give the Sales department a call if you see something you like or need to locate a distributor.

iPhone on FOXNEWS & Picture! WOW!

Apple was the hot topic all over the news today by unveiling the iPhone! WOW! I want one of these, but I'm hearing gen 2 is already in the works...


As displayed on the Apple Computer website

HP and PayPerPost Scavenger Hunt

I have searched the world over and I can't seem to get my brain to contemplate where the hidden PayPerPost & HP puzzle pieces are, but I have found some exclusive pieces out there that weren't opps from PPP. Anyway, I have piece number 14 here for your viewing enjoyment.



You see, Veronique took a trip to Europe and brought back some photos that she took with her HP camera, because I think she's a Digital Camera Picture-takin' freak like me! The guys at PPP made her photos into a collage, split it into puzzle pieces (because those crazies at PPP do stuff like that), then posties like me scour the net looking for them (because us posties are crazy like that, too). The first one who reassembles the puzzle and takes the BIG OPP gets $1000 bucks (not so crazy, now are we?)!!!

??? HELP!!!

I need some help figuring out how to get my blogs off blogger and livejournal, but I am clueless...

HELP!

UPDATE! I've received confirmation from www.bluehost.com that my website has been deleted and my account credited! Whew - I'm not quite ready for my own domain, but it's going to be coming soon...

B2B Internet Directory

One of the most important things any business can do for itself is get out there on the web. I mean, what better way to reach the masses at a relatively low cost. Every business owner must take some degree of risk to make money and the Internet is a great way to maximize the reach and scope of any business. How many times a day do you say or hear someone else say the word, "Google?" If I'm looking for something or someone that's one of the first places I look. But how do those businesses get up there in the search hits list? That's where business owners need help - we're not all web developers, right? I've found a Business to business internet directory that offers many products and services to businesses to help them get located during searches, promote site traffic and keep up to date on what is happening in their industry. Contained within this directory is a wealth of business information including press releases, case studies, podcasts, opinions, job openings, new products, new services, business events, company profiles, brochures, presentations, and management bios.

Leadmaverick.com gives you incredible depth to find exactly the business you are looking for in your area. They offer a better way to generate leads from search engines which will help others find you more easily by optimizing, formatting and placing your content online for search engines to find. You don't need to hire an SEO consultant - you get real-time reports. I found the information on the website interesting as I am trying to get more traffic to my blogs...

From Leadmaverick.com's website on Content...

Lead Maverick has 12 tools to help you easily add information about your company. We automatically format it and place it online on our search engine optimized websites. Each tool is specifically designed to help you promote and advertise your company, both locally and nationally, by placing your content on websites that help potential customers find you.

Commentary
Similar to blogging, our commentary tool allows you to share your thoughts and opinions on trends and events happening in your business industry. With this tool you can establish yourself as a thought leader for their business needs.

Press Releases
Creating and distributing a press release can be intimidating. With this tool we provide a simple form for you to add your press release. Don’t worry about editorial review, just place your information online to keep the public updated.

Job Openings
Are you looking to hire? Need a way to attract job hunters online? Then this tool is for you. Lead Maverick makes it easy to post jobs online for search engines to find. And best of all, the contact form is built right into the tool.

Presentations
Place all of your presentations online so that potential customers can learn more about your business. If you are like most companies, you have a variety of visual presentations about your business. Put them online.

Company Profile
This step by step form will help you highlight the unique qualities of your company. From the products and/or services you offer to the management team, this simple form will let your describe your company in detail.

Management Profile
Your management team is important. Prospects who want to do business with your company want to know more about the leadership. With our Management Profile tool you can easily post biographies and pictures of your team online.

Events
Are you hosting a public event? Are you a member of an organization that wants to promote its event? The Event tool provides a centralized event calendar in your area so that customers can find the events to attend.

Brochure
You spent a lot of money on your brochure, isn't it time people got it! Our Brochure tool makes it simple to upload your brochure to the web so that potential customers can easily find it. Place as many brochures online as you like.

Case Study
Often cited as one of the most important pieces of information that a prospect uses to make a purchase decision, our Case Study tool provides a step by step form for you to place your case studies online.

New Product/Service
Do you sell a product and/or service? Our Product/Service tool will help you detail the unique aspects of your product/service and helps you target specific types of individuals who will benefit the most from it.

PodCast
Podcasting is a new method for distributing your rich media files on the web. Once added, this information can easily be retrieved and viewed/listened to by millions of people who use RSS readers or services like Apple iTunes.

Search Engine Exposure
At the heart of the Lead Maverick concept is the idea that as you post your content, it is added to our premier directory website. As indicated earlier, this site is highly optimized to make it easy for search engines to find your content.

Desperate Housewives on PC

Well, we've all heard of "chic flicks," but I wonder what the new Desperate Housewives PC game will be called - perhaps a "dame game" - I don't know, but I might buy it just to see what it's like. I love the show, and GameSpot gave the game a Good (6.5 out of 10) rating saying that "Desperate Housewives isn't much of a game, but it does a pretty good job of telling an original, interactive soap opera story in the quirky tone of the hit show." Sounds like a "dame game" to me!

HP Puzzle Challenge

HP and PayPerPost have teamed up to bring the posties another puzzle challenge. In this challenge, the posties are scouring the far reaches of the Internet to try to find puzzle pieces to make up the collage of Veronique's, aka the Flaming Tamale, trip to Europe. She recently returned from a week-long trip over there and I hope she'll share all the tons of pictures she took with her new HP M527 digital camera. HP has some really good deals out there if you're looking for a digital camera. I saw an HP Digital Photo Printing package advertised around Christmas that was only about $150 bucks that included a 5 MP HP camera and a compact photo printer to boot - now, that's a deal that would be hard to beat!

Payperpost.com took some of her trip photos and made a collage then split the collage into 30 pieces. The pieces are going to be distributed on blogs throughout the internet and the first person to find all the pieces can grab a $1000 opportunity! Here is puzzle piece number 48 for your viewing enjoyment!



Brought to you by HP

Firefox 2.0

I've just downloaded Mozilla's Firefox 2 web browser and at first glance, it seems very fast and the import of my IE bookmarks and other content was lightning fast. I'll keep you updated on how this browser performs...