Personalised Gift Products - A Novel Niche Business Concept

Quite often the simpler ideas are the best; such is the case with the personalised product 'Day You Were Born' and related products such as 'Our Wedding Day' and 'Baby Certificates' (Details available at http://www.dayborn.com ). In essence this is a niche personalised gift item where the customer provides personalised details, such as a Name and Date of Birth and a clever and extensive database provides details of news, sports events, entertainment snippets, name meaning, birth flower/stone etc from every day from the year 1900 to the current month. This information is presented finely printed on attractive certificates, available framed or laminated. These make wonderful gifts that are often treated as heirlooms.

Datalite UK Limited first looked at Day You Were Born based products for the UK market some five years ago after examining a popular USA variant. This was obviously based on USA news and information, and in a format not really suitable for British customers. The solution appeared to develop our own in-house software and product, but prior to this a check was made for any existing products, and hence discovered the franchiser Glynne Davies of Glycar. Their software and business package was imminently suitable, and on the basis of no point in re-inventing the wheel, or getting involved in an intellectual property dispute, a reciprocal franchise arrangement was agreed. This has proved most successful.

Sales of Day You Were Born products continue to expand, partly fuelled via word of mouth and returning customers, and literally thousands have been sold. Outlets have included direct supply to well known catalogue companies, shops, holiday camps, mail order, telephone/fax orders, and of course online from website: http://www.dayborn.com.

Datalite's personalised certificate product range has ever evolved and includes (amongst many) such items as Our Engagement, Retirement, Years Service, even Divorce! Irish and Scottish variants have been developed to supplement the standard UK version, with many sales across the Atlantic of the Irish versions during the St Patrick's Day celebrations. Many further ideas are currently being researched, including the feasibility of adding 'Civil Partnership' certificates to the range, inspired by the evergreen success of the more traditional 'Our Wedding Day' certificates.

The 'Day You Were Born' product has undoubtedly proved a most successful personalised product. Individuals all have a birth colour, flower, stone, Chinese year sign, zodiac sign, name meaning (for most); together with news and entertainment events happening around their day of birth. It is concluded that its popularity has been down to the simple truism, that most people (no matter what they say) have a great and natural interest in themselves!

John Henry BA BSc is Managing Director of DATALITE UK LTD (http://www.datalite.org). Having served 22 years in the Royal Navy he created the company in 2000, specialising in supplying picture frames and personalised gifts. Well travelled due in large part to aforementioned naval service, John has written numerous articles, and has won prizes for his work including winning first place in a national Royal Navy essay competition.Kayla Blog84843
Kris Blog81947

Do You Really Need Surveillance Equipment?

Dangnammit! Thats the third time this month that weve come up missing inventory.

Bob was clearly frustrated. His small electronics business couldnt afford to keep losing money on missing inventory. He knew it had to be one of his employees that was stealing from him, but which one? John had been with him for 6 years, Carrie had been here three years, and Jessie had been here for 6 months without incident.

The answer seemed obvious; Bob had to get one of those Hidden Cameras that he read about on the Internet. His store already had two Security Cameras, but the thief was avoiding them and not showing up on any of the surveillance tapes.

That night, Bob went on line and ordered a hidden camera that was disguised as a wall clock. No one would ever know to avoid this little piece of surveillance equipment because it was an actual working clock with the hidden camera built right in.

A week later when the clock arrived, Bob set it to the correct time, put it on the wall, and waited. It only took two days for him to get his answer. It wasnt an employee at all, it was his own teenage son stealing video recorders and CD players, and selling them to his friends for extra spending money. Bob thought to himself I dont know what that kid is doing with money I pay him for cleaning up around here, but hes going to be working for free for the next six months.

Hidden cameras have become very popular in recent years. Business owners often use surveillance equipment to keep an eye on employees or their store; they can help to protect the business from theft, vandalism, or just for keeping an eye on things. Parents can use nanny cams to make sure their children are being properly treated while theyre away.

Hidden cameras can come wireless or wired. Wireless hidden cameras use batteries for power, and transmit the images to a wireless receiver that can be set up to view what the hidden camera sees from up to mile away or more.

Wired cameras will have a physical wire running from the hidden camera to a Monitor, VCR or PC. The wired cameras are not limited by how long they can record for, but the length of the wires limits them to some degree as to where they can be placed.

To determine if you need a wireless or wired hidden camera, consider the length of time you will need to record. Will the batteries hold up long enough? Hidden cameras come in a variety of shapes and disguises. Choose a camera that goes well with the environment around so it will be unnoticeable. If its easily noticed, it cant really be considered a hidden camera.

There are many types of hidden cameras and surveillance equipment for all types of situations.

Nanny cams are just another name for hidden cameras. Even if you have a nanny that you feel you can trust, it doesn't hurt to have a nanny cam just to be sure that your children and home are safe. Their popularity grows with every news story about an abusive nanny or baby sitter. Hence the name Nanny Cam

The camera might be embedded in children's items such as teddy bears, baby wipe containers, dolls, etc. These items can be placed in the child's room next to other toys. There are also nanny cams for other rooms of the home, including clocks, radios, table lamps, picture frames, mirrors, VCR and DVD players, etc. Every room can have a nanny cam if needed. Just be warned that if your purpose of a hidden camera is to bring out the voyeur in you and spy on someone, you may be breaking a law depending on where you live.

Surveillance systems enable you to observe multiple locations through one localized system. If you need more than a few security cameras, consider a complete surveillance system. With a digital video recording system, your security cameras are set up in different locations and interconnected so you can view all the areas at the same time. You can expand your surveillance system as your business grows. There are also portable DVR surveillance systems for covert operations.

Dummy Cameras look like real security cameras and give an appearance that the area is under surveillance. Dummy cameras are not real security cameras but the thieves won't know if the camera is real or not. Many business owners often use dummy cameras as a deterrent to criminal activity.

Professional cameras are often used to survey large businesses or offices. They can be used inside or outside. Professional cameras can be mounted on wall brackets or ceiling brackets. Some are waterproof for outdoor surveillance, and some are even capable of viewing up to 40 or 50 in almost complete darkness.

Hidden cameras and security cameras are great for protecting your children, home, or business property.

You dont need to be paranoid to see how useful one of these security cameras or surveillance systems can be.

Steven Rubin is the owner of North American Security Products, LLC. A company dedicated to providing you with the means to protect and defend yourself against crime.Lane Blog63325
Lamb Blog56908

Importance Of Reputation In The Translations Industry

In this article I am considering reputation in the translations industry. These aspects are often intrinsically linked with customer services. But customer service is only a part of what makes a reputation.

I would argue that your personal reputation is one of the most valuable things that we will own regardless of where we are of what we do. It is something that is with you always, affects parts of your daily life and is very difficult to change.

Unfortunately nothing sticks to a reputation quicker or longer then mud (negatives). So it is important to avoid such potential instance as much as possible and if possible quash any such occurrences irrevocably.

A) Reputation of a Translation Agency with its Clients Like all businesses, without your clients you dont have a business. A translation agency must ensure it creates a good reputation with its clients. This can be achieved by:

1) Quality of Translation Using only qualified and experienced translators working into their mother-tongue. Proofreading of the translation. Testing translators and auditing of their translation work. Sticking with the tried and tested translation professionals

One way quality is sometimes lost is through subcontracting. The translation agency has lost control of the translation and is therefore not in control of the quality.

2) Quality of Service Quick response and general customer care.

3) Management of the Clients Expectations A translation professional cannot always expect someone who is not working in the industry to understand what is required. This particularly applies to deadlines.

In such cases it is better to offer options with the translation quotation rather then promises that you cannot keep. For instance: The options might be later delivery v no proofreading

The general rule has to be that you only commit to what you can achieve.

B) Reputation of a Translation Agency with Freelance Translators Most agencies use a mixture of both employed and freelance translators. The freelancer only assists as and when required against won projects. A good freelance translator is pretty much like a good translation agency: They provide good quality of work and they work to mutually agreed deadlines.

Having freelancers that you can rely on is part of being a good translation company and an integral part therefore of keeping the reputation of the agency with its clients.

You can most easily manage your translations agencies reputation with freelancers by:

1) Prompt Payment It seems that the translation industry is a minefield full of late paying translation agencies that need chasing repeatedly. Its completely bizarre to me as this takes additional resources of the agency to manage the late payments. After all, if payments of 25 make a difference to your business, you may wish to address this matter through other means.

Paying your translator early or on time can therefore standout. They will feel good about the agency and be more willing to go that extra mile in quality and working hours to look after the translation agencies interests.

2) Agreement before commencement It is best that as many variables as possible are agreed in writing before the project commences. Ensure that in writing the translators has been informed of: i) Language Combination and Direction ii) Types of translation Is it medical for instance iii) Type of source document e.g. PDF iv) Format the translation is to be returned in. e.g. MS Word v) Translation Deadline vi) Fee or rate to be applied vii) Wordcount. (In some cases it is possible and necessary to send a copy of the translation in advance to the translators. But this is often restricted as prior to having a full agreement with the translator this could be deemed a breach of your clients confidentiality).

At this point the translation agency should require feedback from the translator. A written confirmation that they are capable of fulfilling the requirements set-out.

C) Reputation as a Freelance Translator The saying goes a salesman is only as good as his last sale. A similar saying could also be applied to translators A translator is only as good as their last translation. In both circumstances there is the detail to consider.

A freelance translator generally seeks a situation where they have a regular client base who consider them first. Ideally, if they are too busy the client will still come to them first for the next project and the next project.

Reputation for a freelancer allows them to earn better rates even though there will always be someone else offering to do the same job for less money. It allows the freelance translator to discuss the issues of a project openly with the client or translation project manager and have them work with them to complete their service.

The reputation of a freelance translator can be most easily maintained by:

1) Staying within their capabilities. It is not advisable to take on highly complicated specialised texts that you have no experience with unless you have discussed this with your client and have a clear plan how you will complete the project. Otherwise you might perform below what is reasonable.

2) Work to deadlines. Ensure that you assess the deadline and only agree to what is achievable. If you are upfront and say when the translation can be achievable this may well turnout fine and avoid loss of your personal standards for quality.

3) Check your work. It is advisable to take a short break and then review your translation before you send. You may have made some simple error or missed something that this last scan can pick up. This will also avoid you sending the wrong file. Checking you own work is not proofreading. Proofreading in my opinion involves a 2nd independent translator.

4) Problems If you have a problem or require extra time it is important to tell the client ASAP. This allows the issue to be addressed as soon as possible and a solution found. The problem might be legibility of part of the source text or you might be delayed due to a personal problem. If possible, the more warning notice the better for everybody.

I guess when reading this we must be reminded that with extra care and communication we should all be able to benefit from less problems and more stability from our lives in the translations industry. This care will guard our reputations.

Nigel Massey has worked internationally for many years and is a partner at the Translations Agency 'Axis Translations' http://www.axistranslations.com. The author specialises in Translation Project Management for: Technical Translations, Legal Translations, Italian Translations, Financial & Banking, etc.Kizzee Blog8689
Karin Blog69880

Marketing with My Space: An Interview

Matthew Sherborne started marketing on the internet in 1998 with his first website devoted to his commercial diving business. Matthew accumulated real-life knowledge of using low-cost advertising techniques and continually searched for new and innovative marketing methods. Through all of his research looking for the perfect system of promotion, he's discovered the most successful method has always been word of mouth advertising. With that knowledge he's been an enthusiastic supporter of searching and utilizing viral marketing techniques.

Since selling his diving service business in 2002 he's traveled from San Diego to Hawaii and finally to the San Francisco Bay area. Working a variety of labor intensive jobs, above and below ground and water, he decided in early 2005 to put 100 percent of his effort into internet marketing.

Since that time he's focused exclusively on the most effective low-cost marketing techniques to boost his online business. He now offers the very same techniques that's made him successful and yielded incredible results. Matthew has a passion for marketing and it shows as he shares today's most radically effective promotional techniques.

Matthew will take you behind the scenes to show you exactly how he makes his lucrative income and how he markets his own business online. With his "nothing held back" philosophy you can expect to get all of the inside secrets and sales boosting tactics to use on your very own online business.

Question: I read your ebook, "MySpace Cash Machine", and it is excellent. How did you get started marketing on My Space, and how did you find all of the techniques for marketing on My Space?

Answer: I got started marketing on My Space quite by accident in late 2005, in fact if not for a musician friend of mine, I would have missed it entirely.

He sent me to his My Space profile and told me how he was receiving some great exposure to his website from linking there. I'd heard in the media that My Space was literally exploding in popularity and that was enough for me to take the opportunity seriously enough to learn more. I discovered not only was My Space fast becoming the most popular website online, it held the potential to reach millions of people for free.

After some research I found that the most commented on and popular profiles were the ones that focused entirely on one subject and did so enthusiastically. Then I carefully studied what others were doing on their My Space profiles in regards to sending bulletins, comments and setting up profiles. My ultimate goal was to uncover exactly how they were making money.

I then replicated the successful money-making techniques by fine tuning my profile and website offer. By targeting one specific high-paying niche, it maximized results and brought more income. I then looked for other high interest topics within My Space and started experimenting with a variety of niche topics with different themed profiles designed to funnel people to websites exactly suited to their wants.

Question: Why do you think My Space is such an effective place to market your business? Why would you recommend My Space?

Answer: For starters, My Space currently has more than an 80 percent market share over all social networking websites. This accounts for a total number of profiles in excess of 100 million and My Space is currently ranked the 5th most visited website on the planet. As you can imagine the sheer number of people on My Space makes it an extremely attractive place to find hungry customers.

Coupled with the fact that My Space allows you to customize your own webpage with HTML code and CSS to give it any kind of look you want and link to outside sources is irresistible. Imagine the potential of having a popular profile centered around a lucrative keyword and linking it to your own Adsense monetized website or sales page.

Once you've got a popular profile it becomes an incredible opportunity just waiting for you to plug in to it. Through the use of groups, forums, messages, events, comments, blogs, videos and classified advertising you have a multitude of ways to reach people interested in your products and turn them into your customers.

You can use My Space to get targeted customers for virtually any product you have to offer and you can grow your opt-in lists to continue the selling process. The best part is, you can use My Space to tap in to the most powerful kind of marketing ever known, word of mouth.

Question: What marketing technique do you find to be the most effective, and how do you use it? Would you tell us one or two of your best marketing tips?

Answer: As a marketer, the most important key to remember is that your My Space profile is created to attract viewers to your website. To do this, you must determine the most remarkable aspect of your product and turn that into your own persuasive story. Your whole profile must reflect your unique story and be structured so that it not only appeals to your target audience but compels them to find out more.

Your My Space picture is often the first thing that people see; make sure you have one that stands out. The best pictures stir up an emotion in its viewer. A good rule of thumb is to select pictures that are relevant to your product and audience. My favorite strategy is to use a movable gif that is a little larger than the average and captures the viewer's attention.

You'll want to spend time selecting a strong headline for your profile since it will appear next to your picture. It will also be visible from comments you leave on other profiles and on the My Space search function. It's important that you use proper search engine optimization techniques in your headline and throughout your profile's content. The headline should reflect your overall strategy with important keywords.

Leveraging the efforts of many is key to building a profitable My Space marketing business. One of the best ways to market your offer on My Space after you've established your profile is through the use of groups. You have the opportunity to start a group on virtually any topic you want. When you start a group you have control over who can join and its content. To get your group started send a bulletin to everyone on your friends list. Once you've got a loyal following to your group, people will gladly share the information with others.

If you want to send viewers to a specific offer, sending bulletins to your My Space profile's friends list will get you instant results. You can use bulletins to offer something of perceived value to gain the acceptance of friends and have them become outspoken advocates for your product.

Commenting on popular profiles will get people coming to check you out. People on My Space love to share things with each other. If you have a unique video, funny picture or contest, you can post it on popular profiles and really spread your message. Once the word is out, its potential to spread is limitless.

Question: What trends do you see in marketing on My Space? What do you see in the future of My Space?

Answer: My Space has grown so fast due in large part to its success facilitating direct person to person interaction. Whether it's sharing pictures, videos or content, people are moving away from disruptive media sources and embracing those that involve user generated content. You can expect to see more consumer created media begin to appear on profiles and anticipate more people willing to share it.

In the near future people will not only research a particular product, but go to My Space to learn about the product's creator. Building relationships and connecting with others of like mind is what My Space is all about . For savvy marketers, this means allowing the consumer to feel like they have a direct connection with you.

Marketers who expose others to non interruptive sources of information will have the greatest success, as quality content becomes the accepted norm. Competition will intensify among traditional advertisers as the ad dollars spent on social networks approaches the billions. With its massive success My Space will branch out to being viewed via cell phones and expand to other countries like China and Japan.

Most importantly, successful online marketing will transform to become continually viral. Instead of buying a product based on brand alone, consumers will seek out and follow the recommendations of others. Marketers who have framed their message to be extraordinary will benefit from having it shared and heard worldwide.

Question: What projects are you currently working on, and where do you plan to take your business from here?

Answer: My future is focused primarily on helping other small business owners strategically place themselves in their market to stand out among the corporations without spending a fortune. The objective is to build resources that bridge the gap between consumers and marketers and generate customers who become outspoken supporters.

I plan on taking my business forward by concentrating on the most effective new forms of media. You'll hear a whole lot more of me as I venture into online video, audio products and viral promotions. My business plan incorporates a series of interconnected products all pursuing the goal of pushing the marketing boundaries to new limits.

Jinger Jarrett is the author of the book, "Internet Marketing for Free: The GUIDE (on Amazon). Get your free ebook download at http://www.askjingernow.com Matthew Sherborne is the author of the ebook, My Space Cash Machine: http://www.cashmachinebook.com/ Get your free ecourse now.Lacey Blog3693
Kerri Blog59386

A Review of Billing Software

Recent recurring themes, like cutbacks and downsizing, are in the news every day when it comes to businesseses of all sizes. Due to those problems there are now less people in the companies left to complete essential company work and thats typical for every company. Fortunately there are products that can help companies cope with the results of that trend. Billing software is one of those products. As there always are bills to be processed no matter the size and the type of the business itself, there are a number of programs to choose from that can help doing that, and that include so many additional useful features that they can actually match the needs of any company.

Such software can be used for example both in a medical clinic and in a law firm. It will equally well serve for medical billing that includes direct billing of patients, processing claims to insurance companies and many others depending on the situation and for the law firm to track time thats billed to a certain customer. This professional billing software is capable of tracking incurred expenses by the attorneys work also and many other things.

Application of such software seems to be unlimited as it can also be used by merchandise selling companies. Such program can be so set up that it will send and track invoices and include them for the specific time periods required. What is more, the billing software can fit perfectly a company with routine expenditures as it can produce time based bills electronically for all the automatic and recurring purchases.

Billing software can manage claims made by both suppliers and customers, and in addition it can process employee time slips for example. Not only will it process them but it can also calculate automatically and process payroll deductions based on that too. In some companies they have it even easier. Employees enter their timesheets electronically and the billing software generates a calculation of their exact pay. So if you set the daily or hourly wage for an employee, the software itself keeps track of time-slips, payments, accounts and all necessary details. Of course there are online billing programs too. Such programs dont even require software for the companies with mostly routine expenses that dont fluctuate significantly. They do offer quick and easy to follow billing procedure though.

Billing software has just as many variations as the different factors that make up a business as it is. Having different sizes, numbers of employees, etc. or the function of the company being manufacturing, distribution or dealing with different professionals to generate business leads to a great variety in the requirements each company has for its billing software. In order to help with that situation there are free directories that match billing software with company requirements. The billing software will be a great help for you but you have to make sure that you choose the right program for your type of business and your needs exactly. Thats why it is always better to use the help of those directories, search them through and find the perfect match.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning business. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting http://www.generalbusinessinfo.com/business-information/business-news/a-review-of-billing-software.htmlKaty Blog24565
Keely Blog14314

Cellular Phone Covers Add Appeal To An Electronic Gadget

In everything we do these days there is some sense of fashion involved. In the past it only meant the style of your clothing however these days it touches just about every aspect of our lives (ie - what shoes to wear, the belts we have on, watches, jewelry, the way we comb our hair and even what kind of cell phone we carry. Rising to the occasion people in the cellphone industry have introduced covers or faceplates for cell phones, as they are widely known, to match almost anyone's taste for fashion.

Cellular-Phone Cover Advantages

The younger generation, especially the female members, always take particular interest in how they dress up and they have very particular tastes when it comes to having all their accessories match, such as bags, scarves, shoes and also what not to wear. Since cellular phones are so pervasive and are a must-have accessory for just about everyone, its ability to 'match' to the style and clothes of the owner has also become a matter of particular interest.

Responding to this concern and demand from the consumer, the market produced and made available faceplates and matching cellular phone covers for practically every model of cell phone available. Because there is so much diversity available in the designs for accessories for cell phones these days you can not only match the color but also whatever particular style for that cellular-phone model.

The Benefits of A Cellular Phone Cover

In addition to having the perfect match, there are numerous other advantages that you can benefit from by using cell phone covers:

1. It's plenty of fun -- there is a windfall selection of funny designs for the faceplates to suit every mood. There are smiles, you can buy one that has your favorite cartoon characters, flowers, fruits and more as a faceplate, which will more than likely make you giggle on the inside every time you look at your cell phone.

2. Excellent party accessory -- if you happen to have a formal party and you have an elegant jewelry type cellular phone cover it turns into a great accessory to help enhance your style.

3. Helps to give your old cell phone a facelift -- when you scratch your mobile phone, or if it's faded and old, you can immediately 'rejuvenate' it with a brand-new cellular phone cover. The thing is with these covers is that they're inexpensive and you won't have to pay a small fortune for them; so by spending a tiny fraction of the cost, you can virtually have a brand-new cell phone in a snap.

4. Great protection for your cell phone -- these faceplates have many different materials that they are made out of. Some materials are exotic whose primary purpose is cosmetic enhancement. However, some of these faceplates are made of unbreakable fiber/plastic, which in addition to adding to your phones visual appeal, it will also protect it from shock and moisture and from falling.

Corbin Newlyn is an expert in the field of consumer electronics. If you would like to learn more go to http://www.cellphoneproworld.com and at http://www.cellphoneproworld.com/cell-phone-plans/cell-phone-plan/Klarika Blog93029
Kaja Blog49657

Ruby vs Java Conundrum

The Ruby language and Rails framework have been gaining rapid prominence and fast becoming development platforms of choice for many Web 2.0 applications and sites. This rapid rise is raising questions on the abilities and applicability of Java technologies for particular kind of products. Many visionaries and early adopters of Ruby and Rails framework have already sounded the death knell for Java. Impetus iLabs has invested significant time, effort and technological expertise to take a hard look at Java and Ruby platforms and to separate the facts from the fiction, an initiative to make users aware, informed, and ahead of new developments in the technology space.

Java

Java refers to a number of computer software products and specifications that together provide a system for developing and deploying cross-platform applications. Java is used in a wide variety of computing platforms spanning from embedded devices and cell phones on the low end to enterprise servers and super computers on the high end.

Java has gained enormous popularity since it first appeared. Its rapid ascension and wide acceptance can be traced to its design and programming features, particularly in its promise that you can write a program once, and run it anywhere. With Java, you can often get software for free and is one of the first programming languages to consider security as part of its design.

Security measures cannot be implemented with any degree of assurance without a reliable framework for program execution. Java provides multiple levels of reliability measures, beginning with the Java language itself.

Java: Pros

* Javas population of programmers is huge.

* Javas open source community thrives. Open source projects exist across a wide spectrum of problem spaces and fill many different niches. With Java, you can often get software for free that youd have to build yourself or pay for on other languages.

* Java is mature. Java is often the safest choice.

* Java is scalable. Weve learned enough from experience to build applications that scale.

* Java offers choice.

* Java Technology is mature and provides proven solutions for enterprise level problems such as Two-phase commit, and distributed objects.

Java: Cons

Like any programming language, Java is not without drawbacks. A study conducted by Wily in 2003 has reported the J2EE performance and availability was generally average to poor. Java has also been receiving stiff competition with IBM launching consulting support for PHP in February 2005.

* The Java Platform Is Weakening

Successful programming languages seem to emerge every decade or so. Bell Labs developed the C programming language in the early 1970s, C++ was released by AT&T in 1985 and slowly subsumed C because it had features allowing object-oriented programming. Sun released Java in 1996, and it rapidly emerged as a popular language for Internet development. Java has been growing steadily ever since. Trivial logic dictates were due for a new programming language around now, and Java should start to decline soon.

* Complexity

Javas complexity is increasing. With one massively complex framework after another, Java vendors embraced EJB and the most complicated version imaginable of web services and XML. EJB vendors redesigned EJB from scratch twice, forcing significant migrations on their customers.

* Availability

In a 2003 study, Wily (http://www.wilytech.com/news/releases/031120.html) reported that J2EE performance and availability were generally average to poor.

* Competition

In February 2005, IBM announced consulting support for PHP. Ruby on Rails has passed 500,000 total downloads. Peter Yared, Suns previous application server CTO predicted that J2EE would lose to LAMP (open source software consisting of Linux, Apache web server, MySQL, and a dynamic language such as Python, Perl, or PHP)

Ruby language

Ruby is a reflective, dynamic, object-oriented programming language. It combines syntax inspired by Perl with Smalltalk-like object-oriented features, and also shares some features with Python, Lisp, Dylan, and CLU. Ruby is a single-pass interpreted language.

Ruby Pros

* Productivity: Ruby and Ruby on Rails have higher productivity measured as Lines of code per feature size and time to build feature.

* Short ramp up times, well motivated team and experienced team can be productive on RoR platform in less than a week cross training

* A long list of industry visionaries are supporting Ruby

o Martin Fowler, chief scientist at ThoughtWorks

o James Duncan Davidson, creator of Ant and Tomcat, is using Rails in a start-up to develop a web-enabled rich application that will be the primary offering of that company.

o David Geary, key designer for several successful web development frameworks including JavaServer Faces (JSF) is speaking and blogging about Rails with regularity.

o Richard Monson Haefel, once one of two voting individuals for the Java Community Process (JCP) recently led the Burton Group in a discussion with high-profile U.S. companies about Ruby on Rails as an important emerging technology. He has also published a paper about using Rails with Oracle.

* Ruby and Ruby on Rails have higher productivity which leads to other benefits like:

o More productivity leads to fewer developers per project.

o You spend less effort on communication for small projects.

o Having fewer developers per project also lowers management costs per project.

o When you finish applications sooner, you deliver their value to the business sooner.

Ruby Cons

* As a new language, Ruby could potentially stagnate, which could make scarce resources even harder to find.

* There are not as many deployed Ruby applications in production yet, so we dont have as much definitive proof of the ultimate scalability of Ruby.

* The Ruby community is not as well established as the Java community, so its harder to find third-party components, frameworks, education, and services.

* Ruby is less structured than Java and has fewer automated features to protect applications from abuse. This flexibility is both a strength and a weakness.

Summary

Impetus strongly believes that in the current scenario Java and Ruby technology platforms will continue to coexist and address different need. RoR and Ruby platform is much better suited for a particular type of Web Applications and Sites where application programmers can control the database.

Java technology platform is proven and addresses issues like two phase commit and distributed objects very well.

In the coming future the equations may change, Ruby platform has a high chance of overtaking Java Platform to be the platform of choice for building all types of application. Impetus believes that the following factors are conducive of Rubys probability of replacing Java

* Network ubiquity and increasing bandwidth changes the dynamics and premises on which the distributed architecture principles were built. Thin client and layered architectures were necessitated for conserving network bandwidth and reducing network traffic due to latency. In a world with fast and fat pipes of connection these premises would not hold anymore. This tilts the balance in favor of Ruby and ROR.

* CPU cycles and memory is becoming ridiculously cheap. Performance and scaling up potentially will be lesser of an issue as you could use more hardware to scale up applications without having to take on a huge cost burden. This again tilts the balance in Rubys favor.

Vineet Tyagi is Director of Engineering,Impetus Technologies (http://www.impetus.com).Lari Blog24712
Kandace Blog66610

Playing Mp3s In The Car

Whether on the way to work, to drop the kids off at school, or going to the grocery store, everyone has a favorite radio station that they listen to while in the car. If its like most stations, they've got a mix of music that is hard to not sing along with and they probably claim to play 90 minutes of pure music with no commercial interruption. Yet somehow it seems like every time the car starts up those 90 minutes have just came to an end. Perhaps it is time to leave the commercials -- and the 20th century -- behind and connect an MP3 player to the car stereo.

To solve the problem of playing MP3s in a car, there are a few different solutions. For those cars with stereos old enough to have a cassette player, the best option is simply an adapter. Most every electronics retail store sells cassette adapters. These adapters plug into the headphone jack of the MP3 player (or virtually any other similar device) and a cassette-shaped converter is inserted into the car's tape player. This way the signal travels directly through the headphone jack, through the adapter cassette, and then through the car stereo, giving the great sound and music selection received from a digital audio player.

Another option is to get an FM transmitter that turns an MP3 player into a miniature FM station. This is a less than perfect solution, and requires a few very important things to be considered. Most FM transmitters offer only a few specific frequencies to transmit the signal. The cheapest ones broadcast on 88.0 through 89.0 FM exclusively. If there is a major local station nearby within that band it is likely this station's broadcast will interfere with the operation of such a FM transmitter. Higher-quality transmitters will give the freedom to choose from a wider selection of frequencies, making it easier to find one that is far enough from a powerful signal to come in clearly on the car's radio tuner.

The final option is to have a factory radio adapter installed in the car, which allows the audio to be used to its fullest extent. These adapters are far more expensive than simple external adapters and generally require some installation that may have to be done professionally. While this style of solution can be found at most major electronics retail outlets, it may be more desirable to order them online where they are more readily available.

George Davis contributes articles to several Internet magazines, including http://real-product.com and http://togeb.com.Karna Blog61929
Katrina Blog57211

Sell Timeshares Properly

Everyone wants, needs and deserves a vacation. Rest and relaxation are commodities that mean big business. Timeshares are among the most bought and sold properties on today's market.

Like any real estate transaction, selling a timeshare property can be confusing. Values fluctuate, and owners can sometimes realize a profit loss when it comes time to sell. It's easy for illegitimate or even illegal resale companies and consultants to prey on confused or desperate sellers. If you have a timeshare property to sell, you need to know the facts and protect yourself from possible scams.

Scams

Be wary and on constant lookout for scams when selling your timeshare. Don't believe everyone who calls claiming to have buyers willing to pay top dollar for your timeshare property, especially if they request fees upfront to "guarantee" a sale. Chances are, you will not get the same amount for your timeshare that you initially paid for it.

Price competitively

Selling your timeshare requires that you price the property competitively in the market. Buyers are looking for a good deal, so be prepared to give it to them. Find other properties in the same resort, and price yours competitively. Consider the week that you own the timeshare; if it's during prime season, you'll be able to increase your price dramatically. Selling timeshares during the off-season can be harder and will net you less profit than selling the same unit during peak vacation time. You'll have plenty of competition, so don't price your timeshare any higher than what you will actually take.

Research

Gather as much information as possible about the market and comparable properties. Compare what you have to offer to similar timeshare properties currently listed or recently sold. This can help you sell your vacation property quickly and properly. A reputable timeshare company can be of assistance to you in locating this information.

Advertise

Timeshare and advertising companies can offer valuable services to give your property maximum exposure to potential buyers. If you choose to use a service, do not accept or sign any agreement that will lock you in to an exclusive arrangement, keeping you from advertising or marketing your timeshare property with other companies. Limiting your advertising avenues can prolong the time it takes to close a deal.

Whether you choose to advertise your timeshare solo, or through the use of a service, be sure to list your property with complete details and descriptions. Post pictures in publications, and include video on any advertising websites. When selling your timeshare, you have many options, including the Internet, to maximize the exposure of your personal marketing plan. To reach as many prospective buyers as possible, utilize several types of media to advertise your property.

Direct Marketing is also an ideal way to advertise and sell your timeshare. To utilize this form of advertisement, use a combination of direct mail, e-mail and telephone contacts to reach potential buyers.

Direct mail offers a very personal approach in advertising and selling timeshares. Potential buyers are addressed personally with letters sent in various forms. The letters will include your property along with other timeshares available, with descriptions and details needed to entice reservations and inquiries.

Selling timeshares with creative and informative radio or television commercials should also be considered.

Strategically placed billboard advertising is a great way to reach many potential buyers. Timeshare companies will purchase billboards in locations frequented by vacationers. Orlando, Florida is home to one of the highest numbers of billboard advertising timeshares, drawing the attention of nearly 70 million potential buyers or renters annually.

When selling your timeshare, remember that patience is definitely a virtue. While this may seem clich, even the most well established timeshare companies will tell you that their expertise in the field cannot predict when your property will sell.

To be successful in selling your timeshare, you need to establish two major factors: list at a competitive price, and create good advertising exposure. Combining these two factors will help you be successful in selling your timeshare more quickly. If the timeshare is overpriced or under advertised, the sale may take longer than you expect.

Enter the selling experience with realistic expectations and a little patience, and your timeshare will sell more quickly and easily.

Elizabeth Thomas contributes to several online magazines, including http://exoza.com and http://rukop.com.Lainey Blog57886
Kizzee Blog76918

Gaming Laptops As The Perfect Christmas Gifts

Let's face it, everyone knows gaming laptops are expensive. Real expensive. Although prices have fallen dramatically over the last few years, you still have to be prepared to spend a fair hunk of change if you're going to treat someone with one of these ultimate computing machines.

Expensive, yes!

But don't be overwhelmed by the high price tag, the gaming laptop has many hidden benefits and practical uses. Very few people realize how practical gaming laptops are as Christmas gifts.

Practical?

Yes! Gaming laptops are practical in several ways...

First, the ideal Christmas gift must be fun, it must offer joy and pleasure to the receiver. A top of line or even middle range gaming laptop will offer hours and hours of fun and enjoyment to the new proud owner.

Think back at all the great Christmas gifts you have received in the past - which ones do you remember with the most fondness? Which ones offered you the most complete joy? Chances are it was the gift or toy that you played with the most, for hours and hours on end.

It was also probably the one toy that kept you out of the way, occupied and playing with it for days. The one gift that kept you from disturbing your parents, giving them perhaps the ultimate gift in return - peace and quiet in the home.

A gaming laptop will keep even the most active child or teenager totally absorbed and oblivious for hours, even days at a time. How practical is that? Ask any besieged parent out there and you might get more than a few sly grins...

Granted, they are still more cheaper practical gifts you can buy. Remember the worst gift you've ever gotten at Christmas time. Probably a pair of socks from Aunt Sue or Uncle Harry?

Socks: Practical, yes. Fun, No!

Perfect Christmas gifts have to be fun. They also have to be shared.

Perhaps your most favorite gift was one that was not only fun but could be shared with others. An interactive toy or game that brought everybody together at Christmas time. Quality time before it was called a silly thing like quality time!

A gaming laptop can be a gift for the whole family, it can be shared with everyone. From friendly game playing to preparing Mom's tax returns to compiling Dad's cooking recipes. Laptops are versatile and completely portable, move them from room to room in your home or take them along on those long car rides to the cottage. A laptop can be a practical fun gift for the whole family.

What many people also don't realize; gaming laptops are high quality computers - take away the gaming aspect and you still have a high performance work-horse. Excellent for company spreadsheets, fast professional video editing or even high volume database storage. Excellent for all those multi-tasking chores for a home business or home office.

For students, that ultimate gaming machine can also be the perfect word processor for all those class assignments. That stylist monster can be the perfect study/resource aid used throughout the school year. These days, with the Internet, gaming laptops can also be the perfect tools to keep parents in touch with their college going children. Most high end gaming laptops even have a built-in webcam.

Of course, you must not forget that a high end, top of the line gaming laptop is foremost a pleasure machine. It will have top quality sound and visuals; perfect for viewing a favorite movie or family photos. Most are now complete home entertainment machines that can offer much more than just video games.

However, you must always remember, the best gifts are the ones that are perfectly matched to what the receiver wants. So if there's a person close to you who wants one of these gaming monsters for Christmas, why not give it to them?

If you can afford it, why not? The receiver will surely be pleased and overjoyed with a gaming laptop. Besides, Christmas is the time for giving joy and pleasure to the ones we care about the most. It is a time to express our love by giving gifts.

Scraping all the sentimental hallmarks to one side for the moment, there are many more practical reasons to justify such an expensive item as we have shown above. Actually, all you have to remember are the key factors which makes a gaming laptop such a perfect Christmas gift in the first place.

Gaming laptops: Practical, yes. Fun, hell yes!

Copyright (c) 2006 Titus Hoskins

Titus Hoskins runs an online Laptop Guide featuring the latest top gaming laptops:Karia Blog93150
Kaile Blog37832

Jumping Ship

I cant stand anymore chicken! a vacationing guest, who seemed a bit tipsy, shouted at the captain of the cruise ship, and then leaped overboard.

The captain rushed to the railing and peered into the heaving waves. There bobbed his malcontent passenger.

Recently, there had been an inexplicable spate of vacationers aboard cruise ships choosing to jump ship. Now, one of his passengers had chosen to go over the edge.

A shot of adrenalin made his heart thump, and he turned, saw the first mate, and called, Passenger overboard! Life boat! Man the life boats! Alert the Coast Guard! We need assistance!

Just then the wife of the man who just jumped ship threw her arms up, and yelled, Count me out, too!

Why? Captain Walsh demanded.

As she dashed for the railing, she took a moment to inform him, Even the spaghetti is inedible!

Then over she went.

Walsh watched her spin toward the water and splash down near her water-treading husband.

Dear me, he lamented, and turned to his curiously desultory first mate, Make that two lifeboats!

Then he steeled himself for his greatest challenge. All the passengers had now gathered on the deck and appeared unsettlingly malcontent. The insane thought passed through his mind that they might opt for going overboard en masse.

Then he noticed telltale signs that his worst nightmare could come true. For instance, a few especially irate guests were brandishing hastily scrawled signs, saying such things as, Better Entertainment Now! Freedom From Bingo! and Clean The Pool!

Now, see here, the captain said, I know youre all not thrilled with every aspect of the cruise, but surely there are some enjoyable things.

Name one! a disgruntled passenger challenged him.

Well, how about the port calls? he asked weakly. And all the wonderful shopping opportunities?

Robbery in every port! a man let out. Disguised as sale prices!

You think this seashell necklace is worth a thousand dollars? a particularly irate female shopper said, holding up the stringed bauble.

To the rails! another man yelled.

Were off of here! a woman exclaimed.

Then the entire group, every last passenger currently still aboard the ship, as far as the captain could tell, made a move for the rail.

Stop! I order you to stay on board! Walsh commanded, and placed his body between the rail and the ocean-bound passengers.

Stand aside! a rather brawny traveler in Bermudas shouted, waving a threatening ping-pong paddle.

No more watered-down mixed drinks for me! another man screamed.

Or slot machines where everybody loses! a woman chimed in.

Then the sea of passengers pressed forward, and Captain Walsh found himself being helplessly twirled aside by one pair of rail-bent hands after another. Then, to his shock, he watched helplessly as every single guest leap off the boat.

How we gonna explain this to headquarters! the first mate called from the lifeboats, which he and a gaggle of other crew members were attempting to activate.

The alarmed captain peered down at all the guests, splashing in the waves, and then looked back at the first mate. Quick the lifeboats! Weve got to save everyone or well be finished washed up, forever!

Just then the ships chef and his staff appeared on the deck and hurried toward the captain. Is it true? All the passengers? the chef asked, and peered over the rail.

Every last one of them! the captain wailed.

It couldnt be the food? the chef wanted to know.

Could it? the sous chef queried.

I have to be honest. Some did mention that.

I feel terrible about this, the chef sighed. My cooking days are over.

Then he motioned to his staff, and they all made for the rail.

Hold it! the captain said. Not you and the kitchen crew, too?

The least we can do is join them! returned the chef. Then, with a flourish, he added, If only I had better ingredients!

And over the rail he and his fellow denizens of the kitchen went.

Chef and staff overboard! the captain called.

Then, to his dismay, the first mate and the crew members who were helping to launch the lifeboats stopped their vital work and climbed down to the deck.

What are you doing? Captain Walsh called. Man those lifeboats!

Worse yet, now the rest of the crew emerged from below. They all made their way toward him.

What are you doing? he asked. Weve got passengers drowning down there!

I dont know, captain, the first mate replied. Weve been talking.

You what? the captain inquired.

Me and the crew, and we decided having one passenger jump ship is bad enough but all of them?

No way we can save them all, a crew member volunteered.

And even if we rescue most of them, another crew member lamented, what future do we have?

Were finished, the first mate sighed.

Disgraced! a crew member put in.

We could even go to jail, the first mate advised him.

Maybe the passengers have the right idea, another crew member conceded. Can you believe how bad the comedian was last night? Not one good joke!

And what about the singer? another crew member asked. I cant stand the way she screeches on every high note.

Excuse us, sir, the mate told the captain, but I think weve pretty much made up our minds. Then he turned to the crew. Shall we?

What else? one replied.

And then, to the captains dismay, they all jumped ship. He followed their decent. Then there they all were, splashing in the ocean among the passengers.

Now he heard steps behind him and turned. The entertainers were hurrying toward him.

Whats going on? the comedian asked.

Everybody jumped ship, the captain told them, pointing over the rail.

The troupe of entertainers rushed to the rail and looked down.

Why would they do that? the singer with the screechy voice asked.

They seem to have had a variety of reasons.

Not the entertainment? a faux-Hawaiian dancer asked.

Im afraid it played a role, the captain admitted.

Youve got to be kidding, the ventriloquist replied.

Once this gets out, well never work another cruise! a male singer said, distraught.

Lets face it. Our careers are kaput, another dancer sighed.

What are we going to do just stand here? the comedian wanted to know.

As I see it, the right thing to do is join our audience, the ventriloquist concluded.

Hold it, the captain said, grabbing the ventriloquist by the shirt. You cant be serious?

Dont worry, he said, and held up his dummy. Herman floats.

Got a better idea, captain? the comedian asked.

You want to live to explain this to management? the Hawaiian dancer said.

Maybe youve got something there, Captain Walsh admitted. Yes, by golly, I think you do. But, as the captain, I insist on being the last to abandon ship.

Spoken like a true captain, the comedian assured him, and turned to the rest. Ready, team?

Ready! the ventriloquist said, and his dummy Herman added, Famous last words!

And so, as the captain stood by, all the entertainers leaped bravely overboard.

Walsh watched them plummet into the crowded sea.

Oh, well, he told himself, its been a good career, until now. Then he called, Anybody left on board?

Not a single voice interrupted the ocean breeze.

Then its over the side for me! he called, and looked at the crowded sea in search of an unoccupied area. And over he went.

Down he fell, toward the tossing passengers, crew, chef with the kitchen staff, and entertainers. He managed to splash into the water, instead of landing on top of any of the former occupants of his ship, and sank beneath the waves.

When he bobbed back up, he awoke, wet with sweat, and found himself doing the breaststroke on his mattress.

What a nightmare! he thought.

And he resolved to speak to management. Obviously, there were things about life on cruise ships that could be improved, and he vowed to be the champion of change.

Just to make sure all was well, he got out of bed and opened a port. He saw a young couple, leaning against the railing. They seemed to be in a romantic mood and not at all likely to jump overboard. He smiled, closed the port, and went back to bed.

It felt especially good to know he still had his passengers on board, along with his crew, kitchen staff, and, no doubt, his troupe of gifted entertainers.

Tom Attea, humorist and creator of http://NewsLaugh.com, has had six shows produced Off-Broadway. Critics have called his writing "delightfully funny," "witty," with "good, genuine laughs" and "great humor and ebullience."Kylila Blog6447
Lane Blog63325

Buying A New Computer 101: The Basics

Ok if your reading this I'm going to asume that you already have a computer but lets face it, in todays computing enviroment the power (speed) of computers doubles about every 18 months. We like to joke that when you get a new computer its obsolete before you can get it out of the box.

You have completed the first step, deciding that you need a new computer, now we must make a vital decision before any others can be made. Do you want a Macintosh or a Windows based computer? In the past Macintosh computers could only run the Macintosh operating system, however with the release fo the Intel chipsets in the new Mac Pro line users can now run either windows or Mac OS X. The basic advantages to buying a mac are: more stable operating system (aka it doesn't crash as often), for all practical pourposes they do not get viruses, adware or spyware, the tech support is very good, you can run Windows XP or Mac OS X and the operating system is very easy to use. Now the advantages of owning a Windows based computer are: cheaper, to be honest this is the honly advantage that I can think of and the main reason they are cheaper is usually because inferior components where used.

I own several computers, two Macs and a PC. I love the macs they are a joy to work with, they never break and I never have to defrag the hard drvie or run a virus scan. The PC I use because I like to play games. It is constantly breaking down adn having problems. It really comes down to this, if you want to play games and you cant instal Windows XP on your mac then buy a PC if you cann install windows on your mac buy a mac. Macs use higher quality components and are more reliable!

My name is Ian I am running several websites right now including:Karlene Blog97911
Kee Blog25532

2007 CR-V Honda-Smart Interior With Advanced Features And Modern Styling For Honda Detroit

The inside of the 2007 CR-V blends Honda's industry renowned ergonomics and clever storage integration with classy, modern and efficient architecture. Honda stylists and engineers prioritized sophistication to create a high-quality, advanced and sporty space with the latest technology and innovative storage solutions. For 2007, more standard features and available new features like a navigation system with voice recognition highlight the dedication to taking the interior to an entirely new level.

The increased body width allows the seats to be wider and more supportive, and a newly-designed retractable center tray table not only provides the prerequisite beverage holders and sub-tray, but EX and above models also contains an additional 12V power outlet and auxiliary audio jack. CR-V models outfitted with a leather interior (EX-L) provide a spacious multi-function center console that can accommodate up to 24 compact discs (on models without the navigation system).

On EX and above models, a dual-deck cargo shelf provides additional storage options in the cargo area and can hold up to 20 pounds, while providing enough clearance underneath for grocery bags or items such as a folded stroller. Key interior dimensions remain similar to the generous proportions of the 2006 model.

The latest generation of the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition and Rearview Camera is available on the CR-V EX-L featuring a 6.5-inch mechanical display that opens and closes for access to the internal single-disc CD player and a digital audio card reader that can play MP3 and WMA files from Compact Flash(R) cards. The navigation system features more than 7 million points of interest and can control the audio system. The voice recognition is capable of recognizing and inputting numbers, street names and cities.

For 2007, all audio systems are more powerful with at least 160 watts. As much as 270 Watts and seven speakers including a subwoofer are available on the EX-L with Navigation. Auxiliary audio input jacks are standard equipment on all trim levels, allowing for portable music device playback through the CR-V's speakers. XM(R) Satellite Radio is standard on the EX-L. The LX trim level has a four-speaker 160-watt audio system with a single-disc CD player. All CR-V audio systems have MP3/WMA CD playback capability and Speed-Sensitive Volume Control (SVC) that automatically adjusts the volume based on vehicle speed.

HONDA BLOOMFIELD is the second generation of the original Honda Detroit Automobile dealership in Michigan. We provide the Detroit Metro area with new and used Honda vehicles. Finding used cars in Detroit is very easy where we value your trade. If you are looking for new Honda vehicles in Detroit, used car in Detroit please reach out to Honda Bloomfield as your car dealer in Detroit. Many of our employees have been employed here at this location for decades and our loyal customer base has grown with us over the years. We service and sell vehicles to our original customers and now their children and grandchildren.

Honda Detroit vehicles can be found at Honda Bloomfield. Used car Detroit can be found at Honda Bloomfield. Used car Michigan can be found at Honda Bloomfield. Honda Michigan can be found at Honda Bloomfield. We are your Honda dealer in Michigan.

The secret behind our success is our concern for our customer's satisfaction. In order to maintain this high satisfaction rating we know we have to perform at an equally high level. Great inventory selection, trained sales staff, dedicated managers and of course, competitive pricing are what we continually strive to achieve. Our dedication to you has made us the #1 Honda dealer in Michigan in August 2006.

We are located at 1819 S. Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48302. You can reach us at (888) 340-1111 or (248) 333-3200. If you visit our showroom or bring your car for service our guest amenities include:
- Free Wireless High Speed Internet Wi Fi Wireless for your laptop or PDA. Work or play while we service you Honda.
- Beverage Bar Gourmet coffee, tea and hot chocolate as a compliment to our fresh donuts.
- Car Wash Free car wash after purchase with service.
- Enterprise On-sight Enterprise rental while your car is being serviced.
- High-Speed Information Center Research the latest Honda models at Honda Bloomfield's high speed research center.
- Kid's Corner Toys, books and tv to keep your children busy during your visit to Honda Bloomfield.
- Honda Bloomfield Shuttle Service When your car is being serviced we offer our shuttle within a 10 mile radius.
- Guest Lounge Relax, watch tv read a magazine while your car is being serviced in our spacious lounge.
- Boutique Visit our Boutique for gift ideas or to personalize your Honda. Call 866-208-2318 for official Honda accessories and Honda apparel.

Ann KnappKarel Blog61950
Kaye Blog81912

Finding Programming Help on the Internet

Sometimes when you run into a programming problem you need a little help to get moving again. You can quickly find that help on the Internet (at a reasonable price).

Rentacoder.com is a really helpful website. It is similar to eLance.com, but it specializes more in programming and coding while eLance.com covers more general services such as writing, translation, legal, accounting, etc.

It is more difficult to register on Rentacoder than on eLance. Apparently, Rentacoder has been burned by credit card fraud so you must take additional steps to validate your card for payment. The sign up process consists of the usual completion of the sign up form, setting up your credit card as the payment method, scanning or faxing both sides of the card to Rentacoder, and then receiving a phone call from Rentacoder validating the card. This is handled quickly and efficiently.

One reason for using Rentacoder over eLance is the minimum project cost on eLance is $50.00 and Rentacoder does not have a minimum.

Lets discuss how to use Rentacoder.

Once you have established an account on Rentacoder and validated your credit card, you are ready to post projects for coders to bid on. This is a simple process of completing the input form for the bid. You must state the specifications for the job in as much detail as possible so the coders who will enter bids can understand the job and enter the most accurate bid possible.

You then specify the computer operating system on which the program or script will run.

The deliverables are important so both parties understand exactly what is expected as the output for the project. Rentacoder has standard language for deliverables to help you with this part of the project creation as follows:

Deliverables:

All deliverables must be uploaded to Rent A Coder before the deadline(s) for this project...with no exceptions. If this contract makes it impossible for a competent person to do this, then do not start this project...but instead alert Rent A Coder of an un-arbitratable, illegal project.

1) Complete and fully-functional working program(s) in executable form as well as complete source code of all work done.

2) Deliverables must be in ready-to-run condition, as follows (depending on the nature of the deliverables): For web sites or other server-side deliverables intended to only ever exist in one place in the Buyer's environment--

3) All deliverables will be considered "work made for hire" under U.S. Copyright law. Buyer will receive exclusive and complete copyrights to all work purchased. (No GPL, GNU, 3rd party components, etc. unless all copyright ramifications are explained AND AGREED TO by the buyer on the site per the coder's Seller Legal Agreement).

When you have entered all the information, post the job and wait for the responses (bids). You will be surprised how quickly you will receive bids and how reasonable most of them will be.

Rentacoder is a great resource for any coding or programming project on which you need help. There are many capable programmers available through the Internet who can help you at a very competitive price. Dont let a small coding project stop you when help is so easy to find at a reasonable price on Rentacoder.

Copyright 2006 John Howe, Inc.

John V. W. Howe is an entrepreneur, author, inventor, patent holder, husband, father, and grandfather. He has been involved in entrepreneurial activities for over 40 years. He founded http://www.boomer-ezine.com and http://www.retirement-jobs-online.com to help Boomers (baby boomers) become entrepreneurs when they retire.Kelli Blog91659
Kailey Blog72665

The Secret Weight Loss Machine

There is a piece of equipment available in many gyms and homes that has been shown in tests to be unsurpassed for assisting in your weight loss goals - want to know what it is?

The Treadmill - exercising on Treadmills has helped many people to achieve their weight loss goals - and it can help you too.

Treadmills can be used by virtually any age group, and by individuals of any activity level. Treadmills can help you lose weight, and maintain your weight loss. It really is a numbers game. The more time you spend engaged in physical exercise the more calories you are going to burn and consequently the more pounds you will lose.

If you are searching for fitness equipment that will not only burn fat, but will also raise your metabolism to continue burning fat long after youve stopped exercising, then a treadmill should be at the top of your list.

The treadmill is matchless for cardiovascular exercise. According to a recent study, calories burned on the treadmill for 60 minutes averaged 865 - 705. Compare this figure to the following:

Stair machine 746 - 637 Rowing machine 739 - 606 Stationary cycle 604 - 556 Cross-country ski machine 678 - 595

As you can see the treadmill comes out as the number one cardiovascular machine.

If you would like to develop your own weight loss treadmill program here are some ideas:

Be creative - make your Treadmill session pleasurable, listen to music or audio books on your MP3 player. Some people prefer to just take the opportunity to think or just day dream. The more you enjoy your Treadmill session, the more likely you are to exercise on your treadmill regularly.

Try to exercise daily. Working out on your Treadmill regularly makes your weight loss goals much more likely to happen than if you are only working out only when the mood takes you. Most people that make the switch will tell you that it's easier to workout every day. You don't have to think about whether it's a workout day or not and get prepared for it - just exercise on your treadmill every day - your body will become accustomed to it. It will soon become part of your routine and you will begin to look forward to it.

Try to mix in some interval training into your Treadmill sessions each week. Interval training consists of brief periods (about one minute) of more intense exercise incorporated into your Treadmill workouts. You may do a one minute interval of faster walking about every five minutes throughout your workout.

Start with a three to five minute warm-up and then five minutes into your walk you do your first interval, one minute of faster walking. At the end of that minute you should be out of breath and ready to slow down. Slow down to your regular walking speed for the next four minutes and then your fifth minute is another one minute interval. Repeat this throughout your workout.

By this means you can increase your aerobic fitness level to the limits of your ability. You are in essence crossing the anaerobic threshold into anaerobic metabolism, this forces your body to accept more intense exercise which will in turn make your weight loss gains more achievable.

By increasing your basal metabolic rate, interval training cause you to burn more calories a day, and make your exercise less monotonous. Interval training also helps the time pass more quickly. Try walking on your Treadmill with light hand weights of between one and two pounds weight for two to three days per week. Swing your arms and also use a variety of arm movements while walking. This will increase your basal metabolic rate and tone your upper body muscles.

Try to do your Treadmill workout first thing in the day. Most people who workout regularly, do so first thing in the morning. If YOU want to exercise regularly, you are more likely to succeed by being an "early bird"

In order to add a bit more variety to your routine set one day of the week aside to be your "easy day". This should be a very leisurely session. Consider how good your walks are starting to feel as you continue to lose weight and tone your body.

You have probably heard the expression "if you can't measure it, then it doesn't exist". With this in mind make sure that you record your progress. Record the date and time-of-day of your workout, and the distance and/or time you walked. Record the total of the miles or minutes you've walked. Your thoughts or feelings for that particular workout can also be logged.

All of the above measures will help to ensure that your Treadmill Exercise Session is that one special time of day to take care of yourself. Don't let anyone or anything keep you from your special time with your Treadmill. Working out on your Treadmill every day will help you achieve your weight loss goals and have a positive impact on all aspects of your life, including physical, mental, and emotional health.

If we only consider the issue of weight loss, the Treadmill is significantly superior to any other exercise machine given its associated energy expenditure. While other fitness equipment "fads" gather dust Treadmills have consistently provided quality results and lasting benefits. Treadmills allow you to work at your own pace, but don't allow you to slack off. You'll be able to burn calories efficiently and attain your weight loss targets.

If you're in the market to seriously educate yourself about Exercise Treadmills, visit http://www.treadmilladviser.com where you can obtain more detailed information.

Paul Reeve is a Personal Trainer, Presenter and Lecturer for Fitness Professionals, Sports Organizations, Sport Coaches, Corporate Organizations. Get FREE expert advice on treadmills from his Online Assistant team at http://www.treadmilladviser.com.Kym Blog69248
Kora Blog16373

Marketing With Signature Files

In this article we are going to look at the powerful method of marketing with signature files. For those who are unfamiliar with this concept, signature files are attached to things such as emails and forum posts and tell a little bit about the person sending the email or posting in forums. Within this signature box we are able to show a little advertisement and a link to our website. This way we can generate a large amount of free traffic over time. Lets take a look at how this is done.

When a person signs up for most forums there is usually an area where they can change their profile and update their signature file, also know as a resource box. This is where we want to put a little advertisement about our website. For example, you could say, My economics professor always told me there was no such thing as a free lunch boy was he wrong. Find out how I took charge of my financial future at WEBSITE URL.

Now to make this even better we can use a little html to hide the url.

My economics professor always told me there was no such thing as a free lunch boy was he wrong. Find out how I took charge of my financial future at => WHAT YOU WANT DISPLAYED

Once this is set up within the forum preferences it should be displayed every time we post on the forum. This method will take some time to work but will have a great affect in the long run. Also, we have to make sure to post legitimate topics and replies. If we post simply to advertise our website many people will become upset and this whole form of marketing will lose its effect.

Another way to use signature files as a marketing tool is by attaching them to our emails. To do this we just need to look for the signature file setup within our email program. Once this is found all we need to do is follow the steps listed above. With time and persistence, this method will really pay off.

To our success,
Andrew Leone

Andrew Leone is an active network-marketer training and developing the skills of entrepreneurs all over the net. Find out how to take charge of your own financial freedom by taking his FREE tour. => http://www.LeoneGroupMarketing.com. This article is available for free reprint.Klarika Blog58966
Keren Blog64659

Spicing Up Your Blog with 3D Animated YouTube Playlists

People have blogs for different purposes, some people maintain a blog purely for commercial reasons, and other people keep blogs strictly as a hobby. Blogs serve people in various ways and means and ultimately the aim is to provide the audiences reading these blogs with as much content and information as possible. Usually such information is written but sometimes a little something extra and visual is appreciated. We're not talking in the sense of pictures but rather video and movie type content that is becoming increasingly popular these days.

Strictly speaking there are a limited number of videos that we can afford to upload on most standard hosting packages and websites. If you really want to show your users video content then maybe you should consider YouTube videos as an option. You can find a whole number of videos on YouTube or you can upload your personal videos as well. Certain websites offer you the capability of creating playlists of your favorite videos and listing them on your blog. It's almost similar to the way you use other codes to display MP3 songs on something like your MySpace profile but in this case you're using codes to display YouTube videos on your blog.

YouTube video codes are a great way of displaying great content to visitors of your blog without going through the stress of having to upload videos on your own server. There's no limit to the number of videos you can use in your video playlist. If your blog is about rap music for instance you can use the video codes to display a playlist for some of the videos of the latest rap music available on YouTube.

You can think of other imaginative ways of using YouTube video codes as well and it all depends on how creative your mind can get. If you run a blog that offers advice to people, maybe a blog that shows people how to make stuff or do some DIY project or the other, YouTube video codes and YouTube playlists make it all the more fun. Rather than having boring graphic descriptions, followed by a whole lot of words describing a very simple process, you can simply upload your videos to YouTube and create a YouTube playlist. Using video codes you can now give your users access to your playlist of videos through your blog.

Of course you don't necessarily have to do all the hardwork yourself, a number of websites out there will provide you with the content that you need. Some people have content that is freely available for redistribution and viewing on YouTube, you can also use websites like YouTube-Video-Codes.com to create playlists of other people's content that can be found on YouTube.

For more information be sure to visit us at http://www.Youtube-Video-Codes.com

Jeff WhiteKarie Blog31007
Karlotte Blog33770

What is the difference between Windows and UNIX web hosting?

Windows and UNIX are in fact two different systems and of course we are referring to computer systems. A web host uses computers, (we shall refer to them as servers, just computers, but sometimes larger) to host websites, and all computers need a operating system, so Windows and UNIX are the operating system.

The Windows used is normally Windows NT or 2000 and of course as you know Microsoft charges for it's software, while UNIX is an open source operating system, this means that the original creators of the system have given up the rights and anyone can use it, change, improve or do anything they want with, free of charge.

From this we already have to main differences, Window hosts are more expensive and UNIX is more reliable, because it as been improved by thousands of anonymous people.

Most probably you are reading this in front of your computer which most probably is operates on a Windows XP, have you noticed that it sometimes, it freezes, and the only solution is to restart it? UNIX is much more stable, robust, time-tested, flexible platform for a web server.

But Windows servers have also it's positive sides, they are compatible with Microsoft applications, and fully support Microsoft FrontPage, Microsoft Access and MS SQL, they also offer advance-programming environments and features such as Active Server Pages (ASP), the ASP.NET framework, Visual Basic Scripts, MS Index Server, Macromedia's and Cold Fusion.

Windows operating system require little or no experience in web development to get advanced features working very quickly because of better graphical user interface (GUI) Software such as Microsoft's FrontPage is specially developed for the webmaster to decrease the website development time and efforts.

Lets go back again to UNIX, they support FrontPage, Flash, Shockwave, Real Audio/Video, Cgi Scripts, Perl, PHP, SSH (Secure Telnet), MySQL, Web-Based Control System, Anonymous FTP, Web Site Graphical Statistics, Web-Based Email System, Miva/XML, Cold Fusion Perl, JAVA, PHP, C, C++, Miva, Shell Access and other wide verity of feature like Telnet and SSH that provides lots of flexibility and freedom in managing file and directories, but some of this require advance knowledge of Unix commands in order for you to customize the scripts to match your website needs.

Because of the nature of UNIX, (open source) and the people who love it, there is on the WWW freely available software and scripts, again bringing the cost down.

Concluding which one is the best, it really depends what you need, if you need high uptime, security and not so expensive then go with UNIX, if you need to run Windows applications like, MS Access or the MS SQL SERVER then Windows is your choice.

Paul SantosKaren Blog25182
Keren Blog64659

Why Flash?

Many possible technologies exist that can power web based games. Php, HTML, CGI and Java amongst them, but the most common plugin used to design browser games by far is Adobe Flash, previously known as Macromedia Flash. One of the biggest reasons for this is that Flash has become a definite web standard.

Many PCs come with the Flash player installed. It is compatible with Linux, Apple Mac, BSD, cellphones, PDAs and a whole host of other devices. Over 520 million unique installations of Flash have been recorded, and it has been around since the days of Windows 98. This statistic accounts for approximately 95% of all Internet users.

Flash Player is also a free download, so if the user does not have it, it's only a few seconds and negligible bandwidth away, no matter the platform. Likewise, Adobe Flash is a comparably cheap product for the developers, and time input required is minimal to create simple games, compared to using other technologies.

A powerful but often overlooked feature of Flash is that it makes small files. For ten megabytes, in Flash, you can get a full featured game. This helps Flash to appeal to dialup or slower broadband users where Java or C couldn't. Flash can also use database connectivity to save scoreboards, progress and account details, which is rare in a format so smooth.

Flash is efficient, applets made in it tend to run on computers that you'd be hard-pressed to find outside of an antique shop. It is the empowering technology of choice on a certain well-known pet site, which almost certainly has users on dialup and on poor computers.

Something to remember is that Browser Games have a completely different TA (target audience) than that of AAA list games. Browser games are made for the casual player, someone who wants to play immediately and at his/her convenience, as such it must load fast, play fast and keep the user's interest. Developing a successful Flash game is very difficult, because generally if a user becomes disinterested, one or two clicks will take him/her to a completely different game.

So, what about monetizing a Flash game? Well, the standard is based on the shareware model. You have a teaser version of a game on a website and then allow users to download a 'Deluxe' build for a set fee. Often the producer will allow lots of sites to list their 'teaser' games; this is a clever form of viral marketing.

Possibly the most solid reason to use Flash is that it would always be fairly easy to find people willing to draw in the Flash SWF vector format. Other technologies would require external animation but with Flash, the motion, the drawing and the script can all be done in a single interface.

Graphical objects within this interface can have specified alpha values, positionings, angles of rotation, explosion effects and many built in motion tweening effects. It is this versatility and built in function that makes it a real joy to work with.

Flash is fast-becoming the only standard for browser based gaming, because it requires no real programming knowledge. The scripting language is very well explained on several websites, and in the included tutorials.

But the main reason? Simple. There are many very dedicated sites out there which will effectively get your product out for free. Even if all the other points in this article didn't exist, it is the only format with true open distribution.

Jonathan White has been involved with free online flash and shockwave games for over 4 years. He owns http://games.simplysearch4it.com & http://games.simplysearch4it.co.ukKalindi Blog40941
Kath Blog60055

Robosapien RS Media

Robosapien RS Media- Robots are taking the world by storm this Christmas!
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/robosapien-rs-media.html

Robosapien RS Media is a massively enhanced multimedia version of the Robosapien V2 with loads of extra features

Robots are taking the world by storm this Christmas and the Robosapien RS Media is the leader of the pack. Evolved from the Robosapien V2. He interacts with people and his environment, has sight, sound and touch sensors, speech response, can recognise colours and skin tones, has full IR vision and can even track moving objects. He sounds more human than some of the characters we know.

Of course it can now be completely customised to reflect what's going on in your feverish head! As the makers themselves say, it's the perfect fusion of cutting edge technology and personality modelling software. And even though that's a big statement, they're right. Its a bit like having a child that you can have complete control over..hold that thought! The robot plays MP3s, MPEG4s, and takes photos and videos as he interacts with his environment. He has a head-mounted camera, a colour LCD screen in his chest, a full speaker system embedded in his armour, 40 MB of internal memory, and an external memory card slot. You can control this guy with the hand controller or using the media controls embedded on his hands. You can play Java games, navigate the media menus, switch between his four personalities (RS Media, Service Bot 3000, Space Bot, and Billy-Joen Sapien) or create your own personality using the RS Media editing suite software.

Robosapien RS Media Features

Displays an image or MPEG video downloaded by the user onto the robot's removable SD memory sticks, on the LCD display.
Stores body movements with you as the puppet master...and you can edit those movements with the robot's accompanying BodyCon editing package.
You can record and store your voice into the robot's SD memory sticks which it can playback
It has a 320 by 160 colour LCD Screen - High Quality TFT 1.9" Screen, 16 bit colour, 176 x 132 pixels, which can show you what the robot is seeing through the head-mounted camera.
It has a cameramotion tracking, photo and MPEG4 encoding.
Speakers11 watts of power, 2 hand speakers and back-mounted woofer for playing back your downloaded music filesmakes a proper racket!
Sonic Sensor2 microphones for sound localisation, 1 microphone for MP3 recording.
Operating SystemLinux Embedded OS.
Memory40 MB Flash Memory.
Upgradeable MemorySD card slot up to 1 GB (SD card not included).
PC ConnectionUSB 1.1 (cable provided).
PC SoftwareFile manipulation; create scripts, Macro flowcharts, BodyCons and Personalities.
Batteries6 x "D" size batteries & 4 x "AA" size batteries (RS Media), 3 x "AA" size batteries (remote controller). Not included.

To see our whole range of fantastic gifts for men please click link below.

Other robotic toys are

Robosapien Robot
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/unusual- gadgets/robosapien-humanoid-robot.html

Roboreptile Robot Dinosaur
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/men/roboreptile-robot-dinosaur.html

Robosapien V2
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/unusual-gadgets/robosapien-v2-robot.html

Robopet
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/unusual-gadgets/robopet-robot.html

Roboraptor
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/gifts-for-men/unusual-gadgets/roboraptor-dinosaur-robot.html

To see our whole range of fantastic gifts for men please click link below.
http://www.find-me-a-gift.co.uk/

If you need any other information please email me sarah@findmeagift.co.uk

Sarah HagueLana Blog28500
Karlene Blog97911

Mathew Frank, The Creator Of Intratrakker

Who is this Mathew Frank guy and what the heck is IntraTrakker? Is this guy for real?

Allow me to reveal to you the truth about Mathew and his revolutionary new software IntraTrakker. The rumors that are going around have some truth to them.

Yes, Mathew Frank was an underground hacker that has worked for the Australian government on computer system security issues, hacking for a Canadian company that is currently consulting for the US Federal government, and has recently acted as a security consultant for a company in New Zealand.

I was unable to get Mathew to disclose further details of this work for obvious reasons of secrecy. Of course now he's no longer 'underground', so he'll have to watch his step as to what he reveals and what is best left secret.

Like most hackers, he was self-taught to begin with, and then went on to study engineering and programming to further his skills. He then followed up his interest in Internet marketing and attended one of Jay Abraham and Stephen Pierce's Internet Empire Apprenticeship Programs. That's where he made some valuable contacts which sparked the ideas that led him to start developing covert marketing 'tactical weapons' for an elite group.

So what is IntraTrakker? Well, it's the first of his covert marketing tactical weapons that he's choosing to unleash at this time, and although it's just one small step for a programmer like Mathew, it really is a giant leap for the covert internet marketing operatives that choose to utilise this invaluable tool.

There really has been nothing like IntraTrakker available before, and it certainly does give you inside intelligence about the behaviours of your target market. It's that very information that you need as a marketer to give you the edge on what your customers want.

As for the other tactical weapons that Mathew has up his sleave, well, I do have insider information on their capabilities, but I can't tell you what they are at this time. I've been sworn to secrecy.

What I can tell you is this: That his marketing weapon toolbox is powerful, and could be dangerous if it got into the wrong hands. I can understand completely why he wouldn't want to disclose some of these tools to just anyone. Not only would it jeopardize the effectiveness of the tools if everyone were using them, but it could also be disastrous in the hands of someone who would use them for unethical means.

That being said, I suggest that if you want to excel in internet marketing and gain access to these tools in the future, then keep a close eye on what Mathew Frank is up to, sign up to his list, befriend him now before fame puts him out of reach, and take him up on his offers. He's going to be letting a lot more people have access to IntraTrakker than he will to the other tools in his toolbox, and I wouldn't doubt that he'll give first dibs to the covert internet marketing operatives that purchased IntraTrakker.

Mathew Frank is giving you a small window of opportunity to join his elite group of covert operatives. From what I've seen thus far, from being on the inside, I suggest you take it while it's available.

Jambhala Rinpo - Covert Marketing Inside Intelligence Agent and Joint Venture Broker. If you want to join Mathew's JV for IntraTrakker, you can sign up here: http://AffiliateSuperNetwork.com/jv/intratrakker or visit the JV blog for more info at: http://JointVentureBroker.net/jvblog/intratrakkerKyle Blog88163
Kyla Blog43996

Luxury Homes: Custom Features Bring the Outdoors Closer

The trend in luxury home building is to help create livable spaces on the exterior as well as the interior of the home. The selective luxury home buyer may be looking at a home for outdoor as well as indoor qualities and features. Even if these features are not included in the home at the time of purchase, the luxury home buyer may still be able to have them, provided the right amount and type of space is available. According to an article by Realty Times writer Blanche Evans, 41% of luxury homebuyers plan to do major renovations on their million-dollar properties.

Here are some popular features of new and existing luxury homes:

Outdoor Living Rooms in Luxury Homes

Outdoor spaces that resemble interiors are becoming more popular in luxury homes. Outdoor living areas need to reflect the overall style of the home. If its Victorian it will lean towards traditional and formal. For Spanish style homes select furniture, terra cotta pots, and lots of color and flowers might work best. A Cape Cod could be more relaxed and informal. Whatever the decorating needs, functionality and privacy, as well as appropriate seating for entertainment, are also factors in decorating an outdoor space. For privacy, hedges and fences work well. For flooring, stepping stones, decks, or actual slate tiles may be installed on wood. And, ceilings can include trees, retractable awnings, or permanent roofs.

For ambience, homeowners may choose to add a trellis with roses or other colorful vines and professionally landscaped gardens. Flower and herb gardens, a small vegetable garden, and specialty flowers and shrubbery can also enhance outdoor living rooms.

Outdoor Kitchens for Luxury Estates

These days, many homeowners are cooking outdoors. There is more than a barbeque grill or fire pit and picnic table involved. Outdoor kitchens, now incorporated into luxury homes, can even rival indoor kitchens in the style and quality of materials used. Custom builders are beginning to incorporate grander outdoor kitchens than ever before to accommodate this trend in home buying.

A properly outfitted outdoor kitchen means the host does not have to shuttle items from indoor spaces. Thus, the outdoor kitchen is rising in popularity with the home buyer. Some items included in outdoor kitchens are sinks, stoves, and cabinetry. Countertops are often made with high-end natural materials such as marble, granite or stone. Some are outfitted like a full kitchen with grill, refrigerator, sink and eating area. Kitchen appliances are sometimes incorporated into the outdoor kitchen. Outdoor flooring types that are popular in luxury homes are ceramic, marble, and brick.

Pools/ Hot Tubs

A nice addition to any living space, pools offer a place to relax outdoors, exercise, spend time in the sun, and entertain. And, hot tubs are almost becoming the norm in the luxury home. Hot tubs are an ideal place to relax after a stressful day, or spend romantic time with a loved one. For privacy and convenience, erect a fence and build a small deck around the hot tub.

Luxurious Porches in the Old South

Old southern porches with swings are back in style. Sitting on the porch brings back nostalgic memories of grandmas porch, drinking iced tea, courting, or eating a family supper on Sundays.

There are many different types of porches suitable for the luxury home. Choose from: covered front and back porches, wrap around porches, screen porches and sunrooms, and breezeways.

Courtyards and Piazzas

For the luxury home owner with a large space in the front or rear, a courtyard may be an option, and these are usually decorated with a spectacular fountain as the focal point.

Piazzas are usually paved and form a grand entranceway to a formidable building, such as an estate property, or a luxury home built with Roman architecture. A well-designed piazza can offer distinction to the luxury homeowner who wants to set his property apart from others.

Do not neglect the outdoors of a luxury home when assessing a property and feeling if it is right for you and your loved ones. The exterior spaces, when designed well and for functionality, are just as important to the luxury of a home. Decorating outdoor spaces allows more room for entertainment. Outdoor living spaces are spilling into all sectors of home buying from empty nesters, to large families, to people with no children.

Trend setting in home building begins in the luxury home market. Often these trends are emulated by the middle class home buyer on a smaller scale.

In Southeastern Virginia, a temperate and agreeable climate exists for 6-9 months out of the year, making for a comfortable temperature outdoors. The exterior of any home can easily be part of the overall living space. It can be custom designed with features that make for luxurious living, even outdoors. Why not retire, relocate, or purchase a second home that brings you and your loved ones closer to the outdoors?

Elaine VonCannon is an award winning REALTOR with RE/Max Capital in Williamsburg, Virginia. She specializes in retirement and relocation in the Williamsburg, South Eastern Virginia area and in Virginia Estate properties. To learn more visit http://www.voncannonrealestate.com or http://www.estatesinvirginia.com. Email Elaine at vonmor1@cox.net. Lani Blog68930
Kassandra Blog72597