Kindle Fire – The Still Unseen Kindle Tablet

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This late in the game, there is still a number of people who refuse to believe what they cannot yet see and dismiss the fact about the still unseen Amazon’s very first Kindle Tablet – purportedly named ‘Kindle Fire‘.

Based on reports online, what can be confirmed about the highly anticipated Kindle Fire is that it boasts of a full color display, a seven-inch touch screen (a similar build to that of the Blackberry Playbook or the Galaxy Tab) and an Adroid OS.

Consumers expecting their favorite Android applications to run on “Fire” will, however, have to be slightly disappointed. As discussed by MG Siegler of Tech Crunch, Amazon has gone to great lengths to make their tablet’s interface completely different from all other competing devices. It may use Android, but it is the type of Android that has been exclusively reworked for the Kindle.

Applications that have been confirmed as pre-loaded in the tablet include Amazon’s own Cloud Player for audio files as well as its Instant Video player for multimedia files. The typical Kindle application for reading e-books is also available.

For surfing the Internet, the tablet boasts of its own tab-equipped web browser. It has a greater resemblance to the WebKit of Android rather than the original UI for Kindle.

Perhaps the only drawbacks to the new tablet are its internal storage and connection capabilities. At present, the tablet only comes equipped with approximately 6GB worth of built-in storage space. There is Wi-Fi available but no 3G. Finally, it does not come with a camera either.

Last but not the least, the price of the much-awaited Kindle Fire is yet another pleasant surprise. At just $250, it is priced virtually the same as its direct competitor, Nook Color from Barnes & Noble, but more importantly it is also half the price of a basic iPad from Apple. To sweeten the deal, Amazon is also believed to offer free Prime subscriptions as well as other Kindle-related incentives for prospective users.

Sources close to Amazon reveal that if the 7″ version of the tablet proves to be an instant success, the company will push through with its plans to release a 10″ version of the Kindle Fire for the first quarter of 2012.

Update: Amazon is going to unveil “Kindle Fire” on Oct 28 at a special press conference Wednesday in New York.

Details below are provided for those requiring additional information.
http://wheretobuykindle.org/kindle-tablet/

If you’re one of the early adopters who’ll be the first to receive the ‘Fire’ comes Nov 15, here are our top picks for the best Kindle Fire covers which are now available for pre-order.

Categories Gadget

Alternative Places to Sell Your Gadgets

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Mobile phones are becoming as common as personal computers. Technological advancements have enabled telecommunication firms to think of better ways to include exciting features that were once just possible for computers. One can listen to music, watch videos, or even browse the internet with the use of mobile phones. With increased features, more and more consumers are purchasing mobile phones at an increased rate. This could also mean more probability for old mobile phone units to be discarded.

As an answer to increased mobile phone wastes, mobile recycling companies have thought of ways to find value for old phones. It is not surprising that some old mobile phone units are still in good working condition but are no longer used by the owners. So, these companies offer money in exchange for these units so that they can be sold again to other people. In the UK, one known and trusted phone recycler is FoneBank.

The concept of sell my mobile is an important aspect in recycling. It makes old mobile phones usable in other countries where business and personal communications via these devices can help people stay connected. Fonebank supports this sell my phone method so that any phones that the company has purchased will be repaired and refurnished to maximize utility. In case the phone is beyond repair, the unit undergoes recycling procedures prescribed by authorities.

With mobile phone recycling, one can earn money from selling old mobile units and help in maintaining the environment at the same time.

How do I sell my mobile – this is a typical question for most customers who are hoping to earn some money out of their old mobile phones.

The first thing you have to do is to search for the model of your phone in their website. If you are not sure of what model you have, you can input the name of the manufacturer to determine the existing value of the unit. Once you are done searching, you can create an account to complete the online order. The company will assign an order number for the mobile recycling transaction and you will receive postage instructions in case your order is approved. Afterwards, a Freepost envelope will be sent for the old mobile phone. Verification from the company regarding the condition and phone security details that have been sent by customers will be made. In case you and the company have agreed on the selling price, you will get payment within 48 hours from receipt of the mobile phone.

Categories Gadget

Fake Facebook Profiles Something to Watch Out For

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Facebook and other social networks are great tools for meeting new people and catching up with old friends.

These networks can also become pretty effective tools for “phishing” if you don’t know how they work.

41-year old Dana Thornton faces an 18-month prison sentence if convicted for fourth-degree identity theft. She set up a Facebook page to appear written by her ex-boyfriend who happens to be a police detective. She then used his private details and photographs to make posts and comments look more authentic.

Whether or not Thornton will be charged depends on the courts, as New Jersey laws do not directly address identity theft on social networking sites.

The more dangerous issue, however, is the risks posed to a person’s reputation and possible misuse of credit information that will damage his/her credit ratings.

A person’s reputation can so easily be sunk by a few malicious posts and comments, while a fraudster can obtain private information from other people by posing as someone they know.

This is why it is important for people to check whether they have “doppelgangers” in social networks and promptly have them taken down as soon as possible.

After all, people can do a lot of harm with a jacked Facebook account that has a simple photo of your face in it.

Categories Technology

Social Networks “New Platform” For Real Estate Marketing

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Most people do not normally associate Facebook with buying or selling homes, but one real estate agent turned motivational speaker is changing all that.

James Goddard says that the sales force that quickly adjusts to the media that works for real estate will benefit the most from them and will be able to take advantage of the changing world around them.

He goes on to mark Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as leading sales platforms for real estate marketing, saying that “These (social networks) are the main ones that will give you the greatest return on your time investment.”

Goddard’s discussions on these three social networking sites points out how buyers and sellers can gain a significant amount of information that would normally be difficult to find in a matter of minutes.

Connecting with agents on Twitter and then exploring their options in Facebook and LinkedIn is the main draw for users here. Comparisons, appraisals and even negotiations can be made with a stroke of the keyboard.

Another agent by the name of Curt Darragh believes that YouTube will be the next great tool for real estate marketing. “Pictures are nice, but they can sometimes be misleading,” Darragh says; adding that video-sharing sites like YouTube as a useful platform for quick and convenient information.

[via]

Categories Business

AmEx, Internet Companies Offer Perks in Lieu of “Small Business Saturday”

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Small Business Saturday is a 2010 event founded by American Express to recognize the contributions made by local, independent businesses. It was also designed to help drive sales and patronage to these small businesses.

American Express is planning to conduct Small Business Saturday again this November 26 – except with a little help from some of the biggest names on the Internet.

Facebook will be giving out $100 in free advertising for the first 10,000 small business owners that sign up for the ads. AmEx will pitch in by providing a tool that will make page-creation smoother and look more professional in the end.

Google and AmEx will partner up to bring My Business Story, which will allow small business owners to create videos about their businesses and post them on the Internet. These videos can then be set on the business’s home page, circulated on YouTube or posted on networking sites. My Business Story should come out sometime this October.

AmEx itself will contribute to Small Business Saturday by sharing offers on its YourBuzz conversation aggregator. These offers will give business owners a further $100 to spend on more Facebook ads, $100 credit for LinkedIn ads for 6,500 business owners and free offerings or 50% off from from Facebook-page creator Pagemodo.

This article is sponsored by Equifax Small Business Credit Report that helps you stay up to date on the credit report of your business and monitor the paydex score of any business you are thinking of doing business with.

Categories Business

Strategic Defaults: How Far Will It Really Take You?

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An executive from financial security company says that individuals with the strongest and soundest finances may be among those at high risk of walking away from a mortgage.

This “strategic defaulting” is a phenomenon that has been gnawing at credit unions and lenders alike, as they start worrying about homeowners that possess properties worth less now than what they bought before.

Financial writer Barbara Eisner Bayer, however, does explain the long-term ramifications of simply walking away from a mortgage:

“Your credit score will take a huge hit. And potential lenders may not look kindly at the fact that you walked away. This could not only apply to mortgages, but to personal loans or loans for your child’s college education. Fannie Mae will treat a strategic default in a similar way as it does a bankruptcy – you won’t be able to get one of their loans for seven years.”

Bayer does point out that strategic defaults are not as end-all as they first appear to be – especially when traditional ethics are waived in favor of practical reasons.

“Strategic defaults may make people like me angry…but if my home was underwater, and I needed to relocate for a job offer, who knows what I would do. In these challenging times, it’s best to stay out of other people’s ethics and, if necessary, enroll in an anger management course.”

Categories Finance

Start-Up Tips for Prospective Entrepreneurs

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Many politicians keep on parroting about how important small businesses are for the recovery of the battered U.S. employment.

But how exactly does a person go about starting a small business in the first place?

This is a question posed by one reader to Jacqueline Taylor in a column for the Houston Chronicle. Taylor promptly goes on to give the following advice:

Write a business plan. “Having a plan to guide you through the startup process will help you stay on track, but the real benefit is in researching, analyzing and articulating your ideas so that you have a better feel for whether your business is viable”

Pay attention to market research. “Identify your target market by age, gender, level of education and income, and find out where they are and how you can reach them.”

Develop an online presence. “Even if you’re not ready to start, you can get your website development under way.”

Begin networking. “Go to chamber of commerce and other business organizations’ meetings. This is a good way to get some real-world feedback and to get practical advice from people who have been in your shoes.”

Plan a budget. “Having a good idea of how long it will take you to make a profit is a major key to a confident startup.”

Taylor is an associate regional director for the University of Houston’s Small Business Development Center as well as a C.T. Bauer College of Business Administration. The entire column can be read here.

Categories Business