Continue reading APX Alarm becomes Vivint as it expands into Z-Wave home automation
APX Alarm becomes Vivint as it expands into Z-Wave home automation originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Vivint | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/02/01/apx-alarm-become-vivint-as-it-expands-into-z-wave-home-automatio/
Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Jaguar, Rumormill, Luxury
More details on Jaguar's 3 Series fighter originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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The first thing you notice about Ron Daniel, co-founder and CEO of SohoOS, a free suite of online tools for small businesses, is his enthusiasm. It's pretty infectious.
Starry-eyed entrepreneurs who want to change the world have become a tired cliché in startup land, but Daniel feels like the real deal, the "missionary not mercenary" who wants to build something really cool first, and make money later.
His Israeli company, SohoOS, raised money from European fund Mangrove Capital Partners (which previously backed Skype among others) and hyperactive global superangel fund Kima Ventures, so we caught up with Daniel for an exclusive interview.
What does SohoOS do, exactly?
It's basically an online suite with all the tools you need to manage a small business: project management, invoicing, payments processing, CRM, reports... Interestingly, the company also includes a social network for business owners to share tips and tricks with each other.
And perhaps crucially, SohoOS is free, which sets it apart in the world of software-as-a-service (SaaS) apps, which usually charge a monthly fee. There are no limits to the number of accounts a business can have on the service. And the company commits to keeping the site free forever.
So, how do they make money? Basically through an app store model: companies can buy add-ons and plugins, including from third parties.
Here's the first thing Daniel told us in our interview: "SohoOS is here to make a difference. I know it may sound a bit over the top, but our vision is change the way small and micro businesses compete." The goal is to make the high-end tools and management techniques available to big businesses available to all entrepreneurs, he said.
Daniel believes in the future all business management apps will be free. He says "Can you believe 10 years ago email was a product companies paid for?"
SohoOS also has deals with ISPs like Vodafone to distribute the product to their SMB customers.
"Our users today mostly manage their businesses like consumers, not businesses," he said.
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Continue reading New York subway schedule turned into a beautiful, musical visualization (video)
New York subway schedule turned into a beautiful, musical visualization (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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@DavidEmery (Twitter) | mta.me | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/31/new-york-subway-train-schedule-turned-into-a-beautiful-musical/
Digital publishing company LibreDigital (formerly known as NewsStand, Inc.) has secured $4 million in debt funding, the company announced this morning (an SEC filing shows they had recently raised $1.3 million for the round). LibreDigital last raised money back in May 2010, securing $8 million in funding - its total now stands at roughly $31 million.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/xudOMhYGzd8/
The price comparison browser extension InvisibleHand just added a new beta feature that automatically finds the cheapest flight when you search on sites like Priceline, Expedia, or individual airlines.
Until now, the extension would only compare products from search engines or retail sites like Best Buy or Amazon.
The flight feature is automatic and easy to use. When you input your desired flight dates and destinations on any travel site, Invisible Hand automatically begins searching for better deals.
A small pop up bar displays the available flights and tells you how much you could save by switching to each one. You can also adjust dates and destinations within the extension to find better flights and prices.
We tested the new version of Invisible Hand and it worked perfectly. Within seconds, we had more options than Priceline offered from a variety of airlines, even though our original search began on Jet Blue's home page.
Invisible Hand is compatible with dozens of major airlines, and the developer promises to add more as the beta version continues to grow.
You can download the beta for Firefox, Chrome, and Safari.
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AMD has a 5W Fusion APU to put in your future tablet of choice originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 06:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
PermalinkSoftpedia, Netbook News | PC Watch | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/31/amd-has-a-5w-fusion-apu-to-put-in-your-future-tablet-of-choice/
While thinking about these two conferences this month, I realized that I haven’t looked in-depth on what the difference is between the two. I hear less about the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) because I am farther away from it. It occurs annually in Las Vegas while South by South West (SXSW) Interactive occurs in Austin, Texas, where I am located. So let’s take a closer look.
What are the main differences between the two shows? CES is mainly a trade show, and was recognized as the Best Show of 2010 in the Trade Show Exhibitors Association’s Exhibitors’ Choice Awards. Many new consumer products premier at the CES show. There are keynote presentations and many informative sessions, but the focus is the trade show itself. The SXSW Interactive festival centers more on presentations, panel sessions, workshops, and book readings rather than its trade show component. The message that SXSW Interactive communicates is that this festival doesn’t just focus on technology, but creativity as well.
The main difference I found is the type of people that go to each show. CES is not open to the public, so all attendees must represent the consumer electronic industry. CES is more about clout, acknowledging that many C-level executives attend, with several representing companies with more than $500 million in total annual sales. These are the big dogs of the industry at this trade show. The Leaders in Technology (LIT) Dinner is by invitation only, with Netflicks and The Huffington Post executives serving as the keynote speakers for this year’s dinner.
If you don’t qualify for CES, SXSW Interactive may be perfect for you. The walk-up rate for a SXSW Interactive badge is just $750 (and you can definitely get a cheaper price the earlier you register). The trade show is not as big, but there are more events to attend. There are large and small speeches going on throughout the day, and SXSW Interactive works diligently to connect people, arranging Meet Ups for people to network with each other. The festival is aware of attendee demographics, offering discounted prices to students and posting a job board at their trade show.
Which one do you prefer?
Curt Finch is the CEO of Journyx. Curt's first book, "All Your Money Won't Another Minute Buy" provides insightful commentary on the principle that all people and businesses have a right to perform work that the market will reward them for.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inc/headlines/~3/9RklzYS0Imk/ces-verses-sxsw-interactive.html
CieAura is an interesting MLM business to review and one which I’ve enjoyed putting together. This is unbiased and I hope informative, so let me know if it’s the kind of review you want to see of the CieAura MLM business by leaving a comment and your thoughts at the end. Here goes;
Here’s your unbiased CieAura MLM Review…
At the helm of CieAura you can find Ken Rasner, an Internet Marketer with a solid reputation in the field and a long track record.� With a captain of the industry in the pilot box, you know that even though CieAura is one of the newer ships on the MLM seas there is not much chance of its hull getting rammed.
CieAura takes a stand in a niche where customers want results within minutes.� They concentrate their efforts in the areas of pain, insomnia and fatigue relief.� The delivery system they use is in the form of a patch; subsequently, you don’t have the stigmata of a pill pusher attached to the product.� Combine that with instant relief and you have a product which should take a good chunk of the market.
Between Ken Rasner and Randy Mitchell, another well experienced marketer who has been around the block, you would expect to see a solid compensation plan and they deliver nicely.� Initial start-up cost is low at but of course you need some product to push so you will have to invest in one of their inventory packs as well.� There are three versions to choose from:
1.�� �CieAura Home Pack.� This gives you one month’s worth of patches for pain, insomnia and fatigue.� It also gives you a Commissionable Sales Volume (CSV) of 60.
2.�� �CieAura Business Pack.� Your product is multiplied by three with Bonus Relief Pack thrown in for good measure.� Your CSV is raised to 200.
3.�� �CieAura Premium Advantage Pack.� You receive a full stock of 36 one month supplies and 12 of the Bonus Packs.� You also get 750 CVS and a membership to the CieAura Founder’s Club.
What it boils down to is the more you spend, the more commission percentage you will receive.The sliding scale commission gives you anywhere between -0 for your personally sold merchandise and -20 for any of your upline sales.� Upon your admission as a CieAura Associate, you are also entered into the Global Bonus Pool.� You start off with a 3% commission from the total sale count in the company and once you hit ,000 the percentage gets bumped.� Another performance is given for your team sales.� This spreads across 7 levels and are anywhere from 10 to 30% according to the rank of you and your team members.� If you’re able to make it closer to the top of the food chain, you are granted
expense accounts for vehicles and insurance as another bonus.
The combination of a well rounded MLM structure, good bonus system and a product in a niche that claims a 0 billion market which hasn’t been totally saturated makes CieAura a worthwhile endeavor for anyone willing to give it a shot.
Filed under: Mercedes-Benz, Luxury
Report: Entry-level Mercedes-Benz range to include coupe, SUV and... shooting brake? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/31/report-entry-level-mercedes-benz-range-to-include-coupe-suv-an/
This should certainly be music to the ears of IPO watchers:
Just a day after professional social network site LinkedIn submitted its paperwork for a public offering, headphone maker Skullcandy filed its S-1 with the Securities and Exchange Commission to go public.
With the economic recovery on firmer ground, the IPO market has once again opened up. Earlier this week, IPOs from online publisher Demand Media and consumer information provider Nielsen were both well received by investors, pricing above their expected ranges. There’s also the ongoing buzz about Groupon and Facebook joining the pipeline in the not-too-distant future.
As a three time Inc. 500 company, we’ve been privy to parts of Skullcandy’s financials for some time, but the new filing gives us a much more detailed look. (If you notice a difference between the revenues reported by Inc. and those in the S-1, we list gross sales, while the filing shows net.)
Of particular note is the increased revenue between 2008 and 2009 (up 47 percent), but the steep decline in profitability (net income fell 73 percent over the same period). The main culprit in the drop off is a pretty hefty interest expense item associated with $25 million in debt the company issued in February 2009, which bears an 11 percent interest rate. Skullcandy has reduced that amount outstanding to $7.3 million, but issued another $16.5 million in debt at the end of last year. Not surprisingly, part of the proceeds from the public offering will be used to pay off this debt. No word yet on the size of the offering, though the company spelled out another $20 million in items it needs to pay down. Anything raised in excess of those expenses will go to working capital and general corporate purposes.
Located in Park City, Utah, Skullcandy was founded by Rick Alden in 2003, targeting its products exclusively to skateboarders and snowboarders. Though the products have since gone mainstream (Target and Best Buy each accounted for more than 10 percent of Skullcandy’s net sales in 2009, according to the S-1), the focus remains on the alternative sports market.
“Our core has expanded from skateboard and snowboard shops to include stores that sell sneakers, bikes, vinyl records, and electric guitars,” Alden told Inc. in 2008. “Those account for only 10 percent of our revenue, but it's the most important 10 percent, and we have to protect it. So we sponsor boarders, surfers, and BMX bikers. One hundred percent of our marketing efforts focus on that segment.”
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/inc/headlines/~3/-IjE1BIAVKg/skullcandy-joins-the-ipo-party.html
There's already a few hybrid trucks on the market (most notably from GM), but true plug-in hybrid electric trucks are another matter altogether. Chrysler now looks set to change that, however -- at least in a small way -- with its new Ram plug-in hybrid that's set to roll out to fleet operators this summer. It was just unveiled at the Washington D.C. Auto Show, and it pairs a 12 kWh battery pack from Canadian battery-maker Electrovaya with Chrysler's own 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine, which Electrovaya says will allow for up to 20 miles of driving on electricity only. Unfortunately, there's no word on any plans to actually make the truck available to individual consumers, but Chrysler does seem to at least be optimistic about hybrid trucks in general, with a company spokesman noting that half-ton pickups are naturally much better at carrying a battery pack than a car, and that trucks work better as hybrid vehicle platforms.Continue reading Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you
Chrysler shows off Ram plug-in hybrid electric truck, won't sell it to you originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink |Edmunds | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/30/chrysler-shows-off-ram-plug-in-hybrid-electric-truck-wont-sell/
