Sky Tunez

TWO major trends to watch

SOCIAL NETWORKING

Popularity versus Revenue

Categorized as “emerging media”, social networks such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Linked-In and MySpace offer opportunities for individuals and companies to both connect and exchange information. From a company’s perspective, they have the ability to contribute to branding and real-time delivery of information.  Uses I’ve seen include sending alerts, flash updates on blog postings, breaking news, press release links, and even customer support Q&A.

What is unclear is even if you have people following your posts on a social network, does it lead to revenue?  Aside from something called “viral marketing”, the answer is no.  In fact, Twitter.com doesn’t even have a revenue model of its own.  Other sites rely on advertising links with the exception of Linked-In, which provides for certain paid-subscriber only benefits.  So, this begs the question, “Is it all a bunch of hype?”

Finding your Market

Not everyone is a fan of online social networking. Although few could disagree that traditionally, social networking has many, many benefits in our personal and professional lives. As it pertains to online use, and specifically to Twitter, the context of your messages (of who you follow (or subscribe to) and who follows you) is limited to 140 characters.  These short messages are known as tweets. Every smart-phone with few exceptions now has an application available to follow ‘tweets’.  Tweets span the spectrum of websites, cellular phones, Instant Messaging and RSS feeds.  With the potential of such penetration at zero cost, the benefits of the technology are limited to the value of your posted content and those that you ‘follow’.

Finding Value

With all the information available on the web, why would you care to follow somebody or a company on twitter?  For that matter, why would somebody care to follow you?  I believe the value here lies in the ability of getting the information first or ‘from the source’ as it happens.  The other value is in getting information from an inside or knowledgeable source that you can follow-up with in real-time. It’s a two-way medium.

Summation

I have not found much in the way of either financial or builder related companies using Twitter although some are already using other networks such as Facebook and Linked-In.  I believe we are still early in the adoption curve of this technology. What I do see is the preference of the Millennial generation to use these sites for making contacts and information gathering.  I believe many companies are jumping in to ensure they have a presence even though the benefits are uncertain.  That last sentence could have been said in 1995, about the emergence of webpages and websites.  Stay tuned.  The ‘what‘ and the ‘how‘ can not yet be answered, but I strongly suspect the ‘if‘ is a not-too-far-off certainty.

Another certainty: you have to experience the medium for yourself.  It’s not a love-it or hate-it proposition although I suspect that for many of us, it might take some digging to find the value.  At the very least, you’ll be the first to know that Shack stubbed his toe again or your nephew Trevor was arrested and is seeking bail money…

Recommendation

If you are ready to get your feet wet and experience a social network for yourself, the most beneficial from a company’s prospective at this time will be Facebook and Linked-In.  Try them by searching for both companies and colleagues. If you find any of interest, you’ll want to create your own account (and profile) so that you can become networked together.

CLOUD COMPUTING

Defined

You probably already use a form of cloud computing.  Services such as Yahoo Mail, AOL and GMail are all simple forms of cloud computing.  So are YouTube and Twitter.  These sites are all hosted across the internet, allowing you (the end-user) to access a specific server or service from anywhere at anytime.  You have no hardware to maintain and no software to buy.  At the most, some may charge you a periodic fee.  So what is it and why is this likely to be a paradigm in I.T. departments?

Commoditization. I.T. has been a complex, vertical silo in organizations for the last 20+ years (longer for the large corporations who could afford I.T. services prior to the PC’s debut).  Nowadays, it is quickly becoming a commodity where services need not be maintained in-house.  Rather, a highly streamlined I.T. department uses outside service providers for things such as storage, Emails and various software applications.   In essence, it offloads the chore of hardware, software, in-house expertise and in-house costs to an external provider specializing in a certain area.

Implications for the Organization

Since 2001, I have leveraged outside services for Web Design, Disaster Recovery, and Programming. Based on experiences at larger organizations – which actually taught me to have a contrarian view of certain practices – I maintain a belief that simple is better because it keeps focus on the business and not the technology behind it.  With these beliefs as my basis, Cloud Computing will be the next, natural evolution in the industry. Cloud Computing takes the concept of outsourcing a step further by replacing what once were completely in-house services (such as file servers, email servers, accounting programs, and even applications such as MS Office Word and Excel) with internet based sources.

There will be a day when most small to medium sized companies will have the option of drastically reducing their hardware & software footprint within the organization.  In-house technical expertise will be supplanted with a very small set of I.T. professionals who can focus solely on aligning their efforts with business goals.  Currently, much of I.T.’s efforts concentrate on the day-to-day housekeeping of I.T. upkeep.  Cloud Computing will bring simplicity to the I.T. environment and, at the same time, a reduction in costs and added resiliency of the services being provided.

In Harmony with Virtualization

Our company began virtualizing servers two years ago.  It allows us to consolidate two or more servers into one physical server.  The added servers are known as virtualized-servers. It reduces equipment, cooling and power demands while better utilizing the capacity of the hardware.  The benefits of virtualization and those of cloud computing could  easily reduce our existing infrastructure by 70% in the next three years and save us $120,000 every 36 months in equipment costs.  This accounts for the reduction in capital expenditures for hardware alone.  Added savings from software licensing would also be a significant savings.

Below is a diagram which shows how our Private/Internal network extends to the internet currently. Future services (represented by empty circles) constitute ‘The Cloud’.  It will be an extension of our network services – all of which are currently contained within our company.  For now, just know that when you hear somebody talk about the cloud – it isn’t necessarily a weather forecast being discussed!  Such capabilities are especially important to many companies in light of recent economic constraints and the reduction of in-house talent.  I’ll have more to share about this rapidly changing paradigm over the next 18 months.  This should be about the time that more services become available and mature to the point where we can begin relying on the cloud for many of our services.

If you’re an electronics buff and have been considering starting your own business of some sort, why not focus on the kinds of things that you know and love – electronics.

There is a major interest in electronics on the consumer level, and if you are able to sell good electronics at great prices you can take a large share of this market. That means great money coming to you.

So, how do you do it? Well start by knowing what you want to sell.

What’s your niche?

There are plenty of angles you can take when you are selling electronics. Here’s a look at a few of them:

Youth Electronics

This time of year youth electronics are very, very popular. It’s the holiday season and everyone is looking for the latest and greatest of electronics toys for the young people in their lives. From video games to remote control toys, music players and musical instruments, they are all in high demand.

Traditional Electronics

The next thing to consider is traditional electronics offerings. This means things like TVs, stereos, computers and other electronics that most people have in their homes. In addition to having them, most people look to upgrade them and this is where you can get in on some business.

Electronics Components

Some people build their own electronics, but they need the components to do this with. If you have those items for sale, you will be able to quickly and easily build a group of followers and shoppers.

Stocking Your Inventory

As soon as you know what you want to sell, you need to start finding supplies. There are a couple of options:

Wholesale Electronics

Wholesale electronics are those that are purchased from the manufacturer or a distributor. These are generally purchased about 50% below retail price so you have room to mark them up.

Liquidation Electronics

On the other hand, liquidation electronics are those that are sold at a deep discount. Often these are overstock or closeout items. They may also be returns that were sent back to the store and are now being cleared out in large lots. You can often purchase these at pennies on the dollar. Make sure to read what you are getting before you buy.

Make the Sale

Once you know your market and have the inventory you need, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start selling those items! Start listing them on eBay. The key here is to make sure you are putting enough detail into your description, along with pictures, so your buyers know just what they are getting and are more likely to make a purchase.

you are shipping products, whether those products include an entirely manufactured piece of retail material or specific components which will go into the goods in question, the main goal is to have the products reach their destination in a short amount of time and totally intact. Failure to achieve either of these goals could be a blow to your business; you will either have to replace dysfunctional goods or lose a customer, and either option will result in a knock to your bottom line.

It is beneficial for the manufacturing business, therefore, to ensure that the goods they ship are as protected as possible so as to arrive intact. No doubt you have already considered some of the more obvious packaging options when it comes to keeping your shipments safe; proper insulation, waterproof coverings, buffers, and so on. However, it is important that when electronics are a part of the shipment that you take your packaging one step further and think about the impact of static electricity.

When it comes to electronic components, particularly semiconductor devices and other such components that are highly sensitive to a change in polarity, the common occurrence of static electricity can truly be devastating. Static electricity occurs when an electric charge builds up due to poor conductivity along a surface. Sooner or later this build up will discharge, referred to as neutralizing.

Most of the time, this discharge is unnoticed or at the least does no harm outside of a mild shock, but keep in mind that electronic components are meant to be sensitive to any change in polarity; they will receive the brunt of the discharge during shipping and will be rendered useless.

The only real way to prevent damage and dissatisfied customers is through the use of anti-static packaging. Anti-static packaging is manufactured using materials that do not conduct electrical charges at all, and will therefore block the static energy as the charge is neutralized. All electronic components, and the units in which they are housed, should be fully encased within anti-static packaging. It will ensure not only that no charges can reach the components, but also that there is no chance for a charge to build up within the packaging itself during shipping.

Finally, keep in mind that when it comes to retail products, a damaged electronic component may never be pinpointed as the source of defection. It will therefore make it easier both for the retailer and the manufacturer to ensure that every potential problem is neutralized though proper precautions in order to guarantee quality goods, and anti-static packaging is an important step in the process.

Over the past few years Chinese wholesale electronics sector has made a name in the international market by producing some of the unique and premium quality electronics products in bulk and selling them worldwide. In recent times, most of the Chinese electronics products like cell phones, digital cameras, mp4 players and so on have become popular and the first choice for millions of consumers around the globe. In fact, importing electronics products from online China wholesale electronics distributor has emerged as the latest trend in an online market.

Today there are numerous online stocks holders and stores, which deal the Chinese electronics directly to the resellers. It is easy and as a retailer or buyer you can make easy profits and may even enjoy the superior service of Chinese electronic products.

However, with the growth in numbers and easy accessibility in last few years selecting a reliable electronics wholesaler has turned out to be a more difficult task. Just because a website appears on the top of a search engine doesn’t suggest that it is a reliable platform to buy product. Thus, here are few ideas that may help you find out whether an online store actually fits as a source of reliable wholesale electronics or not:

Check the Customer Care Service- One of the best ways to examine the credibility of an online web store is by reaching out to them. Most of the time, you may find a good web store that has a link where you may contact, so that you can clarify your doubts and get extra information regarding any product you wish to buy. Adding to this, in most of the occasions, a good online store asks you to email them, and they get back to you at a suitable time set by you. This kind of service can help you get an idea about the customer care service offered by a good online electronic wholesaler. It is always good to find an online store that treats their customers well irrespective of the size of our order.

Check Client Testimonials – Although this idea may not be the complete error free method to find about or check the authenticity of an online store, yet at times client testimonials do help in getting an idea about the credibility of a web store. All it takes is just few minutes from you to contact old customers or clients and know their views or buying experiences regarding that particular store. Though you need to be smart enough to read between the lines and check how genuine do they sound.

Ensure Online Security- The online store must have a secure online shopping system. A secure online shopping system can help you do not face any problems while using your credit card. If any wholesale electronic item store does not have a secure online shopping system, you can easily become a sufferer of online credit card scams. Apart from this, you must always check whether the online store that you have selected to buy electronic product has been certified by any online security institutions or not. This verification can save your time before you spend time on selecting any product.

No Nag Quality Guarantee- The online store that you select must have a quality guarantee. One of the major problems that you generally face in online shopping is that you never get to touch and feel the real products, unless they are delivered to you. At times, the quality of the products can be very different from what you have expected. Thus to conquer this problem, you must find an online store that permits you to return an item that you have ordered without making you to go through a difficult return process.

Apart from all this, one of the best and quickest ways to do an initial review of the wholesaler is to perform a search of the business name on the Business Bureau’s web page. This small step can let you know about any consumer complaints filed with the bureau. Besides this, you may even see the nature of the issue and sort of complaints others had with the business.

These are just few ideas that may help you in selecting a good online electronic store and purchase the best quality Chinese electronic product at a competitive price. Sourcing Chinese wholesale electronics with the right strategy along with careful research and smart work can help you enjoy great online purchasing experience.

Let’s face it; everyone’s too preocuppied with their own thing nowadays that mere task of heading to the store to study and purchase gadgets can seem like a chore.

Buying gadgets online is a practical activity, not only because it doesn’t take time away from your busy schedule, but also because the Internet is already so full of professional sellers that offer quality items at the best prices. In fact, the birth of online selling has been a headache for most store-based gadget retailers, because people are starting to see the convenience of purchasing without needing to talk face to face.

Where To Buy Gadgets Online

You can buy gadgets online through two sources: the company web site itself, and online retailers.

While you’ll probably be more confident with buying a gadget from the company web site directly, this doesn’t really give you much to choose from. If you’re really bent on acquiring a specific gadget and model, then buying from the site would be convenient. However, if you’re still unsure which to get, then you’d benefit immensely by going through a reliable online gadget retailer.

Why Go Through Retailers?

Online retail stores not only offer the widest selection of gadgets from different brands, they also provide what are perhaps the lowest rates in the market. Because there are so many online stores, the stiff competition has compelled sellers to bring their prices down to beat the others. In the end, all this competing is to your advantage.

Most retailers also do not just sell, but also compare items. Instead of going through each of your prospect gadgets one by one, online retailers have summarized all the features for you and placed them side by side so you can make a decision yourself. The best part about these is that you know you’re getting the opinion of people who are technically knowledgeable about these equipment, so you know exactly what you’re buying.

Certified online retailers also have a money-back guarantee, just in case you’re not satisfied with the way the gadget was handled. People who remain fans of traditional store-bought purchasing would argue that there are risks to be considered with the way shippers handle the goods. However, a professional and truly certified gadget seller will be very mindful of this and will certainly package your prized gadget in a way that can stand shipping wear.

The Internet is home to so many retailers that it’s sometimes hard to decide which to go for. The main issue here is security, and the fact that the store will not be running off with your money or sending you substandard goods. Look for the certification seal from the different Canon PIXMA MX7600 and gadget brands on the company’s website, or go with tried and tested online retailers like PCRush.com or Amazon.

Hardware gadgets seem to have ruled the charts of success this year. Various innovative gadgets that were developed after intricate research and bountiful experiments were launched this year. Following is the list of a few coolest gadgets that had the world soaring hot.

Radio Controlled Motorized Drink Cooler – The is the best if you want to gain attention during a party or even a football game for that matter. It is a unique concept which is a radio controlled motorized cooler that a person can operate around the room using a simple transmitter. This cooler has the capacity to hold a dozen cans and bottles including the ice. It has the attribute of expanding and contracting, hence making it easier to transport as well. This cooler is battery powered remote runs on a standard 9-volt battery. This can move up at a distance of 30 feet, thus making it easier for the host to send around the drink using a motor rather that physical labour.

Magnetic Tool Band for Arm – One of the major concerns, that involves keeping track of all the tools while working under a car, of automobile manufactures have been sorted. Thanks to the magnetic arm band for tools that lets a person keep hardware like drill bits, screwdrivers, wrenches, sockets, nuts, bolts, nails, screws, pliers and even hammers, close to arms. The secret for the success of this hardware tool is the magnetic arm band that is engineered using heavy duty PVC coated poly-knit fabric and is secured using hook and loop straps.

LED Headlights for Dogs – This product is aimed at becoming extremely popular in countries all over the world. This is primarily an adjustable collar which can fit any dog with the easy-to-use clip-fasteners. Three powerful AAA batteries are installed to light the three LED lights that will not only help the dog but the owner as well to keep track at the night. Costing just $20, this is an interesting buy.

Hot Stop Shower Head – This is one of the highly advanced product in the bathrobe hardware segment. Basically this is a valve this is a temperature sensing valve that shuts off the water 117º F and above to prevent burning-hot accidents.

Zip Sander – Among the mechanical hardware, one of the most raging product is the Zip Sander which is lightweight foam block that is contoured to fit in ones hand and equipped with a hook-and-loop bottom surface which help in the easier attaching and removing of abrasive sheets.

Gorilla Wood Glue – The Gorilla Glue,a perfect launch in the lubrication hardware market is an emulsion of cross-linked polyvinyl acetate (PVA) molecules that are suspended in water. The main advantage of this wood glue is that is designed to better resist moisture, cold temperatures and even short clamp times. The fact that it facilitates short clamp times, makes this product a hit among the amateurs as well.

Bosch Rotary Hammer – This is a hammer drill on steroids that is designed to bore in wood by virtue of a switch. This inexpensive product works on with an easily detachable dust extractor and has two drilling modes. Just by pressing a switch one can toggle between the drilling modes.

We all need to shop for the various articles and items from time to time. Sometimes we need small things that are needed for our day to day lives while at times we may be wanting a high tech gadget. Shopping is certainly an indispensable part of our lives. We spend large sum of money in buying the objects of our needs and liking. Everyone simply loves to shop however there are various constraints like time, distance, lack of company that refrain one from moving out for shopping. However the advancement in technology has bestowed the humans with great comfort and ease. The advent of online shopping has given immense facilities to the people and now we can shop within the comfort and privacy of our homes. The internet has given great convenience to the people and now the customers can get their desired products with great ease.

Online shopping is a unique concept in which the customers can easily seek all the information regarding a particular product with great ease. They can easily look out for the various brands and models to determine which product is most suitable for them. One can easily seek details like price, make, features, design etc from the various websites and portals. Shopping online has become extremely popular amongst the people across the world. Prime reason for the immense success of this kind of shopping is the easy access to loads of information and simple procedures that appeal to today’s generation. Due to lack of time it is difficult for the consumers to visit the markets and stores and spend hours trying different products. There is so much variety available in even the simplest of products that it needs a lot of time to compare the various products. Moreover you cannot expect to find all the products at a single store. In an online store you can find all kinds of items. The items are listed with complete information like prices, specifications etc. You can find everything from beauty products to medicines, from high tech electronic gadgets to home decor etc. A wide range of products are readily available on the internet. By simply logging on to the world of web you can have access to all your favourite products.

These days you cannot only find products and details on the internet but can also seek advice from the experts. The various shopping portals provide the users facility to compare the prices and also discuss the quality and performance of the items on the forums. The users have the facility to write reviews and also get clear insight of the product by referring to the opinions and the reviews of other users. These days price comparison shopping is creating waves in the market as the users prefer to analyze and compare the features of the various products to avail the most perfect one. You can also find listing of various products along with the prices and features. They can compare the costs and then decide which product they want to avail and from which brand or seller.

The various sellers provide great offers and discounts on different items. By carefully examining different online stores, the users shall be able to identify the best products. They can get great benefits like free gifts, free subscription, cash back etc. So now you can easily get your desired items with great ease. Shopping online is extremely easy and is a sheer fun. You simply need to connect to the internet, search for the product on the various websites, log on to a reliable shopping portal and order the product. Making payments for the products that have been purchased online is very simple. You can pay with the help of credit cards, debit cards or through your bank account. However one needs to be careful and cautious while shopping online. The customers should only log on to the reliable comparison shopping websites that promise security of information regarding credit cards numbers.