From the monthly archives:

July 2008

How to Make Money Buying and Selling Domain Names

by manatee on July 31, 2008

Most people with even a little bit of experience on the web know that a nice profit can be made with a good domain name.  There are numerous stories where a lucky individual got in at the right time and bought a good generic domain name (for around $100 in the early 1990’s) and sold it later for millions.  One example of this is a 43 year old man from Maryland that sold Pizza.com for $2.6 million.

For the most part, the really good domains have already been taken.  Or have they?  Two years ago I bought a very nice keyword niche domain for a measly $250.  I turned the domain into a blog, worked on it for about 2 1/2 years and sold it for $10,000.  Not a bad profit for blogging about something I enjoyed.  I’m still shocked that I only had to shell out $250 for this nice domain.  Did I get lucky or was the timing just right?  Maybe it was a little bit of both.

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Steps Pedometer iPhone App Review

by manatee on July 29, 2008


Installer Apps reviews a pedometer application for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Unfortunately it looks like nobody has done a video review of what I think is a better pedometer called Steps, so I’ll have to do one as soon as I get more time.  Steps is brought to you by Edovia and turns your iPhone, iPhone 3G or iPod touch into a personal pedometer.  Enter in your height and weight and it will calculate steps you have walked, distance travelled, time and average speed.

The only flaws I can see so far is that I don’t think it can run in the background while you are doing other things such as listening to music, podcasts, etc.  I’m not positive on this so I’ll test to make sure.  Steps uses the accelerometer (motion sensors) to detect movement.  It is recommended that you put your device in your pocket or wear on your waist for best results.  Currently available in English and French.  If you want to lose weight and are looking for a fun way to do so, try this pedometer application and get in shape!

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Win a Self Stirring Mug!

by manatee on July 29, 2008

Have you heard of the Self Stirring Mug?  If not, it is a nifty little gadget that coffee drinkers around the world will surely enjoy.  Just fill it with coffee, add milk/cream, sugar or whatever else you like to add and push the button to stir it up.  Now you can be the coolest person at the office and never have to worry about leaving a mess with spoons, stir sticks, etc.  These are also great for kids!  Fill with milk, add chocolate… push the button and you’ve got chocolate milk!

Now YOU can win a Self Stirring Mug!  To enter, leave a comment below.

FIVE BONUS BONUS ENTRIES - Link to this blog post for FIVE bonus entries!

Enter by August 29, 2008 for a chance to win.  :)

UPDATE! - New Contest Starting soon - Win $100 in CASH!

Follow @sweepstakes on Twitter to be the first to know!

Flash Player Released for iPhone!

by manatee on July 29, 2008

“At long last, Adobe has released it’s well loved Flash player for the iPhone 3G and iPod Touch!  Never again will you visit a web site and see that mysterious thing that looks like a lego block with question mark on it.  Now you can do what you’ve always dreamed of - watch living streaming videos on Ustream, play your favorite web based flash games and more!”

Hopefully, this is what we will see all over the web in the near future.  Unfortunately, Flash isn’t supported yet, but rumor is that “they” are working on it.  I wonder if there may be a reason Apple has stalled on Flash support?  Could it something to do with the moola they are making from the App store?  Hmm…

To be continued…

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Fantasy Football Mock Draft Sites for 2008

by manatee on July 28, 2008

2008 Fantasy Football season is just around the corner and one of the best things you can do is practice your draft on one of the many Fantasy Football Mock draft sites available on the web.  Many are free to use and some you can pay extra to get additional stats and various features.  I did a post on this topic last year, but think it’s a good idea to stay on top of this by updating some links, adding new sites, etc.  Here are some you should check out:

Fantasy Football Calculator - I think this is my favorite mock draft site so far.  They’ve added some features and promise to improve the quality of the drafts to make them as realistic as possible.  I love this site as you can select a draft position and start right away without a bunch of annoying login screens, etc.  It’s a very clean site, loads quickly, simple, etc.  This is a site you will use a lot, I promise.  :)

ESPN Fantasy Football Mock Draft Lobby - Right off the bat I’m annoyed at this site.  You try to pick a mock draft and if it is full it isn’t easy to get back to the main menu to pick another live draft.  More than likely though this is still an excellent tool to use just as it was last year.  I’ll find out in about 8 minutes if they have added the ability for you to select your draft position.  Update - I entered the lobby and it appears you STILL cannot choose your draft position.  WTF?  Am I doing something wrong?  If so, please let me know in the comments below.

Mock Draft Central -Not sure what’s going on with this site this year.  Still seems to be $3.99 for a premium membership.  Not even sure if they are doing free mock drafts or not?  Oh wait, I found the link.  Yes, this site needs to be simplified as far as navigation.  Other than that, it still looks good and provides a very nice ADP report so you can get an idea of who’s hot in each draft position.

CBS Sports Fantasy Football Mock Draft - Wow!  CBS Sports now has a mock draft site.  Or… did they have this last year?  This requires a login, so sign up for a free account to use their tool.  Like ESPN, the navigation is initially a pain as you may have to Google to find the entry point after logging in.  Or, just bookmark THIS site and you’ll always have the link.  :)  Includes ADP reports and lets you select your draft position.

Here are some other sites to try as well:

AntSports Fantasy Football Mock Drafts

Fantasy Football Starters - Coming soon - mock draft software that you can use to practice drafting against computer players.

Overall, my personal favorite is Fantasy Football Calculator.  It’s getting better every year and to me the clean and simple interface make this very pleasant to use.

Did I forget to mention a good mock draft site?  Please let me know by leaving a comment below.

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Enigmo Game Review for iPhone and iPod Touch

by manatee on July 27, 2008


Stuff.tv reviews Enigmo, a game for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Currently, this is the #9 best seller in the iTunes App Store.  Enigmo is a puzzle game that uses the multi touch technology of the iPhone.  This means you can play the game more discreetly - compared to games where you might be waving your iPhone or iPod touch around due to games using the accelerometer.  In this game, you direct water around into little buckets, soak them up with a sponge, etc.  Well, that probably doesn’t make sense, so just watch the video for a better idea.  Enigmo is available for $9.99.

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iPhone 3G First Impressions

by manatee on July 27, 2008

Well, I am finally “cool” as I am now the proud owner of an Apple iPhone 3G.  So far, without a doubt I can definitely say you should buy one of these - even if you’re still stuck in a contract with some cheesy old school cell phone.  I’ll explain how you can get out of that a little later.

I will admit that I’ve been in the stone age with my cell phone as I was using one of those Go Phones - a Nokia 6300 which I seem to have lost.  So… jumping from that kind of phone to the iPhone probably excites me more than the average person.

One of my favorite features is the use of GPS with Google Maps.  This is going to be so useful in so many situations.  You’re out on the town and you want to go out to eat.  Just open Google Maps, pinpoint where you’re at and search for the words “mexican” or “chinese” to find the nearest restaurant of that type.  You can also get turn by turn driving directions, showing your location in real time.

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Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D Review

by manatee on July 24, 2008


Chris Pirillo reviews Crash Bandicoot Nitro Cart 3D for the iPhone and iPod Touch. This game costs $9.99 and was developed by Vivendi Games Mobile.  You can adjust the accelerometer sensitivity in case you are over steering.  This app can be played in multiple languages - English, French, Italian or German.  Right away this looks a bit like a clone of Nintendo’s Mario Kart.  The game still needs to be optimized a bit, but is still worth ten bucks.  Read his full review here.

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Gifts for Movie Buffs

by manatee on July 24, 2008

mclovin-id-superbad-movie-fogel-fake-prop-custom Mclovin id-Superbad-movie-Fogel fake- prop- custom

Do you know of a friend or member of the family that is a movie buff? They probably can recite quotes and give you trivia on every movie made on the planet. If you are looking for a gift idea for their birthday, Christmas or other occasion such as Father’s Day or Mother’s Day, here are a few ideas to get you started:

Gift of Fame Personalized Hollywood Stars - Get a customized Hollywood Star just like the ones you can see on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. These personalized stars are made by the same people who make the authentic ones for actors, musicians, etc.

Autographs - Get an authentic autograph from their favorite actor or actress.  These may be autographed photos or perhaps a slip of paper or other item signed in person.  These are usually perfect for framing to be displayed in the home, office or other location.

Movie Posters - Here’s an excellent gift idea for movie buffs.  They’re inexpensive, unique and look especially nice when framed.  Hang them up in the entertainment area of the house or just about anywhere.  Let them relive their favorite movie whenever they see the poster.  Authentic and reproduction posters are available as well as autographed ones, too!

back-to-the-future-signed-movie-script-fox-lloyd-glover BACK TO THE FUTURE SIGNED MOVIE SCRIPT FOX LLOYD GLOVER

Movie Props - Nothing will excite anyone more than a movie prop from a movie buff’s favorite flick.  For lower budgets you can buy reproductions.   For higher budgets, consider buying an authentic movie prop which usually includes a certificate of authenticity (COA).

Movies - This might be obvious, but might be overlooked, too.  If you’re stumped for ideas why not buy them a DVD of their favorite movie?  Almost every movie ever made can now be bought online.  What movie do you think would make a great gift?

Netflix - Do you know someone that hasn’t tried Netflix yet?  Rent movies online with this excellent service with no late fees.  You only have to go as far as your mailbox to return your movie.  When you’re done watching a movie, you’ll receive the next one in your Netflix queue as soon as they receive the one that was watched in the mail.  This is an excellent gift you can give online from one month to a year.  Currently, they have over 100,000 titles!

Digital Video Projector - If there’s plenty of room in the house, and you can afford it, a digital video projector can make an excellent gift.  Watch TV, movies, sporting events and more projected onto a huge screen in your home.

infocus-proxima-dp6155-lcd-video-projector-dp-6155-a7 InFocus/Proxima DP6155 LCD Video Projector DP-6155 A7

Movie Scripts - You can buy authentic movie scripts as well as reproductions.  Some are autographed by one or more cast members… or even the entire cast, director and more.

Well, these are just a few ideas off the top of my head.  Hopefully this will provide you with a good starting point.  Good luck!

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Texas Hold’em iPhone App Review

by manatee on July 23, 2008


Ok, now this is awesome. One of the current top selling iPhone applications in the App Store is Texas Hold’em for the iPhone and iPod Touch. One of the really great features of this game is the multiplayer mode that let’s you play with other people over the Internet via Wi-Fi.  Jon4lakers gives you this excellent video review so you can take a look at this game in detail.

Features include Wi-Fi multiplayer mode for up to nine players; in game hints, stats, tips; stunning graphics and more.  It’s available for $4.99 in the iTunes App Store.

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