TJantunen.com

Camping season for most is coming to a close, but if you camp all year round, this is one item you’ll benefit from.  Having a hot cup of coffee when it’s not so warm outside is always a good idea.  Yes, it might make you appear as if you aren’t exactly roughing it, but it’s nice to have at least a couple of things to make camping a little more convenient.  This Brunton Flip-N-Drip isn’t overly large either, it’s only the size of a thermos.

In order to make the coffee, you boil water in the base of the coffee maker.  Then you just attach what is called the brew chamber, that is already filled with the coffee grounds of your choosing.  Once it’s attached you flip the entire thing over and it will begin the percolation process.  That portion of the process itself takes about 10-12 minutes.  After that is all finished you remove the 16 oz mug that features a double wall and is insulated.  The Flip-N-Drip isn’t available just yet, but once it is you’ll be able to pick it up for $45 from Brunton.

Source: OhGizmo

from Coolest Gadgets

Mention MP3 players and the iPod will definitely come into your mind. While other players in the market have tried to dislodge the iPod from its lofty perch through numerous efforts, it is safe to say that they are far from succeeding, but that doesn’t mean that SanDisk will give up the fight just like that. No sir, SanDisk, being the global leader in flash memory cards, has just announced that they will be releasing their latest MP3 player – the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player. This model will feature a microSD memory card slot, virtually allowing you to store plenty of albums on individual microSD cards that makes for easy categorizing. After all, file transfer is a snap using the standard drag-and-drop method.

SanDisk claims that their Sansa Clip+ MP3 player is one of the best sounding MP3 players in the market – how true that is remains to be seen, although we do wonder whether there is any clause if this claim is limited to a player of its size or price range. The Sansa Clip+ will succeed its predecessor, unceremoniously known as the Clip, and will retain full compatibility with SanDisk slotRadio and slotMusic cards, alongside any microSD memory card that boasts pre-loaded music files. Features of the Sansa Clip+ MP3 player includes a wearable clip that makes for hands-free portability, a 1″ OLED display that ought to be bright enough for use even under direct sunlight. It will sport a simple user interface that makes it a snap to select songs and playlists through a variety of assortments. An integrated FM tuner with 40 preset stations make it a snap for you to select your favorite station wherever you are, with a built-in microphone turning the Sansa Clip+ into an impromptu voice recorder.

Available in 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities, the Sansa Clip+ will retail for $39.99, $49.99 and $69.99, respectively, where you can choose from red, blue or black colors.

Press Release

from Coolest Gadgets

Before the internet, people had to find freelance jobs by dressing up as giant cartoon characters and wearing sandwich boards. OK, not really. But it was a lot harder, is my point.
from About Today

The writing is the fun part. The business side … well, it’s a necessary evil. The good news is, it’s all much easier than you’re expecting.
from About Today

Talk to anyone who’s contemplating freelancing, and they’ll tell you that the number one question on their mind is: “Can I make money from this?” (Answer: Yes.)
from About Today

I’ve been thinking a lot about blog design because in the last couple of days, I’ve gotten some compliments out of blue on one of my blog’s designs.  This was surprising because I don’t think the design is exceptional.  The design is based on a popular premium theme, which I modified with my limited coding skills.  I changed the colors, resized the columns, and moved and deleted some of the visual elements.  Also, I hired a designer to create a custom header.  These changes made my design look very different from the original look.

Make It Unique

One key is standing out from the crowd.  No one will talk about your blog design or even take note of it if it looks too similar to other blogs.

Many of the blogs in my niche were using popular free WordPress themes, so they looked like other blogs.   While there are many great free WordPress themes, if you use them, you’ll often find many blogs that look just like yours.  Therefore, you’re not standing out from the crowd and your design doesn’t make a lasting impression.

Takeaway: If you do use a popular WordPress theme (whether free or paid), make sure to modify it enough so it has a fresh look and doesn’t remind your readers of other blogs with the same theme.

Cut Out The Clutter

My design may not win any awards, but one thing I kept hearing in the compliments was the simplicity of the design.  A clean, uncluttered design goes a long way to improving the usability of your blog.

Many blogs have too much going on.  Whether it’s five different ads above the fold or ten widgets on the sidebar, a cluttered design can frustrate and confuse your readers.

Takeaway: If you give your readers too many things to look at, they may miss out on the most important part of your blog, your posts.  Keep your design simple and you’ll highlight your content.

Content Vs. Design

One of the blogs in my niche has uses the WordPress default theme so the blog feels very boring and bland.  However, I look forward to visiting the blog because it’s regularly updated and has high quality content.  The blog has grown quickly and is starting to become one of the most popular blogs in my niche.

This just goes to prove that content is by far more important than design.  Still, that blog could get a big boost from a fresh design.  A custom design will cause it to stand out even more from other blogs.  It will make the reading experience more enjoyable, generate buzz within the industry, and improve the blog’s brand.

Takeaway: Focus first on the quality and quantity of your content, but once you’ve got that down, a custom design will take your blog to the next level.

Performancing offers custom blog designs with our blog launch service.

from Performancing.com – Helping Bloggers Succeed