The iPhone 5 is almost the same smartphone as the earlier iPhone 4s. It is however thinner with a faster processor. This iconic phone just got a little better, its much more refined due to the trending larger front screen and thinner profile. As an iPhone user I was curious to see how the new iPhone 5 measured up to the older version. How can this new generation iPhone become even better and faster in only a short period of time? Can the fine people at Apple create something visionary or will they continue to bring us the same old thing dressed up with a few extra features? This was a huge challenge to conquer. The iPhone 5 is a much better phone from the bottom upwards. Instead of reviewing this new iPhone model I think it makes sense to give you my honest opinion from an actual customer.

First of all the one thing you will notice right away is how light the phone is. Almost 20% lighter with a much larger surface area,which makes it feel even more lighter. This iPhone 5 doesn’t feel cheap at all it takes us back to the original days of the metal back. It has changed in a number of ways such as screen size, layout of the charging connector, distance between the ear piece and display at the bottom. Instead of a glass back it is now made up of aluminum, just like the mac pro! It is much more solid and you can feel the quality of craftmanship built into this devise.

The headphone jack used to be on top of the iPhone but in the new iPhone 5 it is moved to the bottom. I’m not sure if that actually made sense because now if you place the phone on a cup holder in the car it will have to be upside down but as you pick it up it will be easier to use right away. The new configuration had something to do more with the actual internal parts and how they fit the previous design. Apple was able to make this new model thinner just by moving this accessory. Another major change is the new connector. It’s called the lightning and it’s very small and reversible. It is more solid and won’t break as often. These two changes enabled Apple to make the iPhone 5 thinner.

An adapter is available from Apple to add to make your existing cable into an extension to fit the new iPhone 5. They cost $30 and are available soon.

The last changes are the new nano sim card slot, that introduces a new sim card again. Upgraded speakers and microphones are added to the changes as well. Crystal clear speakers are clear and undistorted. They have 3 microphones to help with video recording and noise cancellation.

As far as I’m concerned, this new iPhone 5 is almost twice as fast as its previous models and it the difference is immediate and pronounced. Using the web it launches instantly, saving pictures are instantaneous as well,this adds to an overall better experience. A new LTE network adds to the speed of the new iPhone 5. Panoramic photos can be taken now and a better motion stabilizer when taking 1080p video.

This new iPhone is more than just numbers and specifications, it is everything that embodies the Apple brand. It represents the best of the best in features and materials which justifies it’s top place as the leader in the new generation of smartphones.

Apple devices are so sleek and delicate that they need extra protection from regular jerks and accidents. The accessories for such portable devices must be cool and useful. They must be handy and practical in usage. Any additional accessory must not hinder the usual mechanism of the device. The extended peripherals go beyond the obvious limits of the device. Whether it is for connecting to the camera or streaming an audio clip, an accessory comes in handy for both the purposes. Accessorizing the device can also be looked upon as an effective measure to protect your investment. An iPad is an innovative invention with features like fast processor, hi-tech camera and retina display. Invest in good accessories and protect your gadget from probable damage. Below mentioned are few of the must-have accessories for your iPad.

Smart Cover

The display of an iPad accounts for 90 per cent of its classy look. The heavy price paid can be safeguarded by further investment in a smart cover. The smart cover is designed such that when you take the cover off the iPad it automatically gets active and when you put the cover back it will again slip into the sleep mode. You can further use this cover as a keyboard stand or video stand.

iPad Movie Mount

You can maximize the film making potential of your device by choosing this accessory. You can also attach this to the other pieces of film equipment. This can transform the iPad into a movie-making machine that will open new horizons for you. If you are already in this field, this accessory automatically becomes a must for you. You can also avail the usage of a free app that lets you control the video recording functions manually. You can further connect it to a tripod, a shotgun mic and lighting which will help you in improving the quality of the video recording.

iPad Camera Connection Kit

This accessory is specially designed to highlight the new retina display feature of the display. It gives you the option of importing the photos from the digital camera by using USB cable or by directly connecting to a SD card. The camera connection kit supports standard formats, including RAW and JPEG. It also supports SD and HD video formats along with H.264 and MPEG-4.

Screen Protector Mask

To protect your iPad from fingerprints, dust, dirt and scratches buy an anti glare/anti fingerprint screen protector. It is made from a tough adhesive polymer. It is easy to stick on your screen and can be easily removed too. Furthermore, the touch screen functions remain as they were before. The screen protection kit comes with an applicator card and a micro fiber cleaning cloth.

Invoxia Audi Office

It is a professional audio and speaker system for such devices. It has features like Bluetooth, full duplex hands free, 2 USB ports, and back ground noise removal. It is compatible with iPad 2 and iPad. It works on Vivo Acoustic Technology that has 8 broadband speakers and 8 digital microphones.

Ask any current American Express charge card holder and the will probably tell you that it’s the best charge card that they have every had, as long as it is accepted at all of their normal vendors. American Express is not the most widely accepted cards, and the main reason for this is because American Express charges a higher fee per transaction at merchants than other credit cards do. But as a cardholder you can reap the benefits from this extra money that American Express makes in the form of rewards and added features on your card. If you enjoy traveling or attending special events then take a look at the group of American Express charge cards and see what you have been missing.

Amex Green Charge Card
This is the base level charge card for American Express. With this card you can earn 1 point for every dollar that you spend on your card. You also earn 2x points when you book you trips through American Express’s travel site and up to 10x points when you make purchases on American Express’s Membership Rewards online mall with over 300 of the best vendors.

The annual fee for the American Express Green Charge card is $95, which is waived for your first year, and $30/year for each additional card that you add to your account.

Amex Gold Charge Card
The American Express Gold Charge Card is the next step up in ladder. With this card you are earning the same points structure that the Green card offers. The main difference is that you will be one of the first people to now about upcoming entertainment events and be able to purchases tickets to these events through American Express (which you can use points to pay for.) If you attend a lot of special events and hate waiting in line for tickets and you want to save $50 off of the next card in this entourage then this is the card for you.

The annual fee for the American Express Gold Card is $125, and $35 for each additional card you add to your account.

Amex Premier Rewards Gold Charge Card
If you were interested in the American Express Gold Charge Card then you need to take a look at the Premier Rewards Card. This card is offering 25,000 bonus points (valued at $250) when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months of opening your account. You can earn 3x points on airfare that is purchased through American Express’s travel site, 2x points on gas and groceries, and 1x points on everything else. You get the same early access to special events along with offers that include special travel packages and amenities at hotels worldwide.

The annual fee for the American Express Premier Rewards Gold card is $175, which is waived the first year, and there is no annual fee for the next 5 cards that you add to your account.

Amex Platinum Charge Card
This is the card for the world traveler or anyone who plans to take lots of trips in the future. The Platinum card is offering 25,000 bonus points when you spend $2,000 in the first 3 months. You will also earn 2x points when you book your trip through the American Express travelers site and 1x points on everything else that you purchase.

You will get access to over 600 travel lounges with American Express’s priority pass, you will not be charged any foreign transaction fees, you can skip to the front of U.S. Custom lines with American Express’s Global entry, and you get up $200 annually to cover incidental airline charges, including checked baggage fees. When you purchase a qualifying first or business class international ticket you can receive a companion ticket for any discounted traveler. Also you can receive complementary upgrades at hotels, boutiques, and resorts worldwide.

With all of these travel rewards and upgrades you will also get a 24/7 concierge that can offer assistance with reservations, travel, gifts, and more. And to make your traveling plans even better you will save 20% when you pay for any of your trips with the points that you have earned. And while you are on your trip you will get exclusive access to events and shows that are not offered to the general public.

The annual fee for the American Express Platinum Charge Card is $450.

With all of these options it is probably pretty easy to figure out which card is best for you. On top of the unique features for each card all of the American Express Charge cards include the following features.

-There is no limit to the amount of points that you earn, there are no blackout dates and the points you earn can be transferred to over 20 different frequent flyer miles programs.

-When you are traveling you can travel in comfort knowing that your bags are covered. Up to $1,250 in insurance for your carry on bags and $500 in insurance for your checked bags. You can also refuse the supplementary car rental insurance when you are renting a car with your American Express Charge card.

-24/7 emergency assistance when you are traveling more than 100 miles from your home, which includes roadside assistance if your car breaks down.

-When you are shopping you can return items that you are not satisfied with and if the vendor will not take them back, American Express will refund you up to $300 of the purchase. You are also protected in case you break something, accidentally, American Express will replace, repair, or reimburse you for the item up to 90 after your purchase.

-Extended warranty on the items that you purchase with your card up to one year passed the standard manufactures warranty.

For anyone who travels a lot or attends special events then the group of American Express Charge Cards is an option worth looking at. You can also have the added benefit of adding additional cards to your account and watch your earned points add up. American Express makes it easy to earn points as well as spend them in the way that you want. The only problem is deciding on where your next trip will be and which event you want to see.

It’s important to note that a charge card is a card that is used by someone who plans to pay his or her bill in full each month. These cards also come with “no preset spending limit,” but that does not mean you can go out and buy anything. Your card limit can be based on anything from your spending habits to your credit history.

If you drink colas and you are not one of the rare RC Cola drinkers, then you probably are on one side or the other of the Coca-Cola/ Pepsi Cola battle of the giants. The battle of the brands covers so much more than just the supermarket shelves, they also battle against each other in restaurants and even globally.

Both brands have a multitude of different products under their main product, so many that it would be difficult to even list them all. One thing is positive, if one comes up with a successful product, the other is sure to copy it and put their own twist on it. This means that they both carry essentially the same flavors. They are both comparable in cost and are even comparable in quality. They differ for the most part in their tastes and their marketing plans and as far as taste goes, most people that like one or the other of the brands will settle for the other if their favorite wasn’t available. A funny thing to note is that one sector that cares about what is available is the mixed drink crowd such as those that drink rum and ‘Coke’ or Jack and ‘Coke’. After all the drink name has Coke in it not Pepsi.

Interestingly enough, people are able to differentiate between the two colas; they both have a patented, recognizable taste that is not overpowering but also not unnoticeable. However the question is, does any of this make one company a clear cut winner over the other and the answer was no, they both have a similar product with similar taste and similar followings and so their only real way to edge each other out is in the advertising forum.

Coca-Cola used to be the clear cut leader but then it produced the product that was supposed to replace its original line. They named it Coke II and it was a royal flop, causing the original recipe to be pulled back out, dusted off and renamed Coke Classic. This debacle allowed Pepsi to close the gap and it strengthened its advertising budget, marketing hard to the younger generations. Coke produced clever animated polar bears that appealed to the older generations while Pepsi named itself ‘The Choice of a New Generation’. And ‘Generation Next’. They hired popular young celebrities to represent their product and their popularity surged. While Coke is still keeping to the more reserved advertising, it is trying to market to the younger crowd.

There is still no clear winner in this long term race and neither Coca-Cola nor Pepsi-Cola are likely to disappear into the sunset leaving the full customer base of cola drinkers to the last one standing.

Is it possible to make money from home with surveys that pay?

Can’t businesses get no cost volunteers? Why would anyone give money for surveys? Is it all a scam?

The fact of the matter is that businesses conduct thousands of surveys that pay every day in every industry you can think of. eBay, Walmart, Amazon… they’re all hungry for data.

These companies conduct surveys for money because each data point they find is money to them, and if they don’t, their competitors will. Small cash rewards are the best motivator out there, making survey websites that pay a standout income opportunity.

Surveys for pay provide crucial market research information for these corporations, far exceeding the cost of holding surveys that pay. The purpose of the award is to ensure candid responses and fill every survey for money opening.

In the days before the Internet, companies held elaborate market research events, paying participants for their time and their travel-related expenses. Even though these meetings could cost millions of dollars every year, the businesses recouped their expenditures many times over.

Most paid market research takes place online today, saving companies millions of dollars, while also increasing the online surveys that pay budget.

If you want to earn a reliable income from home, surveys that pay are one of the best methods.

Familiarize yourself with best practices if you want to make the most out of surveys that pay. While you are not likely to make a killing from the beginning, these suggestions will get you on the right track.

How much you make with surveys for money relies mostly on your temperament and how dedicated you are. If you want to create a real income, you have to treat surveys that pay like a business or job. Even if the first couple of surveys for money you take pay you only a few dollars, complete as many as possible to get yourself started.

As you create new accounts on survey websites that pay, you should create a new email address or an email account group. This will stop you from deleting surveys for money mail that you think are personal messages or junk mail. Distinct email accounts will make you see the top paying surveys as soon as they show up.

Whenever you take a paid survey, always give truthful responses to all queries. Survey sites that pay can compare your responses to similar questions across surveys, and when there is a discrepancy, survey companies can blacklist you from surveys for money in the future.

Once in a while you will find a survey that offers a sweepstakes entry instead of cash. Typically, these surveys have few participants, which gives you a better chance to win. Most participants neglect contest entry surveys that pay because they want money for surveys, but you shouldn’t. Bonuses include vacations, appliances, televisions and sizable cash prizes.

If you are consistent, the rewards will come. Certain survey sites that pay hold back the top paying surveys until you’ve completed some lower-paying surveys, so keep it going to reach the big payouts. If you build a good history with survey websites that pay, you might get some online focus group opportunities with a possible hourly rate of $50 or more.

Your persistence will reap handsome rewards.

How to get get free best buy gift cards. The only way is applying online. There are many online offers that give out free gift in return for your valuable opinion. Its all about taking action and filling out each form as accurate as possible.

Were can i apply for a free Best Buy gift card?

By doing a little research you may come across hundreds of websites promising you freebies. To the untrained eyes, many will look legit. Its real important you only apply from a reputable and trusted source. I was recommend by a friend to fill out my form from a website he used. We both were granted our gifts as promised. Like i said before, there are many websites that promise you a freebie, its up to you to know if its legit.

Why would companies give our free gifts?

Best Buy is a big corporation that offer electronics and many other accessories. Market research companies partner with Best Buy to see how they can make the shopping experience more enjoyable and profitable. They go to the public and ask consumers questions. They fill out a simple survey and return it and in exchange they receive a gift. Best Buy pays thousands of dollars in return for each survey. This is way cheaper and more effective than spending advertising dollars on TV.

There are 3 simple steps too get you free best buy gift card

1) Find a website that offers freebies
2) Submit your email to see if you qualify
3) Fill out the survey

Be sure to read the fine print and follow the instruction. Filling out the information may take some time but it is definitely worth it in the long run. Your shipping information must be accurate so take your time. You don’t want your neighbor with you gift.

I read a story about Best Buy in the Wall Street Journal recently and it seems that interim CEO Mike Mikan is ready to reinvent the business and make it “more relevant, more intelligent and more nimble”. It will be interesting to watch this play out and see if they can adapt their big box format to escape what a friend of mine calls their “showroom for the internet” perception. One of the specifics that Mikan mentioned in the article was “worker training to deepen customer relationships”. I hope that Best Buy is thinking past training that simply tells their people what to do and is focused on efforts that change the sales culture and actually influence how their salespeople think about customers.

I’m betting that many of the Best Buy salespeople already know how to build relationships. They probably do it every day in their life outside of work. I’d wager that they have even built some strong, lasting relationships with people at work. If that’s the case, and the new training simply tells them how to build better relationships with their customers, the odds aren’t Best Buy’s favor. Their people already know, at least to some degree, how to build a relationship. Training that tells someone what to do, unless they really want to and simply haven’t learned how yet, will cause little or no lasting change in behavior. That kind of training may give them a temporary boost in sales performance but they will need much more than a temporary boost to thrive again. Best Buy has to make several things happen to be successful.

Fully define the new customer experience

Best Buy’s biggest competitor is online purchasing. Their biggest competitive advantage is that you can touch and hold the products before you buy them. They need to create an amazing shopping experience, with people who add value to the buying process. They have a great showroom but they don’t have an amazing shopping experience. Best Buy needs to decide exactly what that customer experience would look and feel like for them to win, and then begin the process of internal behavior change to make it happen. Most businesses simply say they want to create an amazing experience, but they don’t share the full vision with their employees and make sure that everyone understands the new expectations. They should even involve their sales teams in helping create and shape that vision. If the new destination is not so well defined that people can understand it, embrace it and want to be part of it, the change will not be successful.

Change the mindset in the company

This one is admittedly hard but very few of their salespeople will treat a customer differently unless they think differently about the customer. The best salespeople are not the best because of the actions they take, but because of how they take the actions. Two salespeople can ask a customer how they can help and engage a customer with the exact same words, but the one with the intent of building a relationship and adding value will do it very differently than the one who is doing it because they were told what to say or even how to say it. I’m not suggesting that there aren’t more effective words to use, in fact “how can I help” is a better start than “do you need some help” or “may I help”, but I am saying that someone who believes their purpose is to make a difference for that customer does it much more effectively than someone following a script. Best Buy will win when the primary reason that its people come to work is to add value for the people that walk in the door. If Best Buy wants to help its people make that mindset shift, it will need to change much about the culture in the stores, the way the salespeople are coached, and how other employees see the most rewarded performers operating.

Drastically improve manager capabilities

This is one of the biggest keys to success and will be the most critical component. Will they train their salespeople and hope it helps or will they develop managers who can support, coach, and inspire salespeople to make the needed shift in thinking and behavior? In fact, if they invested in their managers and never even delivered salesperson training they would get a better return on their investment while spending the same amount. I think they should do both but if they only do one, turning their managers into leaders delivers a better ROI. A manager who can help a team adapt to the change quickly, teach them how to be better while observing them with customers, and support them every step of the way is a far greater change catalyst than a training class. These managers will also be the primary decision makers on who joins the company, who fits with the new culture and who chooses to continue their career elsewhere because they have different goals. Develop leaders at this level and you will soon have stars on the sales floor.

I’m certain that Best Buy has a comprehensive plan for how to make these things happen in their organization and that it goes well beyond “worker training”. Even though the article did not explain it, I hope there is a robust, organized change effort that is going on behind the scenes. I also hope that they are taking these components into consideration as they think about their changes. I like going into Best Buy and seeing all of the cool toys and technology they have to offer and I would love to go there and have a phenomenal shopping experience as well. I hope, unlike Circuit City, who as far as I can tell did none of these things, they cause the internal changes they need in order to grow and thrive. And maybe even to set an example for others on how to change their culture and reinvent their business.

Everywhere you look you can find a cellphone shop! But, what makes a great place to buy a cellphone is the information you receive and the people you deal with. I just want to go over some places I’ve personally shopped and the experience I encountered. And hopefully it will help you find the best place to buy a cellphone.

First, I will say you should try to stay away from corporate stores in general. The reason I say this is because usually they are overpriced and the information you receive is very biased of course. They typically cannot let you know if you are on the absolute best plan around. They only know if you are on their best plan. And, mail in rebates are not fun for the majority of people! In my experience though a lot of the associates, as nice as some were, are not very educated on their own products, I have met a few that were and were very helpful.

Second, I would encourage you to shop at “third party retailers”. These are the places such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, Radioshack, and Target Mobile. All these places do almost everything a corporate store does, but do it for less money on the phones and no mail in rebates. The other huge advantage they offer is typically they sell more than one carrier at a time. Usually they sell a combination of all the major carriers, i.e. AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Here you can compare and make sure you are on the right plan for all the reasons you deem important. All the plans are the same and the warranties are the same. All the carriers back the phones the same as if you purchased it from the corporate store itself. And contrary to conversations I’ve had the phones third parties carry are not refurbished or use different towers. All the phones I’ve bought have been new and use the same towers my old phone did, my coverage stayed the same or got better. They also offer programs to protect your phone that are different but have a little more value in place. For instance most cover accidents and take the manufacture warranties into the second year. Some even cover free battery replacement, like Radioshack’s and Target Mobile’s do. So, where is the best place to buy a cellphone?

Let’s first talk about Sam’s Club and Walmart. These two places are nice if you’re looking to get the phone you want cheap. We all know about their buying power and the ways they can save us money! This is a good thing, but what you will be trading is typically a very knowledgeable staff. They usually are just their typical hourly employees who receive enough training to activate the phones for you and give you the basic details. If you’re the type of buyer who is just in it to save a penny, they might be the first places I would look. Most Walmarts offer a blend of AT&T and Verizon, mixed in with Sprint in most locations. They also do prepaids.

Best Buy is another place to go to buy cellphones. What I found there was good prices but few associates that know what they are doing. The one I went to they just called some person over who couldn’t tell me anything without going to the brochure. When I came back though there was one person who did know their stuff and was very helpful. So like Walmart and Sam’s they have department people helping and hopefully you will get the good one. They did offer a bigger phone selection than Radioshack and Target Mobile but the service was not quite as good.

As far as Radioshack goes it seems they mix a nice combination of savings and knowledge. They offer AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint. My experience with Radioshack has been quite good. Most of the staff seems to really know their products and offer some good insight into saving money on plans. They also sell prepaids and you can choose whats right for you.

Target Mobile has probably been my best experience to date. They are a business venture between Radioshack and Target. These people only do the agreement phones for AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile. In some locations it is Sprint instead of T-mobile (you can call ahead to find out what carriers they offer). When it came to picking a plan we ranged from prepaid to agreement phones, finding the best solution. It was nice because they don’t handle the prepaids but seem to want to do the best for you. Probably comes from the Target side of the marriage. The phones were very inexpensive, we saved around $70 per phone and no mail in rebates. To top it off they found me a discount for my plan, nobody else asked that question, not even the corporate stores. That was the deciding factor in us going to Target Mobile.

To wrap it up all these places offer inexpensive phones and all the plans, and depending on the type of shopper you are you can find what you’re looking for. But, I think overall the best place to buy a cellphone was Target Mobile. They also have a trade in program that seems to be a little better than the others. There are other places to shop for the best cellphones, but these are the places I’ve personally went to and can give you a heads up. These places seem to be the bigger of all the shops out there and I think Target Mobile is the largest with over 1500 stores. So no matter where you live there is a Target close by.

Good luck in your hunt for the best place to buy cellphones, I hope this is helpful to you especially if you like doing your shopping in person.