IT'S THE TIME OF YEAR WHEN MANY ARE THINKING ABOUT HOME IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, BUT MONEY IS TIGHT AND THE IDEA OF RENOVATIONS MAY ONLY BE IN THE CARDS IF IT CAN BE DONE AT THE RIGHT PRICE ... TRADITIONALLY, WE'D LOOK IN THE PAPER, ASK A NEIGHBOR OR RESPOND TO SOMETHING HANGING ON OUR DOOR. WHAT'S OUR NEW MOVE? WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT IT ON TV & RADIO. IN THE MEANTIME, YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST ....

Old way: Traditionally, homeowners looking to hire a contractor would respond to a door hanger, or maybe call a number on a yard sign, maybe ask a neighbor for a recommendation.

New way: ServiceMagic.com has a database of 52,000 prescreened contractors and other types of home service professionals, such as plumbers, electricians, landscapers, maids, on and on. With a few clicks of the mouse you have multiple (qualified/screened) contractors competing for your business.

What does "prescreened" mean? ServiceMagic has a 10 point contractor screening system – they do things like verify the contractor is state licensed, verify the contractor has the appropriate liability insurance, run criminal background checks and more. For their part, contractors pay to be listed on the site ... they pay on a per lead basis. Anywhere from $6.00 per lead, on up to $50.00, depending on how exact the customer requests match the services they provide. Contractors we talked with say the leads are usually pretty solid and using the service is cheaper than advertising in the newspaper.

Finding your contractor: It takes only 2 or 3 minutes to submit a request. Click on the type of job you are interested in, anything from room additions to landscape design or housekeeping service – there are 500 different services homeowners can choose from.

Successive screens narrow the specifics of a particular job request ... For example, if you're hiring a landscape company – do you need a new beds installed? Are you interested in a patio, a walkway, etc.? This is all working toward matching you with companies who are qualified to perform the work you need done. Then, they ask: Are you ready to hire now? Are you just in the planning/budgeting stage?

After you submit your request, the site uses proprietary technology to narrow down to a handful of local businesses (3 or 4) that best match the your needs. Then, an alert goes out via e-mail or an automated telephone call to those qualified businesses in the ServiceMagic network. The businesses respond directly to the lead and can be patched through to the consumer immediately.

From there, it is up to the homeowner to choose from among the responding businesses. Consumers should still take all the usual smart steps: Meet with more than one service provider and get written estimates before awarding the job ... But at least you know you're dealing with contractors who have all met certain criteria. Consumers also have the benefit of viewing profiles of the businesses with whom they've been matched, including promotional offers, photos of previous work, licensing and insurance information.

Because many people are operating on tighter home-improvement budgets ... It's important that your contractor does the job right the first time. The last thing you want to do is have to shell out money for a do-over.

My brother is an athlete to the core, a terrific husband, father, son, brother, friend & -- to say the least -- pretty successful in business. OK, am bragging:) But, have an Internet-related excuse ... He made YouTube (on right in red shirt). I added first comment (have rep to protect;).

Love fact he & his pal truly consider racing a "workout." Given above, he's actually scaled BACK. I need to scale UP. An advance thank you to their sponsor, Cycle Center in Stamford CT for setting up my two sons with BMX bikes.

Next week, we'll be back to covering viral videos with millions of views. In meantime -- for the weekend -- thanks for letting me indulge in a little family pride:) - R

The story of the Woman Indicted in MySpace Suicide Case, has a lot of tragic & far too common twists and turns. An apparently deadly trifecta of vulnerable teens, not-so-tech-savvy moms and bad judgement. The girls were young (cyberbullying is common as early as age 9) .... One mom let her child have a MySpace account before she was old enough & the other apparently borrowed the tech skills of her 19-year-old assistant to forge a page .... And, I worry- frankly - sometimes technology skews our judgement. Anonymity can be a dangerous thing.

We look forward to continuing to help raise awareness re: CyberBullying. You may be surprised who is doing it.

IMPORTANT TIPS

As discussing on WPIX Channel 11 in NYC today, there are 130,000 registered e-jurors. Virtual jurors get paid approx $5 to $10 per verdict depending on the complexity of the case. Cases are assigned by county, so the more lawyers in your area using a service like eJury, the more cases available to you. This is cash you can't count on, but it's interesting work if & when it comes your way.

Behind this is a shift in pre-trial research with virtual juries becoming one of the newest tools. They're helping lawyers develop their courtroom presentations and make strategic decisions around selecting jurors and calculating settlements . Makes perfect sense to tap into collective intelligence.

After registering on the site & accepting an "oath," eJurors are assigned cases. The facts of each case are presented online, along with any visuals (i.e. diagrams, video, etc.) or other relevant information. eJurors read the "Plaintiff's" and "Defendants" perspectives and ultimately answer a series of "Jury Questions," designed to gauge how the case may play out in court.

The company tells me approx. 90% of the cases are "Civil," such as product liability, medical malpractice, personal injury, auto collisions, employment claims, family law (divorce & custody issues), civil rights & business litigation. Only 10% are "criminal" cases such as capital murder, sexual assault. Either way, your inner Judge-Judy should be well satisfied.

www.ejury.com//

We're updating this popular post because there's a terrific new online article titled EIGHT WAYS TO LOOK BETTER IN PHOTOS. There's MUST READ info re: looking younger, less shiny & blemishy in photos -- it's all about the lighting & they've got super savvy ways to rig it, including using a flash in daylight, a white napkin over the flash (news to me!) and using the brush icon on most photo programs to virtually brush over age-revealing wrinkles. Never knew what that icon was for. Consider it my new favorite:)

And there's more .... Here's great collection of some of the best tips have ever seen on this all-important topic: looking-thin-in-photos. And, THIS CAMERA MAKES YOU LOOK TEN POUNDS THINNER.

At some point, nothing works, but a professional Photographer said something once that stuck with me .... "Strike the Princess Di pose." At first had no idea what he meant, but then got image in head of the head-tilted-down-look-up-slightly signature pose she always gave. She must have done it a million times & she did it with such grace. So, instead of trying to remember the mechanics (many of which are included in the switched.com list), maybe we should just remember HER ... particularly as she was photographed by Mario Testino in this edition of Vanity Fair.

A new survey out by the National Retail Federation indicates consumers will most likely spend their economic stimulus checks to pay for necessities like gas and groceries. With prices for both steadily on the rise, makes sense. It's not stopping some major retailers and e-tailers from rolling out big incentives, hoping to make you think twice about where and how to spend your rebate. Circuit City, Home Depot, Sears, Radio Shack and many others are offering rebate-themed "discounts" and promotions.


Here's a look at a few of the stimulus check shopping deals out there:

Sears and Kmart: Offering 10% bonus to every customer who converts an entire check into a gift card at one of the stores. So a $250 rebate check gets you a $250 gift card and another for $25. The gift cards can be redeemed at any Sears, Kmart or Lands' End retail stores or online at sears.com or landsend.com. The promotion is scheduled to last from May 14 to July 19, 2008.

Staples.com: Staples.com is offering special coupon codes designed to stretch your rebate check.


Overstock.com: Plans to offer consumers a discount coupon, likely in the range of 7% to 10%, redeemable in a one-day event at Overstock.com. The date isn't yet determined, but when the date is selected, Overstock will promote the event and coupon via e-mail, through its affiliates, and, most likely, on its website.

Zonder.com: The vacation rental Web site is offering 10% off bookings of $600 or more and 15% off bookings of $1,200 or more. You have to book by August 1st and use the promo code "taxes" during checkout. Such blatant marketing, it's almost funny. But, hey .... money in the bank probably does up the odds you'll think about going away.


RadioShack: Use your stimulus check or IRS tax refund on any $50 or more purchase at RadioShack and get 10% off that purchase. The unspent portion of your check is converted into a prepaid Vision Silver MasterCard that can be used at any store. Sounds like they thought this one through in enough time to line up a credit card partner.

Walmart: Offering to cash your stimulus check for free. They usually charge about $3 to cash a check. No purchase is required to take advantage, but if you do some spending at Walmart, keep and eye out for special offers on groceries ... They've lowered prices on a number of grocery items to help customers get more for their rebates. According to money saving blog WalletPop.com, the more deals Walmart offers, the more we all benefit from bigger price drops at competing stores. Walmart even launched a special site to educate consumers on smarter spending – www.savemoneylivebetter.com.

Note: Some retailers require you bring the actual stimulus check into the store, while others are not requiring proof of stimulus checks.

How will you spend your check? Tell the world online at www.howispentmystimulus.com – click on the "Tell Your Story" tab.

Find more stimulus check deals, including deals offered by a number of grocery chains, check out DealNews.com.

Related article: As Stimulus Checks Go Out, Stores Want the Whole Check

Webster's Dictionary defines the word "haggle" as "to annoy or exhaust with wrangling." Makes it sounds a little harsh, but hey if it nets you a bargain ... game on.

Jenna and Henry's wedding pictures have hit the Web, allowing us a controlled (can you blame them?) look into the first daughter's Saturday wedding on the Bush family's 1600-acre ranch near Crawford, TX. About 200 guest were invited to the ceremony, which President Bush said was "all that we could hope for." Jenna's twin sister, Barbara was maid of honor. I think it's classy, they didn't do something totally over-the-top, especially since -- apparently -- historically it's good for Presidential approval ratings. They seemed to have taken an admirable high road.

As discussed on WSJ Radio today .... This may be one of my all-time favorite viral videos ... It's called "Facebook in Reality." It starts with a guy knocking on an old friend's door & from there it essentially mirrors and -- for lack of a better word -- "pokes" fun at the virtual Facebook experience. It is a total riot with lots of "Confirm" or "ignore" interruptions. The ever-controversial "Relationship Status" is especially clever. Am told changing your status is the way young people let other people know they're "available." If you're an adult & you change your status, you get condolence notices! Enjoy the video ... It really is a "must see" (disclaimer: some racy language).

With the economy on shaky ground, more Americans are pulling out all the stops to stretch their dollars further. This includes haggling for lower prices on everything from cars, to new flat screen TVs, furniture, home improvement products ... even clothing. But did you know, your mouse may be one of the best bargaining chips of all? It's called "e-Haggling."'

THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ALL OF US ... WE BUY AN ITEM AND THE VERY NEXT WEEK THE PRICE DROPS OR IT GOES ON SALE . BUT IT'S NOT GAME OVER?

www.priceprotectr.com

Most retailers offer what are called "price protection" policies, where they promise to refund a portion of your purchase price, if the product you bought drops in price within a certain time frame after you buy it. A typical period of time is 30 days. At PriceProtectr.com, they watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll notify you by email so you can get a refund of the difference. To use the service, just enter the URL for the item you purchased.

AND THERE'S A SITE THAT WORKS IN SIMILAR FASHION FOR AIRFARES?
www.yapta.com – "Your Amazing Personal Travel Assistant"
All major airlines offer what is called the "guaranteed airfare policy," which means you're eligible for a refund if the fare price decreases. Plug your email address and itinerary into Yapta.com (before or after you book) and it will alert you if/when prices drop. Even after deducting any change fee that may be levied by the airline, if the $400 round trip ticket you purchased is suddenly $200, you might have $150+ bucks headed your way – usually the money comes by way of a travel voucher you can use on a future trip.

ONE OF THE LATEST WAYS TO E-HAGGLE IS WITH OUR CELL PHONE?
Wireless E-Haggling: At wap.aol.com/shopping there's a mobile comparison shopping tool where you can compare prices on nearly 12 million products right on your cell phone, while you're in the store. Try showing that to the salesperson ... it could move the needle in your direction.

SHOPPING FOR A NEW OR USED CAR ... ALSO POPULAR ONLINE ... SOME TIPS THERE FOR GETTING THE BEST DEAL?

75% of car shoppers start their search online ... and spring/summer is a popular time to buy a new set of wheels. Your best bet is to start out on a major autos site like autos.aol.com ... Once you find the make/model you're after, your next move should be to email the dealer for an anonymous no obligation price quote. Chances are, they're going to give you a competitive price ... after all, they want you to show up to the lot on Saturday. On the other hand, if their price seems a little high to you, email back and let them know ... Tell them you're also waiting on quotes from other dealers. If they want your business, they'll likely respond with their best price.

Wedding season is fast-approaching and brides- and grooms-to-be are working feverishly to button up details on everything from flower arrangements and honeymoon plans, to bachelor parties and bridesmaid dresses. For those feeling a little lost in the fray, there's help online from people who've been there, done that. #1 piece of personal advice: Enjoy every second.

The writers at Wedding blog AisleDash, serve up daily doses of advice, helpful info. and picture galleries to help ease the stress of planning for the big day. The site covers weddings from just about every angle – etiquette (never under-estimate), gifts & registries, cakes & catering, invites, rings, fashion, bridal bloopers and more.


With today's average wedding costing nearly $30,000 (that's not including the honeymoon!), you'll want to check out AisleDash's regular posts on "budget advice," like these tips for buying bridesmaids dresses online: Shopping Online for Bridesmaids Gowns: 4 Rules to Follow. And there's no shortage of DIY wedding advice, including: Virtual Scrapbooking, DIY Wedding Program Fans, An Eco-friendly Wedding without Breaking the Bank.

We were back talking cars this weekend ... It was really nice to to catch up in-person with the extremely talented Clayton Morris. You're hard-pressed not to like the guy .... www.ClaytonMorris.com. We compared iPhone habits & got Rich Reichmuth to admit he's a blackberry addict.

When was there, Rich hid Courtney Friel's shoe ... Hey, you've got to humor yourself off-camera ...:)

The Web is a vast resource for genealogy information and tracing one's roots online is on of the Internet's fastest-growing categories. But because there is so much information out there, you not only have to know where to search, but how to search. Here are some tips to help get the ball rolling ... Starting could be a neat Mother's Day project. I really admire people who take this on ...

Start your search offline.
Databases on the major genealogy websites are enormous - we're talking millions of records - so just plugging in a first and last name isn't going to cut it. By first gathering all the information you can offline, you'll be better equipped to take advantage of online resources. Once you know the basics - first and last names, approximate birth/death and birth place, marriages, plus any knowledge of military service - you're online search will be much easier.

Interview relatives.
Interview living family members for full names, birth dates, birth towns, marriages and occupations. Ask about military service (75% of Americans have ancestors who served in the Armed Forces and a lot of those records are searchable online). Also, take a trip into the attic and collect as many family records as you can. Family Bibles often have births, deaths and marriages recorded in them. Old photographs, letters and obituaries also reveal clues about previous generations.

Go local.
A trip to your local library, courthouse or historical society can yield for more background information. Look up your ancestors and check for deeds, probate, voting and marriage records, etc.

Time to hit the Web
The desire to dig up genealogy information has spawned more than 250,000 genealogy websites. Start with a site that offers access to Census records. Census records can give you a wealth of information such as birth places, military service, education, professions, property/personal property owned, etc.

Ancestry.com is the big player in the space. If you're looking for one-stop-shopping, this is it. The site has been around for 10 years and has over 23,000 searchable databases, with information on 5 billion names. It's relatively user friendly. The site recently completed the digitizing of U.S. Census records from 1790 - 1930. Copying the material took a team of experts and workers a combined 6.6 million hours of labor. (A census of the population has been conducted every 10 years since 1790. Personal information is kept sealed for 72 years after each census, which will explain why Ancestry.com's database ends at 1930).

Start your search by going from known to unknown.
Always start with yourself and work backward, generation by generation. That helps to ensure accurate results. If you search for an ancestor but can't find direction connections between generations (birth certificates, census documents, etc.) you can't be sure you have the right person.

Tracing your roots takes time.
You might go twenty or thirty minutes and all you find are a couple death certificates. Be patient. Time is by far the biggest investment in researching your family tree. It can be a big undertaking, so don't expect to have your family tree over and done with in an afternoon. Really what it ends up being for many is a hobby; something you do in your spare time.

Things get harder if you have a common last name.
If you have a name like "Smith," "Johnson" or "Lewis" :) ... You're going to have to do a lot of cross-checking to make sure the information you're uncovering is relevant. There's two kinds of information, government source information (Social Security Death Index, military records, census, etc.) and there's the community information (things people have posted, stories that have been passed down). You want to cross-check that with something you know to be true. So if someone tells a story about a great-aunt in Ohio , you have a Social Security number that says they were born in Ohio , maybe that's a match.

Float your family tree (connect with distant relatives).

The real value of sites like Ancestry.com is in the networking you can do with people who have similar profiles. Sharing can be critical when you hit roadblocks or sticking points. Ancestry.com has feature to automatically connect a user's family tree to others worldwide if it finds common relatives with another subscriber. This brings about a social-networking component to genealogy. You're connecting online with close and distant relatives, you're sharing your family tree, maybe old photos and documents you've scanned in, etc.

Factoring in cost.
It can start to add up, but again, time is the biggest investment. Community content, like message boards are usually free – these are usually postings that say things like, "I know this person was related to this person, but I'm trying to figure out where he fits in here, can anyone help." But when you start getting into specific records that have been posted and digitized online (Census, marriage, death records), there are fees involved.

Most pay sites offer a free trial and then subscription fees start at about $15 a month. You get a break if you pay annually. You may also run into some up-selling. Ancestry.com offers upgraded services like the Family Tree Maker Software or a higher-level membership that lets you search databases overseas.

Free options online.

RootsWeb.com is free and good place to learn or get your feet wet. It offers hints and tips on how to research family history ... what you can expect to find in particular documents, how to search old newspapers, etc. It can help you get more mileage out of the pay sites.

Explore immigration history for free.
For most people, your ancestors had to arrive in the at some point. EllisIsland.org provides free information for more than 25 million passengers that entered the United States through Ellis Island and the Port of New York from 1892-1924.

If you're stuck, ask Cyndi.

CyndisList is a free portal with approx. 260,000 genealogy links, the bulk of which are cross-indexed and categorized. The site is also big with those who are stuck and looking for new avenues of research. And yes there really is a Cyndi. It was created by Cyndi Howell, of Washington state, who started the ongoing project during a maternity leave from work in 1996.

This kind of DNA testing is also being used to confirm ethnic heritage, though the degree to which your geographic roots can be specified is a matter of debate.

The test kits are priced starting at about $100 and sell for as much as $800. The more you spend the more detailed results you get. Be sure to read the fine print on these sites, so you know exactly what you're getting and you have your expectations in check.

Facial recognition tools.
www.myheritage.com

The site is called MyHeritage.com and while the site enables users to search across hundreds of genealogy databases at once, the feature that gets the most attention is its ability to research family history through face-recognition technology.

The idea is to upload old family photos of people you can't identify. Then, let MyHeritage.com try to recognize these people. If another MyHeritage user also contributed a photo with one of your mystery people, it will make the facial connection and you can get in contact with each other.

It clusters faces based on attributes like bone structure and the unique characteristics of the person's eyes.

Don't delete your own history.
Don't delete your own history. Oral history makes up such a big part of how we track our history. And these days, everything is by e-mail. So all of those e-mails that talk about what your family is doing this year, consider saving those. Maybe start a digital diary, put them on a disk. Or, at a minimum, print them and keep them in the attic, because, you know, our grandchildren aren't going to be able to go upstairs to the attic and read deleted e-mails. So make a point of saving them.

Genealogy gifts for the budding genealogist.
Family Tree Maker Software and books from Ancestry.com can help you build and manage your family tree on the computer. Prices range between $40-100.

RedEnvelope.com – niche for family tree-themed gifts on the web, like the Couples Ginko Genealogy Tree Frames pictured below.

redenvelope.com