An extraordinary news day played out online .... We'll continue to keep tabs on this & be a source on the topic ... Following are some background notes am using for on-air interviews:

Michael Jackson death news: Online activity heats up Twitter and Google, slows down some sites -- chicagotribune.com

Across the country, school's either out or about to let out for the summer ... And while many parents have likely spent time planning the family's summer vacation, now's also a critical time to formulate a summer learning game plan for your child. Ok, not to be too righteous. Ours isn't done either;) But, am driven by research showing kids can lose up to three months of acquired learning over the summer. That's a third of a school year. SCARY, but makes sense. Feels like this phenom happens every weekend in our home.


Tips for Creating a Manageable Summer Learning Game Plan for Your Children
It's a phenomenon known as Summer Learning Loss or "Summer Brain Drain." There's been a lot of research done on the topic and it's clear when it comes to academics, it's a use it or lose it proposition.

Writing, reading, spelling and in particular, math skills, are all impacted by summer learning loss. And younger children are more susceptible to losing these basic skills because they have less of a foundation than older students. (See: Johns Hopkins University Center for Summer Learning)


The first step in establishing a solid summer learning game plan:
Go to your child's current teacher and ask for suggested summer assignments, workbooks, reading lists – anything they can give you. If possible, talk to a teacher the next grade level up and get their suggestions. It can help your child hit the ground running next school year. But keep in mind, you don't want to jump on your kids the first day school is out. Be sure to give them (not to mention you) a breather.

Keep it fun and interactive:
In addition to getting assignments from teachers, the Internet is a great way to keep kids engaged and learning over the summer months. Again, it is summer break, so you want to make it fun for your kids and keep it light. Maybe you kind of trick them into learning ... Let's face it, the Internet is a likely place for your child to be hanging out anyway when they're inside (house, car, etc.). The trick is steering them in the right direction. Not all web sites are constructive and kids can "waste" a lot of time online if their cyber-enthusiasm isn't properly channeled.

Web sites to keep kids learning over the summer:
www.bookadventure.org/ki
Nothing beats a trip to the library, but sometimes you end up walking in circles trying to decide what books to check out. On BookAdventure.org (a site by Sylvan Learning Center), children (K-8) can create personalized from over 4,000 recommended titles. Kids click to check the boxes with topics they are interested in, i.e., animals, art, fairy tales, history, sports. The idea is to then print the list and bring it with you to the library.


Once they've read the books, kids can take quizzes on the books and earn prizes for comprehension. The prizes are sent out by site sponsors and as you might expect, include books, bookmarks, etc.

KOL
A site geared toward younger, elementary-age kids is KOL. KOL offers "brain games" for ages K-3. There are also word finds – the ones you're used to seeing where you circle the words with a pen or pencil (they've gone virtual), as well as "memory match" games, spelling games, concentration, etc. And while trying to solve the games, the kids are working against the clock to score points, so it adds another element to test their skills.

www.mathplayground.com
For most students, math skills is the one area where skills deteriorate the fastest over the summer. A good site to brush up on math is www.mathplayground.com. One of the most useful features of the site are the virtual flashcards (http://www.mathplayground.com/flashcards.html). There's a little bit of everything here: multiplication, division, adding/subtracting fractions and so on. The flashcards are something you could print and bring with you in the car, if you're taking a road trip.


www.minyanland.com
Sticking with the math theme ... teaching kids about money is important. Also on personal TO DO list. With the sluggish economy, they'll likely be more receptive (since it's reinforced by news stories & perhaps your own household behavior if you've imposed spending changes or a wholesale freeze). Already, over 8 million kids are members of virtual online worlds ... names like ClubPenguin or Webkinz will likely ring a bell with many parents. My son literally brought five Webkinz with him to a high school graduation party this weekend. He quickly ditched them for a skateboard, but said he didn't want to leave them in the car because it was too hot. Too cute.

A newer site, Minyanland.com, a virtual financial community, helps kids understand how to manage money and make financial decisions (like not necessarily buying more Webkinz). Minyanland is a kid-safe environment led by a cast of animated "Critters" like Hoofy the Bull and Boo the Bear.

www.timeforkids.com
Prompting kids to follow current events is another way to keep them learning and engaged over the summer. The site has content organized by grade level, offers printable quizzes and worksheets and a kid-friendly way to keep up with the news.


www.mapquest.com
Consider incorporating learning into activities the kids are already doing over the summer. They can even help plan the family vacation. Go to MapQuest.com and have them calculate how many miles you'll be driving, how long the drive will take and more importantly how much you're going to be spending on gas.

More strategies for summer learning:
Have your children write emails or letters to grandma and grandpa or to a friend. They can also keep a travel diary of summer trips you go on or visits to local museums and things along those lines. Am often surprised what makes the personal journal. My youngest son just wrote about watching green trees go by in back of the car. He says he has "a lot of time to watch because my mom drives really slow."

You likely do this anyway .... Take the kids grocery shopping. Let them try to add up how much you're spending as you put items into the cart. They can also help you handle the coupons, make change, weight fruits and veggies, etc. Heck, let them help you find grocery coupons online. There are no shortage of those out there these days & the savings can add up.

How much time we talking?
How much time should I set aside to engage my kids in learning over the summer? The key here is moderation. It is summer "break." Take cues from your kids so you know when they've maybe have had enough on a particular day. Kids do need their down time and time for free play outside with friends.

The other big question is: How much time should they be spending on the Internet and how do I make sure they are channeling their online time in a a safe and positive direction? That's a whole other blog post (or TV segment in itself), but setting and enforcing guidelines and staying involved with your child's online experience is more important than ever. As it is, kids easily get out of they're normal routines over the summer in terms of overall "screen time" – between the computer, the TV and video games. As a parent of three, I can tell you how hard it is to be conscious on all fronts re: the amount of overall "screen time" kids are exposed to each day.

Related: Who's Minding the Mouse in Your House?

We're talking about online resources for buying a car on TV & Radio stations across the country this week. Had privilege of sitting down with the folks on frontlines of the AOL Autos team. They've done some impressive work. The end-result is thoughtfully simplistic (which means the site is loaded with information, but is intuitive to use). A winning equation for successful consumer websites. Here are some background notes based on our conversation with them. Hope helpful. More to come on-air:)

• Should we really log on before we hit the lot and in these tough economic time how do we really make it work to our advantage?

• With automakers filing for bankruptcy and closing local dealers en masse, it is time take advantage of the autos market. AOL Autos, autos.aol.com, is a great place to start for free car information for new and used cars, as well as tips and news.

• People are conducting extensive car research online before they buy. This puts them in the driver seat by giving them the information they need to make smart car buying decisions.

• Those looking at buying a new car can compare the features, prices, incentives and total ownership costs to find the best deals before heading out the door. The site has car buying guides focused on:

• Alternative fuel vehicles

• Crossovers

• Best family cars

• Luxury vehicles

• Sedans

• SUVs

• You can also use their car compare feature http://autos.aol.com/cars-compare
  • Choose between two and five cars to see how they compare on price, features, and performance

  • The differences between the cars you are comparing are highlighted

  • Compare cost to own a selected car with other similar vehicles

• Many consumers are considering used cars due to the current economy, so you can go online and compare cars in your area to make informed choices. AOL Autos Used Cars: Car buying maps and graphs :
  • Search for used cars by zip code: Search results give you location of the car, the cost and it's mileage. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/map

  • You can input your address and get driving directions to the car(s) you selected to go see

  • Shows you car prices in your area graphed by price vs. mileage so you can find the best deals. See: http://autos.aol.com/used-list/make1-Acura/location-20148/prices

• Work and even - GRAPH - the used car market - all 3 million of them!

• Don't overlook new - promos highly incentive; very dynamic Run the numbers - look at MSRB vs invoice. Aim to come in on or under.

• E-Haggle - Talk it "type" them down in advance. Win/win - you negotiate anonymously in advance/dealer gets qualified lead.

• Think ahead - use cost of ownership calculator to level-set on "real" 3 year + cost including depreciation (hello! First year will make u cringe), estimated maintenance (not all vehicles historically hold up well).

RELATED POSTS ****** CLICK HERE

If you're a parent of school-age kids, they're likely counting down the days until school is out and summer break begins. And while the summer months provide kids a much needed break from the rigors of school and you gain a respite from your role as homework disciplinarian, another set of parenting challenges arise. Parenting in the digital age means monitoring our childrens' "screen time" – from TV and video games (consoles and handhelds) to cell phones, smart phones and the granddaddy of them all, the Internet.


The summer months present that much more opportunity for kids be online unsupervised. Web surfing, social-networking, video-sharing, "tweeting," texting ... it's a lot to stay on top of. And because kids are so tech-savvy these days (they are the true "digital natives"), parents often feel one step behind in trying to shield them from dangers lurking online. The good news is: Technology is on your side ... there are plenty of Cyber-smart tools available to help you safeguard your child's online experience. Combining these tools with a good game plan, some well thought out ground rules and a dash of common sense will go a long way in ensuring your children have a safe summer on what has become a 24X7 digital playground.

In the past, many parents took a more passive approach to keep their kids safe online, but no longer is it enough to occasionally walk by the computer screen. Parents need to take control to keep kids safe online and on cell phones. And that may mean getting your hands dirty – trying things for yourself, learning what technology can and cannot do.

Get in the Game:
Being involved with their child's online experience is a critical part of modern day parenting. Only a few years ago, this meant keeping the computer nearby (in the kitchen or the family room) and keeping an eye on the screen, but getting involved these days take a little more doing. Experience the online world the same way your kids experience it. Join Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Bebo – whichever social-networking sites your kids are members of. Learn your way around these new online neighborhoods; familiarize yourself with each site's privacy policies and security settings. (There's even a four-part online class offered at Stanford University titled Facebook for Parents. You can follow the course remotely, online.)

Have the Internet Talk:
Know your way around the various sites you kids are using gives you the ability to have regular, informed discussions with your child about Internet and social-networking safety and the consequences of putting too much information out there. Because once it's out there, you can't take it back. Another good way to drive your point home is to share recent news stories with your children about the consequences of revealing too much information online or on social-networking sites. Parents can also get useful tips on sites like safetyclicks.com.

Don't Hesitate to Play Detective:
If you don't feel your kids are giving straight answers, you can search most social-networking sites by your child's name ... but because some children don't use their real name on the sites, you may need a few work-around strategies. Try advanced techniques like searching for them by their school name, by a nickname they use, or try locating their online profiles by searching for their friends or classmates, as well as groups they may be a part of and interests they may have listed in their profiles.

To Friend or not to Friend:
Should you "friend' your kids on social-networks? There may be no right answer to this question. You could take the stance "I pay the Internet bill in this house, you will friend me or no Internet." That may work for middle-school kids, not so much for high-schoolers, and it could possibly drive a wedge between you and your child. You may be better off asking if they will "friend" you. If they won't friend you, that doesn't mean it's game over. Stay in tune with the latest technology, ve regular offline dialogue with your kids about online safety & get them to "friend" another adult who can stealthly keep tabs for you (maybe a coach or aunt/uncle).

Don't Overplay Your Hand: The biggets complaint I hear from young people is that parents & grandparents are "making lots of loser comments" on my pages & heaven forbid on their friends pages. Apparenly, WAY uncool. So, don't overplay your hand. Just passively being able to witness what happens can be very eye opening & you don't want to lose your front-row seat. Also, resist the urge to over-react is something bad happens. That can shut down the lines of communication all-together.

musing look at what some kids really think of parents "friending" them on Facebook, check out MyParentsJoinedFacebook.com.

Related - from The New York Times: When Your Kid Won't Friend You

Empower Yourself with Technology:
Empower yourself by using parental controls to monitor and/or manage your child's online activity. This is not about invading their privacy, it's about precluding them from making mistakes. Often inadvertent mistakes.

Set Cell Phone Boundaries:
A new trend emerging has parents and educators alarmed. It's called "sexting" (texting + sex) and simply put, it makes naughty notes that may have been passed in class by previous generations, look tame. It can also include the transmission of nude and semi-nude photos via cell phone, which can be a crime. If you're worried about what your teen may be viewing in text messages or online content, some cell carriers offer free filters that you can set online, according to the child's age, that filter out things according to sexual content, violence and even language. For about $5 a month, you can also control the times of day that teens can use the phone, set limits on minutes or texts, and block specific numbers. Third party applications like My Mobile Watchdog are available if you're interested in completely monitoring your child's cell phone usage (cost: $9.95 per month).

Related: SafetyClicks.com - What is Your Perceived Parental Right

Related: CNN.com - Parents, Police monitoring kids' cell phones

Safeguard Your Child's Online Reputation:
Think of your child's online reputation as their credit score for the 21st century. Every video, blog post and picture they put out there is up for examination by anyone. Not just friends, but school teachers and administrators, potential bosses and even the college admissions office ... THAT usually gets even teenagers to listen up.:)

AOL Consumer Advisor, Regina Lewis, stopped by WEEKEND TODAY to help shed light on the changing face of social networking and the modern day challenge of "staying in touch" in these fast-paced, cyber-times.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

She contends when something that was inherently intended to make your feel more productive and more in touch, starts to feel un-manageable, you've got to take a step back & make some adjustments. We may have boxed ourselves into expectations and behaviors that just may not be sustainable. It's about assessing the quality and quantity of your time online.

Boomers on Board
Founded exclusively for college kids, nearly half of all Facebook users are now over 26 years old with women over 55 the fastest growing demographic of all! The majority of Twitter users are 35 & older. The average age on LinkedIn is approximately 40. Even Bebo, known for it's youthful following, has 40% of it's US membership over age 44.

There's been a gradual build to un-manageability. Recent poll on popular blog LemonDrop.com suggests even the most social among us, sometimes feel "addicted" or certainly know someone who is.


More Not Always Merrier
Turns out, despite our technical capability to keep in constant contact with everyone, our capacity as human beings is somewhat limited & more is not always merrier. Primatologist suggest the size of the human brain allows us to handle stable networks of about 150 [The Dunbar #]. Interestingly, the average # of "friends" on Facebook is 120 ... pretty consistent. BUT, the average # of friends within that network we're able to regularly keep in touch with -- by responding to posts, or leaving comments on photos they may post -- men will do this with only about SEVEN of those 120 friends and women are slightly more sociable, with the number rising to TEN.


The average AIM "Buddy List" is about 100 people long -- also in same realm. There are more than 1.5 billion instant messages sent on that service alone EVERY DAY -- some PC, some PC to cell or smart phones and some from cell to cell. So, some of the social conversations we do have are trending toward shorter, very frequent, real-time exchanges with a core group. Here's the good news ... We're all human beings, so now we can all shed our social guilt and know we're all in the same boat.

Pace Yourself & Build Something Meaningful
There's a tendency to come very fast out of the box ... start a blog, add a million friends to your social networking page, etc. Start by striving for quality not quantity. This can be controversial, but it happens naturally. You can quickly diminish the true value of your social network or buddy list if one day you look at it and wonder, "who are all these people?" (See: Handling a Facebook Request From an Office Random) So, pre-empt that. Doesn't mean they don't get added to your address book (in fact, they get added automatically in many cases) but there's a difference between the two tools.

"Unfriending" someone is little trickier ... The good news is generally they will not be notified. They don't get an email informing them "You got the Cyber-Boot!" They won't figure it out until they seek you out and are not able to. Break-ups is a common scenario in which it may make sense. Otherwise, you can generally play around with the "settings" and phase down your contact with someone, so they remain part of your distant network (like someone you might see at a reunion and say "let's stay in touch!" but -- realistically -- was well intentioned as you both were, it's easier said than done). On buddy list side, you can always IGNORE someone and you can also make yourself invisible, so they are not prompted to IM you, which goes a long way.

There's also a trend and technological innovation going on to allow for multiple "views" of a profile, so certain people can see more than others. Kind of like whether you're invited to the wedding or the wedding and the rehearsal dinner. But, like weddings, those things require mental decisions and grappling a lot of people are torn by.

Again, don't feel torn ... it's everyone's issue and it sorts itself out if you develop your own rhythm and style that works for you. People will adjust accordingly.

Create a Sustainable Routine
In many ways it's helpful for YOU and for other PEOPLE. Make sure you keep your overall online time in check and that -- in total -- it's not disruptive to your in-person relationships (i.e., are yor Facebook friends getting more attention that your spouse?). Women -- in particular -- worry a delayed reply may hurt someone's feelings or being misunderstood and spark speculation as they often do (i.e., "is she mad at me?"). We've all been there, but often it's a function of a false-sense of urgency and artificial deadlines we impose on ourselves and others.

And -- remember -- any sustainable routine has conscious breaks.

Recorded WSJ Radio weekly spot regarding viral videos getting traction online right now. We've embedded some of the videos, so you can check them out.

Former Idol Winner David Cook's Race for Hope Speech
From People.com - After battling cancer for more than a decade, David Cook's brother, Adam, died Saturday, the American Idol winner announced Sunday morning before the 12th annual Race for Hope 5K in Washington, D.C.



Mia Farrow Goes on Darfur Hunger Strike, Posts Daily on YouTube
From Switched.com - Actress, activist Mia Farrow is in the ninth day of her hunger strike for Darfur, chronicled on her own YouTube channel, the L.A. Times reports.



Piles of Junk Morph Into Polar Bears, Giraffes and More
From Lemondrop.com - New York street artist Joshua Allen Harris makes animals, monsters and robots out of shopping and trash bags, then ties them on top of subway grates or inside train stations. Though they look like litter on the street to the average passerby, when wind or subways go by, the creatures come to life.



Susan Boyle - The Way We Were 1984
From Popeater.com - The world's fascination with Susan Boyle continues. Here she is performing Barbra Streisand's The Way We Were in 1984 in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.

Sat down with Today Show's Jenna Wolfe and Carl Quintanilla to discuss social-networking phenomenon and how to keep up ...

This week, we're hoping to help with staying on top of the latest web buzz regarding the Swine Flu outbreak. We spoke with CNN International regarding reputable sources, online poll results and the role of social networking.

This one I had never thought of, but it's terrific. If your home overflowing with shelves and boxes full of trophies, medals and plaques from your overachieving life, don't toss them out ... eco-friendly site GreenDaily.com says those little statues can actually be recycled.

You can start with a few phone calls to local trophy makers or youth organizations, to see if they accept old ones to make new ones. Many organizations fix-up donated trophies, add new nameplates and donate them to nonprofit groups like the Special Olympics, boys and girls clubs or other worthy causes. Or, check out THIS SITE -- They have a mailing address where you can send them. So maybe go ahead and let go of that bowling trophy from 20 years ago ... it's time for someone else to share in the glory. Be sure to ASK before you give the kids or your significant other's trophies away. You knew that;)

We'll be talking about this on RADIO & TV this week in a genuine effort to be helpful ... There's talk online that the Web is actually adding to the panic -- so much chatter on social-networking sites and the potential for misinformation to be passed around. Swine Flu Spreads Panic Over The Web

Swine Flu: What You Need to Know (AOL Health)

This blog post is part-of a series of posts related to a segment on The View re: the SECRET LIVES OF TECH-CONNECTED TEENS. Today's teens really are the first group to grow up online. The average 15 year old has never lived a day without a computer in their home or classroom. That's unprecedented & it makes technology instinctive for young people in a way it never will be for adults. Some refer to today's youth as the digital natives – those who have always had technology as a part of their lives.

Many teens seemingly have iPod earbuds in their ears around the clock, they covet their laptop if they're lucky enough to have one and they practically consider their cellphone an extension of their body. But what are they doing will all that stuff? And with technology such a huge part of teens' lives, how can parents keep track of what content kids are viewing when they go online; what they're texting back and forth on their cellphones and who they're communicating with? It's no easy task.

Today's blog post focuses on teens and social-networking sites and include tips for parents to help them stay in the game and keep their kids safe on these sites.

Teens & Social-Networking Sites
Social networking has become a huge part of our culture. Web sites like Facebook, MySpace, Bebo & AimProfiles have become a common trend among teens. Social-networking sites are a social way to express yourself. If you really want to get to know your child, take a look at their page. To be fair, consider giving them 24 hours notice, so they can make any "adjustments" they'd like to make.

Stress to your teen the importance of making sure they keep the page "private" (accessible only by friends or family they've "rostered in") & keep a close eye on the pages of their friends. As teens explore their identities, a lot of the photos they post online can be very suggestive. If you really want to get in the game, sign yourself up for Facebook, Bebo or MySpace. You may get a little push-back initially (i.e. OMG my mom's on Facebook!"), but they'll play it cool if you don't overplay your hand.

Your teen's online reputation should be
considered their credit score for the 21st century.

Talk to Your Teen About Their Online Reputation
Here's where this is likely to evolve and why it's important for your teenagers to understand these sites are essentially personal marketing ... everything communicates & ultimately what you project becomes your "online reputation." Having a really well put-together, thoughtful page can send all the right messages to a potential college admissions officer or employer. But, it can also backfire. Think of your online reputation as a credit score for the 21st century. This can help teens guard against some of the common pitfalls:

* Being too risque.
* Suggestive (even incriminating) photos that can easily be circulated among classmates.
* Spending an inordinate amount of time updating page (disruptive to other responsibilities).
* Winning the online popularity contest at all costs.

And keep in mind, pre-teens want to do what teens do. Social-networking is intended for ages 13 and up, because younger children don't have the judgement to make appropriate decisions on these sites. There are some sites emerging for younger kids, but expect to get hounded when your child hits ages 11-12, that "everyone" is doing it. Hold firm. The age restriction is their for a reason.

Another reason to be involved in your teens online lives is to protect them from becoming victims of "internet-stalking" or online predators. Remember, anything personal information posted online makes it that much easier for someone to be tracked down offline.

Red Flags for Teen Profiles
1. Posting personal information: Address, home town, dorm #, full name, cell phone number, school name. Putting anything online that makes you findable in the offline world is a big no-no.

2. "Giving away" their location: Posting pictures of themselves in front of their school sign, in front of the license plate on their car or the place where they work, could lead someone to them.

3. Talking to strangers: Kids may like the idea of meeting new people online, but that cute 14 year old might not be so cute and might not be 14. Predators can easily hide behind a fake picture and profile to gain the trust of a child, later attempting to arrange an in person meeting.

4. Saucy Screen Names & Provocative Pics: Screen names shouldn't include provocative language ("cutie," "hot" and the like) that draws the wrong sort of attention. As for pictures, if you wouldn't post it on a highway billboard, don't put it on MySpace.

5. The Three P's: Teens shouldn't post anything they wouldn't want parents, their principal or predators to know or to see.

Tips for Parents
1. Know the motivation: Ask your kids why they're doing this in first place. To meet new people? Express themselves? To be cool on campus? Teens say MySpace is so mainstream, there's pressure for them to have a profile on the site or they risk not being part of the "in" crowd.

2. Look at their page: Tell them you want to see their profile page (for the first time) ... tomorrow. This gives them 24 hours to remove anything that isn't appropriate and keeps it from becoming a "gotcha" moment. It that approach doesn't work, you can search for them on the sites – by name e-mail address or their school. You may be surprised how much you learn both good and bad.

3. Private vs. public – know the difference: Most social-networking sites make it possible for users to make their page "private," so they can roster in their friends or classmates vs. allowing any registered user to view their page and contact them.

4. Float the worst case scenario: We've all heard the stories about in-person meetings going bad. The simple fact is, people can "be" anyone they choose to be online. Just because they posted or sent you a picture, does not mean it is THEIR picture. Make sure your young person is aware of the headline stories.

5. Use Parental Controls: Take advantage Parental Controls and online timers offered by your ISP. Some parents worry about invading their child's privacy with blocking or monitoring software or by reading their Web diaries. Sites like MySpace are a privilege; a computer is a privilege. A parent needs to be a parent and that may mean using monitoring software.

6. Don't over-react: These sites are enormously popular and it's unlikely they'll disappear anytime soon. The key is for adults not to panic and force kids to hide their online activity, at which point no one can monitor them.

I spoke with a lot of teen and pre-teen parents in preparation for this segment & must say, am really impressed (and inspired) by how genuinely interested parents are in staying on top of tech trends as they relate to their children. They instinctively seem to know being on top of their teen's online life and helping them mature with and through it, is a critical part of modern day parenting. Parenting remains the tricky part. The tech-piece just accelerates things. The good news is the more you know about the overall trends and the better feel you can get for your teen's tech style, the more you'll be able to apply the same parenting instincts you use when it comes to everything from dating to driving.

For additional tips and information on everything from social-networking safety to tips on dealing with Cyber-Bullying, log on to www.safetyclicks.com.

Tomorrow, we'll continue this series of blog posts along these lines by taking a closer look at teens and texting – and an alarming new trend emerging that's being referred to as "sexting."

Related post: Teen Tech Trends: Parents are on it!

AOL's Shopping site (shopping.aol.com) has relaunched with a focus on recession-friendly deals, online coupons and merchandise offered at deep discounts. The site's main page features a "monthly specials" slideshow, along with regularly updated sales and special online coupon codes. For the month of April, some of the best deals seem to be on televisions, handheld electronics and home appliances. For more ways to save, check out the site's 5 Daily Deals, as well as what's on clearance.

According to USA TODAY, President Obama's call to community service is striking a chord ... Online applications are coming in a reported three times faster than a year ago to AmeriCorps. SEE: I'M READY TO SERVE. In checking it out, we found many of the positions -- which are for roughly one year for an allowance of approx $11,000 -- to already be full/not accepting applicants. Lots of specifics HERE. If Obama gets his way, AmericaCorps may be able to expand from 75,000 positions to 250,000. According to the chairman of the Corporation for National and Community Service, this would allow the impressive organization to "do the kinds of things for this generation and this country that military service did for the Greatest Generation." Wouldn't that be something:)

www.americorps.org

CELL PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put PHONE SAVINGS: How Your Cellphone Can Put

Money Back in Your Pocket

While some consumers are downgrading their cellphone plans, or even ditching their cell phones altogether to save money, there are ways to save and save big with your cell phone. We've got five sure-fire ways to cut everyday costs thanks to your cellphone. So don't toss your phone just yet!

Get Grocery Coupons on the Go: Grocery shoppers want to trim their food bills any way they can. You can now download coupons straight to their store loyalty cards right from their cell phones. Breaking News: Shortcuts.com now offering coupons via cell phone

Comparison Shop Right from Your Phone: It's easy to comparison shop on-the-fly on a mobile shopping site by entering product names or model numbers. In an instant you'll see if the price you see in the store is the best price around. Your Phone Knows Best Price -

Scan Bar Codes with Your Phone to Save: Another way to make sure you're getting the best prices is by scanning product bar codes with the built-in camera on select cell phones to compare prices at various stores. Watch for this nascent, but legit trend to continue. Big in Japan - Developers of ShopSavvy or Shop Savvy

How Your iPhone Saves You Money: This is clever iPhone application, with adorable logo ... it will help you quickly find local restaurants where kids eat free. It's a .99 cent download. Just did it!:) Apple - Web apps - Where Do Kids Eat Free Today?

Cut Costs with VoIP on Your Cell Phone: Slash your cell phone bill by using this mobile Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) application that routes international calls through the web to save you money. Calls between Nokia, iPhone and iPod Touch users are always free. Get VoIP on your Mobile and Make Cheap Calls with Truphone