Sat in traffic all morning. All could think about was home much time & gas was being wasted. Ironically, every story on the radio was about gas prices and area road planning. Turns out, there are some new online applications might prove useful on this front. You can even find out where construction is underway, as lots of orange hardhats & one lane, can be a huge factor with summer road trips. Plus, in my world, if you're due at a TV Bureau at a certain time, being punctual is make or break ... Here's hoping we all find these 3 SITES TO AVOID TRAFFIC useful.
Then, again, as discussed on WSJ RADIO, you could have THIS commute in you live in Japan. UNBELIEVABLE!
3 Best Ways to Avoid Traffic
Nobody likes to sit in traffic. Searches for the word "traffic" are up 44% on AOL Search so drivers are clearly looking for help.
TrafficLand: You really can do just about everything from your Facebook page these days, and getting live video feeds of the roads on your daily commute is no longer an exception. Just go to Facebook and search for "TrafficLand" to add the application to your profile.
MapQuest Traffic: MapQuest just announced a new feature called Current Traffic that lets users overlay traffic conditions, including crashes, construction and slow speeds, on top of their route map with one click. Perfect for travel on new routes when you want to be sure to arrive on time.
TrafficGauge: If you're traveling to a new cityand not sure of the traffic patterns check out TrafficGuage. This one's not free – it's as low as about $1.99 a month – but this one uses real-time data to guide you around traffic in 20 major cities right on your phone.
It was particularly quiet around the TODAY SHOW this weekend because all of the roads were blocked off near St Patrick's Cathedral where the Pope was giving mass. The weather was glorious, just as it was in DC. Divine intervention perhaps & just wonderful to see. Back to business ... We didn't get nearly as much information as I had hoped across in the on-air segment re: online resources when it comes to car buying. A couple of clicks really can save you thousands of dollars. The article prepared for MSNBC.com is loaded with info & here's even more ....
With talk of a recession, consumers are tightening their purse strings, so car makers and dealers are doing whatever they can to "keep the metal moving." It might be one of the best times in recent history to pick up a good deal on a new or used vehicle. But you still have to do your homework before you fire up the engine. Making some key moves online could save you thousands.
LOG ON BEFORE YOU HIT THE LOT Bottomline: it pays to click around before buying. Shoppers who use the web spend about one hour and 20 mins less time circling the dealer lot and less time negotiating a sales price. Plus, they pay about 5% less for cars. In what is often the second biggest purchase for most consumers – after their home – that's big bucks.
SHOW ME THE MONEY
Cash back incentives or 0% financing (Is usually one or the other -- not both), sounds great, but the advertising is more subtle these days & consumers are doing their online homework vs. responding to in your face "LOW, LOW!" aggressive ads. We're over the hype. We want to know the math. Dealers understand this. We spoke with one salesperson who said on a percentage basis, he's more likely to convert an Internet lead into a sale compared to getting a sale from someone who just shows up on the lot. It's all about qualified leads. If you're a qualified & well-informed buyer ready to make a decision, it's a win/win for you AND the dealer.
LOCATION MATTERS Keep in mind, car deals often vary regionally, so when you're doing your online research, it's a good idea to type in multiple zip code (maybe an hour away or one state over). Could be worth the drive if the incentives are better.
THE REAL MATH
It's estimated there's $1,500-$3,000 difference between the "invoice" and " sticker" price on a $20,000 vehicle. The numbers go up for higher priced vehicles. If you negotiate, you should end up somewhere in between those two prices. The goal is to work your way UP from the invoice price VS DOWN from the sticker price.
A a lot of people don't know this, but dealers sometimes get additional cash back paid to them directly from manufacturers for moving/selling certain models ... Those are the cars you can really get a deal on, since the dealer may be able to sell you the car at/below invoice price and still make decent money from the sale.
This valuable information is available online – it's usually listed as dealer marketing support, which describes manufacturer to dealer programs specifically designed to assist dealers in marketing their vehicles. The most common program is in the form of cash credit to the dealers, who may or may not choose to pass some part of this money on to their customers.
At the end of the day, sometimes you hear about the latest incentives ... cash back, 0 % financing, etc., but it's often the incentive you DON'T hear about -- the ones between manufacturers & dealers -- that matter most.
RUN THE NUMBERS (KNOW THE TOTAL COST OF OWNING THE CAR). www.NADAguides.com (National Automobile Dealers Association)
The math doesn't stop when you get the keys. A lot of people learn this the hard way. There are sites to help you know what you're really getting into by calculating the TOTAL cost of ownership.
NADAguides.com gives car buyers a detailed overview of the estimated Cost of Ownership to own a vehicle over the course of five years, including depreciation, fees & taxes, insurance, fuel, maintenance, opportunity cost, and repairs. A five year summary of all associated costs specific to a particular make and model is very telling! Some brand maintain their value & some are more reliable ... it all factors into the overall math.
BUYING USED -- MAKE SURE YOU'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES. There's a record-breaking 2.5 million used cars listed on autos.aol.com alone -- from dealers AND private sellers. The trick is comparing apples to apples and narrowing down the choices in a methodical, sensible way. You're in the driver seat by fine tuning the search criteria. Here's where using online search tools really beats roaming dealer lots and scanning the paper.
Type in the make & model you're after; your price range; & zip code. You'll quickly get comprehensive results you can tailor even further. Two of the biggest factors in price are the YEAR of and MILEAGE on the vehicle. Make adjustments using the prompted criteria to narrow down your choices. Once you get down to a handful of available options, you can check the often free CARFAX report vehicle history report, detailing things like: Has the car ever had flood damage or odometer fraud? How many people have owned the car? Is the title is clear?
E-HAGGLE (EMAIL ANONYMOUSLY FOR A NO OBLIGATION QUOTE). You can actually negotiate price anonymously, without having to step foot into a dealership. It's referred to as "e-haggling." You might wonder: Why would a dealer negotiate with someone that they've never met? Well, they know 75% of car buyers are starting their search online. Dealers have staffed up their Internet departments accordingly & won't be surprised when you ask for a price quote via email.
When they write you back, you might say -- if your research has indicated you're in the ballpark -- "That seems a bit high. Am waiting on several other incoming dealer emails. So far, think can do better." They'll likely write you back. Again, they want you to come to the lot. And now, you might be arriving with a discounted offer in hand. You're already ahead of the curve whether you're buying a new or used vehicle. You've talked – or in this case – TYPED them down.
Online auctions/bidding on a car can be another way to score a deal on a used car. EBay Motors just announced the 3 millionth vehicle was sold on their site. Currently, a vehicle is being sold on eBay every 56 seconds. If you're looking for a steal on a car with a lot of miles or a clunker you're willing to fix up (they also sell a lot of parts), the deals can be terrific.
Many buyers feel like they're paying about $1800 less than the official Kelley Blue Book value of the vehicle (the industry standard for the going-rate of any given vehicle).
Keep in mind the bids are binding ... if you're bidding over 15K you'll have to secure the bid with a credit card (the card is not charged) or you may need to be pre-approved. You're also likely to be responsible for picking the vehicle up. They have deals with shipping companies & can give you an estimate, so you know what this variable will be.
As is always the case with eBay, the sellers reputation (their "rating") is key. If the seller has a very high customer satisfaction rating, you're probably in good hands. In addition, eBay has really beefed up it's VPP (vehicle protection program), so the risk of buying a car site unseen (though there are tons of photos for each vehicle) is significantly minimized.
So, it's worth a look & a shot if you have a specific price limit in mind re: what you consider is a good deal and only bid up until that point. So, do all the online homework we've suggested. Then, bid low and see if you can do even better going this route:)
Too much to do and not enough time to get it all done? Silly question. Here's a few sites to help you take back your life, or at least some of your time. They're all free and try to get you a little closer to having your own personal assistant & who wouldn't want one of those ...
·Jott: As the name suggests, Jott lets you easily send reminders to yourself or to friends. Just call Jott and it turns your voice into written email and texts when you speak your messages. Perfect for when you're away from your computer or a pad of paper and need a reminder. If you can't keep up with the Blackberry addict or teen in your life who types a million miles an hour, this might be good work-around. It could also be smart way to avoid texting while driving. Nearly 90% of Americans Support Ban on "DWT"
·Pinger: For times when you just want to leave a voice mail and not get caught up in a lengthy phone conversation there's Pinger. Just call Pinger, leave a voice mail message for a friend and your friend gets a text on their phone alerting them to the new voice mail. We tested this product when it first launched. It's pretty neat if you want to get the same phone message to a lot of people at once. You record it once (just as you would any voicemail), but you can send it to multiple numbers. They also suggest using it when the tone of a text need to be crystal clear. Lord knows a lot of arguements between couples stem from simple misunderstandings about what "OK" really meant and what time "PM" starts & ends.
·Remember The Milk: Remember The Milk lets you set up to-do lists you can update online or via email from a cell phone. Friends or family can add to your list too. RTM even keeps you on top of your lists with email, text message and even IM reminders through AIM. I haven't gone down the notes & alerts path yet, but some people are really big on it.
Campbell Brown & I once tested something similar www.ohdon'tforget.com -- LIVE on TODAY SHOW ... You could tell it was LIVE, cause -- well -- it didn't exactly go as planned. We couldn't get the reminders to stop ringing on-air! The producers in the control room thought it was a riot. I was a wreck.
Right now, the yellow "pad" on my iPhone is calling my name. If I had my whole TO DO list it will surely explode. What's your trick? We'll be doing TV & Radio stories on this topic in coming weeks, so let us know by COMMENTING below. Thanks!
We all want to make the right call when it comes to making purchases. Whether you ultimately buy the item online, via catalog or in a traditional store, it's a bummer when you make a bad pick. Enter: Wize. Their tagline is "People Know." But, they take it a step further with a proprietary algorithm combining reviews from real-people with information from tens of thousands of sources on the web, including major players like Amazon and CNET + smaller niche sites.
In other words, they do the digging & asking around, so you don't have to. Ultimately, they serve up a number from 1-100. The Wize Rank score is akin to what Wine Spectator does for wine. So, you instantly know what's the best value & what can/should be ruled out.
The concept came from CEO Tom Patterson whom I just spoke with. The guy knows his math.
Proprietary technology collects and normalizes the data using proven statistical methods to rate each product in their growing database. If you're interested in this methodology, you can read more about the ranking process in the Wize Rank white paper. The rest of us, can just benefit from the topline number & make faster, better decisions.
Here's what the rankings mean:
Score
What it Means
90 - 100
Users and experts agree: this is a great product. There are almost no negative reviews for this product.
70-89
This product is a solid performer. However, some negative reviews may exist.
60-69
This product has both good and bad reviews. Read several reviews for this product before you buy.
Less than 60
Most users and experts dislike this product.
New/NA
These products are new or don't have enough reviews to calculate a Wize Rank.
Did my own little test with products I've purchased -- some winners & losers. Must say, found the reviews pretty on-target:
= 78. Sony VAIO Widescreen Notebook PC I fell in love with the look of it, but it is S-L-O-W. So, now, having walked into Best Buy cold & bought the thing in a rush, am completely frustrated. One advance look at WIZE & I would have made different decision. Duh, Regina.
= 47 Cuisinart Brew Have this in black with stainless steel. Again, liked the aesthetics & somewhat retro feel. It works, but it's not to-die-for. Interestingly, the 14 cup model ranks higher. That's a lot of coffee. Maybe the customers are all perked up. This'll perk ya up ... the price disparity in the "Where to Buy" right hand column is staggering. Powered by Shopping.com, the site serves up related products for purchase (that's their biz model). The first four listings indicate a nearly $30 difference for the same coffee maker.
= 88 Weber Summit Gold People really seem to have a thing for Weber grills. My ranking is a lot lower on this one, cause the one I ordered from Sears.com looks just like this, but the work area on the side LOOKS like it's an extra burner to boil stuff or cook something else simultaneously, but it doesn't. One counter space area would have sufficed. Since am determined to keep the darn thing forever, am glad to see this site has am amazing collection of replacement parts.
= 82 Weber Smokey Joe Love this little guy. Gets 100 in my book.
We've covered this angle on the radio this week & are delving into it further in upcoming TV segments ... Not since the 1850's have American consumers considered prices in retail stores anything other than fixed (set in stone). In face, most research indicates we like it that way. Hence, "no haggle" price advertisements. Well ... maybe not so fast. They're calling it "entrepeneurial" (why ise the word 'desperate' if you don't need to?). Whatever the driver, math is math and consumers are watching their wallets just as retailers are realizing some margins are better than none. What does it all mean & how does the Internet factor in? Read on ....
Consumers accustomed to haggling online are heading to brick & mortar stores for more deals.
Haggling is a never-ending process:
PriceProtectr.com:They watch prices so you don't have to; if an item drops in price after you purchase it, they'll let you know so that you can get a refund of the difference.
All you need to do is enter the URL for the item you purchased.If the price drops within the item's price protection period, they'll send you an email with detailed information on how to get your money back.
Also works for in-store purchases – check the site for a complete list of stores
We continue to expand into more & more local networks ... including CH. 13 KLBK CBS Lubbock, TX. Feel free to get in on our ever-growing TV & Radio roster ... We'll fit it as many/much as we can ... THANKS FOR YOUR INTEREST:) Really appreciate & am open to any/all story ideas. Comment! R
Gotta admit, this was news to me ... it's called peer to peer lending -- People turning to perfect strangers vs banks for loans on a site called Prosper.com. Thousands of people are looking for loans and thousands of individuals are willing and able to serve as lenders. Often they lend small amounts to many different people, spreading the risk. Here's a terrific local news with Laura Rillos explaining how the site works. We're researching it further for a Rachael Ray segment being taped next week. Let me know what you think of the concept. I think it's intriguing & a real sign of the times ...
Of course, Prosper.com and its lenders do make money & the business model is somewhat intricate. Some of the specifics are here. They certainly seem to be onto something with loan volume growing to over $125 million consisting of 620,000 individuals. The "individuals" looking for cash range from students with college tuition bills, to entrepreneurs trying to get a news business off the ground, to folks trying to pay down credit card debt (the interest rate on credit cards is higher than what you''ll likely be able to secure on Prosper.com).
WalletPop puts a different spin on it, suggesting if you've been living within your means (good for you, by the way) & have some cash to spare, this could be a legit way to capitalize & help people out at the same time. You can see just how many people are "bidding" (think eBay) on the loan (this drives down the interest rate) & the estimated "risk" of the loan based on the individuals credit history.
Lenders & borrowers alike seem to rave about it. Scroll down to read COMMENTS on this BloggingStocks.com round-up, which also describes the concept as "amazing."
Home Movies: Better to Rent, Buy or Download the Latest Flicks?
Planning to spend the night curled up on the sofa with a good movie? You no longer have to hop in the car and drive to the nearest video store. These days, you may be hard-pressed to even find one. But, there's a growing list of options – from DVD mail-clubs and vending machines – to online movie downloads and sites where buying used DVDs is almost as cheap as renting.
Shifting Movie Habits According to the Entertainment Merchants Association, each month, approximately 28 million households purchase a DVD, and 27 million rent one to the tune of about $23 billion in sales. That's nearly three times what we spend at traditional movie box offices. Big business. Big shift. And here comes the Internet which is expected to be game-changing, just as it fundamentally transformed the music industry. This is good news for consumers, because it means there's a lot of players competing for your business & by extension, a lot of deals to be had.
But with so many options available, it's hard to know where to start and which site or service makes the most sense for you. Begin by taking a good look at the overall way you "consume" movies and factor in a few key variables, including:
* how many & the range of movies you currently watch in a given month
* how much you're willing to spend overall & for convenience
* whether you're a planner or more spur-of-the-moment
How the services work: Go to the site, pick a membership plan, sign up, then begin selecting movies. Movies are mailed to you. Free shipping both ways with no due dates or late fees.
Netflix.com and Blockbuster.com, stock 90,000 and 80,000 titles respectively ... Indy films, foreign films, documentaries, exercise videos ... you name it. Many are also available in Blu-ray and HD formats. Netflix also has a whopping 7,000 movies & TV show titles you can watch instantly on your PC. They start playing in as little as 30 seconds.
After you've viewed the movies on DVD, ship them back in the provided postage paid envelope and they mail you the next movie(s) in your "queue". In the case of Blockbuster, there's an option to return movies to one of their stores, but the fee is slightly higher. If you already have a Blockbuster Store membership, this may still be a draw because you can rent a new one when you're there on the fly (and maybe even pick up some Twizzlers).
The Netflix numbers are stunning. They currently mail an average of 1.8 million DVDs a day from more than 100 shipping locations. Nearly 95% of Netflix subscribers live in areas generally reachable with one business day delivery. Once it ships, you'll likely be surprised how quickly the signature red envelope shows up in your mailbox. There's noting fancy about it and sometimes the DVDs are pure silver with little or no labeling and movie marketing imaging.
Cost: Prices vary according to the plan you choose, which dictates how many videos you can have out at one time and the maximum allowable per month. Plans start at around $4 per month for two movies and go up to nearly $50 for eight movies at a time, with no limit on how many times you can swap them. The 7,000 streaming videos are all free with your mail subscription plan. Is pure value-add and sign of where things are heading.
Netflix's most popular plan is $16.99 for 3 DVDs at a time, with no limit on swapping. If you're watching two movies a week, that's eight movies a month at about $2 bucks a pop. Not bad. If you only watch two movies a month, it's $8.50 each. Cheaper than going out, but suddenly it seems like less of a bargain. If things don't go as planned and the little red envelope sit around for two months, and you only watch two of them over two months, now they're about $17 each!
BOTTOMLINE: The value of the subscription plan is directly correlated to how much use you get out of it (think: your gym membership). Once you've signed up, you are billed each month, whether you rent or not. Netflix is great about letting you suspend or adjust your plan at any time and the adjustment is made at the start of the next billing cycle. Still, the win-win here is to pick the plan you'll make best use of and milk it. Customers who do this, rave about the service.
How they work: You've probably run into one of these lately -- they're essentially DVD vending machines. There are more than 7,000 of them nationwide in grocery stores, Walgreens, McDonalds, with more continuing to pop up in more places. You can find Redbox locations near you, by logging on to the site and entering your zip code. They'll list the locations and even provide a link to MapQuest driving directions.
You can reserve a movie online with a credit card and then you'll have until 9 pm the next day to pick it up. When you go pick it up in person (you'll need to use the same credit card for verification). A DVD reservation made online is specific to the Red Box machine you've selected. So, if you go there and there are maintenance issues (the equivalent of a broken coke machine) you're out of luck. Returning DVDs in not specific to a particular RedBox kiosk. So, you could use the one at your local grocery store if you know you're going to be there again within the next few days; or you could pick one up at a kiosk near work on Friday and return it to a kiosk closer to home on Saturday.
Cost: $1 per night. The return deadline is 9 pm. So, if you don't watch the movie the night you rent it, watch the clock the next night and try to start a two hour film before 7 pm to have a shot at making the return deadline. Otherwise, the next dollar + tax day kicks in. After a certain number of days (usually 25), rental charges cease and the DVD is yours to keep. BOTTOMLINE: If you're forgetful, it'll cost ya. So, make sure your teenagers know the movies in the backseat need to go back! Your credit card is held and then billed upon the movie return (similar to the hotel model of getting a final bill when you check out).
Redbox kiosks hold more than 500 DVDs. The title selection is a bit limited – usually between 100 to 200 – mainly top hits, but that's what most people are really after. New titles are available every Tuesday. A "hot" film can go fast. Overall, this affordable option is great for spur-of-the- moment DVD rentals.
Historically movies tend to be an affordable luxury and that's more true than ever as the cost of DVDs, in particular, used DVDs goes down. If you have young children who are going to want to watch a particular movie over and over (is there such a thing as seeing "Finding Nemo" too many times?), purchasing may be way to go. Also movie "collectors" are certainly still purchasing DVDs and now are even seeing bonus interactive features like games and a "digital copy" of the movie that can be downloaded to a computer in about five minutes (less time than via the Internet). Essentially it's same movie in multiple formats. Consumer picks. Yet another proof point of the movie industry in transition.
Cost: You can search used DVD sites like DVDEmpire.com by genre, by age (i.e. under 9), by price, etc. A search for DVDs under $7 turns up more than 3,000 titles. Are they the top selling new releases everyone is after? Not necessarily at those price points, but they have those too at some of the best going rates.
Used DVDs are also available on Amazon.com and eBay, as well as in-stores. Online they'll tell you the condition of the DVD as part of the listing. In-store, you may see a "Previously Viewed" sticker.
Even if the price is right, you don't want to make costly (both time and money) mistakes purchasing films you don't end up enjoying or ones that aren't age-appropriate. That's one reason sites like Moviefone.com are seeing record traffic as people "preview" films and read reviews before making the purchasing or rental plunge.
On the Pay-Per-View side (offered by your local cable or satellite company), it's all about "instant gratification." On the Internet, downloading movies is just like downloading music, it just takes little longer & uses up a lot more space if you download it (and keep it) versus rent and stream it once. A two hour movie uses roughly the same space on your hard drive as 250 songs. But extra storage space has come way down in cost, so you can always ramp it up as needed.
How it works: Opt into Amazon Unbox or iTunes. You have to have their proprietary players to get started. The Amazon Unbox player is quick to download and will then be an icon on the frontscreen of your computer, so it's easy to find. For iTunes, you'll be prompted to upgrade to the latest version. After these free installs, you're ready to select your TV show or movie and press "buy" or "rent". High-speed access is a must. Amazon's Unbox service "streams" the videos, so you can start watching right away while the download proceeds behind the scenes if you've purchased it. You can see the download status as you watch. Thirty minute TV shows are quick and easy on a high performing hi-speed connection. A 2 hour film may take 20-60 mins to download in its entirety, but you'll be able to start viewing right away on UnBox. iTunes waits for the download to complete and then you "sync" it to your device, just as with music.
Cost & selection: Movie rentals are priced on a sliding scale based on popularity and come in around $3. If you opt to buy, the prices vary, but expect to pay closer to $10. As for selection, Amazon Unbox has over 20,000 movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. ITunes has 1,600 movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. Watch for heavy promotion to fuel this phenomenon. Amazon has weekend specials with their most popular downloads for as little as .99 cents. They're banking on people who try the service coming back, much like they did when they made their first book purchase years ago.
On both iTunes and Amazon UnBox, rentals last 30 days from purchase or twenty-four hours from the time you start playing. You can pause it along the way and it'll start right back up where you left off when you're ready to resume. One thing you can't do at this juncture is burn the download to a DVD.
New laptop computer screens are bigger and better than ever with vastly improved clarity and resolution, so the caliber of the end-viewing experience is really high. And, if you haven't seen a movie playing on an iPhone yet, you won't believe your eyes. It's really impressive.
So, what happens next and where is this all headed? There are a lot of moving pieces, but -- ultimately -- most industry experts have this going the way of music -- building libraries and synching them to various screens -- TV, laptop, cellphone, etc. The hardest thing to shift is consumer behavior & the technology and the price has to be approachable before you'll see mainstream adoption. Younger people have a head start. They live on their laptops. So, watching a movie on a computer screen is second nature to them. Pretty soon we may not really even differentiate between what's a computer screen and what's a TV screen. We won't care. We'll just want to dictate what gets "pushed" to them. That may mean having yet another little box near your TV, but you've probably already got a stack of them (DVD player, VHS, Cable Box, etc.), so what's one more? At least Apple TV is small and stylish at a mere seven inches.
Shifting Movie Habits According to the Entertainment Merchants Association, each month, approximately 28 million households purchase a DVD, and 27 million rent one to the tune of about $23 billion in sales. That's nearly three times what we spend at traditional movie box offices. Big business. Big shift. And here comes the Internet which is expected to be game-changing, just as it fundamentally transformed the music industry. This is good news for consumers, because it means there's a lot of players competing for your business & by extension, a lot of deals to be had.
But with so many options available, it's hard to know where to start and which site or service makes the most sense for you. Begin by taking a good look at the overall way you "consume" movies and factor in a few key variables, including:
* how many & the range of movies you currently watch in a given month
* how much you're willing to spend overall & for convenience
* whether you're a planner or more spur-of-the-moment
How the services work: Go to the site, pick a membership plan, sign up, then begin selecting movies. Movies are mailed to you. Free shipping both ways with no due dates or late fees.
Netflix.com and Blockbuster.com, stock 90,000 and 80,000 titles respectively ... Indy films, foreign films, documentaries, exercise videos ... you name it. Many are also available in Blu-ray and HD formats. Netflix also has a whopping 7,000 movies & TV show titles you can watch instantly on your PC. They start playing in as little as 30 seconds.
After you've viewed the movies on DVD, ship them back in the provided postage paid envelope and they mail you the next movie(s) in your "queue". In the case of Blockbuster, there's an option to return movies to one of their stores, but the fee is slightly higher. If you already have a Blockbuster Store membership, this may still be a draw because you can rent a new one when you're there on the fly (and maybe even pick up some Twizzlers).
The Netflix numbers are stunning. They currently mail an average of 1.8 million DVDs a day from more than 100 shipping locations. Nearly 95% of Netflix subscribers live in areas generally reachable with one business day delivery. Once it ships, you'll likely be surprised how quickly the signature red envelope shows up in your mailbox. There's noting fancy about it and sometimes the DVDs are pure silver with little or no labeling and movie marketing imaging.
Cost: Prices vary according to the plan you choose, which dictates how many videos you can have out at one time and the maximum allowable per month. Plans start at around $4 per month for two movies and go up to nearly $50 for eight movies at a time, with no limit on how many times you can swap them. The 7,000 streaming videos are all free with your mail subscription plan. Is pure value-add and sign of where things are heading.
Netflix's most popular plan is $16.99 for 3 DVDs at a time, with no limit on swapping. If you're watching two movies a week, that's eight movies a month at about $2 bucks a pop. Not bad. If you only watch two movies a month, it's $8.50 each. Cheaper than going out, but suddenly it seems like less of a bargain. If things don't go as planned and the little red envelope sit around for two months, and you only watch two of them over two months, now they're about $17 each!
BOTTOMLINE: The value of the subscription plan is directly correlated to how much use you get out of it (think: your gym membership). Once you've signed up, you are billed each month, whether you rent or not. Netflix is great about letting you suspend or adjust your plan at any time and the adjustment is made at the start of the next billing cycle. Still, the win-win here is to pick the plan you'll make best use of and milk it. Customers who do this, rave about the service. DVD Rental Vending Machines www.redbox.com
How they work: You've probably run into one of these lately -- they're essentially DVD vending machines. There are more than 7,000 of them nationwide in grocery stores, Walgreens, McDonalds, with more continuing to pop up in more places. You can find Redbox locations near you, by logging on to the site and entering your zip code. They'll list the locations and even provide a link to MapQuest driving directions.
You can reserve a movie online with a credit card and then you'll have until 9 pm the next day to pick it up. When you go pick it up in person (you'll need to use the same credit card for verification). A DVD reservation made online is specific to the Red Box machine you've selected. So, if you go there and there are maintenance issues (the equivalent of a broken coke machine) you're out of luck. Returning DVDs in not specific to a particular RedBox kiosk. So, you could use the one at your local grocery store if you know you're going to be there again within the next few days; or you could pick one up at a kiosk near work on Friday and return it to a kiosk closer to home on Saturday.
Cost: $1 per night. The return deadline is 9 pm. So, if you don't watch the movie the night you rent it, watch the clock the next night and try to start a two hour film before 7 pm to have a shot at making the return deadline. Otherwise, the next dollar + tax day kicks in. After a certain number of days (usually 25), rental charges cease and the DVD is yours to keep. BOTTOMLINE: If you're forgetful, it'll cost ya. So, make sure your teenagers know the movies in the backseat need to go back! Your credit card is held and then billed upon the movie return (similar to the hotel model of getting a final bill when you check out).
Redbox kiosks hold more than 500 DVDs. The title selection is a bit limited – usually between 100 to 200 – mainly top hits, but that's what most people are really after. New titles are available every Tuesday. A "hot" film can go fast. Overall, this affordable option is great for spur-of-the- moment DVD rentals.
Historically movies tend to be an affordable luxury and that's more true than ever as the cost of DVDs, in particular, used DVDs goes down. If you have young children who are going to want to watch a particular movie over and over (is there such a thing as seeing "Finding Nemo" too many times?), purchasing may be way to go. Also movie "collectors" are certainly still purchasing DVDs and now are even seeing bonus interactive features like games and a "digital copy" of the movie that can be downloaded to a computer in about five minutes (less time than via the Internet). Essentially it's same movie in multiple formats. Consumer picks. Yet another proof point of the movie industry in transition.
Cost: You can search used DVD sites like DVDEmpire.com by genre, by age (i.e. under 9), by price, etc. A search for DVDs under $7 turns up more than 3,000 titles. Are they the top selling new releases everyone is after? Not necessarily at those price points, but they have those too at some of the best going rates.
Used DVDs are also available on Amazon.com and eBay, as well as in-stores. Online they'll tell you the condition of the DVD as part of the listing. In-store, you may see a "Previously Viewed" sticker.
Even if the price is right, you don't want to make costly (both time and money) mistakes purchasing films you don't end up enjoying or ones that aren't age-appropriate. That's one reason sites like Moviefone.com are seeing record traffic as people "preview" films and read reviews before making the purchasing or rental plunge.
On the Pay-Per-View side (offered by your local cable or satellite company), it's all about "instant gratification." On the Internet, downloading movies is just like downloading music, it just takes little longer & uses up a lot more space if you download it (and keep it) versus rent and stream it once. A two hour movie uses roughly the same space on your hard drive as 250 songs. But extra storage space has come way down in cost, so you can always ramp it up as needed.
How it works: Opt into Amazon Unbox or iTunes. You have to have their proprietary players to get started. The Amazon Unbox player is quick to download and will then be an icon on the frontscreen of your computer, so it's easy to find. For iTunes, you'll be prompted to upgrade to the latest version. After these free installs, you're ready to select your TV show or movie and press "buy" or "rent". High-speed access is a must. Amazon's Unbox service "streams" the videos, so you can start watching right away while the download proceeds behind the scenes if you've purchased it. You can see the download status as you watch. Thirty minute TV shows are quick and easy on a high performing hi-speed connection. A 2 hour film may take 20-60 mins to download in its entirety, but you'll be able to start viewing right away on UnBox. iTunes waits for the download to complete and then you "sync" it to your device, just as with music.
Cost & selection: Movie rentals are priced on a sliding scale based on popularity and come in around $3. If you opt to buy, the prices vary, but expect to pay closer to $10. As for selection, Amazon Unbox has over 20,000 movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. ITunes has 1,600 movies and TV shows for rental or purchase. Watch for heavy promotion to fuel this phenomenon. Amazon has weekend specials with their most popular downloads for as little as .99 cents. They're banking on people who try the service coming back, much like they did when they made their first book purchase years ago.
On both iTunes and Amazon UnBox, rentals last 30 days from purchase or twenty-four hours from the time you start playing. You can pause it along the way and it'll start right back up where you left off when you're ready to resume. One thing you can't do at this juncture is burn the download to a DVD.
New laptop computer screens are bigger and better than ever with vastly improved clarity and resolution, so the caliber of the end-viewing experience is really high. And, if you haven't seen a movie playing on an iPhone yet, you won't believe your eyes. It's really impressive.
So, what happens next and where is this all headed? There are a lot of moving pieces, but -- ultimately -- most industry experts have this going the way of music -- building libraries and synching them to various screens -- TV, laptop, cellphone, etc. The hardest thing to shift is consumer behavior & the technology and the price has to be approachable before you'll see mainstream adoption. Younger people have a head start. They live on their laptops. So, watching a movie on a computer screen is second nature to them. Pretty soon we may not really even differentiate between what's a computer screen and what's a TV screen. We won't care. We'll just want to dictate what gets "pushed" to them. That may mean having yet another little box near your TV, but you've probably already got a stack of them (DVD player, VHS, Cable Box, etc.), so what's one more? At least Apple TV is small and stylish at a mere seven inches.
E-V-E-R-Y-B-O-D-Y has this stuff in their drawers & closets .... Average person switches cell phone every 18 months; a lot of people are on their 2nd-3rd iPod; kids grow up & outgrow their PlayStation; many laptops are on their last leg; and lots of people want to upgrade their digital camera. Hence, a new secondary market has emerged & most people don't know about it.
New sites & stores, including Costco/Costco.com, www.secondrotation.com & www.GreenSight.com allow you to trade in almost anything & it's a lot easier than attempting to do it on your own via eBay. They resell or take them apart and use parts. You can get anywhere from $50+ for an iPod or digital camera to $250+ for a used camcorder, laptop or the PlayStation your kids aren't playing anymore.
Key tips:
1) Make sure you erase personal info, pictures, etc. (avoid identity theft)
2) Save original packaging & manual (yields more $ when reselling)
3) Be honest about item condition (they're going to check, so no point in "fibbing")
4) Be realistic about value (cross-check with comparable items/bids on eBay)
5) Use provided shipping label (is trackable & often pre-paid)
My kids are pretty good about not asking for things, because -- well ... it doesn't go over very well. Then again, for years, I did seem to add something to the cart every time we we're out. Apparently most parents do this, to the tune of $750-$1,000 a year on toys. Years later it equals one thing: clutter. New Web site BabyPlays.com actually addresses several of these issues. The 5-month old subscription-based site is self-described as Netflix for the toddler set.
Here's how it works: Parents browse the hundreds of toys on the site – grouped by both category and age appropriateness (newborn through preschoolers). They build a wish list of toys they'd like to rent, and BabyPlays ships them via UPS to their door. All toys arrive assembled and ready for playtime. I like that part;) Plus, there's the anticipation of opening the box. Every month is Christmas vs picking up something everyday. BabyPlays' selection includes popular toys by brands such as VTech, Baby Einstein, LeapFrog and Playskool.
Subscribers pay fees starting at $36.99 a month for four toys a month. Paying $42.99 a month, with a 6 month commitment, gets you six toys a month. As with all Netflix-knock-offs (including this site to lease high-end handbags) the math only makes sense if you USE the subscription. If you don't stick with it, or end up continuing to buy toys AND rent them, maybe steal a page from the Lewis Family Play Book: Find the nearest Dollar Store:)
Worried about the "ick" factor? Before BabyPlays sends out toys, they're checked for lead, sanitized with Clorox and loaded with fresh batteries. Toys are then shrink-wrapped and boxed for shipment. The shrink wrap machine shown in TODAY SHOW clip is cool. Have been meaning to get one of those ... Looks like they're available here: www.ABCOffice.com
The majority of customers keep the toys for one month, then send them back in the box they came in. The company provides a postage-paid return label with each shipment. Once BabyPlays receives the returned toys, they automatically ship out the next group toys on your wish list. It'll be interesting to see if this business model holds up, since mailing one billion DVDs is a lot cheaper than mailing big boxes of toys & am guessing if the trend continues big players may get in the trade-in game. But, it's a neat concept & am sure Laurie Lamb Pope (the working mother who founded the company) has her hands full with a spike in demand thanks to Meredith;) In fact, their site is currently down due to overwhelming traffic. Hope am not making it worse. Am sure they'll be back up soon. See related TODAY SHOW story.
Back in the day, you'd meet & review a portfolio. Now, their work is displayed online. Talk about selection. You can search by specialty or location. From portraits to fashion and animals to nudes, this site lists established and up & coming photographers and agencies from around the world with thumbnails of their work & corresponding links. I tend to think anyone in creative field should have a good looking website. If you look around, you'll see a real disparity. Here's an example of one that works well:
This site has a directory of wedding photographers by state: www.weddingphotousa.com, keeping in mind professional wedding photographers are almost always willing to branch out & cover other events.
I'm a fan of black & white journalistic style photography. For that, look no further than your local newspaper or university. You may be able to get a staffer or student looking to make little extra money or work for free to build their portfolio.
These sites -- www.flickr.com, tabblo.com, & pictures.aol.com have amateur & professional work. Post comments to track the photographer down. I once posted pictures of floral arrangements made for an event at my son's school & ended up getting unsolicited requests from people who actually thought I was a florist (career Plan B:).
You can also put out a call for bids from potential candidates. Here's an example from a guy searching for a photographer on the cheap for 4-5 hrs work: Craigslist.
Professional photography is a business & marketing online is an art, hence the new site Trash the Dress . For better or worse, it shocks you into being showcased dresses in unexpected places.
By popular demand & since we promised to respond to your requests & comments - we're looking for love online. eHarmony now boasts responsibility for 90 MARRIAGES A DAY! Staggering. Bottomline: it works. But, there are some DO's & DON'Ts and you may even need a trainer;) There are tons of online resources & they just may have lasting value ...
Recent research presented at the American Psychological Society found that eHarmony married couples are significantly happier than couples married for a similar length of time who met by other means.
So, what are these couples getting right? Am thinking it must be the 436 question patented eHarmony Compatibility Matching System™ backed by more than 35 years of clinical and empirical research. And, really, can you argue with a guy who looks this well-intentioned?
At the risk of oversimplifying, think the fact that www.eharmony.com costs money & takes more than an hour to fill out matters. When's the last time you & your significant-other drilled down on your respective needs & desires for over an hour? Enough said;) And you're never too old. It's estimated more than 20% of personal profiles online (not just eHarm) are for people 50 & older. "Seniors" actually have some of the best success rates (they know who they are & what they want!)
Online Dating Do's & Don'ts:
DO: Use Great Photo -- Doesn't mean you need to be a model, but personals with a photo are 8-10X more likely to be viewed & remember, you've got split seconds to make a first impression. Take a roll of film & get one you like. Hire someone if you need to, but make sure it doesn't look like you're trying too hard (is highly suspect/screams of vanity;) See: 10 Tips For Posting Online Personal Profile Photos
DO:Be Specific -- Help people "get" you. Saying you "love sports" is vague & doesn't tell people a real lot. "Enjoy fly-fishing & never miss a Yankees game" is a lot more telling. You can actually hire former "Sex & The City" & Men's Health magazine writers to help: www.personalstrainer.com. Hey, ya gotta do what ya gotta do;)
DON'T: Seem Desperate -- No need to send 5-page emails right out of the box or instant message 24/7. For women it tends to seem "needy" & for men it can be construed as sign of a serial dater.
DO: Pace Yourself -- Online dating tends to move quickly. For starters, ya got to figure both people are on the site cause they genuinely want to meet someone. Though, that doesn't necessarily mean you'll have same degree of "readiness" in pursuing a relationship. The general sequence is: online dialogue, talk on phone, meet in person at a public place.
DO: Manage Your Expectations -- Both in terms of the amount of responses you get & the amount of dates you may need to go on. A lot of times people think, "I know this is THE ONE" based on their initial online exchanges. It's nice to think, but -- remember -- truth is, you're still on the front-end of one of life's easier-said-than-done events. Don't wait too long for first in-person meeting, it only makes the drumroll more intense. You'll kn
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