The world around us

Have you heard about a site called Blurb.com? It’s a site where you can publish your own books. It’s as simple as downloading the software, uploading the pictures into the templates that you have selected, formatting the look and feel as you please and then uploading it to the site, ready for you to publish away. I found out about it on flickr and decided to publish my own book of some of my photos. It was so thrilling to see my name in print! I made several mistakes though, though thankfully I did listen to Blurb when it advised me to order just one copy of my book as a test…well, it needed some changes, so it was a good thing I only got one in the first run.

Now, that I’ve done it a few times, I’m getting better at fine tuning the look that I want and hopefully this time, I will end up with exactly what I want. This is a really great idea, for creating a book of a vacation, a wedding, baby photos etc. There is a sort of permanence to it that I really like.

I found the most fun site today. It’s called SceneCaster and it’s all about creating your own rooms or ’scenes’ online. I signed up for it as soon as I read the basics and can’t wait to get started on mapping out our apartment and filling in the details of our furniture, so I can get a better idea of what would look nice in the empty spots. It is possible to select furniture from their selection of items or sketch your own ones out. You can also share your scenes with friends and family and explore other member’s scenes. I think it is a really great idea and the timing is just perfect for us, since that is what has been going on in my mind lately as it is. I have to download an application to be able to use it as yet, but don’t want to start until I have a lot of time, since I know I will not be able to leave the site once I go there.

CD swapping site Lala.com is keen on moving to the next step, and is transforming its site to a music portal. Once the changes are made, members will be able to download music directly to their iPods instead of their hard drives. The company had made a deal with Warner Music Group and will be selling 200,000 songs for 99cents each. Lala.com has no advertisements and makes its money only when members buy CDs or swap used ones for a fee of $1 per disc.

Analysts said Lala is taking a huge risk. As a full-service music site, it will compete not only against Apple’s iTunes, which sells 5 million songs a day, but e-commerce powerhouses Amazon.com and eBay.

A waste container that compacts trash right there and then, as it stands on the street? Yes, it is possible and the BigBelly does just that. Springwise reports that this compacting trash can works on solar energy and compacts the trash inside so that it is able to hold five times more than a regular garbage can, and don’t require frequent pickup’s. Built by Seahorse Power Company, the BigBelly is being used in several cities such as Boston, Ventura, Bronx etc. These trash containers are weather proof and can be proofed for bears and racoons at an additional cost.

Continuing on from my previous post, here’s another way to improve productivity. Springwise reports that Jott is a service that transcribes spoken messages into text and email them to you. All you have to do is to sign up with them with your phone number and email id, then when you need to jot something down, call their toll free number and say ‘me’ to send the message to yourself or the name of the person that you need the message sent to. You can leave messages of up to 30 seconds and thats it. Jott will transcribe what you spoke into a mail that will be delivered to the destination that you specified. Most times, this process only takes a few minutes, but in peak times, it can take up to 20 minutes. The entire service is free, but members will be given a choice at a later time to select between a free version with ads or a premium ad-free version for a fee. The service is currently only available in the US and Canada.

The service is deceptively simple, and lends itself to countless applications. It can be used to leave notes to oneself, from a reminder to buy a carton of milk, to capturing a brilliant idea. Or to draft emails, memos, or the next chapter of a novel while driving home from work. Lawyers and doctors, accustomed to speaking their correspondence and notes, can dictate on the fly.

So, what do you do when you iPod breaks down? As the number of people with iPods increase, so do the number of faulty and broken down iPods, but you need not worry if your iPod goes kaput, as there are lots of options to fix, replace and even sell it. Springwise reports that Buymybrokenipod.com is the latest in a series of iPod related service sites, and this one will pay you for your broken or unused iPods. All you have to do is to select the kind of condition it is in and if you accept the instant quote, you just need to send it to them and you will be paid in 24 hrs of its receipt via PayPal. Other options for unused or broken iPods are exchanging, selling parts or refurbishing them at sites such as Podswap or iRepair.

The iPods are usually sold in bulk to small businesses who fix them for a living, replacing cracked screens, expired batteries and dead hard-drives, and reselling them to consumers. Generally, iPods received by buymybrokenipod.com are in good condition. The company takes pride in extending the lives of dead or used iPods, and keeping them out of landfills.

Another great way to improve efficiency, save time and money. If you are a small business, this will especially come in handy. Triadex are online printers and printing company that takes care of all of your printing and mailing services. All you have to do is to send them a sample of what you need to print, they proofread it and format it and send it to you for approval. Once you approve it, it will be printed and mailed out on your behalf. Triadex has a network of printers nationwide and will also do all your statement and invoice printing so you don’t need to bother about it. This service will perfectly suit small firms that send out monthly newsletters or statements, which can be sent online to Triadex who will take care of everything else. Why hasn’t someone thought of this earlier? I simply love the idea and think they will be perfect for when I need to print and mail out white paper reports.

This is quite a unique and offbeat idea that Springwise reports on, but something that will probably end up working. Say you love pets, but have no time to take care of or spend time with them. Well, now you can have a pet for short periods of time, a flexible pet ownership program. Flexpetz launched in Los Angeles and San Diego and provides customers with the option of having a dog just for a few hours a day or on certain days a week. The dogs are from shelters and are picked for their ability to adapt to differnet scenarios.

Membership is limited, and each dog generally spends time with a small group of people. Monthly membership costs USD 39.95 plus a daily fee, and members can reserve their pooch of choice online. Before being allowed to rent a dog, members go through a mandatory training session with a certified Flexpetz dog trainer.

I first read about this way back in February, but I never got around to blogging about it. Springwise reports on spotting a new trend, sewing cafes. While knitting clubs have trickled down to being quite common now, sewing cafes are still something that are completely new. Linkle was founded by Linda Eilers in Germany who got the idea when she was giving sewing classes in The Netherlands a year back. She started a sewing cafe in Berlin and provides the sewing machines for which she charges 5 euros for an hour. At present she has 10 sewing machines on offer and a cutting table and of course Linda Eilers’ knowledge of sewing.

She helps replace broken zippers and advises on tailoring a vintage dress or stitching a handbag. Linkle serves a wide range of customers—from teenagers customizing jeans, to a woman creating her own wedding dress. For entrepreneurs with a knack for sewing (or carpentry, or almost any other kind of craft), now’s the time to make the most of the craft revival as it continues to expand. Set up a working / being space, and maybe combine it with a fabric or supplies shop.

iLetYou is a new site where you can rent movies instantly, with no restrictions on minimum number of DVDs or games to start with. Springwise reports that the concept is for both individual consumers as well as independant movie retailers to set up shops online. This is a great way to start renting movies to people if you have a large collection. Those with great marketing skills can even compete with NetFlix, offering a unique selection of movies.

Pricing and terms are set by the stores themselves, and there are no listing fees. iLetYou takes a small cut of every transaction, from USD 0.40 per rental, in exchange for providing the platform and payment processing. Store owners handle shipping, but can order 2-way disk mailers from iLetYou (USD 190 for a case of 1,000, plus applicable shipping).