Thursday, April 2, 2009

What you need to know about dot.Tel domains.

Dot.Tel is a significant change in the way people and companies will be found on the internet. It will be equivalent to having a virtual business card. Like most people, I didn't get it at first. Why have another website to store your info?

First, it's not a website - it's just a place on the web where people can find you simply by typing your name or company. Second, it's always up-to-date - because it's not a website and there's only one copy of your info. Still confused?

When you want to find a phone number for someone at a company using the internet, you need to google the company, then try to find the person. Or try to find a department using the White Pages - with a large company it's a daunting task.

Instead, just type kprobe.tel and you get all the information about the company called "KProbe". All the information you need shows up in a consistent manner and in only one place. If you have a mobile device, just clicking the phone number starts the call.

If you still don't get it, you've got to watch this creatively funny video. It's a bit long but the punch line at the end is well worth the time.

Dot.Tel now has the chance of replacing those clunky and thick paper phone books. Everything and everyone can be found on-line in an easy-to-use, easy-to-find format. When you want something like footwear, you'll type footwear.tel and off you go.

Creating a dot.Tel is very easy using a control panel and you can get a dot.tel for as low as $9.00 at www.name.com. Incidentally, dot.Tel was activated on the 133rd anniversary of the first use of the telephone.

As for myself, I've registered the following domains, some as directories, some as search helpers, some for new on-line businesses:

adgame.tel , ajob.tel , apparel.tel , artisans.tel
artist.tel , artists.tel , award.tel
bestrated.tel , buy-gold.tel , canadajobs.tel
contests.tel , durham-region.tel
e-book-readers.tel , footwear.tel
goji.tel , goldbuyers.tel , hairday.tel
halton-region.tel , hunts.tel , ideas.tel
landscaper.tel , moneymakers.tel
myjobs.tel , needcash.tel
ontario-canada.tel , peel-region.tel
shoe.tel , socialnetworks.tel
talent.tel , things.tel , toronto-ontario.tel
ukjobs.tel , us-jobs.tel , usa-jobs.tel
york-region.tel

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Play Twitter games with tweets at www.OUTWIT.me
Create conversation-starting name tags for your next meeting. A name tag should be informative and describe what you do or your interests, not just have your name. More ideas and free printing at www.NAMETAG.me.

Twitter-Tweeted Never-Ending Stories and Poets

At www.STORYTELLER.me, you can create never-ending poems and stories with your friends - one line at a time at - so that you never know how they will turn out! Twitter will tweet you when it is your turn to add the next line.



Here's an example:

The Power of One

One SONG can spark a moment
One FLOWER can wake the dream
One TREE can start a forest
One BIRD can herald spring
One SMILE begins a friendship
One HANDCLASP lifts a soul
One STAR can guide a ship at sea
One WORD can frame the goal
One VOTE can change a nation
One SUNBEAM lights a room
One CANDLE wipes out darkness
One LAUG
H will conquer gloom
One STEP must start each journey
One WORD must start a prayer
One HOPE will raise our spirits
One TOUCH can show you care
One VOICE can speak with wisdom
One HEART can know what is true
One LIFE can make a difference
One KISS can seal a friendship
One DRINK can ruin a life
One DREAM can render hope
One BREATH can take in life
One HAND ca
n welcome a friend
One STROKE can start an artwork

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sticky Notes for Websites

Sticky Notes for your website provides you with a different way of letting your visitors interact with you, and you with your visitors. One line of script code gives your website a free sticky note section from www.STICKY.me

Use it to post updates and information without needing a web programmer to make changes. Use it as a colorful addition to your blog.

Choose one of several backgrounds like chalkboard, cork, industrial or use your own image.

Every time a new note is added, you get an email so you can respond immediately. A built-in filter screens inappropriate notes.

Manage your notes via the sticky management interface.

www.sticky.me

Friday, March 6, 2009

Tweet Quiz

Tweet Quiz is a first of its kind game at Twitter. It was created to engage fellow twitterers with never-ending challenges provided through periodic tweets. Each quiz pertains to a specific category or topic, for example "What you might find on a bus". As the game progresses, it tweets its followers with a succession of clues to the hidden words and phrases. By matching the items, players gain points. Players tweet their answers back and if correct get a bonus clue back through Direct Message (DM).


Each game last 12 hours and a new quiz starts automatically, hence Tweet Quiz is never-ending.



The quiz can also be played on-line at www.outwit.me, where players go to view all of their completed answers. Prior quizzes are available for viewing so that people can see what they've missed.


Tweet this article.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

OutWit.Me

OutWit.Me is a nexus between Twitter and games. The site is dedicated to engaging the Twitter community with stimulating games. More information coming soon as to the nature of the games to be available.

My first project was to create a 3D Tweet Cloud. This shows the most common words people are using in their tweets. It is a real-time display using a variant of the WP-Cumulus flash cloud by Roy Tanck. You can also create a cloud from your own tweets. The cloud rotates and changes by the minute. Use the public timeline to experiment with the composition of tweets to reveal interesting trends, connections, attitudes, relationships. For example searching on "TV" typically lets you know what shows people are watching at any given time. Searching for "lunch" will let you know what most people are planning to eat.

I've extended this to allow you to create a button or badge to use on your website.

The next project is a never-ending game that uses tweets for player participation.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Make a Custom Sign - wikiHow

Make a Custom Sign - wikiHow
WikiHow shows you how to make a custom sign using a free service.

Make a Custom Name Tag - wikiHow

Make a Custom Name Tag - wikiHow
Shows you how to make a custom nametag using a free service.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Break the Ice with Custom Name Tags


You've been there before: a new meeting or conference. You don't really know anyone and need an ice breaker. You have that standard paper name tag stuck onto your shirt or blouse, but that didn't get you too far.

Try this for a change. Instead of the usual "Hello my name is ... ROBIN" name tag, make yourself a walking conversation starter with a custom name tag like
  • "I'm Sharon. I really dig diamonds" (mining convention)
  • "Invest with me ... Dennis " (venture capitalist)
  • "Harry says Hello. I sell kayaks" (sports trade show)
  • "Hi, I am Giles. Come jump with me" (sky diving instructor)
  • "I'm LOST and looking for Derek"
  • "I'm Sandy. I'm a Veteran".
Get the idea? By revealing something personal or business-specific, even being funny, you will have an opening for someone else to start that (sometimes awkward) conversation.

Photoshop is one way to make name tags, but most of us don't have this tool.

One site for custom tag making is www.nametag.me where you can create that unique name tag and even get ideas on what other people have used to break the ice. You can either draw your name in special effects like 3-D or neon or create tags dynamically, choosing fonts and colors.

The site also lets you customize and print blank name tags in bulk as well as making your own signs.

Save money - it's all available for free.



Mark Kolb
www.nametag.me
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