ben's posts

Prepare to shift that carry-on bag to your other hand as you reach for your wallet because today is the day Spirit rolls out their new fee for carry-on bags. Billed as an ostensible solution to gate delays, the worst problem you never experienced, the fee ranges from $20 to $45.

Spirit reduced its lowest fares by an average of about $40 ahead of the new carry-on fees. The average one-way base fare for August is $63, [Spirit spokeswoman Misty Pinson] said. She said passengers have been paying the carry-on fee in advance but she did not have specific numbers.

A larger bag destined for the overhead bin will incur a $30 fee, as long as the passenger pays in advance. Paying at the gate brings the fee up to $45.

Umbrellas, camera bags, strollers and car seats are among the items that will remain free of charge.

Will you pay the fee or fly a different airline?

Spirit Airlines' carry-on bag fee starts Sunday [AP]

Publish your own Paid Newsletter with Letter.ly

2010-07-09T07:18:00.000-07:00

Publish your own Paid Newsletter with Letter.ly: "

While alternate channels like Twitter and RSS feeds have grown in popularity, the good old email newsletter still has its charm. Provide a newsletter with relevant and well-written content and they’ll come for sure.

Email Newsletters – Where the Provider Pays

Like everything else, there’re plenty of email newsletter services on the web to choose from.

For instance, if you are business owner looking to connect with your customers, you can go with Mail Chimp, Campaign Monitor or Constant Contact – these services will not only deliver your emails but will also help track the performance of your marketing campaigns.

Web publishers (including bloggers) can deliver RSS updates in the form of email newsletters using services like FeedBurner, AWeber or FeedBlitz.

Email Newsletters – Where the Subscriber Pays

Some of the service discussed above are free while others are paid but they all have one thing in common – the email newsletter is always delivered free to the subscriber. The service costs, if any, are borne by the newsletter provider and not the subscriber.

If you’re however planning to launch a subscription based newsletter where people will have to pay a certain fee to receive your email, a service that you should explore is letter.ly.

With letter.ly, you can offer subscribe a one-click sign-up page (see example) – they simply have to share their email address and pay with their credit cards (through Amazon Payments) to become a subscriber of your email newsletter.

You get a unique email address and any email that you send to this address will be forwarded to your subscribers as a newsletter. So you get decide the format of the newsletter as well as the frequency and time of delivery.

It can’t get any simpler than this. Thanks Mathew Ingram.

Publish your own Paid Newsletter with Letter.ly

Originally published at Digital Inspiration by Amit Agarwal.

3 Best Amazon Price Track Solutions

2010-05-14T15:34:00.000-07:00

3 Best Amazon Price Track Solutions

Web Lego And Format Glue, aka Get Yer Mashup On « OUseful.Info, the blog…

2010-05-03T07:10:00.000-07:00

Web Lego And Format Glue, aka Get Yer Mashup On « OUseful.Info, the blog…

How To Fix Today's Ebook Readers - Digital Books - Gizmodo

2010-04-22T17:01:00.000-07:00

How To Fix Today's Ebook Readers - Digital Books - Gizmodo

The Best HTML5 Slides Ever

2010-04-17T07:41:00.000-07:00

The Best HTML5 Slides Ever: "

@edr is the man. He did amazing things at Yahoo! and now at his new role at Google he continues in the same vein. This time he has created the coolest set of HTML5 slides ever, using the technology inline.

Take a walk through the woods and learn about all things HTML5. Starting with the JS APIS (selector API, storage, appcache, web workers, web sockets, notifications, drag and drop, and geolocation).

Then delve into the new HTML semantic tags, link relations, micro data, ARIA, forms, audio and video, Canvas, and WebGL.

Finally, the holy trinity finishes with CSS and selectors, fonts, text, columns, stroking, opacity, HSL, rounded corners, gradients, shadows, backgrounds, transitions, transforms, and animations.

Top draw Eduardo. Top draw (he based his work on a presentation from Marcin Wichary).

Set Up a Geeky Media Center that Non-Geeks Can Actually Use - Media Center - Lifehacker

2010-04-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

Set Up a Geeky Media Center that Non-Geeks Can Actually Use - Media Center - Lifehacker

The Frequent Flier's Guide to Finding Cheap Airfare - Saving Money - Lifehacker

2010-04-12T11:59:00.000-07:00

The Frequent Flier's Guide to Finding Cheap Airfare - Saving Money - Lifehacker

How To Put Google Analytics to Work for You With Email Reports

2010-04-11T14:36:00.000-07:00

How To Put Google Analytics to Work for You With Email Reports

The Technium: 1,000 True Fans

2010-04-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

The Technium: 1,000 True Fans

Grabbing Google Calendar Event Details into a Spreadsheet « OUseful.Info, the blog…

2010-04-09T09:19:00.000-07:00

Grabbing Google Calendar Event Details into a Spreadsheet « OUseful.Info, the blog…

More Doctors Taking Salaried Jobs - NYTimes.com

2010-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

More Doctors Taking Salaried Jobs - NYTimes.com

Building a Better Teacher - NYTimes.com

2010-03-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

Building a Better Teacher - NYTimes.com

The Paranoid Style in American Politics

2010-03-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

The Paranoid Style in American Politics

Taking on the 750 Words March Challenge | Smarterware

2010-03-01T09:08:00.000-08:00

Taking on the 750 Words March Challenge | Smarterware

I Don't Like The iPad Because...

2010-02-27T21:34:00.000-08:00

I Don't Like The iPad Because...: "

...it's driven by the same old media love affair with distribution lock in. I've been on about this ever since I studied Google in 2001: Media traditionally has gained its profits by owning distribution. Cable carriage, network airwaves, newsstand distribution and printing presses: all very expensive, so once you employ enough capital to gain them, it's damn hard to get knocked out.

The web changed all that and promised that economics in the media business would be driven by content and intent: the best content will win, driven by the declared intent of consumers who find it and share it. Search+Social was the biggest wave to hit media since the printing press. And the open technology to make better and better experiences has been on a ten year tear: blogging software, Flash, Ajax, HTML 5, Android, and more and more coming.

But the iPad, just like the iPhone, is designed for vertical integration and distribution lock in. Apple is building its own distribution channel, just as it did with iTunes, and media companies are falling over themselves to make an app for that. Why? Well sure, for once, it's sexy and cool and hip. That's why everyone loved the Wired demo.

But the real reason media companies love the iPad is the same reason I don't: It's an old school, locked in distribution channel that doesn't want to play by the new rules of search+social. Sure, you can watch a movie on it. Sure, you can read a book on it. And sure, you can read a publication on it. But if you want to use the web natively, with all the promise that the web brings to media? Not so much. Apple will include a browser, of course. But will media you find through that browser be able to interact with the iPad platform so as to bring full value to you, the consumer? Nope. Not unless that same media is approved by Apple and makes it into the iPad app store.

And that's why I don't like the iPad. Don't tell me, as a media maker, what I can make and how I can leverage the technology in my audience's hands. And don't tell me, as a media consumer, what's OK for me to interact with, and how.

Yep, I really don't like what the iPad augurs. And I hope, in the end, it's consigned to what it should be: A sexy version of a portable DVD player-cum-Kindle. Nice to have. Not a game changer. Certainly not revolutionary. Unless you're longing for yesteryear, when owning distribution meant owning audiences. Oh, and by the way, Traditional Media Folk: This time Apple owns that distribution channel, not you.

Harumph.

A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook. - By Vaughan Bell - Slate Magazine

2010-02-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

A history of media technology scares, from the printing press to Facebook. - By Vaughan Bell - Slate Magazine

Google Buzz Tips

2010-02-15T07:45:00.000-08:00

Google Buzz Tips

How to Overcome Your Worries: 5 Timeless Thoughts from the Last 2500 Years

2010-02-15T07:40:00.000-08:00

How to Overcome Your Worries: 5 Timeless Thoughts from the Last 2500 Years

Google Buzz Tips and Tricks – WebWorkerDaily

2010-02-15T07:32:00.000-08:00

Google Buzz Tips and Tricks – WebWorkerDaily

The Very Simple Guide to Chilling Out

2010-02-15T07:31:00.000-08:00

The Very Simple Guide to Chilling Out: "

Images: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notsogoodphotography/ / CC BY 2.0

“If you ask what is the single most important key to longevity, I would have to say it is avoiding worry, stress and tension. And if you didn’t ask me, I’d still have to say it.”

George F. Burns

One good life skill is to be able to chill out. To be calm in negative situations and not overreact about all kinds of things. Or invent big, big problems in your mind – or create them in your world as you drag other people in through arguments – by making mountains out of molehills.

By being able to chill out when needed to you will:

Have a lot less stress, worry and pointless conflicts with other people.

Waste less of your time on things that aren’t really that useful.

Attract what you are. To be able to draw people who are more relaxed and positive about life into your life then you have to be that person yourself. People like to hang out with people who are like them (because it’s comfortable, because it brings have more fun and success, because people have 24 hours in a day and so choices need to be made). Being someone that can be cool and relaxed about things is a positive and attractive social quality for any kind of relationship.

So how do you do it?

Well, here are four good tips:

1. Ask yourself if this even really matters.

By asking yourself the wrong questions you can make any little thing into a huge problem. By asking yourself better questions you can see things from a more helpful perspective.

Who cares? Very simple. Asking yourself this makes you realize that no, this isn’t a big deal to fuss or worry about.

Will this matter 5 years from now? If you ask yourself this question you will discover that if you put something into a more healthy perspective then few things matter that much.

2. Get a life.

If you find yourself sitting around too much and not having enough to do then it’s very easy to get stuck in thought loops and go into a downward spiral. Simply by filling your life with more fun activities and people you can become a lot more relaxed and less prone to overreacting about the little things.

So spend less time analyzing life and more time living and exploring it in whatever way you’d like. By doing so you are also often confronted with having to expand your comfort zones and perhaps face a fear. This leads to better self confidence and less fretting about if you can handle things that may come up.

3. What would someone else do?

This is a good way to find a new and more useful perspective. You simply ask yourself what someone else would do in your situation.

Maybe you ask yourself:

What would Winnie the Pooh do?

What would James Bond do?

What would mom or dad do?

The point is to play around and find a new perspective and drag yourself out of your current negative, stressed and confused headspace and see things in another light. Just doing that can often help you to calm down, realize that this isn’t a huge deal and help you to find a solution that you can apply.

4. Remember to keep things extremely simple.

At the very top of the whiteboard on my wall I have written down: “Keep things extremely simple”. This is a very useful thing to remind yourself of throughout any day. Whenever I feel I am making a thing bigger or more complicated than it is or I simply become confused or negative in some way I can look at the wall (or remember that sentence if I’m not at home) to help guide my thoughts back into a constructive and calm place.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2006-2010 Henrik Edberg.

Ten big ideas from TED - CNN.com

2010-02-12T10:23:00.000-08:00

Ten big ideas from TED - CNN.com

The Real Struggle Behind Climate Change - A War on Expertise - David Brin - Open Salon

2010-02-11T08:22:00.000-08:00

The Real Struggle Behind Climate Change - A War on Expertise - David Brin - Open Salon

More on Online Language Learning - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com

2010-02-10T20:12:00.000-08:00

More on Online Language Learning - Gadgetwise Blog - NYTimes.com

Become a Gmail Master Redux - Gmail - Lifehacker

2010-02-05T06:42:00.000-08:00

Become a Gmail Master Redux - Gmail - Lifehacker

How to Clip, Sort, and Cite the Entire Web with Zotero - Information - Lifehacker

2010-02-03T10:42:00.000-08:00

How to Clip, Sort, and Cite the Entire Web with Zotero - Information - Lifehacker

This is the title of a typical incendiary blog post - Coyote Crossing

2010-01-29T12:48:00.000-08:00

This is the title of a typical incendiary blog post - Coyote Crossing

Barack Obama: Why I Voted for This Guy - Grasping Reality with a Ten-Foot Trunk

2010-01-29T12:34:00.000-08:00

Barack Obama: Why I Voted for This Guy - Grasping Reality with a Ten-Foot Trunk

The 19 most complex and dangerous roads in the world | By the Waze

2010-01-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

The 19 most complex and dangerous roads in the world | By the Waze

The Web Way to Learn a Language - NYTimes.com

2010-01-29T08:50:00.000-08:00

The Web Way to Learn a Language - NYTimes.com

10 Things to Know About Roth IRA Conversions (Page all of 2) at SmartMoney.com

2010-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

10 Things to Know About Roth IRA Conversions (Page all of 2) at SmartMoney.com

Free Publicity: Who do we help? - Anil Dash

2010-01-27T12:24:00.000-08:00

Free Publicity: Who do we help? - Anil Dash

Tips and Tricks: Making the Most of Google Docs – WebWorkerDaily

2010-01-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Tips and Tricks: Making the Most of Google Docs – WebWorkerDaily

Times Square Strategy Session – Web Startups and Customer Development � Steve Blank

2010-01-20T17:45:00.000-08:00

Times Square Strategy Session – Web Startups and Customer Development � Steve Blank

Which ETF Offers the Best Way to Invest in Commodities? -- Seeking Alpha

2010-01-20T16:07:00.000-08:00

Which ETF Offers the Best Way to Invest in Commodities? -- Seeking Alpha

U.S. OIL FUND ETF (USO) Stock -- Seeking Alpha

2010-01-20T16:06:00.000-08:00

U.S. OIL FUND ETF (USO) Stock -- Seeking Alpha

Are You The Best Version Of Yourself? - The Converted Geek Guide To Self-Upgrade

2010-01-20T16:03:00.000-08:00

Are You The Best Version Of Yourself? - The Converted Geek Guide To Self-Upgrade

Free Money Finance: Three Easiest Ways to Earn More Money

2010-01-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

Free Money Finance: Three Easiest Ways to Earn More Money

Why Tumblr is kicking Posterous’s ass « PEG on Tech

2010-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

Why Tumblr is kicking Posterous’s ass « PEG on Tech

Frugal for Life

2010-01-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Frugal for Life

Im-Propaganda: How Effective Are Misinformation Campaigns to Manipulate Public Opinion?: Scientific American

2010-01-19T08:02:00.000-08:00

Im-Propaganda: How Effective Are Misinformation Campaigns to Manipulate Public Opinion?: Scientific American

5 Alternatives to Keeping a Fax Machine

2010-01-15T16:20:00.000-08:00

5 Alternatives to Keeping a Fax Machine

Use Better Tools to Be a Better Student in 2010 - Note Taking - Lifehacker

2010-01-08T17:40:00.000-08:00

Use Better Tools to Be a Better Student in 2010 - Note Taking - Lifehacker

Scaffold Your New Year's Resolutions for Lasting Change - New Year's Resolutions - Lifehacker

2010-01-08T14:01:00.000-08:00

Scaffold Your New Year's Resolutions for Lasting Change - New Year's Resolutions - Lifehacker

Use the Six Changes Method to Adopt New Habits in 2010 - New Year's Resolutions - Lifehacker

2010-01-08T14:00:00.000-08:00

Use the Six Changes Method to Adopt New Habits in 2010 - New Year's Resolutions - Lifehacker

Is aviation security mostly for show? - CNN.com

2009-12-31T18:46:00.000-08:00

Is aviation security mostly for show? - CNN.com

3 Preferred Stocks Paying 8% at SmartMoney.com

2009-12-31T08:43:00.000-08:00

3 Preferred Stocks Paying 8% at SmartMoney.com

6 Ways to Start the New Year Doing Instead of Dreaming - by Dumb Little Man

2009-12-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

6 Ways to Start the New Year Doing Instead of Dreaming - by Dumb Little Man

10+ free, fast-booting Linux distros that aren't Chrome OS

2009-12-30T12:39:00.001-08:00

10+ free, fast-booting Linux distros that aren't Chrome OS

Running Tor on chumby One - ChumbyWiki

2009-12-30T12:39:00.000-08:00

Running Tor on chumby One - ChumbyWiki

8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do Before 2010

2009-12-30T07:45:00.000-08:00

8 Things Every Geek Needs to Do Before 2010

Clarke's three laws - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2009-12-28T18:33:00.000-08:00

Clarke's three laws - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Reasonable Financial Resolutions for 2010 at SmartMoney.com

2009-12-28T15:26:00.000-08:00

Reasonable Financial Resolutions for 2010 at SmartMoney.com

100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top Scientists | Best Colleges Online

2009-12-28T06:44:00.000-08:00

100 Incredible Lectures from the World’s Top Scientists | Best Colleges Online

Conservatism Is Dead | The New Republic

2009-12-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

Conservatism Is Dead | The New Republic

joshua's blog: blogging tools

2009-12-24T12:55:00.000-08:00

joshua's blog: blogging tools

The best books of 2009 - CultureLab - New Scientist

2009-12-23T15:33:00.000-08:00

The best books of 2009 - CultureLab - New Scientist

How to obtain and install an SSL/TSL certificate, for free

2009-12-21T08:14:00.000-08:00

How to obtain and install an SSL/TSL certificate, for free

teenage mutant ninja hero coders » Blog Archive » Running a CouchDB cluster on Amazon EC2

2009-12-20T15:12:00.000-08:00

teenage mutant ninja hero coders » Blog Archive » Running a CouchDB cluster on Amazon EC2

The Best and the Worst Tech of the Decade - O'Reilly Radar

2009-12-19T22:03:00.000-08:00

The Best and the Worst Tech of the Decade - O'Reilly Radar

Year-End To-do: Audit Your Email Account Security

2009-12-19T21:59:00.000-08:00

Year-End To-do: Audit Your Email Account Security: "

Two stories of online account break-ins this week: First, Twitter.com got redirected to an Iranian hacker page because attackers were able to get into the email account registered with their site DNS service. Second, savvy blogger Amit Agarwal’s Gmail and Google Apps accounts were taken over because the attacker got access to Amit’s secondary email address and sent a password change request there to get into the accounts. Do yourself a favor: Before 2010 is upon us, do a quick audit of all your most important accounts. Make sure your passwords are strong and remember: Never use inactive webmail as your secondary email account.

Seth's Blog: You don't have the power

2009-12-19T08:17:00.000-08:00

Publishing is so over

Seth's Blog: You don't have the power

Web Worker Jobs You Can Do Anywhere

2009-12-17T19:25:00.000-08:00

Web Worker Jobs You Can Do Anywhere

In Chile, many are optimistic that prosperity is coming - washingtonpost.com

2009-12-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

In Chile, many are optimistic that prosperity is coming - washingtonpost.com

Google Toolbar Installed

2009-12-14T17:03:00.000-08:00

Google Toolbar Installed

How to Learn Your Credit Score - WSJ.com

2009-12-13T09:45:00.000-08:00

How to Learn Your Credit Score - WSJ.com

College Isn't Just for 18-Year-Olds - WSJ.com

2009-12-12T08:12:00.000-08:00

College Isn't Just for 18-Year-Olds - WSJ.com: "Consider 529 Plans

It also pays to consider another tool that has become common for younger students: 529 college-savings plans. These accounts allow money used for college expenses to be invested free from federal income taxes. Many states also offer tax breaks for contributing to 529 accounts."