By now most people probably have a stack of reward/savings cards to their favorite retail outlets, some more weathered then others. I would even bet these same people probably have a few duplicates due to those random store trips where the cashier claimed they didn’t have a spare to swipe forcing you to sign up (with your own pen) all over again. For me personally, this caused for a makeover… new name, number and address. My personal favorites were Anita Bath from Suds, California or Brock Lee from Tree Hill, Minnesota.
If I try real hard I can remember the first time I saw a key chain sized savings card. While this seemed to impress my mother, I was more interested in popping the little hole out of the top corner. Frankly, I didn’t understand why stores didn’t adopt the same technology they used for debit/credit cards as part of their savings program. Just pop in your special 4 digit code and bam… 3 cents off.
Anyway, I recently signed up for the American Eagle Access Pass around the holidays since I was doing some online gift shopping. Sure enough a few days ago I received a package in the mail with not only 4 different shaped plastic savings card but about eleven sticker versions to tag my phone, mp3 player, laptop, wallet, neck and any other thing I could think of. I’m even considering putting one on my dog’s collar for décor since the pepsi blue color looks great against her chocolate fur.
“Valentines day spending to approach $123 per consumer”
According to a study issued Monday by the National Retail Federation (NRF), the average consumer plans to spend $122.98 on Valentine’s Day, up from $119.67 in 2007. Total retail spending for the Feb. 14 holiday is expected to reach $17.02 billion. This same study also estimates that men will outspend women this year, spending an average of $163.37 on gifts and cards, compared to an average of $84.72 spent by women.
With that said its no wonder why some of the most recognized brands on the market are repositioning current products and releasing some new ones in hopes of spreading the love…
- Puma Flipper Valentines EditionKicks
- Reebok Valentines Edition Kicks
- Valentines Bicycle Chain Bottle Opener
- Heart Shaped USB Flash Drive
- MioPink Shape Select Heart Rate Monitor Watch w/Advanced Calorie Features
- Nike Air Max 95 ValentinesEdition Kicks
- Dell & Project RED: XPSM1330/1530 Laptop & XPS ONE Desktop
- Red/Black/White 948 All-in-one Printer
- The Love Tub is a limited-edition $20,000 state-of-the-art Amore Bay hot tub from Dimension One Spas
- Webkinz Special Edition Valentines Pal
- Valentines Theme Digital Sudoku
- Moleskins Limited Edition Valentines Planner
- Bejeweled substituted their regular in-game gems with red heart shaped jewels and added a special option to help romantics get the message across to their very own gamer geek
- Jones Soda Personalized Valentines sets allows users to upload pictures to use as labels
- Yves Saint Laurent Beaute limited-edition Palette Pour Les Levres
- “I Love You” Marmite includes a hint of champagne and a silver lid for engraving
- Apple Pink iPod Nano
- Hot Pink iRiver Japan Mickey Mouse Shaped MP3 Player with Swarovski Crystals
- Limited-edition “Romance” Sony e-Reader
- Pink Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Remote Control
- Sweet Memory Premium Edition: 512 DIMM Memory Module comes stamped with a Valentines Day Message and packaged in a chocolate-esque box
- The Red Collection: Sony CR Laptop w/Red Mouse and Dooney & Burke Keychain
- Pink Palm Centro
- Microsoft Red Zune 80GB MP3 Player
- Hugs and Kisses Project RED/Hallmark Valentines Day Card
- Valentines Edition Baby Kozy Carrier
“The Ultimate Steal”
Trying to win the battle against illegal software downloads, Microsoft is incentivizing students to take the legal route by offering major discounts on one of its newest Office 2007 software packages in addition to introducing a commission model.
According to the official website the total student discount brings the cost for Office Ultimate 2007 to $59 (download only – installation disk is extra), a supposable 91% discount offer from the ERP of $679. Software programs included are the most recent editions of Powerpoint, Excel, Outlook, Groove, Onenote, Infopath, Access, Word, and Publisher.
In order to be eligible for both the rate and the chance to earn commissions, students must use their .edu email account during registration and prove they are enrolled in “at least a .5 course load” (I’m guessing that still makes those that dropped all of their classes entitled to the discount).
While the site doesn’t publicly state what percentage commission students will be entitled to, if they opt into the Microsoft Student Affiliate Program, it does say that they will be providing customizable banners/links for posting on website like facebooks/myspace and personal websites.
The Glass Jug: So simple. So practicle. So stylish?
The Carlo Rossi brand, infamous for their $10 Sangria jug, has re-purposed their packaging into a simple collection of functional furniture pieces all aiming to bring people together.
Each signature piece found on the website is named after a flavored spirit and comes complete with how-to video instructions. Sober up, it’s hammer time.
Images above:
- Paisano Plasma TV Stand
- Sangria Sound System
- Chardonnay Chandelier
- Rhine Reading Lamp
- Cabernet Couch
- Burgundy Book Shelf
Photo editing novice or geek, it looks like Big Huge Labs is yet another photo editing application to keep on your radar. While I have yet to take advantage of their software download, I had a great time messing around with their library of free online photo editing tools.
If you have been looking for an easy way to turn practically any portrait (with at least some potential) into a Warhol rendition, jigsaw puzzle, movie poster, trading card, calendar, rubix cube or mosaic then give BHL a shot.
Another cool feature is the Hi-Res option. Currently BHL is offering a 3 day pass that allows you to download your masterpiece in Hi-Resolution format for $5 USD. This seems like it could be a great service for creating party decor for occasions like birthdays, baby and bridal showers etc.
Dropps is a new eco-friendly laundry detergent compatible with HE and standard washing machines that claims to be a high quality cleaning product aiming to simplify the cleaning process. While Dropps can’t yet separate white versus colors for you, it does eliminate the thought process behind how much detergent to add.
For packaging, rather than adopting the traditional laundry jug and cup like most competitors, Dropps uses individually wrapped laundry “pacs”. Each pac is water soluble and removes itself during the rinse cycle. No more messy spills or pouring action, all you have to do is throw the sac into the washer and get used to seeing a suds-free wash.
Why suds-free you ask? Well apparently those behind the product believe that suds are visual stimulation and really provide no purpose except to leave a layer of grimy film on your clothing blocking the natural fibers in clothing from breathing. Given the amount of dirty benches I have sat on, pasta stains I have inherited and puddles I have walked in i’m not quite sure how much actual breathing space I have given my clothes as is BUT just thinking about sud film gets me closterfabric, ahem I mean closterphobic.
According to the Dropps website, just in the US liquid laundry detergent is used for 25 billion loads per year. If these loads were done with Dropps instead of the usual cup and jug not only would we have a monopoly we would also save:
- 502,441,406 gallons of water
- 6,233,726 gallons of diesel gas in transport
- 622,377 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in transport
- 132,913 tons of cardboard which saves 2,392,425 trees
- 267,968,750 lbs of plastic which equals 133,984 tons
Not sold? Sample two packs of Laundry Dropps (Fresh Scent Blue or Clear Fragrance Free) can be ordered on the website. Shipping and handling comes to $1.94. FYI: Habitual product use with cost you $29.99 per 60 wash loads (shipping is free).
Update: Click here to get a mail in rebate for 20 free loads
Whether your New Year’s resolution was to take more photographs or to be more responsible, eSnips can be your partner in reaching that goal. From start to finish, Esnips makes online storage easy and interactive. Store back up copies of anything from videos, music and pictures to all the powerpoint presentations you can fit on the free 5GB storage space given to new members.
Additional features include streaming your stored music files from any computer with internet connection, online photo slideshows with stored photographs and opt in community groups.
