Salba Whole Seeds
Salba is a very versatile functional food.
Below is a list of 5 delicious ways to eat Salba, that will infuse your daily diet with an extremely nutritional boost!
1. In a Smoothie
2. With Yogurt
3. Mixed in Spaghetti Sauce
4. In your Cereal
By: Kelly Ann Carpentier
You can’t be awake and all over the world 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. But your online brand is.
Your website doesn’t have an off switch, and neither does your brand. Here are ten different ways you can develop and make your online brand more global!
Don’t take your design for granted! Carefully think all this through choose the best brand for you. It’s very important to really think about what you want your brand image to say about you – because it speaks volumes. While larger corporations hire Brand Specialists, this isn’t necessary if you’re an Entrepreneur or Small Business Owner. There are more resources out there than ever before, and most of them cost very little, if anything at all. There are many free themes out there, here are 100, or if you want to take your design to the next level I recommend going with WooThemes since they are very high quality and offer two free themes with the purchase of one.
It is good ideas to subscribe to the blogs you find the most interesting and helpful. One word of caution: it’s very easy to get carried away with the amount of blogs you follow. Keeping the number of blogs you follow to a manageable number will help eliminate information overload.
A site that organizes and centralizes all the blogs you follow into one place is called an “aggregator”. One of the best known aggregators is Google Reader. Since new blogs appear daily, it might be a good idea to set up a Google alert for your blog and other blogs in your areas of interest. This is a great way to stay current with information, brainstorm new post ideas, and to learn new things.
One of the easiest things that you can do is to customize your email signature. We see it all the time, but many people forget to do this for themselves. For example, you could add your full name (first and last), your website URL, and any related profiles, such as LinkedIn. Whatever you put in your custom signature, keep it related to your brand. This will also subtly say “I’m a professional”. For more constant and interactive promotion of your brand, it’s highly recommended that you roll up your sleeves and get into Social Media. It’s not as scary as it may seem. Setting up a Twitter profile and engaging with the people out there is as easy as saying hello or asking a question. Staying plugged in and keeping the Twitter conversations going will help you build a community of clients, prospects, and colleagues that will reach further than an ad in the classifieds. To take this a step further, you can build a Facebook business page and fan page. Invite the people from Twitter to these pages. Be sure to leave the Facebook pages and your Twitter page public so that you are easy to find. Facebook and Twitter are instant and endless sources of global connections.
That is, avoid using complicated sentence structures and over elaborate words. The goal is to attract the most diverse audience as possible. You don’t have to over simplify things, but make sure that your writings are easy to read. For example, if you are writing in English, you’ll want the people just learning the language to understand everything as well as the native speaker.
With software like Skype, you can talk to someone face-to-face for free, no matter where they are in the world (there are some restrictions, but a general guideline is: as long as both people have Skype accounts the video calls are free. In some countries Skype can be connected to a number and called as if it were a regular phone.) Global travel can’t get any more cost effective than that! You no longer have to reschedule appointments when you are traveling for business. Simply connect with whomever you need to online. Skype is only one example of many. Review your choices and pick the one that suits your needs the best. Another way is to actually get out and about where you work or live and shake some hands. Talk to people in the line at the grocery store. Go to networking events, or other gatherings of people who might be ideal clients and colleagues. Make conversation with other parents before or after your child’s event. There are so many possibilities. The point is not just to get to know the person in front of you. It’s to get to know who they know too. And don’t worry about being nervous. We are all nervous at some point. Once the conversation gets going, you’ll be fine.
Be certain to use the same fonts, colors, writing style and other brand specific characteristics consistent throughout every piece of written material. The reasons are that you want all of your materials to be visually appealing, and maintaining consistency is a definite plus. When you are consistent you are setting a high standard of quality, and that’s a win-win for everyone.
People love new, fresh, great ideas. Sometimes the best route is the simplest one. One of the best traits in a businessperson is to find new ways of doing what everyone else is doing. Sure, most businesses have a website now. But what can you do, in a creative way, which makes you different? Is your business card a standard size and shape like everyone else that passed out cards in the room? Does your logo make someone stop in their tracks and take notice?
It’s no secret the endless names of companies that have achieved memorability. The key is to be memorable for the right reasons. Word of mouth can be a blessing or a curse. Once you achieve a positive global image your brand will soar all on its own. This is where all your Social Media connections come in very handy. There comes a point when you will still have to advertise, but the most effective form of marketing is the word of mouth spread by your colleagues, clients, and prospects.
This doesn’t necessarily mean for business either. This does not just mean writing a check. It’s far more meaningful that you stopped what you were doing to help someone. Mentor someone who could use sound business advice. Tap into your global connections and see how they are doing. Can you give them feedback on a project they’re working on? Can you retweet their latest post on Twitter? It’s important to remember that we all began at the starting gate. And when you help and support others, we all get to the finish line.
All of the suggestions in this post let you know that it’s ok to think out of the box. Color outside the lines. Zig, zag, twist and shout. Build yourself a great global brand, and you’ll be building yourself one great future.
About the Author: Kelly Ann Carpentier is the author of the Blog: Global thinking, networking, and information all in one place. She is also a Social Media Strategist, an Open Networker and an Entrepreneur. You should follow her on Twitter: @kcarpentier77
Febuary 10th, 2010 | By: Garin Kilpatrick
Video is a powerful medium. To really leverage the power of video and spread your message to the widest possible audience it is important to make sure that you describe exactly what you talk about in the video so that the people who are searching for what you are saying in your video can find you with ease. The following 25 tips cover several different ways that you can get the best video quality possible, and then share your video across a variety of platforms.
1. Get a YouTube Account
YouTube dominates the online Video space. If you Upload your Video to only one Video Network YouTube is your best bet. They are the biggest and serve over one billion videos daily.
2. Get a TubeMogul Account
There is also significant niche traffic to be had by uploading Videos to numerous networks, and a great way to manage this is with a site called TubeMogul. TubeMogul is video syndication site and distributes your Video to multiple Video sites, saving you uploading video multiple times.
3. Be Professional
You don’t need to be wearing a suit and tie but at least remember to shave. If you want to produce a Viral Video you probably won’t do it looking like a slob. Find yourself a good professional setting. I just use a couch but it works for me because that is where I feel most relaxed, which brings me to my next point.
4. Get as Comfortable as Possible
Video Blogging is a little nerve racking, so it helps to be comfortable. Find the place where you feel most comfortable, your favorite couch or chair perhaps, and get set up. Plenty of light is also a necessity, but not so much that it feels unnatural. Personally, I prefer to record when no one is around so I can focus on the video at hand and not what others in the immediate area are thinking about what I am doing.
5. Make sure your Batteries are Charged
I have learned this lesson the hard way. Trust me when I say it sucks if you get into a good dialogue and are cut off mid sentence due to a failing battery. A dead battery disrupts the entire flow so make sure you are charged up.
6. Use a Script
Sometimes I just wing it, but having a script makes the production process significantly less painful. Knowing exactly what you want to say before you say it allows you to focus on delivery when the camera is rolling. It is best to look at the camera as much as possible so bullets are a great way to ensure you achieve the best results possible.
7. Remember that YouTube has a 10 minute video limit
Even though they support HD Video YouTube still implements a 10 minute video length cap. 5 minutes is a good target to aim for. If your plan is to create a video longer than 10 minutes you will be forced to chop it up.
8. Practice makes Perfect
The more videos you are able to make the more natural it will feel for you to be in front of a camera. Until you feel perfectly comfortable talking into a lens I recommend filming several different sections to your video and then piecing them together.
9. Use a Tripod
I bought a compact tripod from a local electronics store for under $20 and I use it almost every time I shoot. I also had a Heavy Duty tripod stand given to me and I use this as well for some scenes. A steady camera makes a video much better so if you do not have a tripod handy ensure the person handling the camera is careful to hold it still.
10. Give yourself time to edit
The Photographer Thomas Hawk says that for about every ten pictures he takes he usually only keeps about one. When shooting video a similar rule applies: record a lot, use a little.
11. Syndicate your video as a Podcast
If you are unfamiliar about how Podcasting works check out this Podcastblaster.com and look for the tutorial about How to make a Video Podcast. Once you have created your Video Podcast you can submit it to Podcastblaster and iTunes so that viewers download new episodes automatically into iTunes.
12. Video Blog with an iPhone
If you are a proud owner of a 3Gs you are able to take Video with your phone, and you also are able to stream video with one of the two apps I will now mention as tips #13 & #14.
13. Ustream for iPhone
I have not yet been able to get Qik to work for me but it allows a live stream of video to be shared from an iPhone or nokia video phone. This app also has built in chat features so that people watching can comment and ask questions that can then be answered by those participating in the live stream.
14. Knocking for iPhone
Knocking is not so much Video Blogging as it is Mobile to Mobile live sharing. This cool and free app allows you to “knock” on a friends iphone and share a video stream with them live, with only a few seconds of delay.
15. Create a Custom Channel & Video Player with Blip.tv
Blip.tv is another video site that is compatible with tube mogul. My favorite feature of blip is that they allow you to create a custom video player, using whatever color you want for the border and text, and even including the name of your brand beside the play bar.
16. Light is your Friend
A camera is just a device that captures light so it helps to have plenty of it if you want a high quality video.
17. Natural Light is the Best
Natural light simply looks the most natural, and is difficult to reproduce. If you cannot film during the day I recommend buying daylight effect bulbs, unless you are willing to spring the extra cash for professional lighting.
18. Keep your Video short and sweet
Brevity is the art of wit. Twitter is proof that it works.
19. Film in HD
I don’t have an HD camera yet so I can’t follow this advice, but I plan to get one so I can asap. YouTube supports 1080p now, which is phenomenal quality. The main setback to HD is long upload times, but for the quality you get, it is so worth it.
20. End on a Positive Note
Go out with a bang. Save the best for last. End with a smile and keep your viewers eager for more.
21. Get great Editing Software
One of the many reasons I am happy I bought a Mac is because it comes stock with the easiest video editing program I have ever used, iMovie. That said I have also edited on a PC, and when I did I used Adobe Premiere. I am going to invest in Final Cut for my Mac as soon as I can justify spending $1,000 on software. I keep hoping I will run into someone who already owns it!
22. Do a Screencast
TechSmith is a software company that produces two cool pieces of software for screen casting. For the record a screen cast is a video of what is happening on your screen. The more affordable option is Jing, which I have purchased and am quite happy with. For advanced features such as cursor zoom and others check out Jing’s big brother, Camtasia.
23. Use Screenr to Screencast
If you are looking for a free screencasting solution check out screenr. Screenr is powerful, simple, and works on either Mac or PC. You can download screenr videos, upload to youtube, and easily share them with your Twitter network.
24. 12 Seconds.tv
This tip is really just an elaboration of tip 18, keep it short and sweet. Sign up for a12seconds.tv account and you can create 12 second videos that you can share with your friends. These are great for concise little messages, like an update of where you are, or what you are working on. 12seconds even has a 12cast iPhone app for vlogging from your iPhone.
25. Create a Video Challenge
Are you have a skill that you think goes unmatched? Put it to the test and create a video challenging others to step up to the plate. If you can get a ton of video responses there is a good chance that the people who make them will tell their friends about the challenge and this will help you build hype! I am planning to do a video challenge soon…I’m just not sure yet what my challenge will be (Any suggestions?). I’ll figure something out so subscribe to my youtube channel garin.tv and stay tuned for my upcoming videos and video challenge!
Are you a Video Blogger? Do you have any video blogging tips that I forgot to mention? Feel free to share your youtube channel name below as well as any video blogging tips that you use when making your videos!
Febuary 2nd, 2010 | By: Garin Kilpatrick
Last week I was stoked for the release of the Apple tablet, which we now know as the iPad. The iPad is quite the sexy machine, I’ll give it that. But the sexiness of the iPad comes at the cost of functionality. The iPad is not the powerful and fully functional device I had hoped for. Instead the iPad is essentially an oversized iPhone, that cannot make calls, without usb, Flash, or a camera. I love my iPhone, but I love my Macbook a whole lot more because it can experience the web as it was meant to be seen. Unfortunately, a true web experience is impossible with the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and now the iPad.
Apple makes millions from the cut they take from every app sold in the App store. Since there are thousands of Flash games and apps on the net already for free, these would certainly slow sales in the App store. Consequently Apple has decided to disable the functionality of Flash, thus making a true web experience on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch impossible. Apple has made a huge mistake by seriously inhibiting one of the most important and prolific technologies on the web, and they should correct their mistake.
Here is a hands on demo of the iPad. I’m pretty sure this demo is done by an Apple employee because she is overly enthusiastic about the slightly tweaked iPhone OS functionality.
In use the tablet looks more like a toy than a tool. Typing on a flat screen with my thumbs is difficult enough, and although I’ve gotten quite used to it and fast, a real keyboard still kills just a screen when it comes to sureness and speed. Flat screen tapping is awkward an unnatural. Swipe keyboard technology is very promising for the software keyboard world, but it is still not available for the iPhone/iPad, and still requires development and refinement before it goes mainstream.
The HUGE problem with the iPod touch, iPhone, and now the iPad, is that they do not support Flash technology. Brands like Nike, Hulu, BBC, Major League Baseball, and more rely on Flash to deliver the most compelling experiences to over a billion people. Flash can produce an awesome web experience. Check out this post about 50 amazing examples of Flash to get an idea of what I mean. The amazement of Flash is not possible with an iPad, and until it is I won’t buy one, no matter how sexy it is. What I have done is signed the petition for Apple to adopt Flash at Iwantflash.com, and I encourage you to do the same. Iwantflash is a petition started by my cousin Luke Kilpatrick.
Google has a tremendous opportunity here. By combining their open source Chrome OS with a Tablet PC that has Flash enabled, they could dominate this new tablet market with a device the delivers a true web experience.
Below is a concept video of what could be possible with a Google Chrome OS for a Google tablet device.
After contemplating Google’s venture into the mobile market, including the Android platform, and the Google Phone Nexus One, it seems almost an inevitability that they will seek to compete in the new tablet market too. If Google does indeed produce a tablet what do you think it will be called? gTab? People will still buy the iPad because it is sexy, but do you think it will success? What do you think of the iPad?
