» Just for Fun

“Can paperless billing get me paid faster?”That one line is burned in my brain probably for eternity. I had to say it at least 100 times in one day. That is my line on the now nationally televised  American Express commercial that I was asked to appear in for American Express Open Forum

It’s lights, camera, action and time to make it happen. I finally got the edit done for part 2 of the Hollywood adventure. If you missed part 1 check it out HERE. This is day 2 in LA and I got a very early day starting at 4:00 am! This will take you behind the scenes as we set everything up for shooting. What is amazing is how many people and how much effort goes into a single shot of a commercial and then you will see how much of it actually makes it into the final cut!

I had a blast doing this for Amex and if I had 1 wish? It would be to do it again…and again…and again. I got the bug now LOL.

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Related Links:

American Express Commercial … HERE
The Amex Press Release … HERE
My Open Forum Company Profile … HERE

Ok the reviews are all in and the iPad has impressed us all when it was finally unveiled by Apple CEO Steve Jobs on January 27th. All the hype finally came to an end when Mr. Jobs gave a run down of all the great features the iPad has to offer its users. I was just as impressed with many of the specs of this long awaited device.  I have read many reviews that were Good, Bad and even down right Ugly when it comes to the iPad, so here is my take on those reviews.

The iGood
iPad reviewed by Ben Parr of Mashable.
Apple iPad: A Comprehensive Guide

This review is the most comprehensive of the reviews I read. It is very detailed and well thought out. Ben does a great job of first giving an overview of the iPad by showing the introduction video that is also featured on the Apple website.  Ben goes on by breaking down all the specifications of the iPad. He then gives you the pricing, the availability, the closest competitors to the iPad and then finally what the iPad lacks.

Please click here to see Ben’s full review of the iPad.

The iBad
iPad reviewed by Bianca Bosker of The Huffington Post.
Apple iPad Review (PHOTOS): 9 Worst Things About The Apple Tablet

This review gives you a breakdown of all the things that are not so good about the iPad. I like this review because it uses pictures to tell the story of why you may want to think twice before you run out and pre order the iPad. It starts with the fact that Apple chose to name their new device iPad instead of one of the rumored names like  iTablet or iSlate. This review then goes on to criticize all of the many things wrong with the iPad that include the lack of mutitasking, a camera, flash capability and a USB port just to name of few. I thought this review was very creative in bringing more attention to the weaknesses of the iPad.

Please click here to see Bianca’s full review of the iPad.

The iUgly
iPad reviewed by Michael Arrington of TechCrunch.
iPad v. A Rock

This was the funniest review and the most harsh, hence “The iUgly” term used.  Michael goes so far as to compare the iPad to an actual Rock.  Even though this review makes fun of all the things the iPad does not do, it gives  you a cut and dry understanding of why we should not have played into all the hype.  And get this, the  rock almost wins in this side by side comparison.

Click here to see the full story.

The Verdict

When first hearing about and then seeing all the cool stuff the iPad could do I was convinced this device would be the first Apple product I would choose to own. Unfortunately after then hearing about all the things the iPad could not do, I am going to give it a PASS for the wish list this Christmas. Their were a couple of deal breakers but the ones that sealed it were the lack of USB and SD ports on the device without an adapter or docking station, the lack of multitasking and the lack of compatibility with the T-mobile 3G network. I just signed up for T-mobile and even though the iPad is sold unlocked it will not connect to my cell phone carrier. I guess I will have to wait for the iPad II or see what the HP Slate has to offer when it debuts some time this year.

Will you, get an Apple iPad?

If so please let us know why.

All the best

JB

Jeffrey Alexander Brathwaite, aka “JB”

Internet Strategist, Speaker and Trainer
404-287-0848 Office
Jeff[at]2thenextlevel[dot]com

Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/jbrath

“Can paperless billing get me paid faster?” That one line is burned in my brain probably for eternity. I had to say it at least 100 times in one day. That is my line on the now nationally televised  American Express commercial that I was asked to appear in for American Express Open Forum

The big question that people ask seems to be HOW? How, did I get a commercial with American Express?

The simple answer is… I am a card member, duh?!? LMAO…but the more complex answer is “I do not know”. That is the reality of it, I simply do not know how I was picked and I just feel extremely fortunate to have 1st been picked and 2nd not to be left on the cutting room floor! I am guessing that my turn as a small business card member profile did not hurt the decision process. But I am not completely certain that had anything to do with it. American Express is a HUGE company and I would not assume one division always knows what the other is doing. Plus, I got that profile years ago.

It is not everyday that an average Joe or John ( ), like me,  gets to appear on national TV in every market in the country both cable and broadcast TV. I recognized this as a once in a lifetime opportunity and I decided to take my little Vado HD 8 GB Pocket Video Camcorder and get as much of the memories as possible.

From the time I landed in Hollywood till the day we wrapped, I took video to help pass the time and to keep these memories for me and my family.

Of course you guys, who are readers of the blog, are part of that family. I totally had you in mind when I made these videos. I wanted to take you along on the journey. There is a lot of footage to comb through and it takes a little time to get this stuff ready for you. I got part of it done and here it is. Check out Part 1 of the behind the scenes video for the making of the commercial….Enjoy it!

Please Follow Our YouTube Channel

Related Links:

American Express Commercial … HERE
The Amex Press Release … HERE
My Open Forum Company Profile … HERE

Separated at birth???

 Randy Jackson

vs..

John Lawson
(Me)

Come on now, I just tweeted about the new blog design today and this is the response I got back from one of my Twitter followers…

OK, come on guys I can’t really dis Randy Jackson but he got all the money and all I got was the looks, I am just way better looking than him LMAO.  Dude, I am NOT Randy Jackson. Just because I am fat, black, bald and wear glasses does NOT mean I look like the guy from American Idol!!!

I say this because a few years back when I was working for Accenture consulting they would have an office Idol competition and they tapped me to play Randy. So I had to sit there and drink my Coke and say "dawg" alot and move my hands when I talk.

This goes out to my buddy @GiveMeStrength on Twitter…I am not Randy Jackson, I just play him for hire on American Idol knock-off shows and occasionally at Halloween parties.

STATEMENT BY WYCLEF JEAN ON HAITI EARTHQUAKE

“Haiti faced a natural disaster of unprecedented proportion, an earthquake unlike anything the country has ever experienced.

The magnitude 7.0 earthquake – and several very strong aftershocks – struck only 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.

I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse. The over 2 million people in Port-au-Prince tonight face catastrophe alone. We must act now.
President Obama has already said that the U.S. stands ‘ready to assist’ the Haitian people. The U.S. Military is the only group trained and prepared to offer that assistance immediately. They must do so as soon as possible. The international community must also rise to the occasion and help the Haitian people in every way possible.”

Many people have already reached out to see what they can do right now. We are asking those interested to please do one of two things: Either you can use your cell phone to text “Yele” to 501501, which will automatically donate $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund (it will be charged to your cell phone bill), or you can click here to DONATE.

Thank you,
Wyclef

Yéle Haiti has pulled together a group of like minded organizations and first responders in order to help coordinate the delivery of emergency services and materials needed by victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Each or the organizations will undertake their own fundraising and on-the-ground operations, but have agreed to share resources, collaborate when it makes sense and avoid duplication.
The members of this new Haiti Earthquake Alliance are:

·         Yéle Haiti
·         AmeriCares
·        Friends of the World Food Program
·         ONExONE Foundation
·         Pan American Development Foundation
·        Airline Ambassadors
·         The Belinda Stronach Foundation

Just formed in the last day, the Alliance has already pulled together four airlifts of medical supplies, food and other emergency supplies – along with teams of doctors. These airlifts will go out beginning Saturday. Keep checking back to this website for details.

Stone Mountain, Georgia was the scene for the new eCommerce Merchants – Atlanta Chapter Meetup (eCommerceMeetup.com). The nation organization of ecommerce merchants and vendors have started to sponsor local chapters in cities like Dallas, Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta.

I was tapped to organize the Atlanta chapter which gave me an opportunity to get plan it, but it really gave me an opportunity to meet every person that came to the event since I was greeting them personally. The Atlanta area is FULL of talented ecommerce merchants and marketer, and some of the best and brightest came and participated.

Our guest speaker was Charles Lumpkin (www.CharlesLumpkin.com) who really laid out a course for domination using SEO tactics that he have gleaned over the years from working with enterprise level SEO and SMB business consulting. Charles even gave away 2 session of FREE consultation to two luck participants whose name he pulled from the business card fishbowl.

Other lucky members got some cool gifts one won an electronic business card scanner so he can take all the cards of the member he networked with and scan it right to his PC phone book…SWEET!

All in all it was a great time. If you would like to learn more about the Atlanta group go to www.eCommerceMeetup.com and if you would like to sponsor, speak or volunteer do not hesitate to contact us!

Check out the video from the event…..

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This year, this decade, this MINUTE…If you Don’t get hungry, you won’t eat, get your hustle on. The time is now to hustle to make it happen. I simply can not put into paper what I am feeling in this video. Honestly we gots to work people, that is all we are saying.

LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2010 – Continuing to lead the revolution in face-to-face online video communication, Skype today announced support for Skype™ video calls on PCs in 720p high definition (HD), as well as Skype software embedded into Internet-connected widescreen televisions from its consumer electronics manufacturer partners.

High Definition Skype Video Calling

The latest version of Skype for Windows can deliver up to 720p HD-quality video calling at 1280 x 720 resolution, at up to 30 frames per second, giving individuals an even smoother and richer video calling experience. To make an HD video call, users will need a high-speed broadband connection, a new HD webcam, a PC with a 1.8 GHz dual-core processor and Skype 4.2 Beta for Windows.

“With HD-quality Skype video calls, we can bring our users even closer to the ones they love through an even richer, more meaningful video calling experience,” said Josh Silverman, CEO of Skype. “Imagine being able to see the sparkle of your grandchild’s eyes or the setting of your best friend’s engagement ring. Through the innovation of Skype’s engineers and our hardware partners, these  scenarios are now possible without having to buy expensive equipment or software.”

Skype-enabled Televisions

Skype is already renowned for popularizing video calling and bringing people closer together through rich, real-time communication. With Skype embedded into Internet-connected HDTVs, the company is creating a new experience that will allow people to communicate from the comfort of their living rooms.

The new HDTVs will deliver familiar Skype features including:

• Free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls
• Calls to landline or mobile phones at Skype’s low rates
• The option to receive inbound calls via a user’s online Skype number
• Skype voicemail, if it is set up
• Being invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other parties
• Support for up to 720p HD video calls, depending on the availability of high-speed broadband and a HD webcam

“The popularity of Skype video calling has increased substantially in recent years with an average of 34% of Skype-to-Skype calls now including video,” added Silverman. “For many people who are video calling on Skype, they have expressed a desire to communicate with their friends and family from somewhere comfortable, and preferably on a big screen. Logically, this led to the development of Skype embedded on HDTVs.”

Skype recommends uninterrupted high-speed broadband of at least 1 Mbps symmetrical bandwidth to achieve 720p HD-quality video calls on either a PC or television.

Hey guys, I know many of you have expressed how you will miss the old B.S. Walks podcast, but do not fret! I will make sure that we bring you engaging and informative information for 2010 like you NEVER could have expected from us. Just hang tight, cause 2010 is going to be a blast for the ColderICE family. If you want to be sure you do not miss a thing, do this…

1) Go to YouTube and press my yellow "Subscribe Button" – I will be posting a lot of education and ecommerce material in the coming weeks and this will be the FIRST place to see it.

2) Be sure to join the Facebook Fanpage because that is where I will be posting daily articles, news, and lessons for all the readers. This page has just about every Twitter link I have for ecommerce business readers on it. It is becoming my personal encyclopedia for ecommerce links…killer resources.

Now, on to the exiting decade…Just to keep your appetite wet and your holiday lively, check out this latest broadcast. A year end reflection on some of the technology and changes from 2000 to 2009 as it relates to marketing, social networking and data communication. Join a lively conversation on what was hot in the last decade and what could be hot in the upcoming decade.

ColderICE Presents: 2010 Best of the Decade

Listen to the Interview NOW!
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Topics and Timeline for this program….

2:23 The Age of Blogging – Blog means "weblog"
4:14 The Technology Boom and Bust plus Y2K
6:03 The Invent of the "SmartPhone" mobile devices
7:32 Remembering Lap"ROCKS" (laptops)
8:09 What was our favorite TV show in 2000 and who really cares … LOL
8:47 High Speed Internet access
9:29 The rise of super bloggers (HuffingtonPost.com)
10:23 Marketer of the Decade (Steve Jobs)
11:15 The iPod
11:51 Product Placement (Marketing) of the Decade
13:36 Cable TV Channel of the Decade
14.24 Media Company of the Decade
15:00 Social Media Showdowns (MySpace vs Facebook)
10:17 Segmentated? What the hell JB?!? … LOL
18:49 Predictions for 2010
19:04 Mobile Marketing
19:33 SmartPhone as the new PC workspace
21:23 What’s old will become new again

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It is the end of the first decade of the 21st century time for a quick recap of what has transpired and how our life, county and beliefs have been transformed. This decade possibly more than any I have lived was FULL of some really major changes to the fabric of America. The evolution of human existence and thinking continues and hopefully that continues to improve the lives of us all.