The Telegraph is skewed against Apple

How on earth does a reporter make such a headline, and then clarifies in the article that the iPhone4 was not included in the figures? Yeah it was only the biggest smartphone product launch in the history of the planet, and whoops we forgot to add it to the final numbers, that's why the Android has outsold the iPhone (3 version).

Horrible reporting.

in reference to:

"According to the latest figures compiled by Nielsen, Google Android handsets accounted for 27 per cent of all smartphone sales in the US, compared to the 23 per cent market share enjoyed by Apple’s iPhone. However, the Nielsen figures do not take in to account sales of iPhone 4, which was launched in the United States in June, and quickly became one of Apple’s biggest selling products."
- Google Android sales overtake iPhone sales in US - Telegraph (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sue-happy creeps target Apple iPad.

Really now? They have suffered economic loss due to NOT being able to read in the sunlight? They must be relatives of employees of Adobe or Microsoft or something. Such nonsense.

in reference to:

"The plaintiffs are claiming they have suffered "economic loss and other general and specific damages" because of the problem with iPad but have not filed for specific monetary damages."
- Apple sued over iPad overheating problem | Latest technology and web news | Web User (view on Google Sidewiki)

All right. Now I get it.

I didn't realize that New Jersey could average out his contract so that he is only on the books for $6 Million a season.

Crafty move I suppose but if the NHL let this go by without arguing it, then certainly you would expect it to be a precedent for future contracts, thus, essentially making the the Salary Cap a non-issue for teams wanting to spend more.

in reference to:

"New Jersey would only have been charged with an annual salary-cap hit of $6 million per season because of the low-end numbers of Kovalchuk's contract in the final years. Kovalchuk was slated to make just $550,000 per season between the 2022-23 and 2026-27 campaigns."
- Kovalchuk's epic contract rejected: Daly (view on Google Sidewiki)

Video Master Course Creator DEMANDS testimonials.

A weak course to begin with, combined with a creator who basically demanded a testimonial from previous users of his disappointing course.

Read his email here, and YOU be the judge:

http://turtleknife.com/General/warrior-forum-member-demands-a-testimonial-from-his-paying-customers.html

in reference to: YouTube - Video Master Course - PressConference June 30, 2010 (view on Google Sidewiki)

Poker Tournament Strategy Videos

Marty,

Your videos are wonderful. I have read harrington on holdem, and it is great work you are doing to help elaborate on the Mzones. I admit i started out a huge loosing player, but I did hit 3rd place in the $5 rebuy for almost two thousand. Your videos have helped me improve that much. I just wish there was a faster way of recieving the videos. Thank you for all your help.

in reference to: MZoneReport.com | The Poker Tournament Strategy | Free Video Series (view on Google Sidewiki)

Warrior Forum member DEMANDS a testimonial.

I purchased this course a few months back to see if I could learn any video techniques. I found it rather disappointing, even though I actually enjoyed participating in the forum created alongside this course. The content was actually rather slow moving, but I could see it being a course for true beginners getting familiar with Camtasia.

If you actually watch this sales video, there are numerous flaws with it IMHO, and Kevin Riley, the creator seems to be yelling out a script here. In spite of some of these clear warning signs as to the quality of the content, I still bought the course because it was so darned cheap. I figure there has to be something worthwhile in the course.

The course consisted of creating many video projects, but of the 500 or so participants, only a few stuck around past the second video project. In fact, in the forum feedback area for videos created by participants beyond the second project remain completely EMPTY.

I really got too bored with the pace of this content, and cannot speak for the other 500 or so buyers, but obviously something is not working with the course and/or its instructor.

Which brings me to the point of this SideWiki. Kevin Riley is compiling this content into yet another product, but when he received such uninspired response to his request for testimonials, he followed it up with this "request" which IMHO was entirely unprofessional and ignored the realities of his course -which is there was very little proven success with what he was teaching and how he was teaching it.

Here is Kevin's email sent to members who have already paid for his course -
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

To say that I am disappointed in the miserably poor response to my request for testimonials (sent 2 weeks ago) would be a major understatement. I can't understand why, after all the effort I have put into this Workshop, and the fact that you have in front of of you a valuable Workshop that is many magnitudes of value above the paltry entry fee you paid, you find it so difficult to take 10 minutes to write a testimonial.

Now, there is a small handful of superstars who did respond. Ed Durham wrote me a wonderful 2-page epistle. David Hardman, Cheryl Laures, John Kirk, Grahame Brown, Kevin Kannmacher, Mike Elder, Jim Lorenzo, Roger Rohrs, Sylvia Dickens, Phil Knaus, Neil Jeffrey, and Tom Harvey all stepped up to the plate. Wal Gifford is shooting a video testimonial this weekend.

Where are the other 500+? I need your feedback this weekend. I'm assembling the sales video now and deadline is Monday.

WHY ARE MY WORKSHOPS SO LOW-PRICED?

Every Workshop I do for Warriors is done at a ridiculously low price. There's only one thing I ask in return - a testimonial that I can use to market the final product. I don't think it is too much to ask. IMO, you received your entry fee's value in the first week (correct me if I'm wrong) and we are about to enter Week 12. In the past, I've always been able to count on Warriors to provide some feedback.

Please sit down right now and write your testimonial. Send it, along with your full name, location, and a photo via e-mail, Skype, forum PM, or post it in the forlorn Feedback thread.

Below, you'll find the original questions.

Thank you,

Kevin Riley

PS: Today's lesson will be posted 30 minutes later, to give you time to write.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well at least Kevin Riley gave us an extra 30 minutes to write him a glowing testimonial!!

How alarming I thought to myself for someone to risk scuttling their reputation with such arm-twisting tactics to get testimonials for a product that is PROVEN to be unsuccessful by it's own participants in the Video Production Workshop Lab.

Just because a creator has spent so much time on his own project doesn't not make it a slam dunk success in the eyes of buyers like myself.

I sent a reply to Kevin suggesting his tactics were unprofessional and a simple and friendly reminder would have sufficed.

I wrote: Kevin - I don't think this is the way to get genuine testimonials, and am quite alarmed at this arm-twisting tactic.

Kevin res...

Read more 




in reference to: Video Production Lab Private Workshop on The Warrior Forum (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ryan Deiss set-up

This guy started this thread and then made phony testimonials on behalf of Ryan Deiss for his Video Sales letter product.

A complete set-up from the start, but when I called him on it, the Warrior forum moderators nixed my posts.

In spite of this amateurish attempt at forum marketing, the product - and even this thread is a non-issue in the review section.

in reference to:

"Yea, you're missing a lot. It's a strategy, not just the tech stuff. Besides, there's a lot more tech issues to work out than what you just mentioned. It's definitely worth $200, no ifs ands or buts."
- Video Sales Letter Formula (Ryan Deiss) - Any Thoughts? (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ryan Deiss review.

Some IM product reviews in the Warrior Forum are so over the top, you gotta think something is up. This guys starts a thread about a product and then comes up with this review that sounds like a sales letter extension.

Seriously, when was the last time you had these descriptives for ANY IM product?

Hard to know who to believe when you read this kind of staged pumping.

in reference to:

"Anyway, to my review of VSLF. Straight up, an amazing product. One of the best I've seen. I was blown away by 13SLET and it has helped me for sure, but this one may be even better. There's just so many ways this is going to save me money and make me money it's insane. Summary of those..."
- Video Sales Letter Formula (Ryan Deiss) - Any Thoughts? (view on Google Sidewiki)

Google will run their own SEO firm with insider trading privileges.

That's basically what this means. If Google launches this service, in my view, they may very well be opening the door to government intervention.

in reference to:

"However, the fact remains that Google SEO will be the only SEO agency in the world that can guarantee first page rankings because they are the only company that will have access to the algorithm that dictates it."
- NewsWire - Google to Enter SEO Business Facebook to Follow (view on Google Sidewiki)

Joomla sitemap creation.

This sitemap is created with a Joomla! extension. It also auto-updates every time I post a new blog entry, and then categorizes it as well.

This site is about poker software reviews and was offline for 6 days due to the paint-ball accident at Westhost.

in reference to: Poker Calculator Report | Online Poker Odds Calculator (view on Google Sidewiki)

WestHost NEWS: Its all Bad.

Is it just me or does WESTHOST not even realize the damage they are causing small businesses that have entrusted them to keep their business accessible. Here they seem to think I am going to appreciate, rather then expect FREE temporary hosting while they get their noodles untangled.

Just to be clear WESTHOST, one week of downtime means LOSS of income, LOSS of back-links, LOSS of subscribers, LOSS of Google indexing, and LOSS of sales to name just a few. Westhost thinks a couple months of hosting reimbursed is going to fix it.

What Westhost has no clue about is that hosting is about trust and reliability. We have all worked with doofuses that can pull a wrong (fire suppression switch) switch, but since they are in the hosting business, they MUST be prepared for such uncommon or bizarre situations.

That is YOUR job WESTHOST as a host business. We rely on your dedication to reliability, speed and sufficient back-up systems. That is obviously a failing of your management, not the wanker who thought he was turning on a light bulb.

Now in a time of crisis, they are NOT answering their phones and have robots, even slow robots manning the chat line with scripted responses. Yet they start thier response with things like "WestHost has a history of delivering solid and reliable hosting platforms with top-notch support" and finish their emails with "When you expect more from your web host". It's this utter blasphemy that makes my blood boil.

So stop with the excuses WESTHOST and get our sites back up. When you do that, you can go into damage control while re-engineering your emergency systems and cleaning the management house.

in reference to: Members Area - WestHost (view on Google Sidewiki)

Marty, You are my new best friend!!

I was in a situation with pocket queens big blind. The guy on my left who was very tight (as noted on my wonderful tournament indicator) pushed all in, and the fellow on my right called. The donkey in me wanted so much to push back, but thanks to you and your common sense approach to the game, and the wonderful tutorials you so generously offer... it was an easy fold. Turns out, that would have been the end of me for that game had I pushed all in. So I said "thank you Marty!"

I receive all sorts of video tutorials from you. I still don't know how many different sites your name is on. I think the one video about taking care of my bankroll really hit home the most for me and came at a very timely moment. I signed on to Titan poker to get TI (which I now own after 900 hands). Reloading was just part of learning the game I thought...That was pre Marty Smith. There are many times now when I think more about placing in the money and the importance of guarding my bankroll as my primary concern when making decisions. After nearly 1000 flops where I have vp$ip, Titan poker is the only site that I am still playing with my original deposit. That's a huge step for me. You have taught me so much about the game. I was lucky enough to catch you on Full Tilt the other night. You were short stacked with 700 chips. I thought what a great opportunity for me to watch how you work with a short stack. There were two fellows to the right of you that had some 6,000 plus and 4,000 plus chips. Anyways to make a short story long, I watched you grow to chip leader with over 13,000 chips at the final table. You managed a second place finish in a very long and volatile fight when it came down to the last four people.

Marty, I could go on and on. I am stunned at how much time you dedicate to helping me play a better game. And when I say "me" I mean all the "me's" out there. I sincerely thank you and eagerly look forward to watching more of you and from you in the future.

Iain.

P.S. After taking in all the fee videos you send out, I decided to put a few loonies in your pocket and bought your three pack of videos.. Thought it only right, and besides I was sure they would be packed with all sorts of common sense "Martyisims"

P.P.S. I live in the GTA and frequent Toronto. If a guy ever comes up to you and gives you a big non gay man hug... "not that there's anything wrong with that".... ... well that will be me,

in reference to: MZoneReport.com | The Poker Tournament Strategy | Free Video Series (view on Google Sidewiki)

Molly Wood attacks the iPad

Yeah she actually says only New York liberals are going to buy this thing, trying to pretend she's as controversial as Ann Coulter. But never mind her, because real business people know what the score is, and the AMAZON team is more than a little concerned about this iPad thing selling quite a bit more.

Now as a Kindle owner I will probably keep both. However, after seeing the video of eBook reader on the iPad, I can instantly recognize it as something I would appreciate more. It really LOOKS like a book. The Kindle reader is more like an etch-a-sketch, and the screen is all the Kindle will have going for it (even though it is only in B&W) once the iPad is released.

Furthermore, you cannot read typical PDF files on the Kindle. I tried downloading some already and was shocked to learn the "Kindle does not handle this type of software". Man, one of the reasons my wife got it for me was to read the slew of PDFs I have on my computer. Not only will the iPad be able to download and read PDFs but it will open up an entirely new market for eBook producers (us) to directly submit and sell via the iBook Store. Think about that, a mere 10 MILLION new units to market YOUR eBook to!

Add that to the (seemingly dated) square button toggle navigation, the real buttons (that wear) next-page navigation, and the convoluted home page and setting navigation you can see why Amazon is in panic mode right now about the iPad.

Keep in mind Apple will be making deals with any kind of book publisher, so there will be no limitations as to what gets sold through the iBook store. If you have shopped Amazon through the Kindle store, you know already that there are nowhere near the amount of books sold there as in the general Amazon website.

Molly Wood complains about it not having a phone or video, as if someone was going to place a tablet on their ear or point it at someone to shoot video. Apple already has products that can do that, duh??

They are not in the business of overlapping themselves, they are in the business of defining new markets, like no other company has done, at least as consistently.

I have quite another take on your Apple iPad opinion:

Leave it to Apple to:

* Create an entire new market segment.
* Make an eBook feel like a REAL book, (unlike my Kindle).
* Make eMail ACTUALLY look fun to go through
* Possibly save MANY newspaper subscription services
* Have 1,000s of programmers eager to create APPs for the iPad
* Design a product that will bring "new" seniors to the internet
* Have iPad displace several digital gadgets in the home
* Have the planet abuzz with one introduction
* Sell 10 MILLION units in year one
* Expand their client base through the iPad

It's interesting to see how many people like Molly Wood are making fun of this product, when at the very least you gotta admit these Cupertino dudes that wear jeans at work, kinda know a thing or two about running a multi billion dollar company > which is about to change the industry, yet again.

in reference to: CNET on Apple iPad: No one should buy this thing | freep.com | Detroit Free Press (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tournament Indicator Poker Software

Glad you were able to use the information I provided you for this article Steve. Clearly though with your experience with Poker Edge, did you really have to ask?

Here is some additional information for your readers - I have posted one of profiling videos using Tournament Indicator.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3yretIgQXSM

And here is the full review of Tournament Indicator

in reference to: Is Tournament Indicator Software Legal? - Internet Poker Software (view on Google Sidewiki)

The iPad and Online Poker

This would have been a great tool for online poker, but only in the casual sense. Playing a game while, basically doing something else.

There are however some real limitations to this being a possibility including hardware, internet connections, the iPad OS, and of course the lack of multi-tasking.

Oh well. Just have to get that Mac-Book I have been thinking about.

in reference to: Can the iPad be used for online poker? | iPhone Poker APP Reviews (view on Google Sidewiki)

Seth Godin, Standing out in the digital age.

This video is great as Seth points out some fascinating businesses that are doing remarkable things in marketing. The fringe of the consumer population is where new companies can grab a foothold and expand business from there.

This is because there are so many options for consumers, who oddly, have less time to choose amongst them. For example, Seth Godin makes a point about there being a magazine for water now with a full 180 pages an issue.

Good speaker, and entertaining video.

in reference to: Seth Godin on standing out | Video on TED.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tom Hanks and Wil Ferrel will send off Conan O'Brien Friday.

Good of Tom Hanks to show up on the last day of the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. This was also a good joke about Conan's support staff getting treated by NBC.

Anyway, the drama appears to over soon, and I hope Conan gets a show somewhere else, but please, anywhere but FOX. How about Sirius Satellite Radio?

in reference to:

"On Wednesday night's show, speaking of a push to get a severance deal for his staff from NBC, O'Brien joked, "At first they thought I was gullible. They said the staff would be taken to a big farm, where they'd be allowed to run free forever." O'Brien's final show will be Friday, with Tom Hanks scheduled to appear as well as Will Ferrell — his first guest as "Tonight" host last June."
- NBC: Conan O'Brien reaches deal to exit 'Tonight'; deal includes severance for staff - chicagotribune.com (view on Google Sidewiki)

Will says "People hate SideWiki" but it's really just webmasters, not end-users.

If your online business is not “in” with social media, then you will simply be scrutinized even more by hiding behind the market truths, whether good or bad. Users will be more inclined to wonder why you aren’t connected, than what you have to offer them.

in reference to:

"If your online business is not “in” with social media, then you will simply be scrutinized even more by hiding behind the market truths, whether good or bad. Users will be more inclined to wonder why you aren’t connected, than what you have to offer them."
- 5 Ways to Sidewiki for Success (view on Google Sidewiki)

Get social, or get lost.

This is true. It's the webmasters who choose the blocking strategy that will lose ground in the coming growth of social marketing.

Consumers will not only have SideWiki as a powerful tool, but many other social APPs that will assist consumers in sharing REAL information about a product or service. So whether dumb-ass online marketers like it or not, it will be happening. The questions is are you as a business person ready for it?

Ready will mean getting engaged with social users, responding with and communicating to them where they like and on their terms.

in reference to:

"I agree with Jason Falls‘ assessment of Sidewiki, It will force every company in the world with a website to get hip to social media and do it now."
- Google Sidewiki: Post Comments to Even A Competitor’s Website « FUEL LINES Fueling Ad Agency New Business Through Social Media (view on Google Sidewiki)

SideWiki has lots of enemies in the Warrior forum.

A lot of Warriors are still steaming about SideWiki claiming it is immoral, illegal, supports pornographic spammers and is basically the next evil coming.

No you won't find much logic there, as such statements are backed with a despise I have rarely seen online.

But do webmasters have a point about this? When I say webmasters, it must be the huge majority because you just don't hear anyone saying anything good.

Except, you guessed the end user. They will decide how this thing gets used, and how widespread it will be.

Do a twitter search for SideWiki and guess what? The social users, ie > our customers are not dissing SideWiki, they are asking "how to install it", "did you see my SideWiki post", and "I am trying out SideWiki now"

Do not dare ignore the end users in this market, which is turning very "social".

in reference to: SideWiki nonsense in the Warrior Forum | Social Marketing (view on Google Sidewiki)

Website design.

Having been a webmaster for some years now, I started out with what I would now call "rude" looking designs. However, fast forward 15 years and there is simply no excuse for that anymore, especially from experienced marketers like Steve Wagenheim here.

Whenever I see a website that reminds me of the 1970's, I simply cannot give it the time of day, nor consider any kind of a trust exchange.

Seriously, what would compel someone to back back to this blog often as Steve so requests.

The bottom line is, you have a few short seconds to convince a reader that it's worth his time to stay on a website and look further. This example, I am afraid is one of the sites that has a costly bounce rate due to poor quality graphics and photo, outdated text and colors, and a call to action that may only get response due to a perverse curiosity.

For more tips, you can check my new online marketing blog at Turtleknife.com

in reference to: Steve Wagenheim's Writing And Marketing Site (view on Google Sidewiki)