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Everytime we shop, we always go to the stores/sellers/shops who can give us the best deal so we can get the best bang out of our hard earned buck. Most of us will try to haggle to get a better price or get some free stuff.

There are a lot of ways where we can get great deals whether it maybe from an online store or a regular store. There are the usual sale promos, free shipping, free items, free extended service, rebates and coupons.

If you are like me who likes to shop online, you would most likely try to shop around from various stores or use online services which compare prices from several stores. If you would like to get more savings, you would also probably check if there are corresponding coupons that you can use to get a cheaper price or get something extra when you purchase the item or service that you like.

Many of the internet savvy shoppers use coupons simply because they know that they can save big. One can save anywhere from US$1 up to hundreds and even thousands of dollars by just using these coupons.

A convenient way of looking for coupons is to go to sites that compile various coupons being offered by online stores. One of these sites is Couple-Samples.com. Coupon-Samples.com specializes in giving out jtv.com coupons and other jewelry coupons from jegem.com, netaya.com and nextten.com.

They also have appliance and electronic coupons from Kitchen Aid, BestBuy and Buy.com. You can also get coupons for Walmart.com, Blockbuster, DirecTV and even Omaha Steaks!

Yes there are a lot of other online coupon sites but if you really are into jewelry, you will surely benefit from coupon-samples since you can get as much as 60% off by using jtv coupons they are giving away.

The site will soon be launching a forum where everyone can share their tips on the latest coupons. So drop by Coupon-Samples.com to help you save money and time while shopping online

Jeremy Shoemaker better known as ShoeMoney is currently one of the major players in search engine marketing arena and even runs Shoemoney Ads which is his very own ad network which later on was rolled into auctionads and sold as a company in 2007 to media whiz.

ShoeMoney became very famous a couple years back when he shared a photo of him holding one month’s worth of earning from his AdSense account. The adsense check was for a whopping US$132,994.97!

Jeremy also gives back to the community through his blog. The shoemoney blog with the tag line Skills To Pay The Bills is Jeremy’s personal blog where shares his real-life experiences in search engine marketing and also shares some very valuable tips and tricks that might help others out. With that, he has consistently been in Technorati’s top 100 most read blogs for the past 2 years, receives about 20,000+ unique visitors per day and has 15,000+ RSS subscribers. In 2007, he estimated that he got around US$200,000 in revenues. And that is for his personal blog alone. He also won the Best Affiliate Marketing Blog of 2007 as well as the Best Contextual Advertising Blog of 2007.

He also has a Q & A portion on his blog where anyone can just shoot him a question and then he’ll post an answer and once in awhile we would answer questions by making a video about it. He runs the ShoeMoney Show, a podcast/radio show, over at webmasterradio.fm where teaches you SEM with his guest co-hosts and interviews. He has just finished writing the ShoeMoney Playbook and should be released this spring of 2008.

You can also grab some ShoeMoney clothing merchandise at the ShoeMoney store. But if you are lucky, you could get one for free especially if you go to events where Jeremy is at and ask him for one.

Drop by the ShoeMoney blog to get the latest updates on tips and tricks that you can try out to improve your SEM skills and be able to pay the bills.

For people from South Asia especially India, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, residing in the United States has its inherent problems. Communication is just one of those. Residing in the United States for reasons of work, business or whatever circumstance can be a trying and harrowing experience in terms of getting in touch with friends and family back home. Yes there is always the email, and internet chat but what could be more personal than a phone call?

Next question then is whether the phone or calling service reliable? Is it secure? Is it economical? The market has been wanting for crystal clear quality, uninterrupted calling, cost efficient connectivity without hidden fees.

If you call India from the United States using say an AT&T line with special calling package for India, it would cost you about US$12 monthly which is inclusive of 60 minutes usage and also charges an additional US$0.19 for every minute you exceed beyond the initial 60 minutes.

A better option would be for you to use an India prepaid calling card. You also get to have the same clear quality, uninterrupted calling but at far more economical rates.

One of the leaders in terms of prepaid calling service from the US to India is TrueRoots. Corporate synergy and sound technology could really work wonders as TrueRoots is backed by India’s largest and most respected conglomerate, the Tata Group.

With true roots, you can get a prepaid calling card for as low as US$5.00 and spend only US$0.069 per minute which easily gives you about 72 minutes of call time unlike other providers where their cheapest card is at US$10. Best of all you also get access to 24×7 customer service and even be able to easily manage your account online.

They are even looking at expanding their offering from just an international calling service to a full blown media hub. Movies, TV series, sports coverage, video games, music download, karaoke, etc. are but some of the various services that could be additionally offered to the market.

So, for the US residents of South Asian communities, here is your chance to call at the best possible terms. It’s your call. Call India. Call Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well.

PureMobile is an online cell phone and accessories store that has a vast array of both locked and unlocked cell phone brands. They carry brands like Apple, Blackberry, HTC, i-mate, LG Mobile, Motorola, Nokia. Palm, Samsung, SMC, Softbank and Sony Ericsson.

Among their bestsellers are the Apple iPhone and the Curve 8320 Blackberry Phone. They also have accessories for various cellular phone brands and models.

One of the cool accessories they have for sale is the Callpod ChargePod which they aptly labeled as the Ultimate Charging Station. It uses voltage regulator technology and can safely charge up to six different devices such as cell phones, PDAs, and other electronic devices.

You can also track your order simply by entering your order number in the Track Order page but you must go to the courier’s site to track the shipment.

There are no taxes for US and UK based customers but taxes anywhere from 6% to 14% is added to Canada based customers depending on which state they are from.

They even have a 10-Day return policy just in case you are not satisfied with the product. Should you need to send the unit back due to some problems or your unit needs repair, you can file an RMA Authorization Request online.

PureMobile gives you several options on the mode of payment as you can choose either to use Visa, Mastercard, Discover, Amex, Paypal and even wire transfer.

For security reasons, if you paid for your order using a credit card or PayPal, they will only ship to the billing address (Confirmed Address) of the credit card or PayPal account.

Live Help via online chat is available to answer your question Monday to Friday 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM EST.

If you plan on getting stuff in bulk, you might as well avail of their wholesale offer to be able to get some volume discounts on your purchases.

Puremobile is a Yahoo! Shopping Merchant as well as a CNET certified store with 5 star ratings and averaged with a 98.7% positive feedback based on 437 transactions made on ebay. They are based in New York and have been in the business for the past 4 years. They don’t have a physical store front like a regular retail store, as this helps them bring their costs down and pass on the savings to the buyers, but you can always get in touch with them through phone @ 1-800-507-8819 Mondays through Fridays 10AM to 6PM EST.

People tend to shy away when the topic on life insurance comes up. Most would not want to talk to an insurance agent simply because they don’t want to divulge any personal information.

Problem solved! You can now get instant but personalized insurance quotes without being bombarded with unwanted phone calls and e-mails offering life insurance coverage.

Simply drop by LifeInsure.com to get customized life insurance quotes without divulging your name or any contact information.

They even have a Life Insurance Calculator tool that can help you figure out the most appropriate amount of life insurance coverage for you.

You will also find helpful information on various insurance coverage from term life insurance, return of premium, universal life, whole life, mortgage life and survivor life which would assist you in choosing the most suitable coverage based on your affordability and needs.

Through March 31, 2008,over three-dozen Brainbench certifications are available to you at no cost. Among the free exams that I find interesting are:

• Computer Forensics (U.S.)
• MS Windows Server 2003 Administration
• Server Administration
• Technical Help Desk
• Microsoft Security
• Network Security
• SAP Basis Administration
• and over 30 more!

On a regular day, each test would cost you around US$ 49.95. So take advantage of this free offer and be able improve your resume with no major expenses.

Matt just posted a sneak peak on how WP 2.5 looks like.

If you are brave enough, you could download a copy of the Release Candidate  1 version of WordPress 2.5.

Eating is really a treat especially if the food tastes great. Great tasting food comes from good cooking skills. Don’t have cooking skills but you want to try your hand at it? Try enrolling with a culinary school.

Culinary School Finder makes looking for the right culinary schools a breeze by providing you an online resource of various chef schools and culinary art programs wherein you can search for schools by theme, by city, featured culinary schools and even search by careers.

Janette Toral of DigitalFilipino Club has just published the International Payment Gateway Comparison Guide.

The guide hopes to help you in selecting the right payment gateway service provider suitable to your needs. The guide also includes features, policies, and fees comparison of Paypal, WebsiteWizard, CCNow, and 2CheckOut.

You can download this at http://www.e-commercephilippines.com

Note that this guide is for DigitalFilipino club members use only. Any non-member who wishes to have a copy of the International Payment Gateway Comparison Guide is requested to be referred to the website and sign up as a club member at http://www.e-commercephilippines.com

IT Jobs in the US is still in demand. But having experience alone will not get you the job. Employers and head hunters are now looking for proof of training from a technical school or having a professional IT certification.

IT certifications that are in demand are those having security specialization like CISSP and other non-IT specific certifications such as PMP.

Drop by Tech Training Schools which has an online directory of various tech schools providing it training and certification to help you in your search.

presents

Best Practices In Crafting Local & International Commercial Contracts

Thursday & Friday, April 17 & 18, 2008

The Peninsula Manila, Makati City, Philippines

A written contract is your bible in any agreement.  It should be effective, loophole-free, and well-crafted.  It should protect you in times of disagreements and shield you against liabilities.  Learn the best practices on how to make contracts work!

COURSE OUTLINE

Part 1: Lecture Presentation of Atty. Tristan Catindig

This will involve a general discussion of contracts and the problems normally encountered in their drafting and negotiation. It would try to answer the following questions:

How does the formation of contracts start?

What is a letter or memorandum of intent? Heads of agreement? When are they used, and what are the possible pitfalls in their use?

Do you negotiate or draft a contract first?

Should you let the other party draft the contract?

How do you handle form or so-called standard contracts?

How do you start drafting a contract? Could you copy from form books?

Should you leave the drafting of contracts to your lawyers?

COMMERCIAL CONTRACTS

What are commercial contracts?
Structure of typical commercial contract
Commencement
Name or nature of agreement
Date
Designation or identity of the parties
Recitals or preambles
Operative part
Definitions
Conditions precedent
Substantive clauses
Boilerplate clauses
Signature section
Schedules, annexes or appendices
Matters of form and style
Fonts
Copies and counterparts
Table of contents and headings
Numbering systems
Notarial acknowledgments
Boilerplates in general
What are they?
What is their value?
Do you have to use all of them?
Boilerplate provisions of general use
Amendment or modification
Assignment
Bankruptcy or insolvency
Cumulative rights
Dispute settlement
Entire agreement
Force majeure
Governing law
No waivers
Notices and change of address
Representations and warranties
Severability
Successors and assigns
Venue of actions
Boilerplate provisions of use in particular contracts
Joint ventures
Agency and distributorship agreements
Licensing and technology transfer arrangements
Contract of sale of goods

Part 2: Lecture Presentation of Atty. Arturo M. De Castro

CONTROVERSIAL CLAUSES AND COVENANTS IN CONTRACTS

Contracts in General

1. Negative Covenants

2. Non-competing clause

3. Cross default clause

4. Waivers

Real Estate and Chattel Mortgages

5. After acquired property clause

6. Dragnet Clause

7. Minimum Collateral Value

8. Floating Rate of Interest – Potestative

Equity and Interest rate

Private International Law

9. Stipulation of the applicable law

10. Nationality principle

11. Domiciliary rule – formalities of contract

12. Lex Situs

Part 3: Lecture Presentation of Atty. Jose A. Bernas

SPECIAL CONTRACT PROVISIONS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

1. Sample Contract Provisions

2. Best Practices - Wordings to Include
- Things To Do, Actions To Be Taken

3. Red Flags - Common Pitfalls in Contract Stipulations
- Things To Avoid

4. How to Protect Yourself against Government Contract Liabilities

PART 4: Lecture Presentation of Atty. Jim V. Lopez

SIMPLIFYING THE COMPLEX LANGUAGE OF CONTRACTS

SUMMARY AND INTEGRATION

For inquiries, you may call (+63 2) 842-7148 or telefax (+63 2) 842-7159.  You may also check details at www.cgbp.org.

Register early and avail of the Early Bird discounts.  Limited seats with pre-registration required.

Do you have your own business? Whether your business is online or traditional, whether you are running an e-commerce site, a traditional retail and even wholesale store or a mail order/telephone store you should have multiple modes of accepting payments. Having Cash on delivery as the only mode of payment accepted simply won’t get you the sale.

One of the most convenient payment method preferred by clients and shoppers nowadays is paying using their credit cards. But for you to be able to accept credit card payments you should first have a merchant account. Getting your own merchant account used to cost you an arm and a leg! Well… that is no longer a problem.

I have good news for you. First Data Independent Sales, an established leader in transaction processing industry, is giving you an exceptional offer. The company was founded way back in 1988 and currently has merchant base exceeding 4.1 million locations worldwide. And because they are that big they are giving you a FREE MERCHANT ACCOUNT.

With their merchant services, your business can accept nearly all types of electronic payments like credit cards and debit cards from MasterCard, Visa, Amex, Diners, Discover and JCB and even checks!

You even have several options as to what merchant account type you prefer. They currently offer packages suited for E-Commerce, Retail, Phone/Mail Order, Wireless, Restaurants and TeleCheck. The only thing they missed out here is m-commerce. But with all these options available I think they’ve basically covered all the bases.

Sign-up now and your merchant account application fee will be waived. If you already have credit card machines then they will be reprogramming for you. And if you have an online presence they’ll also setup your ecommerce shopping cart software for you. And they will do all that for free! How cool is that!?

If you sign-up now, a merchant account for immediate credit card processing will be available to you and your business within 48 hours. Do take note however that at the moment this offer is only available to applicants based in the USA.

Website Magazine, published by Website Services Inc., is a free magazine offering practical advice and helpful tools from industry experts to help any website achieve Internet success.

To qualify for a free subscription, you (or your company) must have an active web site and have a US mailing address where the magazine will be delivered.

Until now, there has not been a magazine that caters exclusively to the business of running a website. Website Magazine has tapped premier talent in the Internet industry for their content and each and every issue will contain practical advice and insights for website owners.

Sign-up for your free Website Magazine subscription.

DigitalFilipino.com Club SME and Corporate members are invited to attend the forthcoming E-Commerce Policy Development Workshop this May 2, 2008 at the at the CEO Suite, 37th Flr. LKG Tower 6801 Ayala Ave. 1226 Makati City.

DigitalFilipino.com Club SME members can send 1 representative while Corporate members can send 2 representatives. Please confirm for food count purposes.

Individual members interested in this workshop can upgrade to SME or Corporate membership at http://www.e-commercephilippines.com

This workshop is ideal for companies who would like to have an understanding of the E-Commerce Law. It will also tackle the creation of company policies in relation to electronic trading, employees’ use of Internet resources, application design, and how to handle electronic evidence.

* 9:00 - 12:00
o Salient features of the E-Commerce Law
o Creation of Trading Partner Agreement
o Electronic Contracts Formation
* 1:00 - 5:00
o Creation of Company Internet Use Policy
o Privacy Policy (DTI DAO #8)
o Application Design for Electronic Evidence Admissibility
o Electronic Evidence Handling

Interested non-members are requested to sign up as an SME or Corporate member prior to the workshop at http://www.e-commercephilippines.com
and confirm attendance for food count purposes.

THE ART OF POTTERY MAKING

A Free Workshop

April 12, 2008
Artspace, 3F Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati City

History has shown that clay objects have always been part of our lives, whether for function or decoration. On April 12 at 3:00-5:00 p.m., we invite aspiring potters and clay enthusiasts to learn how each pottery process is an art in itself with renowned clay artist, Jon Pettyjohn.

Apart from the brief lecture on Philippine pottery, a demonstration-workshop on hand building, coil building, wheel throwing and other useful techniques or tips in pottery making will also be included.

Registration starts at 2:00 p.m. No fees will be collected for this workshop but due to the limited number of clay kits, interested participants are requested to pre-register through phone 892-1801, fax 892-1810, SMS 0917-5594417, or email .