We all enjoy those apps on our smartphones, laptops and tablets. These applications have become second nature to us.

We simply go to our app stores, click an app that is either free or paid and it downloads immediately.

We start using the app that may bring us enjoyment or possibly help our business or [...]]]>

We all enjoy those apps on our smartphones, laptops and tablets. These applications have become second nature to us.

We simply go to our app stores, click an app that is either free or paid and it downloads immediately.

We start using the app that may bring us enjoyment or possibly help our business or personal life in some way.

Most likely, we never give any thought to how this app was developed, who developed it and how did they raise money for their venture?

There are a lot of software developers who have great ideas but need financial help to develop their software.

One such company is SteamKeg.

SteamKeg is a mobile application geolocation game for your smartphone and they are seeking funding on KickStarter.

KickStarter is a website built to help companies fund their projects. Individuals like you and I can donate funds to causes that appeal to us.

KickStarter funding is not loans, it’s actual donations. The owner of the projects seeking funding generally make some sort of offer to those who donate based on the amount of the contribution.

SteamKeg looks promising with it’s geolocation feature.

Check out the video below as it shows the software developers making their pitch for funding.

If you would like further details and are interested in helping to fund this project, visit their SteamKeg page.

Before you can free up hard drive disk space on a Mac, you need to be able to determine where all of the disk space you once had has gone.

I discovered a free utility that displays all of your files and gives you a very good visual representation of all the files on your [...]]]>

Before you can free up hard drive disk space on a Mac, you need to be able to determine where all of the disk space you once had has gone.

I discovered a free utility that displays all of your files and gives you a very good visual representation of all the files on your selected hard drive.

Disk Inventory X is a utility for your Mac that displays all of the files on your hard drives in a very unique way that the developer calls treemaps.

You can instantly see where all of the space on your hard drive has been allocated. Once you know, you can then work to free up and delete files no longer needed.

Simply download the free disk utility and launch it.

The utility will detect your hard drives connected to your Mac. Select the hard drive you want to see the content and file sizes.

The utility will run a few seconds and then it will display all files and folders on the selected drive.

Below is a screen shot I ran on my Time Machine external hard drive. My hard drive is nearly full and I’m looking for ways to free up more space.

As you can see by the graphic, I have over 173 GB of Quick Time movie files taking up valuable space.

Now I know where I can concentrate my efforts and delete files.

The colors give you a good visual representation of allocated hard drive space.

When you see a file that you would like to delete, simply right click and click “reveal in finder”.

The file will open in your finder and you can easily drag the file to your trash folder.

Remember to drag the Disk Inventory X into your applications folder so it will be easily accessible the next time you need it.

If you need to free up hard drive space on your Mac, I would check out this free mac hard drive utility.

Below is a very good video demonstration of how to use this utility to free up hard drive space on your Mac.

The internet is full of good but unfortunately, it can also be a hazardous playground and try to separate you from your money.

One place we would like to think is safe, are the Google ads we click.

I click ads from time to time if I think it will help me in my search. [...]]]>

The internet is full of good but unfortunately, it can also be a hazardous playground and try to separate you from your money.

One place we would like to think is safe, are the Google ads we click.

I click ads from time to time if I think it will help me in my search. 99.999% of the time the ad seems to take me to a legitimate site.

What happens if you click an ad that takes you to a site that you suspect may be fraudulent?

If that should happen to you, Google wants to know about it.

Most advertising submitted to Google is reviewed by a human but Google does admit that this does not always happen. Some advertisers are released into the Google ads program without human review.

If you should ever suspect fraudulent activity in regards to Google advertising program, you can report the site by submitting to the Google Adwords Feedback page.

You can also use this page if someone is infringing upon your trademark in their advertising.

Help police the internet and report fraudulent advertising practices.

I have joined the ranks of the juicers and I believe the Breville Juice Fountain Plus is the best juicer you can buy.

Here is my story.

Over Christmas 2011, I happened upon a Netflix documentary called Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead.

I love to watch documentaries, so I gave it a try.

I have owned a dive watch for over 10 years. In my opinion, a dive watch is the most versatile and most reliable watch a person can wear.

I consider my Citizen as the ultimate men’s sports watch and at the same time, it’s a gorgeous men’s luxury watch. Who could ask for more in [...]]]>

I have owned a dive watch for over 10 years. In my opinion, a dive watch is the most versatile and most reliable watch a person can wear.

I consider my Citizen as the ultimate men’s sports watch and at the same time, it’s a gorgeous men’s luxury watch. Who could ask for more in water sports gear?

When I initially decided what type of watch to buy, it was a no-brainer for me to select a heavy duty dive watch.

My thinking was that a dive watch is certainly going to be constructed in a much different way than a normal wrist watch. I needed a watch that I could treat rough and get wet and it would keep performing.

I prefer a heavy wrist watch as opposed to a lightweight watch. I like to feel it on my wrist, it’s more manly, aarrgh!

Best Dive Watch?

My personal choice as the best dive watch is the Citizen Dive Watch. Your best watch is the one you most likely wear the most. You can spend a fortune for a professional dive watch but I don’t think that is necessary. A Citizen watch like mine is an economical dive watch and you won’t break the bank.

The best choice of anything boils down to personal preferences of course, but if you are considering purchasing a diver’s watch, I would urge you to take a hard look at Citizen watches. Next to Rolex, it’s one of the best brands that money can buy.

The first thing that you will notice is that a dive watch is usually heavier than a normal wrist watch.

You can feel the difference immediately when you put it on. That is the quality construction and heavier materials used to allow you to go scuba diving with your depth watch on.

I personally do not scuba dive any more but I do swim in the ocean while wearing my watch. My watch has never failed me. I imagine that a solid dive watch is the number one piece of gear for a scuba instructor.

My dive watch is also the subject of conversation. I can’t tell you how many people ask about it when they see it. I’m usually asked if I’m a diver.

Most dive watches will allow you to go to a depth of about 1000 ft. and are built for extreme shock resistance.

A lot of dive watches will feature an outside bezel which a diver will manually set when he wants to determine a specific amount of time he has been on his dive.

Before entering the water, a diver can set the bezel to a pre-determined number of minutes he wants to be down. He will set the bezel at zero and align it with the current minute hand of the watch.

The bezel on my watch is set in 10 minute increments. All a diver will have to do while underwater is to look at the bezel without trying to calculate his time.

A diver will simply look at the minute hand and corresponding bezel number to determine how long he has been down.

If I went in the water at 10:54, I would set the bezel “0″ at the 54 mark. If I want to be in the water for 30 minutes, I only have to look to see when the minute hand hits the number “30″ on the bezel dial.

If you are 200′ underwater, you do not want to be adding numbers to determine your oxygen.

This is just one of the features of my Citizen watch that makes me believe it’s one of the best dive watches you can buy.

My dive watch is a piece of jewelry and also a heirloom. Rarely would a father pass on his Timex to his son. In my case, my dive watch goes to my son when I check out.

Below is a close-up photo of my personal citizen dive watch. It has some wear and tear but it works as good today as the first day I wore it.

I recommend that you spend the extra money and buy a quality water resistant dive watch that will last you for years.

You can expect to pay a premium price for a solid good quality dive watch. My watch was around $500 and that was several years ago. Shop online and you can find a great dive watch under $500.

My dive watch is one of my most prized possessions because it was given to me as a Christmas gift when my children were little.

You don’t have to be a scuba diver to wear a dive watch obviously.

If you want a quality time piece that looks awesome and very manly, you should consider buying one. I would hint strongly to your family and casually lay some brochures on the table. That’s what I did when I got mine.

The choice for best dive watches is up to you, but I promise you can’t go wrong with a Citizen.

Resource:
Citizen Watch

My personal preference for the best folding knives for men is the Kershaw SpeedSafe Assisted Opening knife.

I have been carrying a Kershaw “Ken Onion” Chive Pocket Knife with Speed Safe opening for years now.

I simply can’t live without my pocket knife.

I have been carrying this brand of pocket knife for years and [...]]]>

My personal preference for the best folding knives for men is the Kershaw SpeedSafe Assisted Opening knife.

I have been carrying a Kershaw “Ken Onion” Chive Pocket Knife with Speed Safe opening for years now.

I simply can’t live without my pocket knife.

I have been carrying this brand of pocket knife for years and I have my reasons.

My pocket knife goes into a bowl on my night-stand every night along with my keys and my watch and change.

When I put my pants on, I clip my knife into my front pant’s pocket.

It’s my ritual every morning.

If you are a guy who does not carry a pocket knife, I want you to reconsider.

There is just something manly and cool about it.

If you can whip out a smartphone and tell me where Starbuck’s is located, you should also be able to whip out a pocket knife and cut a piece of rope.

My pocket knife is like my cell phone, I don’t feel right unless I have it with me at all times.

Well, I sort of lied there, I don’t really need my cell phone as much as I need my pocket knife.

Before I forget, a message for the ladies. If you are looking for gift ideas for your man, this pocket knife will make a great gift. I promise he will treasure it for years.

This is my third Kershaw assisted opening knife. I lost the first 2 and I have managed to keep this one for about 4 years now.

Why Do I Think This Is The Best Folding Knives For Men?

• Pocket knives are small and easily concealed.
• Clips to your front pocket for easy access.
• Can be used for self defense.
• Can be used to rescue someone.
• Can be used to open Amazon boxes when they arrive at your door.

First off the knife is small. For everyday carry, a man is better off being able to conceal his folding pocket knife. We do not want to run around looking like Rambo.

The second reason is the little clip on the side which allows us to clip it to our pockets easily. By clipping it to our pocket, we don’t have to dig among our keys and pocket change to try and find our knife.

I can have my knife out of my pocket and the blade open just like a western gunslinger, only faster.

As far as self defense goes, it comes out of my pocket so fast and opens that someone would be crazy to approach me unless they had a gun or other superior weapon.

You may find yourself in an emergency situation. What if you came upon a burning car and someone was trapped in the car by their seat-belt. You could free them with your pocket knife.

What if you were attacked by a dog? The dog may bite me but he is going to stabbed by me until he let’s go.

If you go on a picnic and forget the can opener, you can open that can of peaches if you are carrying a sweet little folding knife in your pocket and save the day.

Of course, all men use their pocket knife to clean their fingernails.

No man can ever go fishing unless he is carrying his trusty fishing knife.

I live on a pond and there is a lot of wilderness around me.

I never go hiking through the woods without my folding-knife.

A good folding knife is the next best thing to having a concealed weapons permit.

You can carry a pocket knife into any establishment legally.

Below is a photo of the pocket knife I have been carrying for years.

Here are the specs to the Kershaw knife I carry. It retails for around $60.

You can pick up a Kershaw pocket knife like mine at your local retailer such as Wal-Mart.

Resolve to start carrying a good pocket knife around with you.

It will not be long until it becomes second nature.

I have been on a tear recently to simplify and de-clutter everything in my life. Last week I attacked my desk.

I can’t describe how good it feels to sit down to a simple workstation with everything in it’s place all neat and orderly.

In case you are wondering, the monitor on the [...]]]>

I have been on a tear recently to simplify and de-clutter everything in my life. Last week I attacked my desk.

I can’t describe how good it feels to sit down to a simple workstation with everything in it’s place all neat and orderly.

In case you are wondering, the monitor on the left is a Hanns-G 28″ HD monitor bought from Costco for around $300. It’s a great monitor.

On the right is my 27″ iMac. I run the Hanns monitor from the iMac. I usually run Firefox on my iMac and Google Chrome on the Hanns. This allows me to see how websites look from 2 separate browsers.

Between the 2 monitors is my JBL iPod Dock. I recently reviewed it here on Bloggerlens. Check it out. JBL iPod Dock On Stage IIIP Review.

I have a wired full keyboard on my iMac in addition to the smaller wireless keyboard you see in the foreground. I mainly use the wireless keyboard because I’m usually leaning back in my chair with my feet propped up on the desk.

Beside the wireless keyboard is my apple wireless mouse which is my favorite of all time. The Apple Magic Mouse. I also reviewed it in an earlier post. Apple Magic Mouse Review.

Under the iMac is a copper colored external 500 gig hard drive. I use this drive strictly as a time machine backup for the iMac.

To the right of the hard drive is a digital card reader.

Of course there is my lamp and you can just see the side of a Budweiser Mug that I keep pens and pencils in.

My desk is a huge monster that I bought from IKEA. I love my desk. It’s very heavy duty and very stylish. As I recall, the desk was around $300.

There you go…my de-cluttered workstation that makes me smile every time I sit down to pretend like I’m working.

Lately I have been using Craigslist a lot. I have been using the site to look for a few things but mostly, I’ve been using Craigslist to post items. I have learned a few things on the way. I’m no expert, not by a longshot, but silly me just discovered how to put as many [...]]]>

Lately I have been using Craigslist a lot. I have been using the site to look for a few things but mostly, I’ve been using Craigslist to post items. I have learned a few things on the way. I’m no expert, not by a longshot, but silly me just discovered how to put as many images as you want on Craigslist and how to post large images on Craigslist, not those little dinky photos they allow.

Images On Craigslist

It is actually so simple that when I realized how to do it, it was like a little slap in my face saying you dummy! You may already know how to do this, but it was an AHA Moment for me. Here is the answer, simply write your Craigslist ad in your WordPress editor. Upload your photos the same way you do for a blog post. Just make sure you do it in the HTML mode. When you finish writing up your ad, just copy and then paste into your Craigslist editor. The Craigslist editor allows a certain amount of html. You can bold text and insert links also.

Craigslist will turn your links into no-follow. But you can really add some sizzle to your ads on Craigslist by writing your ad in html and posting some big beautiful photos.

Make sure you add at least one photo using the Craigslst photo uploader. When you do that and someone reads your ad, it will signify that there is a picture associated with an ad. A photo ad will usually make me click it and take a look. If you do not place at least one photo with their uploader, Craigslist will not identify your ad associated with a photo.

Here is an example photo where I wrote a new ad this morning on Craigslist selling an illuminated floor globe. I wrote the entire ad in my WordPress editor and uploaded my photos. It’s really easy and it makes my ad really pop with some great photos.

The next time you post an image on Craigslist, first write it in an html editor. It may give you a one-up against your competition.

If you will take a little bit of extra time and learn how to post large photos on craigslist, I think it will help you sell your stuff a lot quicker.

How many of us go back into our blog articles and do a little tweaking to try and capture more visits and more revenue? This is a practice I’m doing more and more. There is virtually no way you can get the most out of your blog posts by simply publishing and walking away.

Articles [...]]]>

How many of us go back into our blog articles and do a little tweaking to try and capture more visits and more revenue? This is a practice I’m doing more and more. There is virtually no way you can get the most out of your blog posts by simply publishing and walking away.

Articles are like plants, water and fertilize them and they will sprout visitors and revenue.

If you simply publish a vanity blog it doesn’t matter perhaps. Many, many of the articles I publish here on Bloggerlens are just straight from my thoughts. No keyword research, no nothing. Then at other times, I may write some articles that are appropriate to monetize.

How can you tell which articles to monetize? One of the things I do is to go into Google Analytics dashboard and look at “content”. Click content and then click “top content”.

Analytics will list the top content pages of your site in order of pageviews over a given timeframe. You can adjust the dates accordingly to see what are the top performing pages in your site.

Here is an example from bloggerlens.

Over this particular time frame I selected, my green screen article is performing the best.

Next, click the article link. Now click the entrance keywords to that article. Analytics will list the main keywords being used to find your article. Pretty cool huh? Sorry I blanked out my keywords because I am still working on this article. It makes me a few bucks every now and then.

As you can see, there are 105 different keywords. At this point, we can get crazy and overanalyze or we can keep it simple. I like to keep it simple.

I grab 20 or so of the top keywords and quickly do a google search on each term. I look for any of the terms to show adsense ads on the right hand side of Google. If it does not show ads, I discard the keyword. If it shows adsense, I have an opportunity at some revenue.

Even if a term shows no adsense, you can still look at other affiliate opportunities. Let’s just talk about adsense today.

I look for a way to implement the keyword/keywords into the article with a new sentence or paragraph or even an image. I may also place a tag.

For long term benefit, I prefer to do this with “evergreen keywords”. For example instead of using Kodak Zi8 flip camera, I would use Kodak HD Flip Cameras. The Zi8 will eventually be replaced and no one will search for it again.

This is a dead simple way to fertilize your articles. Wait 30 days and do it again.

There are many more things that are possible also with links and keyword research but if you just want to keep it simple, this is a good practice. After your article ages, it will be easier to start ranking for some of the more difficult terms.

It has been said that a person can earn a full time living based on one article on one site. I do believe this is actually possible. A person would have to be lucky or his name would need to be Grizzly.

If you took the time to write the article in the first time, why not tend to it every once in a while?

Imagine where this article may be in 5 years and the possible revenue if I keep upgrading it over time? Could be some good vacation money.

Everything I have mentioned are free methods to improve your site and traffic. It will only cost you a few moments of your time.

This past weekend, Mother Nature gave us a beautiful weekend full of Carolina Blue skies. Some friend of ours came down and spent the day with us at the pond. It was a day of relaxation, cooking out, fishing and a little target practice for the boys (and girls).

I set up a shooting [...]]]>

This past weekend, Mother Nature gave us a beautiful weekend full of Carolina Blue skies. Some friend of ours came down and spent the day with us at the pond. It was a day of relaxation, cooking out, fishing and a little target practice for the boys (and girls).

I set up a shooting range at the end of the property and we shot our personal arsenal of weapons. I shot my Glock 36 (.45 cal) and .32 cal revolver. One of my friends brought his AK-47 and it was a blast to shoot such a powerful weapon. We also added a crossbow in the mix. All I can say is “O’ Hell Yea” to the crossbow with a scope. We looked like the militia.

I walked around all day shooting some great pictures and video with my new digital camera, the Canon Powershot SD-4500 IS. I was pretty much blown away by the quality of the photos and the HD video was as good on the Canon Powershot as my $3500 Canon XH-A1.

I decided to make a video using the online photo and video slideshow website, Animoto. It’s a very simple process to create professional looking slideshows. I’m not writing a review at this time but I wanted to just show you what is possible using the service. The video below is made using the “Pro” version of Animoto. Animoto Pro is $249 a year. Well worth the money if you just want an automatic process that is easy and provides a professional result.

Animoto provides you the option of using your music or their music. You can post your videos to Social Media sites with ease. You can even start a free account.

Ok, enough of me…enjoy the Animoto slideshow.

Here is a clip of our AK-47 target practice.