From the Hundreds to the Millions: August 2010

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

How does Blogger Mobile work?

You send a message - which can be a photo, some text, or both - to go@blogger.com. We take care of the rest. In other words, we auto-provision a new blog and publish the post. It's that simple.

Here's how to start a mobile blog:

Text REGISTER to BLOGGR to create your mobile blog. The text and/or photo in your message will be uploaded to that blog right away. We'll message you back with the address, (so you can visit your new blog on the web) and a token (so you can claim your blog and access it from your account).

OPTIONAL - If you feel like changing anything on your new mobile blog or if you already have a Blogger account and want the posts to go to your existing blog, you can log in to go.blogger.com and enter the token we sent to your phone. You'll then have the option to claim your new mobile blog and merge it with your existing blog. Note to users whose blog address does not contain blogspot.com: Once you make the aforementioned switch, new mobile posts will be published to your chosen blog but mobile posts published prior to the switch will not be moved over automatically.

What types of messages can I send to Blogger Mobile from my phone?

MMS, SMS, or Email - note this doesn't include email sent from a mobile device that actually passes through a webmail gateway (such as mail sent from your stanford.edu account from your phone).

What size photos can I send?

Photos are currently limited to 250K each. If they exceed that size, you'll receive a bounce message letting you know so you can try again with a smaller picture. Note that your phone (or carrier) might have size limits of its own.

Is there a cost for using Blogger Mobile?

Mobile providers' standard rates for sending and receiving text and photo messages apply. Blogger won't charge you for any of its services.

Requirements

Text messaging-enabled mobile device with a text messaging plan. This service is free from Google but charges from your carrier for usage may apply.

Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gmail

You already know Gmail integrated with Google Voice for free phone calls (and cheap international calls) from your inbox. But apart from using it to a friend, Gmail's new phone calling capabilities introduce a lot of cool capabilities to your inbox.

Get Caller ID from Your Computer

Let's say you've got a landline set up with Google Voice and you don't want to pay for caller ID. Or you just spend a lot of time staring at your computer. If you're logged into Gmail, and someone rings up your Google Voice number, you can see who's calling on your computer without digging your phone out of your pocket.

Transfer Calls to (and from) Your Computer to Save Cellphone Minutes

Assuming you've already added your Gmail Chat account as a number that can be reached through Google Voice (which also assumes you've signed up for Google Voice), you can transfer calls from your phone to your computer to save cellphone minutes. Here's how it works:

1) If you're logged into your Google account, go to the Google Voice phone settings page. At the bottom, you should see a new option for Google Chat (like in the image). Make sure it's checked.

2) Now, when you're in the midst of a call on your cellphone—let's say you were talking to someone in the car, and now you're home—just hit the * (asterisk) on your phone's number pad to send the call to another Google Voice phone. If your Gmail account is open, your inbox should start ringing. Pick up in Gmail and hangup your cellphone.

The opposite works, as well—i.e., transferring calls out from Gmail to your cellphone. Oh, and remember: If you've got a decent Bluetooth headset, you should also be able to stay relatively mobile, even if you're talking from your computer.

Find Your Misplaced Phone

Misplace your cellphone under a pile of clothes or deep in your couch cushions? If you left your ringer on but don't have another phone on hand, just log into Gmail, dial your cellphone number, and follow the faint sound of ringing.

Use It for a Quick-and-Dirty Speakerphone for Group Calls

Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gmail Google Voice is already pretty good at setting up conference calls (demonstrated in the video above). Now that you can call from your computer, you've also got a quick-and-dirty speakerphone perfect for the group of people sitting around a table on your coast.

Make a Quick Followup Call in Response to an Email

This is less of an "amazing new thing" than a nice, practical side effect of having one more thing integrated with your inbox. Say you get an email from a colleague. You want to send a quick followup, but it's going to be a lot more appropriate talking than typing a reply. Dial the person up in Gmail and talk it out without disrupting your workflow.

Secretly Record Calls

Eight Clever Ways to Take Advantage of Free Calling in Gmail Google Voice has handy recording function, but whenever you enable it (hit 4 to start and finish recording), Google Voice announces "This call is now being recorded." Prefer to record a conversation surreptitiously? Calling from Gmail puts the audio on your computer, where you can use any number of tools to record your system audio on-the-sly. (For example, despite what I thought at the time, Whitson later told me he wasn't aware I was recording the call in the video above.) File this under the know-your-state-laws category.

Prank Time

Speaking of neat things you can do now that your computer hardware is accessible for both inputs and outputs, consider this: If you set your onboard system audio as your default input device rather than a microphone, you can, say, play the caller a little song. That's maybe a little boring. On the other hand, it's even easier to navigate to your favorite prank call soundboard and have a little fun.

Make Free Calls Anywhere You've Got Free Wi-Fi

Your mileage may vary on this one, but anywhere you've got your laptop and free Wi-Fi—like, say, any Starbucks in the U.S.—you can fire up a free phone call to anyone in the U.S. or Canada and chat away. There's a good chance that many free Wi-Fi hotspots don't provide you with enough bandwidth to make high enough quality calls, but if you're desperate to save on minutes (or just don't have a phone handy), it's worth a try.

http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/business_services/publications_and_forms/llc.html

The first thing to understand about Duns and Bradstreet (D&B, DnB), is that you do not HAVE to buy anything to receive a Paydex. D&B will tell you otherwise but it is not true.

The first thing to do is get a D&B number and this can be done through three ways:
First you can go online and get a number for free. It will take 30 days to get the number. It has been some people�s experience that they do not get a number after 30 days and when contacting D&B they say �all you are applying for is a marketing number and you have to buy creditbuilder.� This is not true.
Second, you can call 866-705-5711 and state you are applying for federal grants/contracts and you need a duns number. They will give it to you on the spot with no solicitations.
Finally you can purchase creditbuilder which will include a duns number and you also will get the number right away. Also if you speak to a rep on the phone they sometimes give you the option of buying creditbuilder lite. This can be different prices as it is not listed on the website but others have paid $199 or $250 for it.

I myself have gotten my number by stating I am applying for government contracts and got it right away. That is how others on this board have done it as well.

Now that you have a duns number I would suggest whenever you apply for a net 30 or revolving account you include this number on your order form. Start with the credit building vendors like Uline, Viking and Nebs. When you order and pay, they will report to D&B. This is how you will begin to build a credit file.
If you purchase credit builder then they should be adding vendors you have done business with in the past.

Eupdate is the tool you can use to go into your D&B file and see what trades are listed and if you have a paydex and other company information. You have to request a password. You may receive a password or you may receive an email that states �you have to call them so they can help you� It is my experience when you call they will tell you several things which just amount to the bottom line of �you just have a marketing number and you cannot access your file until you buy creditbuilder.� This is also not true. I was unable to get a password until I had trades reporting. Others have been able to get a password right away. Either way we got a password without buying anything. If you buy creditbuilder you should have no problem getting a password.

Once you have your eupdate password you can check your report as well as update you company information. It is suggested that you don�t check eupdate too often or make to many changes too often. This may result in a red flag to D&B and they may lock your file. It is hard to tell what D&B may do but take the side of caution.

Now what D&B has not done as a result of you NOT buying creditbuilder is give you a D&B rating. This is the information of the rating and the chart as found on their site.

The D&B Rating field in a report may also display the following designations when certain conditions are present:
The '- -' Symbol: This represents the absence of a D&B Rating and should not be interpreted as indicating that credit should be denied. It means that the information available to D&B does not permit us to classify the company within our Rating Key and that further inquiry should be made before reaching a credit decision. Some reasons for using the "- -" symbol include: deficit net worth, bankruptcy proceedings, lack of sufficient payment information or incomplete history indicator.
DS (DUNS Support): This indicates that the information available to D&B does not permit us to classify the company within our Rating Key. When ordering these reports, an investigation can be performed and results sent to you at your request for an additional fee.
INV (Investigation Being Conducted): When an "INV" appears, it means an investigation is being conducted on this business to get the most current details.
NQ (Not Quoted): This is generally assigned when a business has been confirmed as no longer active at the location, or when D & B is unable to confirm active operations. It may also appear on some branch reports, when the branch is located in the same city as the headquarters.
Rating Classification Composite Credit Appraisal
(Based on Worth from Interim or Fiscal Balance Sheet) High Good Fair Limited
5A $50,000,000 and over 1 2 3 4
4A 10,000,000 to 49,999,999 1 2 3 4
3A 1,000,000 to 9,999,999 1 2 3 4
2A 750,000 to 999,999 1 2 3 4
1A 500,000 to 749,999 1 2 3 4
BA 300,000 to 499,999 1 2 3 4
BB 200,000 to 299,999 1 2 3 4
CB 125,000 to 199,999 1 2 3 4
CC 75,000 to 124,999 1 2 3 4
DC 50,000 to 74,999 1 2 3 4
DD 35,000 to 49,999 1 2 3 4
EE 20,000 to 34,999 1 2 3 4
FF 10,000 to 19,999 1 2 3 4
GG 5,000 to 9,999 1 2 3 4
HH up to 4,999 1 2 3 4

Rating Classification Composite Credit Appraisal
Based on Number of Employees) Good Fair Limited
1R 10 and over 2 3 4
2R 1 to 9 2 3 4

Key To Employee Range
Applicable to lines of business not covered by the D&B Rating system
ER1 1,000 or more
ER2 500-999
ER3 100-499
ER4 50-99
ER5 20-49
ER6 10-19
ER7 5-9
ER8 1-4
ERN Not Available

Some people have gotten this information without paying for something. But this information is different from a Paydex. The Paydex is what is important when applying for credit.

PAYDEX� Score
The PAYDEX Score is D&B's unique dollar-weighted numerical indicator of how a firm paid its bills over the past year, based on trade experiences reported to D&B by various vendors. The D&B PAYDEX Score ranges from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating better payment performance.
Key to the D&B PAYDEX� Score
PAYDEX Payment
100 Anticipate
90 Discount
80 Prompt
70 15 Days Beyond Terms
60 22 Days Beyond Terms
50 30 Days Beyond Terms
40 60 Days Beyond Terms
20 90 Days Beyond Terms
20 120 Days Beyond Terms
UN Unavailable

A paydex can be obtained without buying anything. The truth of the matter is it will take time. For me it took 3 and a half months. Others depending on your spending have gotten it quicker. With creditbuilder you can obtain your paydex faster.

It seems that D&B updates their information Saturday nights. So if you want to check its best to do so on Sunday as that should be the current information they have. If it is it�s a different story, but it should be.

D&B will call you after you get your number and try to sell you something. They will tell you your number is no good and that you will not have a credit file. They may deny you a password to eupdate. Even if you get in the file there may be information that is missing or wrong. It is suggested you call a rep and make changes and they will still try to sell you something. Be patient. Place your orders and pay the bills. The trades will show up and once you get four of five you will get a Paydex.

This is the basic of building the D&B file. I hope this answers a lot of questions that come up.