2 Million iPhone Wine Recommendations

iPhone App Makes 2 Million Wine Recommendations in First 6 Months

Hello Vino provides wine recommendations to consumers at the point of purchase through its free iPhone app and mobile Web sites.

Modesto, CA, December 04, 2009 -- The free Hello Vino iPhone app has served over 2 million wine brand recommendations to consumers since its release in June, 2009. Current trends indicate a 20% increase in recommendations each month, with tremendous 250% growth in the month of November due to Thanksgiving-related activity. December is expected to surpass previous performance due to the upcoming holidays.

Hello Vino has also launched its new advertising program, connecting brand-specific wine recommendations to consumers. The program is free for wineries to enter their wines into the Hello Vino database, which will be served to consumers at random. Wineries can then choose to purchase premium placement for their wines on a cost-per-click basis. The Hello Vino service is free to consumers and is available on any cell phone through an iPhone app, mobile Web site or text messaging.

The new brand advertising program offers wineries a highly targeted, simple to use self-service system with direct access to wine consumers. Designed to support wineries of all sizes, the program, its specifications and reporting tools are available to winery representatives on the Hello Vino Web site at http://www.HelloVino.com.

Hello Vino ranks #1 on the 5 Must-Have iPhone Apps for Wine Lovers on Mashable.com and #1 on the Top 50 Wine iPhone Apps report by Vintank, a digital think tank for the wine industry. Hello Vino offers brand recommendations with the vintage, price, winery, region, notes, reviews and industry scores (when applicable). Over 300 varietal styles are currently available to consumers searching for wine pairings, gifts, or by taste, flavor, or region.

"Hello Vino has carefully built a service to address the needs and concerns of consumers making wine purchases, and at the same time, provided a viable point of sale option for wineries in the mobile space," said Jim McNamee, co-founder and Marketing Manager.

With a growing number of iPhones being sold (7MM in Q4 2009, 33MM to date, according to Apple), Hello Vino offers both mobile advertising opportunities for brands and an intuitive, user-friendly resource for consumers. Available on iTunes, Hello Vino version 1.1 contains new features, including the ability to share pairings and wine brands to consumers' social networks through Twitter and Facebook, allowing for greater brand exposure.

About Hello Vino:

Hello Vino delivers wine recommendations to PCs and mobile phones, providing wine consumers with the perfect bottle for a meal, occasion, or gift. The free service is available on any cell phone through a mobile Web site, free iPhone app, or text messaging service.

Hello Vino launched its Web site (HelloVino.com) and mobile wine pairing service at the Boston Wine Expo on January 24, 2009. More information, including video demonstrations and photos, is available at http://www.HelloVino.com.

Contact:
Jim McNamee, Marketing Manager
jim@hellovino.com
(978) 808-6006
www.HelloVino.com

Contact Information
Hello Vino, LLC
Jim McNamee, Marketing Manager
978-808-6006
jim@hellovino.com
www.hellovino.com

User Safe iPhone Application

 iTravelAlert: The iPhone Application That Keeps Its Users Safe While Traveling

iTravelAlert is designed to provide its users with essential information on current travel warnings, disease outbreaks and more.

Panama City, Panama, December 17, 2009 -- iTravelAlert, E-MAGINE's first iPhone app, has been officially launched. E-MAGINE developed iTravelAlert to provide millions of iPhone and iPod Touch users with essential travel and health information, keeping them informed and safe. Suggested vaccinations, disease outbreak news, current travel alerts and warnings can all easily be accessed through this application. iTravelAlert is currently the only app that offers full real-time information and news on international travel safety and health. http://www.itravelalert.com

In the past, traveling was carefree but times have changed. Now the fear of terror attacks and pandemic outbreaks leave even the most seasoned traveler feeling insecure. iTravelAlert give its users peace of mind to focus on business or pleasure.

"iTravelAlert is not just for business executives or frequent travelers who want to be informed about current threats around the world, but also for families and friends who want to stay on top of what's happening in countries where their loved ones are traveling or living," said Josef Holm, CEO of E-MAGINE.

The iTravelAlert app offers the following features:
· Homeland Security News
· Emergency and Disaster News
· H1N1 Pandemic News
· Disease Outbreak News
· Avian Influenza News
· Current Travel Alerts
· Current Travel Warnings

iTravelAlert acquires all of its information from the most serious sources, such as the World Health Organization and the Department of Homeland Security. All news feeds are in real time, insuring that iTravelAlert is always up to date.

Now anybody with an iPhone or iPod Touch can stay thoroughly informed about secure traveling whenever they go anywhere in the world. The app is now available in the iTunes App Store, for USD $1.99. It can easily be found by searching for "Travel Alert." To check out the application go to http://www.itravelalert.com.

About E-MAGINE:
The E-MAGINE group is a privately owned, international information technology and business development agency with a strong focus on research and innovation.

E-MAGINE offers custom solutions, which are specifically tailored after the individual specifications of their clients.
http://www.e-magine.com

Contact Information
E-MAGINE
Claudia Stehli
0041786743232
pr@e-magine.com
http://www.itravelalert.com

Launch of National Moving Month

National Moving Month Launched in Australia

The busiest month for home moves celebrated by the launch of the first 'National Moving Month' by Citymove, with an exciting new competition to mark it.

Sydney, Australia, November 28 -- A study by Citymove has determined that December is usually the busiest month for home relocations as people rush to begin their new lives in their new home in time for the New Year, creating a fresh start across the board. With this in mind, Citymove have decided to launch 'National Moving Month'.

To mark the start of the month and to coincide with a giveaway launched in conjunction with National Moving Month, new research has been released by Citymove, discovering some of the more bizarre requests made by customers when organising removal services.

The strangest thing ever moved by Citymove was a four tonne truck full of single service handy wipes. James Wheeler, director of Citymove said: "The wipes were the kind you get when buying chicken from a fast food place, like baby wipes. Except these were being rebranded by someone and then being handed out to the prostitutes in Kings Cross for them to use after...servicing clients."

Among the many other things Citymove have relocated, customers have made requests to move:
· A small goldfish bowl (using a four tonne truck)
· 25kg of Ice cream from Sydney to Brisbane in an unrefrigerated lorry (costing $550)
· A car between states, with a dog on the backseat. (Alive, more biting than kicking)
· Australia's largest floor tiles, with each measuring 3mx2m.

However, the strangest request made to Citymove according to James was repeatedly made. "We actually had a six month period of regular phone calls from someone who always wanted to hire two 'fit and muscular men' to move one small box from one room to another. After much questioning we found out it was a drag queen looking to book herself a private show!"

The exciting giveaway Citymove is launching relates to this research. They want to find out from people, their weird and wonderful moving stories. People may visit www.nationalmovingmonth.org and send in a story, leave an email address and Citymove will be in touch to give everyone who enters a $50 voucher off their next relocation with Citymove, making sure everyone wins. For further information or interviews, contact marketing coordinator Adam Robinson either by email adam.robinson@citymove.com.au or call 1300 72 9994. Visit www.nationalmovingmonth.org throughout the month for further details on the competition, informative articles on home moves and much more.

About Citymove
Citymove have been in operation for ten years and move over 25,000 people annually. Citymove operate in all major Australian cities and handle both local and interstate moves.

Contact Information
Citymove
Adam Robinson
1300 72 9994
adam.robinson@citymove.com.au
http://www.citymove.com.au/cms/

 

Fashion Jewelry Holiday Sample Sale

Janna Conner - Holiday Sample Sale - Fashion Jewelry

Janna Conner Designs is celebrating the Holidays with a sample sale up to 70% off this Friday - Saturday at their Downtown L.A. Design Studio.

Los Angeles, CA, December 11, 2009 -- Janna Conner Designs is celebrating the Holidays with a sample sale up to 70% off their jewelry this Friday - Saturday at their Downtown L.A. Design Studio.

For two days only, draped chain necklaces, swarovski crystal earrings, semi precious bracelets, enamel studded cuffs and all kinds of jewelry samples will be available for sale.

Founded in 1999, Janna Conner Designs has been committed to the creation of beautiful and wearable pieces of jewelry. Each piece is carefully hand-crafted in Janna Conner's Los Angeles design studio, using only the highest quality semi-precious stones, and natural minerals.

Her jewelry line is carried nationwide at the finest boutiques like Kitson, Fred Segal and Henri Bendels.

www.jannaconner.com
www.facebook.com/jannaconnerdesigns

Friday, December 11, 2009: 9 am to 5 pm
Saturday, December 12, 2009: 11 am to 4 pm
Metered street parking.

Cash/VISA/AMEX/MC Accepted.

Janna Conner Designs
155 W. Washington Blvd.
Suite 208
Los Angeles, Ca 90015
213.741.2137

Newspaper Turns Up Heat On Car Soup

Star Tribune Partners with CarSoup.com

CarSoup.com and Star Tribune Create Online and Sales Partnership.

Minneapolis, MN, November 15, 2009 -- The Star Tribune and CarSoup.com, two local market leaders in automotive advertising services, have entered into a partnership agreement designed to leverage the two companies' strengths in the Twin Cities market.

CarSoup.com, which connects buyers and sellers of car and power sports recreational vehicles through its state-of- the-art website, will become the Star Tribune's automotive web platform, replacing the current StarTribune.com/cars site. In turn, the Star Tribune will become the local sales arm for CarSoup.com products and services in the Twin Cities metro area for both dealership and for-sale-by-owner advertising.

Under the terms of the partnership, beginning Dec. 1, 2009, consumers will be able to access CarSoup.com vehicle listings and products through StarTribune.com, as well as through KMSP-TV's Myfox9.com and CarSoup.com directly. CarSoup.com offers consumers extensive new and used vehicle search capabilities, service coupons and specials from local businesses, vehicle research data and financing pre-approval options.

"We are very excited about the potential of this partnership," said Jamie Flaws, vice president of classified advertising at the Star Tribune. "The Star Tribune benefits from CarSoup's well-known brand, outstanding technology and exceptional automotive website, and CarSoup benefits from the Star Tribune's strong sales force, promotional power and extensive market reach."

"This is a natural pairing of two great brands, "said Larry Cuneo, CEO and founder of CarSoup.com and president of Cuneo Advertising. "We fully expect that both CarSoup and Star Tribune will grow market share as we work together to expand user and advertiser relationships."

CarSoup.com was founded in the Twin Cities in 1998 and is ranked among the top 15 Minnesota e-commerce companies. It now operates in 40 states and serves more than 20 million page views monthly.

The Star Tribune and StarTribune.com combined reach more than two-thirds of the Twin Cities market over the course of a month. StarTribune.com is the leading local news and information website in the market, with more than 85 million page views and almost six million unique visitors monthly.

Looking to post an ad on CarSoup? Become our fan on Facebook to stay tuned to exclusive deals for our fans.

Contact Information
CarSoup.com
Nick Cybela
(866) 768-7411
ncybela@cuneoadvertising.com
www.carsoup.com

Get Married Magazine

Get Married

by Tanya Irwin , Friday, November 13, 2009
Condé Nast recently shuttered Elegant Bride and Modern Bride. How can a new bridal magazine possibly survive in these trying times? Get Married is hoping to carve out a niche by focusing on being "the new shopping and trend guide for the savvy bride."

One forward-thinking aspect to the magazine is the Microsoft Tags, which offer the ability to instantly shop for the wedding products featured on its pages. Via the Tags, brides can connect instantly to Web sites, videos, images and information directly on Web-enabled mobile devices. Note to advertisers: The Tags enable the ability to track campaign success via impressions.

Even without the tags, the magazine has partnered with many of the biggest brands in the bridal business. Nearly 80% of the magazine products are available in its online wedding shop (shop.getmarried.com). The cover includes a blurb for a 10% off coupon for the shop.

The magazine includes editorial features on real brides, wedding professionals and experts, plus an array of trend roundups and product profiles. The "What's Hot" section acknowledges that brides have individual tastes and doesn't try to push a cookie-cutter, "one style fits all" wedding theme. Each page showcases a style, including the "Jackie O," "urban cowgirl," "beachy clean," "pink princess" and "preppy grey and yellow." There are a lot of clever and whimsical items for each theme, such as invitations, guest favors, cakes and dresses.

Although the magazine specifically defines itself as being aimed at budget-conscious brides, there's also a fair number of do-it-yourself projects that will appeal to anyone who would welcome some cost-cutting for their big day. The cover photo of the inaugural issue is of a place setting with an ornately decorated guest favor that brides can make themselves. A DIY wedding story shows two tables with items that brides can put together without the help of a party planner or interior designer.

A four-page spread on invitation styles provides lots of eye candy with "fanciful and vibrant"' examples. These are a far cry from the boring and bland invites that were standard fare 14 years ago when I got married. Rebel that I am, I made my own invites. Nowadays I'd be perfectly happy to pick any one of these. Hmmm, I wonder if a 15-year commitment ceremony might be in my future.

In "Real Weddings," couples who have already tied the knot are featured each month.This issue focused on one of the contestants in NBC's "The Biggest Loser" as well as several non-celebrity couples. The stories are sweet, focusing not only on the weddings but how the couples met and how the husband-to-be popped the question.

One standing feature, "Destination Hotspot," spotlights locations that could be considered for a wedding or honeymoon. Of course, this is a great place in the magazine to sell lots of travel-related ads. Hmmm, maybe this magazine will be around a while.

MAG STATS

Published by: Get Married Media

Frequency: Quarterly

Web site: www.getmarried.com

Post your response to the public Magazine Rack blog.

See what others are saying on the Magazine Rack blog.
Irwin can be reached at tanya@mediapost.com.

Magazine Rack for Friday, November 13, 2009:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=117392

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Cash for Gold Craze

A Jewelers Perspective on the Cash for Gold Craze

5 tips on how not to get ripped off selling your old gold jewelry.

Ashland, OR, August 07, 2009 -- Is there value to consumers in taking advantage of the ubiquitous cash for gold promotions? An industry expert weighs in. Recently the media has been flooded with advertisements encouraging consumers to cash in on their gold jewelry. Even sign-swingers can be seen on busy street corners waving passerby's into pawn shops with the promise of "top dollar" for gold chains, class rings, outdated-looking pendants, etc. Unfortunately, according to the business news website MarketWatch.com, consumers may be getting gored on gold prices. And, there are plenty of complaints and cries of scam posted on the Net. Certainly sellers need to be wary - they're probably getting short-changed. With the price of gold hovering close to $1,000 and ounce, what exactly does "top dollar" mean? Who makes the determination?

"People simply don't know if their being low-balled on the overall value of their jewelry", according to 30-year veteran of the fine jewelry industry, Ron Hansen of GoldAndGems.com Fine Jewelry. "If you find yourself financially-strapped and truly need to convert your jewelry to its cash value, your best bet is to take the items to your local jeweler." A full-service jewelry store typically is a member of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) - the industry's guardian of ethics and integrity. Here are JVC's tips for selling gold jewelry.

Tips for Selling Gold Jewelry

1. Choose a reputable jeweler, someone that's known to you or has been recommended by a trusted source. Preferably, select a jeweler that's a member of the Jewelers Vigilance Committee.

2. Set off on your expedition with reasonable expectations. When you bought the jewelry you paid for more than the value of the gold. The price included labor, packaging and the retail mark-up of the item. The jeweler will only pay you for the actual gold in an object. Since gold is always blended with other metals to make jewelry, expect that a substantial percentage of the object is made of something other than gold.

3. Don't expect to be paid for the non-gold component of the jewelry. The jeweler may conduct a test to determine how much gold is in the jewelry - known in the trade as its "karat fineness." This is called a "scratch" or "acid" test. Expect the jeweler to actually scratch the gold to conduct the test.

4. The price offered to you by the jeweler may not be the market price of gold that day. Prices are not regulated, so the parties are free to negotiate a price that's acceptable to both sides.

5. Bring a form of government issued identification. Some jewelers are also required by anti-money laundering laws to obtain seller identification.

With rare exceptions, it's unlikely that weight value will come anywhere close to the original cost of the item. If you're not completely cash-strapped, but simply tempted by the relentless media push to empty your jewelry box, then ask yourself if you truly want to sell something as scrap that at one time held some sentiment for you. Talk to your jeweler about redesigning or refurbishing your outdated treasures.

A certified jeweler is highly skilled at appraisal, design consultation, model making, carving, metallurgy, filing, burnishing, polishing, gem-setting and much more. With a fine jeweler's touch, almost any unwanted jewelry becomes valuable again and saves you the hassle of selling your old gold jewelry.

Contact Information
============================
Gold and Gems Fine Jewelry
Ron Hansen
541-488-2753
web@goldandgems.com
http://www.goldandgems.com/

Gold and Gems Fine Jewelry
25 N. Main St,
Ashland, Oregon 97520
877.917.8477