Product Review: RingingPhone.com cellphone ringtones
About the company: “Established in 2002, Ringingphone.com
is one of the nation’s first cell phone ringtone websites. The popular membership-based site also offers customers the option of purchasing ringtones and cell phone wallpapers one at a time, or through a Value Plan, with which users can take advantage of greatly reduced prices. We offer ringtones for AT&T, Cingular, Rogers Wireless, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon cell phones.”
The big pitch: Thousands of ringtones to download to your cell phone, for as low as 47c each!
Ringingphone.com is one of the leading providers of cell phone ringtones, graphics and on-demand wireless information services in North America today, or so the hype says. It offers one of the largest selections of ringtones and graphics, which are broken down into different categories ranging from disco to movie soundtracks, pro wrestling themes to country and western, and everything in between, so
you can quickly find what you're looking for.How are they able to provide customers with this type of service? RingingPhone.com has been able to assemble an array of content and technology partners, as well as a team of world class licensing agents and media partners, and the result of these combined efforts has been the creation of a cell phone content provider that we would describe as the
slightly more buttoned-down, corporate version of Jamster.Here is how it works: First you need to confirm that your cell phone is compatible with their service. Simply download a test ringtone to see if it works, and if it does, you will receive a message to your phone that confirms it. Once you have ordered a subscription plan, a membership is created for you, and you are set to go. Next time you login to the site, you can
pick and choose which tones you want.The cost for the download of the ringtones is $1.99 each, or you can choose the option of the Value Plan, which allows you to purchase
15 downloads for $6.99, a progam that includes ten ringtones and five wallpapers and breaks down to 47c per track, which is more than reasonable.
The Product Trends rating: If you are looking for ringtones or graphics as a way to express your individuality and keep up with the latest cellphone trends, this site is for you. RingingPhone.com can at times be a little slow, but it is updated all of the time, so you constantly have new options to choose from.
Four stars. ---
Reviewed by Denise SeegobinTo try RingingPhone.com for yourself, click the image below:
Product Review: NutriSystem Weight Loss Program
About the company: NutriSystem
, Inc. provides a weight loss program based on quality foods and a nutritionally balanced meal plan; individualized counseling is the core of our commitment that customers always have the privacy, support and knowledge needed to reach and maintain their goal weight.
The big pitch: Purchase a 28-day program and get a free week of food!
I feel ethically responsible to state from the get-go that I am not a believer in diet programs. It is my personal opinion that the only way to maintain good health is by eating a well-balanced diet and exercising as much as possible. That said, I try to be open-minded about sensible solutions to a sensitive subject: losing weight.
The NutriSystem program is based on an established medical principle - the glycemic index. In a nutshell, when your insulin levels spike too quickly, your body tends to convert your food energy into fat. When this happens, you often feel hungry quickly after eating and thus you consume even more calories. By offering foods that contain “good carbs” (ones that do not cause blood sugar to rise quickly) and that are low in fat, the theory goes that you will be more satisfied with a smaller portion of food. And everyone knows that
fewer calories equals fewer pounds.Since the NutriSystem program provides all meals and snacks, you know exactly how many calories that you are consuming. Subscribers can choose from over 100 pre-packaged meals that are delivered directly to your door. The company also offers
vitamins, supplements, and free counseling to help you succeed.There are other programs on the market that offer similar services. Suzanne Somers' ‘Somersize’ program rejects refined sugar (hence the need for ‘SomerSweet’ artificial sweetener) and complex carbohydrates. However, NutriSystem might be more appealing to busy consumers because the
pre-prepared meals take the guess work out of making good food choices.Programs are available for men, women, over-60's, type II diabetics, and vegetarians, and all NutriSystem products can be ordered either online or through the QVC shopping network. A basic four-week package purchased from QVC runs at a cost of $184.25 (including meals for five days - eat what you want on the weekends), and NutriSystem is currently offering a 35-day program for $279.46, including
free shipping.The Product Trends rating: NutriSystem is a little pricey, but the nutritious meals are delivered directly to your door. And hey, what price can you put on good health?
Four stars. ---Reviewed by Teresa WentzTo try NutriSystem for yourself, click the image below:
Product Review: Time-Life Music and Video Products
About the company: “Founded in 1961 as the book division of Time Inc., by 1966, Time-Life
had combined its book offerings with music collections and packaged them as a sturdy box set. Throughout the '70s and '80s, the selection of books, music, and then video grew, diversifying into all genres. Today, Time-Life is one of the world's pre-eminent creators and direct marketers of unique book, music, video/DVD, and multimedia products. The Time-Life name is one of the most recognized and trusted brands in existence today.”
The big pitch: A leader in the sale of music and video products, the Time-Life brand offers great value for quality entertainment products.
You are up late one night watching television and you come across a commercial for Time-Life music or video products, and wanted to order but didn’t get the number down in time. Hey, it happens - but now, Time-Life has created a website that you can visit and review all of the music, videos, and other product that they offer, without the need to dig behind the couch cushions for a pen that works.
How do you find that product you saw on television? Easy - just click on the “
As Seen on TV" icon on the home page, category pages, and product pages throughout the site, to find the products advertised on TV. You can also search for the product that you are looking for by using the empty search box option that appears on every page. Just enter the product name and hit go, and all of the products will come up.
Want to listen to some of the music before purchasing? That option is also available on the site. If your product includes music CDs, you can listen to a
30-second sample of almost any song you choose - just click the song you want and it will play right there on your PC speakers.
Ultimately, Time-Life is
the home of the various artists' box set. With titles such as Legends: Ultimate Rock, Lifetime of Romance, and Classic Soul Ballads, you know pretty quickly what you're in for. I mean, there's just no confusing Superstars of the 80's as being anything more than a collection of songs by the likes of Billy Ocean, Cyndi Lauper, Rick Springfield, Fine Young Cannibals and Huey Lewis and the News. But what may surprise is just how huge these box sets are. The Superstars of the 80's set, for example, boasts discs for every genre - ten of them, in fact. In essence, with just one of these box sets, you could be purchasing enough music to get you from Jacksonville Florida to Spokane Washington without ever hearing the same song twice, or having to fiddle with a radio dial.
The video side of things is even more impressive, with DVDs of entire runs of classic TV shows, from Columbo to Murder She Wrote, Hee Haw to Second City Television. Even better, Time-Life regularly lists items for sale in their 'clearance' department, with prices dropping from the usual $16.99 to as little as $5.99. In addition, if you buy more items, you earn big discounts -
buy 3 and get 10% off, buy 6 and get 15% off, or buy 9 and get a whopping 20% discount. That's great stuff.
Customer Service is a number one priority for Time-Life. They are there for you before, during, and well after your purchase to answer any questions you may have, and to assure you are happy with our products and service. You have three ways of getting to customer service: Call Toll-Free: 1-800-950-7887. Call between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., ET, Monday through Friday, and Saturday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., except holidays. Send an email using the customer service form provided on the website, or if you prefer the age old methods, mail 'em a letter.
If customer service matters to you, then Time-Life has our heartiest recommendation. When I called and asked various questions about the products, they were very helpful and easy to speak with.
The return policy is fair and clear to the customers.
The Product Trends rating: If fast, quick and quality entertainment products are what you are looking for, then Time-Life products are for you.
Five stars. ---
Reviewed by Denise SeegobinTo try Time-Life for yourself, click the image below:
Product Review: Boingo Wireless Internet Access
About the company: "Boingo®
provides software technology and roaming services that help bring the wireless Internet to the masses. The company has assembled a large and rapidly growing roaming system with tens of thousands of hot spot locations under contract around the world.”
The big pitch: Unlimited connect time for a low monthly fee on the easiest-to-use worldwide network of wi-fi hotspots.
Boingo was founded in 2001 by Sky Dayton, previously known as the founder of Earthlink, and has since won countless recognitions as one of today’s best startup companies as well as one of the fastest growing electronic companies on the planet. Boingo’s goal from its onset was to create
the largest network of highspeed hotspots in the world. They are currently growing quite rapidly to offer extended services such as connection software and internet phoning through its partners.
With over 20,000 hotspots around the world it is clear that Boingo is geared toward travellers. They have set themselves up so that a customer can log on to the internet using their laptop or handheld device while at the airport, hotel and even on the airplane. While at any given destination there will often be Boingo hotspots at local cafes, bookstores and even campgrounds. A subscriber to Boingo will only have to
turn on their computer, launch the free software and they’re online.As for the wi-fi networks themselves, Boingo offers download speeds that are 100s of times faster then dial-up. They are constantly increasing access points making it easier and easier to find locations to connect from. For someone who’s always on the go this is
a dream come true.The software they provide is easy enough, though like any software there are posted reports of bugs or users who can’t seem to get it running. It searches for hotspots around you and makes connection a breeze—even if your using it for a network other then Boingo and even in your home. For Boingo subscribers, the software also contains a directory of
worldwide connection points.For the average internet user though, this is all flash. Windows XP users will find connecting to various hotspots is easy enough already and connecting to the internet from your house is all most people need. Those that venture to local coffee shops on occasion can often find free hotspots with ease and some companies have already launched wi-fi services that use advertising for income. One can even find hotels that offer free internet access to their guests. But if what you want is something more secure, vast and reliable, or you are in a business that sends you travelling a lot, then
Boingo is highly worthwhile and will payoff tenfold.Boingo Wireless has received praise from newspapers and ezines around the world.
Their monthy fee of $21.95 is in the ballpark of what regular in-home internet providers charge. They also offer 24hr option for under $10 and have package deals for all sizes of business, which is really where their biggest appeal would come from.
The Product Trends rating: Four stars. An occassional traveler could research their trip and find cheaper alternatives, but if you travel a lot or simply want the best then Boingo Wireless is for you.
---Reviewed by Phil PivnickTo try Boingo for yourself, click the image below:
Product Review: SunRocket internet phone service
About the company: Founded in early 2004, SunRocket
is changing an industry, bringing you new choices, better value, and ultimate control of your home phone service. Powered by the Internet and designed to replace the overpriced, obsolete services from your old phone company, SunRocket Internet Phone Service harnesses your home high-speed connection to deliver a radically better suite of customized features at an amazing value.”
The big pitch: Turn long distance calls into local calls, with no contracts, no hidden fees, and no gotchas.
Everyone has busy lives filled with daily obstacles; reliable phone service should not be one of them. When you travel, you want to be able to make and receive calls without having to think about it. Sun Rocket seems to understand that, and has created Bottom-Line Pricing, so
you pay no more than they say you will, free of hidden charges, add-on fees, and other rude surprises that normally show up on your phone bills monthly.
SunRocket utilizes the new technology of Voice-Over Internet Protocol (VOIP), which takes voice conversations and converts them into data that can be transferred across the World Wide Web. The data is then converted into a signal that the telephone system can deliver at the other end, turning your long distance phone call into a local call. After you connect any touchtone phone to your SunRocket gizmo, make and receive calls to any phone in the world, just like you do with a traditional phone, and
you won't be charged any more than a local call. It’s that simple.
Using this technology, SunRocket passed on these savings to customers so they will never be confused with complicated rate plans, or price increases when you're not looking, or charge outrageous prices whenever you need to place an occasional international call. The concept of local calling zones is removed, so you no longer need to understand confusing boundaries between calls that are free and calls that are not.
Other benefits are also included for customers that you can get with traditional phone services, including:
Enhanced Voicemail: which allows you to manipulate all of your messages and receive instant notification Call Logs: which keeps track of all your calls from your account Find Me: which will automatically call various phone numbers in trying to locate you.These are just a sample of the extensive services that would be available to you with a SunRocket account. The Signature Service includes unlimited calling in the US and Canada, free international minutes, a free extra phone number with the area code of your choice, over 10 enhanced calling features, two free directory assistance calls per month, and a
free Uniden cordless phone worth over $100.If you're unsure of whether this will work for you or not, SunRocket allows customers to
try the service risk-free for 31 days. After that you can cancel the service and receive full credit to your account and never incur a penalty, or you can select your Signature Service; either sign-up for the Annual Edition, or the Monthly Edition. Each option offers the same all-inclusive service, they're just giving the customer more options.
If you have questions, no problem, a 1-800 number is provided so that you can get you answers from a real human being. The only problem is that they are only around from 8am-Midnight, though they are
available seven days a week.The Product Trends rating: SunRocket was named 2005 DigitalLife Innovator by Ziff Davis Media, and we agree with their assessment:
Five stars. If you are looking for the best service and outstanding customer service, with no hidden costs, optional plans and a money back guarantee, then SunRocket is the service for you.
---Reviewed by Denise SeegobinTo try SunRocket for yourself, click the image below:
