However, one company has started a company pulling together various blog articles and publishing it on print.

Dire reports from the world of newspapers and magazines may suggest the printed medium is on its way out, but a new Chicago start-up doesn’t think so. Rather, it’s beta-testing a plan to publish a raft of free print publications in local communities across the US.

With a heavy emphasis on the local, The Printed Blog is an independent outlet that aggregates user-generated content from the internet and publishes it in print. The result is a fully tactile newspaper that reads and functions like a web feed, but that can still be spread across the breakfast table or enjoyed on the train. Bucking the “one-size-fits-all” trend followed by many newspapers, The Printed Blog aims to choose the content of its many local editions to reflect the votes of local readers, who will ultimately be able to express their preferences on its site. Content will include not just blogs but also photographs, puzzles, events, reader comments and other items of local interest. The paper is currently still testing its model, but its first issues are scheduled to hit the streets of Chicago and San Francisco today. It will ultimately be distributed to neighborhood pickup points in A.M. and P.M. editions.

The Printed Blog has already received permission from about 300 bloggers—including the Daily Kos—to publish their work in exchange for a share of ad revenue, according to a report in The New York Times. Some 15 advertisers signed on for the first issue, the NYT reported. The startup reportedly plans to put commercial printers in the homes of its distributors as a way to keep printing costs low.

Have Blogs Made it to the Big Show with Print Publications? is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

Green Irene’s flagship service is its Green Home Makeover, which it offers for USD 99. As part of that service, one of Green Irene’s local eco-consultants will spend 60 to 90 minutes walking through a consumer’s home and developing a customized set of recommendations for saving money, energy and water, and for just living a healthier life. Topics in the inspection include energy and water conservation improvements, alternative energy sources in the area and financial incentives such as tax credits, and consumers also get a 6-month subscription to the company’s Ask Green Irene online service. When it comes time for implementation, Green Irene’s eco-consultants sell many green solutions themselves and can also make referrals to green-minded contractors in the company’s Sustainable Contractor Network. In addition to home makeovers, the company also offers Go Green Workshop parties, “EZ Bulb Swap Outs” and makeovers for offices.

Green Irene provides training and business set-up help for its territory-based network of eco-consultants, each of whom works independently, and is currently recruiting through a separate site. Contractors, meanwhile, are invited to apply for membership in its partner network. One to get in on early…?

Green Home Makeovers
http://www.greenirene.com/

Green Home Makeover Making Life Green for Consumers and Themselves is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

Links Lessons, based in Altamonte Springs, Florida, is a free social network that focuses on improving members’ game. That may be a common goal among enthusiast sites, but Links Lessons goes beyond forums and general professional tips to give members the online equivalent of free, personalized lessons. Members simply upload a video of their swing to the Videos section of the site. There, it is analysed by a real golf professional, who then gives them feedback and advice on improving it. Amateur golfers can also use Links Lessons to interact with their peers, including commenting on each other’s swings and profiles. Professionals, meanwhile, can use the site to gain clients and exposure.

Offering a win-win for both amateurs and pros—not to mention a raft of niche advertising opportunities—Links Lessons was built using Ning, an online service that lets users create, customize and share social networks focused on any topic. How about creating something similar in another part of the world, or for another sport….? (Related: Connecting off the court.)

Website: www.linkslessons.com

New Business Providing Video Golf Lessons for Free is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

Take a look….

Consumers longing to try out the latest mobile devices—whether for fashion or for function—must typically wait for their current contract to expire before trying something new. Aiming to make it possible to sample both more widely and more often, Rentobile provides a wide selection of the latest cell phones for rent on a monthly basis.

Users begin by deciding if they want to become a Rentobile member or simply rent as a guest. Membership rates begin at USD 5 per month; in exchange, members enjoy the site’s lowest rental rates and other privileges. They then browse Rentobile’s collection—including sections for AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon as well as unlocked models—and choose which they’d like to try out first. All models are either new or in like-new condition, Rentobile says, with monthly rental rates beginning at about USD 15. Consumers can rent the device of their choice for as little as a month or as long as they want. A USD 9.95 round-trip shipping charge is assessed up front, so when they’re ready for something new, they simply return the item for free and tell Rentobile what to send next.

Launched last year, New Jersey-based Rentobile brings the Netflix model to cell phones, joining a long list of companies that have already brought it to toys, books and snacks, among other goods. All of which should please transumers, consumers who crave opportunities to experience products without contracts or ownership. One to bring to other parts of the world!

For More Information Go To:

Website: www.rentobile.com

Rentobile Providing New Cell Phones for Rent On a Monthly Basis is a post from: Moolah-Moolah

The AFP reports on Australia’s attempt to pull in tourists by offering “the best job in the world”:

An Australian state has launched a global search for candidates for “the best job in the world” — earning a top salary for lazing around a beautiful tropical island for six months.

In return, the “island caretaker” will be expected to stroll the white sands, soak up the sun, snorkel the reef, “maybe clean the pool” — and report to a global audience via weekly blogs, photo diaries and video updates.

(An official) said the campaign was part of a drive to protect the state’s 18 billion Australian dollar a year tourism industry during the tough economic climate caused by the global financial meltdown.

Candidates can apply until February 22 at this site: http://www.islandreefjob.com/en/.

The island is called Hamilton Island, and it is located on the Great Barrier Reef.

It looks like the bad global economy gave even more economic potential to the online publicity machine. In better days, this news would have been anecdotal. Now, people are taking it really darn seriously. Understandably, the website has been down for a while.

Sign me up!

read the full article

Australia Offers Best Blogging Job Ever is a post from: Moolah-Moolah