Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Early spring weather winter-like along Eastern US

NEW YORK (AP) -- A strong low pressure system developed along the Eastern Seaboard Tuesday.

Winter storm warnings and winter weather las vegas advisories were issued across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast, while blizzard warnings were issued in eastern Maine.

This system brought heavy rain to the southern Mid-Atlantic, while snow showers developed over the central Appalachians and the northern Mid-Atlantic.

Hilton Head Island, S.C., reported a midday total of 0.73 inches of rain, while Bedford, Va., reported a midday total of 4.50 inches of snow. To the south, thunderstorms formed over central Florida as a cold frontal boundary moved across the state. Key West NAF, Fla., reported a midday total of 2.12 inches of rain, while Miami, Fla., reported a midday total of 1.63 inches.

The central portion of the country stayed mostly clear of precipitation due to a ridge of high pressure across the region. Temperatures remained 20 to 30 degrees below normal across the northern Plains and the upper Midwest, as Waskish, Minn., recorded a morning low of -11 degrees.

Meanwhile, a cold frontal boundary inched eastward over the West Coast. This system brought rainy weather to Washington state, Oregon and northern California. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories were issued across the Sierra Nevadas today as this frontal boundary approached the area.

©2014 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Microsoft Offers $100 Discount On Select PCs To Windows XP Users Willing To Upgrade

<Amazon Deal Onlineimg src="http://main.makeuseoflimited.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Microsoft-Store-840x420.jpg">

The death of Microsoft XP is a few weeks away. The Redmond based company has offered customers $100 in store credit if they upgrade from Windows XP to the newer Windows 8.1 computer. Customers can make the purchase from Microsoft's online store and its retail outlets in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. The offer is valid till 15th June or till stocks last and is limited to one device per person.

The discounted deal comes packaged with 90 days of free technical support. Qualifying customers will also get a free Laplink data transfer service. The software helps to automatically transfers data from a Windows XP PC to one powered by Windows 8.1.

Before you queue up, there are several important caveats to keep in mind. The $100 credit deal is limited to computers and laptops in the price bracket of $599 to $2,299. No discounts are on offer for devices below that price band. You can view the complete list of eligible PCs on the online store. It includes Surface Pro 2 tablets (64 GB onwards) and computers from the Dell, HP, Asus, Lenovo, and Samsung stables. It is only for genuine Windows XP users and they will have to verify that they are currently using a Windows XP machine.

If you are saddled with an old machine and are thinking of an upgrade, $100 is a nice bundle of savings. You also move up to a more modern computer ahead of April 8, when the company releases its final security updates for the 13 year old operating system.

Is it a deal worth considering if you are in the U.S.? Is it a promotional carrot you would rather ignore?

Source: The Next Web | Image Credit: Collins (Wikimedia Commons) Check out more about: microsoft, windows 8, windows xp

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Pixely Roguelike 'Quest of Dungeons' is Now Available

<Discountp>You might have noticed lately, especially if you followed our GDC coverage last week, that pixely dungeon crawlers are so hot right now. Back in January, we told you about a new one called , which appeared to be a very straightforward roguelike with a nice sense of humor and a great look. Well, if you've been looking forward to it, Quest of Dungeons [$1.99] officially launched in the App Store yesterday. Here's the trailer.

Based on the early impressions in our forums and my own brief time with the game, Quest of Dungeons is pretty much what I expected it to be, a straightforward dungeon crawler. It's not heavy on features or any massive changes to the roguelike formula, but it's a ton of fun. There's four different characters to play with, plenty of loot to find, and lots of dungeon space to explore. I also really love how quick the character movement is, as sometimes these types of games can be a bit too slow for my taste.

If you're interested in a new dungeon crawler, for a couple of bucks Quest of Dungeons should fit that bill nicely for you.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

LI couple's discount health card business faces tough market

Deborah and Charles Eisenson believe their business has success written all over it -- yet they haven't generated a cent two years after starting it.

The St. James couple has invested about $55,000 in developing, as well as countless hours tweaking, two websites to market their venture -- a free card that offers discounts not only on vision, hearing, dental and veterinary services but also on prescriptions for people and pets. Cards can be downloaded from one of the sites, healthcard4free.com, which was launched in January.

How the card works

Retired dentists, Deborah, 57, and Charles, 58, shared a practice in Brentwood for 25 years before selling it in 2008 and starting their home-based company, Review Health Card LLC. Their firm distributes the freebie discount cards on behalf of a third-party marketing firm that has access to networks of participating independent and chain drugstores and health care providers nationwide.

The marketing firm has agreed to pay the Eisensons only when the card is used for prescriptions -- at a rate of 50 cents to $1 per prescription, depending on the volume of medicines purchased per month.

"The challenge is getting over the hurdle of 'It's too good to be true,' " said Charles Eisenson, noting that people mistakenly think the card is a scam. Discounts range from 20 to 75 percent, depending upon the treatment or drug, and can result in a lower price than an insurance co-payment for meds, he said.

Overcoming skepticism

But experts said the card has several things going against it.

Discounted meds and health care services are hardly unique, with Target and Wal-Mart selling $4 generic drugs and Groupon-type deals, including for optical services, proliferating on the web, said Joel R. Evans, distinguished professor of business at Hofstra University's Frank G. Zarb School of Business.

"You do a Google search and can find almost anything," Evans said.

Skepticism about participating providers could also hurt the card, he said. The discount makes health care professionals seem "desperate for more business."

To counteract such cynicism, the Eisensons' website should feature doctors' credentials and more patient testimonials, Evans suggested, adding, "That's why doctors and dentists put diplomas on the wall."

In response, Charles Eisenson said that "dentists would much rather have a private cash-paying patient with a discount card than an insured patient and be required to wait months for approval and payment."

Phil Smith, who provided the Eisensons with free business advice a year ago and owns PFS Marketing Inc., a digital marketing firm in Hauppauge, recommended selling the card for a nominal fee, such as $5.

"Because it's free, it has no value and [people] don't care about it," he said. A sweepstakes prize -- perhaps a $100 gift card -- would also drive up sign-ups, Smith said.

Eisenson said he is contractually obligated to give the card away, and sweepstakes can be complicated because of different states' legal requirements.

With their experience in treating low-income patients and having a daughter with disabilities, the couple were drawn to a business that could help reduce the public's medical bills, said Eisenson.

They started the venture with a partner and $100,000 in start-up capital from two investors. The partner has since left the business with half the seed money and the investor he brought to the table. The Eisensons are now using their own money to market the card.

Pet cards up next

In 2012, they developed PayUsLessRX.com. But concerned that the name wrongly implied a fee for the cards, the couple launched healthcard4free.com.

So far, they have spent about $3,000 on a third website, PetsRXcard.com, slated for launch next month. The site follows the enthusiastic reception pet-supply store owners and groomers gave the Eisensons when the couple personally distributed stacks of discount cards last month in Manhattan.

"They were thrilled to give out the cards to their clients, because pet insurance is so rare," Eisenson said.

AT A GLANCE

NAME: Lisa Gatti, founder and executive director of Pal-O-Mine Equestrian Inc. in Islandia

WHAT IT DOES: Uses horses to help the disabled learn life skills

STAFF: 7

ANNUAL BUDGET: $1.3 million

Be the first to rate:

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Monday, March 10, 2014

Pinching Pennies! 'Broke' Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Shopping At Discount Store

"When you're born with a silver spoon in your mouth, it's hard to go plastic," poor little rich girl Tori Spelling has said. But as her financial difficulties continue to mount with the closure of her store, InvenTori, the admittedly " broke" star just might be dialing back her out-of-control spending, and only RadarOnline.com has all the details of her new Promotional Codes shopping spot!

Spelling's husband Dean McDermott was spotted picking up groceries for the family on March 7 at Smart and Final, a discount warehouse chain in L.A. As he rolled a cart full of toilet paper, bread, and other groceries out to his car through the crowded parking lot, "He looked miserable," an onlooker who contacted Radar reveals.

PHOTOS: We Told You So! Tori Spelling's Antique Store InvenTORI Goes Out Of Business

In the past, Spelling was usually spotted shopping at chi-chi celeb-friendly grocery store Gelson's Market, or the expensive Malibu farmer's market, but perhaps those days are over for her family.

That's not the only way her retail habits have changed. As Radar has reported, Spelling recently closed the doors to her Sherman Oaks store InvenTori, insisting that she would reopen in another as-yet unnamed location.

Last fall, she opened up for the first time about her financial difficulties in her book, Spelling It Like It Is, writing, "I can't afford to live like this anymore. Our circumstances have changed ... our bank account has taken a major hit."

PHOTOS: Tori Spelling & Dean McDermott Ordered Out Of Their Home

Spelling says real estate missteps took a chunk out of her change. She and McDermott were also served with an order to "pay or quit" their home in January, but they insisted it was a misunderstanding.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

U.S. paper industry get boosted from Shutterfly, Moo, Minted and Amazon.

<Deal Of The Dayp>COHOES, NY-For three generations, Mohawk Fine Papers Inc. ran a mill at the juncture of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers, selling paper to IBM, Exxon Mobil, General Electric and other corporate giants for annual reports.

But as business moved online, company President Thomas D. O'Connor Jr. was left to rescue the firm his grandfather founded 83 years ago in a former Civil War-era ax-handle factory.

Mohawk, the town's largest...

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Famous Smoke Shop Releases New Cigar Promo Codes

Famous Smoke Shop is the Internet's leading online distributor of discounted premium cigars. The company has currently launched a new slate of cigar promo codes to help save customers money when they buy from Famous Smoke Shop.

Easton, PA (PRWEB) March 03, 2014

Famous Smoke Shop is an online distributor of discount premium cigars specializing in offering the web's widest cigar selection, best prices, and expert customer service. The company has just announced its release of new cigar promo codes they will offer. Each Promo Codes is applicable to any order made through Famous-Smoke.com or over the phone at 1-800-564-2486

Starting now, Famous Smoke Shop will be extending coupon offers to all of it's customers to take advantage of free products and instant cash back off their order through the middle of this month. Some of the coupons available are $20 instant cash back on any order over $200, free 6 pack samplers and 5 packs with an order of $125 or more. There are also bonus 5-packs, bonus ashtrays, and even free boxes of cigars with an order, as well as other bonus items. No matter what a customer wants to order, they are able to use a coupon on it to either save money or get free product ranging from La Floridita to Arturo Fuente.

Each order allows customers an opportunity to receive instant cash back of bonus items and every order may be able to include a coupon. This allows customers to customize their orders and get more for the money they spend.

Since the coupons were released, there has been a big splash at Famous Smoke Shop by customers rushing to take advantage of the deals. All of these deals and coupons are available not only on the web but through phone orders as well. People interested in learning more about Famous Smoke Shop's cigar promo codes can call 1-800-564-2486 or log on to Famous-Smoke.com. Customers should be advised that restrictions may apply on particular items. Full restrictions can be easily viewed on the company's website.

About Famous Smoke Shop
Famous Smoke Shop is the nation's #1 discount retailer of premium cigars online, offering one of the largest selections of handmade cigars, machine-made cigars, cigar humidors and accessories. Famous offers the web's lowest prices on a wide selection of cigar brands including Acid, Davidoff, Macanudo, Romeo y Julieta, Ashton, Padron, Oliva and Perdomo cigars, and many more. Famous offers their customers the best prices on all premium cigars as well as friendly and knowledgeable customer service.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/famous-smoke-shop/cigar-discount-codes/prweb11635426.htm