I am looking to hire as soon as possible.

Technorati.com is a popular blog search engine. It can be extremely effective because searches are focuses primarily on the blogosphere.

It is a good tool for avid blog readers and those with blogs. Readers can have a one stop search to find articles on their favorite topics. Technorati, which reach over 100 million users monthly, is useful for bloggers because it adds an additional reasource and opportuntiy for your blog to be found.

TweakYourLife recently signed up with Technorati and thought it would be fitting to write this article about how we went about adding our site to the large search engine.

How Technorati Works:

• Technorati for bloggers has a rating system that is based on linking behavior. It is called Technorati Authority
• Technorati Authority basically measure a blogs ranking in the blogosphere.
• Authority is decided based on a blog’s links and associated data over a certain period of time.
• Blog’s that has more outside links and data pointing to blog will fare better on Technorati Rank.
• Technorati Rank is how that individual blog compares to all sites that Technorati indexes.
• Long story short, the more links to your site, the more popular your site…The higher your rank. Seems pretty simple.

How To Add Your Blog To Technorati:

1. Visit http://technorati.com
2. Click on the Join link at the top of the site. (If you are already a member, then Sign In)
3. Enter the required information.
4. After submitting, an email will be instantly sent to you. Verify or confirm your account.
5. Login and go to your account.
6. Scroll down to ‘My claimed blogs’ and enter your blog URL and hit claim.
7. Enter the required information and hit Join.
8. An important claim token will be emailed to you. TweakYourLife’s claim token is “THDAB33XZXD6″. You will have to put your claim code within a new blog post for Technorati to verify. Or you can go to ‘Check Claim’ in your Technorati account to view the claim token.
   
9. When the post is published, alert Technorati by clicking “Check Claim” in accounts, then click then “Verify Claim Token”.
   
10. I recommend putting the code at the top of your blog post. (As we have done)
11. Once you verify that you claim token has been added they will automatically crawl and check for the token.  Once it is found your site will go under review for approval.

This past week (November 6th) Kik announced that it reached 1 million users. This is pretty amazing considering it relaunched the messenger client 15 days prior. While this rapid growth shows Kik’s promise and potential to become a favorite app among smartphone users some questions still remain unanswered. Will Kik be able to make Blackberry lovers breakup with BBM? This is no simple task, if any of you have friends that are ‘Crackberry’ fanatics you know how they react if you think of negatively referencing Blackberry. While this article compares Kik to BBM, we must understand that Blackberry users are severely loyal. I for one still have somewhat trouble understanding, though I have never owned a Blackberry.

What is with the Blackberry/BBM Colt?:
While Kik usage is growing by leaps and bounds, no one can deny the love that users have for Blackberry & BBM. I have the Android based Evo 4G. Besides battery life, I am convinced it is the best phone available in the US. Personally, I am 6’5 and a former college basketball player. One of my thumbs literally takes up 60-70% of a Blackberry keyboard. Sometimes I feel like I can hardly use an iPhone. Lol. So using a blackberry is physically uncomfortable for me. But in an unbiased opinion (um…I think its unbiased), the OS and platform is just inferior to iPhone and Android. I just do not understand why BB users are so in love with their devices and especially BBM. But I cannot deny it amazes me how many people I see swear by BBM. I am 24 and the majority of my friends act like I’m a fool for adoring my Evo 4G. I can argue that the phone is better. But I never have much to say when they bring up BBM. Because I have never tried it I don’t know what to say or argue. All I can tell you is the only other instances I’ve seen people love something so strongly is back in the day AOL instant messenger & Facebook 3 or 4 years ago.

I may have never used BBM personally and fully understand how its the best thing since sliced bread, but I am well aware of its features and reasons my peers say they use/love it.

Reasons I am told my friends love BBM:

• BBM is like an exclusive club.  A club that is cooler than the AIM, Gtalk, etc. clubs. Some of my friends act like I and others in our group don’t exist because we can’t communicate through BBM. I am only half joking. Lol.
• Quickness – They say it is so quick and easy to message someone over BBM. Open it and *BOOM* message can be sent. No lag like other IM clients
• Broadcast Messages & Group Chat – You are not limited to just messaging one person. You can send a quick message out to all with ease.
• Emotion icons -Everyone just loves them. On Facebook & Twitter I always see statuses then in parenthesis (*BBM Face).
• No Text Limit – can write as long of a message as you want without worrying about character limits.
• Can send pics and files to someone quickly
• Doesn’t require sign up
• BBM has delivery & read notifications. You don’t have to worry about whether or not your message was received.
• Can scan BBM pin’s through QR barcodes.
• You can have statuses for everyone to view.
• Its Just Faster-I was told its plays a major factor that BBM comes with Blackberry phones and there is no need to install it. For this reason it is just much quicker than other apps. They say doing anything on BBM is just effortless compared to other apps & clients.
• Final Reason-All the reasons its used on top of it just being available without having to go out of your way makes them love it. Or so they say.

Sidebar: I will agree that these are all valid reasons to love using BBM. However, don’t most other IM clients have many of these features (give or take a feature or two) besides being exclusive for certain devices? I haven’t even begun to mention Kik’s features yet. LOL this is not a boycott or bash BBM post, I am honestly just trying to understand, because I haven’t and cannot use BBM. I am just going by what I have been told.

With that said Kik now has come into the picture. While I am unfamiliar with Blackberry, I tried Kik this week and have gotten a good feel for the program. The general idea behind Kik is that it is cross platform and not limited to just BBM. Many are calling it a BBM for Android or BBM for iPhone. I’ve even saw a reference on Twitter, “The New BBM for Blackberry”. From what I know about Blackberry Messenger, I would have to agree. Being one of the newer mobile IM clients it is missing some features that BBM has, but it has great potential. I am sure Kik is working extremely hard to add many new features to it’s arsenal. There are a few big questions that have been making way around the net. Are its current features enough to sustain popularity and growth? Can Kik add features before users get bored? Does Kik have what it takes to be a BBM replacement (BBM Killer)? Will users switch over and use Kik as their main way to mobile IM?

Kik Messenger Features:

• Available on Blackberry, iPhone, iPod Touch and Android. As it grows it should move onto other platforms.
• Automatically Connects All Phone Contacts – This was quite interesting to me. I was very happy that I did not have to manually add anyone. It took everyone from my phonebook, email contacts, and I think even Facebook contacts. All my contacts that are using Kik were sent a message letting them know I now was using the program. It also sent me messages letting me know who in my contacts had Kik. Everytime a new Kik member uses the program for the first time and they one of my contacts, I am notified…Very convenient.
• No character limit
• Uses Screen names Not Pins – This is much easier to remember when adding contacts
• Contact Backups? – I always see FB & Twitter statuses of people requesting everyone’s BBM. Talking about how their contacts were erased. If Kin can get rid of this then this is a major plus. (I probably should have researched it and tested it out, but did not want to take the chance. Sorry readers.)
• Message sent, delivered, and read notifications – A loved BBM feature.
• Can Switch Platforms – If you prefer Kik over BBM, then you are not restricted to only Blackberry devices. You can freely switch from a Blackberry to an iPhone, back to a Blackberry, then to Android. I can’t tell you how many friends I know would like to test out other kinds of phones but don’t want to leave because of BBM. If they move to Kik that is not a problem.
• Catch Up With Old Friends – by automatically adding my contacts and notifying me they were on Kik I had 3 conversations with people that I haven’t spoken to in years. I enjoyed this. This may have more to do with me having a limited list of contacts and being reminded of each other than anything else. But it was still nice.
• *If I have missed any features, please let me know below in the comments and I will add them.

When comparing these features it really is too early to tell if Kik will be able to takeover and surpass Blackberry Messenger. Only time will tell. Judging from this past week, it sure has the potential to do so. Everyday 4 or 5 more people are added to my Kik list. What is the reason for this huge Kik trend? There are two main reasons for the growth. Non blackberry owners are ecstatic to be able to have a BBM type program (I know that’s why I signed up), and BBM’ers are happy to be able to communicate with those outside of the Blackberry kingdom. It’s ironic, but I found about Kik from BBM users. I know I am looking year down the line. But if Kik does end up being a BBM replacement, would Blackberry ever consider giving access to BBM for Android, iPhone, or any other platforms? Not very likely, but an interesting thought (if I do say so myself)…

What are your thoughts? Is Kik just a waste of time? Is it something that will be used and loved 3 or 4 years from now? Have your friends riding the Kik wave? How long until BBM should be worried?

I thought that it would be wise for myself to look into some ways that I could heat up the house for cheap. Without breaking my bank. When I started learning about the ways I decided it would make for a great
TweakYourLife post. Some of the ways are obvious but necessary to mention. Some of the ways may not have crossed your mind before. I will be trying to limit my tips to more costly ways, but I will throw in a couple that may be expensive, but wiser in the long run. If you have anything to add, please comment so other readers can see.

1. Use Portable Electric Heaters – If you have certain rooms you would like to warmup but do not want to turn on the heat, use a portable heater. Portable heaters can be perfect because they quickly can heat up an area to satisfaction and leave you feeling toasty. The smaller the room, the greater the portable heater will perform. You can find some good and reliable heater from $30 to $100. Buying multiple heaters for different rooms of your house may be the solution to keeping your gas bill down and not freezing at home.
2. Dress Warmer, Multiple Layers, - Though an obvious suggestion it probably one of the most simple ways to stay warm during the winer in a cold house. The warmer your body, the less need to turn up the thermostat. First think about extra clothing you have in your house. As I am typing this article I have two sweatshirts on (No lie!) and am comfortable. Underneath is a tigher hoody and on top is a sweatshirt fleece. I definitely suggest doubling up. This will increase insulation and keep body heat around you.
   You also should think about wearing thermals & long johns. They are so tight that it shouldn’t be uncomfortable if wear them underneath your other clothing. Other close to wear inside would be wool, synthetics, and flannel. These are much warmer than the cotton that people typically wear.
   Don’t limit yourself to only your everday clothing. If you have a heavy jacket or coat, wear that in the house. Gloves should also be warn if you have issues with your hands getting colder than the rest of your body. It may not be proper to wear hats inside, but it sure isn’t proper to spend twice your normal cost on the gas bill just because your house is freezing. Wear a warm hat that will expose as little of your head and skin as possible. If you are not moving around a lot, wrap yourself in a blanket…a snuggie even!
3. Close/Seal Windows – Cracks and opening are leave gateways for cold air to flow into your home. Many openings in windows are not noticeable, but can be the reason a room in your house is so cold. After closing windows in your house, cover them with clear plastic wrap and secure tape (ductape may be most effective). This will help the cold stay out and keep the heat from escaping. Do this with heavy plastic that can be found at hardware stores and some discount or value stores. Remember to seal all areas of the plastic to the window. Sealing in specific areas will not be that effective.
4. Removeable Caulking – If you do not want to seal off an entire window, you can use removeable cauking and seal a window shut through the winter. When the whether gets warmer you will be able to remove the seal and enjoy your window as normal.
5. Keep Doors Closed - Keeping doors closed is important through the winter. Open doors allow heat to travel and disperse throughout the house. This causes a room that loses heat to drop in temperature. If you have rooms that are not currently being used or frequently not used, close their doors. This will keep heat in the rooms that you are using. If you are individually heating up a room that you are in, close that room’s door so heat cannot escape.
6. Plug Door Cracks – Door Draft Stoppers are a quick solution to keep in the heat and block the cold. During the winter cold air is constantly enter your home through the crack of doors. The door draft stopper will deny this from occuring. At the same time the stopper will allow the door to be used as normal. You can purchase a draft stopper for about $10 – $20. If you are not willing to purchase a draft stopper, you can draft proof a door by tightly rolling a towel and lining it along a door. Make sure that the towel is large enough to cover the doors crack.
   
7. Seal Unused Doors – The sealing doors solution is similar to the window fix. You want to avoid as many openings for outside [heat] air to enter [escape] your home as possible. The first thing you want to do is seal off doors that you will not be using much during the winter months. Sealing these doors will be quite effective. You should go about sealing with plastic and secure tape, much like sealing off windows. You should think about sealing excess doors to the backyard, attic doors, doors to unused rooms, and any other doors hardly used through the winter.
   For doors requently used, using a door stopper is one of the best solutions to trap heat and deny cold air.
8. Get a Programmable Thermastat - Mercury thermostats unfortunately are not very accurate. They sometimes be off by up to 6 or 7 degrees. Installing a programmable thermastat will save you money by accurately heating your house. Frequently when heating a home people forget to turn off the heat which is wasteful and costly. With a programmable thermastat you can set a time limit for how long heating at a specified tempature will occur.There is conveniency with a programmable thermostat as well. You can set the thermostat to heat the house at certain times throughout the day. This is great for turning heat off while sleeping, and having the house heated when you wakeup in the morning. The programmable thermastat is low voltage and typically simple to install. It is something you can do yourself.
   
9. Get Out Your Home – If you have trouble being productive in a cold astmosphere, then change the atmosphere! Leaving your home to complete work or tasks may not be an ideal solution, but it will help you avoid turning on the heat. If you can finish your work in a public place that is heated, then do so. Why not take your laptop to starbucks, grab a cup of coffee, and finish your work. You will enjoy being warm in the process. The best part is you can leave an not have to pay for the heat that you enjoyed. Public places such as the library, coffee shops, Panera Bread, and Mcdonalds are all places that offer heat and FREE WIFI!

If you have any other ideas we encourage you to comment and tell us about them! This will allow our other readers to see and hopefully get some ideas.

We also ask that if you found this article helpful anyway, please forward it on to someone. You can do so by sending the link to someone or through the social links we have below.

As we know, Twitter has become a prime tool for accessing information and data. It is a preferred way to gain info sometimes instantly. Many turn to twitter to get reliable news, data, and to see public opinion.

This is no different for the 2010 Midterm Elections. Today, November 2nd 2010 the elections are being held for choice of power in the federal officies. If you would like to follow the different parties and stay up to date with how they are faring, Twitter accounts have been setup for each party. Please visit http://blog.twitter.com/2010/11/midterm-elections-2010.html to see each account. They also have a prime list of election coverage if you would like to stay up to date. This 2010 Midterm Election is the first election day that you will be able to follow and monitor completely on Twitter.

Their are some solid iPhone apps available for following the election as well. CNN Election Center is a free app on iTunes that enables you to track election results for the US Congressional election and state propositions. America’s Election HQ 2010 is an app available by Fox News. This app which will cost you $.99 will also give you the ability to track the election results across the country.

Back pain is typically caused by weak back muscles and poor posture! Plain and simple. Ever since my teenage years, my posture has been terrible. Especially in high school when I would always slouch. At the time I never understood the affects it would have on my back. Now I wish I could go back in time and yell at myself everytime I was not sitting up straight. By slouching so consistently I did not allow my muscles strengthen and get used to its proper position. In addition to my poor posture I developed from slouching, I am always sitting down on the computer (like many of you) hunched over the screen. While everyone in the world sits down at some time through the day, doing so is one of the worst things you can do for your posture.

One of the keys to relieving back pain is straightening out the spine as it is intended and strengthening those surrounding back muscles so that your spine can stay in that straightened position. The exercises below are some of the best exercises that you can do to target those lower back muscles and properly make them stronger. Once these muscles are stronger, you can sit and stand with better posture putting less strain on your lower back.  After the video we will get into how your smartphone will assist in relieving the back pain.

I am keen on this inparticular video because the mentioned exercises have personally worked for me. I have watched many videos over the Internet and many of the exercises that are suggested do not concentrate on the muscle that are vital for postural correction.

Using your Android device / iPhone / Smartphone to Correct Posture:

First and foremost I recommend that all the exercises in the video are practiced on a consistent basis. As I have stated they have all worked for me. For convenience I will be concentrating on on the exercises from 3:07 until the end of the video. These exercise are specifically for people on the computer all day, and can be done at your computer.

The hardest part of getting in shape, becoming stronger, developing better posture is consistent effort. One and done will not give you better posture and a decrease in back pain. To remind you to do these exercises you will be using your smartphone’s alarm system. We also will be recording personal alarm sound clips to assist in our effort.

The idea behind the use of your phone’s alarm clock is that it will remind you to do the exercises every half hour.

Setup For Android Users:

1. Record Personal Alarm Message – Open Voice Recorder in Android. Record yourself yelling as loud and obnoxiously as you can, “Posture exercises! Posture exercises!”, “Do your back exercises!”, “Stop what your doing! Do you want to get rid of back pain or not!”, or something similar.
   *Note* – It is not required that you make a voice recording.  You can always use your regular phone alarm. If your anything like me however, your ears have become immune to the sound. Or you have developed a reflex of quickly turning off the alarm and not paying attention to why it is set.  While you may tune the sounds out of your ear, it is difficult to ignore someone speaking directly to you. This is even  if you are talking to yourself via recording.
   
2. Move Recorded Alarm File To SD Card (alarms folder) – Connect your phone to your PC to access the SD card. On my PC it is labeled as the D drive. Open the SD card in My Computer/Computer folder. Create a new file called “alarms”. Open “\My Documents\My Recordings” and drag the file voice recorded file you made earlier into the “alarms” folder. Unplug your Android phone from your PC.
3. Change Alarm Snooze to 30 Minutes – On the video, it was recommended that you do these postural corrective exercises every 30 minutes. So we advise that you set your snooze button to 30 minutes. On your phone navigate to Alarms -> Menu -> Settings -> Snooze duration and select 30 minutes.
4. Set Alarm Clock On your Android device open the Alarms application. Set an alarm for a desired time to start your posture exercises. I have mine set for 1:00pm. Change the alarm sound. Android should have scanned your SD card and found your voice recorder file in the alarms folder. Tha
   t voice recorded file should now be listed as a sound option. Select it.

Steps will generally be the same in theory for the iPhone and other smartphone devices. Because the devices are designed and structured differently, you may have to go through different steps to change alarm sounds or snooze duration. Below is the general idea behind using your phone, just incase you want to use another phone or tweak your method or setup just a tad.

General Idea/Theory For All Smartphone Users:

1. Create a recording reminding yourself to do your back exercises.
2. Set the the recording as the alarm clock sound.
3. Have the alarm go off every 30 minutes.  This can be by manual reset or a 30 minute snooze.
4. When the alarm clock goes off and you hear your own voice.  Do your exercises.
5. *Note* – I recommend doing a few of the exercises. But if this is not possible, than at least do the video’s suggestion of the chair exercise.

Now that the setup is complete, you can now begin. Go about your business throughout the day. You can watch TV, surf the web, play xbox, be in the office taking a nap, etc. Once your alarm goes off and you hear “Do your back exercises!”…Well..Do you back exercises! Make sure you hit the snooze button also. We advise spending 2 minutes doing each. If not, at least do the exercise sitting in the chair for 1 minute. Be sure to properly straighten your head and neck and have your spine straightened as if you were laying down. If you need assistance take a look at the video one more time. Remember practicing the exercises with poor technique can cause more hard to your back. Please be cautious.

When you are done with your exercises, proceed with your everyday tasks. About 30 minutes later you will get another reminder to restart your lower back strengthening. After a few days of these excercises you should really start feeling some type of relief on your lower back.

Please let us know your thoughts and if this has been helpful.

TweakYourLife only wants to help make your everyday life easier. To do so, we need to have more readers. The best way of gaining readers and helping others is to let people know about articles that you find interesting. You can post links on Facebook, Twitter, Digg, and other social networks. Anything helps. Thanks!

Eric Thomas uses an aggressive no BS no sympathy approach that can show others a new way to view life and going about your dreams. Here he is speaking to the students of Michigan State University.

I first saw this video on my facebook newsfeed. At first a friend of mine had posted it. By the next day, 9 or 10 others posted the exact same video. This inparticular video show’s can be motivation to anyone trying to be successful in any field. Whether you are an aspiring professional athete, in medical school trying to be a doctor, or simply working to get your new blog TweakYourLife off the ground, this video shows the amount of dedication, focus, and passion needs to be maintained.

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful!”

Part 1:

Part 2:

If you like this article or it was help you we encourage two things.  First, please comment and let us know.  Second, please recommend this article and our blog to others.  Whether you click the Share links below, post a link to this article on Twitter/Facebook, anything helps to spread the word.  Our whole site is devoted to help making your everyday life easier and more successful.

Launch is a smart search program that is a great Windows Start Menu alternative. It efficiently allows you to search & open for Programs, files, folders, and websites on your PC.

Once installed press Hot Keys (by default) Alt + Space and a small search widget will appear allowing you to search throughout your computer. With Launchy you are able to search for any program on your computer. Search for Photoshop, Microsoft Excel, Windows utilities such as Control Panel. You can even type in web addresses into the Launchy search box and it will automatically openthe site in your default browser.

Launchy can save you a great deal of time, because you don’t have to go through Windows’ Start Menu and navigating through the menu to open your programs. This helps if like my computer you have hundreds of Programs installed.

One of the things that I really like about the software is its built in calculator. When needing a calc

ulation I usually hit Alt + Space bar, type 5 + 5 and it automatically responds with 10. Don’t worry I usually do more complex calculations…sometimes. Ha.

If Alt + Space are not the most convenient Hot Keys, then open the Launchy Setting in the upper right hand corner and in User Interface select the Hot Keys that most appeal to you.

Launchy is such a light program that uses such low resources that it really does not slow your computer down at all. I find it much easier using Launchy than the start Menu when my computer is going through that sluggish, glitchy, or buggy phase when everytime you click something there is a two second delay. If you can really get into a habit of using the quick search utility it can save you a bunch of energy and headaches over time.

To download visit http://www.launchy.net

Skype has presented a more simplified look in hopes is that this will allow for better look, feel, and all around experience. The front interface now looks much more organized and less cluttered. They have also added a soothing bluish/black background for video calling.

The most intriguing addition to the Windows video chat software is that it now uses Facebook Connect in a way that all Facebook members can enjoy and take advantage. Skype now has integrated Facebook into its software in a functional manner. There is a new Facebook tab that brings the social network’s news feed right to skype. You can view statuses, comment on posts, and like them.

With the synched news feed Skype call & SMS buttons are added to your friends posts. This allows you to call Facebook friends directly through their landline, mobile device, or right through Skype. You can also send them an SMS directly from Skype. In addition to the news feed you can view your Facebook phonebook. This is a list of all your Facebook contacts’ mobile numbers to allow quick access and calling.

Facebook integration in the chatting software is not the only new addition that comes in Skype 5.0. You can now engage in an impressive 10 way video conference call. An additional feature is the Automatic Call Recovery that will instantly reconnect dropped calls. It does so in a fashion that makes your call appear as it has never been dropped.

Currently, Skype is offering free group video calling! This means you can have conference calling while using Skype’s free service. It is available in a trial for all users. This is so all users can experience the new and enhanced feel of Skype 5.0.

Whether you typically engage in video calling or not, we encourage all readers to take advantage of this free video calling feature. Not many video chat programs offer free group conferencing anymore.

Skype has caused quite a stir in the internet world this October. Not only with the release of Skype 5.0 and Facebook integration, but also with their release of Skype for all Android devices. We look forward to seeing how Skype and Facebook will be able to bring their newfound alliance into the mobile world. Also interested if there will be any type of integration with Twitter. Only time will tell.

I question though whether this partnership will continue.  Can it continue? I can see them developing a mobile partnership.  For example connect FB phone numbers through your mobile and use Skype to dial out for a convo or video chat (need a front facing camera clearly).  But how could Facebook benefit so from Skype users.  I assume (could be wrong) that most Skype users are on Facebook.  I do not believe Skype would go for the you scratch my back I’ll scratch yours that everyone is speculating.  Why would Skype allow for Facebook to use its video technology on the social site.  Truth be told, the real reason that I use my Skype account to video chat, is because Facebook does have the feature.  If Facebook was capable of a video chat, I would still use Skype.  I use it for business.  Dealing with some programmers and designers that I am partnered with in other parts of the world.  But in terms of personal use, it would Skype would hardly get used.   I believe it would be dangerous for Skype to a deal like this.  What do you think?