DAN FEFERMAN

Employment

• Web Designer2007

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• Web Developer2008 - 2010

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• Manager2010 - Present

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Education

• Graphic Design200

  School of the Arts

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• Graphic Design2010 - 2012

  School Of Design

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ZIP.CA DVD Rental Service is a Scam

I feel it is my duty to inform everyone to stay away from ZIP.CA.  While their service is appealing and the selection of DVD’s large, their customer service is horrible and their billing practices are bordering fraud.

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For those who do not know, zip.ca is an online DVD rental service owned by Rogers.  You create a list of DVD’s you want to watch, and they send them to you in the mail with a prepaid envelope to send them back.

On November 12, 2010 I signed up for a free trial with the option to continue on afterward for $24.95 a month. Immediately I noticed there was a $30.00 charge on my credit card statement.  I contacted zip.ca customer service and was informed that this was not a charge but a pre-authorization which is normal for things like free trials.  I told them that according to my Visa statement, this was a charge, not an authorization.  They insisted I was wrong and that within a couple of days the $30.00 authorization would be dropped.  I called my bank to confirm and was told that it was in fact a charge, not an authorization.  I called back zip.ca a week later (today) to request a refund for the $30.00 charge on my card.  The idiot I spoke with on the phone continued to tell me it was an authorization and that both my bank and I are incorrect.  He then hung up on me.  The next call I requested to speak to a manager.  I was put on hold for 10 minutes, and then hung up on again.

I’ve initiated a charge back with my bank and am having the zip.ca charge reversed.  zip.ca doesn’t seem to care.

I guess I’ll have to suffer a bit and stick with my crappy netflix.ca membership with an extremely limited selection for Canadians.  Very unfortunate.

Top 5 HTML5 Games Available Online

With the use of HTML5, gaming has come a long way. Unlike flash, which limits developers because it is not open source and requires plugins to be installed in order for it to be used, HTML5 opens up a whole new world as it extends a multitude of new possibilities to gamers and developers alike. HTML5 is open source, which enables developers to create new and innovative games without any boundaries. In addition, no plugins are needed for any HTML5 applications to run. If you want to experience the unlimited possibilities of gaming with HTML5 for yourself, you absolutely have to check out these top 5 HTML5 games.

Vii

Vii is number one of the list of HTML5 games because this game allows you to experience the best that HTML5 can offer. The sound and graphics are out of this world because they make you feel as if you are right there in the game. They are so realistic. In this particular game, you wake up in a laboratory. You are completely stripped of your powers. A computerized voice tells you how you can regain your powers, and it is imperative that you follow the instructions that this voice gives you. Vii can be played by going to http://www.mattpelham.com/vii/

3Bored

This is one of the best action games in HTML5 that you’ll ever play. In this game, you are a rocket that must avoid all sorts of attacks. You must do all that you can to dodge bullets that will come at you from all sides. The longer you can dodge the bullets, the more points you will accumulate. You can play 3Bored by visiting http://upsidedownturtle.com/boredboredbored/

Swarmation

Swarmation demonstrates all the networking capabilities of HTML5 in that this game is played with multiple users. In the game of Swarmation, you work together with your friends to complete a puzzle. Each player has his or her own job to do. Each player has a certain amount of time to get his or her own square into the correct position to fit within the greater puzzle. Individuals who get their squares in the right place on time are rewarded. In order to play Swarmation, visit http://swarmation.com/

Sinuous

Sinuous is the fourth HTML5 game on the list for its uniqueness. This game requires you to use the mouse to get the snake around on the screen without touching any of the circles. If the snake touches any of the circles, then you lose the game. If you want to play Sinuous, you can at http://hakim.se/experiments/html5/sinuous/01/#

Crystal Galaxy

Finally, there is Crystal Galaxy. Crystal Galaxy is a space shooter game that really allows you to get into the action with your space craft. This game has outstanding graphics and sound, and you maneuver your spaceship with no difficulty whatsoever. In order to jump into the action and enjoy some space shooting, go to http://www.effectgames.com/effect/games/crystalgalaxy/

In order to play any of these HTML5 games, you’ll need the latest version of Internet Explorer. Firefox is also outstanding, as well as Safari and Chrome. Once you have the correct browser, you can take gaming to a whole new level and enjoy yourself beyond belief.

Tips to get started as a web freelancer

I love freelancing.  It is a shame that I only recently started doing freelance work online.  I have a full-time job working for a web hosting company managing their social media profiles and corporate website and in my spare time I build and customize websites for you.  With the many freelancing sites available such as elance.com, vWorker.com, freelancer.com, and scriptlance.com it is very easy to earn some extra income whether just to pay some bills, or quit your day job and freelance full time.

I’ve been freelancing part-time since about July 2010 and let me tell you, those first few jobs are tough to get.  With the help of this post I’m hoping to make the experience a little easier for you, beginning with a glossary of terms that you should get familiar with so that this guide is easier to follow.

Glossary

• [color background="orange"]Buyer / Employer:[/color] A buy or employer is the person who has posted the job on the freelance website.  They are the ones looking to have work performed
• [color background="orange"]Provider / Worker:[/color] A provider is the person who will be doing the work, ie. web designer, web developer, writer, etc.
• [color background="orange"]Project:[/color] The term used to classify work being done.  Regardless of what is being asked of you, everything as a whole is called a Project.
• [color background="orange"]Proposal:[/color] A proposal is what you submit when you are interested in a particular project.  Along with your proposal you include your rate, length of time it will take to complete, and a brief description of the work or services you will be providing.
• [color background="orange"]Rate:[/color] The rate is what you are willing to do a project for.  This can be either hourly, or on a project as a whole.
• [color background="orange"]Escrow:[/color]  Most freelance websites have some form of escrow available to help protect buyers and providers.  When you accept and are awarded a job, the money for that job is placed into an escrow account that neither the provider nor the buyer can touch.  Once the job is completed, the buyer transfers the funds from escrow to the providers account
• [color background="orange"]Ratings:[/color] On successful completion of a project, the buy is able to leave feedback and a rating that is visible to all other potential buyers so they can review past work and comments.  Some sites provide a way for providers to rate buyers, and some don’t.
• [color background="orange"]Arbitration/Dispute:[/color] Most reputable freelance websites have an arbitration or dispute program in place.  If a provider and buyer get into a dispute about a project or it’s details after the project has begun, either person can open up a dispute or arbitration case.  When this happens, the project is frozen and both parties are given a chance to explain their side of the story.  A 3rd party arbitration forum reviews the details and makes a decision on whether the project funds should be released from escrow to the provider, or returned to the buyer.  This doesn’t happen to often but when it does it is likely due to mis-communication on the requirements for a project.

The above are the most basic terms that you should know when starting to freelance online.  Any images that you see in the rest of this guide have been taken from elance.com as it is the site I use most frequently.

[box type="help"]The number one most important thing to keep in mind is communication. Being able to communicate properly with buyers is of utmost importance and will increase your chances of landing a project by 75%. (I made that statistic up, but it sounds good doesn’t it?)[/box]

Proposals

Read the point above and make sure you memorize it.  It is the easiest thing you can do to help increase the possibility of scoring a project.  One of the biggest problems I see when browsing projects online is failure to communicate.  You need to remember that you are up against thousands of other freelancers and that you want your proposal to stand out from the rest.  Communication is key.  Leaving one-liners such as “I can do the job”, “I am interested”, or better yet, “pick me please” may get you the odd project here and there but is that really how you want to introduce yourself to a potential employer or buyer?

Example of poor proposals:

Poor Communication

Example of proper proposals:

Hi.  I have read your list of requirements and can deliver the project within 2 weeks including use of custom post types and meta values.  Are you going to provide the graphics or do you need me to design them myself?

The key thing in the proper proposal is direct communication including specifics that they mentioned in their project posting.  This demonstrates that you read their requirements and fully understand what needs to be done.  Another bonus that I like to include is a question.  Asking them a question will get the more interested in your proposal because again, it shows that you read the requirements and put some thought into what is going to be done.  Do not beg!  You’d be surprised at how many people beg for the projects.

Timeline

Give an accurate estimate on the length of time it will take for you to complete the project.  When filling out a proposal there is a field where you specify how much time it will take.  Don’t just put the quickest time possible if you know it will take you a week. An unrealistic timeline will get you a poor rating if you truly can’t deliver it fast enough.  Things always come up and not all projects are cut and dry.  Make sure you account for any revisions that the client may send across and be realistic.

Bid

Now there will be people who disagree with my method for getting started but it did work for me and can easily work for you.  As I mentioned at the beginning, the hardest part about freelancing online is getting started.  One of the main reasons for this is that most [color background="orange"]buyers[/color] check your profile to review past projects and see the [color background="orange"]ratings and feedback[/color] left by other buyers.  When you are just starting out, for obvious reasons, you won’t have any past jobs or ratings for people to review.  It’s at this point that I decided to take a hit on the amount of money I was charging to get projects completed.  If I would normally charge $200 for a job, I would look at what the average bids were and underbid.  Yes you are selling yourself short and making less money than you normally would, but sometimes this helps you get noticed.  The first five projects I took I underbid by a decent amount to get my proposal noticed.  Once those first five projects were under my belt I began increasing my bids to a better amount.

How to earn more Swag Bucks

It’s been awhile since I’ve posted about Swag Bucks and I feel it’s time to revive this old topic.  If you’ve been reading my blog over the last few years you’ll remember that back in 2008 I wrote about a search engine that uses Google as it’s back-end but rewards you with something called swag bucks which you can redeem on their website for real merchandise such as gaming consoles (xbox360, ps3, nintendo, etc) as well as gift cards and other great items.  I received a lot of mixed reviews from readers about their experiences but in the end I didn’t have much negativity towards it.  At the time, I had earned myself a couple thousand swag bucks and redeemed them for some itunes and starbucks gift cards to give away to my blog readers.  For whatever reason I fell out of touch with it and stopped using it.

For quick reference, my two previous posts are titled Why you shouldn’t use swag bucks as your search engine and then a rebuttal against my own post, Use swag bucks search engine to replace Google and earn.

Today I decided to log back in to my account just to see how things were going and to my surprise I had 3,000 swag bucks.  I didn’t understand how I had earned so many after not using the system for about a year until I realized that my referrals were the ones who earned me those credits.  So today I’d like to post a few simple tips on how you can increase the number of swag bucks you earn each day, week, or month.  You will NOT find any cheats or ways to hack swag bucks on my site.  All tips are genuine and do not break any of the rules or terms of service.

Tip #1

Refer your friends to Swag Bucks.  It is as simple as that.  The more people you refer, the more bucks you’ll earn yourself because you earn a portion of all swag bucks that your referrals earn up to a maximum of 1000 per user.  As you can see below, I have 15 referrals who’ve earned me anywhere between 10 and 1000 swag bucks each.  This is earning on auto-pilot.  There are many different ways to refer people but keep in mind that spamming is not allowed.  You can invite your friends by sending them an email, inviting via Facebook by posting on your wall, writing an article on your blog as I do.

Tip #2

If you use Twitter, follow @swagbucks for free giveaways.  They frequently post swag bucks codes that you can redeem for free swag bucks, as well as running contests and other fun stuff to help you win more swag bucks

Tip #3

Like Swag Bucks on Facebook for the same reason you would follow them on twitter.  On their Facebook Fan page you will find useful tips from other Swag Bucks users as well as free giveaways, contests, and trivia questions to pass the time.

Tip #4

Read the Swag Bucks blog frequently.  Easiest thing to do is to add their RSS feed to your RSS reader so you get updates daily.

I hope these tips help you and if they have I’d love to hear from you.  If anyone has any other tips they’d like to share, please post and I’ll add to this post as the ideas come in.  If you haven’t sign up for swag bucks yet head on over and try it out.  You already use Google every day to do your searches, why not earn something while you’re at it.

How to Make Money Online with eBay, Yahoo!, and Google

How to Bypass the Appulo.us Toll Bridge Question

I work for Apple’s law firm and have been trying to get Appulous shut down since the beginning. I wish I was better at my job . What’s my first and last name?

I respect the decision that those guys have made until they get new servers.  I am only posting this solution because by using it, you do not actually use their servers at all.

Recently the Appulo.us team added a Toll Bridge question that appears to change daily.  They are doing this because their servers are overwhelmed with the number of visits to the site every day.  Here is how you can still download your apps without having to find the answer.  Bypass the Appulo.us Toll Bridge question.

Google is your friend.  For example visit http://google.com and in the search box enter this:

site:appulo.us game

This will give you a list of results from Appulo.us with the word “game” in the Google results.   Now instead of clicking on the result itself which would take you to the Appulo.us website, you click on the link that says, “Cached” which takes you to a copy of the page that Google has saved.  This doesn’t use any Appulo.us resources.

Toronto Tornado Thunderstorm August 2009

Yesterday evening had the worst weather storm I have ever experienced in my life.  At around 6pm reports of tornadoes and funnels were reported throughout the GTA, starting in the city of Durham and making its way east.  The tornadoes ripped through houses and buildings, tore roofs off of housetops, and tossed cars and animals meters from where they were.  IN my own neighbourhood, hundred plus year old trees were destroyed by lightning and strong winds causing damage to many homes.  Luckily my own house only experienced minimal flooding.

How to Increase World of Warcraft FPS on Windows XP or Vista

I am addicted to World of Warcraft.  There.  I said it.  My problem?  I play on a laptop and it’s a piece of crap.  The desktop at my parent’s house is not much better.  Im lucky if I can pull 10FPS, and in 25man raids it goes as low as 4 sometimes making gameplay almost impossible.  I have chosen not to participate in 25 man or 40 man raids due to the lag issues.

One of the reasons the gameplay and FPS (Frames Per Second) are so horrible is due to the number of applications and programs I have installed on my computer.  I remember when my laptop was new, the game ran pretty fast; still not amazing because I use an on-board video card, but it was definitely playable.  As time goes on you load your computer up with crap on a daily basis which ultimately slows down your machine.

Last night I thought of something brilliant and I plan to share with you a method that will show you how to increase your World of Warcraft FPS without having to buy any new hardware or software.

How To:  WOW FPS

Create a new User Account in Windows.

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I know you were all expecting some lengthy list of instructions but really, that’s it.  All you need to do is create a new User Account in Windows.  On that User Account you will install nothing but Warcraft.  This way when you want to play WOW you log off of your main profile, and log in to the new one.  The least amount of programs and applications will be loaded into memory leaving the majority of your resources for gaming.

The above method is the cheap man’s way to get better perfromance on a crappy computer for World of Warcraft.

Do not get into the habit of browsing or installing anything on this profile or you’ll just end up back where you were before.

Pre-order World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

SerialBox of MAC With iSerial Reader 2.0.6r2 (July 2009)

How To: Gmail Push on the Rogers iPhone using Yahoo

The iPhone now plays an important role in my life.  Anyone else who owns one will likely have the same feeling, however, the one thing I miss so much is the Push technology for Gmail to my iPhone.  Google has yet to implement push with their service.  While you can set the phone to retrieve mail in intervals it drains the battery a bit more and is not quite real-time enough.  There is an app called GPush from Tiveria Apps that is on it’s way awaiting Apple’s approval which essentially gives you Push gmail service from a background app, but it’s been months waiting.  On the flipside Yahoo’s mail service does offer push email.  As a Rogers iPhone customer our @rogers.com email addresses are part of Yahoo’s mail service.  I have found a fairly neat workaround that I’d like to share with everyone.

The first thine you will need is a Rogers or Yahoo email address.  These can be @rogers.com , @yahoo.com , @yahoo.ca , @rocketmail.com , @ymail.com, and possibly others.  From there we”ll go ahead and set up our Gmail account to forward mail from Gmail to your Yahoo/Rogers account.

Gmail Settings

Log in to your Gmail account and click on Settings and then Forwarding and POP/IMAP.  Choose Forward a copy of incoming mail to and enter in your Rogers or Yahoo email address and save the settings.

iPhone Settings

Go to your iPhone settings and start the process of setting up a new email account.  Once that is done you are all set.  Email sent to your Gmail account will be forwarded to your Yahoo/Rogers account which will automatically push emails to your phone almost within seconds.  There is no configuration needed at your Yahoo account.

Reply From The Correct Address

As emails your emails will be going to your Yahoo account, by default when you try to replay to an email it will be sent From the Yahoo address.  There is an easy way around it and while it may suck to have an extra step, IMO it’s worth the hassle to have Push email.

When you are replying to an email, click on the line that has the From: part, and the iPhone scroller will appear with a list of your email addresses.  Just choose the one you want to reply to.

PayPerPost Introduces the WOW Factor!

IZEA has gone and done it again and this time with a vengence.  I am proud to state that this post is sponsored by PayPerPost and I’m getting paid for my opinion.  Recently they introduced the revamped PayPerPost v4.0 which takes advertising to the next level and at the same time leaving control in the hands of the publisher, you.  On the old system bloggers were required to apply for opportunities from various advertisers and based on your individual blog statistics you were either approved or denied and for the average blogger the number of available opportunities was usually kind of slim.  The worst part about it was the dashboard.  It was jammed with so much crap you didn’t know where to look first and what to click next.  I’d include a screenshot if I could find one but believe me when I say it was horrible.

That’s where V4 comes in.  They have gutted the entire system and rebuilt it in an extremely pleasing manner.  The dashboard is clutter-free and easy to navigate through.  As a blogger you are the one in control.  You set price per link, price per word and minimum advertiser rating. You decide who you get to write about and how much you’ll get paid for it plain and simple.

Sponsored posting is a heated topic.  To spon or not to spon is always the question.  As long as your posts are moderate in numbers, truthful in content and transparent in disclosure then knock yourself out and have fun.  Kudos to IZEA for a great job.