Jeremy G.

I know Dell has been struggling as a company and brand, but I think they still have the best service+computer quality in the industry, dollar for dollar. I ordered a new laptop on their site and got the in-person service package (where you don't need to send it in if you have a problem, they come to you and fix it for you on site) and the package was ~25% less expensive than a computer with the same specs and the same service package from other PC companies (assuming they offer the onsite service which to me is critical because time lost to maintenance issues is one of my top concerns) and ~40% less expensive than Apple. The computer I got isn't super-cool looking or anything, but it works perfectly and doesn't have any issues, which is exactly what I need. I think if you're on a budget or are just want something practical, Dell is still the best place to get a computer or laptop.

Craigslist never ceases to amaze me. It just works, and it's free for almost everyone (unless you consider the demise of US newspapers a cost - just kidding, sort of). In the last month I rented an apartment, bought a desk, and sold concert tickets all on Craigslist completely painlessly. Got to love it.

Geico car insurance is expensive. I saved about 40% (I said 30% in an earlier comment, but it was actually 40%--I just checked) per year by switching to AAA (with the same level of coverage). I also did not find Geico customer service to be particularly helpful or impressive. I'd use AAA over Geico.

Better than GoodReads for book recommendations? - I like Good Reads, the social network for books, but I never use it. That said, I think Library Thing is worth checking out. They have a great feature called "I See Dead People['s Books]" http://www.librarything.com/groups/iseedeadpeoplesbooks

Now I can sort through James Joyce's or Ben Franklin's libraries, in the faint hope of acquiring some of their genius by reading their books (apparently Tupac read Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=2pac).

I posted a few books too: http://www.librarything.com/catalog.php?view=jeremygin

Former mathematics professor and now billionaire investor Jim Simons has set up a great foundation and math/science news website for the general public. The science news section can be found here http://simonsfoundation.org/category/features/science-news/

We subscribed to LinkedIn's "premium" services for businesses, and I have to say it's a bit of a racket--their billing is recurring and it is very very difficult to cancel. We could not figure out how to cancel OR contact customer service on my own. Eventually we had to Google "how to downgrade my linkedin account" and then follow a convoluted set of steps to send an email message to request a downgrade. If they don't respond to the request quickly I'll be lowering my rating to below a "Meh." Bad showing LinkedIn. You clearly care more about taking my money than the service you're providing. You've just lost a fan.

I've found Vision Direct to be slightly cheaper than 1800contacts and the other major competitors when it comes to ordering Acuvue Contacts - make sure you always get at least 15% off and free shipping (there are coupon codes they email out if there isn't an offer on the site itself). Much cheaper than getting them from your optometrist. Only downside is they send you a lot of annoying emails, but I have otherwise found them to be reliable and cheap.

For those attempting to stave off the signs of mental aging, there is no better way to waste your time than brain training. Sure most of it's in Japanese, but the games aren't too bad and it's free. Here's the English version: http://flashfabrica.com/eng/

I used to order often from 1800Contacts (customer service was okay and generally experience was fine) but I found that my Acuvue lens were actually cheaper at VisionDirect.com mostly because Vision Direct always has coupon codes that you can search for online.

Comics for nerds. I like this one:
http://xkcd.com/863/

Also, there are some random resources like this Fukushima radiation dose chart: http://xkcd.com/radiation/

You might have read about Salman Khan in the news. The former hedge fund manager put a few math videos online to help tutor his little cousins. The videos were a hit amongst not just his cousins but thousands of others on YouTube. Since then, Khan has launched KhanAcademy.org and uploaded more than 2100 videos across a variety of subjects. The success of the site has attracted big attention from the likes of Bill Gates who has helped fund the academy.

Personally, if I had had a resource like this when I was a kid, I would have been in heaven. I loved learning on my own and hated learning in school. One of the most interesting ideas to come out of the Khan Academy is that some kids might be able to spend their "homework time" in the evenings watching videos on KhanAcademy.org and then during "school time" kids could do their homework and get help from teachers. This most certainly would work for autodidactic child, but potentially it could work for everyone as it could free up school time for more personal attention and less lecturing.

Bill Gates on Khan:
http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/23/technology/sal_khan_academy.fortune/index.htm

Khan speaking at TED: http://www.ted.com/talks/salman_khan_let_s_use_video_to_reinvent_education.html

I'm a fan of the idea, and I hope it works. Oh, and check out some of the lectures. They're good. Http :// www.khanacademy. Org/video/linear-algebra---eigenvectors-and-eigenspaces-for-a-3x3-matrix? Playlist=Linear%20Algebra

Facebook and social network users beware: Spokeo seems to have taken advantage of Facebook's lax privacy default settings by scraping personal information and displaying it publicly. This includes your location, education, credit estimate, wealth estimate, age, ethnicity and so on. You can have your information removed by going here: http://www.spokeo.com/privacy (seems to be a big ad for Reputation Defender...)

There's a special place in my heart for NPR's music site. It's got a ton of great free live shows and all kids of new music. The editorial staff is very good at choosing an eclectic mix of new music so I don't keep listening to the same indie bands. And I even feel a little good about myself because by visiting and supporting the site I'm supporting public radio instead of just padding the wallets of rich people (e.g., Apple, Pandora or Last.fm).

99designs is a cool idea - put your graphic design project up for bid, get a bunch of submissions, give submitters feedback, and then choose the winner. The pros are: you get to set your price upfront and you get to choose from a number of ideas/designs. This can work well for an isolated project - there are some talented designers. Where 99designs runs into trouble is if complicated branding is needed or if the project is closely tied to other design projects that need to be coordinated.

So net net, I would use 99designs for a one-off logo or other simple design projects - you can get a great deal for your money (by California standards). However, if you have the budget and want something more complicated, it's most likely worth paying a traditional designer. And I have to add: good designers are under-valued assets.

One of the best websites I know of for US political news. During and after the election, I found myself using Politico, much like I use wsj.com for business news, for a single glance at the most important US political headlines. Mike Allen, formerly of the Washington Post and Time Magazine, leads a talented group of political reporters that, I believe, provide more insight into US politics than most major US newspapers.

Good site for free fonts - The interface is great -- it shows you all the fonts in great big letters. Also, most free font sites are filled with ads and try to trick you into buying crap. Dafont.com doesn't do that. Net net -- good place to pick up some free fonts.

Most sites with poetry tend to be filled with ads and poorly designed. Hello Poetry (right now at least) has no ads and has a nice, simple design. You can browse classic poems http://hellopoetry.com/browse/poems/classics/
Keats http://hellopoetry.com/-john-keats/
Blake http://hellopoetry.com/-william-blake/
As well as contemporary poets http://hellopoetry.com/browse/poets/contemporary/

The only knock against the site is that it's incomplete (no Shakespeare?) but the site looks new, so I hope they continue to add to their collection and keep up the clean, ad-less design.

The American diet has become a bit of a mess. We eat too much of foods that are bad for us and pay for it with our health and taxes (not to mention individual health care costs). Meatless Mondays is a movement to get Americans to skip meat on Mondays, which is a great idea. I love a good steak, but eating less meat is good for us all (and the environment for those who care). This movement will particularly impactful if it can reach schools where it is perhaps needed most (childhood obesity is ever-rising) and eating habits can be influenced for a lifetime.

Their website has useful links to recipes:
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/category/recipes-by-week/

And ways to spread the movement:
http://www.meatlessmonday.com/spread-the-movement/

Tell your friends!

Some people love cars. I am not one of them. However, I do love listening to Car Talk on NPR. And I really couldn't tell you why - their jokes are corny and it's not like I'm ever actually going to fix my car myself. But, the hosts are uniquely charming and the information is fascinating, so I listen. The Car Talk website is great for all sorts of car information (selling your car, fixing your car, etc.), there are also games, online recordings of the radio show, and you can even buy Car Talk merchandise.

$775 trademark filing package from a reliable IP attorney - Scott Kokka is a responsible and competent IP attorney in Silicon Valley. He offers a trademark service for $775 that covers all trademark costs and is good value for a small business looking to properly file a trademark. I have used Scott on multiple trademark filings and would highly recommend him. Although he is based in Northern California, I have been able to deal exclusively with him on the phone, so I imagine anyone based in the US (or even overseas) could use him.

Separately, if you are small business, I would highly recommend having an experienced attorney file your trademark for you. If there is ever a dispute over your trademark or you want to sell your company, you want to make sure your trademark was filed properly to begin with. The upfront fee is small relative to the trouble you could encounter later.