Celebrate 2013 With $20 Free Credit from Fab flash sale site

Celebrate 2013 With $20 Free Credit from Fab



Spend your $20 credit on anything you choose - so long as you spend it using the Fab App (iPhone, iPad, Android). Minimum purchase of $40 required. Spend $40 and get $20 off instantly!

Offer applies to Mobile App Purchases Only. $20 will automatically be credited upon checkout when purchasing using the Fab App.

Offer expires Midnight EST on December 31, 2012

2012 in review: annual report for this blog

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2012 annual report for this blog.



Here's an excerpt:

19,000 people fit into the new Barclays Center to see Jay-Z perform. This blog was viewed about 87,000 times in 2012. If it were a concert at the Barclays Center, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Download Sleep Like a Princess MP3 album from Amazon MP3 Store for free

Amazon MP3 Store offers to download Sleep Like a Princess MP3 album for free.

The album includes the following songs:

• Melody For A Drowsy Princess (Classical Guitar & Crickets Usher in Dreams) 3:48


• Dream Dance (Renaissance Guitar Melodies for Relaxation) 2:14


• Flowing Dreams (Guitar & Keyboard Set A Restful Mood) 2:44


• Princesa (Spanish Guitar Melodies for Sleep & Relaxation) 2:12


• Celtic Princess (Ancient Irish Melody for Bed Time Stories) 2:54


• Renaissance Dreams (Ancient Lute Melodies from The Castle) 3:02


• Night Princess (Guitar Tremolo & Angelic Vocals) 2:53


• Naps in the Field (English Field Birds & Ancient Lute) 3:25


• Princess' Choice (10-Minutes of Restful Spanish Guitar) 10:48


• The Little Princess (Ancient Lute Melodies & Crickets) 3:34


• Little Star (Traditional Mexican Guitar Melody) 4:25


• Princess of The Shadows (French Lute Melodies) 3:18


• Princesa de Aranjuez (Variations on Classic Melody) 3:08


• Crown of Dreams (Ancient Guitar Danza) 1:56


• Princess of Dehli (Indian Melody with Indian Tampura) 4:08


• Princess Paloma (Spanish Guitar & Bird Sounds) 4:28


• Princess Stories (Guitar Melody & Keyboards) 2:51


• Scottish Dreamland (Scottish Lute Tune) 1:32


• Bengali Princess (Traditional Indian Meldoies) 2:29


• Princess & The Crickets (Ancient Lute Melodies) 2:46

End year sale from Fab designer sale site: Discounts Up to 70% off

Fab.com designer sale site presents Year End Sale. Discounts up to 70% on select items.



Fab.com is a private shopping club (a.k.a. flash sale, private sale, sample sale designer sale site). It is for customers who crave beautiful, well-designed things. Fab USA ships to the USA addresses and accepts US debit and credit cards only (You may overcome both restrictions by using a shipping forwarder like Shipito).

PLNDR coupon codes: up to 40% off (December 2012)

PLNDR is a private shopping club (flash sale site) selling men and women's streetware. It accepts international debit and credit cards, ships to select international destinations.

• Coupon code: COUNTDOWN
  Coupon valid until December 31, 2012.
  Offer details:
  
  
  
  • Spend $80 and get 40% off and free shipping.
  
  
  • Spend $40 and get 30% off and free shipping.
  
  
  • Free shipping for all domestic orders. $8 off international shipping.
  
  


• Coupon code: PLNDRHOHO
  Coupon valid until December 31, 2012.
  Offer details: 20% off sitewide
  


• Coupon code: SWEATYBO24
  Coupon valid until December 29, 2012.
  Offer details: Buy one sweatshirt, get one free (applicable to select sweatshirts only).
  

Amazon Appstore for Android offers 15 apps for FREE

Amazon Appstore for Android offers a FREE app every day. The problem is that most of these apps offered for free are not very interesting.

However today Amazon Appstore offers 15 Android apps for FREE. Most of these Android apps have 4 to 5 star ratings.



Amazon Appstore for Android is available in the US, the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Spain. However if you use a USA billing address and a USA IP address, you can get all these apps for free as well.

Here are some of the apps:

• OfficeSuite Professional 6 (was $14.99)


• TuneIn Radio Pro (was $0.99)


• Splashtop Remote Desktop (was $4.99)


• Gravilux (was $1.99)


• Moon Phase Pro (was $0.99)


• KeepTrack Pro (was $1.99)

See all 15 apps in the Amazon Appstore for Android

Free USD $5 MP3 credit for Amazon MP3 music from Scott Shared Values

Scott Shared Values again offers its members a $5 Amazon MP3 credit for FREE. If you don't have an account, you may get it for FREE. You may spend the $5 credit onto MP3 music from Amazon MP3 store.



 

You must redeem your MP3 credit by 11:59 pm PST on January 31, 2013.
Limit one promotional credit per customer. Amazon MP3 music is available to with billing addresses and IP address in the USA.

Myhabit fashion sale site gives a $25 credit when 5 of your friendsregister

Myhabit offers $25 just for 5 friends that register via your invitation link (no purchase required). Max credit per customer is $50. This offers is valid through January 2, 2013. Credit will be delivered via email between Jan. 11 and Jan. 15, 2013.

The credit will be valid for 6 months from the date it appears in your account. You may not use referral credits to buy gift cards or to pay shipping, handling, taxes or any other applicable transaction costs. Offer is not available to Myhabit members located in the following states: Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, North Carolina, Rhode Island, or Connecticut. You may not use spam to advertise Myhabit.

See full terms and conditions on the Myhabit web-site.

Note that many other flash sale sites (private shopping clubs) pay for invitations, but most of them give you credits for customers, not for free registrations.

Myhabit is an American private shopping club powered by Amazon. It offers international shipping to select countries and accepts international debit/credit cards as well as Amazon gift certificates.


Off note: Fab and Homesav flash sale sites also give you credits when your friends register (no purchase required).

"Red Sale: Holiday Edition" in the Ideeli flash sale site starts on Sunday

My favorite flash sale site Ideeli will have "Red Sale. Holiday Edition." on Sunday.

Red Sales on Ideeli mean the best discounts (up to 90%).

Ideeli allows to ship to a virtual USA address. You may get it from any shipping forwarder (personally I have been using Shipito). You may pay for your order using international debit and credit cards (VISA, Mastercard).

Download 2 MP3 albums with the most relaxing music from Amazon MP3 Store for FREE

Amazon MP3 Store offers to download 2 MP3 albums with the most relaxing music for FREE:

• A Collection Of The Most Relaxing Classical Music In The Universe
  
  
  
  
  • Canon - Canon Hanspeter Gmur 5:22
  
  
  • String Quartet No. 1 - String Quartet No. 1 Shostakovich Quartet 6:43
  
  
  • Meditation From "Thais" - Meditation From "Thais" Chee Yun 4:33
  
  
  • Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, Pathetique: II. Adagio cantabile - Piano Sonata No. 8 In C Minor, Op. 13, Pathetique: II. Adagio Cantabile Bruno-Leonardo Gelber 5:19
  
  
  • Claire De Lune - Claire De Lune Hanspeter Gmur 4:51
  
  
  • Dreaming - Dreaming Janos Starker 3:02
  
  
  • Fur Elise - Fur Elise Sylvia Capova 2:51
  
  
  • Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11: II. Romance: Larghetto - Piano Concerto No. 1 In E Minor, Op. 11: II. Romance: Larghetto Guennadi Rozhdestvenski 10:51
  
  
  • Violin Sonata, II. Andante - Violin Sonata, II. Andante Chee-Yun 7:43
  
  
  • String Quartet No. 2 in D Major: III. Notturno - String Quartet No. 2 in D Major: III. Notturno Prague Chamber Orchestra 7:43
  
  
  • Adagio in G Minor - Adagio in G Minor Ilmar Lapinsch 8:32
  
  
  • Valse Triste, Op. 44 - Valse Triste, Op. 44 Christian Ehwald 5:23
  
  
  • The Girl with the Flaxen Hair - The Girl With The Flaxen Hair Jacques Rouvier 2:20
  
  
  • Etude No. 3 in E Major, Op. 10 "Valeria Tryon" - Etude No. 3 In E Major, Op. 10 "Valeria Tryon" Konstantin Lifschitz 4:02
  
  
  • Air on a G String - Air On A G String Frank Shipway 3:24
  
  
  • Song Without Words No. 6, Op. 19 - Song Without Words No. 6, Op. 19 Slowakisches Kammerorchester 2:32
  
  
  • Xerxes: Largo - Xerxes: Largo Ilmar Lapinsch 4:10
  
  
  • Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23: Ballade - Ballade No. 1 in G Minor, Op. 23: Ballade Makiko Takeda 8:23
  
  
  • Prelude in C - Prelude In C Valery Afanassiev 1:57
  
  
  • Swan Lake - Swan Lake Orchestre National de Lyon 7:12
  
  
  • Goldberg Variations - Aria - Goldberg Variations - Aria Konstantin Lifschitz 5:01
  
  
  • The Swan from Carnival of the Animals - The Swan From Carnival Of The Animals Caffee Concerto 2:49
  
  
  • Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: Solveigs Song - Peer Gynt Suite No. 2, Op. 55: Solveigs Song Bamberg Philharmonic Orchestra 5:00
  
  
  • Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, Op. 34b: II. Andante, "un poco adagio" - Sonata for Two Pianos in F minor, Op. 34b: II. Andante, "un poco adagio" Valery Afanassiev 9:49
  
  
  • Ave Maria - Ave Maria Maxence Larrieu 4:33
  
  
  • The Planets Suite, Op. 32: II. "Venus" - The Planets Suite, Op. 32: II. "Venus" Royal Philharmonia Orchestra 8:04
  
  
  • The Four Seasons - Violin Concerto in F Minor, RV 297, "Winter": II. Largo - The Four Seasons - Violin Concerto In F Minor, RV 297, "Winter": II. Largo I Solisti Italiani 2:01
  
  
  • Minuetto I - Minuetto I Ilmar Lapinsch 4:06
  
  
  • Moonlight Sonata: Adagio - Moonlight Sonata: Adagio Daniela Ruso 6:34
  
  
  • Minuet in G - Minuet In G Latvian Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra 4:39
  
  
  
  


• A Collection Of The Most Relaxing New Age Music In The Universe
  
  
  
  
  • Moonday Andreas Vollenweider 4:09
  
  
  • A Poet In The Afternoon Keiichi Uko 6:08
  
  
  • Heart Makoto Hirahara 5:50
  
  
  • Silver Spring Rain Hideo Shimazu 4:10
  
  
  • Water Mark Mari Fujiwara 2:05
  
  
  • Slipping Into April Hideo Shimazu 5:10
  
  
  • Transit On The Wind Manabu Ohishi 3:46
  
  
  • White Fantasy Toshiyuke Watanabe 4:41
  
  
  • Waterfall Jim Brickman 3:37
  
  
  • Calmness Hideo Shimazu 4:18
  
  
  • Korea Idea Makiko Takeda 4:47
  
  
  • Rosy Sky In Winter Toshiyuke Watanabe 2:36
  
  
  • Canticle Of Quiet Rain Takashi Yoshimatsu 2:23
  
  
  • Moon Healing Makoto Hirahara 4:07
  
  
  • Japanese Roots Makiko Takeda 7:36
  
  
  • Sunset Tint Keiichi Oku 5:17
  
  
  • Borobudur Febian Reza Pane 6:52
  
  
  • Sheep, Cloud And Wind Keiichi Uko 3:39
  
  
  • Wind On The Coastline Manabu Ohishi 5:42
  
  
  • Children's Dream Toshiyuke Watanabe 4:42
  
  
  
  

Free $50 credit from Zinio magazine subscription service

Zinio offers digital magazine subscriptions that you can read on your tablet (iPad or Android), smartphone, PC or Mac. For its new users Zinio offers a $50 credit for free. It can be used to purchase 18 single issues or 6 mini-subscriptions.



To receive the credit, you need to register a new account. You'll get a unique code. You may redeem it via the Zinio online store by entering the coupon in the Service Credit field.

Please note the following:

• The credit cannot be used with Paypal payments.


• This coupon must be redeemed by December 31, 2012.


• This coupon can't be entered into iOS or Android apps.

Offer details

Download "Green Hill Christmas Music Sampler" MP3 album from Amazon MP3 Store for FREE

Amazon MP3 Store offers to download Green Hill Christmas Music Sampler for free.


The album includes the following songs:

1. David Arkenstone "Joy to the World" 4:10


2. Beegie Adair "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" 3:27


3. Leif Shires "Good King Wenceslas" 4:03


4. Stan Whitmire "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day / Carol of the Bells (Medley)" 2:46


5. Jaimee Paul "Jingle Bells / Jolly Old St. Nicholas (Medley) [feat. Beegie Adair]" 3:20


6. David Arkenstone "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy" 4:24


7. Lori Mechem Quartet "O Tannenbaum" 4:04


8. Michael Omartian "O Come, All Ye Faithfu"l 3:20


9. Jack Jezzro "Deck the Halls" 2:58


10. Kathy Troccoli "Missing You This Christmas" 2:38


11. Jack Jezzro "Up On the Housetop (feat. Sam Levine)" 3:42


12. Beegie Adair "Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming / What Child Is This? (Medley)" 4:03

Skype offers 1 month of free calls to landlines in over 40 countries and mobile phones in 7 countries

Skype offers 1 month of free calls to landlines in over 40 countries and mobile phones in 7 countries, including the United States and Canada. You will also be able to make group video calls with up to 10 people.



This is a free trial offer. If you like it, Skype will automatically set up a recurring payment after the trial has ended for EUR 7.994 per month (that's more than 50% off the regular price). If you want to cancel, simply visit your account within the first 27 days of your trial and you won't be charged a thing.

What you need to know about this free trial offer:

• Calls to landlines in these countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg only), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and Venezuela.


• Calls to landlines and mobiles in these countries: Canada, Guam, Hong Kong S.A.R., Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand and United States.


• Offer available while supplies last. To qualify for the offer, you must have or create a Skype account and provide valid payment details. After the first month, your subscription will automatically continue and payments will be taken monthly unless you cancel subscription within 27 days from the start of your trial (free trial runs one month despite cancelation of recurring subscription). Only one Skype Premium with Unlimited World subscription can be claimed per customer. Offer not available in China, South Korea or Taiwan. Skype reserves the right to withdraw this offer at any time.


• Group video calls can be between three or more people (up to a maximum of 10), and at least one person on the call needs to have a Skype Premium account. For the best quality, we recommend calls with up to five people.


• You will be charged the recurring amount in the currency you have selected to maintain your account.

Learn more about this offer on the Skype web-site

Free Voucher to Purchase Select eBooks from the Amazon Kindle Store for $1

Amazon Digital Services via Amazon Local offers Free voucher to purchase select eBooks from the Amazon Kindle Store for $1

• Free voucher to purchase one of 50 select eBooks from the Amazon Kindle Store for $1


• Experience pulse-racing thrillers like The Trinity Game from award-winning author Sean Chercover and Arctic Fire from New York Times Best-Selling author Stephen Frey


• Find literary gems such as The Last Night at the Ritz, rediscovered by renowned librarian Nancy Pearl


• Younger readers will love Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom, & the Challenges of Bad Hair


• Or choose from the dozens of other books and discover your next favorite writer

What You Need to Know:

• Voucher will expire if not used toward a qualifying Kindle book purchase from Amazon.com by 11:59 p.m. PST, December 26, 2012


• Voucher is valid for select Kindle books for $1; customer will be responsible for payment to Amazon.com for final price of Kindle book with discount, plus applicable taxes


• Promotional code can only be used for one of the Kindle books displayed here


• Available only to U.S. customers (Actually you should have a valid US billing address)


• Limit 1 voucher per customer; limited quantities available


• Voucher is not redeemable for any other types of merchandise sold at Amazon.com


• Void where prohibited; Amazon reserves the right to modify or cancel the offer at any time


• Offer is not transferable, not exchangeable and has no cash value Amazon.com account with valid credit card required to get this voucher


• Voucher is available for use immediately after purchase


• Other conditions apply

This offer will expire in 13 hours.

See more details on Amazon Local

Adorama photo and video store offers its new Adorama VIP Membership for FREE

Adorama photo and video store offers its new Adorama VIP Membership for FREE. Free registration ($149 value) is available for a limited time. After registering you will get 20GB of cloud storage from Pogoplug and free ebooks with photographic tips and tricks. You will also get special VIP pricing on must-have online products and exclusive e-mail offers.

Large collection of Free Microsoft Press eBooks including: SharePoint, Visual Studio, Windows Phone 7, Windows 8, Office 365, Office 2010, SQL Server 2012, Azure (PDF, XPS, Mobi, Epub)

Microsoft Press offers free download of 50+ eBooks in PDF, Mobi, Epub, XPS, Doc, Docx formats.



Full list of free Microsoft Press ebooks in this collection:

• Moving to Microsoft Visual Studio 2010


• Programming Windows 8 Apps 2nd Preview


• Programming Windows Phone 7


• Programming Windows Phone 7 (Special Excerpt 2)


• Office 365 - Connect and Collaborate virtually anywhere, anytime


• Microsoft Office 2010 First Look


• Security and Privacy for Microsoft Office 2010 Users


• Getting started with Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT Professionals


• Planning guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Deployment guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Operations guide for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Technical reference for Microsoft Office 2010 - For IT professionals


• Understanding Microsoft Virtualization R2 Solutions


• Introducing Windows Server 2012 - RTM Edition!


• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2012


• Introducing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2


• Configure Kerberos Authentication for SharePoint 2010 Products


• Business continuity management for SharePoint Server 2010


• Deployment guide for SharePoint Server 2010


• Get started with SharePoint Server 2010


• Governance guide for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Profile synchronization guide for SharePoint Server 2010


• Remote BLOB storage for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Technical reference for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Upgrading to SharePoint Server 2010


• Getting Started with SharePoint Server 2010


• Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 1


• Planning guide for sites and solutions for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, Part 2


• Planning guide for server farms and environments for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• Capacity planning for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Tabular Modeling


• Microsoft SQL Server AlwaysOn Solutions Guide for High Availability and Disaster Recovery


• Transact-SQL Data Manipulation Language (DML) Reference


• QuickStart: Learn DAX Basics in 30 Minutes


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Data Mining


• Microsoft SQL Server Analysis Services Multidimensional Performance and Operations Guide


• Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) Reference


• SQL Server 2012 Upgrade Technical Guide


• Backup and Restore of SQL Server Databases


• SQL Server 2012 Tutorials: Analysis Services - Multidimensional Modeling


• Master Data Services Capacity Guidelines


• Digital Storytelling


• Free Tools in the Classroom


• Windows Live Movie Maker in the Classroom


• Windows 7 in the Classroom


• Microsoft Office Web Apps Teaching Guide


• Microsoft Office in the Classroom


• Developing Critical Thinking through Web Research Skills


• Bing in the Classroom


• Moving Applications to the Cloud, 2nd Edition


• Windows Azure Prescriptive Guidance


• Windows Azure Service Bus Reference


• Intro to ASP.NET MVC 4 with Visual Studio (Beta)


• Deploying an ASP.NET Web Application to a Hosting Provider using Visual Studio


• Getting Started with ASP.NET 4.5 Web Forms (Beta)


• Introducing ASP.NET Web Pages 2


• Own Your Future


• Windows 7 Power Users Guide


• Deploying Windows 7 Essential Guidance


• Welcome to Windows 7


• What You Can Do Before You Call Tech Support (Windows 7)

Free MP3 songs from Amazon MP3 Store: Just 4 Kids "Greatest Hits"

Amazon MP3 Store offers to download Just 4 Kids "Greatest Hits" album for free.



Songs include:

1. Songs By Heart: My Grandfather's Clock


2. Songs By Heart: The Big Rock Candy Mountain


3. Nursery Rhymes: Diddle, Diddle, Dumpling


4. Nursery Rhymes: London Bridge


5. Animal Crackers: Jungle Train


6. Animal Crackers: Crawdad Song


7. Silly Sing Along: Barnyard Song


8. Silly Sing Along: Apples And Bananas


9. Play Along Songs: A Baby Bumblebee


10. Play Along Songs: Do Your Ears Hang Low?


11. Sing, Shake and Shout: Alphabet Song


12. Sing, Shake and Shout: The Flea Fly Song

Top private shopping clubs 2011 (flash sale sites) by revenue

Top American private shopping clubs (flash sale sites, fashion sale sites, designer sale site, sample sale sites) among new brands in social commerce:

1. Gilt Groupe


2. Rue La La


3. HauteLook


4. Beyond The Rack


5. Zulily


6. Ideel (former Ideeli)


7. One King's Lane


8. Fab

Source of the chart

My favorite private shopping club is Ideel (former Ideeli) and I think that prices on Gilt are too high. So no wonder my personal top list is different. How about you? What are your favorite private shopping clubs? Are they in this list?


But I'm amazed that our family made purchases in all of these private shopping clubs (as well as in some others) except for One King's Lane. And we visit many of them regularly.

See also:

• Invitations to private shopping sites offering International Shipping
• All our purchases at Ideel private shopping club (private sale club, sample sale site, flash sale site, designer sale site, fashion sale site) 

Free unlimited access to books, movies, apps and games for kids using Kindle Fire tablet

Kindle FreeTime Unlimited is the first-ever all-in-one subscription that brings together all the types of content that kids and parents love - books, games, educational apps, movies and TV shows. With unlimited access to thousands of hand-picked titles for kids ages 3-8, parents don't have to spend time (and money) guessing what their kids will enjoy, and kids can explore a world of age-appropriate content on their own - no ads, no in-app purchases.

Every new Kindle Fire and Kindle Fire HD comes with a one-month free trial of Kindle FreeTime Unlimited. After your trial ends, continue at a low monthly price, with no annual commitments. Amazon Prime members enjoy special pricing from $2.99 per month.



Make sure to cancel your free trial or you'll be billed monthly. Also make sure you have a compatible Kindle Fire device, because this offer isn't compatible with older Kindle Fire devices or Kindle e-Ink readers.

Shipito coupon code: 20% off annual Virtual Mailbox plan

American package forwarder Shipito offers a 20% discount onto its annual Virtual Mailbox plan. To get the discount use the following promo code when creating your Shipito account: PayPalVIRT20

This promo code can be used one time only and can't be combined with any other offers. The promo code is valid for all international customers and can be applied until January 10, 2013.

Example of free photos that Shipito shipping forwarder offers to its customers for free now

Shipito package forwarder started offering free photos of packages to its customers. I've never ordered any pictures in the past, althouth the delivery+damage insurance required photos. Here is my first package gallery:

The first photo is with all my packages before consolidation:



Most other photos show the contents of the packages before consolidation:







The following photo shows all the content of the box after consolidating packages:



The final photo shows the box with a tape on it:



It is interesting that my box after consolidation had a 90-day free storage. I had to sent all my previous packages in 3 days. And it would cost me about $50 to add yet another package to the condolidated box. And now I can see how much free space I have in the box, so I can add more stuff into it. Hope this was not a mistake, but a new feature.

Get $5 off your $25 Amazon purchase

Amazon offers a $5 discount via Facebook. Upon completion of the "Share & Claim" action, a $5 off $25 or more promotional credit will be automatically applied to your Amazon account.



Follow these directions to redeem your $5 promotional credit:

1. Shop for items with "Ships from and sold by Amazon.com."


2. Add over $25 of eligible items to your cart and proceed to Checkout.


3. On the "Review Your Order" page you will see the $5 savings applied.

This promotion excludes Kindle devices, digital downloads and gift card purchases.

Promotional credits must be redeemed by 11:59 PM PST on Sunday, December 9, 2012. This promotion is available to customers located and with billing addresses in the United States (if you reside outside the USA, make sure to add a US billing address to your Amazon account). Limit one promotional credit per customer. Quantity is limited.

Gilt private shopping club offers free international shipping via promo code INTLFS

Gilt private shopping club (fashion sale site, flash sale site, designer sale site, private sale site, sample sale site) offers free International shipping via promo code INTLFS .



This offer can be applied to free [standard] international shipping off your purchase between December 4, 2012 through December 5, 2012, excluding taxes, and any additional delivery charges. Not valid on Gilt City, Gilt Taste and Jetsetter. Free Shipping must be used only once in a single transaction and may be subject to product restrictions or exclusions. Free Shipping does not include any additional delivery or supplemental shipping charges above the standard shipping charge of $19.95. Free Shipping credit cannot be combined with other offers. Free Shipping credit is non-transferable and may only be used by the intended recipient.

The Free Shipping credit is non-transferable and may only be used by the intended recipient, so check you e-mail box for the offer. You must be a member of Gilt and receive their e-mail subscription.

Not a member of Gilt yet? Register for free now and get $25 off your first purchase.

p.s.
And don't forget that you can get a 3% cash back from your Gilt purchases when using Extrabux

Holiday giveaway and coupon from Hautelook flash sale site

Golden giveaway: Now through December the 4th, log in to Hautelook, a Nordstrom company, for a chance to win instant credit. Plus come back on December the 4th for their 5th birthday and you could win $500.



For new members only, HauteLook offers a $20 discount if you spend $50 or more via coupon code.
Coupon code: NORDSHOP20

Refurbished Kindle DX reader for $229

all4cellular via eBay offers seller refurbished Kindle DX reader for $229.99. Shipping within the USA only.



Used Kindle DX costs $289+ on Amazon.

Amazon MP3 store: 25 FREE MP3 holiday songs

Starting December 1, every 5 days Amazon MP3 Store is rolling out 5 new free holiday songs for your collection.



Free MP3 songs you may download today:

1. Capital Kings "Carol of the Bells"


2. Ukulele Christmas "Deck The Halls"


3. Shonen Knife "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"


4. Cyndi Lauper "Blue Christmas"


5. The Shins "Wonderful Christmastime"

Download free holiday songs

Free personalized video message from Santa Claus from Portable North Pole

Portable North Pole makes Christmas or Birthdays even more magical to your loved child or relatives. It offers a one-of-a-kind personalized video, interactive letter, official book, place mats, certificate, coloring book, puzzle, door hanger, stickers, song, ringtone or phone call from Santa himself.

For the 5th anniversary of the Portable North Pole console, it offers you a free personalized video message from Santa Claus. Just input your kid's name, upload his/her pictures and personalize it a little bit by choosing from a dozen of options.



You will be able to watch your personalized video online. You may also download it for $6.99 or get the video by mail for $19.99.

If you don't want to pay for downloading, you may record your video from screen using software like Replay Video Capture or Debut Video Capture

Ideeli flash sale site gives a $50 credit when you spend $200

My favorite private shopping club (flash sale site) Ideeli gives a $50 credit when you spend $200. The offer is valid for 4 days only (until November 21).



 

Credit will be applied to your account by November 29, and you may spend it through December 15, 2012.

Not a member of Ideeli yet? Join for free now. Membership is free.

Get a $25 credit from Gilt private shopping club (flash sale site)

If you're not a member of Gilt yet, you may get a $25 credit from it by

1. Signing up for free via an invitation link like www.gilt.com/invite/bargain


2. And making your first $50+ purchase.

If you're a member of Gilt already, you may invite your friends and get $25 when they make their first $50+ purchase. It is interesting that not only you may send your friends an invitation link, but also share your favorite Gilt items using Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest links!

Gilt is one of the most popular American private shopping clubs (a.k.a. sample sale sites, private sale site, flash sale sites, fashion sale site, designer sale sites). It ships not only within the U.S., but to many countries around the world (some items can be shipped within the USA only, but you may always use a package forwarder). Gilt membership is FREE.

Free ebook from Microsoft Press: Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript

The "Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript" free ebook provides comprehensive coverage of the platform for Windows Store apps. Since its second preview in August, the authors have added the remaining chapters on live tiles, notifications, background tasks, background transfers, networking, devices, printing, WinRT components, accessibility, localization, and the Windows Store itself. The final ebook contains 17 chapters. And of course all of the earlier chapters have also been reviewed and refined-over 800 pages in total, along with new and updated companion content!

This book is about writing Windows Store apps using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. The primary focus will be on applying these web technologies within the Windows 8 platform, where there are unique considerations, and not on exploring the details of those web technologies themselves. For the most part, then, the author is assuming that you're already at least somewhat conversant with these standards. The book covers some of the more salient areas like the CSS grid, which is central to app layout.



You can download the "Programming Windows 8 Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript" ebook in PDF format here (17.9 MB)

Note: The MSDN blog will be updated and you will be able to download EPUB and MOBI formats in the near future.

The ebook's companion content is here (59.9 MB)

p.s. Yet another free book on Windows 8. Poor sales? Too few apps in the Windows app store?

Lower DHL pricing for Shipito customers

Shipito has signed a new contract with DHL which will allow to get lower pricing for all customers.

Most of the packages shipped by DHL and FedEx are billed by dimensional weight. That means that dimensional weight of the packages is bigger than real weight. The Dimensional Divisor (DIM) for Shipito will be adjusted to 166 from 139 effective this Monday, November 12, 2013. By changing the DIM factor the cost goes significantly down.

Few months ago FedEx lowered the DIM factor for Shipito. DHL now agreed to the same concession. The change will be effective on Monday. The Shipito shipping calculator is directly connected to DHL system, so as soon this comes into effect, you will see the lower pricing automatically.

USPS will begin accepting lithium batteries installed into electronics on November 15, 2012

Just in Time for the Holidays, U.S. Postal Service to Begin Global Shipping of Packages with Lithium Batteries. The Postal Service has worked collaboratively with the International Civil Aviation Organization, the Universal Postal Union and the Federal Aviation Authority to secure the changes needed to allow international mail shipments containing lithium batteries to begin.

Effective Nov. 15, 2012, Postal Service policies will be changed to allow specific quantities of lithium batteries - when installed in the equipment they are intended to operate - to be sent to many international destinations, including APO (Army Post Office), FPO (Fleet Post Office) and DPO (Diplomatic Post Office) locations when permitted by the destination or host country.

Items which can be shipped may include: cameras, video cameras, mobile/smart phones, Bluetooth headsets, laptop computers, shavers, portable DVD players, tablets, two-way radios, GPS devices and most other small electronic devices requiring lithium batteries to operate.

Items which cannot be shipped include any lithium batteries not installed in the equipment they are intended to operate. In addition, when installed, they may not exceed the quantity or limits defined in the IMM or DMM.

Domestic shipments of packages containing lithium batteries, and electronic devices containing lithium batteries currently remain unchanged.

The Federal Register final rule, and IMM, DMM and Publication 52 revisions, will be available at pe.usps.com.

Source

Russian Post Standard - a new way of delivering packages with lithiumbatteries to Russia by Shipito

Russian Post Standard via Berlin is a new service offered by Shipito in cooperation with Russian Post branch in Berlin.

Packages are first shipped by truck to New York Los Angeles, then by air courier to Berlin, and after that put on a train to Moscow from where it is delivered to local branch of Russian post office. Each package has a Russian Post tracking number which will start working after the packages arrives in Berlin and is cleared through EU.

Limitations:

• Weight limit is 20kg (44 lbs)


• No size can be longer than 105 cm (41 inches)


• Sum of all three sizes should not be more than 200 cm (78 inches)


• Dimensional weight applies


• Maximum value and insurance is $2,500


• Insurance rate for losses or damages is 3% of the product value

This shipping methods works the best for heavier and smaller packages (like 26"x13"x13", 18-20kg).

Delivery time: From Shipito warehouse to New York: 5-6 days. From New York to Berlin - 2-3 days.
From Shipito warehouse to Los Angeles: 2-3 days. From New York to Berlin: 2-3 days. From Berlin to larger western cities like Moscow or St. Petersburg: 2 weeks. For very remote areas, this can take up to 5 weeks. The total time to deliver is then 3 to 7 weeks. Speed of delivery is not guaranteed and depends on Russian Post.

Currently available only in California warehouses. First shipment will be sent once Shipito has at least 1000 lbs. Once Shipito sends the first shipment they might wait for your feedback, before this becomes a permanent option.
As of December 2013, Russia Post Standard shipping method is available in California, Oregon and Nevada warehouses. The fastest mail out is from California warehouses as the plain is leaving from Los Angeles to Berlin (direct flight).

I've checked the cost of the new shipping method using the Shipito calculator for my last package (37.5 lbs, 36"x17"12") and found pretty interesting rates:



Please note that the dimensional weight applies.

Shipito recommends to use the Russia Post Standard shipping method, because it is the safest shipping method based on the number of insurance claims (just few claims in 2013).

Personally I still use USPS Priority Mail Express International (former USPS Express Mail International) for most of my packages:

• Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shipping forwarder in 2013 for sending packages from the United States to Russia
• Examples of fees charged by USPS Express Mail and Shipito shippingforwarder in 2012 for sending packages from USA to Russian Federation
• Some samples on how much it costs to send packages/parcels to Russia using USPS and Shipito (2010-2011)

This is due to the fact that the Russian Standard Post shipping method is very slow, is not offered in the Oregon warehouse and is not cheaper than USPS Express Mail International. Lack of alternatives to USPS (like SPSR Express) is one of the main reasons for customers from Russia to avoid Shipito. Other parcel forwarders shipping to Russia offer much better and cheaper services than Shipito. Although I must admit that I haven't found anything cheaper and better than Shipito for other countries of the world.

Shipito rolls out FREE photos of all consolidated packages

Shipito freight forwarder rolls out new and free service upgrade for all customers. All consolidated packages will have photos posted on your account. Some of the customers already can see the free photos of their consolidated packages.

• You will see what packages were actually consolidated. Photo of each package consolidated.


• You will see the final packing of the consolidation box (photo of filled and still opened box). So you will be able to see how well your packages is packed!


• Photos of closed and taped packages will also be provided, so you will be able to see how it was taped before mail out!

The best part is that this service will be free for all customers! Great news!

Amazon coupon code: 20% off contemporary and timeless clothing

Amazon offers a 20% discount onto a selection of women's, men's, and kids' clothing via coupon code "SVEFAL20". Purchase apparel and accessories from Calvin Klein, Diesel, Kenneth Cole, BCBG Max Azria, Vivienne Westwood, and more. This discount is valid on purchases from Amazon directly, not from its merchants from the marketplace.

Most orders receive free shipping via Amazon Prime. Non-members can receive free shipping on all orders over $25 before coupon. Other restrictions may apply. Deal ends November 7.

Amazon and sales tax in Oregon, California and New Jersey

In September 2012 American retail giant Amazon started collecting sales tax in California. Depending on the location of the warehouse of your Californian shipping forwarder, Amazon will collect 7.25-9.75%.

Some shipping forwarders have their warehouses in New Jersey. Many online retailers do not collect a sales tax from customers from New Jersey. However Amazon USA plans to build two huge distribution centers in New Jersey. Moreover Amazon will start collecting a 7 percent state sales tax in July 2013 - whether the warehouses are built or not.



One of the ways to avoid sales tax for non US reditents is by using no sales tax locations. Shipito shipping forwarder has a warehouse in Tualatin, Oregon. Another shipping forwarder Qwintry is located in Portland, Oregon. The sales tax in both locations is not collected.

Alternatively you may use freight forwarders which have locations in those states, where sales tax is not collected when you make purchases in your favorite online stores. This means that this stores should not be based in such states, not should they have any offices, offline stores or warehouses there.

Holiday price matching from Paypal: Get a refund of up to $1000

When you check out with PayPal and find your item advertised at a lower price within 30 days, Paypal will refund the difference.



 

Key features:

• 30-day price protection (up to $250 per item and $1000 maximum during the promotion period) when you use PayPal as your payment method,


• 7-day price protection on airplane tickets at the same airline,


• Covers eBay Buy It Now purchases of new items from top-rated sellers.

Learn more...

CyberGhost VPN Classic - 24 hour giveaway

Rated 4.5 stars by CNET, CyberGhost VPN hides your IP address and allows you to replace it by opting for one of their 101 servers located in different parts of Europe and the United States. It also encrypts your data, which guarantees that you are not only anonymous, but also have your personal information guarded safely. This gives you access to blocked content from all around the world and lets you use your credit card without worrying about your information getting comprised. At the end of the day, it helps you keep your private affairs private. This allows allows you to pretend you have a USA IP address when shopping online.



24 hour spooktacular giveaway of CyberGhost VPN allows you to save 69.99 USD. SOLD OUT

Free PDF ebook from Dell and Wiley&Sons: Windows 8 for Dummies

Windows 8 operating system is very counter-intuitive. So you should find the book "Windows 8 for Dummies" by Andy Rathbone very useful. It covers many aspects of Windows 8 from its new Start Screen to Windows Apps and Desktop mode.



Windows 8 For Dummies eBook Table of Contents :

• Chapter 1: The New Start screen


• Chapter 2: The Traditional desktop


• Chapter 3: Storage: Internal, External, and in the Sky


• Chapter 4: Working with Apps


• Chapter 5: Engaging the Social Apps


• Chapter 6: Getting Connected and Having fun through the Start Screen


• Chapter 7: Ten things you'll Hate about Windows 8 (And how to fix them)

Download PDF ebook from Wiley&Sons for free (11 MB)

Free $1.29 credit to Amazon MP3 Store!

Go to "Free $1.29 Amazon MP3 credit via Facebook page", answer and let your Facebook friends know what your favorite party song is by typing it in the box and clicking the button to share it. After you do that, Amazon will automatically add a $1.29 credit to your account.

Promotional credits must be redeemed by 11:59 p.m. PST on November 2, 2012. Amazon MP3 Store is available to customers located and with billing addresses in the United States. You must have an Amazon USA account and accept the Amazon MP3 Service Terms of Use to redeem your credit. Limit one promotional credit per customer.

Some classical music albums you can buy in Amazon MP3 Store for $1.29 and less:

• Romantic Classical Music for Valentine's Day


• Classical Music for Baby's Bedtime


• 100 Must-Have Waltz & Dance Classics


• The Most Relaxing Classical Music in the Universe


• Classical Music for the Reader 5: Great Masterpieces for the Dedicated Reader


• Classical Music for the Reader 6: Great Masterpieces for the Dedicated Reader

How to upgrade (a pirated version of) Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro

Microsoft allows to upgrade your Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro for $14.99 only. The offer is valid until December the 31st 2012 or earlier. The most interesting thing is that there is a paradox when some legal customers of desktops and notebooks with Windows 7 pre-installed fail to get an upgrade to Windows 8 while some users of pirated versions of Windows 7 were able to get the upgrade for only $14.99. Microsoft will probably close the loophole unless it is interested at legalizing pirated versions of Windows 7 by any mean.

How to upgrade (a pirated version of) Windows 7 to Windows 8 Pro

1. Navigate to the Windows Upgrade page and select your region. Let's assume you have chosen "United States - English".


2. Hit the "Continue" button.


3. The "Register for the Windows Upgrade Offer" page will load. Enter your name, cell phone number, e-mail, CAPTCHA. Agree with the terms of use and the privacy statement. Obviously you have bought your Windows 7 computer 2-5 weeks ago from one of major retailers and your computer model is very popular ;) Enter the details of your purchase including the date of your purchase, retailer and computer model (Remeber that the upgrade offer is available for recent purchases only). Hit the "Continue" button.


4. On the next page enter your name, phone number and your e-mail.  Hit the "Continue" button.


5. Microsoft trusts its customers and will send you a coupon code by e-mail. This coupon code will allow you to buy Windows 8 Pro (a downloadable version) for only $14.99. All further instructions are included into the e-mail.


6. Download the Upgrade Assistant and launch it.


7. If you decide to skip the compatibility check, make sure your hardware is indeed compatible with Windows 8.


8. Choose a payment method (like credit card), enter your billing address. Make sure to use the coupon code which is sent by e-mail. It will cut the price down to $14.99.


9. Also make sure not to order a backup disc. The setup wizard allows you to save the downloaded copy of Windows 8 Pro as an .ISO image file (you may burn it onto a DVD disc using freeware software like ImageBurn). Also it allows you to create a bootable flash drive with Windows 8 Pro.


10. Hit the "Buy" button.


11. After paying for your order you will receive a Windows 8 Pro licence key.


12. Enjoy!

Note that PCs purchased with Windows 7 between June 2, 2012 and January 31, 2013 are eligible for the Upgrade Offer. Eligible PCs are new PCs with a valid Windows 7 OEM Certificate of Authenticity and product key. Windows 7 Home Basic, Windows 7 Home Premium, Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate versions are eligible, while Windows 7 Starter Edition is not eligible for this offer.

System requirements to use Windows 8:

• Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with support for PAE, NX, and SSE2


• RAM: 1 gigabyte (GB) (32-bit) or 2 GB (64-bit)


• Hard disk space: 16 GB (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)


• Graphics card: Microsoft DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM driver

More details can be found on the Microsoft web-site.

Windows 8: Special limited time offers from Microsoft

Special offer #1: Upgrade Windows XP, Vista, 7 to Windows 8 Pro for a special price

For a limited time, upgrade to Windows 8 Pro for a special price of $39.99.



Offer valid from October 26, 2012 until January 31, 2013 and is limited to five upgrade licenses per customer. To install Windows 8 Pro, customers must be running Windows XP SP3, Windows Vista, or Windows 7.

Note that this is a downloadable version. You can get Windows 8 Pro shipped to you for $69.99.

Download Windows 8 Pro for $39.99

Special offer #2: Add Windows Media Center to Windows 8 Pro for FREE

If your PC is running Windows 8 Pro and you'd like to get Windows 8 Media Center Pack so you can watch and record live TV with Windows Media Center, you can take advantage of the following special offer:

For a limited time, get Windows 8 Media Center Pack for free.

Get a free license for Windows Media Center for Windows 8 Pro

Skype offers FREE worldwide calls to mobiles and landlines for a month

Skype offers FREE worldwide calls for a month. That means, in addition to making free Skype to Skype calls, you can also call offline contacts on their mobiles and landlines.



Here's what you'll get:

• One month of free unlimited (1) calls, worth $13.99.


• Calls to mobiles in seven countries, including the USA, Canada and Hong Kong (3).


• Unlimited calls to landlines in over 40 countries (4).


• Call when you want, day and night, seven days a week.


• No obligation - try it for a month and cancel at any time.

Restrictions:

1. A fair usage policy applies. Excludes special, premium and non-geographic numbers.


2. Trial must be redeemed by 15/11/2012. Offer available only to existing Skype users who have been registered with Skype more than 29 days. To qualify for the offer, you must provide valid payment details. After the first month, your subscription will automatically continue and payments will be taken monthly unless you cancel within 27 days of the start date. Only one free Unlimited World subscription can be claimed per customer. Offer not available in China, Korea, Russia or Taiwan.


3. Calls to mobiles and landlines in these countries: Canada, Guam, Hong Kong S.A.R. China, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Thailand and United States.


4. Calls to landlines in these countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia (Moscow and St. Petersburg only), Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom and Venezuela.

Get one month of FREE worldwide calls from Skype