6 free games for FREE from Amazon App Store (apps gone free)

Amazon App Store for Android offers 8 games for FREE: 

• Sonic Jump
• Buddy & Me
• Wheel of Fortune
• QuizClash PREMIUM
• Lumi 
• Gravity Guy 
• Ski Safari (Kindle Tablet Edition)
• Wreck-It Ralph (Kindle Tablet Edition)

Get them while they are FREE

Download the "Frozen Read-Along Storybook" eBook from Disney Book Group via iTunes for FREE

Download the "Frozen Read-Along Storybook" from Disney Book Group via iTunes for FREE

This book is available for download with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device, and with iTunes on your computer. Books can be read with iBooks on your Mac or iOS device.

Description of the "Frozen Read-Along Storybook" 
When the kingdom she loves is trapped in an eternal winter, it is up to Anna and the daring mountain man Kristoff to set out on an adventure filled with danger, magical creatures and a hilarious snowman in order to find her sister, the Snow Queen. Based on the Disney film, Frozen, this enhanced storybook features thrilling sound effects, word-for-word narration, and original movie voices!

Requirements:
To view this book, you must have an iOS device with iBooks 3 or later and iOS 4.3 or later, or a Mac with iBooks 1.0 or later and OS X 10.9 or later.

 Download the "Frozen Read-Along Storybook" while it is 100% FREE.

Review of Mainbox - US to Russia package forwarder (parcel forwarder, mail forwarder, freight forwarder)

I have bought Dell XPS 2720 all-in-one computer at Dell Outlet USA. I used a 20% coupon code, although it is 87 dollars cheaper with the 25% $GDBTQH7WC6FMV right now . But I had not time to wait for a better deal. And I didn't expect any deals similar to Black Friday ones when a refurbished DELL XPS 2720 costed only 1'000 USD at Woot, which is 200 USD less than you can get from Dell outlet now using the 25% coupon code.

I wanted my computer to be delivered safe and fast, so I was not planning to use the state postal services (USPS and Russian Post). I have decided to test a pretty new package forwarder (parcel forwarder, freight forwarder, mail forwarder) - Mainbox International Inc. I chose Standard delivery instead of Express, because it is much cheaper, but still very fast (sometimes even faster than the Express shipping by Mainbox).

I've made my order at Dell Outlet on January 30th, 2014.

Fedex has delivered my package to the no sales tax location in Bear, Delaware on February 4th, 2014.

I've chosen the no sales tax warehouse of Mainbox, because it only costs $2 dollars more, but allows not to pay the sales tax at all! The saving of several dozens of dollars was decisive for me. With the sales tax there was a chance I could exceed the 1000 EUR limit. And I didn't want to pay any additional customs fees or taxes in Russia. Nor have I considered an opportunity to lower the price in the customs declaration. It is an ethical decision for me, not the risk of losing the insurance in case of any problem.

On February 5rh, 2014 I requested Mainbox to test my computer. I also added in the comments that I wanted them to check whether the IPS panel has any dead pixels or not. This test costed me only 3 USD. The refurbished computer was tested to work and the screen didn't have any dead pixels.

Then I sent my purchase to packaging. My newly purchased computer was packed and the box was measured. This was the time I knew my final cost of sending my package from the USA to Russia by Mainbox Standard delivery.

On February 6, 2014 I paid for all the services of Mainbox as well as for the courier shipping by Paypal. I could have saved 10% by using a debit or credit card of the Avangard bank. As for Paypal, it costed me 0% to fill in the account. The same applies to debit and credit cards, there are no any hidden fees at Mainbox!

The size of the package was 77x62x32cm and its weight was 19.12 kg . Dimensional weight was 22.5 kg. The first kg costed me 28 USD and each every next kilogramm costed only 12 USD. This price was valid for my region, it can be less or more expensive for other regions of Russia (use their calculator to check the price for your city or town). Currently Mainbox ships from USA to Russia only. I would like to emphasize that Mainbox charged exactly for 22.5 kg (not for 23 kg). Total cost was only $286 USD.

Shipito package forwarder would charge nearly the same for shipping this package to Russia via USPS Priority Mail Express International from its no sales tax location in Tualatin, Oregon. But the state postal service is slower as well as less reliable. Moreover Shipito would charge more if you consider fees for filling in your account, mailout, testing a computer, cost of incoming package(s), optional monthly or annual fees. This is yet another proof that Shipito is not a very good option for Russia anymore due to the fact that other package forwarders (parcel forwarders, freight forwarders, mail forwarders) offer lower fees as well as much better service at the same time. But for many other countries Shipito is still one of the best options available. If you know any better service for say Australia, Brazil please let me know in the comments.

On February 10th my package was at the customs of Russia. I was notified about this event by e-mail. On February 11th the customs clearance was complete and the package was in the warehouse in Russia. On February 13th a courier of the Garantpost courier service called me by the phone and delivered the package to my apartment within 2 hours.

The package had the "Fragile", "Handle with Care" stickers which were requested by me (and I didn't pay an extra cent for the service). Moreover the whole box was covered with black sticky tape, so the content had much lower risk of being damaged by humidity. Besides this tape allows you to notice whether the box was opened or not by the customs, courier service or a thief. Because of this fact alone I would consider using Mainbox for sending electronics or something of high value from USA to Russia.

What I didn't like about Mainbox:

1. The courier that delivered the package to me didn't know whether I was allowed to open the package behind his own eyes or not. Although he did help me to open it and check the content visually.
2. One needs to provide scans of his ID. Right now you either may use the state postal service or have to provide your ID.
3. The web-site was not very fast when I was using it. The graphics on it is awesome, but I would prefer better speed.
4. The web-site doesn't support SSL protocol, so the content is transferred between you and the web-site via a regular HTTP protocol which doesn't use any encryption.
5. There are some delays with the statused of the package. The situation is far away from critical, but obviously some customers of courier services prefer this to be better.

What I did like about Mainbox:

• Very fast delivery (only 2 weeks from ordering at Dell USA to appearing in my apartment in Rostov-on-Don, Russia)
• No sales tax location available (optional service which was free in my case)
• Courier delivery to your door
• The company promises to cover any damage or loss of the package.
• 45 days of free storage of your parcels in the USA (before repackaging)
• Nice prices (but be carefull with the dimensional weight)

Bottom line: I can recommend Mainbox for sending purchases from USA to Russia!

Blowout sale at Zulily today

Zulily is a private shopping club offering daily deals for moms, babies and kids. International shipping to select countries available.

President's day sale on Amazon: Coupon code: 20% off denim, tees and jackets

President's day sale on Amazon  

Get 20% off denim, tees and jackets when you spend $100

Coupon code: 20PRES14

How much it cost to ship a package to Russia from the USA via Shipito, Qwintry, Mainbox and Shopfans parcel forwarders (USPS vs. courier service) in 2014

I've been using Shipito parcel forwarder for shipping to Russia for more than 3 years. I posted detailed fees that I paid for shipping via USPS Priority Mail International and USPS Priority Mail Express International (former USPS Express Mail International) in 2010-2011, 2012 and 2013.

But the competition among parcel forwarders shipping to Russia is amazing. So no wonder that many companies offer much lower shipping rates and much better service at the same time when shipping to Russia. Unfortunately this is not the case for many other countries where using Shipito is still one of the best ways to get a decent service and cheap rates.

The first alternative I've decided to test was a new Russian parcel forwarder Mainbox. It offers fast courier service delivery to Russia. Besides speed it has lots of other benefits. One of them is that unlike Shipito you don't need to pay any monthly or annual fees to have an account with Mainbox. When shipping my Dell XPS all-in-one computer and Sony A7 mirrorless camera I decided to avoid state postal service by all means. Moreover I needed to test my computer and camera before shipping them to Russia. Mainbox tested Dell XPS, checked dead pixels on the  screen for only $3. The camera focusing and lack of scratches on the lense and display were also done only for $3! Standard Mainbox shipping is fast enough, so there is no need to use express shipping.

It costed me $289 to ship a 19kg 77x62x32cm package with my Dell XPS computer to Russia by Mainbox.

 

Mainbox fee structure in 2014:

• Package Location: Bear, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  19 kg
  77x62x32cm
  Mailout fee: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $286 ($28 for the first kilogramm, $12 for every additional kg)
  (Carrier) ($286)
  (Bank fee) ($0)
  Insurance: $0 (included into postage)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Mainbox for delivering this package to Russia:
  • Express shipping
    Postage: $342 ($41 for the first kilogram, $14 for every additional kg)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $15.2
  TOTAL: $289
• Package Location: Bear, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  1,44 kg
  31x25x22cm
  Delivery time: 8 days
  Mailout fee: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $44 ($30 for the first kilogramm, $14 for every additional kg)
  (Carrier) ($44)
  Bank fee $1.21 (1724.80 RUR ~ $50.21 was charged by Uniteller instead of $49 for filling the account in RUR. The option of filling the account in USD by Paypal was not available.)
  Insurance: $0 (included into postage)
  Testing working condition (optional): $3
  Using no sales tax warehouse: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $34.87
  TOTAL: $50.21

Besides testing Mainbox, I still use Shipito for delivering packages to Russia via USPS Priority Mail Express International.



Shipito fee structure 2014

• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  33.30 lbs (15.1 kg)
  36"x17"x14" (92x44x35 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $26.00 (13 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $225.21
  (Carrier) ($215.93)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($9.28)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $218.66
    Insurance: $18.91 (optional)
    TOTAL: $237.57
  
  
  • Airmail Priority (8-20 business days)
    Postage: $343.09
    Insurance: not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $343.09
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-6 weeks)
    Postage: $243.76
    Insurance: $40.13 (optional)
    TOTAL: $283.89
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $17.86
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $53.78
  TOTAL: $269.71
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  22.40 lbs (10.16 kg)
  27"x13"x13" (69x34x34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $38.00 (19 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $137.37
  (Carrier) ($131.71)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($5.66)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $135.42
    Insurance: $17.79 (optional)
    TOTAL: $153.21
  
  
  • Airmail Priority (20-40 business days)
    Postage: $220.95
    Insurance: not available
    Tracking is not available
    TOTAL: $220.95
  
  
  • USPS Priority Mail (6-10 business days)
    Postage: $141.26
    Insurance: $29.43 (optional)
    TOTAL: $188.59
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-4 weeks)
    Postage: $150.95
    Insurance: $37.64 (optional)
    TOTAL: $283.89
  
  
  • SPSR Express (8-15 business days)
    Postage: $186.76
    Insurance: $47.64 (optional)
    TOTAL: $234.4
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $18.29
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $54.16
  TOTAL: $185.87
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)
• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  38.50 lbs (17.46 kg)
  36"x17"x14" (92x44x35 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 ($10 extra fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $34.00 (17 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $201.42
  (Carrier) ($193.12)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($8.30)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Alternative shipping methods offered by Shipito for delivering this package to Russia:
  
  
  • USPS Express Mail (5-6 business days)
    Postage: $190.39
    Insurance: $18.86 (optional)
    TOTAL: $217.44
  
  
  • Russian Post Standard (3-4 weeks)
    Postage: $237.94
    Insurance: $40.02 (optional)
    TOTAL: $288.19
  
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.6
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $61.8
  TOTAL: $254.92
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  30.90 lbs (14.01 kg)
  36"x17"x13" (92x44x32 cm)
  Mailout fee: $18.50 (extra $10 fee for packages over 30 lbs)
  Repacking fee: $36.00 (18 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $169.41
  (Carrier) ($162.43)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.98)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $16.12
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $63.48
  TOTAL: $225.91
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  27.70 lbs (12.56 kg)
  36"x17"x13" (92x44x34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $22.00 (11 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $155.16
  (Carrier) ($148.76)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($6.40)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.94
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $38.9
  TOTAL: $187.66
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)


• Package Location: Tualatin, Oregon (no sales tax location)
  14.10 lbs (6.39 kg)
  17"×13"×13" (44×34×34 cm)
  Mailout fee: $8.50
  Repacking fee: $12.00 (6 packages consolidated)
  Postage: $103.82
  (Carrier) ($99.54)
  (Bank fee 4.3%) ($4.28)
  Insurance: $0 (no insurance)
  Extra security tape: $2
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $19.77
  Total Shipito fees (not including USPS shipping, insurance and Shipito monthly fee): $26.78
  TOTAL: $126.32
  Shipito service plan: Old Virtual Mailbox ($100 / year, available for old customers only)

I also decided to test Qwintry parcel forwarder for shipping to Russia via USPS. It has a warehouse in the no sales tax location in Delaware, so I was wondering whether it will be faster and cheaper to send the package from the East coast (rather than the West coast in case of Shipito). Moreover Qwintry doesn't have any subscription fees, not does it charge for incoming packages as well as package consolidation.

Qwintry fee structure in 2014:

• Shipping method: USPS Priority Mail Express International (EMS) Package Location: Newark, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  33.16 lb (15.04 kg)
  18x18x22 inches (46x46x56 cm)
  Mailout fee: $0
  Processing incoming packages: $0
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Packagin materials: $8
  Postage: $201.60
  Insurance: $0 (optional)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $14.14
  TOTAL: $212.60

When shipping my Yamaha digital piano, using state post was not and option due to size limitations of the USPS. Mainbox wasn't able to ship this package due to the large size. So I decided to test Shopfans Express courier service for shipping Yamaha P155 to Russia.

Shopfans Express fee structure in 2014:

• Shipping method: Shopfans Express (no other options available for a package of this size) Package Location: Claymont, Delaware (no sales tax location)
  57 lbs 5 oz
  Mailout fee: $0
  Processing incoming packages: $0 (via coupon code SFXZERO)
  Repacking fee: $0 (no packages consolidated)
  Postage: $309,05
  (Carrier) ($298,6)
  (Bank fee) ($10,45)
  Insurance: $0 (optional)
  Total per 1 kg of gross weight: $11.89
  TOTAL: $309,05

Links:

• Shipito
• Qwintry
• Mainbox
• Shopfans

See also:

• How much it cost to ship a package to Russia from the USA via Qwintry parcel forwarder in 2015

Download 14 Microsoft Press eBooks for FREE: Windows 8.1, Programming Windows Store Apps, Windows Server, Windows Azure,...

Download 14 Microsoft Press eBooks for FREE

• Introducing Microsoft System Center 2012 R2
• Introducing Windows Server 2012 R2
• Introducing Windows Azure for IT Professionals
• Rethinking Enterprise Storage: A Hybrid Cloud Model
• Introducing Windows 8.1 for IT Professionals
• Programming Windows Store Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, Second Edition (Second Preview)
• .NET Technology Guide for Business Applications
• Introducing Microsoft System Center 2012 R2
• Microsoft System Center: Designing Orchestrator Runbooks
• Microsoft System Center: Configuration Manager Field Experience
• Microsoft System Center: Cloud Management with App Controller
• Microsoft System Center: Troubleshooting Configuration Manager
• Microsoft System Center: Optimizing Service Manager
• Windows 8.1 Administration Pocket Consultant: Essentials & Configuration

Where to buy official Sochi 2014 Olympic team outfit

• Team of Russia (sochi2014.com) 
• Team of the USA (Team USA Shop) and Team USA at Ralph Lauren 
• Team of France 
• Team of Canada
• Team of Germany 

Any other shops you may suggest?

Semi-annual warehouse sale at Ideeli private shopping club. Up to 90% off.

Biggest sale of the season at Ideeli private shopping club. Discounts up to 90%.