Novapolt USB 3.0 External DVD/CD Drive

In this day of ultralight, ultrabooks, smaller, lighter, and faster, one thing that’s going the way of the Dodo is a physical disc drive. And while on the surface you might say “well, that’s fine, almost every major manufacturer puts their software and drivers online to download”, sometimes, they don’t. Especially with legacy equipment and peripherals.

So it was with great gusto I agreed to give Novapolt’s External drive bay. It uses the newer 3.0 USB connection that has a much, much quicker read/write time than the older 2.0 standard we’ve all used for forever, but it’s still backward compatible with the old USB 2.0 and 1.1 standards. With a 24x speed on CD-r and CD-rw, and a 8x speed on DVD’s, it should be sufficient for all you basic CD/DVD needs. It has a dedicated built-in USB cable, so no need to worry about misplacing it and being out of luck when you need it but can’t find it. And thankfully it was truly plug-n-play with Windows 10 once I got a dedicated media player for videos. It’s relatively quiet and can scarcely be heard over ambient room noise. I can’t speak for the shock protection, so I wouldn’t go running anywhere with it, or other such activities. And a unit like the Novapolt CD/DVD drive is indispensable for data backups. Nothing like having physical media to back up pictures, letters or to re-install your hard drive after a catastrophic crash. “The cloud” is fine for some, but I like the safety and security of knowing I have my data here, at my fingertips, at all times, and away from prying eyes.

It’s not all wine and roses. To start, while it has a brushed aluminum look, it’s actually plastic. So while I’m sure that saved a few ounces in weight, it gives an overall cheap feel to the product. Next is that dedicated cord. In the interest of handy onboard storage, Novapolt out of necessity made the cord very short, which means it’s got to stay very, very close by. A minor quibble. My big gripe is the price. At the time I ordered, the Novapolt USB CD/DVD drive was priced at $34.87. And it doesn’t play blu-ray discs. I noted several external blu-ray readers and DVD recorders for $24.99 and $15 respectively from major manufacturers. I don’t know why Novapolt feels the need to charge so much, and I have a really hard time recommending them based on that, it’s just way too overpriced. It did the job, but you can find more affordable alternatives.

Connect with Novapolt:

• Online
• On Amazon

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Novapolt. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

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Optimize Your LinkedIn Presence, an eBook Review

Chances are, you have a Facebook account. Chances are, you have a Twitter account. And you know how to use them both pretty effectively, and to their fullest potential. Chances are, you have a LinkedIn account too. And chances are, you’re not using it to it’s fullest potential. You’re not making the most of your professional networking potential. In a trying, difficult job market, you need to maximize every advantage and tool at your disposal. And LinkedIn can be an invaluable tool if you just know how to make the most of it.

On most social media, the obvious emphasis is on “social”. Interacting casually, being friendly, personable, and entertaining is enough. But that doesn’t necessarily carry over as well to LinkedIn, and this book helps you understand as much. On LinkedIn, you’re putting yourself out there, YOU are the commodity, YOU are what people are looking for. And you need to make the most of the opportunity, when it comes knocking. Sometimes, you have only a few precious seconds to grab the attention of a potential professional connection. This book will help you maximize those seconds.

Sometimes, one word will make the difference between getting noticed and blending in with the crowd. Do you know what one of those words are? This book will show you. Can you network ON a network of groups? This book will show you how. So if you’re going to make the most of LinkedIn, you’ll need the help that’s in this book. And therein lies it’s biggest drawback. While it’s a brave new world out there for job seekers, the narrow focus of this book means it’s going to target a very select audience, probably skewing slightly older, who feel intimidated by new digital media frontiers. So while it’s a decent easy read, I’m not sure if it’s going to be for everyone. I have a LinkedIn account and didn’t realize how I’d been misusing it until I read this book. But if you’re using LinkedIn, and you need LinkedIn, you need to make sure you get the most out of it, and this book will do that.

I received the above product(s) free of charge for the purpose of review. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Being Excellent at Etsy

It might come as a bit of a shock to most people, but Etsy is a large, thriving marketplace, and a bustling e-commerce site with a large, active community and a outlet for millions of people’s creativity. I’ve known this for a while, and been a fan of Etsy for some time, far more so than places like eBay, but I’d never given much thought to what it takes to be a successful seller on Etsy. Until I read through this eBook and got so much insight, not only from the writer, but from actual sellers on Etsy who took time out of their day to provide point-by-point instructionals to what it takes for you to be successful on Etsy too. Every step, every option, every variable is covered in this book. And lest you think it’s good for Etsy only, almost every data point is applicable to all manner of online sales, from eBay to Amazon. I’ve been an eBay and Amazon seller for almost 20 years and I learned quite a bit from this book. I learned the difference between just selling and thriving with online sales. SEO, keywords, and tags, descriptions, prices and pictures, and so much more, is covered here. Everyone who’s every sold online, be it once a year or multiple sales a day, could learn from this book. I learned how important it is be efficient and affordable in creating your goods, having ample inventory to meet demand, and how important it customer service is. Have you ever been on social media? Facebook? Twitter? Did you know the best and most affordable way to advertise for your business, while reaching thousands, if not tens of thousands, is using your social media account? Well, you do now! Another important point made by this book is mindset. You’re no longer John or Jane Doe selling leftover stuff in your garage, you’re a small business owner, an entrepreneur, you’re a startup. I hadn’t thoght of it that way until I read this book. Joining Etsy is joining a bustling e-commerce site that is different that other sites. It’s small an intimate while being vast and diverse. There’s things for everyone, from guys and gals to kids and seniors. And you need to decide which niche you’re going to fill, and this book will help you, steer you, point you in the direction that leads you to success. I’m glad I got to read this book and I recommend it highly to anyone who sells anything online anywhere. There’s so much information, even as a buyer I learned a lot. You could too. I received the above product(s) free of charge for the purpose of review. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.