Google Say Google+ Will Continue As Connection Platform

Google VP Bradley Horowitz says ending the requirement to use Google+ to engage with other Google products will allow the company to make a "slew of improvements" to the core social network.

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Drug maker tied to Vegas hepatitis outbreak to buy Allergan unit for $40.5B

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, the international drug maker linked to the 2008 hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas, has agreed to buy Allergan Plc's generic drugs business for $40.5 billion in a cash and stock deal that will turn the Israeli company into one of the world's largest pharmaceutical firms.

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Have Marketers Forgotten What It’s Like To Be Human?

Marketers need to move beyond the data and metrics and remember to make meaningful connections with other humans, says columnist Jim Williams.

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Marketing Day: Google+ Not Required, Twitter Spikes & Location Marketing

Here’s our recap of what happened in online marketing today, as reported on Marketing Land and other places across the web.

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Horsford firm to handle marketing efforts for MGM National Harbor

A firm headed by former Nevada Congressman Steven Horsford will oversee brand marketing efforts for the $1.3 billion MGM National Harbor development, a resort under construction near Washington, D.C.

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Bwin.party investor tells online gaming rival to increase its bid

The second-largest shareholder in Gibraltar-based Bwin.party Digital Entertainment said Monday a rival firm will have to increase an offer if it wants to out-bid online gaming giant 888 Holdings in a takeover battle.

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Hair, Nails and Makeup on a Budget: Save Money and Still Look Gorgeous

Since I started getting serious about paying off my student loans, I’ve been taking a hard look at my spending habits to figure out how to cut down on my costs.

One area I’ve hit hard is beauty. Through a combination of strategies, I’ve been able to save approximately $2,400 over the past two years on my beauty routine. I would much rather save that money for other things (future new home, I’m looking at you)!

Here are the tactics I’ve used to slash my beauty and personal care spending. How much could they help you save?

Save Money on Hair Care

I used to spend around $150 every six months to get my hair cut and highlighted, and $100 every three months for highlights only. This worked out to be about $500 a year. I now go to a friend of mine who gives me a great discount, so I pay about $180 a year. That’s a savings of $640 over the course of two years.

For those of you rockin’ the bangs, some hairdressers will trim them for free in between your regular cuts. It never hurts to ask — but don’t forget to leave them a tip!

While not everyone knows someone who can give them a discount on hair care, it’s worth asking around. Check with friends, local Facebook groups, Yelp or even local beauty schools for potential options.

If you can’t find a hairdresser who can give you a good price, try saying good-bye to coloring your hair. Reuniting with your natural hair color for a little while will revitalize your hair — and your wallet.

Save Money on Nail Care

I rarely went for manicures and pedicures before I cracked down on my spending, but I’ve now given them up almost completely.

Sure, the massage with the hot stones feels good on your legs when you get a pedicure, and it’s nice that they cut your cuticles and all, but you can do all of this yourself! Why spend $50 or more on a manicure and pedicure when you could spend $10 on some nail polish that will last you months, if not years? Plus, recent reports suggest there’s a much higher cost to that “cheap” mani-pedi than the price you’re paying.

Save Money on Makeup

I know a lot of people are 100% loyal to specific brands or products. I’ll be upfront: I am not one of those people. I don’t know much about makeup (can someone please explain contouring to me?), but I do prefer certain brands.

However, my loyalty will definitely waver if I come across a similar product that is much cheaper. Tons of drug-store brands do just as good a job as higher-end products; you just have to find the ones that work for you! These beauty-focused YouTube channels can help you learn which ones are worth checking out.

You can also get your generic beauty items, like cotton balls or makeup remover pads, at a dollar store for the biggest savings.

Don’t Waste Beauty Products

I used to use far too much product, especially shampoo and conditioner. I’ve realized that a quarter-sized amount of shampoo is usually enough, as you only really need enough to get at your roots. Conditioner is a different story; my hair is rather long, so I always use more conditioner than shampoo. However, I still try to use as little as possible to begin with, and then I can squeeze more out of the tube if I need it.

The same goes with other products like face wash, hair spray, nail polish remover, ointments, moisturizers, creams and more. Be cognizant of how much you are using each time, and you may start seeing that your products last much longer!

At the end of the day, you don’t have to give up all your favorite products and services to help your beauty budget.  Instead of completely shutting down your beauty spending, cut back on one or two expenses.

If you have your heart set on getting your nails done regularly, do it! Don’t deprive yourself to the point where you feel frustrated or resentful of your budget, as that’s just going to tempt you to blow it on a Sephora binge.

Your Turn: How do you save money on your beauty routines?

Kelly Russell is a marketing professional with a goal of saving more and paying off her six-figure student loan debt in five years. She resides in Massachusetts.

 

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Deal to keep Switch with NV Energy up for review

An agreement reached between Switch, NV Energy and state regulators that would keep the data storage company as a customer of the utility is up for review Thursday by the state Public Utilities Commission.

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Google Drops The Google+ Requirement For Products, Starts Today With YouTube

The methodical subtraction of Google+ from Google products continues as YouTube gets a full Google-Plus-otomy.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Aquatopia opens new guest rooms

This marks the completion of the 453-room indoor water park resort in Tannersville.

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How to be richer in one year

If you're serious about building a better financial foundation and meeting monetary goals, there are steps you can take. You won't see the changes overnight, but commit to one or more of these strategies, and within a year you'll be richer.

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Can You Really Make $240 a Month Selling Plasma?

During a tight financial period a few years ago, I finally gave in to all the ads I kept seeing from the local franchise of a plasma-buying business.

“Make $240 a month,” the ads blared. As someone who’s been called a “fast” bleeder by technicians at the doctor’s office, I thought this would be an easy way to make money quickly. After all, I’d basically be getting paid to sit still while hooked up to a machine, right?

It wasn’t as easy as I thought.

Here’s what I learned from my plasma-selling experience, to help you decide whether it’s a good option for you.

What to Expect When You Sell Plasma

Going in, I had no idea what to expect. I just focused on the money and how I could use it to buy school supplies for my kids.

It’s not hard to get started — plasma centers advertise a lot using billboards, mailers and online and print ads, which usually direct you to a website. If you’re unsure what’s in your area, try Googling your city’s name + “plasma donation.”

I signed up online for an introductory session at a plasma center near my home. When I arrived, I filled out an extensive health history on a computer and went through through a basic physical. It took more than an hour, including the waiting time.

When it was time to give plasma, I brought along a magazine to read during the process. It was great being able to catch up on my magazine reading while reclining on a semi-comfortable chair.

The actual donation took nearly an hour — not because it took that long for me to donate a pint of plasma, but because of the time it took waiting for the technicians. They tend to multiple clients at once, all in various stages of donation. It didn’t hurt — I’m not afraid of needles — but the feeling of cold saline solution rushing into my veins when it was done was a bit unexpected.

After the process, I received $20 on a prepaid card. To me, $20 for two hours of time wasn’t ideal, but I quickly learned the more times you donate in a week — up to three times — the more you can make.

The Challenges of Selling Plasma

A working mom of two children, I quickly discovered finding time to donate was a challenge. I could go online and reserve a time, but often needed to change it because something else came up and I suddenly didn’t have a free hour or more to get over there.

I kept trying, focused on what was advertised as “easy” money. But after about three or four weeks of donating twice a week, I ran into trouble: My iron levels weren’t high enough.

I’ve never been anemic, but the iron count needed to donate plasma is a bit higher than usual. Several times, after exercising or sometimes for no reason at all, my iron numbers weren’t high enough to give. On these days I was sent home — after spending about 10 minutes filling out the computer survey you need to do at every visit and waiting another five minutes for a technician to check my iron count and temperature — without a cent.

When I expressed frustration, one technician suggested an iron supplement on top of my regular multi-vitamin. I did the math and found one bottle would cost the equivalent of one plasma donation, so I decided to pass. (I was also worried what the extra iron would do to my sensitive digestive system.

In addition to the low iron levels, I was also rejected once because I just had some ice water and my body temperature was too low. I had to wait 15 minutes before being rechecked and given the go-ahead to donate, adding to the time it took me to earn my $20.

To make a long story short, I was only successful about half the time I tried to give plasma, so I decided to look for other ways to make extra money.

Could You Make Good Money Selling Plasma?

If you have a fairly open schedule and no fear of needles, and you haven’t traveled overseas or acquired any tattoos recently, donating plasma can be a fairly painless way to make extra money.

Before your appointment, be sure to drink lots of water — being well hydrated is good for vein development, which makes the needle go in more easily. Eat food rich in iron, such as red meat, peas, spinach, iron-fortified cereal and poultry to make sure your level is high enough to give.

Remember to bring a good book, magazine or an electronic device to keep you occupied during the donation process. The center I visited had free WiFi, so you could even work on an online business while you wait.

Finally, before you sign up, go online or check the mail for bonus coupons that might increase your donation payment. Who couldn’t use an extra $10?

Your Turn: Have you ever sold plasma? What was your experience like?

MaryBeth Matzek is a freelance writer based in Wisconsin. Learn more at www.1bizzywriter.com or follow her on Twitter at @1bizzywriter.

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RCI Bank launches new top-paying bond as rates creep higher

Sylvia Morris

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Fixed-rate deals from challenger banks continue to edge upwards, with French-owned RCI Bank launching a new two-year bond at 2.35% before tax (1.88% after).

Fixed-rate deals from challenger banks continue to edge upwards, with French-owned RCI Bank launching a new two-year bond at 2.35% before tax (1.88% after). Paragon Bank pays 2.34% (1.87%) and Secure Trust 2.33% (1.86%) over the same term.

RCI Bank launches new top-paying bond as rates creep higher

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Fixed-rate deals from challenger banks continue to edge upwards, with French-owned RCI Bank launching a new two-year bond at 2.35% before tax (1.88% after). Paragon Bank pays 2.34% (1.87%) and Secure Trust 2.33% (1.86%) over the same term. The top one-year deals include 2.07% (1.65%) from Paragon Bank and 2.06% (1.65%) from Charter Savings Bank and RCI. On easy-access online accounts, RCI Bank Freedom account pays a top 1.65% (1.32%) and BM Savings, part of Halifax, offers 1.6% (1.28%) on its Online Extra Issue 18. The BM account includes a bonus for the first year, after which the rate drops to 0.5% (0.4%). Virgin Money Defined Access account is up at 1.51% (1.21%), available online or through branches. But you are limited to three withdrawals a year. Cash Isas On tax-free cash Isas, National Savings & Investments Direct Isa pays 1.5%. Virgin Money Defined Access Isa pays a slightly higher 1.51% but, as on the non-Isa version, you are limited to taking money out of your account no more than three times a year. You can transfer your existing cash Isas to Virgin Money, but not to the National Savings account. Nationwide at 1.4% accepts transfers and does not limit you to the number of withdrawals you make. On fixed-rate cash Isas, top deals come from Virgin Money at 1.71% for one year. For two years both Halifax and Virgin Money pay 2%.

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Navigating The Modern Ad Serving Stack, Part 4: Open Auction (RTB)

Columnist Ratko Vidakovic explains why marketers need to leverage the open auction of the public RTB marketplace in order to obtain maximum reach and total programmatic efficiency.

Please visit Marketing Land for the full article.

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Talenti Creates Personalized Gelato Flavors Based On Your Social Media Profiles

Ever wondered what your life would look like as a gelato flavor? If so, you may want to check out Talenti's new "Flavorize Me" campaign.

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Cars We Remember: Solving a Chevy 454 engine part number mystery

Q: Greg, I’ve seen your work on the GateHouse newspaper sites and have been captivated reading your articles. Your columns are entertaining and they contain more information than most of the other fluff that I read. I have a question on an engine that I figure will be a piece of cake for you, but for the life of me I can’t run into a person that can answer it. I bought a ‘69 Camaro from a guy in Texas with an old Chevy crate engine in it called an [...]

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Silvio Calabi: Sweetness and light: The BMW M235i Convertible

Last week I went to a BMW club meeting to hear Rob Siegel speak. He’s the longtime columnist for the group’s Roundel magazine who wrote Confessions of a Hack Mechanic, a book I enjoyed and once reviewed. As Siegel flashed slides of his project BMWs through the decades — cars I owned, loved and lusted after, mostly in the ’70s — it really sank in just how complicated, costly and overwrought many of our German cars have gotten. The technology gap [...]

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6 Roads to Relocating in Retirement

Some retirees are looking for a better lifestyle, while others move to be closer to family.

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5 Types Of People You Meet In Content Marketing

Which type of content marketer are you? Columnist Quinn Whissen breaks down five personas to help you better understand -- and collaborate with -- your marketing peers.

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5 Things to Immediately Stop Doing at Work

These actions are sabotaging your career and workplace happiness.

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