Most of us are pretty familiar with Bluetooth headsets, using them on a regular basis for hands-free phone calls. They come in really handy if you must converse with a co-worker while driving or even if you want to continue gossiping with a friend as you prepare dinner in the kitchen. Some people may prefer Bluetooth speakerphones for when they are in the car, but what about when you want to host a teleconference between several parties in the same room?

The trouble with most Bluetooth speakers is that their microphones are unidirectional. This means that they are designed to pick up the voice of someone in a single direction. What if you’re hosting a call in the conference room and you have several people at the table? That’s where something like the Parrot Conference comes into play. Instead of being unidirectional, this Bluetooth speakerphone is omnidirectional. This means that the microphone is designed to accept sound from 360 degrees.

Because it is Bluetooth, the Parrot Conference is completely wireless. It also means that it is easy to connect this speakerphone with just about any Bluetooth-compatible mobile phone. It’s hands-free, comes with a rechargeable battery system, boasts a high-resolution color display, and it is even integrated with Skype if you prefer to make your calls over VoIP.

For more information, check out the official product page at Parrot.com.

Congratulations to this weeks geek Jeff. This weeks questions are…

1.  What games is this?

2. What games is this?

3. What games is this?

4. What games is this?

5. What games is this?

Social Media is the new SEO for Businesses.

Instead of people going to Google to find something, more and more people are asking their community sphere. This brings you quick and honest feedback to your questions.

So what does this have to do with your business?
If you run a business, odds are people are talking about the services or products you provide.  Imagine if they were talking about your product or service? It’s not that hard to imagine in today’s Web 2.0 world.

How do I get people to talk about me?
Seth Godin would tell you that you would need to do something exceptional to get people talking about you.  Other marketing guru’s would tell you that you should stick to traditional, consistent marketing so that you’re always on people’s mind.

I would suggest you pick a target market and engage them.  Be an engaged member of your community – volunteer and be an active participant.  Soon you will be a respected and recognized business in the community.

What social media should I join?
The 3 that I have seen most businesses have success with are Twitter, Facebook and Linked-In.  I would suggest you go with Twitter if your business sells to early adopters.  Facebook is good for mass market end user sales.  Linked-In is good for business to business sales.

How do I engage in that community?

• If you already have a WordPress blog then you can install the ping.fm plugin which will allow you to send notices to 30 Social Media sites.
• Hold  and attend events that are relevant for your community.
• Build things your target market wants and give it away.
• Look for opportunities to help people who are leaders in your community.
• Seek help by asking questions.
• Share who you are; do not be a robot.

This week’s project is to sit down and put a plan together to start using Social Media to improve your business sales.

If you get stuck let me know in the comments.

Happy Friday, everyone! To help you kick off what will surely be a wonderful weekend, we have compiled a nice mix of blog posts from all around the Internet. Whether you’re interested in staying healthy while working from home or you’re more into the unique customs that you may encounter in Tokyo, there’s something here for you to enjoy.

Freelance Folder has put together a great health blueprint for Type-A entrepreneurs. While there is nothing wrong with being dedicated to your business, you mustn’t let your health suffer as a result. Take a nap, eat right, and and get in 20 minutes of cardio every day to keep yourself in tip-top condition. It doesn’t take much.

Hummingbird604 is in tune with his community and he recognizes the importance of charity. For this reason, he encourages you to buy the Hope in Shadows 2009 Calendar in support of the Downtown Eastside in Vancouver. The calendar features a number of thought-provoking and artistic photos from in and around the Downtown Eastside.

The Thinking Blog realizes that some of us aren’t quite as knowledgeable as others, but you would assume that you are smarter than a 2-year-old. Never mind being smarter than a fifth grader! Can you beat these toddlers and their nation-naming expertise? At least they, unlike Sarah Palin, know that Africa is not a country.

Japan Sugoi helps you prepare for the culture shock that you may otherwise experience in Tokyo by describing a number of Japanese customs you must know before going to Japan. As you may already expect, Japan is really big on giving respect to others, having proper table manners, and knowing how to conform to the society around you.

Daily Writing Tips finishes off this collection of blog posts by providing no fewer twelve ways to refer to a stupid person. No, this is not meant to be hurtful or pretentious, but it is fascinating to think about all the different words we have for a stupid person. From numskulls to nincompoops, the English language is quite the fascinating thing to study.

A cartoon created by artist Geek & Poke .

If you have an idea for a future comic or would like to submit your own BlueFur cartoon let us know in a comment.

We are 20 days into our Movember challenge and we have only raised $25 thanks to a donation from Derek Semmler. It is time to kick our fundraising into high gear.

BlueFur Movember Draw

Anyone that donates $25 or more into our BlueFur Movember Team will be entered in to win a $100 BlueFur Gift Card to be used for any of our services. Runners up will be entered in win one of four $25 Gift Cards. This also applies if you donate to anyone on our team…

Update on my Mo below…

Here is my updated photo. I will see if I can get one from the guys above.