The “What’s Up Wednesdays” speedlink has become something of a tradition here on Beyond the Rhetoric, sharing some interesting links and blog posts that I found around the Internet. It’s one way to get past those midweek blahs. Let’s get started.
A few weeks ago, the Dot Com Pho crew went to East Is East for lunch and now Ed Lau has posted his full review of the restaurant. East Is East offers a great fusion cuisine, combining influences from India, the Middle East and beyond. If you really want to taste a bit of everything, the $19 Silk Route Feast is the way to go as it lets you sample a number of different items from the menu.
Continuing with good food influenced by Dot Com Pho, Stacey Robinsmith was so inspired by a recent conversation at DCP that he made his way down to Lucky’s Doughnuts on Main Street to see what the hub-bub was all about. Many people scoff at the $3.50 donuts, but Stacey can attest that the apple bacon fritters are worth the money and “this is no run of the mill, hockey player style doughnut.”
Turning to the world of freelancing and money, Thursday Bram has a blog post about the problem with not publishing prices. Project quotes can range substantially and it can be difficult to determine your freelance rates, but Thursday says that not publishing your rates could be hurting your business. Do you agree? Or do you prefer to quote on a project-to-project basis?
Another way to make money is to invest in real estate. That’s what Free Money Finance did by buying some new rental properties. Two buildings, each with four two-bedroom units, sold for a mere $260,000 in cash. Each apartment rents for about $550 a month, bringing in a total monthly income (assuming full occupancy) of $4,400. In Vancouver, you’d be hard-pressed to find even a one-bedroom apartment for $260,000!
And finally, Colby Mort highlights one of the new products showcased at the 2013 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’s the Razer Edge gaming tablet. It’s powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 10.1-inch capacitive touchscreen. You’ll also notice that it is flanked on either side by gaming controls. The Edge is decidedly different from the Android offerings out there, since it has Windows 8, so it’ll be interesting to see how the gaming world reacts to what was once known as Project Fiona.
I have always thought of CES as products that are mostly failures within the year or vaporware. It seems like everyone that has a tablet, gadget or idea shows up for the shot of being seen. While you need to be seen, it seems there are too many things that everyone wants to show off. I want to see the most likely to actually impact me or the clients I serve.