All The Best

"Best Of" BPA Free Baby Bottles

3LUXE — Thu, 01 May 2008 18:40:30 GMT

I don’t know how the debate over Bisphenol A (BPA) in baby bottles will turn out. In addition to manufactures that use BPA to harden the plastic in their baby bottles, the FDA, EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), and Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology all believe there are no short or long term health risks associated with BPA in polycarbonate baby bottles (this makes me feel better since we used Avent bottles with our two boys). In 2007 the EFSA even increased the acceptable level of BPA in consumer products based on additional studies.

The government pushing for the discontinuation of Bisphenol A (BPA) is Canada. Canada agrees that BPA in Baby Bottles “is below levels that pose a risk”, however they feel the levels are close enough where effects could occur, and they want to reduce chances of further exposure. As a result it is Canada’s “intention to ban the importation, sale and advertising of polycarbonate baby bottles.”

I’ve used (and still do) polycarbonate water bottles (that contain BPA) for several years. I started drinking more water, less soda, and I wanted bottle that wouldn’t create the waste of “disposable” water bottles. I’m confident the net gain from the thousands of gallons of water consumed, outweighs the possible negative impact from BPA, and for the time being I will continue to use polycarbonate bottles.

But when it comes to my new baby girl, I’m more cautious. As new parents you have enough on your mind; the last thing keeping you up at night should be worrying if your baby bottles are safe. As a result, like Canada, 3LUXE has gone BPA Free with Baby Bottles. We went back to the beginning with our research of the baby bottle category, starting from scratch and immediately eliminated any options containing BPA. We have three new “Best Of” selections that are all BPA Free Bottles . Hopefully this will help you get a little more sleep at night.

All the best,
Bill

2008 Mother's Day - The 3LUXE "Best Of" Guide

3LUXE — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 18:56:27 GMT

If it’s not on your calendar, put it there now; Sunday, May 11 is Mother’s Day. It doesn’t get the same coverage as the more popular gift giving holiday’s like Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but when it comes to finding the right gift you want to make sure you get Mother’s Day right. To help 3LUXE users with their quest to find the perfect gift, we launched the 3LUXE 2008 Mother’s Day Gift Guide.

After all your mom has done for you over the years, you don’t want to wait until the last minute and miss out on the opportunity to say thank-you. And although the National Retail Federation believes consumers will scale back on the amount they spend compared to last year, we’ll still spend an estimated $138.63 – a little more than the standard card and flowers of yesteryear.

Recognizing there’s not a “one size fits all” gift for Moms, we’ve broken out our gift guide into four segments. In addition to the Traditional Gift Guide, we’ve added gifts perfect for “Techie” and “Foodie” moms. Finally we’ve created a Romantic Mother’s Day Guide. The last one isn’t for “your” mom, but for the mother of your children. Several years ago (it might have been Katie’s first Mother’s Day) I screwed this one up, I’m not not going to let that happen again. Hopefully there is a new Dad out there who will see the Romantic Guide, awake from their stupor, avoid my mistake, and get a great gift for their wife.

Whatever you decide to do for “Mom” this year, be sure to include a heartfelt “Thank-you”. Nobody is more deserving.

All the best,
Bill

Online Research - We All Do It, Even the Rich

3LUXE — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:35:41 GMT

Ask any friend – they’ll claim to doing research before making a purchase. Nobody wants to make (or admit to making) an uninformed purchase. Some of us do research on everything from large investments like cars, to daily necessities like a bar of soap. The amount of time and effort we invest varies greatly by individual and can be influenced by a number of variables; cost, time, importance, etc. In a study from earlier this year, eMarketer found that 9 out 10 people, read reviews at least “some of the time” before making online purchases. Surprising to many, over 65% surveyed check a minimum of four reviews before making an online purchase. People are predominately (76%) looking to the web for a combination of user and expert reviews – all great news for 3LUXE.

What I find most interesting or surprising about online research are the misconceptions about the “rich”. Many imagine the rich to spend frivolously, going from store to store, adding shopping bags at each stop. These images are reinforced by the photos we see in grocery tabloids of famous stars doing just that, but the stereotype couldn’t be further from the truth. The majority of the rich accumulated their wealth by making wise investments and being smart about how they spend money – good habits don’t die.

MediaPost published an article last week covering a new study done by American Express and Harrison Group that illustrates how the rich comparison shop. Like the rest of America, they’re increasingly turning to the web for both research and purchases. The study defined “rich” as having $352,000 in discretionary annual income, approximately 12 million American households. This wealthy group holds 70% of U.S. assets and accounts for 50% of the consumption. With vast resources available, the wealthy go to the same place everybody does for comparison shopping, the net. 70% surveyed utilize the net to identify, price, compare and purchase fashion and home goods. Not only are the wealthy using the net for research, it has become the preferred destination for shopping, with 70% preferring the web over in-store purchases.

I often receive questions about the range of prices and breadth of categories reviewed on 3LUXE. Everything from BMX to Boeing and Strollers to Sedans, we find the best. We do this because we know it doesn’t matter if you’re dropping a few bucks on beer or breaking the bank on a new boat. What matters is doing the research right and finding the best product.

Our goal at 3LUXE is simple, to save time, your time. Instead of spending hours researching your purchases, let us do that for you. Spend your time enjoying what’s most important to you – whatever that may be.

Simply find the best of everything.

All the best,
Bill

Going Digital: VHS to DVD Conversion

3LUXE — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 16:45:53 GMT

Since launching 3LUXE I’ve been surprised by the popularity of our turntable selections . However, the popularity has nothing to do with nostalgia, but a desire to archive valuable record collections to a digital format. Two of the record players selected connect directly to a computer and convert classic records into portable MP3s that can be enjoyed anywhere.

Since it’s a rainy Saturday here in Saint Paul, I decided to get caught up on some reading. The latest WIRED magazine included Transfer Tickets: The Best and Worst in VHS-to-DVD Converters. The review included four devices that allow you to transfer VHS tapes to DVD. As someone who has a large collection of personal video on VHS this is a great find. My favorite is the solution from Pinnacle Systems, Dazzle DVD Recorder.

For under $50.00 this solution is perfect, allowing you to easily plug your VCR into your PC with a USB connection. It allows you to declutter – box up all your old VHS tapes and the VCR. And unlike standalone hardware solutions, it doesn’t add another video component into your entertainment system.

Pinnacle has a long history as a leader in video editing and continuously gets highly rated in reviews from both users and professionals. This device is no exception, it’s a simple device to move video collection from VHS to DVD. The Dazzle DVD Recorder keeps it simple – tape to DVD. One recommendation, before transferring your videos, check Pinnacle’s website to download the latest driver and software updates.

As an added bonus, Amazon has Dazzle DVD Recorder on sale for $44.99 with free shipping.

All the best,
Bill

3LUXE Update

3LUXE — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 15:02:42 GMT

I apologize to anyone who was attempting to use 3LUXE early this morning. During routine server maintenance we had a “glitch” which caused us to go down. The issue has been resolved and we’re back up and running.

In addition to server maintenance we recoded many of our pages (including category and Best Of) this week. The result – 30% faster page load times, allowing you to find what you’re looking for even faster. Over the next few months we will continue to enhance 3LUXE, making it easier and faster to “Simply find the best of everything”.

If there is anything you would like to see on 3LUXE (categories or features), be sure to let us know, simply use our online form or email me directly (bill at 3LUXE dot com).

All the best,
Bill

Timberland Discontinuing Mion?

3LUXE — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:46:43 GMT

Last night Mother Nature threw us a curveball in Saint Paul hitting us with a wintry thunderstorm, complete with lightning, rain and snow. It made for a messy morning – I’m ready for spring.

When I booted my laptop this am I saw the 3LUXE “Best Of” the Day, the Mion Current, making me hopeful for spring. Mion makes awesome sandals. Admittedly they’re a favorite of mine, the perfect balance of comfort and toughness. Since Mion makes such an excellent sandal I couldn’t have been more surprised when I saw a report that Timberland will discontinue Mion and GOLite footwear this fall.

I hope this is a faulty report and I’ll be able to continue to enjoy Mion’s for summers to come. If it turns out to be true, I suggest we all stock up before they run out.

All the best,
Bill

10 strategies for enticing visitors

3LUXE — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 03:39:01 GMT

I was recently interviewed by Christopher Elliot for an article published on Microsoft’s Office site: 10 strategies for enticing visitors to buy or act. The purpose of the article is to help business owners convert web visitors into customers.

With Christopher’s permission, I’ve posted the entire interview below.

Christopher Elliot: My audience is small businesses and sole proprietors. In your opinion, how important is turning a reader into a customer for these groups?

BW: Turning a website reader into a customer is critical for small business. Most companies agree the purpose of a web-site is to educate existing customers and attract new customers. Done right, a website can be a cost-effective tool for attracting new customers and expanding your reach to an audience you may not have had access to in the past.

CE: Do you know of any surveys that discuss the importance of making these conversions?

BW – I haven’t read any recent survey’s discussing the importance of converting customers. But on the flip-side, I would be hard pressed to remember the last time a day passed where I didn’t receive at least one email discussing online conversions and options to optimize and test your website. It seems as if we have moved past asking if it is important, to how do we optimize our site for new customers?

CE: I’d like to mention your top two or three tips for converting Web site users into customers. What are your top two or three tips? I’m trying to get beyond the obvious ones, like “always include a call to action or a subscriber form on your site”—I think most people reading this already do that.

BW: I think an easy one that people is miss is adding a bookmark option/widget to their site. Bookmark widgets have exploded in popularity with Web 2.0, and for a small business they serve two important purposes. The first is to attract return visitors. Many times people will bookmark a site of relative importance or a site they plan on re-visiting when they have more time. If you have a complex product or service, it’s important to make it easy for your customers and prospects to find you a second and third time. The ancillary benefit of a bookmaking tool like del.icio.us – it allows people of like interests to share information and possibly drive additional prospects to your site.

The second is fairly obvious, but often missed. It’s important to repeat your call to action multiple times on the same page. If you have a very informative site with lot’s of data, don’t just put a call to action (ie buy button) on the top or bottom of a page. If people know what they want, put a prominent call to action “above the fold” so your users see it immediately and can act. For the customer who takes more time and reads all of a page, place another call to action at the end of the page, so they can easily act. This simple change will definitely increase conversions.

CE” Also, I’m wondering if there are any common mistakes that small businesses/sole proprietors make when they are trying to improve their conversions?

BW: I believe a fairly common mistake made by both small and big business is losing focus of the 90 – 10 rule online. Many companies have a core product or service that accounts for the majority of their business, but when visiting their website you would never know that. You often see sites where low volume / low margin offerings get the same amount of space as the core offering. Businesses should give users what they want by highlighting their core products, making it as simple as possible to convert their largest base of customers.

All the best,
Bill

Looking for the Best Feedback

3LUXE — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 18:22:53 GMT

The last several months have been good at 3LUXE. We successfully launched the site and have had the pleasure of reviewing some of the most amazing products in the world. Hundreds of thousands of visitors have hit our site and we’ve received some great feedback, but we want more… feedback.

To help us continue to “Simply find the best of everything,” please complete a short survey, that will enable us to continue finding and reviewing the best products and services on your behalf.

To take the survey, simply click here.

Thank you,
Bill Worple

Building Awareness With the Web

3LUXE — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:46:55 GMT

This article was originally published at American Venture Magazine.

There is nothing more exciting than starting a new business and that excitement grows with every success your business experiences. Unfortunately for most start-ups the transition from a great idea to a great business doesn’t always materialize. A key to success for any business lies in building awareness, this is especially true for new businesses. Thankfully we live in a world where we can make use of the web and the tools it offers to get in front of our target customer and begin building awareness.

Before you can build awareness for your business, you need to understand your customer. Who is your prime prospect? Are they local, single, parents, affluent, etc? By identifying your customer you’ll be able to better understand what they want and the best ways to reach them.

Once you’ve identified your prime prospect, build a website to start communicating with them. Many businesses wait to launch a site until the business is up and running, but by launching your site first, you start building awareness and more importantly gain an understanding of your customer. Two key elements for your new site should be web analytics and a blog. Analytics will provide reporting to understand what people are viewing on the site, the time they’re spending and who they are. You’ll gain valuable knowledge about where your visitors live, how they found your site and if browsing from a named network, where they work. You can spend thousands on an analytics package, but for most companies, Google offers a free solution that captures mountains of data at a price every start-up can appreciate.

Analytics can help provide meta data, but to create a personal relationship with prospects, start a blog. A blog allows you to tell your story. Share with your prospects why you think your business is great, let them know the progress you’re making and most importantly ask for their feedback. A blog is an open dialog with your prospects that provides them with an opportunity to ask questions, provide new ideas and give advice.

Next, create a survey on your site. The best way to find out about your potential customers is to ask; who are they, what do they want and how do they want it. The key to a good survey, keep it simple and short. Everyone has an opinion and when asked for it, they’ll share it.

This next item may surprise you; start advertising. Take advantage of your new website to understand what message appeals to prospects. By utilizing keyword advertising, a new company can spend as little as $5 to $20 dollars a day and effectively meet two objectives. First you gain an understanding of what prospects react to. You will learn what keywords they search and by creating different ads, what messages are most effective in gaining their attention (in this case a click to your site). I recently met an author who chose the title of a best selling book by running an adword test in Google. By running these campaigns, you’ll be more prepared to effectively promote your business and attract new customers when you launch. In addition to learning about your prime prospects you’ll gain the added benefit of building awareness for your company.

Finally, prepare a press release announcing the new business before launching. In the weeks prior to launch prepare a distribution list of publications, blogs, and shows, etc. that would have an interest in covering the business. Craft a release that will appeal to these outlets and future customers. When the time is right, send the release with a personalized message and be sure to follow up. PR is a tough business, but a mention or feature in the right outlet can go a long way in creating a buzz and attracting new prospects. In addition to your targeted list take advantage of online services like PRNewswire or PRlog, to upload your release to the web and gain a mass distribution for your news.

Following the steps above won’t guarantee success, but they will help you take advantage of technology and start building awareness and a customer base for your business.

All the best,
Bill

Best Advice for Email Time Savings

3LUXE — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:36:48 GMT

I’m always looking for tools and ideas that help save time and allow me to be more productive (thus 3LUXE). One of the biggest time drains in our (my) life today is email. I’m continuously checking my inbox for urgent matters and on nights and weekends I’m constantly looking for updates via my blackberry. It’s crazy and I know I’m not alone.

Tim Ferris author of The 4-Hour Workweek recently posted How to Stop Checking E-mail on the Evenings and Weekends that has some great time saving techniques.

“Batch” email at set times. Have an email-checking schedule and do not deviate.
Send and read email at different times. Go offline and respond to all email from a local program such as Outlook or Mail.
Don’t scan email if you can’t immediately fix problems encountered.
Don’t BIF (before I forget) people during off-hours.
Don’t use the inbox for reminders or as a to-do list.
Set rules for email-to-phone escalation.
Before writing an email, ask yourself: “what problem am I trying to solve?” or “what is my ideal outcome?”
Learn to make suggestions instead of asking questions.

Check out Tim’s blog Experiments In Lifestyle Design for additional details and more time saving tips.

Time to get back to my inbox.

All the best,
Bill

Composting Made Easy (Really)

3LUXE — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 14:46:37 GMT

Anyone who has a garden has thought about composting. But for many of us it’s a little too much work, especially when it -3° here in Minnesota. Today Daily Candy featured the NatureMill PLUS. A convenient, indoor, odorless, under the sink composter. Put in your trash, leftovers, apple cores etc. and the NatureMill PLUS does the rest. You put in up to 60 pounds of waste, and approximately every 2 weeks an indicator light comes on signaling you to remove a tray of concentrated compost fertilizer. Food for your garden and great for the environment. The NatureMill Plus only costs about $0.50/month to operate and will divert over two tons of waste from landfills over its life.

All the best,
Bill

Best Of Valentine's Day Gift Guide

3LUXE — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:22:43 GMT

With Valentine’s Day less than a week away and the weekend upon us, the malls and specialty shops are going to be swamped with frantic customers all looking for the perfect gift and collectively spending over $17 Billion. With the average consumer spending over $125, and many of us spending more than that, it’s more important than ever to find the right gift. We here at 3LUXE think we have some great gift ideas. In continuing our focus to help consumers navigate tough purchasing decisions, we’ve introduced our Valentine’s Day Gift Guide.

According to the National Retail Federation, traditional gifts still top the lists for most romantics: 48% are planning on buying candy, 36% are thinking flowers, and 17% of recipients will be opening the precious gifts of jewelry. You’ll find some incredible examples of these items in our guide along with romantic favorites like lingerie and lotions. But our Valentine’s gift guide goes beyond the traditional and expands into helping plan romantic experiences. We’ve added the categories Romantic Valentine’s Evening At Home and Romantic Valentine’s Getaways with the understanding that there is more to Valentine’s Day than a box of chocolates.

With whatever you decide is right for your valentine, remember there is still time to avoid the crowds and buy your gifts, whether that be decadent chocolates or diamonds, online.

All the best,
Bill

Making 2008 a “Best Of” Year

3LUXE — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 18:37:47 GMT

The start of the Year is one of the best times to take stock of your life and perform some variation on the “out with the old, in with the new” routine. Whether it’s starting a workout routine, kicking a bad habit, or simply eliminating clutter so you can enjoy your favorite luxuries, now is the time to refresh, revamp, and start anew.

January is the National Association of Professional Organizers’ (who knew there were professional organizers?) “Get Organized Month”, so why not start the Year with a clean slate? According to NAPO’s president Standolyn Robertson, “getting organized is one of the top five New Year’s resolutions that people make” and keeping a cleaner, more organized house is one of the easiest resolutions to fulfill. It virtually guarantees you’ll feel calmer and more relaxed, and besides, your home should be your sanctuary from chaos and disorder, not part of the problem.

Websites like Unclutterer and Organized With Style can be very helpful when getting started. It’s typically best to take inventory of everything in your storage spaces and then get ruthless in your editing – if you haven’t worn or used something in over a year, do you really need to keep it? Perhaps it’s taking up space that could be used for something much more useful, fabulous, or enjoyable.

Once you determine what to keep, toss, recycle, and donate, you’ll need an organizing system to keep it all in order. Fortunately, 3LUXE has just what you’re looking for in our reviews of Best of Closet Organizers and Best Of Home Office Cabinets. After all, once you make the effort to get everything organized, you’ll want to keep it that way, and an orderly system is necessary to make a lasting change.

Now depending on how seriously you take your re-organization project, you may find yourself with more room than you know what to do with, so be sure to check out 3LUXE’s home section to find luxurious reviews on everything from plush mattresses and high thread count sheets (a good night’s sleep is a true luxury in any case) to billiards tables (you may find space you never knew you had).

No matter what you decide to do, make sure that 2008 is the year your home becomes your palace.

All the best,
Bill

The Best Start-up

3LUXE — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 21:51:37 GMT

The Crunchies are taking nominations (votes) through midnight PST Wednesday December 12, 2007 for the year’s best startups. The Crunchies competition, is being coordinated by four blog networks; GigaOm, Read/WriteWeb, VentureBeat and TechCrunch, to recognize the best tech accomplishments of the year.

3LUXE has been nominated as the Best Consumer Start-up and we would appreciate your nominations (votes) in this category. The number of nominations received will be one factor in determining Crunchie finalists. Your nomination (vote) can help propel us into the finals and give 3LUXE the chance to receive a “Crunchie” at the awards ceremony on January 18 in San Francisco.

To nominate (vote for) 3LUXE simply click on the image below and type 3LUXE in the box on the Crunchies website, click proceed and confirm. It’s that easy.

Best Consumer Start-up

3LUXE was designed for the consumer with a simple goal, simplify the consumer’s research process. We believe we’re doing an excellent job and based on the feedback, so do you.

You can nominate (vote) daily. Vote fast, vote often and most importantly vote for The Best!

All the best,
Bill

Cyber Monday: Records and Turntables

3LUXE — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:13:45 GMT

Yesterday was the start of the online holiday shopping season, Cyber Monday. Experts believe that it probably set what will be a short-lived record for one-day online sales, an estimated $700 Million. Over the last 2 years “Cyber Monday” has kicked off the holidays with a surge of sales that have been surpassed before Santa finishes his trek Christmas morning. This year is expected to follow suit. The good news for us at 3LUXE? Yesterday was a record setting day, with the most visitors and highest page views since our launch in June.

It’s gratifying to have visitors using 3LUXE to assist with their Christmas gift research and it’s interesting to see what they’re looking at. The 2007 holiday season is forecasting big sales for mp3 players, gaming systems and HD televisions, and in reviewing our traffic it looks like it will. One of the surprising Christmas gifts this year? Turntables.

As music lovers look to convert their rare and extensive vinyl collections into mp3s, turntables like the Ion TTUSB10 can make that happen. Audiophiles will tell you that nothing can replace the enjoyment of listening to classic records on a good turntable, but you can’t carry a record player in your pocket. As MP3 players’ enormous storage capacity further explodes, it’s possible to carry tens of thousands of old favorites and new classics anywhere, for enjoyment anytime.

This holiday season we look forward to breaking new records with you while preserving your favorites.

All the best,
Bill

Luxury Christmas Gift Guides

3LUXE — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 15:14:26 GMT

This past weekend I found BusinessWeek’s Luxury Gift Guide posted to the web. Since BusinessWeek has more than seventy-five years of experience in publishing, I was surprised and happy to see the similarities in our gift guides – I guess it reinforces we’re getting it right. The first, and fastest, item to catch my eye was a Porsche, Business week featured the 911 Carrera (a fantastic car featured in Sports Cars). We also included a Porsche at 3LUXE, but with Christmas falling in the middle of winter, we went with a Porsche that’s comfortable in any condition, Porsche Cayenne.

BusinessWeek covered the entertainment category with a gift that’s sure to be on the wish list of anyone looking to upgrade their home theater, the Pioneer PRO-150FD Plasma TV, which is very similar to 3LUXE’s “Best OF” Pioneer PRO-1540HD. For those that don’t think a 60in screen will suffice, 3LUXE featured a profesional quality projection TV, Runco’s Signature Cinema SC-1. Continuing in this year’s hot electronic gift category, both gift guides feature the iPhone and the Wii, two presents which will be enjoyed by “kids” of all ages this Christmas.

The one gift that BusinessWeek featured that is on my personal list, but didn’t make the 3LUXE guide…. Scotch, more specifically, The Macallan 25-Year-Old Fine Oak single malt whiskey. Scotch isn’t for everyone – but when you’re savoring a memorable moment in life (ex. finishing your Christmas shopping) there is no better drink than scotch, and no better Scotch than Macallan.

Finally, like us, Business Week included a luxury spa on their list, the Golden Door, we went with another “Best Of”, the Canyon Ranch. We agree with BusinessWeek that a Spa Resort is just the right gift for that special women on your Christmas list. I personally can’t think of a better way to unwind after the holiday’s than a getaway to a luxurious spa.

All the best,
Bill

The Best Gift Guide

3LUXE — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 04:23:20 GMT

The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year. We’re in constant motion with a flurry of activities; Attending holiday parties, school concerts, Christmas pageants, baking cookies, decorating the Christmas tree and trying to find just the right gift for family and friends. Unfortunately, busy often equates to stress and there just isn’t enough time to get everything done.

In our continued effort to simplify online research and save you time we’ve developed a Holiday Gift Guide. The guide is segmented into different budgets for men and women. For boys and girls we divided the gift guide into age groups. Last but not least there are the gifts for infants, featuring today’s “Best Of The Day” the Kallisto Organic Stuffed Lamb, a perfect gift for any baby on your list.

Like all of the categories on 3LUXE, each segment of the gift guide features the three best options in that group. You’ll find some products (like the iPhone) which you’re sure to see on other lists this year, but we’re confident that other gifts (like the Drop Necklace) will only be on ours. Our team has worked hard to identify products that are safe for children and are sure to bring a smile to everyone on your list.

Enjoy our gift guide and know that by visiting 3LUXE you’ll have more of the one thing you can’t buy this holiday season, time.

Best regards,
Bill

The Google Paradox -- or What Drives Search Engine Fatigue.

3LUXE — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:05:40 GMT

The best thing about Google is the vast amounts of information it gathers and categorizes. If it’s out there, Google brings it back in its results.

The worst thing about Google is the vast amounts of information it gathers and categorizes. If it’s out there, Google brings it back in its results.

Therein lies the paradox.

Autobytel recently fielded a study that found that 7 out of 10 Americans suffer from what they’ve categorized as Search Engine Fatigue—a condition/malady/sickness/state of mind that comes from not finding what you’re looking for on the web.

Luckily, there is a remedy.

Search engine fatigue is the genesis of our site 3LUXE. We didn’t know the term, but we certainly suffered from it.

We (my wife, two kids and I) moved into a new house (new to us, really old in fact and needing lots of updating) in the summer of ‘06, which immediately put us in the market for a number of big-ticket items. Having to buy so many things all at once really brought into sharp focus that there was no one source that easily identified the best items for purchase.

To be clear, recommendations and reviews weren’t impossible to find.

Just frustrating.

And time consuming.

The search engines gave us millions of results, and the information existed within those, but it took a ton of time to winnow through the results to find those that were really relevant. And the shopping comparison engines were only of real use when we already knew what we wanted to purchase.

That’s why we created 3LUXE—we research thousands of products in hundreds of categories and only post reviews on the three we’ve found to be best in each category. We find these products through online and offline research, including personal use where possible. Essentially doing the research people would do if they had more time. With a goal of being the first place you go, before you go shopping.

Barry Schwartz of Swarthmore College wrote a book about how more is often less. It’s called The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it no matter what business you’re in.

The main theme of the book is that when there are too many choices, or too much information, your brain can’t reasonably process all of the trade-offs that are possible. There are too many options to be considered. Too many variables to weigh. It’s nearly impossible for you to feel confident that you’re making the right decision. In the end, most of us make no decision (i.e. purchase) at all. The Autobytel/Kelton Research study showed the same result, 75% of those who suffer from Search Engine Fatigue get up and walk away from their computers.

That’s phenomenal.

That’s the paradox of choice brought to life.

That’s the reason why we started 3LUXE.

All the best,

Doug

Halloween Flashlights

3LUXE — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 17:57:36 GMT

Halloween is a last minute holiday for me (along with Christmas, Valentine’s Day, etc). What I mean by last minute, if it were up to me, all preparations would be done on the 30th or 31st of October. Lucky for me, I have an incredibly organized wife who has had the kid’s costumes done for weeks, picked up pumpkins at the Farmer’s Market, and decorated the house. She even bought the candy a month ago – that one leaves me a little bewildered, we’ve had to restock once, and we’ll be picking up more Wednesday. What does that leave for me? Make sure we have batteries for the flashlights and if I’m really on top of things, buying a new flashlight.

As a kid, I remember the excitement of taking my dad’s flashlight Trick or Treating, rivaled the joy of stocking up on Snickers and Tootsie Pops. After all what is better for a kid than getting dressed up and having the green light to roam the streets after dark. It’s a once a year pass, and a trusty flashlight was always part of that ritual for me.

Flashlight technology has come along way from the Eveready flashlight I carried on Halloween years ago, but it wasn’t until 3LUXE completed our research for “Best Of” flashlights that I realized just how far technology has advanced. Check out the following flashlights, if you’re like me, you’ll save these for yourself and let the kid’s take out the old one:

L4 LumaMax Flashlight – This flashlight fits in the palm of your hand, allowing you to take it wherever you go. Even with its compact size, you don’t sacrifice performance. It produces a clean bright beam of light that outperforms a standard two D-cell flashlight seven times.

AE Power Light Flashlight – Oxo International prefers to call this flashlight a “personal searchlight” and with a beam that shines 3,000 feet, I understand why. With this flashlight I don’t even have to leave my yard to keep an eye on the boys (this tends to annoy my neighbors and all of the costumed beggars caught in the cross beam).

Lumaray FL 12-RX Flashlight – This LED Flashlight has 2 features I really like. The first – you can stand it on end and it’s bright enough to illuminate the entire room – perfect for power failures. The other feature I like is its slow drain battery feature, that not only saves battery life, but gives you a consistent beam over the life of the batteries.

Whatever flashlight you decide to take – enjoy the evening and have a happy Halloween.

All the best,
Bill

The Best Crooked House?

3LUXE — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 15:57:08 GMT

As a dad with 2 boys I’m always on the lookout for new and innovative toys that will be fun and stimulate our kid’s imagination, I discovered one today. I received an email this morning from Daily Candy Kids featuring kids crooked house. This is an outdoor play house that is straight out of Saturday morning cartoons. There is not a square angle on the house and they’re available in fun colors like “tigger” orange.

They can also be customized into almost any theme, my favorite is the castle, but I’m really wondering if they can make a Star Wars version, it would be EPIC… and the boys would be excited too.

The business is growing and I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a great product. Kids crooked house, recently beat out more than 9,000 small businesses to win Yahoo’s Ultimate Connection Contest, which will give them approximately $100,000 in marketing services – expect to see a kids crooked house popping up in your neighborhood soon.

Playhouses are not a featured on 3LUXE yet. Let me know if you think we should add them as a subcategory under Outdoor Fun, after all this site is for you!

All the best,
Bill

The New New Internet 07

3LUXE — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 21:57:44 GMT

Who knew the internet was new new?

All joking aside, 3LUXE will be participating in The New New Internet (TNNI 07) Conference on November 1, just outside of Washington DC, in Reston, VA. In addition to being one of the largest technology shows on the east coast, what makes the show really interesting to 3LUXE is the Web 2.0 Application Showcase and Competition. The showcase gives new startups like us a large audience to show off our site, technology and ideas for growth.

TNNI 07 brings together new companies (3LUXE), technology veterans (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco), established companies looking to utilize Web 2.0 and the media. With the holiday shopping season upon us, the timing of TNNI 07 couldn’t be better. We hope to meet potential partners and introduce 3LUXE to as many people as possible, helping to ease their frustrations with holiday shopping.

The Web 2.0 Application Showcase and Competition is a competition, all attendees will be voting for their favorites in the following categories:

Most interesting technology
Most likely to be purchased
Best marketing message
Best business model

We hope to be a crowd favorite! If you’re attending, be sure to give us a vote. If you haven’t registered yet, you can register here and save $100.

If you’re at the show, be sure to stop by our table. In addition to meeting Doug and I, you’ll have the chance to win one “Best Of” selection which we’ll be giving away. Check your tote bag at registration for more information – and don’t worry, we’ll ship it back to your home or office.

I hope to see you next week.

All the best,
Bill

Three Best Places to Get Married

3LUXE — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 04:51:03 GMT

Daily Candy today listed seven perfect places to get married. And as we always do, we made the tougher edit and culled it down to the best 3 places to host a wedding. And these three places are so captivating, you may want to renew your vows and say “I do” all over again.

We’ve shared how Daily Candy sees the pros and cons for each.

First on the list is: Santorini, Greece

“Pros: Have a big, fat Greek wedding at Katikies, a little gem in the cliffs near a volcanic crater, with unlimited amounts of ouzo and hummus, magical views, and impeccable service.”

Our take: Katikies is a stunningly beautiful hotel that has has garnered a lot of recognition in recent years. Including being a regular on the Conde Nast Gold list and T&L 500.

“Cons: You may want to go Greek permanently.” Not really a con at all is it?

Second on the list is: Santa Catalina, Argentina

“Pros: With gorgeous gauchos, polo matches, and delicious meats roasted whole on a stick, El Colibrí. guarantees a truly authentic experience (oh, and the dollar goes far there).

Cons: Your vegetarian friends could possibly starve.”

Our take: We agree. This is another amazing hotel from the Fenestraz family, with the others all being located in France—at least one of which is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. We’ve rated El Colibri as one of the best honeymoon destinations in the world.

Last, and certainly not last on the list is: Bali, Indonesia

“Pros: Meditation, yoga, volcano hiking, and rooms for $185 make Uma Ubud a relaxing place from which to start a drama-free life together.

Cons: Even frequent fliers might freak. (Just remind them of the miles.)”

Our take: Another oft recognized hotel from Como Hotels & Resorts that is well worth taking a look at.

No matter which of these three “Best Ofs” you choose to tie the knot at, or tie the knot again as the case may be, you can’t go wrong.

All the best,

Doug

Best Dad in the Whole World? Here are 3 reasons why.

3LUXE — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 05:49:39 GMT

I was talking to my six year old son tonight. One of those conversations you sometimes have as you’re laying with them just before they fall asleep. Somehow it came up, not sure why, but he told me I was the best dad in the whole world.

It was unsolicited feedback (this time), but he knows it makes me happy when he says it so he was probably just playing me a bit.

Given that, I decided to ask him why I’m the best dad in the whole world, and specifically to give me three reasons. Here was his answer:

1. You’re nice

2. You’re kind

3. (long pause) You’re nice to animals

There you have it. I’m nice, kind, and nice again.

When pressed to come up with something other than twice as nice, or nice twice, he thought a bit more and said because “you’re always happy.”

I can live with that.

If any of you doubt I’m the best dad out there, you can check with Bill’s 4 year old son for verification.

I’ve got his vote as well.

All the best,

Doug

This has got to be the "best" personal luxury submarine. It may be the only one.

3LUXE — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 05:26:40 GMT

Introducing the Triton 1000 Personal Luxury Submarine from U.S. Submarines®. I first spotted it in the most recent issue of Ocean Drive where it was featured as another ultimate yacht toy for the ultra-wealthy. Then not a day or two later I saw it in the “fantasy section” of the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book.

Here’s what the catalog had to say about this new toy that has the potential to allow each and every one of us to unleash our inner Jacques Cousteau:

“The future? It’s right here, mateys. The folks at U.S. Submarines® whipped up our NM-Edition Gem Triton 1000 with all the sci-fi bells and whistles. ABS-certified, three-axis maneuverability. Dives to 1,000 feet. 360-degree views from your high-density acrylic bubble. Luxury leather seats with our logo. Joystick steering, with a gemstone set in the stick. Matching gemstone key chain. Air conditioning even. In this beauty, you’ll be outmaneuvering Captain Nemo in no time.

Your under-the-sea dream machine comes with a comprehensive two-day training program and delivery to your secluded cove anywhere in the U.S. Scratch a fender on a sunken chest? U.S. Submarines provides worldwide service and replacement parts.”

Neiman Marcus monogrammed seats? Count me in!

Seriously, I’m clearly not in the target audience, both because I don’t have a luxury yacht to launch it from, and more importantly because I don’t have $1.44 million sitting around to put in an investment that’s certainly going to end up…wait for it… wait for it… under water.

Rim shot please.

Tip your waiters. Try the veal. I’ll be here all week.

All the best,

Doug

A future "Best Of?" Definitely futuristic. Meet the BLADE XTZ Electric Motorcycle.

3LUXE — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 03:50:06 GMT

A recent issue of ForbesLife featured another amazing toy not quite ready for primetime. But one that definitely gets you thinking. The Blade XTZ is an electric motorbike that equals or outperforms every gas-powered bike in its weight class (200-250cc). It’s about 25-50 lbs lighter, and offers more torque (250 pounds) than traditional dirt bikes. The top speed isn’t that impressive (at just over 40mph), but that’s plenty fast for motocross or trail riding.

Manufactured by Electric Moto Corporation, This dirt bike breakthrough is very cool. It runs the trails so silently, it would seem to be be almost dangerous if there were other bikes out there. You can barely hear it coming.

Check out this video of two BLADE XTZs running some trails together. As the article observes, “it’s a bit like watching TV with the sound off” and it’s true. Anyone used to the high-pitched engine whine of an offroad bike will definitely do a doubletake when you see a BLADE XTZ go by.