PaltalkArticles

INSTANT MBA: You Need 3 Things When You Start A Business

2012-12-13T18:16:28Z

Melissa Stanger

December 13, 2012

Today's advice comes from our interview with Jason Katz, CEO of the video chat, group conference and messaging platform Paltalk:

"There are really three things you need when you start a company. The first thing is you have the idea for whatever the company's going to do. The second one is money, because you have to have assets to carry out whatever the mission is. And then third, you need the people, assuming that you yourself can't do all of those things and generally you can't."

Katz attributes the success of his company Paltalk, which has been a viable and prosperous business since 1998, to these three basic needs. He says these three needs aren't unique to his own business, but are necessary for any company to launch.

Many entrepreneurs think that if people know who they are and what they do, success will take care of itself, says Katz, but this isn't true. You're not a business if you're not profitable, and you have to take the required steps to keep your business going. The company won't drive itself.

"In every case, those three inputs are required. Some of us have some of them but not all of them, and I think that's why a lot of businesses just simply don't make it."

Is Paltalk the alternative to Yahoo chat rooms?

2012-12-10T16:08:13Z

According to Paltalk, some Yahoo groups have already relocated to the Paltalk community -- by Pankaj Maru -- MUMBAI, INDIA: While Yahoo's December 14 deadline to shut messenger public chat rooms features comes near, the global Internet company is facing criticism and rage from millions of users globally. However, it seems like Paltalk - a platform for audio-video based communities - is likely to make most out of this situation.

''We have already begun to see some Yahoo groups relocate to the Paltalk community in the past few days. We would welcome working directly with Yahoo to help them with this challenge," says Paltalk's president and COO, Wilson Kriegel.

''We are working to ensure that Yahoo chat communities are aware of this option. Unlike Yahoo, our core business is to provide group video chat to people around the world,'' adds Kriegal. The US based Paltalk was formed in 1998 and today it has 10 million users using various products and services.

"We have millions of active members with strong communities around the world. We recently translated our software, website and apps into over 15 languages to strengthen our international offering to our already vibrant communities in non-English speaking countries," informs Kriegel, who recently left gaming company Zynga. Like Yahoo, Paltalk messenger has free rich-features like audio, video and text based communication along with file and photo sharing - all in a single window.

Besides, Paltalk messenger easily works with AIM, Yahoo and ICQ allowing users to communicate with their existing contacts and offers live group video communities on the web. "We provide our members with a full set of communications tools to video chat with friends and family around the world. Moreover, we have created an environment where members can meet new friends based on topics and shared interests," explains Kriegel. "Our proprietary moderation tools create a safe, well-lit chat experience, whether you have 5 or 5,000 people chatting at same time," he adds.

SoftBank has invested $6 million in Paltalk some years back, since then the company has been steadily growing with its unique "freemium" business model. "We have a unique freemium business model that has proven to work quite well, as we are a profitable company. We offer a premium product (subscription), users can buy virtual currency and we serve advertising," says Kriegel.

The "one to many" communications provider Paltalk is available on PC, mobile and tablet devices for consumers and businesses; However, it is now focusing more on mobile given the enormous growth of mobile users and devices globally.

''We are focusing on mobile in the early part of 2013 and will also be more active in establishing partnerships with third parties who want to use a white label version of our technology to enable and power video group chat and broadcasting from their own destinations, portal, communities or social networks,'' Kriegel said.

Another Former Zynga Executive Has Joined A Startup

2012-12-03T22:14:26Z

Wilson Kriegel, formerly the top business executive at social-games maker OMGPOP, is taking a president and chief operating officer role at video-chat startup Paltalk.

Zynga bought OMGPOP for $180 million earlier this year--a deal which rapidly soured, prompting Zynga to take a big writeoff.

At Paltalk, Kriegel's going to work on both the product and Paltalk's business model.

"Wilson brings extensive knowledge and experience in quickly identifying trends and opportunities as well as executing operationally and with partners accordingly," Paltalk CEO Jason Katz said in a press release. "His background is ideal for driving the growth that lies ahead for Paltalk."

Kriegel left Zynga back in September, six months after Zynga bought OMGPOP, best known for its hit Draw Something. At OMGPOP, he was responsible for publishing games, monetization, and business development.

In the release, Kriegel said that he's excited to join Paltalk because the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growth of activity in video communications.

"Driven by consumer and business demand, group video chat across all platforms, especially mobile, is growing rapidly worldwide and this is just the beginning," Kriegel said. "As with Twitter or Instagram, staying connected via mobile, sharing content and meeting new people globally have become a part of everyday life."

Zynga's Wilson Kriegel Appointed President and Chief Operating Officer of Paltalk

2012-12-03T22:10:53Z

NEW YORK, Dec. 3, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Paltalk, the largest provider of live video chat communities, announced today a key addition to its executive leadership team with the appointment of Wilson Kriegel as President and COO. Kriegel's vast experience in driving growth at start-ups and innovation-driven companies in the mobile and gaming industry will prove invaluable as Paltalk continues to focus on more aggressive growth of its existing desktop business and accelerating adoption across mobile and tablet devices. Kriegel's focus will be product feature innovation, usability and driving user and revenue growth, including premium, in-app currency and advertising across platforms.

"Wilson brings extensive knowledge and experience in quickly identifying trends and opportunities as well as executing operationally and with partners accordingly. His background is ideal for driving the growth that lies ahead for Paltalk," said Jason Katz, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Paltalk.

Kriegel was most recently at Zynga, where he worked with the executives of the mobile division. Before that, he was Chief Revenue Officer at OMGPOP, which was acquired earlier this year by Zynga for $210 Million. OMGPOP was a social and mobile game developer that created the global hit franchise "Draw Something". At OMGPOP he was responsible for games publishing across web, Facebook and mobile platforms; including business development, advertising monetization, direct marketing and product monetization.

As President and COO at Paltalk, Kriegel will oversee operational functions for Paltalk's core product, its mobile apps and portfolio of communications services across all platforms. He will also be responsible for revenue and user growth, research and business development.

"I'm excited to join Paltalk, already a leader in live video chat, perfectly positioned to capitalize on the explosion of activity in video communication. There is significant growth potential in this category - and a real opportunity to build on an already profitable business. Driven by consumer and business demand, group video chat across all platforms, especially mobile, is growing rapidly worldwide and this is just the beginning. As with Twitter or Instagram, staying connected via mobile, sharing content and meeting new people globally have become a part of everyday life."

About Paltalk

Paltalk is a leading provider of audio and video communications solutions, with over 150 million registered users and nearly 10 million unique users around the world. Paltalk is available on PC, mobile and tablet devices for consumers and businesses. The Paltalk platform powers the largest collection of video-based communities anywhere with hundreds of thousands of conversations taking place simultaneously. Paltalk, which specializes in "one to many" communications, offers a family of services that power live online social networks where users take part via video chat, calling and text messaging. Paltalk has a long history of technical innovation and owns 16 patents that cover core technology related to multiplayer online video games and video conferencing.

After Leaving Zynga, Wilson Kriegel Surfaces at Paltalk

2012-12-03T22:07:45Z

Wilson Kriegel has been named president and COO of Paltalk, a provider of group video calls. Prior to joining the New York company, Kriegel was at Zynga, having joined the social games maker through the acquisition of OMGPOP, where he was chief revenue officer. Kriegel will be responsible for Paltalk's growth and research and business development.

Former Zynga finance guru surfaces as video-chat company president

2012-12-03T22:04:52Z

Wilson Kriegel was a part of Zynga's high-profile OMGPOP acquisition and equally high-profile executive departure spree, and he has popped back up on the tech executive landscape. This time, he's joined forces with New York City-based Paltalk, a webcam and mobile video chat app, as the company's new president and chief operating officer.

We learned exclusively that Kriegel had left Zynga back in September. Kriegel was one of a boatload of Zynga executives who jumped ship immediately following a weak earnings report. Other notable departures included chief operating officer John Schappert, chief marketing officer John Karp, chief creative officer Mike Verdu, infrastructure chief technology officer Allan Leinwand, and general managers Eric Bethke, Jeremy Stauser, Ya-Bing Chu, and Alan Patmore.

Kriegel's tenure at Zynga began in March with a splashy acquisition worth around $200 million. At that time, the Pictionary-like game Draw Something had quickly caught on, garnering 20.5 million daily active players, 37 million installs, and 2,000 drawings per second; it was also the most tweeted-about game in the (relatively brief) history of social mobile gaming. However, the game lost around 5 million players in the first few weeks after the acquisition.

Paltalk's blog confirms Kriegel's new position; Kriegel's LinkedIn profile currently states his position as president and COO at a "stealth" video chat service in New York and says he's held the position since November.

According to Kriegel's new resume, he's now in charge of Paltalk's strategy, revenue, growth, product development, and marketing. Paltalk was founded in 1998 and currently employs fewer than 50 people.

Paltalk, which claims 4 million active members, uses a subscription-based revenue model. Chats can accomodate up to 10 simultaneous participants and include IM features.

While Paltalk claims it controls "the largest collection of video and audio based communities" on the web, it's infinitesimally small potatoes compared to the likes of Zynga; we're interested to see where Kriegel takes the company, given his experience with rapid growth and high-dollar exits.

OMGPOP's Chief Revenue Officer Wilson Kriegel Becomes President, COO of Video Chat Startup Paltalk

2012-12-03T18:36:03Z

Another one of Zynga's recent departures has landed.

Wilson Kriegel, who was OMGPOP's chief revenue officer until the Draw Something maker was acquired for $210 million in cash and retention, is taking a president and chief operating officer role at New York-based Paltalk. He left Zynga, which bought OMGPOP, earlier this year, following a slew of other executive who have left the ailing social gaming company.

Paltalk, a video chat service, has had a very low profile for years, but the company has remained profitable and hasn't taken funding since a $6 million round from SoftBank eight years ago. The company has 150 million registered users (though no disclosed numbers on monthly actives). Paltalk is a video chat community that offers free group video calls and chats. Kriegel says that more than 20 million streams are viewed a day through Paltalk and the average log-in time is 61 minutes per session.

"This company is generating tens and tens of millions of dollars in revenue very year," Kriegel said. "It's highly profitable, and its business model is in subscriptions, virtual currency and advertisement. My gaming background is exactly in that."

At Paltalk, Kriegel will oversee usability and user and revenue growth with the compnay's premium and in-app currency services. The company makes money when users send virtual gifts to each other or when they sign up for subscriptions that get rid of pop-up or banner ads and allow more simultaneous video windows.

Like many other founders or executives Zynga has acquired over the years, Kriegel is leaving the gaming industry entirely.

"I wasn't seeing anything that wasn't differentiated," Kriegel said. "Beyond companies like Kixeye and Supercell, there aren't really a lot of market makers. There's not a lot of differentiation on the content side, and we're in a down cycle which started -- at least in perception -- because of Zynga."

Other acquired Zynga founders like Siqi Chen and Roger Dickey are working on non-gaming concepts, while others like Nabeel Hyatt and Robin Chan have crossed over into the venture side.

While Kriegel wasn't a co-founder at OMGPOP, he was with the startup through the extensively difficult time before the company found a hit on the iOS platform in Draw Something. He said he didn't want to take time off.

"I've never spent more than a couple weeks not working and I'm a dad now. That changes perspective on what matters," he said. "I didn't feel that not working would be a valuable use of my time."

Tech Expert Scott Steinberg Takes a Look at New Innovative Products

2012-06-14T16:42:26Z

NewsWatch recently aired a news story highlighting innovative products for consumers to keep their eyes out for. Tech and parenting expert, Scott Steinberg, joined the show to review these gifts.

The first product is an Automatic Paper Towel Dispenser from a company called Innovia which is a great addition to any kitchen. It has a sleek design so moms will love it and it's amazingly easy to operate. All a consumer needs to do is hold their hand up to a sensor on the unit and it will dispense a single paper towel. If more towels are needed, they just hold their hand up longer until the correct amount of towels is dispensed. From a health standpoint, since the hands-free operation makes it unnecessary to touch the roll of paper towels, it reduces the risk of cross-contamination. It looks great and comes in three colors, stainless steel, black and white and has a suggested retail price of $99. For more information, head to the Innovia website at http://www.innoviahome.com/.

Neato Robotics recently introduced a new automatic vacuum that's specifically designed for households with pets and allergens. It's called the Neato XV-21 and it's the most powerful robotic vacuum on the market. While most robotic vacuums are mindless sweepers, the XV-21 is a true vacuum that intelligently maps a consumers room to cover the entire floor without bouncing off furniture. Using a laser-based positioning and path-planning system, the XV-21 continuously takes 360-degree images of the room and stores this information during the current cleaning run. It comes with a special Pet & Allergy Brush for quiet vacuuming and a High-Efficiency Filter for easy maintenance and stronger suctioning power. Consumers can purchase the Neato XV-21 at amazon.com and other retailers for 429.99. Neato Robotics also offers a lighter version of the XV-21, the Neato XV-12, which is available at Target stores nationwide for 399.99. For more information, visit neatorobotics.com.

PalTalk, the world's largest live video chat community with over 70 million downloads just released their new service called Firetalk and it's a free service that offers users unlimited calling and texting to other firetalk users across the world on any mobile platform. The application runs over wifi or 3G network and allows consumers to turn their iPod Touch or iPad into a fully functional phone. Consumers can now keep in touch by phone or text with friends and family in another country or send a message to someone right down the street - all without spending a single penny. For more information on Firetalk, go to http://www.firetalk.com/ and for more information on Paltalk, go to http://www.paltalk.com/.

StoryMark is a free mobile application for lifestyle and business that's redefining the way consumers capture and share experiences. It's currently available on the iPhone and Android devices and it combines pictures and personalized audio messages, and then allows consumers to send them across their social networks as well as via e-mail. StoryMark can be used for entertainment and lifestyle purposes, but it can also be used for business. To get started, all consumers need to do is download the app from the iTunes store or Android marketplace, take a photo with their phone, record a message or add music to it, and share it with their friends and family via Facebook, Twitter, Text, Email or consumers can save their StoryMark to their phone's library.

View the press release here. Also, check out the Facebook page here!

CNET's editors give Paltalk a four star rating!

2012-03-15T18:41:30Z

Paltalk Messenger
CNET Editors' review

by: CNET Staff on March 15, 2012

Paltalk Messenger streamlines communication by putting instant messages, video chats, voice calls, and SMS all into a single user interface. While it may not be the most user-friendly program out there, it's certainly one of the more powerful.

If you've used an IM client like Trillian or Pidgin, then Paltalk's interface should feel familiar, with its vertical towerlike orientation, list of contacts, and status bar. The difference is that Paltalk does a lot more than those programs do--which is good. So, in addition to the typical IM contact list, there's a Chat Room panel, as well as a Phone & SMS panel, which lets you make voice calls and send texts. The problem is that using all of Paltalk's features is not always intuitive. The program has tons of drop-down menus, icons, and tabs cluttering each window, and very few explanations of functions. Also, watch out for the promotional content that Paltalk often serves up. For instance, I got messages telling me to Like Paltalk on Facebook, join specific chat rooms, and upgrade to a paid version. And then there's the Paltalk Today and Paltalk Notifier windows that sometimes make appearances. It can get a bit annoying, to say the least.

The Basic (free) version of Paltalk is ad-supported (banners) and comes with five texts and 100 voice call minutes (within the US and other select countries), all for free. For more texts or voice minutes, you'll have to pay on a per-use basis. In addition, you can upgrade your account to a Plus, Extreme, or VIP tier to get more features.

Paltalk's wide selection of chat rooms and active user community is among its best attributes. You can jump into G (general), R (rated-R), or A (adult) chat rooms, or create one of your own. Unfortunately, if you're on the free version of Paltalk, video in chat rooms is pretty much useless, since you only get a quick 10-second taste of Webcam functionality before it shuts off and asks you to upgrade. But what's great is you can video chat within a private message window, even with multiple participants. Also, there's a feature called SuperIM, which lets non-Paltalk users chat with you.

While Paltalk is certainly a versatile communications tool with tons of features, I think it's biggest strength is its chat. If you're interested in exploring chat rooms--public or private--or exchanging video instant messages with friends, I highly recommend you check this program out.

Read more: Paltalk Messenger - CNET Download.com http://download.cnet.com/Paltalk-Messenger/3000-2150_4-10043373.html#ixzz20FPPtjhA

Paltalk CEO on Fox Business discusses Firetalk

2012-03-15T17:55:05Z

Paltalk CEO, Jason Katz was interviewed recently on Fox Business.

Paltalk CEO on Fox Business discusses Firetalk

Sheets™ Energy Strips to Host Inaugural College Basketball Bracket Challenge via Facebook

2012-03-13T18:00:15Z

NEW YORK, March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sheets™ Brand, the creator and developer of Sheets™ dissolvable energy strips, today announced their 2012 College Basketball Bracket Challenge. The competition, which goes live today, will take place on a custom Sheets™ Facebook application where fans will be able to enter their own bracket, share with friends and track their progress against competition to see who the next champion will be! The winning bracket will be video broadcasted by Sheets™ Brand partner Chris Paul on Paltalk, the world's largest video chat community, with more than four million active members.

Chris Paul, Amar'e Stoudemire, Ray Rice, and others are confirmed for the "madness" and will submit their own bracket into the challenge that will be visible to everyone who enters the competition. The fan who wins the Bracket Challenge will have a choice of one of the following prizes:

    Play H-O-R-S-E with Chris Paul
    Private basketball lesson with Amar'e Stoudemire
    Play a sports video game with Ray Rice

"At Sheets™ we are always looking to find new and innovative ways to engage our fans and we feel the Bracket Challenge is a perfect way to offer up friendly competition around tournament time," said Warren Struhl, co-founder of Sheets™ Brand. "We're proud to partner with Paltalk to unveil the winning bracket and provide one lucky fan a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with their favorite Sheets™ partner."

"I'm looking forward to putting my bracket up against the rest of the Sheets™ fan base," said Chris Paul.

"I'm going for a perfect bracket this year," said Amar'e Stoudemire. "I just filled out mine and now it's your turn!"

To submit your bracket visit:
http://www.facebook.com/TakeaSheet/app_118774611581265.

About Sheets™ Brand:
Sheets™ Brand, the inaugural product of PureBrands, LLC, are dissolvable strips that use proprietary technology to deliver a variety of functional and nutritional benefits. Sheets™ Brand Energy Strips launched in June 2011 and are currently available at over 50,000 retail stores nationwide. PureBrands, LLC was co-founded in 2010 by Warren Struhl, Jesse Itzler, LeBron James and Maverick Carter. In addition, some of the world's best athletes and hottest entertainers are founding partners and/or investors in PureBrands, LLC, including superstar athletes Serena Williams, Amar'e Stoudemire, Chris Paul and Ray Rice, as well as international recording artist Pitbull. For information please visit http://www.sheetsbrand.com.

About Paltalk:
Paltalk is the premier provider of software and technology for real-time, rich media, interactive social networking. The Paltalk platform powers the largest collection of video-based communities and has continued to grow since it was launched in 1998. Paltalk now boasts millions of active members with nearly 100,000 people simultaneously chatting in rooms engaged in lively dialogues, meeting new friends, singing karaoke and attending family reunions.

Paltalk has a long history of technical innovation. Paltalk owns 13 patents that cover core technology related to multiplayer online video games and video conferencing. Paltalk supports IM pals on Facebook, Google Talk, MSN, AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ and is available as a free download.

For more information, please visit: http://www.paltalk.com.

Source: PR Newswire (http://s.tt/1bHV6)

CES 2012: 10 Best Celebrities to Stalk at the Consumer Electronics Show

2012-01-08T17:49:34Z

By John Talty: Subscribe to John's RSS feed

January 8, 2012 7:07 PM EST

The Consumer Electronics Show is typically known for its slew of innovative gadgets and technological advancements, but CES 2012's celebrity star power could generate just as much notoriety.

CES typically draws in an eclectic mix of celebrities - Lady Gaga appeared in 2011 - but it could be hard to top appearances by Justin Bieber, "Jersey Shore's" Snooki, and rapper 50 Cent.

The Twitterverse went wild on Thursday when news broke that Bieber would be unveiling a new robot toy with TOSY Robotics, a Vietnamese robotics company, in Las Vegas. Bieber will be appearing with TOSY Robotics on Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m.

Bieber will likely draw the biggest crowd out of any of the celebrities scheduled to appear at CES, but the event offers a slew of other worthwhile celebrities to check out.

Here's a breakdown of the best celebrities scheduled to appear at CES:

If sports are your thing.....

Dennis Rodman, Robert Horry and John Salley will all be appearing at CES. Rodman, who is planning on launching a topless basketball league, will be appearing with Paltalk, a online service, on Thursday from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Horry and Salley will both be appearing at Haier's booth during the week. Horry will make a stop at the booth on Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., while Salley will appear at the same time on Wednesday.

If you like dancing...

If you love to see dancing at its finest then it might be worth seeing the Jabbawockeez, on Tuesday. The hip-hop dance crew from MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew" will be the opening performance of Qualcomm's keynote address on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m. at the Venetian's Palazzo Ballroom.

If you love gym, tan, and laundry....

Then you must check out Nicole "Snooki" Palozzi during one of her scheduled appearances during the week. Snooki, who recently dropped down to 98 lbs, will be signing autographs at iHip's booth on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. She will also be hosting a CES 2012 celebration at Planet Hollywood on Tuesday night.

If rapping is your game....

If hip hop is one of your loves then there is no reason not to check out 50 Cent in Las Vegas. 50 Cent will be signing autographs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m. for SMS Audio. He is also expected to interview with the editors of TechCrunch on Wednesday.

Although music isn't his main calling card anymore, LL Cool J will also be at the event. The onetime music sensation will be promoting his show, "CSI: Los Angeles," on the CNET stage on Tuesday at around 2 p.m.

Female rap singer Da Brat has also been spotted in the Las Vegas area, but she doesn't have any publicized appearances at CES.

If you like a martini shaken, not stirred...

A panel discussion on the 50th anniversary of the James Bond films figures to be one of the most well received events of the conference. Former Bond directors John Glen ("Octopussy"), Martin Campbell ("GoldenEye"), and Michael Apted ("The World is Not Enough") will all sit down to discuss the famous British spy known simply as 007. Former Bond girls Olga Kurylenko and Caterina Murino will also be in attendance.

If seeing a famous female celebrity is your dream...

Actress Eliza Dushku and Miss America 2011 will both be at CES 2012. Dushku is serving as the Entertainment Matters ambassador and will be making multiple appearances throughout the week. Miss America Terese Scanlan will be walking the CES show floor on Tuesday from 10 to 11 a.m.

Leader in Video Chat Community, Paltalk Acquires Easy To Send

2011-12-06T17:47:42Z

Paltalk Announces That They Have Acquired Easy To Send, A Leading Do-It Yourself Digital Marketing Platform Targeted At Small and Medium Size Businesses

NEW YORK, Dec. 6, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Paltalk, the leading real-time, video-based community with over 70 million downloads, announced today that they have acquired Easy To Send, an innovator in small business email and digital marketing.

Easy To Send was launched as an affordable and accessible email marketing management tool geared for the small and medium sized business market. It offers a platform to source graphic designers in its Creative Marketplace as well as the opportunity to join its Easy Ad Network, a program allowing users to generate ad revenue through self-generated emails and integrated content management.

The acquisition will leverage and expand Paltalk's capabilities to grow its more than 11 million person membership through the compatibility of Easy To Send's digital marketing platform, as well as help generate additional advertising revenue for both parties. The move will also welcome CEO and Founder of Easy To Send, Alan Laifer to the Paltalk family. Laifer is no stranger to the industry as he was also the founder and CEO of Datran Media, one of the largest and leading digital marketing technology companies today.

"We are excited about this acquisition and believe Easy To Send will contribute to our global network portfolio, making it even stronger," said Jason Katz, CEO, Paltalk. "Easy To Send will provide our loyal customers with yet another platform and reach new audiences within the marketplace."

"Easy To Send combined with Paltalk's resources will allow us to grow our user base even faster than it has already grown since our public launch this past June," said Alan Laifer, CEO and Founder of Easy To Send. "We look forward to all the great synergies that will arise from merging our technologies."

About Paltalk
Paltalk is the premier provider of software and technology for real-time, rich media, interactive social networking. The Paltalk platform powers the largest collection of video-based communities and has continued to grow since it was launched in 1998. Paltalk now boasts millions of active members with nearly 100,000 people simultaneously chatting in rooms engaged in lively dialogues, meeting new friends, singing karaoke and attending family reunions.

Paltalk has a long history of technical innovation. Paltalk owns 13 patents that cover core technology related to multiplayer online video games and video conferencing. Paltalk supports IM pals on Facebook, Google Talk, MSN, AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ and is available as a free download.

For more information, please visit: http://www.paltalk.com.

About Easy To Send
Easy To Send is an affordable and accessible email marketing management tool geared for the small and medium sized business market. Easy To Send offers a platform to source graphic designers in its Creative Marketplace as well as the opportunity to join its Easy Ad Network, allowing users to generate ad revenue through their self-generated emails.

J. Moore Partners was the exclusive financial advisor to Easy To Send.

For more information, please visit: http://www.easytosend.com/.

Vietnamese turn to Paltalk for English learning

2011-11-17T19:00:16Z

Using the nickname Selena, Mai Linh has been learning English on Paltalk - an Internet service that allows users to communicate via instant messaging, voice and video chat - for six months.

She is among a growing number of Vietnamese who use the free service to improve their English proficiency.

A student in Ho Chi Minh City, Linh is improving her spoken English with the help of online 'teachers' on Paltalk who are either native speakers or Vietnamese living in an English-speaking country.

She first joined the online classes - known as 'rooms' on Paltalk which are set up and operated by volunteer 'teachers' - with a modest knowledge of the language and could not communicate so well in English. But she now speaks decent English after six months.

"I log on to Paltalk to study English whenever I have free time," she says. "The 'teachers' there are always willing to correct me no matter how many times I mispronounce a word."

The Internet chat website is also a 'haunt' for even people with a good English background, like Thu Trang - a 24-year-old graduate in English.

A translator at a newspaper in Hanoi, she manages to find time to sharpen her language skills almost every day.

Trang says her listening, speaking, and pronunciation improve significantly thanks to the interaction she has on Paltalk.

Behind-the-keyboard 'teachers'

Those online classes are offered free of charge by unbelievably devoted 'teachers.'

BacDon, a nickname very familiar to many Vietnamese Paltalk users, have spent most of his time during the last seven years teaching English with the chat tool.

Donald Elwood Degerstrom, his real name, is a retired army officer after many years serving in the US Air Force.

He now works eight hours a week as a sales clerk at a store in the US.

Sig, the nickname of a Vietnamese living in the US for twenty years, wakes up at 6 am every day during the past five years to teach English to his Vietnamese compatriots back home before going to work two hours later.

Luc Chi, a Vietnamese construction worker living in Canada, once taught 16 hours straight just in order not to disappoint his students who had 'queued up' to learn with him.

And there are still many other 'teachers' like Dailynews or Thoangbuon, both of whom are educators in real life.

"We all hope Vietnamese people can speak fluent English," Chi said.

The Bourne Affair: Drop your digits spy-style using Vumber

2011-11-11T19:06:30Z

You're done whispering sweet nothings to Siri. You want the real thing.

Now you can creep on potential hookups without giving up your cover.

Vumber is a new service that gives you a second, anonymous, untraceable phone number on your current cellphone.

Just pick an area code, and Vumber supplies a new number. When people dial your Vumber number, it'll go right to your everyday cellphone.

Answer it, send it to voicemail, or pull sneaky stunts like giving them a busy signal or a "this number has been disconnected" recording.

"But what about calling back," you ask? You can place calls from your Vumber as well - just dial your fake number from your cell and you'll get the option to dial out, using your Vumber as the callback number.

They thought of everything.

It's only $10, and if you want to give it a shot, there's a free 14-day trial to get those digits out there.