Tips Archives - J O Y C O M P L E X

March 1, 2020 — Comments are off for this post.

How To Stop Touching Your Face

When is the last time you touched your face? You probably didn't even realize when you did. How do you break a habit that you didn't know was terrible and that you didn't even know you had? You're not alone. We all touch our faces — a lot.

As you go about your day, you touch countless things — doorknobs, elevator buttons, credit card reader screens. Microbes, including the new coronavirus, can linger on those surfaces for days. Every time you place your finger on something, various microscopic organisms hitch a ride. When you touch your face, they hop off your fingertips and into your nose, mouth, and eyes - the express route into your body.

The coronavirus outbreak has raised awareness of just how often we reach for our faces. According to Dr. Vanessa Raabe, assistant professor in the department of medicine at NYU Langone Health, "It's a very difficult habit to break because we all do it, and oftentimes we're not even aware we're doing it."

What should you do?

Don't touch your face, touch this Copper hringpoki stone

Keep your hands busy.

Dr. Raabe offered this suggestion: "Be cognizant of triggers." Not to get all Zen, but take the time to be in the moment and pay attention to yourself and take note of compulsive behavior. Maybe you stroke your chin when you're trying to find the right word? Or, like many people, you rub your nose when you get a bit sleepy? Knowing where the trap is —that's the first step in evading it.

According to doctors, occupying your hands can reduce instances of touching your face. Fidget stones and stress balls are an excellent way to keep your hands busy and away from your face.

If you don't have a stress ball to squeeze, or a hrigpoki stone to rub, why not keep a special coin handy? Iceland's 10 krónur coin inspired the hringpoki fidget coin. As a bonus, using a souvenir coin to occupy your hands might bring back memories of your trip. Hey, even a mental vacation is a vacation.

don't touch your face, touch a hringpoki kronur, shown here next to an Icelandic 10 kronur coin

Coins made with copper are also naturally antimicrobial and anti-fungal. Research shows that copper has an inherent ability to kill a wide range of harmful microbes, and it can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses. If an animal coronavirus makes a "host jump" over to humans, the result can be cases of severe infection with high mortality. "Researchers found that a closely-related human coronavirus - 229E - can remain infectious on common surface materials for several days, but is rapidly destroyed on copper."

The old rhyme, "See a penny, pick it up, all the day you'll have good luck," might be great medical advice, too. And remember, don't touch your face!

Published by Jeremy Burnich in Tips

Tags: copper, hringpoki, news

November 19, 2019 — Comments are off for this post.

10 Pittsburgh businesses to visit this holiday season

Pittsburgh has a lot of local businesses you could shop at this holiday season. I can’t possibly name them all. Leave a comment (bottom of the page) and let me know who would be on your list of top 10 places in Pittsburgh to check out this Christmas.

1. Creation Labs: This maker space opened in the South Hills Village mall at the end of Summer. They have several 3D-printers, a laser cutter, and plenty of space to grow. Don’t know how to design objects to print? They teach introductory and advanced 3D modeling classes as well as basic coding. You can take advantage of the services they offer a la carte or purchase a monthly membership - like a gym for your mind. They also sell all sorts of 3D-printed things. It’s a new business and that’s why I put it on my list.

2. Jean Louis - A Parisian Bistro in the Dormont area just south of Pittsburgh. It’s excellent. It offers good, simple and well-thought-out dishes at affordable prices. It’s picturesque inside with an enchanting color scheme and, most importantly, delicious food. It’s worth driving in from other parts of the city for a nice dinner here. Parking looks like a problem but it isn’t. There’s a public parking lot directly across the street from the South Hills Nissan dealership that's a 2-minute walk away. Gift cards are probably available and they also offer cooking classes. It might be a great present for the chef in your life.

3. Adam Solar Rides - If you like electric cars and bikes this is the place for you. The owner Adam Rossi is just as energetic as all the stuff he sells - and he sells a lot of cool stuff. From electric mono-wheel skateboards to Tesla Car rentals. If it’s a form of electrified transport, you can probably check it out at ASR. Stop by the store or visit one of the booths they have at various community days (they usually announce them on their Facebook Page).

Maple iPhone 11 Pro Max case by Kerfcase

4. Kerfcase - This Pittsburgh startup (with an awesome office in Homewood I might add) sells thoughtfully designed and sustainably sourced accessories for electronics and your home. They use a mixture of bits & bytes to create amazing products out of gorgeous wood. It’s highly engineered but there’s also a lot of handwork involved. A lot of steps go into making say, a cover for your new iPhone 11, but the result is worth it.

5. Scribe PGH - If you need any paper or interesting desk accessories head over to Walnut Street and check out this small establishment. They have a nicely curated collection of writing supplies and knowledgable staff. They stock high-quality items from around the world that would spruce up any desk or office.

6. Kawaii Gifts - Just a couple of streets over from Scribe you’ll find the cutest store in Pittsburgh. Kawaii means cute in Japanese and all the items in this gem of a store are without a doubt just that. You can’t help but go into cuteness overload when you walk in. They have so many cool little things that you’ll be sure to find something for at least a few people on your holiday shopping list - especially the littler folks.

7. Row House Cinema - There’s a good chance you have a television or home theater system bigger and better than the one at this small Lawrenceville movie theater. You miss out on the movie experience when you just watch something at home though. This isn’t a multi-plex with THX but the audience will be like-minded fans of film. Buy a pass or a gift card for someone who you think could use a good time at the movies.

Some of the Quality Chocolates Available at Mon Aimee

8. Mon Aimee Chocolate - THE place to go for quality chocolates from around the world right in Pittsburgh. There are chocolate bars from Hawaii to Iceland, sweets from Germany, and treats from Italy. If you are looking for something locally produced but also exotic, Mon Aimee just became the first retailer in Western, PA to sell OODALLOLLY chocolate - founded in San Francisco, using cacao from The Philippines, employing a Swiss technique and produced right here in Pennsylvania (outside Philly).

9. Love, Pittsburgh - If you want something made by a Pittsburgh based designer or just want something with that Yinzer aesthetic - head on up Mt. Washington. They’ve got exclusive items that you can’t get anywhere else - from Pittsburgh Pierogi ornaments to hand-thrown mugs that read JAGOFF as well as a number of Pittsburgh themed tee’s.

10. Cotton Bureau - Speaking of tee’s. If you are looking to get a bunch of different designs head on over to this website. Some are by local artists but many are by designer from all over the world. All the shirts are printed right here in Pittsburgh, PA.

These are just some of the local businesses in the Pittsburgh area. Which ones did I miss that you think should get some recognition? Let me know in the comments below.

Published by Jeremy Burnich in Tips

Tags: Christmas, Holidays, Pittsburgh

July 9, 2019 — Comments are off for this post.

5 TIPS FOR ETSY SELLERS NEW AND OLD

BY: JEREMY BURNICH & KIMBERLY FALK

Are you a new seller on Etsy having just opened your shop and in search of a few tips on getting that first sale? Maybe you’ve had your store open for a while and things have become sort of stagnant and you're looking to boost a little life back into your store?

Here are some tips to help new and seasoned Etsy sellers.

A lot comes down to SEO and Etsy SEO is a funny beast with certain things that matter very much. Tweak a few of these things to get more traffic to your shop.

1. Almost all sellers need more listings.

According to our experience Etsy assumes if you have less than 50 listings that you are not a serious shop. There are exceptions to every rule but generally, have at least 20.

Problem: “Wait, I don’t have a lot of items?”

Solution: Start by dividing items into their different material variations. Instead of one listing for “coins” with 4 variations, have one listing for pennies, one for dimes, one for nickels, and one for quarters.

2. Work on Your Tags.

Think like a potential customer. What terms might they use when searching for items like yours? Say you’re selling a leaf shaped ring. Add tags like "fall ring" "autumn jewelry" "leaf ring", etc.

One way to give yourself a leg up is to use EtsyRank, it's free and it can give you a lot of hints on what keywords work.

QUICK TIP: One word keywords are not a good idea because that's not how most customers search.

DIG DEEPER: Here’s Etsy’s take on setting up headings and tags. Relatively brief but very informative.

3. Photographs - the more the better.

You don’t need to be the next Horst, but decent photos of your items go a long way towards helping you make that sale. You also don’t need an SLR. An iPhone a white backdrop and some natural light are all you need to take some great pictures. Also, don’t be afraid to put a photo of the packaging - people are interested in the box something comes in as well.

QUICK TIP: If you want a little more control over the light and surroundings get an inexpensive light box. Orange Monkey makes a great prosumer light box with some useful bells and whistles.

DIG Deeper: Here’s a great piece called The Ultimate Guide to Beautiful Product Photography. It’s got a ton of great tips for the DIY studio photographer.

4. Your “About” section is really important.

Much of the reason people buy from independent designers is because they connect to your story. Tell them what motivates you, tell them what awards you've won, tell them what your favorite piece is and why, etc.

This also means you should set up some policies. These can change as you discover what works for you. But many people will not buy from shops with no stated policies. You can make exceptions case by case but if you are able to point to a clearly articulated policy at the start you’ll be much happier.

QUICK TIP: How to Set Up Your Shop Policies

5. Offer Free Shipping

You sort of have to anyway. Etsy now gives priority placement in US search results to items that ship free and to shops that guarantee free shipping to US buyers on orders of $35 or more.

This doesn’t mean you have to pay for it yourself. UPS won't transport your items for free but you can estimate what it will cost to box up and ship your item and work those expenses into the retail price.

ONE MORE THING …

I just add one more thing...when I say that you need more listings to be considered a serious shop, it's not only about convincing the potential customer, but also convincing *Etsy.* If they think you're making extra effort, they'll push you higher up in searches. It may not actually say that word for word in their SEO guidelines, but from what I've seen, this is how it works.

Wishing you much success!

About the Authors

**Jeremy Burnich**
Owner and proprietor of J O Y C O M P L E X - Merchants in Ideas.
joycomplex.etsy.com
He is the author of a book, 3D models, illustrates, writes, and takes interesting photographs. A former attorney, he breaks down complex ideas into easy to consume pieces. I guess that makes him a fungus.
https://www.joycomplex.com

**Kimberly Falk**
Owner and proprietress of Ontogenie - Jewelry Inspired by Science and Nature.
ontogenie.etsy.com
Kimberly has a Ph.D. in biochemistry and over twenty years of research experience. She uses that expertise to create unique and interesting animations and designs that are scientifically accurate and aesthetically stunning.
https://ontogenie.com/

Published by Jeremy Burnich in Tips

Tags: Etsy

May 10, 2019 — Comments are off for this post.

Spot The Fake Apple Watch Charging Dock

A few months ago I was duped into buying a counterfeit Apple Watch charging dock on eBay. Now, when I say duped I knew something was fishy since the price for a legitimate dock would be at least quadruple the $15.99 asking price (now it's $20.99) the seller wanted.

The same seller selling the same fake dock for five more dollars.

Since this was going to be an extra dock for my old Series 0, I was willing to give it a shot though. It arrived quickly and at first glance looked to be from Apple. But when I compared it to the dock I already had, it was clearly a fake. I was OK with this, as long as it worked, but it didn't. So not only did I get a fake dock but I got a fake dock that didn't have the decency to even function.

I got my money back thanks to eBay/PayPal's guarantee and forgot about the whole thing. Then the seller contacted me about changing my review of the transaction, since they were kind enough to refund me.

And then Best Buy had an in-store sale on Apple Watch Magnetic Charging Docks for $47.99. I bought one and dug out the fake to compare.

Can you spot the difference?

The fake dock is on the left. The only visual difference is the omission of the  logo.

The back of the box looks similar too. The counterfeiter didn't match the typeface correctly though - it's heavier than the light weight type Apple uses.

When you open the box the differences become noticeable.

The two docks look different - especially right next to each other. If a legitimate dock wasn't available for comparison someone with only a passing acquaintance with Apple products and their design might get fooled - especially if the fake dock worked.

But if you look at the quality of the two you can see the difference.

Start with the packaging. The paper is decent but nowhere near approaching Apple's quality. And look at the corners of the box. The cuts and veneer pasting are very poor. There's no way Apple would ship any product in a package this shoddily made.

Now lets look at the dock itself. The top surface of the fake dock has a vinyl-like feel and appearance. And when you flip it over, not only is the typeface and text all wrong but you can see exposed wires on the underside of the flip mechanism which itself is also poorly made.

The genuine Apple dock has an alcantara-like top and the charge mechanism feels solid, like a bolt action rifle in terms of quality and feel. The metal is also not chintzy chrome plated plastic.

Check out the charging cable that came with the fake.

Here's the real thing.

The fake is a trademark of "Apple Ine" and if you need to contact them about FCC compliance write to "Cor porate Compliance."

Suffice to say the real instruction book was proofread by someone at Apple who did their job properly.

There's also a difference in the instruction pictograms.

The fake instructions. NOTE: all gray text and images.

Authentic Apple instructions. Notice the lime green arrows.

Conclusion

I know, I know. "You get what you pay for." And if I were going into a transaction with full knowledge that what I was getting wasn't made by Apple, that would be one thing. But this fake product was advertised on eBay using the Apple part number and uses packaging, instructions, and materials that are meant to fool consumers into thinking they are buying an Apple product - albeit at a steep discount.

This is fraud.

There's not much that consumers can do except be aware that this type of product fraud exists and make sure you go into transactions knowing as much as you can about what a real product looks like so you won't be duped.

When you're deal hunting on eBay or Amazon, even for something small like this dock, consider a few things: What if it caught fire? Or damaged your Watch? Who would you go after for redress?

The legit product may cost more - we've all aware of the perceived Apple Tax - but there are reasons for this besides greed. One reason is that there is an actual company that stands behind these products. If anything goes wrong or something needs to be replaced, the company is in a place to offer a fix. I know, some of their keyboards aren't really holding up but Apple is pretty good - not perfect - about fixing defective products.

When you get a bargain, you may not be getting what you think you bargained for, just be informed.

Published by Jeremy Burnich in Investigations, Tips

Tags: apple, apple watch, Counterfeit