Mobile applications are becoming more and more popular. There are literally thousands of applications for a person to choose from no matter what type of mobile device it may be. Apple is most famous for developing their application store that allows people to download a number of different apps. Some of the most popular applications that people enjoy downloading are RSS Feed Readers. These are convenient because they give users access to their favorite news all in one location. While all RSS Readers allow a person to read the news, there are different features in each different application.

For iPhone users, the RSS Runner application is a great way to receive news from a number of sources. In order to receive the news, all the user has to do is input the web address of the source they want, and they will then receive any news from that source as it becomes available. Users can also export a particular feed to their computer by emailing the link to themselves and opening it on the computer. Overall, this application is very simple to use and does not require very much setting up. For users that like many different ways to customize and a great looking interface, there are a number of other applications that allow full customization.

Overall, news is a very important part of a persons everyday life. While news may not directly affect each person, it is nice to know what is going on in the world around them. Having a RSS Feed Reader that delivers the news without taking up too much time and allows the person to read their news and then move on is great. Mobile phone owners should test a number of applications to find the one that they really enjoy. Once the app is setup, users will no longer have to worry about not receiving their news on time.

The W Hotel and Ritz-Carlton are two of the most popular hotels for professionals and millionaires. But which one is better?

W Hotel

- Overview: W Hotels are some of the world’s best boutique hotels. They are hip, trendy establishments, often renovated from existing buildings. With over 50 hotels and resorts around the world, Ws are instantly recognizable by travelers and cherished by visitors.

- Pros: Ws are fresh and modern. They use a minimalist design, with areas sporting informal names, such as the “Wonderful Room” or “Spectacular Room.”

- Cons: Ws may not be suitable for older visitors or ultra-professional guests. They are fun, almost laid-back hotels that cater to a younger crowd. For those who need to maintain a certain level of professionalism, the W may not be enough.

Ritz-Carlton

- Overview: The Ritz-Carlton is the preeminent luxury hotel in the world. Dating back to the legendary locations in Paris and London, Ritz-Carlton hotels still carry the excellence of renowned hotelier, Cesar Ritz. Their emblem – a proud lion head atop a crown – tells you everything you need to know about their philosophy.

- Pros: The company has received countless awards and frequently finds itself on “best of” lists. As a guest, you receive the finest service the business has to offer.

- Cons: Ritz-Carlton hotels are expensive. You won’t get beyond the lobby unless you have a substantial bank account. Their history and reputation is always on display. For people just looking to enjoy themselves in a nice hotel, the Ritz-Carlton may be too much.

The verdict

If you never have to calculate costs, the Ritz-Carlton is your hotel. People know who you are when you visit a Ritz-Carlton. Staying in one of their hotel rooms is a sign of your success in life.

At the forefront of the success revolution is David Allen, a productivity guru and creator of the time management system, “Getting Things Done.”

Allen’s system, known simply as GTD to its followers, establishes the principle that externalizing (notes and meetings) tasks is the best way to free the mind and boost results.

His book and methods have become hot with the privileged crowd. Famous people of all different fields proclaim Allen to be the new master of organization.

Here are 3 famous people who use GTD (Getting Things Done):

1) Oprah Winfrey:

She is known as The Queen for a reason. The inimitable Winfrey has transformed herself from a poverty-stricken daughter of Mississippi to a multi-media baroness. She is, by some accounts, the most influential person on the planet.

Winfrey follows GTD principles on a daily basis. To 22 million listeners, she has become a business icon and spiritual leader.

2) Will Smith:

The only actor to have eight consecutive movies open #1 at the box office, Smith keeps his life and career in the record books by following the effective principles laid out by Allen.

Smith has conquered entertainment’s two most challenging jobs: music and acting. GTD keeps his albums on shelves and his movies in theaters.

3) Tom Cruise:

Scientology’s greatest warrior is a die hard GTD believer. As an actor, producer, studio head, husband and father, Cruise can’t afford to waste time. GTD has allowed him to clip the unneeded activities from his schedule, leaving more time to travel the world and share his beliefs.

An already successful entrepreneur, Cruise uses Allen’s technology to remain the top gun in his industry.

Famous people use GTD because it helps with one of the biggest issues in their lives: what to do when you have so much to do.

Being charitable isn’t synonymous with being religious. Here are our top 10 secular non-profit organizations.

10. DonorsChoose.org
Donors Choose is a web-based charity that allows you to give to classrooms in need. Teachers post donation requests on the websites, and donors choose which projects to donate to. The organization takes care of buying and delivering supplies, so all you have to do is click a few buttons to give to the teachers and students who need it most.

9. Music For Relief
Beginning with members of the band Linkin Park, Music For Relief started as an effort between musicians and fans to help those in need. The program aids people affected by natural disasters such as Haiti’s 2010 earthquake and Japan’s 2011 tsunami. MFR also reduces global warming by planting thousands of trees. Supporters of Music For Relief include musicians and bands such as Jack Johnson, Disturbed, Beck, and Ozzy Osbourne.

8. The Trevor Project
The Trevor Project works to prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth. Their mission is not only to prevent suicide, but to deliver a message to the LGBTQ community that it’s okay to be different. Their campaigns work to spread messages against bullying and other hate acts against the gay community, while their services include a 24/7 “crisis intervention lifeline.” More than 90% of donations to The Trevor Project goes to programs helping a LGBTQ youth in need.

7. Oxfam
Oxfam is one of the most popular non-profit organizations dedicated to stopping poverty and injustice in the world. With only a 6% overhead, Oxfam is involved in issues such as agriculture, hunger, food security, oil, natural disasters, war, water, worker’s rights, and more. Their diversity and support has allowed them to aid thousands of needy people worldwide.

6. Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer is one of the trendiest charities dedicated to bringing about an end to cancer. It was started because of the belief that the entertainment industry has the ability to help others, which explains why so many celebrities are involved with this organization. Stand Up To Cancer is using star power, and your donations, to help find a cure for cancer. If you’re wary about a charity that’s so closely related to Hollywood, be comforted by the fact that Stand Up To Cancer only uses 9% of donations for administrative purposes.

5. Invisible Children
Invisible Children is a secular non-profit started by a few filmmakers who saw something they could not live with in silence: Africa’s children being used by Joseph Kony as soldiers in war. Joseph Kony, leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, considers himself to be spreading Christianity throughout Uganda through this bloody war. The website states that the “war in northern Uganda has been called the most neglected humanitarian emergency in the world today.”

4. Red Cross
The Red Cross is one of the most popular charities in the world, bringing emergency response to the people who need it most. Not only do they help victims of war and natural disasters, but they’re the largest organization to collect and distribute blood to those who need it. The administration cost of the Red Cross is only 4% of their income and the charity is not affiliated with any religious agenda, making it an efficient and easy way to help those in need.

3. Doctors Without Borders
Through Doctors Without Borders, doctors and nurses can volunteer their time and expertise to help needy people in over 70 countries. The charity operates on a strict medical ethics code, which means that all care is given without prejudice. The Doctors Without Borders website states that the charity “operates independently of any political, military, or religious agendas,” ensuring your money will not benefit any goal outside of helping people in need, especially since only 1.1% of money raised goes to administration costs.

2. Kiva.org
Kiva is one of the most unique charities in the world today. When you donate money, you’re loaning it directly to needy people so they can start their own businesses and help themselves out of poverty. The basis of the charity is something called “microfinance”, which is the lending of small amounts of money to the poor. If you’re skeptical, Kiva ensures that 100% of your contribution goes directly to a person in need, and there is a 98.75% repayment rate on loans.

1. Charity Water
Charity Water’s goal is to provide clean, safe drinking water to people in third-world countries. Their website boasts that “100% of public donations directly fund water projects.” According to Charity Navigator, administration costs for Charity Water are only 11%, which means a majority of funds raised go to providing safe drinking water to those who need it.

Credit card companies provide rewards to customers who fly frequently. Consumers benefit tremendously, whether they go on vacations occasionally, or travel for business purposes. There are three credit cards that individuals should consider obtaining. These cards offer the best benefits and rewards for traveling frequently.

The first and most popular credit card is the Capital One Venture Card. Featured on Money Magazine as the best rewards card for airline miles, the benefits clearly exceed expectations. Consumers will receive two miles per dollar every day, for every purchase; they will also be able to redeem miles for any travel expense. Miles do not expire, and there is no limit on how many miles consumers earn. Travelers can fly for free any time, with no black out dates, on any airline. There is also no first year annual expense.

Another popular rewards card is the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card. Travelers will be able to earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $3000 in the first three months; consumers can use the 50,000 bonus points toward hotel accommodations or airfare. When redeemed toward travel, 50,000 bonus points equate to $625. Travelers will also be able to avoid foreign transaction fees when using the Sapphire Card in other countries. There are  no feels for the first year as an added bonus for signing up.

Continental Airlines OnePass Plus card is another popular rewards card. Travelers will be able to redeem $50 after their first purchase; they will also earn 25,000 bonus miles which are enough for a round-trip. Travelers will earn 5,000 bonus miles for every user they add onto their account. Just like the other popular rewards cards, OnePass offers no fee for the first year. Frequent flyers will also earn two miles for every dollar spent when they purchase tickets from Continental using their rewards card.

GTD or getting things done has been in the news lately, but what exactly is it? Why is it important? Started by David Allen, the concept of GTD is what it says on the tin – it’s a way of being productive in both a professional and personal life. Getting things done requires that you put a focus to all of your things that need to be done, organizing them in order of the importance. This allows for you to concentrate on the things that need to be completed first.

David Allen is the creator of this system, owning to thirty years of experience in the personal and organizational productivity; he is currently the founder and CEO of his own business, the David Allen Company.

So how does someone use this concept of GTD? The main way is the use of using programs or procedures that will allow you to write down the things that you have to do. Think of it as a to do list, where you put the most pertinent information at the top and then organize through importance. The standard answer is the handy pen and paper method, but if you’re pretty tech handy, there are a ton of different programs that can be used to help.

The easiest programs are those that allow you to sync lists and progress from different areas – computer, online, and smartphones. Evernote, Dropbox, and Wunderlist are fairly popular in this regard, as all three have the capability of being synced across a number of devices. All three have programs that can be downloaded to a desktop or laptop computer, have web access in order to use on any computer, as well as having smartphone apps that can be used when on the go. They also have extensions to be used in fan favorite browsers such as Firefox and Chrome.

Programs aren’t the only thing that can help in GTD – as mentioned, web browsers can also provide extensions and add-ons that can help with keeping productive. Many of these are cross browser accessible, meaning that they are offered for both Firefox and Chrome. Popular ones are Xmarks, which keeps track of bookmarks across browsers; Google Shortcuts, which give shortcuts to popular Google products such as Gmail and Calendar; web blockers like Stay Focus’d, which blocks distracting websites for a specified amount of time.

GTD is a concept that has helped not only businesses and organizations, but individuals who are hoping to keep focused on their daily tasks and keep ahead of time constraints.

When it comes to making each day matter, sleep can be a deciding factor in determining how much is achieved on any given day. Unfortunately, when thinking of ways to maximize success, sleep is often overlooked even though it plays such a vital role. Although the topic of sleep seems almost mystical in nature, there are a few easy ways to ensure that those precious hours devoted to getting some shut-eye are used most efficiently.

Sleep Maximizer #1: If the body isn’t tired, don’t waste time in bed. There are some fun exceptions to this rule, but this is in reference to bedroom time devoted to sleep. Although the clock might say its bedtime, if the body says something different listen to the body. Use time that would likely be wasted tossing and turning doing something productive instead.

Sleep Maximizer #2: Don’t oversleep. Oversleeping is one of the most indulgent natural luxuries in life. While occasionally it is nice to indulge, don’t make it a habit. While it’s common to feel groggy upon waking, don’t take this as an automatic sign that more sleep is needed. Adults can typically function optimally on as little as 5 hours of sleep a night, and 5 to 7 hours of sleep a night is ideal. Sleep over 7 hours a night typically gives no benefits and is wasting valuable time.

Sleep Maximizer #3: Make sleeping arrangements comfortable. Reduce the amount of time tossing, turning and readjusting at night by making sleeping arrangements as comfortable as possible before getting in bed. Ensure the temperature is conductive for restful sleep and avoid letting bedrooms get too stuffy or warm. A slightly cool room temperature is ideal with blankets and sheets being used to achieve maximum comfort.

Sleep is an important part of success, and these sleep maximizers can help ensure hours spent horizontal are put to their best use. Don’t waste precious hours that can be better spent elsewhere; streamline the sleep process and maximize your returns for the time investment involved.

British fictional super agent James Bond is known for many things; sophistication, fearlessness, preferring martinis shaken, and always having an impeccable sense of style. It is this sense of style that shows up in the exotic cars he drives, the clothing he wears, and the gadgets at his disposal. With regard to gadgets, a fine wrist watch is always an essential element of any refined Brit, so which watch would the illustrious spy choose?

In keeping with his character, Bond would choose a British watch, just as he usually chooses British cars. It would have to be something extremely exclusive, since spending time at the world’s most luxurious locales demands a watch that is exceptional. If James Bond were to be watch shopping in 2011, I believe he would purchase a No. 8 White Gold 30 Second Tourbillon watch from Asprey watches of London.

This ultra high-end watch is as exclusive as they come, being limited to an edition of ten, and features 18k gold and an alligator watch strap. The price of the watch is also very exclusive, coming in at 80,000 pounds, or approximately 131,000 U.S. dollars. Despite the limited availability of the watch and the hefty price, a well-heeled figure like Bond would undoubtedly be able to get his hands on one.