What's The Diff?

The things Quicken Loans team members care about and want to share with the world

40 iPhone Applications for Web Freelancers, Bloggers, and Professionals

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Iphone

More decorated cupcakes, iPhone style. I know, I know, I can't help it…

You’re busy. Juggling a million things everyday, and trying to not forget a single one as they’re all equally important. You’re also a tech savvy, world traveling, professional, blogger, parent, hotshot web designer and one cultured individual — so naturally you have the iPhone to help you balance the crazy fast paced world you live in.

Well, just for you, here are the top 40 apps you cannot live without — because we know not all apps were created equal, and the last thing you have time for is sorting through all the barely functioning ones. These are apps for people who love Ruby, for people who sleep with their Mac next to them, and for people who have memorized every inch of Photoshop. Enjoy.

Continue reading “40 iPhone Applications for Web Freelancers, Bloggers, and Professionals” »

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First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit – time is running out!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Just a quick note that time is running out to qualify for the 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. We’ve done a video that clearly explains the benefits of the program and why you need to act NOW (if haven’t already) to qualify.

You have to close your new home by Nov. 30, 2009 to qualify for up to $8,000. This isn’t a tax deduction. It’s a tax credit and that means you’ll get a refund even if you don’t owe any taxes.

This is the best time in my life to be a first-time home buyer and anyone who waits because they aren’t sure what they should do will probably kick themselves later on, once they realize they let the opportunity slip by. It’s almost a perfect storm for being a first-time home buyer: Mortgage rates are near historic lows, home prices have dropped significantly and it’s the best buyer’s market in decades - AND the $8,000 2009 First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is available to anyone closing on their home between now and Nov. 30, 2009.  Check out our First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit video below for more info:

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“Corporate Blog Design: Trends And Examples” features the Quicken Loans and Quizzle blogs

Friday, August 21, 2009

Smashing Magazine names Quicken Loans blog as a good corporate blogVery good post on Smashing Magazine yesterday that I wanted to share here.

Some of the best examples of corporate blog design were featured in the post and guess what – the DIFF blog made the list. So did the Quizzle blog and we couldn't be happier.

It's nice to be recognized for our work here and if you're at all interested in corporate blogging, this is a must read. Some of the top corporate blogs in the world are featured and the post goes pretty in-depth discussing what they like/don't like about each of them. Props to the design genius behind both the DIFF and Quizzle blogs – Chris "Doc" Kaufman.

Check it out. And big-ups-holler-at-you to Smashing Magazine for including us and Quizzle.

We appreciate it.

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DTE Energy recycling refrigerators – and paying you $50 for them!

Thursday, August 20, 2009

DTE Energy paying for & recycling your old appliances! Have a cruddy old freezer or refrigerator taking up space in your basement or garage? Well, now is the time to surrender.

Straight from Detroit's Model D, read what DTE Energy is doing to save the earth and fill your pockets:

DTE Energy is
tearing apart more than 1,000 old refrigerators it has collected this
summer as a way of making Metro Detroit more energy efficient.

The
downtown Detroit-based utility started its own version of Cash for
Clunkers earlier this summer but focused it on old appliances instead
of cars. Old appliances, especially those old refrigerators keeping
beers cold in the garage, are lacking when it comes to energy
efficiency — to put it nicely. Older refrigerators often use three
times as much electricity compared to newer models.

The
appliance recycling program offers DTE Energy's customers $50 for their
old refrigerators and freezers. DTE even hauls them away for free. The
check arrives in the mail 4-6 weeks later.

"If you call us to
pick up one of those and have a working airconditioner or dehumidifer,
you can give it to us and we'll give you $20," says Eileen Dixon,
spokeswoman for DTE Energy.

These appliances are shipped to DTE
Energy's new facility in Livonia where they are dismantled and properly
disposed. About 30,000 old refrigerators and freezers are expected to
be taken apart there, creating 20 new jobs over the next three years.

To schedule pick up of a refrigerator or freezer, call (866) 796-0512 or click here. visit the company's Web site.

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Coach Handbags: An Affordable Status Symbol?

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Coach Handbags: An Affordable Status Symbol?

Is it just me, or are Coach purses becoming ever more popular?  I remember six or seven years ago, I was flabbergasted the first time I walked into a Coach store and saw the prices.  To pay anywhere from $200-$700 for a single accessory seemed crazy at the time. 

Today, Coach has become the norm.  Women swarm into Coach outlets and buy handbags, coats, shoes, and matching wallets.  People can’t get enough of this stuff. 

The best part is, you can’t even stop at one – people own five or six of them with matching wallets.  I personally stopped after multiple handbags, a belt, a coat, and a few wallets and wristlets. 

If you live around a college campus you notice Coach has become the uniform for many college students – the required piece to add to existing a Northface fleece jacket, Ugg boots, and black leggings every winter.

Continue reading “Coach Handbags: An Affordable Status Symbol?” »

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Silver Dollar City. Theme Park Mastery.

Monday, August 17, 2009

by Meghan Dryzga

Want a family-friendly, kid-tastic weekend adventure? Go to Silver Dollar City theme park in Branson, Missouri.

For Father’s Day 2009, the kids (kid-at-heart husband and real kid) and I all hopped in the car and drove to Silver Dollar City, the old-fashioned Western/Southern-themed… well… theme park. I’m more of an observer than a participant when it comes to rides so the kids had a great time while I manned the camera. (Sweet jimminy, I hate rides.)

So, a bit about Silver Dollar City. The roller coasters. While they're fun and certainly thrill-worthy (according to Daddy and Daughter), they don’t quite measure up to Cedar Pointe in quantity or in thrill quality. However, Silver Dollar City kicked Cedar Pointe's butt in every other department. Let's just say, they understand and embrace the idea of a "theme park": Pick a theme; go with it. Every single detail of Silver Dollar City's Old Time Southern theme was tended to. Sun washed wood slats formed every edifice. Uniforms were reminiscent of Laura Ingles. Michael Landon would've felt very at home. Rides were named appropriately: The Barn Swing, Wildfire, Powderkeg, Fire in the Hole. Water rides were a riot. Consistent with the theme. The park maps were titled "Public Notice." And, in case you're not sure what it's like to milk a cow, you can give it a whirl on their udder-squeezing simulation. Squeezable udders!

Continue reading “Silver Dollar City. Theme Park Mastery.” »

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The Big Picture Blog Gives Us 5 Great Reasons to Go Green

Friday, August 14, 2009

The Big Picture Goes GreenCheck out this great post on the Big Picture Blog, courtesy of the DIFF Ninja.

Blogger Charly Caldwell II gives his top 5 results of going green. Here they are:

1) Reduced office power consumption – energy savings of 15%.

2) Consolidated computers – energy savings of 30%.

3) Reduced monthly lease payment by over 50%.

4) Reduced on-site client trips – nice reduction in energy & cost savings.

5) Reduced printing & paper consumption – energy savings to be determined.

You can read the blog post for a full description of each of the five reasons.

A great example of how going green makes financial sense. Thanks Charly for the great post and thanks DIFF Ninja for sending it to me.

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Miracle Treat Day at Dairy Queen – Buy a Blizzard today to benefit Children’s Miracle Network!

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Miracle Treat Day from Dairy Queen to benefit Children's Miracle Network

Alright loyal DIFF readers – this is probably the only time we'll tell you that you can eat ice cream and still feel really good about it.

Sometime today, head up to your local Dairy Queen and indulge in one of their many Blizzard options. The sweet blend of ice cream and treats will not only taste delicious, but a portion of your money ($1 or more) will go straight to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Proof of the awesomeness at Dairy Queen? Since 1984, DQ has donated over $77 million to the Children's Miracle Network. DIFFabulous.

Visit www.MiracleTreatDay.com for more details.

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Guffly: Good Stuff for Good Living

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Guffly.com launches - Guffly is a one product per day online store and community featuring eco friendly productsQuicken Loans is proud to announce the launch of Guffly.com – one of the brightest and boldest businesses from our Bizdom U students.

(If you're all, "Hold up, what's Bizdom U?" go learn more about the Detroit school for entrepreneurs from Quicken Loans Chairman Dan Gilbert here.) 

Here is more about Guffly from their press release:

Guffly founders, Jordan Contreras and Chanell Scott, are graduates of
Bizdom U, the Detroit based entrepreneurial academy founded by Dan
Gilbert. In February 2008, Contreras and Scott began an eco-friendly
blog and quickly garnered a following of hip, eco-friendly consumers
with a conscious. Through listening to their audience and other
research, they discovered that while the eco-friendly product market is
growing, many items are not appealing to the young, stylish, and urban
demographic – Guffly plans to change this. Each day, Guffly will
feature a new stylish, eco-friendly product. During that time, visitors
to the site can view the product, read comments about it, talk about
it, and buy it.

"We have created an online store and community where it is easy for
people to find eco-friendly products that actually look cool and fit
into a modern lifestyle," says Scott, Guffly's CEO. "We have created
relationships with people that create simply amazing eco-friendly
products that we are excited to bring to the daily lives of the modern
user."

To reduce its environmental impact and provide fast service to
customers, Guffly uses drop shipping directly from suppliers. This
concept is integral to a green business model and offers lower shipping
costs, which benefit the customer, and reduces carbon dioxide
emissions, which benefits the environment. Additionally, Guffly checks
all suppliers to ensure their eco-friendly products are truly green,
sustainable, or fair trade.

Totally the DIFF, right? We think so too. So go check them out (everyday if you can, there's something spankin' new all the time!) and not only will you be more environmentally-friendly, you'll be stylish and trendy as well.

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Urban Agriculture in Detroit – Touring the Land of Opportunity

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

An empty, garbage-strewn lot in the city is an eyesore. Or it can be an opportunity. The difference between the two is a matter of imagination, care, and hard work.

Detroit Urban GardenTour 

Creating an urban garden can transform unused, unsightly urban spaces into beautiful focal points for community food production. And in the wake of “green” awareness sweeping the nation, the reshaping of urban blight into cultivated space is gaining popularity.  

Urban agriculture promotes sustainable, energy-saving food production through the use and reuse of a city’s resources. An effective soultion to a city's nutritional needs, urban farming increases the availability of high-quality food to citizens, encouraging food security and enhanced community relationships.

With so many abandoned spaces – and a dearth of grocery stores in the city limits – Detroit is seen as an opportune canvas for putting these priciples in action . But certainly not a blank canvas – as demonstrated by this year’s 12th Annual Detroit Agriculture Network Urban Garden & Farm Tour.

Continue reading “Urban Agriculture in Detroit – Touring the Land of Opportunity” »

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Thursday, May 17, 2012