Shai Coggins

Time to share my web finds of the week again. Hope you find something that you love… Or at least, something useful!

Featured Blog of the Week
Hey Susy - A blog by Susan Connor, a designer of paper products. This is one of my favourite latest finds in the blogosphere. I love the way she uses handwriting and “fashion spread”-type photos in her posts. Also enjoying having a look at her designs. Gorgeous!

Mac Productivity Tools
Getting things done with Macs…

• Things - This is a Task Management tool that’s still in ‘Preview’ mode. So, you can go right ahead and download this preview version. Once they release the final version, it will cost ‘ya ($49, normal price; or $39, discounted price for newsletter subscribers who sign-up before the final release). I’ve been testing it out - and seriously loving it so far. The structure, the look… it’s all good. Really a beautiful app! If it can sync to a web app and such, it’ll be perfect. Anyway, I’ll see if I can write a more complete review one day.
• iGTD - I’ve mentioned using this before. It’s still my default Getting Things Done programme at the moment. But, somehow, the way it’s currently structured doesn’t suit how I work. That’s why I end up not using it as much as I’d like to. As it stands though, it’s still a good app. And, it’s free!

Desktop Publishing for Mac
Page layout tools, anyone?

• Ragtime Solo - This is the free, light version of Ragtime page layout tool.
• Scribus - A fully working desktop publishing tool. It’s open source!

Twitter Tools
And, Twitter apps just keep on coming!

• Who Should I Follow? - If you’re wondering who you can follow on Twitter, check this site out, type your Twitter username - and you’ll get some recommendations. I gave it a quick whirl and saw that more than 50% of the suggestions seem relevant.
• Twitpic - This is one way you can take pictures with your mobile phone - and send it off to your Twitter account. Just visit Twitpic, give your Twitter info, then get your personalised email address. That’s the email address where you send your pics. It will upload to Twitpic and send a link to your Twitter stream (with a short description, if you set it up right).
• Top 12 Twitter Apps for your Mobile - If you’re thinking of using a Twitter app for your mobile phone, here’s a list of apps you can test. I’ve tried a couple of them (jTwitter and Fring), but didn’t really like either for mobile Twittering. Will keep testing which one I like best.

Miscellaneous Web Stuff
Everything else…

• How to Make an Ezine - ‘been thinking about making zines again. But, not sure if it’s possible. Anyway, if you’re considering the idea of making zines too, this is an interesting read.
• Save Polaroid - I’m all for digital stuff. But, there’s a part of me that feels sad, thinking of the possibility of Polaroids becoming extinct. I’ve only really owned one Polaroid camera. Over the years of moving, it has been packed somewhere and I’m unable to find it. I really, really want to get it again. What about do you? Do you own a Polaroid?
• Top Kids’ Books in Australia - From The Children’s Books Council of Australia.

Also, see Social Media @ Alltop. ShaiCoggins.com just got listed.

Thanks to my new mobile phone, I’m really keen to find apps that I can use on it that enable me to become more productive. Here are some of my favourites that I found recently…

• Opera Mini - A fully operational web browser right in your phone. Really love it. Much better than the default browser of my phone. Unfortunately, however, some websites are not supported by Opera. But, it works for the most part. Definitely made mobile phone web browsing a lot more pleasant.
• Fring - How much do I love Fring? Let me count the ways… Seriously rockin’ app. It brings VOIP Technology and Instant Messaging right into your phone. You can do Skype-to-Skype calls, Skype chats, and even SkypeOut calls. It also works with GTalk, Yahoo, MSN, ICQ… and even Twitter - among a few others. Group chats appear quite strange here, though. And, if you’ve got active Skype swarms, you can’t really keep the app open all the time - unless you want to hear dings all the time. Very distracting. But, definitely a great mobile app to have!
• Shozu - Another mobile app that I just love, love, love… Shozu is a great app to have if you like the ability to share photos, videos, and audio from your mobile to various places online - YouTube, Flickr, Vox, Facebook, Picasa, LiveJournal, Blogger.com blogs, WordPress.com blogs, Blip.TV, Windows Live Spaces, Typepad, and a few others. You can even upload to sites that aren’t supported. If the site accepts uploads via email (e.g., Multiply, Evernote, etc) - you can use Shozu to send files. Or - even send directly to your friends, family, etc. Or to your FTP site. And, you can even use it to subscribe to certain sites like YouTube (get most viewed videos, etc).
• Google Mobile - Google has a few mobile apps that are very interesting. My favourite is the Gmail Mobile app, as I pretty much live inside Gmail. :-p I’m also planning on testing Google Maps Mobile soon. There’s also Google search and YouTube mobile.
• Mofuse - This isn’t strictly a mobile app. But, the good thing with it is that it enables your site/blog to be mobile-ready. For example, I set up ShaiCoggins.com Mobile version. Makes the site easier to read/visit via mobile. It’s not all that fab yet - but will see how it can be improved
• GooSync - An app that enables you to sync your mobile device with your Google calendar. The free version only syncs up to 30 days in the future and only with 1 (default) calendar. The upgraded version (19.95 pounds) offers more features - multiple calendar syncs, up to 365 days sync, contacts + tasks sync, etc. I’m currently test driving the free version. Not sure if I’ll upgrade yet - but ‘am a bit tempted. I especially like the idea that I can sync my Google calendars with my iCal and my mobile.

Anyone else have any tips/suggestions for great mobile apps?

Hope you don’t mind that I’m doing an Express Edition of Web Wednesday this week. Feeling really swamped with To Do stuff, so it was either an express one - or go an another break. Eeks.

Anyway, first on the list: I’m giving away 3 more Evernote invites. PLEASE NOTE: All Invites are gone at the moment. Will let you know if I have more in future posts.

I know I’ve written about Evernote a few weeks ago. But, I didn’t get the chance to test it yet that time - until Jeanette sent me an invite (Thanks again, Jeanette!). I gave some away via Twitter the other day. But, decided to save some for ShaiCoggins.com’s friends and readers too.

In any case, to get an invite, leave a comment in this post. And please make sure you use the email that you want the invites to get sent to. The first 3 who leave a request in this will receive an invite.

Next, here are some interesting web finds:

• Remember the Milk - To Do lists, reminders, and more that syncs with calendars.
• Pikeo - Another photo sharing and storage site.
• 13 Sites for Unique Textures - Char’s list of places to find graphic textures.
• Summize - Real-time search engine for Twitter. Clean interface. Fast. Really cool for catching @replies that sometimes the web version of Twitter misses.
• The 2nd Philippine Blog Awards - Looks like nominations for this years Philippine Blog Awards are now open. Go and nominate some of your favourite blogs by Filipinos. You can even nominate your own!

And, finally, I just want to promote a local Adelaide Bloggers (& Social Web Media) Meet-up this Friday, 6pm -

If you’re from Adelaide, would love to see you there!

After a quick break last week, Web Wednesday is back! So, here are some of my recent web finds…

On Work and Productivity
Here are some interesting finds on working and productivity -

• Rescue Time - A web-based time management application. Analyse your work productivity while you’re online.
• Zen Habits - A really popular blog on simple productivity.
• Celebrating the remote office worker - Rick Segal’s post on the strengths of remote office workers. As someone who works from home, I really appreciated this blog entry.
• WorkShak - A blog about working from home.

More Twitter Fun Finds
It seems like there’s always a new Twitter app and Twitter articles being born every minute. Here are some that I discovered recently -

• TwitDir - Find your friends who are on Twitter in this Twitter-specific directory.
• Twitter Vision 3D - Look at where Tweets are coming from all over the world in this 3D map.
• Twitxr - Take photos and share them in your Tweets. One way to add some picture in to your Twitter stories.
• The Ultimate List of Twittering Moms - Wendy Piersall’s massive list on all moms who are on Twitter.

More Web Wonders
Other stuff you might like -

• Dayspring Christian Ecards - I’m always on the lookout for nice, free ecard sites. This one seems quite cute.
• BookMooch - Haven’t tried this out yet, but like the concept behind it. How can you not be fascinated with the idea of giving books away AND getting some books your way?

Oh, and in case you missed it, Minic Rivera interviewed me at Blogging in Boxers. Also, my colleague Darren Rowse, has been interviewed by The Australian newspaper. Our company, b5media, was mentioned in the piece plus there was also a brief mention of moi.

Hope you enjoyed this week’s finds!

Hi, hello, howdy. It’s the 13th installment of my weekly web finds. And yes, as you can see here, I’ve been all over the place. Hope you also find something that is of interest to you.

• Artpad - Another fun online doodle/painting tool. Draw, paint, splatter… and even add text. You can also print, save, or ‘hang in the gallery’. Cool stuff.
• Unphotographable - I’m so loving this simple but elegant blog by Michael David Murphy, a photographer who tries to capture all the photos he wasn’t able to take using text. To explain why he started this blog, he says: “Unphotographable is a catalog of exceptional mistakes. Photos never taken that weren’t meant to be forgotten. Opportunities missed. Simple failures. Occasions when I wished I’d taken the picture, or not forgotten the camera, or had been brave enough to click the shutter.”
• Evernote - It looks like a really nifty app for all your notes. Works with Mac and Windows - on your desktop, mobile, or on the web. Unfortunately, this is currently in beta invite-only version. But, I heard they’re going to open it up soon. While waiting, you can also request for an account.
• The Community Ecosystem - For some reason, I kept ‘bumping’ in to Chris Brogan over the last week. He was everywhere online. So, I visited his blog and found this post, which was part of his Social Media 100 series. Really enjoyed his thinking - and the way he presented his info. Can’t help but admire folks who seem to ‘get’ community.
• 10 Compelling Reasons People Read Your Blog - Writing of social media and community, this post by Liz Strauss is another great read on the subject.
• Roald Dahl - A fun, creative site dedicated to the author and his books. This reminds me I still haven’t read the latest Roald Dahl book I bought. Yikes.
• Adelaide Bloggers and Social Web Media Group - Gotta put in a plug for the Facebook group that I started for local Online Social Media enthusiasts. Started off as a Bloggers’ Meetup group, we’ve now expanded to all sorts of social media - Flickr, Twitter, etc. We’ve got a meet-up event scheduled for 18th April 2008, 6pm, somewhere in the City (TBA). Looking forward to seeing how the group evolves.
• Twitterholic - Learn about the Top 100 Twitter users (based on followers). You can also find all sorts of stats for yourself if you use this link (just change username to YOUR username).

Let me know if you visit any of these links and what you thought of them. Happy web surfing!

We’re now at a dozen Web Wednesday features. Yay!

This week, there’s more Twitter goodness + multimedia toys to play with -

• Twittermeter - Type in two keywords and compare which one was mentioned more on Twitter.
• Tweetscan - A real time search engine for Twitter stuff - keywords, people, etc.
• Buttonmaker - Want to create cute buttons for your blog? This is one tool you can use. I’ve created a bunch for 52WoC and will share them soon.
• Talkr - A service that promises to convert text-only blogs in to podcasts. I haven’t fully tested this yet but I enabled it on this blog’s mailing list, so people can have the option to listen to certain posts.
• Qik - Live video streaming straight from one’s mobile phone. Only supports certain phones at this time, though. And, it’s just in alpha release.
• VoiceThread - This looks like a really fun multimedia service. You can add videos, photos, voice and documents, make slideshows, doodle on them, create presentations… You can even use with Flickr and Facebook. I’ve seen it in action but haven’t tried it yet. Looking forward to giving it a go one of these days.
• ThousandPics - A collection of 1,000 of Flickr’s most interesting pics at any given time (changes often).
• Friendfeed - Just cause everyone seems to be talking about it lately. But, I haven’t had the chance to explore it yet. Let me know if you check it out.

Anyway, hope you enjoy this week’s web finds!

Do you feel like your days are just whizzing by? I can’t believe it’s time for Web Wednesday once again. Well, this past week, my web surfing hasn’t been too active. Just been trying to catch up on so much work. And yes, keeping up to date with social networking. Heh.

Anyway, here are some of my random web finds of the week…

• 15 Powerful Ways to Differentiate Your Blog from the Crowd - Some very interesting ideas. But, like any type of advice, take it lightly.
• World of Inspiration - Lots of great quotes to inspire you!
• Organic Gardening Tips - I’m not really big on buying/using organic stuff. I’m cool with it, but I’m not that strict on it. Anyway, I do enjoy learning about organic gardening. Not that I have much time or energy to spend in my extremely sparse (and dry!) garden.
• Wordless Wednesday - Never tried joining this meme/group before, but I’ve heard folks enjoying it. This was recommended by fellow b5er, Elizabeth during our weekly chat today.
• Thursday Thirteen - Another meme/group that Elizabeth mentioned. Although I’ve known of this through Toni. I’ve never tried it before because as I recently admitted on Twitter, I’ve got this strange fear of the #13. I don’t consider myself superstitious but 13 really gets to me. Apparently, according to Amy Palko, Stephen King has issues with 13 too. To the point that he suffers from triskaidekaphobia. That’s why I thought I probably should finally address this 13 issue through Systematic Desensitization. This is one of my steps to deal with it.
• TT: 13 Origami Wishes - Yep, speaking of Thursday Thirteen, Amy also wrote this amazing post about origami. And, I just *love* the wishes she shared for each one.



• Geek Test - Took this test yesterday and shared it on Twitter. Apparently, I’m a total geek. Except only 28.2%. Nenette scored higher. And, my li’l sis is not as geeky as I am.
• Mr Picasso Head - And finally, if you want to do a digital Picasso-esque painting like the one you see here (titled ‘Fly Me to the Stars’), go visit MrPicassoHead.com. It’s a fun and easy way to do a digital doodle. You can even save and send your creations. They keep a copy of your image in their gallery and you can share the link to folks.

So, there you go. Hope you enjoyed this week’s finds. Even if they are sooo random.

P.S. - Just want to wish my very talented and kind friend, Junnie a very happy birthday. Hope you have a fabulous day!

I’m really curious about how different people use various social networking sites on the web. Right now, there are so many. And, with a limited amount of time, I know it’s impossible to keep up with all of them.

What about you? Do you use social networking sites at all? What do you use social networking sites for? Finding new friends? Catching up with old buddies? Staying in touch with family and friends? Promoting your work or product? How many social networks do you belong to? Do you have a favourite?

Hope you take the time to vote in this poll! If you have any other favourite social networking sites, you’re welcome to add them to the list. Thanks.

No matter how long I’ve been a web user, I can never stop being amazed at the depth of the online world. There’s just so much stuff out there! OK, granted, there are plenty of bad stuff - but, if you look at the good stuff… Wow! Definitely makes up for all the bad bits, right? I mean - just in this week’s web finds alone, I managed to look at the Internet right way up, upside down, looking back in to the past - and way in to the future. How incredible is all that?

So go, explore, and continue to be amazed at this thing called the web…

1. Flip - ¿uʍop ǝpısdn ǝʇıɹʍ ɐuuɐʍ Try this. I ‘discovered’ this via Twitter, thanks to Busymom. And no, I promise never to do a full blog post upside down. At least, not today.

2. 10 Really Useful Greasemonkey Scripts for Flickr - If you’re a Flickrite, you might find some of these scripts useful to install.

3. Photomatix - Want to get in to HDR photography? This software/plugin opens up a new world of post processing goodness for folks interested in digital photography. I haven’t tested it out yet but some of those who recommend it definitely come up with some interesting pics. It works with Win and Mac. There’s a free trial version, but you do have to pay if you want the full thing.

4. Wayback Machine - This is not a new thing. But, I’ve started using this feature from the Internet Archive a bit lately because I needed to recover some old articles I have that have gone missing. Just input the old URL of the web page you’re looking for and - voila! - you get a blast from the web past. Really handy! Definitely had been a lifesaver for me.

5. Skitch - This is a free image editing software for Macs. Lots of cool features - including its own image hosting, FTP, screenshots and video image capture. It works with iPhoto too! I like it a lot, but I find myself missing some of ImageWell’s functions. So, I don’t know if I’ll make a full switch. I’m keeping it in my App folder for now though. Thanks, Jami, for your recommendation!

6. FutureMe - Been wondering what it’ll be like to receive a letter from a past self. I don’t think I’ve ever tried to talk to a ‘future me’ before. Maybe one of these days I’ll try this service - and see what it’s like.

7. Reuse Crafts - I’m not *overly* green, but I do like to try. One of the things I enjoy doing is recycling/reusing stuff, especially for arts and crafts. This page has some nifty ideas that’ll be cool to try one day.

8. Fabric Origami Workshop - I haven’t done origami in years. But, this one looks so fun! And beautiful.

9. Simple Firefox Tricks and Tips - Always something new to learn, huh?

10. Uber - A free service for photographers who wish to create professional-looking portfolios and slideshows. It comes with a photo blog function, and image protection (not sure how), unlimited storage, among others. I haven’t fully tested the service yet, but it looks good. If you’ve given it a go, let me know what you think of it!

Well, that wraps up this week’s finds. So, what’s next to amaze us on the web, I wonder?

Hello and Happy Wednesday! It’s time for some more web fun. Here are some recommended web finds:

Best Wordpress Themes

• Best minimalist Wordpress themes - Thinking of getting some new themes for your Wordpress blogs? If you’re a minimalist, here are some of the best ones you’d find.

• 100 Excellent Free Wordpress Themes If you like some fancy ones, this is what you should check out.

Twitter Goodness

• Twitter100 - See the latest updates from 100 of your followers at a time.
• TweetStats - Find out your timelines, who sends you the most replies, and other similar Twitter statistics. Fun.
• Twittershare - Share images, documents, videos and other similar files on Twitter using this app. Supports Windows, Mac and Web interface.
• Twitter Badges - Just in case you’re wondering where to find the Twitter badges that you can add to your sites or blogs. I knew it took me a while to find them.

Mac Baby

• Spanning Sync - Are you a Mac user who wishes to be able to have a desktop + a web calendar that work well together? Well, this programme enables you to sync your iCal and Google Calendar accordingly. It’ free to try, then there’s an annual license fee or a one-time lifetime fee.
• ImageWell - Called a ‘blogger’s best friend’. Great for creating images, screencaps, etc. It’s free to use. However, you can pay $19.95 to get some extra features. I love this programme and use it regularly to create my images on my blogs.

More

• PicLens - View images on the web in 3D! Plugins available for Windows/Mac, IE/Firefox.
• 13 Quotes to Lift Your Spirits - Toni’s piece on Happy Nest.
• Starfall - Learning to read for kids.