10. del.icio.us
You come across a page that is really cool and you know that you would like to see it tomorrow, a week from now, or even a decade from now. What are your options? Some of you will argue that you simply add it to your ever-growing favorites folder on your computer. But do you only use one computer? What if you want to access it from work? The average life of a PC is about four years...are you sure that your bookmarks are going to follow you forever?
del.icio.us takes care of that.
1. Visit a website that you deem cool and would like to keep for reference.
2. Click "Save To My del.icio.us" on the website's provided browser toolbar.
3. "Tag" your webpage with a word to help you organize it.
4. It is yours forever!
It can be accessed from anywhere. Want to give it a test drive? Where can you find this service? Well I already mentioned the URL multiple times. Type "del.icio.us" into your web browser and you are there!
Cost: Free!
9. Blogger
Leave it to Google to create a blog program that anyone can use. Whether you are a meager school teacher and his sign language interpreting wife, the former Secretary of Labor under the Clinton administration, or just a dude that wants to share everyone's secret, everyone is using Blogger.
In literally 5 minutes you too can be publishing your family, hobby, classroom, or life to the world's largest audience.
Cost: Free
8. YouTube
I bet you've never heard of this one, eh? Well, we in the Fowler household use YouTube more than just a replay of a funny clip you've seen on television--YouTube is our television. It is also an easy forum to create a clip in iMovie and send a silly e-birthday card to a family that lives thousands of miles away.
With almost every organization and human being online, you could waste a lot of time going through your bookmarks to see who has updated his/her/their page. This is why Google Reader (and other feed aggregators) were created. I have subscribed up to 60 websites and thanks to Google Reader, I do not need to visit each of these sites to see if there is an update. This video explains the usefulness of Reader:
3. Apple MacBook
My first laptop. My first Macintosh. I am in love. With its beautiful design, reliability, and overall 'smart' approach, the MacBook has made me never look back to PCs--a machine that I have been using regularly for a decade. Why are Macs so much better than Microsoft? Well, let's ask the founder...
Cost:$999
2. iPod Touch
When you hear 'iPod' you probably think of music. Even though that isn't too far off the mark, today's iPod Touch is hardly used for music. For instance my iPod Touch serves as my PDA. It has my e-mail, internet, calendar, (the aforementioned) SmartTime, directions, photos, Bible, pocket U.S. Constitution, games, movie info, YouTube, and even serves as a remote control to my MacBook.
Some of you may be itching for an iPhone but are hesitant to pick one up because of the high data plan prices. I'm with 'ya, but I urge you to see the iPod Touch the little brother of the iPhone. In fact, the iPod touch can do everything that the iPhone can except call, take pictures, and access the Internet sans wi-fi. Everything else is the same.
Cost: $250
1. iCal/Gcal
These two programs have revolutionized not only my life, but our marriage. These programs are in essence exactly the same and have the same features, except iCal can only be used on Macs. Gcal is an abbreviation of Google Calendar and can be accessed on all operating systems. The beauty of these programs is that they will not only allow you to organize your life but they also have a "shared calenders" option.
With the shared calendars I can import Lydia's calendar and see what her schedule is like for the weekend. At one glance, we know where each other are and can even have reminders of events sent to our cell phones via text message. Both calendars are aesthetically appealling, but Macs interface looks much better. Below is a screenshot of our calendars as seen from iCal.
Cost: Free
My first laptop. My first Macintosh. I am in love. With its beautiful design, reliability, and overall 'smart' approach, the MacBook has made me never look back to PCs--a machine that I have been using regularly for a decade. Why are Macs so much better than Microsoft? Well, let's ask the founder...
Cost:$999
2. iPod Touch
When you hear 'iPod' you probably think of music. Even though that isn't too far off the mark, today's iPod Touch is hardly used for music. For instance my iPod Touch serves as my PDA. It has my e-mail, internet, calendar, (the aforementioned) SmartTime, directions, photos, Bible, pocket U.S. Constitution, games, movie info, YouTube, and even serves as a remote control to my MacBook.
Some of you may be itching for an iPhone but are hesitant to pick one up because of the high data plan prices. I'm with 'ya, but I urge you to see the iPod Touch the little brother of the iPhone. In fact, the iPod touch can do everything that the iPhone can except call, take pictures, and access the Internet sans wi-fi. Everything else is the same.
Cost: $250
1. iCal/Gcal
These two programs have revolutionized not only my life, but our marriage. These programs are in essence exactly the same and have the same features, except iCal can only be used on Macs. Gcal is an abbreviation of Google Calendar and can be accessed on all operating systems. The beauty of these programs is that they will not only allow you to organize your life but they also have a "shared calenders" option.
With the shared calendars I can import Lydia's calendar and see what her schedule is like for the weekend. At one glance, we know where each other are and can even have reminders of events sent to our cell phones via text message. Both calendars are aesthetically appealling, but Macs interface looks much better. Below is a screenshot of our calendars as seen from iCal.
Cost: Free
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