Although I have posted in the past my disdain for Twitter, that did not keep me from signing up for an account and even enabling the ability to post to Twitter from my address bar. Once I watched the video below, I finally "got" it. Maybe I will turn into a Twitter Bug now. I am uber busy, and keeping people posted in this manner really can work. Now I just need some friends who really care about whether I just drank coffee or cleaned the toilet. ; P
BLOG ROVER
Well I've been using Blog Rover for more than a week now. I really wanted to "test drive" it really well before I recommended or panned it. What is Blog Rover? Think of it as a value added "side car" plug in for Firefox which helps deliver chosen related value added content from other blogs you like to read as you surf.
For instance, if I am reading a post on a digital scrapbook blog about using the pen tool, it will search all the other blogs I've chosen/read on digital scrapbooking (or any other blogs I've chosen) for similar topics and a small sliding pop out (which can be disabled at any time) will show me links to other related blog posts. You can add or delete blogs on the fly or import an OPML or XML file of all your current feeds from any reader. It will also allow you to select pre-packed suggested blogs based on topics and if you so chose, it will suggest blogs based on your reading habbits if you enable that option.
Don't worry, despite the functionality of it, it's not constantly "talking" while you surf every web page. Still, although it's easily slid back in or disabled, some might be annoyed by it. I personally think it's pretty sweet, although once or twice I was like, "not that again", even if it takes up minimal real estate. All in all, I'm keeping it enabled and I have to give it the javajane 4 stars out of 5 rating. The thing rocks!
Download the Blog Rovr Plug In for Firefox
Are you still not using CoolIris? I've previously reviewed this plug-in that I've been using since it debuted, but if you are not using it, you're missing out. It just keeps getting better with added functionality with each update. Need ringtones in a jiffy? Tired of using Audacity, to edit your MP3's into ringtones? Yeah, Audacity is a great freeware audio editing program, but you still have to labor to figure out which part of the song can be sliced down to make the best ringtone. CoolRinger uses an algorithm which calculates that for you, and it does so flawlessly. I use it to make tones for both my Moto RAZR V3m and my Moto Q. I just updated my Q with 4 ringtones today in less than 2 minutes. Now that is TOTALLY sweet!
Stay tuned for more secrets...
There are plenty of reviews out already for the Motorola Q Smartphone, so I don't want to "reinvent" the wheel. Here are some in depth reviews (not necessarily my opinion):
I bought one on Monday afternoon, as I was eligible for my Verizon new every two once again. After mail in rebate, I was able to get the $300+ phone for $79. Of course, that was before I added in a Bluetooth headset, stereo mini jack earbuds, a 512 mini SD card and a BodyGlove cover, which I felt essential, since it was one of the only covers to also cover the screen, which is essential as the Moto Q, although sharp and clear is prone to smudging and this prevents that.
Now that I've had a couple days to use it, I couldn't be happier. I need Verizon for service coverage, as where I live, most other carriers tend to be spotty. The other half has T-Mobile, which has been good, but still not quite the performance of Verizon, especially on our travels out of the country. Yeah, people gripe about the cost of Verizon's data plan, but when you compare apples to apples, the $80 (before surcharges, etc.) is really no more than anyone else's unlimited data plan (with phone minutes) when you add in all the extras Verizon bundles in with the plan.
I read all the reviews, and for my non-business purposes, this phone was "it". There was one BlackBerry in contention, but there was no camera, and I wanted to use the phone for moblogging, so that ruled it out. T-Mobile had a few BlackBerry smart phones that would have worked, but having to change my longstanding cell # for lesser service for a phone didn't seem worth it and I'm glad I didn't. That being said, a lot of folks like Cingular's Blackjack, but service coverage where I use my phone is horrible.
Anyway, for me, blogging, email, SMS, phone usage, web surfing, listening to music and watching video clips, including my own while I'm out and about made this the perfect smartphone device for me. I love, love, love it. Since Verizon doesn't partner with Yahoo!, I downloaded Y! Go Beta for my phone and now I can push email from gmail, my broadband provider and Yahoo! without subscribing to Yahoo's premium service. It also allows for maps, easy Flickr uploads and viewing and other nice Yahoo! features.
I love that I don't have to carry a phone (formerly a Moto Razr V3m, pink) and my iPod now unless I want to listen to or watch larger file size items. I can just put my music on my Moto Q, along with video clips and listen to them through the onboard stereo speakers using Windows Media Player, or I can put my headphones on and listen, take a phone call and go back to listening again. Schweeeeeeeeeeet.
This phone should help me be more consistent about blogging, even when I am untethered to my computer, as there are times as of late, I've had extended absences, but have been places I wish I had internet and keyboard access as I had time to answer mail or post.
Anyway, my Moto Q is my new toy and making me a very, very happy camper!
From the Gothamist:
"Davey “Dance” Fishel has danced his way around the world, and landed back in his hometown of New York. Armed only with an iPod, a famous landmark, a Canon PowerShot, and the gift of improvised dance...he's moved his feet just about everywhere. Now he's got some amazing footage to show the grandkids one day, and of course to share with the rest of us now. Here's a dance number filmed at Coney Island, and below from the Brooklyn Bridge (complete with back-up dancers and disaffected passerby)":
What websites do you visit every day?
Submitted by Chez Michelle.
In an effort to streamline my life and get more things done in less time which in turn allows me more time for the pleasant things and less time spent dealing with the daily grind, I pretty much only go to a few sites, as I have most of them consolidated under one roof. I swear by Netvibes as my start page, which is where I go several times a day, as I have everything I want there, for the most part. Weather, multiple emails, news, blogs and rss, my del.icio.us bookmarks, websites I like embedded, entertainment, torrents, travel, shopping, etc. all tabbed out nicely. I still do visit Google Reader (although I don't have to) when I'm really digging through all my RSS like a madwoman. In short, I visit tons of sites, from gtd, tech, entertainment, shopping, news, scrapbooking, music related, and more, but having all these under one roof means I really only go to a few sites a day.
Another site I daily navigate to is my personal hobby website for Generation 80s [alternative] Retro Radio to say "hi" to my listeners via the Shoutbox during the day and to my administration panel at Live365 to change or program my playlists daily. Of course, I come here, to Vox. Did you know you can set groups of tabs to open up simultaneously in Firefox, so all you have to do is click on the description on your links bar or in your bookmarks and all those pages you like daily will open? Even better is the Firefox extension Morning Coffee which gives you the ability to manage and organize regularly visited websites by day and open them up simultaneously by integrating it with your daily routine. Now you can have your favorite AM sites open when you come down for coffee, work related sites you must read open at 11am, or the news and comics waiting for you at night. If it could only make the coffee, I'd be golden.
]]> clipped from share2me.com
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Many of you probably wonder what the heck is GTD? Go to Dallas? Grip the Dashboard? Get that Dollar? No. Get Things Done. Who doesn't need to, from domestic engineer to CEO? You don't have to be militant or OCD to be organized and productive. Even the most ADD, chaotic, forgetful and haphazard among us can benefit from a little GTD.
Although I do not go out to a formal "job" daily, my days are so full, that even in my home life and moonlighting, I feel like I need to be paid for an 8 hour day plus overtime, as I go from early AM to very late at night. I need to be organized and efficient to get through my massive "to do" list, make all my appointments and deadlines, to feel a sense of accomplishment, fit in time for my hobbies and interests and to manage my household. I do, much to the amazement of my family, friends and neighbors without being rigid, anti social or uptight. I still manage to be organized and spontaneous, which is an oxymoron to some.
So how is it done? Some of it is innate, but you can learn. There are many fabulous GTD sites and blogs. Right now, I have recently discovered a few tools that have seriously streamlined my daily grind and help me be productive and enjoy my day. Here are some of those things:
Definitely a handy set of tools, and also some stuff that looks like a lot of fun:
Cure writer's block at "Language Is A Virus..."
Upon surfing around Vox today I came across Abigail Road's blog to which there was a referal to another blog she ownes at Diaryland. There she had posted a very cool exercise where you write 20 sentences about 20 people, and you are not supposed to use the names of the people in the sentence.
Example: I long to be around you because I love you, but when I am, I want to run away as you make revert virtual insanity.
I thought her 20 sentences were terrific, and I'm going to have to give it a go in the near future, it will hopefully make for a good entry on a day I have writer's block.
