Thinkworx » Links http://blog.thinkworx.com Adventures on the web, emerging technologies, random thoughts and more Wed, 11 Nov 2009 21:06:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 en hourly 1 Get Out and Discover a New Trail http://blog.thinkworx.com/2009/04/22/get-out-and-discover-a-new-trail/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2009/04/22/get-out-and-discover-a-new-trail/#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 06:30:17 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/?p=290 My list of reasons for wanting an iPhone continue to grow. My  latest was after stumbling on the website everytrail.com, what seems to be a great website for finding and sharing trails … such as biking, hiking and running paths. You can use the site to map and document your favorite trip paths, share them with the community and search based off location or activity. The concept is very cool, especially for those who love the outdoors!

The value of the site is significantly extended for iPhone users through their mobile applications:

EveryTrail
With this geotracking application, you can record your movements, take geotagged photos and immediately upload it all to EveryTrail, the leading online community for travel storytelling.

 

Trails
Trails allows you to record and to save your tracks to EveryTrail. In addition you can import any track from EveryTrail easily and view the route on the map directly on your iPhone.

 

The Bike Computer
The EveryTrail Bike Computer has a large screen that gives you key stats while riding your bike, and best of all, you can upload your ride directly from your phone to EveryTrail.

 Happy Trails!

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2009/04/22/get-out-and-discover-a-new-trail/feed/ 1 Weekly Roundup – Week 16, 2008 http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/04/19/weekly-roundup-week-16-2008/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/04/19/weekly-roundup-week-16-2008/#comments Sat, 19 Apr 2008 13:12:05 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/?p=184 A brief list of recently news/articles or sites that I have come across this past week:

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/04/19/weekly-roundup-week-16-2008/feed/ 2 FTP Substitutes http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/30/ftp-substitutes/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/30/ftp-substitutes/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:39:03 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/30/ftp-substitutes/ SmileI think everyone has faced the issue of needing to share a large file with someone when the file is too big to be sent by email. Historically FTP sites have been the solution to this for the tech savvy or those with a web host.

I have never been a fan of using FTP sites for sharing individual files. Fortunately there some great Web 2.0 alternatives that I recommend the next time you run into this issue:

  • drop.io – It doesn’t get any easier than this. You don’t even have to sign-up, just go to the site and drop your item. It even gets better, you don’t even have to go to the site, you can also add items by email, fax, phone or a widget from another site. This seems to be the easiest and best solution for files up to 100 MB, for larger files you are going to need to upgrade your account.
  • File Dropper – Need to share larger files? Then head over to File Dropper where you can upload files up to 5 GB for FREE! You can even keep the files up there as long they continue to be downloaded.

What other solutions would you recommend?

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/30/ftp-substitutes/feed/ 0 Webware Utility and Security Apps http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/28/webware-utility-and-security-apps/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/28/webware-utility-and-security-apps/#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:25:22 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/28/webware-security-and-utility-apps/ Some other great Web 2.0 websites to check out are the finalists in the Utility and Security category of CNet’s Webware 100 Awards. What is so exciting about these and many of the other Web 2.0 websites is the amount of value that these apps offer, many of which are free of charge.

My picks for the Security and Utility category are:

Webware_100_Awards_2008_utility&security

OpenDNS – Not sure what what to enter in your DNS network settings? Here is a great solution! OpenDNS is a free DNS server service and much more. Additional you get the option for these features:

  • Content Filtering
  • Phishing Protection
  • Domain Blocking
  • Adult Site Blocking
  • Web Proxy Blocking
  • Domain Whitelisting
  • Typo Correction
  • Traffic statistics

I have been using it on all networks I manage and have loved having the added security at the DNS level rather just on the router.

Spiceworks – This software is too good to be true, but fortunately it is. This is a wonderful FREE tool to help IT manage a network. Spiceworks will automatically detect and categorize all network attached devices, giving you a powerful tool to not only manage your IT assets, but to also manage licensing, detect server outages or other alerts such as low printer toner or disk space, track recently installed hardware or software and much, much more. It also has a ticketing system to manage IT support requests and gives IT a ton of information about the computer or network to troubleshoot and remotely resolve the issue. There are many similar, less power solutions out there that cost a ton of money. I still can’t believe the power of this tool and yet it is FREE.

OpenID – Finally a potential authentication system that is getting widely adopted across the web to eliminate the need to create site specific user name and passwords. This not only is a wonderful solution for users, that struggle to remember the username and password combination for the hundreds of sites they are registered on, but also for developers who get tired of having to build in a unique authentication system in all of their web applications. There have been many attempts at finding a solution and this seems to be the one offering the most potential. I hope it succeeds.

What are your picks for this category?

 

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/28/webware-utility-and-security-apps/feed/ 2 Web 2.0 Productivity Sites http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/18/web-20-productivity-sites/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/18/web-20-productivity-sites/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 07:41:11 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/18/web-20-productivity-sites/ CNET is sponsoring the Webware 100 Awards where you can vote for the best Web 2.0 apps. The winners will be announced at the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco on April 21st, 2008. Here is a look at my picks from the productivity category (you can vote up to 3 times), plus a few bonus thoughts.

In reviewing the list of finalists I can categorize most of the sites into one of the following: Calendaring apps, Task/Project Management, Finance Software, Office apps and Database or List Management. I currently see webware offering the most value in the first three categories (Calendaring, Task Management, Finance Management). Office applications definitely have a future on the web, but we are still in the early stages of their development. These webware tools are still lacking in features and have not bridged the offline dilemma, as a result they do not yet offer a true substitute to their software counterparts.

I have chosen one site from each of the 3 categories where I see the most value:

webware_100_productivity_picks

  • Google Calendar – The web is the right place for your calendar and there are several sites offering great calendars. My vote goes for Google Calendar not only for its list of features and smooth interface, but also because I like to have one reference point for as much of my web activity as possible. I was disappointed in the lack of any obvious advantages to the other calendaring apps.
  • Mint – I get excited when I find well built webware that can replace the traditional software that I have to load on each computer I use. Mint, a free personal finance software, is a perfect example of this. Extremely easy to use, rich with features and has a beautiful interface. Finally a hope to free myself from Quicken.
  • I Want Sandy – This was a new site for me, but considering the site I would have picked for this category, tracks.tra.in, wasn’t a finalist I thought this was an innovative site with a lot of potential. I like the real life metaphor that this site applies of having a personal assistant to help you track tasks, reminders, appointments and to keep organized.

Reviewing the list of finalists is a great introduction to what is happening with webware. A couple sites that I was disappointed to not see as a finalist are:

  • Plaxo – Great synchronization tool for all your online and offline sources
  • tracks.tra.in – Task management site based on the GTD methodology
  • Tripit.com – Helpful trip management site that builds all your travel plans into a single itinerary

What are your Webware 100 picks and what sites do you think are missing?

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/03/18/web-20-productivity-sites/feed/ 4 Voting Criteria http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/02/27/voting-criteria/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/02/27/voting-criteria/#comments Wed, 27 Feb 2008 13:45:59 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/02/27/voting-criteria/ voteThis year’s US Presidential election is getting the lion’s share of mainstream media coverage. However, is following the election polls and news title about the Presidential candidates enough to be able to make an informed decision? Unfortunately this only keeps you up-to-date with the latest results while the media tries to mold your opinion of the candidates. It would be interesting to find-out how many of us actually vote based primarily from this information.

Fortunately the web makes it easier than ever to get informed about the issues and each candidate’s position. You may be surprised how much your gut opinion on the right candidate for the job, which was molded by the mainstream press, doesn’t actually correspond with the alignment of your values/opinions and those of your Presidential candidate.

Fortunately there are many websites that will help enlighten you and enable you to make an informed decision. One that I have come across is Connect2Elect. This is a very well developed, flash based website that matches your views and opinions with those of the current Presidential candidates. Find out which is closer to you and let me know if you were surprised by the results.

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2008/02/27/voting-criteria/feed/ 1 Best of 2006 – Technology http://blog.thinkworx.com/2007/02/12/best-of-2006-technology/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2007/02/12/best-of-2006-technology/#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2007 13:13:54 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2007/02/12/best-of-2006-technology/ 2006 brought us a lot of exciting new technology from software to electronics. What was the best new technology of 2006? Well this gets greatly debated and the right answer is surely different for ever person, however I would like to take a look at some of the canidates.

BBC Nominations:

  • Playstation 3 (next generation gaming, Blu-ray DVD, wi-fi and home media technology)
  • InFocus IN76 Play Big HD projector (High Definition projector)
  • Nintendo Wii (Wiimote)
  • Parallels (Virtual machine for Mac that lets you run Windows and other operating systems)

Lifehacker Nominations:

  • Parallels (nominated above)
  • Google Reader (maybe worth a new look since there revamp of the site in September)
  • Windows Vista (poor choice)
  • Google Calendar
  • Hamachi (Free VPN)
  • Campfire
  • OpenDNS (Free Domain Resolution)
  • Foxmarks (Bookmarks synchronizer for Firefox, free)

Not a bad year for technology. What were your picks for the Best of 2006?

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2007/02/12/best-of-2006-technology/feed/ 0 Desktop App or Web App? http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/12/18/desktop-app-or-web-app/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/12/18/desktop-app-or-web-app/#comments Mon, 18 Dec 2006 13:56:41 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/12/18/desktop-app-or-web-app/ The boundaries for desktop applications have been crossed by Web 2.0 web applications, which continue to penetrate deeper into their enemies territory. We began to see the possibilities with Google’s Docs and Spreedsheets, but the fun hasn’t stopped there. There is now a web-based diagramming tool, Gliffy that lets you draw and share diagrams on the web. The web application is currently in beta and the application looks promising. If you are need of a basic diagramming tool for occasional use I think this could be a great solution without having to install and run a heavy, feature bloated desktop application.

]]> http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/12/18/desktop-app-or-web-app/feed/ 2 Links of the Day http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/10/12/links-of-the-day/ http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/10/12/links-of-the-day/#comments Thu, 12 Oct 2006 07:03:17 +0000 Thomas Bowcut http://blog.thinkworx.com/2006/10/12/links-of-the-day/ List of exciting new services on the web…

  • Coghead – Service that lets anyone create a Web-based business application—from expense management to inventory tracking to CRM.
  • Googe Docs & Spreadsheets – Google has finally combined its online word processor (from it’s Writely acquisition) and its online spreadsheet into one Webtop application.
  • Netvibes – A customizable start page now attracting millions of users from more than 100 countries — and rattling portal powers like My Yahoo (Charts), MSN, and Google (Charts). A great example of AJAX implementation with a sleek user interface.
  • Last.fm – Self titled as a Social Music Revolution it uses a strategy referred to as scrobbling that builds is playlist based on user listening trends. As you listen (with iTunes, Winamp, Windows Media Player, or others), your tracks automatically appear in your online musical profile.
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