I really like the look and feel of the new Google Chrome browser. Have you tried it out? If not, I recommend it - see what you think: http://www.google.com/chrome. It’s fast and sleek and has a lot of great features for keeping each tab separate from one another, so if one tab crashes, the whole browser doesn’t crash. Now, if only my favorite plug-ins from Firefox would work in it….
I’ve been reading a few articles here and there about Knols - the new item from Google on their quest for world domination. (By the way, I say that without any malice. I like things to be orderly and easy to find, so if Google can make the whole world that way, I’ll roll over and let them rule us all. Sorry.) What the heck is a knol, you ask? According to the site: “A knol is an authoritative article about a specific topic.”
I checked out the Knol site tonight and read through a few of these authoritative articles and I was underwhelmed. There seems to be an overabundance of health-related articles. They are written by doctors, so I guess that’s a good thing, and if I ever need more information about Ganglion Cysts, I know right where to go. One thing I don’t like is that there’s not really a browsing method. You can search just fine (hello, it’s Google), but one of the things I love (and HATE) about Wikipedia is that I can keep clicking related links for three days straight if I want to. The Knol site doesn’t have that interconnectedness (a.k.a., quagmire of non-productivity) and I think it needs it. The search box is scary - I don’t know what I want to search for. I want to browse, dammit.
I haven’t really figured out the allure of the Knol yet, nor am I sure what Google will get out of it…other than the fact that there are 2 ads on the right hand side of each topic. But really? Are those two little ads per page enough to make them want to create the Land of Knol?
Anyone else have an opinion??
Thank you, George W. Bush - you bought me a Kindle with your Economic Stimulus Check. 
Seriously, I’ve been wanting a Kindle for a while, but I had a hard time justifying the cost. So when the “fun money” of the stimulus check arrived, I decided it was the perfect moment to take the plunge. And MAN am I ever glad I did! It’s small, it’s super readable, it’s easy to use and I’m thrilled. The only downside that I can see is that it’s too easy to order books. It doesn’t really feel like you’re spending money. You just navigate to the Kindle Store from the Kindle itself, find your book and click Buy. Voila! Super handy and super scary.
So far I’ve reined myself in to just two purchases (however, one of them was the Harlequin 1-click Blaze buy — all 6 July books for $9.99). But I think a magazine subscription is next on the list… I’ll keep you posted.
I’m not sure if we should file this idea under “very unique marketing” or “Oh My God”.
Today I received an email from my web hosting company, 1&1. The subject line was: “Looking for a unique way to show Mom you love her?” The headline: “Give Mom a Customized Website.” I’m not lying - here’s a screen capture to prove it. Besides, I couldn’t possibly make this up. I mean, yes, I’m in marketing, but my creativity does not extend this far.
And here’s a tip for all of you geeky men out there who are flocking to read my blog… do NOT get your Mom a website for Mother’s Day. She Does Not Want It. Trust me on this. I’m pretty darn geeky and even I do not want a website for Mother’s Day. Ever.
I learned a new word this week: Omnitasking.
…omnitasking is a higher state of multitasking enabled by today’s many technology tools. Talking on a bluetooth-enabled smart phone while sending out an email from your laptop and sipping a latte at the corner coffee shop - that’s omnitasking
Are you afraid? I am. I don’t want to be an omnitasker. I want to sit on my porch, sip an adult beverage, snack on some mixed nuts and chat with my husband. I don’t want to always be connected, always be productive, always be ON. Just thinking about it exhausts me.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, my friend Michelle sent me a new link this week - a blog called The Growing Life (”Alternative Productivity, Anti-Hacks for Living”) that’s all about living an intentional life. The author has a great post about the Attentional Feng Shui of a Room. If you don’t have time to read it all at least skip to the end and read the four concrete steps you can perform. I’m jazzed and ready to transform my home office and then tackle the rest of my house…the bookshelves in my room, my stash of yarn for knitting, my stack of paid but not filed bills, you get the idea. I’ll let you know how it goes.
My friend Maureen sent me a link to view the SEO Rapper and I think I just proved what an incredibly geeky geek I am by laughing out loud at the video. I’m linking to the video, rather than embedding it here because the site it’s on (ran by iJustine….hmmm…should I become iHeather? nah) has the lyrics posted in addition to the video. Nice bonus.
I’m a big fan of organization and I love to find new and geeky ways to get even more organized. Recently I discovered Remember the Milk - it’s an online application that allows you to create task lists, prioritize them, share them, integrate with your online calendars, etc. There’s even a nice little Gmail add-on if you use Firefox. Plus, you’ve gotta love the name. Oh, and did I mention that it’s free?
Last week I pooled together my Christmas money and it was just the right amount to buy a new iPod. I’ve been wanting a new one for a while — mine was 3 years old, black and white display, no videos, and has been randomly freezing up. So, I am now the proud owner of a beautiful 80 GB color/video iPod Classic.
While I was loading my old music to the new iPod, I also downloaded a couple of music videos and TV shows to watch on my flight to Toronto this past week (that flight is a whole other post…). In addition, I checked out the iTunes Best of 2007 Podcast list and found one to download: Grammar Girl.
I AM IMPRESSED! Grammar Girl is short and sweet - segments are between 5 and 7 minutes long and they focus on one point. Examples: affect vs. effect, commas in dates, sit vs. set, lay vs. lie, etc. The podcasts are very professionally produced and I like Grammar Girl’s voice, delivery and wry comments.
So I’m giving two thumbs up to Grammar Girl! Even if you don’t want to listen to a podcast, you can read the entire transcript on her site. Click the All Episodes link to see which topic interests you. My personal favorite so far: lay versus lie.
I was geeking out tonight on my Blackberry and Google, learning about some new features. I’m especially impressed with two of them:
Enjoy!
I read about this in a recent issue of Wired (15.12) and this cracks me up for some reason, although, it’s also darn cool. Wakerupper.com is a free web-based wake-up call service. Just enter your number, time zone, and wake up time and voila. You can set reminders to take your medicine, schedule a call to help you get out of a bad date, etc.
