Tag Archives: Reviews

Cataloging reviews and bookmarks

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In a prior effort to minimize my online activity I removed myself from using a lot of websites. Two of which I’ve come back to: Yelp and Delicious.

I find a lot of interesting sites and articles online and I’ve continually found myself thinking “shoot, what was that site name?” or “where did I read that article about ____?” I’ve come back to Delicious to help catalog these sites.

I’m also interested in sharing my thoughts on restaurants and bars I’ve visited. Yelp has been an invaluable source for finding good places to eat. I love being snarky and sharing my opinion, so, I’m also back on Yelp posting reviews.

An interesting side-note: I’ve stopped actively using Brightkite. In the numerous interactions, I’ve found little-to-no value in cataloging and constantly keeping track of my location. It is fun to engage in conversations at conferences and get togethers.. but certainly nothing that Twitter can’t achieve.

Top Websites That Aren't (Yet) Mainstream

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Lets dive right into them, shall we? I present to you, the websites that aren’t quite mainstream … yet.

1. GMail

  • Who: Google
  • What: Free e-mail with lots of space, IMAP, mobile accessibility, powered by ads
  • Why it’s cool: GMail was on the cutting edge of webmail with a huge giveaway of space and a smart interface coupled with the awesome power of Google search.
  • Why it’s not mainstream: People are afraid of Google still. They see the ads and think that your information is no longer private nor secure and that your precious e-mail and information will be sold to spammers and advertisers. Ironically enough, Google is one of the best at combating spam.
  • Send me an e-mail

2. Hulu

  • Who: NBC, News Corp (and now the content of dozens of others)
  • What: Free access to legitimate television shows and movies in high quality, powered by ads
  • Why it’s cool: I can watch Comedy Central shows, Food Network, Fox, etc. in high definition with less advertising and all for free. I can even subscribe to the show and get alerts when a new episode is up.
  • Why it’s not mainstream: Nobody has heard of it. And NBC continues to botch up their video content by releasing stuff like NBCOlympics.com. So, we all assume media companies don’t get “real” video yet and wander over to YouTube.
  • View my public profile on Hulu

3. Newsvine

  • Who: Veterans of Disney, ESPN, and other media organizations; MSNBC
  • What: News from multiple sources PLUS the ability for anyone to write, “seed” (post an existing) or comment on an article.
  • Why it’s cool: We can contribute the news and read about whats important to us. Plus we can engage with others and talk about stories, debate points, create long lasting friendships, call someone a retard, the list goes on…
  • Why it’s not mainstream: I think it’s too much work for someone to ‘seed’ the news and it gives little value for me to share it with someone else. To many, there is not enough incentive to write articles either. The only saving grace is the fun in arguing and being social on the internet. More people are interested in participating but I don’t think they know about their options.
  • Add me as a friend on Newsvine

4. Twitter

  • Who: Obvious (Ev Williams)
  • What: 140 character message broadcast to anyone who wants to “follow” you (and you get to follow people back)
  • Why it’s cool: It’s like chatting with only the people you want to listen to via SMS, the web, and many other applications
  • Why it’s not mainstream: People still don’t “get” it because nobody has explained it the right way to people. You can’t just say “you have to do it” because everyone can see through internet fads. Not everyone is into making random connections with strangers on the internet. Plus, the site really isn’t what I’d call user friendly.
  • Follow me on Twitter

I thought about adding a “how to fix it” to each of these but nothing about them is broken. They’re just different, unknown, and misunderstood websites that may just always maintain that “web2.0” charm.

But then again, only the “early adopters” were using these sites:

  • Facebook – why do you need a profile online? I have real friends.
  • Google – what else is there to search for? I found the porn.
  • Craigslist – we already have classifieds, they’re called the classifieds.
  • eBay – I can buy cheap things at Wal-Mart.
  • Amazon – books belong in stores (so that I can read them for free!).

The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz

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The full title of the book is: The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, How the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction. Here it is on Amazon.

Devin determined… this book is a must-read. Some parts get a little complicated for just a quick read. But, at 240 pages this is a a fun look at the societal and psychological issues we face.

The areas explored are summed up with the following:

…our experience of choice as a burden rather than a privilege is not a simple phenomenon. Rather it is the result of a complex interaction among many psychological processes that permeate our culture, including rising expectations, awareness of opportunity costs, aversion to trade-offs, adaptation, regret, self-blame, the tendency to engage in social comparisons, and maximizing.

The last chapter goes on to highlight and explain how we can try to avoid these issues (regret leading to depression, leading to suicide; comparing to neighbors and having regret; post-decision regret). A lot of it has to do with accepting “good enough” which Scott Adams recently talked about on his blog.

Again, I recommend the book because it may help you see your decisions a little differently. At the same time, it helps understand the psychology behind others’ decisions.

Review: P-Touch PT-18R Label Maker

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Much like Lifehacker has featured some great geek toys lately, I had a neat toy come into my Inbox from ReviewMe (I was paid to review this labelmaker). I chose to play with this labelmaker because a) I needed an excuse to start re-organizing my file cabinet, b) I love to make labels, and c) this looked like a great product. I only want to write about things that you might find useful, too…

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I’m sick and drinking tea

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I magically got a little sick (I never get sick). My throat hurts. It’s not good. Luckily I’m a guy and it’s okay for me to clear my throat profusely about a dozen times an hour. Additionally, we’re allowed to spit up anything we find back there. Gross? Sure. Sense of relief? Definitely. Anyway, one of the perks of working at a big company is the unlimited sources of hot drinks in the break room. Read on as I explore the tea section…

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Joost Review

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I’ve had the pleasure of testing out a new product (previously named “The Venice Project”) that will, perhaps, revolutionize the way we experience “television” in the coming years. From the creators of Skype (free online calls) comes Joost (free online TV). Is it awesome? Yes. Is it in a closed beta? Yes. But will I tell you all the neat things about it? Sure I will…

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BlackBerry 8100 Pearl Review

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I bought a new toy. I told myself, “hey, you spent a lot of time watching TV and sitting around over Winter Break, you deserve it, buddy.” And who am I to argue with myself? I’ve always been a big fan of bar phones (as opposed to flip, slide, and anymotionthatmaybreaksomeday phones). So, I went over to my T-Mobile retailer and asked them for my 11 month upgrade to a BlackBerry Pearl…

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Save Money in College

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I’ve been asked to review (sponsored) an awesome resource put together by Daniel Kovach of Scholarships Around the U.S. First off, his site is an amazing place for students to find information on financial aid. He has a lot of opportunities (Paul won money as a student blogger) and a lot of good information including his guide: 118 Ways to Save Money in College.

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