OK, I know this isn’t really about marketing (although I wish NASA had done a better job of marketing itself throughout the years – and all the spinoffs were more widely known. However, I just couldn’t resist sharing this. I hope you’ll indulge me. And, it is traveling (a very long way).
Back to regular programming on Thursday.
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Aerogel crayons (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Today, a choice of cool tools, from making your email easier, to faster web site production, and beautifying your site.
Choice Response - Lets you send multiple choice emails (making it easier for people to respond; they just click an option). It’s a bookmarklet that you add to your browser.
Currently only works with Gmail, but other options (Apple mail, Outlook, iPhone, Hotmail and Yahoo are in the works).
Breezi - A simple (really!) way to create web sites. Just drag, drop, and edit (like you would in a word processor). Love the sly references to unicorns too. If you’re technologically challenged, this could make it much easier to create your own web site.
Clarify It - Turns screenshots into pdfs, adds them to existing documents, or lets you share with Google+ circles. Would be great for technical manuals, quick tutorials, or work flow procedures.
CSS Arrows - Creates handsome looking arrow boxes, useful for tooltips or emphasizing a sign-in box. No coding necessary, just plug in the size and color you want and the tool does the rest.
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Drawing of a TV studio Camera (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Google Plus Hangouts just got even better. They’re rolling out Hangouts on Air across the world. Hangouts on Air let you record, save, and broadcast your hangouts.
You can hold seminars, teach a class, hold a concert, a webinar, host a user group meeting,
But, with great power comes great responsibility. Here are a few new rules.
Next, some technical advice and tips (mikes, dry runs, reducing echo).
Here are detailed instructions on how to start a Hangout on Air, plus some marketing tips.
And, the official announcement from Google, plus a schedule of some upcoming Hangouts with Conan O’Brien, The Global Poverty Project, CNBC, and Cadbury.
How will you use your new powers?
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An adding machine. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
If you’re like me, your math skills are less than stellar (weird, since my dad, several cousins, and grandpa were all in mathematical fields).
So, when it’s time to calculate something (like percentages, or the number of days between two dates), you need some help. Here are some of my favorite calculating tools.
Percentage calculator – Three different ways to calculate percentages: what is ____ % of _____, _____ is ____% of ____, and ____ is ___% of ???
Time and date converter – The internet has made us closer. It also means that events, meetings, and conference calls can be worldwide. Use this tool to make sure you don’t schedule something for the middle of your client’s night.
Time and date duration – Use this to figure out how many days there are between two dates.
Custom count – A countdown clock, so you can figure out how many days until that big project is due. Or, you could countdown to your vacation.
Pixels to inches converter – Calculate image sizes in inches from the pixel size, and vice versa.
If you’ve got your own favorite, add it in the comments.
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Card file cabinet, restricted section, Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris. Français : Fichier, réserve de la Bibliothèque Sainte-Geneviève, Paris. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ever try to send a big file to someone, only to have it get stuck because your email provider won’t let you send anything over a certain size? These services can help fix that. They’re also helpful, in a pinch, if your e-commerce service has a hiccup and your customers don’t get the ebooks or files they paid for.
Each service works a bit differently. Some limit the number of times you can send files for free, others have storage limits, and several levels of paid services. If you’re willing to pre-pay for the year, you can often save money.
Dropbox -saves your files, and automatically syncs them to all your gadgets (PC, laptop, smartphone). And, you can share directly from their handy desktop app. You can invite people to share particular folders, or just share specific files. 2 GB free (to start); and this is clever, you can “earn” more free storage with a referral link. They get extra free space too. If you need more space, there are several tiered plans (from $9.99 to $19.99 monthly), which are also eligible for free referral upgrades.
Dropsend – send files up to 2GB; 5 per times month for free. After that, they’ll charge you, but paying also gets you online storage, faster transfer speeds, and tracking (at higher levels). The paid plans cost $5-$99 per month, depending on which one you choose.
Yousendit – 2GB of free storage. and send files up to 50 MB for free (no limit on number of times you can use it). Higher levels let you control when the links to the files you sent expire. The highest level offers unlimited storage. Monthly plans from $9.99 to $19.99 per month (less if you pay annually).
Google Drive – no link because it’s not live yet (though rumor says it may be live today). It will, apparently, offer 5 GB of free storage, with a fee for higher amounts. I’ll update this once something happens. Aha! 5 GB of storage for free, works on PC, Mac and Android, and you can upgrade to 25GB for under $2.40 per month. You can send files directly from Gmail (with a link), and they’re searchable too.
If you’ve got a favorite (that I missed), share it in the comments.
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