This entry is just a quick pointer to an article over at TechCrunch by Michael Arrington. I don’t agree with all of it, as usual, but it is a great review and wrap-up of about twenty Web 2.0 products and companies. Some of the things listed, like FireFox and Skype, are actual applications you can install on your Mac or PC. Other things listed are websites or services that you can make use of to make your work, play, or life in general easier.
While the Mr. Arrington says that Firefox hasn’t been usable until version 3, I have been using it without trouble and with great satisfaction since at least version 2 and maybe even before. When combined with FoxMarks as I described in an earlier entry, I can keep all of my computers – Mac, Windows, and Linux – synchronized so that I am never searching around for a lost bookmark. Add that to my use of NetNewsWire and their on-line service, I can keep my RSS feeds synchronized my Macs and on the web so I can read my subscriptions wherever I am. On the other side of the coin while I find Skype a neat service, I continually have problems with it and find it no where near as indispensable as the author.
Finally, a service that is not mentioned but I love is GrandCentral – now a Google company. GrandCentral is a web-based service that provides you with one phone number that can ring your other phones, take messages, call junk calls from real, and provide a central repository for call history, messages, and contact info. It is a bit hard to explain, but quickly becomes quite useful. I love being able to give people one number and watch their face when I tell them that it will ring my office, cell, and home phone all at once and that if they leave a message it will both email me and send me a text message. Truly a one stop shop for my phone use.
If there are any other programs or services you use I would love to hear about them. I am always looking for ways to make my life easier!
