RockMelt
I’ve been using a new web browser for the last week and have been extremely impressed. The browser goes by the name of RockMelt. That name is probably the lamest part of the browser experience. It’s built on Google Chrome. So, if you’re a Chrome user as I am, the transition is pretty seamless.
Where RockMelt outdoes the standard Chrome is the full immersion of Facebook and other social media. By no means do I consider myself a heavy social network user. (I don’t care that you just ate a burrito, watched Glee, or are sitting at Starbucks.) But…having RockMelt has made me want to share more than usual because it’s so easy. My ideal social network experience involves sharing photos, cool websites, new music, etc. I like to know what my friends like so I can go try it out and see if I like it. RockMelt makes it easy to share a website or share your status because it’s built into the browser. In fact, you can see any feed in handy little buttons on your sidebar. The buttons even show how many tweets or Facebook messages you have unseen. Admittedly, this can be a distraction while working.
The search box built into the browser also functions differently than what most users are used to. Instead of jumping right to a new tab or page within the browser, RockMelt displays a window that shows all of your results which you can then click to view the link. There is a button to simply just open up the search results in a standard fashion. Very handy.
Check out this video to see RockMelt for yourself.
A Tool for Every Job
“A Tool for Every Job” is going to be my column dedicated to reviewing different tools that make my life better/easier.
Today’s post introduces Google Voice.
Google’s soon-to-be competitor to Skype, has some great features that any small business owner may want to get. Being able to get a free phone number that you can “route” to any existing phone number is terrific. What happens if you’re starting a business and want all your calls to get routed to your mobile phone? With Voice, you can do that…for free…for now.
Having voicemail sent to your inbox is pretty sweet, too. But, there are a few downfalls to the service. For now, you can’t call out using your Voice number.
Check out the video below and let me know your thoughts!
photo credit: lars hammar
AppMakr
I’ve been reading lately about a company called AppMaker that claims to offer the ability to create a free Apple iPhone App. It seems pretty cool and is worth looking into. There are of course some limitations, but overall it seems like a good concept. You don’t have a lot of freedom in what to display. It show various types of RSS feeds. So, it’s basically just an iPhone App version of a blog. I’m sure there are some creative ways to show or deliver the content. You can also publish a photo gallery that links to your photostream on Flickr.
According to the website CruchBase “Thousands of brands large and small have created apps using AppMakr, including PBS, Accenture, Harvard Business Review, Maclife, Macworld UK, US Congress, PGA TOUR, Seth Godin, Guy Kawasaki, along with churches, music bands, and smaller publications like Racer X.” At least some of the users are a little mo
They list several apps on their website that were created using their services so I downloaded about six. As I figured, they all function exactly the same. It’s interesting to see the range in quality of the design that goes into the loading screen, home screen icon, and content found on the app. It truly is free and you can tell with most of the apps. None of them featured images that could be viewed clearly on the high retina display. This also cheapens the look and feel of the app. I did go through the setup process through their website and did notice that you can now upload images suitable for the high retina screen. I guess either no one does it or I just wasn’t looking at the right apps.
A New Website?
We typically try to avoid self promotion on this website. This, however, is just that. To my credit, it took a little time to create this and this seemed to be the best place to share it for now. It can apply to anyone, not just Rhyolite Design.
I had been working on some info graphics for a client and stumbled across a similar idea where a company illustrated the need for a new logo. I took the website route.
After 10:10:10
So October the 10th of 2010 came and here in the Northwest it was raining (natch!), but like some movie plot device the rain stopped and the clouds broke as I pulled into Olympia to join up with 30 other volunteers to plant trees along route 101 and along a bike trail.
The event was part of 10:10:10 the Global Work Party organized by 350.0rg. In this case it was an event that was created by Elaine Sanders as she said “If you can’t find anything near you, organize it and tell 350 about it”, so she did. Elaine is in her 80′s and needs oxygen – but she was able to find Bob Barnes with WDOT, a landscape architect who has been in the process of replanting a steep cut along Rt. 101. Bob had been able to get a lot of the clearing done, and was able to get 180 trees of local varieties to plant. Together they were able to recruit 30 volunteers ranging in age from their 20′s to their 60′s to get the job done.
This is an example of the power of the internet to allow groups to inspire and work together to achieve an aim. I would say about a third of the volunteers found the event solely through on-line means and didn’t personally know Elaine or Bob. Around the world 350 was able to help coordinate over 7300 events around the world including Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq – places one would think are considered isolated. However with the dawning awareness that isolation is a construct of politics and culture – everyone can pull together toward stopping climate change.
So in your business what excites your customers? Is there a “meet up” campaign you can devise to bring your best customers together – maybe even in a volunteer fashion to do some local good. What is your passion, is it something your customer’s share? Find that commonality of passion and form an event around it. Forging that connection and common experience is what makes community.
10:10:10 Time is now
So this up coming weekend will have the unique date of 10:10:10, on Sunday. Besides a fun day to sign your checks, it is also a global day of action to do something to lower CO2 emissions.
This global event is the brainchild of 350.org and 10:10 – two organizations that are insisting that CO2 levels must be globally lowered, each has two similar but different goals. 350.org (not to be confused with the grass roots local economy movement 3/50), basic goal is to lower total CO2 levels at 350 parts per million (ppm). Right now the global CO2 level is 385ppm, and rising. Their goal is to act now to lower it 35ppm, which is an achievable goal. Bill Mckibben, who wrote a book called “Eaarth” exploring how much Earth will be changed by run-away CO2 levels, so much so that we might as well rename the planet. Additionally he recently attempted to get the Obama administration to accept the original Jimmy Carter solar panels as an artifact and make a commitment to put solar on the White House (he was brushed off by some EPA political appointees).
The organization is 10:10, [Author's Note: This morning (10/05/10) the US website and Face Book page are down - embarrassing right? No known cause yet, other than my luck.]a British based organization that recently expanded in the US here in Seattle. 10:10′s program is more hands on. It is a voluntary pledge to reduce personal CO2 emissions 10% every year for the next 10 years. (So for me, my emissions are 13.40 tons/ year. So I need to reduce my emissions by 1.34 tons this year). Individuals, families and businesses can join and take the pledge to reduce CO2 emissions. This is direct emission reductions, not a pledge to buy offsets, offsets may fund forest planting and renewable energy expansion, but it is not a direct reduction. Other ways to reduce your carbon foot print is buying local food and from local businesses in addition to home and personal transport energy reductions.
So on October 10th There are over 5000 events world wide, in over 170 countries. The events range from educational demonstrations to tree planting, to other activities (and after work parties – network, network, network!). So if you’re feeling like the world is standing still on this issue and you want to get involved find something near you!