So I wanted to try something totally new and quirkly and ended up @ Hairmixer.com. You can upload your own photo and paste it into different hairstyles, but I had too much fun doing the celebrety mash-ups! I wasted too much time with this one, but so much fun. Below is one of my mash-ups, can you tell who's hair and face I used?
Out of different options out there, Google Docs has to be my favorite. I've noticed more and more that I'm using it instead of word, especially when I write. It's so much easier to share w/something else when it needs to be edited. Instead of going through all the attachement steps, I just have to save, add an email address, and click send! And then the other party doesn't have to worry about if they'll be able to open it, readding the attachement, and all that crap. They simply have to hit save and let me know they're done! Ad viola, I have my edited paper/review/whatever.
I did like the embed feature that Thinkfree has. I may have to play around that one evey more and see how I can use it with the teens. I may be a great way to create and share documents (such as book lists!) with the teens.
I love the online book communities. I've done most of them at one time or another and my favorite is always changing. For the longest time nothing could beat Shelfari, but Goodreads has finally taken the lead. Of course, I think the only reason is may have taken the lead is because I can add widgets of what I'm reading to my website AND set updates to my twitter! And with all the playing I do in the book world this is a huge time saver for me.
Admittedly, I haven't been keeping up with it very much lately, but here is my Goodreads account if you want to see it.
I'm kind of torn on how I feel about Del.icio.us. On one hand I think it's an awesome tool. Making link lists/pathfinders for teens on Del.icio.us can be done with ease. However, because of the ease I find myself adding way too many links and my lists soon become too overwhelming. I'm still trying to work with it to find a happy medium. Maybe one day.
On a personal level, I can't see myself ever really using Del.icio.us. Maybe if I could get myself into the habit, but I'm pretty stuck in my normal bookmarking and usually forget to add something into Del.icio.us and basically defeats the point. I should try to work on it a bit, since I'm sure it would be more efficient than sending emails w/links to myself. Old habits die hard, I guess. Maybe some day.
I had fun looking through the available podcasts that are out there, especially in the TV/Film area. I have to admit I was kind of excited to see a Firefly/Serenity podcast listed in the top 50 @ Podcast Alley. However, I have found that I do not have the attention span to sit down and listen to one. It's much like audio books; I simply cannot just sit and listen to one without getting distracted/totally losing my spot. Maybe one of these days I'll add one to my iPod and try them on a long trip.
Can I just say that RSS Readers make my life much easier. I follow almost 120 blogs at the moment and I can't even imagine how much time that would take to go to each one individually. I also like that it's simple to add sites and that I can divide them up into different groups/tags. I like the freedom choosing which blog group to read first.
Now I've been through several RSS Readers and Google Reader is my top choice. It is any easier than the others? Not really, but since I do everything else via Google it's one less stop in my daily routine. I'm sure it doesn't save me THAT much time, but anything that can simplify my Web 2.0 tools is a plus for me
Man, I'm not sure what to write for this post. Technology has utterly and completely taken over my life. Almost everything I do is done through it. Shopping, music, TV, directions...it's all done through technology. Goodness, I remember a view years ago how I would be upset if I forgot to set my VCR to record a TV Show if I wasn't to be home. Now? No worries! I can just hop online and watch it there. And all the social networks? Don't even get me started! But I do have to say that thanks to MySpace and Facebook I have reconnected with all my high school friends. Sometimes it really does amazing me. And yet, I don't think I would have it any other way.
As many others have mentioned, YouTube is totally one of those hit or miss sites. Sometimes you can find awesome gems, but other times you wondered what you just wasted your time on. But when you have a site that allows anyone to post videos, well, that's bound to happen. It is also the kind of thing that makes YouTube fun.
I will also admit that I can waste hours on YouTube. I have about 20 different channels or so that I regulary subscribe to. Some of my favorites are Vlog Brothers, Project Lifesize, Julia Nunes, Meghan Tonjes, and Charlieissocoollike.
Below is one of my favorite videos. It's a kinetic typography selection for Paper Towns by John Green
Flickr has to be one of my favorite Web 2.0 tools. I think it's been instant love from the beginning! Of course, I'm also a shutterbug, so this makes complete sense. Although, what probably really sealed the deal for me was when I went overseas last year. I got that traveler's panic and worried that something would happen and I would loose all the gorgeous pictures I had taken. But with Flickr, I was able to go to a internet cafe each day and upload the pics I had taken. I loved being able to do this and made my vacation a little more carefree.
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