Are you sick and tired of getting SMS messages from your Twitter accounts – especially at odd times of the night, like when you are sleeping? Some of us are actually quite annoyed at getting stuck with big bills because of these SMS messages.
There are three easy ways to go mobile with Twitter:
1. Use the Twitter mobile: If your phone has a mobile browser, you can go to http://m.twitter.com and you are good to go. I am not sure if everyone will be happy with the experience, but I am not that thrilled with the UI. This option is especially not good for people who don’t own the so-called smart phones, and don’t want to pay for flat rate Internet data plans. (via)
2. Flurry+RSS=Twitter Magic: Sign-up for Flurry, a mobile mail client/service. You can download the Flurry client on your phone seconds after you sign-up. Flurry, which started out as a service that would let you check e-mail on your plain vanilla phone, has recently added a feature that allows you to add RSS feeds and read them on your mobile phone.
Add RSS feeds generated by the Twitter accounts of your friends. The best part – you don’t have to pay for anything – it’s free. And if you want to Twitter what’s on your mind, just use SMS… sparingly if you can.
3. FreeRSS Reader: Most high-end Nokia phones are now shipping with a built in RSS reader, and you can bypass using Flurry and add Twitter feeds of your friends to the built-in RSS reader. It is one easy way to keep up with what your pals are twittering about – only this time the SMS messages don’t interrupt you. Check the feeds when you feel like it.
Others can try similar RSS readers, though they are going to cost you some cash. Freerange offers one, so does Newsgator (as long as you use their online service.)
How time flies – it was on Labor Day 2006 we launched WebWorkerDaily, mostly because I believed that broadband was going to change the world, not just by bringing information to us faster but also how it was going to change the way we worked. Having reported on broadband for a lot longer than I care to admit, the direction we were heading in was pretty clear.
Six months later, it is becoming clear that we are not alone in this way of this thinking. The thriving community here on Web Worker Daily is testament to that. And today, The San Francisco Chronicle is writing about this trend, though focusing more on the “Bedouin” start-ups.
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Growing up in India, my first taste of caffeine came via a cup of steaming tea – sweet, milky and well tasting like tea. This was not the sophisticated Darjeeling or Earl Gray, but more like tea for the masses. After immigrating to the US, I discovered coffee and joys that go with it. The Starbucks became a habit, and then an addiction.
On my recent trip to India, I was reminded of the joys of tea, especially when sprinkled with a little love from mom. Upon my return, I have been running a little experiment – I start the day with a cup of tea one day, and a freshly pressed coffee the next. (Comparison of the two beverages is here.)
Given the variance in their caffeine content, the start is different on the alternating days, and productivity is different as well. With tea, I find the day starts gradually picks up pace and then you smoothly glide through it, though it does require more frequent trips to the kitchen or the cashier’s counter.
Coffee, on the other hand takes effect right from the first sip, and as long as you have two or three more “Tall” cups, you can go through the day supercharged, working at a furious pace. But then comes the inevitable crash and there goes the productivity.
This has me wondering… what is a better drink for web workers? Tea or coffee? What do you drink and why? Does one work better than the others? I would love to hear your feedback.
Earlier this evening, AOL announced a new beta (codename – Cayman) for AOL Mail, which is an ajaxy-version of its current webmail product. It is a rather slick looking product and works admirably fast. In order to try the beta, I had to sign-up for the beta even though I already have an account with AOL.
After spending a few minutes with the product, you realize that it is a pretty good attempt by AOL to catch up with current AJAX-based mail offerings such as Yahoo Mail (aka Oddpost 2.0.) It is nothing earth shattering but definitely an improvement over the current AOL offering. It has many of the basic features we have come to expect from most modern webmail programs. It lets you read messages inline, for example. It works on Mac and Windows machine quite well. AOL Mail Beta worked quite nicely on Safari as well.
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Today is one of the best days in the short life of Web Worker Daily. Our very own Anne Zelenka is joining our little family on an almost full time basis (of course) with a Web Worker twist. She made her decision yesterday, and well, I have to say, I have not been able to wipe that goofy grin off my face.
She will be spending more of her time and attention in helping WWD grow to the next level. My dream is that one day WWD becomes bigger than the flagship, GigaOM, and people refer to the “site that spawned it all” as the older, dowdy and decidedly unhip brother of WWD.
Anne is perfect for getting us to that goal. We all have seen the profound impact she already has had on our little community. She has an uncanny eye for talent, and is an amazing writer who uses simple words to express complex ideas. She will also be writing Web 2.0 and related stories for the flagship, GigaOM. As part of her new, improved version 2.1, she gets her own icon, and cool business cards.
Without much ado, Web Worker Daily readers, I give you your new editor, Anne 2.1.
If you are like us – walking around with a Macbook Pro and a Novatel EVDO Express Card modem, you don’t really have worry too much about being disconnected. However, when you congregate with friends or colleagues and find them in a disconnected state, you want to share your connection. You can do that on a Mac, though it takes a little effort.
Well, the fine folks at FON, a wireless services company based in Barcelona has come up with a nifty little Mac app that turns your machine into an instant FON Spot.
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In preperation of the Windows Vista launch, I am trying to acclimitaize myself with Windows XP operating system, and have a brand new machine which I want to use for a week, and then compare it with my Vista experience.
Since I spend most of my time on a Mac, it is hard to figure out what applications should one install on a PC. Microsoft Office seems to be an obvious choice, though I am sticking to Google Docs for now.
I have installed both Skype and Gizmo Project, and the machine came pre-installed with Google Talk. Microsoft Live Writer is a pretty good client for writing blog posts, and Feed Demon is as good a feed reader one can get. Beyond that, well I am at a loss. A large chunk of my time is spent writing, image editing, answering email, reading RSS feeds and listening to music. Any tips on the “very best” apps would be greatly appreciated.
Web Work 101: How To Escape The Cubicle
