Saturday, April 28, 2012

Come on, let’s Meetup

It seems that almost every time I mention Meetup.com, I have to explain what it is. I’ve actually only known about it for a couple of years myself, but they’ve been around since 2002.

Last year, on the ten-year anniversary of 9/11, anyone that was a member of a group on Meetup received an email from Scott Heiferman, Co-Founder & CEO, explaining how Meetup came about.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Going to put that in my Pocket

As I wrote about in one of my earliest posts, I have not been a smart phone user for very long—less than four months now. I have, however, been surprised at some of the things I now prefer to do on the phone versus my laptop.

I like the convenience of sitting on the sofa and doing a little light reading on my phone. I have several websites that I like to scan through, and I really wasn’t doing that when I had to sit in front of the laptop.

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Don’t forget the app: What’s that song?

When I hear a new song on the radio that I like, I want to know the title and artist. More often than not, the D.J. does not tell me this, and I have to try to find out this information on my own.

I used to try to rely on the radio station’s website by looking through their list of last songs played, but more often than not, that was not up to date. So I got in the habit of writing down a main lyric or two—when I was safely stopped at the next traffic light—so that when I got home, I could search online.

Monday, April 16, 2012

Don’t forget the app: Dictionary

Have you ever been snuggled in your bed reading a book—you know, the traditional kind made out of paper—and all of a sudden there was a word you didn’t know? And your dictionary is in another room and you’re just too comfortable to get up?

If you’re like me, you try to guess what the word must mean based on the context of the sentence, but still you’re not sure. And unless you have a piece of paper handy to write it down, you don’t remember it later so that you can look it up.

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Don’t forget the app: Compass

Recently, I went to Oakland Cemetery for some photo-ops. I’ve been there several times, and each time I’ve focused on something different. This time was flowers.

I bet you’re wondering why I’d go to a cemetery to take photos of flowers. You’re probably asking, “Aren’t there better places to do that?” There are certainly different places to do that, but not necessarily better.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Loropetalum: The best plant ever

Each of my posts so far has been a recommendation for something I’ve used and enjoyed, but mostly in the technology category. Today’s post may seem very different, but techie people like to garden too, and I promise you I will tie in some technology.

USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map
If you want to pick some new plants for your yard, there are several things you will need to consider first such as light conditions and space, but you definitely want something that is rated to grow in your zone. Check the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to get started.

Thursday, April 5, 2012

How to create a pdf of virtually anything

Have you ever visited a website and enjoyed the information you found so much that you wanted to keep a copy of it on your computer? But you didn’t know how to do this so instead you printed it out or maybe you bookmarked the page so that you’d have to revisit the page online?

What happens if you lose your internet connection and you really need this information, but you don’t want to kill additional trees by printing? Well, today I’m going to teach you how to create your own free pdf document.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Useful applications for LinkedIn

Please note that some of the information in this post is no longer applicable in LinkedIn.com

LinkedIn logo
This post is primarily for LinkedIn users. I don’t see many users actually taking advantage of some of the extras that can be incorporated into their profiles. I’m referring to the addition of applications. I’ll admit that I am only currently using one application, but I have viewed several of them to see whether they would be something I may want to add.

The portfolio option seems like a good app, but since I already have a portfolio website and the link is on my profile, I decided not to use that one. Maybe you’ve put together an awesome presentation that highlights your expertise; well, there are a couple of applications to choose from for that. In fact, the one I’m going to tell you about will allow you to attach that as well.