Seems like yesterday was a jackpot day for new widgets being found via my RSS feeds!
#1 TimeBridge: A free web-based service that allows a person to send meeting invitation options to anyone with an email address. No need for everyone to be on the same system (Outlook, Google calendar, etc). The service allows you to provide up to five meeting times and each recipient rates the options as No, Good or Best. Once all the responses have been received, the meeting is automatically scheduled and a confirmation message is sent to all attendees. I have lowered the level of automation by having the system send me the answers and then I pick the ultimate date/time. But, once I pick it, the system then notifies everyone.
Timebridge also has an Outlook Connector, so that when I have a meeting request out, all of the times provided as an option are blocked out on my calendar as tentatives. When the meeting is confirmed, the extra tentatives disappear and the meeting is marked as confirmed. This should come in handy with trying to coordinate meetings with various departments on campus, while trying to get vendors invited as well.
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#2 PocketMod: Not for me, but a great item I plan on sharing with non-techy friends and family. It is a paper-based "PDA" that is highly configurable for each person's needs. Using a single sheet of paper, you decide up to eight components for the page. Once you decide, print, fold and cut ... you have an eight page booklet. There are about 45-50 components to choose from, some with the ability to pre-print standard info on the pages. (I just wish there was a way to link an Outlook calendar to it)
I just re-read the above paragraph. You really need to visit PocketMod and experience it for yourself. I didn't do it justice with the above review.
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#3 EverNote: A single place for all your notes! Another way to try and keep track of information you find on a day-to-day basis. I have played with the web version and windows install piece, and actually prefer the presentation method of the web best.
In short, when you find something you want to refer to later, select the text (and/or image) on the webpage and click on the toolbar "Clip to Evernote" button. It is automatically saved to your default notebook within Evernote. The notebooks are searchable, and the system claims to even have the ability to search for text within images (image of an advertisement, for example). If I really start using this a lot, I see myself making my default notebook as a catch-all, and then move clips to an appropriate notebook at a later time (gift ideas, DocImage stuff, fun things, etc)
You can request a beta demo account here:
http://www.evernote.com/prereg/?c=downloadsquad
(they have 2000 invites available, no telling how many are left)
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#4 Give Away of the Day: The newest addition to my sidebar (scroll down to find it)
This is how I actually found out about #3 EverNote! This site offers free copies (or registration codes) for different types of software on a daily basis. The offers are only good for 24 hours, so you have to take advantage of it while it lasts.
In reviewing their archives I didn't find that I would want a majority of the software they have offered. But even just one item every couple of weeks is worth keeping an eye on the site (RSS feeds - gotta love them!)
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