drop.io
January 7, 2009 in 5 out of 5 stars, A service, File uploading services drop.io: A gloriously clean and simple file-sharing tool. It's amazing that with all the solutions to this already out there, none have done it this well. If you need to share a too-big-to-email* file (or set of files) with someone, or share the same large-ish file(s) with multiple people, this is the best solution I've found. (Plus, knowledge of FTP soup: Not required.) *For easy emailing of files, also see usend.io, built on top of drop.io. drop.io (these guys) Because it's so simple all my clients and family can use it without a personal education session with me first. And it works. Well. No signup required, it takes literally a few seconds (plus upload time) to share a file. You can pick your own url suffix (provided it's available). So, drop.io/clientname or drop.io/yourname, for example. You can easily password protect the upload, and expire the upload as soon as 1 day later, up to as late as a year later. Once shared, you can track how many times the drop has been accessed. Somewhat helpfully, each “drop” comes with an email address you can send files to, which will make them available for download. Somewhat amusingly, each “drop” comes with a voice mail number you can call to add an mp3 of yourself to the drop (it also offers a full enclosures RSS feed of anything added - poor man’s podcasting tool?) plus, a private conference call number for meetings (I guess so you can share files, and chat about them). An extra nifty feature is the ability to set up a pay wall so you can sell downloads through drop.io. Selling art? Photos? Music? An ebook? This might be a good solution. It can be pay per use, or a subscription. Pretty killer. Premium users can send faxes with it. Anyone can receive faxes – but it’s clunky. And there’s a lot more too, all without an overwhelming UI. It’s impressive. They also have an API allowing brilliant solutions like usend.io. The premium code prominence on the upload page feels obtrusive and mildly confusing. 100MB limit per file (for free) might be a bit skimpy for some. The help disappoints. The faxing functionality is just too clunky, and while the help claimed it exists, I couldn’t see where or how. It utilizes the right-click in a few places, which no one expects in a web app. Free for 100MB per drop. Upgrade for $10 per year per extra GB. Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick)
June 19, 2008 in 5 out of 5 stars, A bookThe Dip: A book dedicated to a simple, but powerful and inspiring idea. I'm struggling to decide if it's Seth's best or not. It's certainly a contender. Seth Godin First of all - it's short (80 pages). And as anyone who writes can tell you, shorter is harder. And in this case, it's also better. The writing is focused, the idea is well developed, and the impact, at least for me, was very, very powerful. A buddy of mine and I were whining the other day about how hard it was to invest significantly in creating something that should be great, but realize that creating it was not enough. Not nearly enough. We thought it would be hard to go from concept to reality, and it was. But how surprising it was to realize that the really hard part had just begun. Taking that reality, and becoming a market leader, taking that hard-won reality, and turning it into the success we dreamed about when we started, that was the hard part. The really hard part. And boy, those early dream-filled days were great. That dream motivated us to tear into our projects with vigor and excitement. It was novel, and fun, and a fresh start, and endless opportunity. And that dream pushed us on in that way only the entrepreneurially-minded can appreciate. Past hurdles, and challenges, and finally our hard work and investment bore fruit. And there we stood at the great unveiling, the shroud lifted from our creation, and the response? Awkward and empty silence. Because while creating the thing is required (you can't get anywhere without doing that) it's not enough. It's not nearly enough. Because many have done that. But only a few — a very successful few — have pushed through the next stage to actually realize The Dream. And then I remembered that Seth had named this period we were starting to push through, he called it "The Dip." And suddenly the genius of the premise of his book struck me. I hadn't read it yet, only read about it. So I started here, my appetite was whetted. The idea had taken root, and then I bought the book and read it carefully. Letting his persistent presentation of the idea seep into me deep enough to last. And then I closed the book, carefully inventoried my situation, and made some drastic changes. I don't want to oversell this, because your experience may be different from mine. But I can honestly say that this book, perhaps because of the timing of when I read it, has had a dramatic and positive impact on me. In it, Seth defines "The Dip." He discussed the value of pushing through it (because so few are willing to do it, the competition at the other end is thin, and the rewards are enormous), how to do it (over-invest, quit everything else taking your energies), why we don't do it (his list of excuses stung with familiarity!), how you can quit a tactic, but retain a strategy, and how to recognize when you're not actually in a dip, but just think you are. Oh, and inspiration. Did I mention it was inspiring? There were sections of this book that had me clenching my fist in determination to make it through. And he ends with some probing and
through-provoking questions. Like this gem: "If I'm going to quit
anyway, is there something dramatic I can do instead that might change
the game?" So I finished the book a few weeks ago, and now I have a new perspective. I see with new eyes those around me who have pushed through The Dip. Here are a couple examples: Ira Glass - world-class host of This American Life. Here he talks about pushing through the dip. He doesn't call it that, but that's exactly what he's talking about. And Dean Kamen. Is there any question that he pushed (and pushes) through The Dip? Sure the Segway was a joke, but you watch this and tell me he isn't one of the greatest examples in the world for pushing though the dip. When the Dept. of Defense needed the best in the world to tackle the most difficult of jobs, I suspect the list was pretty short, and now Dean is truly changing the world. (And don't forget this awesomeness too). And there are more. Just from this week's news: Tim Russert and Tiger Woods. And someday, maybe, you. And me. $10.15 Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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FogBugz
June 11, 2008 in 5 out of 5 stars, A piece of software, Hosted software, Issue trackers, Project managementFogBugz: They say it's project management software, which it is — but its real strength (and reputation) is issue/bug tracking. They have hosted, and installable versions of the software. I use their hosted version (dubbed FogBugz on Demand). Fog Creek Software I like and use Basecamp, but on a current large project I found myself heavily using Basecamp's ToDo lists for issue tracking, and they weren't sufficient.
So several months ago I signed up for FogBugz. FogBugz didn't give me that instant love-at-first-site experience I've had with other software. But as I've begun to use it heavily, I have grown to adore this software, and I now completely rely on it to manage my projects. Its genius is in its maturity. It is mature, seasoned, and polished software that makes tracking multiple issues with difficult sticky elements not just easy, but enjoyable. You know software is great if you still love it, and use it heavily after several months. Now I can't live without it. It allows me to constantly keep on top of the hundreds of issues currently at play with my project, tracking them by sub-project, by team member, priority, and time. I have to say, it has also trained me to work more efficiently in managing my projects. Because it is easy to use, we use it comprehensively, and because of that, it has helped us improve the quality of our software. There are only four of us on our team, I'm sure it would really come into its own with much larger teams, and still be helpful for even smaller teams. My only real complaint is that it's packed with additional features, but they aren't real approachable. The usability, once you get the hang of the features you need, is solid, and even claravoiyant, but beyond that, the other features and capabilities of the software requires some hunting, digging and experimenting to get rolling. Hosted: free for 2 users, or $25/user, per month Installed: $199/user or less Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Altiris Software Virtualization Solution
October 9, 2007 in 5 out of 5 stars, A piece of software, Free, Productivity, VirtualizationAltiris Software Virtualization Solution: A software prophylactic that any PC user can easily use. It's software that allows you to install most any piece of software on a virtualized "layer." Then at any time you can remove the layer or deactivate the layer and it's like it never existed on your system at all. Altiris First of all, it's very easy to use. It sounds intimidating, but it's not, give it a try. I have a client who needed me to rip some video off the web. It was streaming video and there was no easy way to do it, but there were several spooky looking software programs that claimed to be able to do it for me. I didn't want any of those vile characters with their spyware diseases and other incendiary cargo gumming up my system. Furthermore, after the first program didn't work, I didn't want it fighting with the second one I installed (and 3rd and 4th and 12th). It was a dirty, filthy job and when it was done my system needed a long hot shower. Enter SVS. Because I had installed each piece of software on its own layer, when I was all done, I deleted all the layers, and my machine never knew we'd visited the red light district. This software can also be used in an enterprise setting to deliver "software packages" (or layers) out to other computers. Additionally, you can even find pre-virtualized software packages available for download now. Install, test and play with confidence. It's PC only. It doesn't work with some software. (Software that sinks deep hooks into the system. But this is rare.) Free for personal use, $29-$55 for multiple node settings. Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Internet Retailer Magazine
July 9, 2007 in 5 out of 5 stars, A magazine, FreeInternet Retailer Magazine: A free magazine (print, or online) focused on information relevant to internet retailers (and associated consultants, developers, etc.). Vertical Web Media LLC It's a magazine consistently providing indispensable wisdom, ideas, statistics, data, analysis, case studies, and success stories. I'm a recent subscriber and I can't believe I didn't know about it earlier. A couple examples: in this month's (July 07) issue, I learned that adding three or more payment options at checkout (e.g. Credit Cards, PayPal, Google Checkout) has raised sales by an average of 14% according to payments processor CyberSource Corp. I also learned that Amazon (at the top of the list) spent $662mil on technology in 2006 on revenue of almost $11 billion (!!). Overstock.com was 2nd with $65mil in expenditures on revenue of $788mil, and Netflix 3rd with $48mil on revenue of $997mil. I can't recommend the email newsletter. It's far too often and noisy. The spam/content ratio of the magazine is what you might expect for free, but the gems are easy to find. It's only free for those in the U.S. :( Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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The Bootstrapper's Bible
November 22, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, A book, FreeThe Bootstrapper's Bible: An ebook full of wisdom, ideas and inspiration for startups/bootstrappers/entrepreneurs.
I originally bought this book back in June of 2003 (it's free now). I was a struggling entrepreneur of just a few years and in my quest to read everything Seth had written, I purchased this ebook from Amazon. I devoured every word like a starving hyena on the fresh carcass of a Wildebeest. Seth Godin Bootstrapper's Bible might be an immodest title, but it's right on. This book is well written, well thought-out, and perfectly targeted at those of you who would read this blog. It includes sound principles for startups, pitfalls, case studies (including one of id software who was last decade's 37signals), and practical steps for getting it right. If you want to get re-energized, re-motivated and re-educated about your venture, this book is a must-read. Free! Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Google Analytics
August 22, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, Analytics, Free, Hosted software, SEO/SEMGoogle Analytics: Web analytics (statistics + analysis) software that anyone with a website can use. After Google initially launched this service, they were crushed with interest and they shut down new sign ups. However, after several months, the gates are open again. Google (although they bought and tweaked Urchin's product to create this). The information it provides is super-rich without being unwieldy (unwieldiness is a common ailment afflicting analytics software). It has great visual representations of your information, making it easily digestible. This includes graphs, charts, and a very nifty site-overlay showing you where and how people click through your site on their way to conversion Also, Geo-targeting map representations, date-range comparisons, and more. It's simple and quick (just a few minutes) to integrate into your site, just drop a snippet of code on each page you wish to track. Some of the more common data feels buried. The data is always about a day old. Potential for some tin-foil hat anxiety about Google's increasingly Sauron-like all-seeing-eye. Astonishingly Free Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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You can use it to track simple traffic statistics, but you can also you use it (and here's the real power) to track conversions and associated behavior (this is the heart of Seth's point number 5). It integrates closely with your AdWords campaigns but can also track any marketing initiative you run, Google-based or not. It's hard to overstate the power and importance of that. If you do commerce online, you're insane not to be using this to measure.
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MailBuild
August 18, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, Email newsletter management, Hosted softwareMailBuild: MailBuild is an email newsletter tool built just for web designers. You design a template for each client and they log in to their own account to manage their subscribers, create and send their own emails and view reports on the results. Freshview (formerly Switch I.T.) I've been using Freshview's other product, Campaign Monitor, for over a year to manage my email campaigns. It's still the best software out there to send email campaigns for yourself and your clients. But I've had several clients for whom Campaign Monitor wasn't a fit because they wanted to create and send their own (good looking) email newsletters. To meet that need, Dave Greiner and company now bring us MailBuild. It's a great tool for your clients that want to take control of their own email marketing. The idea is a simple one. You design an email template for each of your clients using the simple MailBuild template
system. Your clients can then log into their own account, add their own content to each newsletter using a very cool and easy to use AJAX-based editor, and send it to their own subscribers. As with Campaign Monitor, they can also see great looking reports on the results of their campaign and easily add and remove subscribers to their account. The entire interface is so polished and can be re-branded to look like your own product. Your clients can even log into their account from your own web site. Freshview have a knack for polishing their interfaces so that they
hold your hand, and read your mind, and this is no exception. These guys really are an inspiration for how to properly do a web app. In an effort to keep things simple, they don't yet allow custom fields. This might be a nice addition, and Dave has indicated that if the demand is there, he'll add it. Like Campaign Monitor, you pay $5 + 1 cent per email. You pay on behalf of your clients so there's plenty of room to charge each client a marked-up fee for your management of it. Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Hamachi
July 20, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, A piece of software, TechnologyHamachi: It's a zero-configuration virtual private networking (VPN) application. It essentially gives you a LAN over the Internet. (Warning: This is a more technical one, but for you entrepreneurs with remote associates this is solid gold). Applied Networking Inc. Hamachi is to VPN what Skype is to VOIP. It's a simple, clean, VPN application, that just works. Astounding really especially when you compare it to the horrible commercial VPN alternatives out there. Solid support for Windows, passable versions for Linux and Mac (OS X). Best of all - Hamachi is free. In the vast majority of cases this does indeed work (worked perfectly for me) but the support forums do have some pleas for help. With 3,000,000 users though - that's to be expected. (Incidentally, the support forums really do appear to be helpful.) Mac version doesn't have a GUI (yet). Astoundingly Free Reviewed by Carson McComasWhat is it?
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Yahoo! Music Unlimited
July 7, 2006 in 5 out of 5 stars, Fun, TechnologyYahoo! Music Unlimited[*]: A flat out, too-good-to-be-true, $60/yr, all you can eat, on demand, music candy store. Yahoo! If you are tethered to your desk for most of the day and enjoy music, this service is a life-changer. I reviewed Yahoo's Launchcast music service a year ago. A month ago, I finally upgraded to Unlimited and haven't accomplished a single thing since. Not really, but here's what I love: It doesn't work with the iPod. But this isn't Yahoo's fault, it's Apple's. It doesn't have every single song ever created. Again, not Yahoo's fault (it's typically the label's fault) but it's a bummer. That said: with over a million songs, 90% of what I look for, I find. It's amazing really. You can't burn CDs without paying (duh) or take it with you (although they have a service ("take it to go" tab) that allows that too, for $10/mo). $60/yr or $7/mo - start with a free trial . Reviewed by Carson McComas [*] The links above are affiliate links. Should you wish to follow them without supporting this site (fine!), or if it just makes you feel yucky, please use this direct link instead: http://music.yahoo.com/ymuWhat is it?
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