Digital Life Simplified
Internet Radio for Work, Home, and Travel
Jul 29th
It is common to see people walking around plugged in to an ipod, iphone, or other portable mp3 device in almost any city around the world. Having music at your fingertips is a necessity these days, and the internet has made that even more convenient with a host of free internet radio sites. These sites are unique as they let you choose the type of music, or even the songs, that you enjoy and then create playlists of similar music. As opposed to YouTube, which plays one video at a time, internet radio continually streams music based on the user’s personal preference. This can provide for free music all day with limited to no commercial breaks! Even better the sites can be accessed via computer or Smartphone. Once the app is downloaded to the iphone, blackberry or other device, users can listen on the go or plug the phone in to a car or speaker system.
There are three stations that immediately come to mind, but with the high traffic of users and possible advertising opportunities, there are sure to be more to come. As of right now, the sites are free, but the user has the option of upgrading to claim certain perks, such as the elimination of the few commercial breaks, for a small monthly fee. Personally I am not bothered by the commercials and tend to use internet radio on a daily basis. The three most popular would have to be Pandora, grooveshark, and slacker radio.
1. Pandora- Simple and easy to use, just enter a song or artist and it creates a playlist of songs that are similar to your taste. You can create a profile of what songs you especially like and even make different “stations” based on what genre comes to mind.
2. Grooveshark- This site gives the user more freedom than choosing one song or artist to represent a playlist, you can compile your own playlist or choose one song and let the website pick the rest. Another perk, this site has zero commercials between songs, they have chosen to generate advertising revenue solely on the picture ads on the web page. One drawback here, once it starts the random selection of songs you can’t see the title or artist for future reference.
3. Slacker Radio- In addition to entering a song choice, this website allows the user to click on genres to create a more general playlist. This can be helpful or frustrating, for those interested in having music tailored directly to their taste this may not be the best option but it certainly beats listening to a traditional radio station.
For those who are constantly on the go and need music to fuel their day, internet radio is the way to go. It’s free, easy, and available anywhere there is an internet connection.
Press Release June/July 2010
Jul 20th
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Meshtop for Outlook 2010 utilizes OSC and Facebook Graph API.
BELLEVUE, Washington, June 30, 2010 – Today Meshtop released a new version of their Outlook plug-in that organizes Facebook, Twitter and MSN social networks into the popular email client. As social networking services (SNS) become more important to maintain business and personal contacts in the professional world, Meshtop helps users link email addresses with their respective contacts on Facebook, Twitter and MSN, bringing ease and organization to the use of multiple social networking mediums. This will allow businesses to seamlessly connect professional email clients to social networking streams.
Meshtop’s plug-in displays as an expandable sidebar in Outlook and searches through Outlook, Facebook, Twitter and MSN contacts to discover links between accounts, recommending suggestions to link possible matches. Expanding Meshtop to the Network view offers an intuitive way to organize contacts by creating groups and tagging contacts. These organizational tools achieve the company’s goal of simplifying SNS’s to reap their benefits more effectively.
This release of Meshtop utilizes the built-in OSC in Outlook 2010, allowing a simple sync between your Outlook data and Social Network data. This allows you to see up-to-the minute Facebook and Twitter information for your Outlook contacts.
Meshtop for Outlook 2010 also takes advantage of Facebook’s Open Graph API. You may browse your contacts by Facebook activity, Likes or Books (linked to profile information) in a floating panel.
Users who do have not yet upgraded to Outlook 2010 may still continue to use Meshtop for Outlook 2003/2007.
As online social interaction continues to increase, Meshtop is producing a series of products to manage and link contacts from various SNS’s, saving time and increasing productivity by bridging the gap between social network mediums.
Highlighted Meshtop Features:
• Contact management through visual networks – Right click to group multiple friends by tagging or to send them emails.
• Upload photos to Facebook – Batch upload local photos and captions as well as comment on friends’ photos.
• Browse your friends’ Facebook photos either online/offline – Meshtop will schedule a sync-up to Facebook to download the latest photos from your friends, which is a great feature for the business traveler who may not have constant access to an internet connection.
• Integration of Facebook OpenStream and Tweets into Outlook – Easily follow and interact with friends’ latest updates. Meshtop offers the option to view just Facebook or Twitter updates, as well as combining them into one list.
• Monitor trending topics and search real time topics on Twitter in Outlook – In addition to this search function, Meshtop saves custom search queries for repeated use.
• Publish your status simultaneously to Facebook, Twitter and MSN – in the “What are you doing?” field, Meshtop also offers URL shortening and photo sharing from TinyURL, Bit.ly, and TwitPic.
• Intelligent contact mapping connects Outlook contacts with Facebook and Twitter profiles – Meshtop’s intelligent match engine will find your friends’ social profiles between Outlook, Twitter, Facebook and MSN and combine the information into one contact card.
Phone calls on the cheap
Jun 25th
“Phone” calls aren’t just for phones anymore. There are several ways to call people via the internet these days, and this week’s blog will look at a couple of them.
Probably the most famous is Skype. As an American citizen that has lived in Latin America, Europe and Asia, Skype has become one of my favorite programs. It’s so common, in fact, that “to skype” someone (to call from a computer) has become a verb in many circles, much like “to google” something. Here are some of my favorite uses for Skype:
1. Video chat. It’s great to talk to my family on the other side of the world, but it’s better to see them. I’ll never forget how amazed my 80-year-old great uncle was when he visited my parents and talked to me in China. As a man who grew up during World War II, he was completely amazed that he could see and talk to me from half a world away. Also, on those days when you really miss home, it’s nice to be able to see your house, see the dogs playing and hear the birds outside singing their songs. Perhaps the greatest part of video chat is that all Skype-to-Skype computer calls are free! You just can’t beat it!
2. iPod Touch App. There are three things I don’t leave the house without: my wallet, my phone and my iPod Touch. For numerous reasons that I won’t detail here, it’s practically a necessity for life overseas. Most of my friends don’t have iPhones because of the hassles of signing a contract and paying large amounts of money to AT&T when you don’t even live in the USA. Fortunately, Skype has an app that can turn your iPod Touch (2nd generation) into a telephone! All you need is the headphones that come with it and wi-fi! It’s so great to be able to call home from wherever I am. Since there is a huge time difference, it’s hardly ever convenient to call home when I’m at my apartment. Thankfully, I can just find an internet connection, and I’m good to go!
3. Skype “Online number”. This is really great for those of us who travel a lot. Basically, you get a phone number in the country you choose, then people from that country can make local calls to you for standard phone rates. You can answer the call for free from any place that you are logged into Skype! You can also have all of your call forwarded to your cell phone, no matter where you are; this option isn’t free, but the rates are reasonable.
4. International calling rates. Skype is the most economical way I’ve found to call internationally. It’s roughly 2.1 cents per minute, but you can see the prices for yourself here.
There are plenty of other reasons to love Skype; these are just my personal favorites.
The big news this week is Skype’s most recent competition. Google Voice was released to the U.S. public, after a previous invite-only release. Here are the key benefits I see for Google Voice:
1. Free calls and texts within the US. You can call to mobile phones and landlines in the US for free. Since Skype still charges for these calls, Google Voice has a clear advantage here.
2. Automated transcripts. If you have trouble typing for any reason, Google has voice-to-text and text-to-voice conversions. I’m not sure how accurate it is, but it’s certainly cheaper than buying speech recognition software. Also (and this may be the coolest part), Google Voice automatically transcribes your voicemails so that you can read them without listening to them. You can see them faster, and at a glance, as well as have them sent to your email Inbox! Nice!
3. Call Forwarding. Like Skype, Google Voice can forward all your calls to one place. You can pick a Google number and add numbers to be forwarded to it. This will be really convenient if you move a lot or need to change landline or mobile phone numbers. Your Google number can stay the same; you only need to add the new numbers to your Google Voice account.
The biggest drawback is that Google Voice doesn’t have an app for the iPhone. However, it isn’t for lack of trying. The Google Voice app was removed from the App Store because it was “duplicating features that the iPhone comes with.” I’m a huge Apple supporter, but I definitely question this decision. I’m a bit confused on why the Skype app is okay, but the GV app is not. Perhaps time will tell.
If you have any thoughts on this week’s post, or if you use a similar product, post a comment and tell us about it!
How much do you know about viruses?
Jun 11th
Influenza Virus image by renjith krishnan
This week’s blog is going to be fairly concise. I’m sharing a few helpful articles that I found about computer viruses and security. Instead of giving you a long introduction, I’d rather you just spend the time reading the actual articles for yourself!
The first article,from lifehacker, is an excellent explanation in layman’s terms of different types of computer bugs and how they affect your computer.
Business Insider posted the second article, outlining the most important data-security action steps for businesses.
Lastly, and in my opinion the most bizarre, yet amazing thing I’ve heard in a long time: First human ‘infected with computer virus, from BBC News.
I hope you all find the links as useful and informative as I did!
Thinking Outside the Box: Language Translation
Jun 4th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_software
This week’s tip is on translation. There are hundreds of websites devoted to language learning. There are dictionaries, translating widgets, online courses, etc., etc. There is no “best” website; it all depends on which languages you are translating, the length of the translation, and what you are trying to get out of your online language search.
We all have lists of go-to sites that vary depending on what we’re searching for. My question is: Have you ever thought to use Wikipedia as a translating tool?
Living abroad, I’ve met people from all over the world. We speak a myriad of languages, so translating can be a bit tricky, especially if you’re trying to translate a technical term that wouldn’t be in a standard dictionary or if the translating dictionary lists multiple entries. That’s when I turn to Wikipedia.
If you pull up a page in Wikipedia, there is a sidebar of pages under the same entry in other languages. For example, I searched for “application,” which I chose specifically because it has more than one meaning. Here, I’m referring to computer applications, or application software. On the left-hand side, there is a list of “application software” Wikipedia pages in over forty languages! The best part about this method of translation is that you don’t need any prior knowledge of the language you’re translating to. With most dictionaries or online translation tools, you need a base level of both languages to pick the proper translation and use the appropriate grammar. With Wikipedia, everything is done for you!
Hope this tip shortens your translating time and shrinks the language barrier!
Epicurious – Free digital cookbook
May 28th
My mother and I making gnocchi - Dec 2009
At my parents’ house, there is a chalkboard hanging in the pantry where my mother writes her shopping list so that she won’t forget. Then she writes everything down on a piece of paper when she goes into town to go shopping, a trip that takes at the very least an hour and a half. My mother cooks every day, so the list can be quite lengthy if she can only make it to the store once a week.
I’ve developed her habit of going to the grocery about once per week, even though I live in the city and could theoretically go every day without much inconvenience. I generally dislike standing in line, so I avoid the grocery store as much as possible. When I do go, I like to spend a lot of time wandering the aisles, examining products I haven’t seen before… a bit like a kid in a candy store.
It was through my love for cooking and lack of a paycheck as a full-time student that I first began using Epicurious. If you aren’t already familiar with the website, it’s from the folks at Condé Nast Publications. It’s a huge compilation of recipes from Bon Appétit, SELF, Gourmet and others. In short, it is an amazing free cookbook! There are even video cooking lessons, ideas for entertaining and special parties and cocktail recipes, among many other features.
About a year ago, I saw an ad on Epicurious.com for their iPhone app. It was free (my main requirement), so I checked it out. Not only does it allow you to search and browse recipes by ingredients, cuisine, course, etc., it makes your shopping list! Talk about a time saver! There are even options called “I Can Barely Cook” and “I Cook Like a Pro” to help you find recipes that are suited to your skills. As with Epicurious.com, you can also save your favorite recipes. My only complaint is that my favorites on Epicurious.com don’t link up with my favorites on the iPhone app.
And just in case you thought that both the Epicurious website and the iPhone app were unbeatable, the company came out with one of the first iPad apps, and it is phenomenal! It turns your iPad into a full-page sized digital cookbook. You can see a nice screenshot here.
But wait, there’s more! For those of you who don’t own the iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone, you’re in luck! Last Tuesday, the Epicurious app was released for Android!
So for this week, happy cooking!
Google Search Tips and Tricks
May 21st
This week’s blog is going to be short and straight to the point. From time to time, I’m frustrated when I search for information on the web because many results come up that just aren’t relevant. For simplicity’s sake and because they have a majority market share, I’m going to focus on Google search.
The best example I can think of is when google “meshtop.” I’m constantly bombarded with images of girls in tops with holes in them and tables with metal lattice surfaces.
I know that we all have this problem on occasion, so I decided to compile a list of the most useful tricks to use and share with you. However, when I was searching for tips, I found that Google has already put together a perfectly concise list. Realizing that this is probably exactly what you (and I) need, I’m just going to share the link with you.
Google Tips and Tricks PDF
Extended Tips and Tricks from Google’s website
Happy searching!
Facebook’s Open Graph API and Online Privacy
May 14th
A lot of information has been flying around the web for the last few weeks regarding Facebook’s privacy policy and Open Graph. My goal for this blog is to provide you with some sites that will help you bypass the volumes of information and get straight to the facts that concern the average Facebook user.
The main question is: Should you we worry about our own privacy? I mean, is our information safe in Facebook’s hands? I think it’s valid to question Facebook’s privacy changes, especially in relation to its new Open Graph API.
The New York Times posted an article criticizing Facebook for the complexity and length of their privacy policy. Accompanying the article is a map of all the Privacy Options in Facebook, which appear every bit as complex as The New York Times claims.
I’ll admit; it looks bad. But here’s the thing: there are so many privacy options because Facebook wants to allow the users to choose what they share. Facebook has offered a highly customizable user interface, so that we can select our own levels of privacy.
Facebook has implemented a really interesting program, the Open Graph API, which has the potential to enhance our online experiences. It can provide relevant information to marketers, who can in turn provide you with advertisements that are actually relevant to you, rather than random things you aren’t interested in. It can save you time by pulling information from your Facebook page to customize other web sites when you browse. Mashable provides an excellent summary of what Open Graph actually is.
One benefit I’ve seen is from the music-streaming website Pandora, as reported by Wired. With Open Graph enabled, Pandora can pull your music preferences from your Facebook page and create customized playlists based on your taste. You can then share music and recommendations with your Facebook friends.
The main thing I disagree with regarding Open Graph is the default setting that Facebook chose. Privacy settings are set to automatically share user information via Open Graph since Facebook put the new program into operation. Had Open Graph been implemented as an “opt in” system, I believe the media backlash would have been much less.
Inside Facebook posted a great review of the current issues surrounding Facebook, Open Graph and privacy. It’s pretty long, but if personal privacy on the internet is important to you, it’s well worth the read.
The bottom line is that as far as internet privacy is concerned, we all need to be aware of what information we’re sharing. It is each individual’s responsibility to know what he or she posts online. That being said, there is no need to close your social networking accounts immediately or to start using an alias. Just be responsible and cognizant of your online identity. Choose what content you want to share and customize your Facebook privacy settings. Use (or don’t use) Open Graph to create the web experience that you want.
May 7th
I recently asked several of my friends which news aggregators
they use. I was stunned to find out that most of them had no idea what I was talking about. They go to each individual website that they like and read what seems relevant. Who has time for that? We’re all busy, so having easy access to news is essential. However, we all need different news. For example, I’m an American MBA marketing and social media intern living in China. I need to know about what is happening in the USA, as well as in Asia. I need to keep up with general business and marketing trends, as well as more specific trends in social media and social networking. I also need a daily dose of laughter to keep me sane.
I’ve found some great websites to give me the updates that I want, but they’re scattered all over the web. That’s why I’m such a big fan of news aggregators. About.com provides a list of the top ten aggregators for Windows, but my favorite (and thus, the one I’m going to talk about) is Google Reader. Mostly it’s my favorite because I like having everything in one place: Google Talk, Gmail, Search, Buzz, Maps, etc., etc. Plus, I’m a fan of keeping info in the cloud so I can access from any computer with an Internet connection regardless of location or if I’m using a PC or an Apple product.
For those of you who don’t already know, an aggregator basically works by receiving messages (called RSS feeds) from your favorite websites when they are updated. It then puts the messages in one web page, so that you can access all news relevant to you in one place. Simple, right?
The greatest thing about aggregators is that they are personalized, so here are my personal favorite subscriptions on Google Reader:
Social Media and Tech News: Mashable, All Facebook, Gizmodo and TechCrunch
Celebrity Gossip: Pop Sugar (Found this one in the Staff Picks)
Humor: The Onion, College Humor (still funny, no matter how old you are)
World News: BBC News
Random interesting things: digg.com: Stories / Popular and Lifehacker
In Google Reader, you can view each article by just the headline or the headline with a brief intro. There are also several options to “like” or share the articles.
There are a few ways to sort your news as well; my favorite is “sort by magic.” Although not technically magic (but might as well be), this setting sorts your news based on what you “like” and share. This means that as time passes, your most interesting and/or relevant news appears at the top of the list.
There are many other features, but I’ll let you explore them on your own for now. If you have any questions or tips for fellow users, feel free to post them.
Happy surfing!
The NEW Digital Life Simplified Blog
Apr 23rd
Happy Lisa and the lollipop!
Hi, everyone!
We’ve been really busy the last few weeks at meshtop. We are about to release a new version (details to come), which has required a lot of man hours! And we’re re-designing the website to better express the essence of MeshTop. As part of these changes, we’ve decided to take this blog in a different direction, one that you guys can relate to and will find beneficial.
The idea came from thinking about some of our favorite things. For example, a few of mine are Diet Dr. Pepper fountain soda, lollipops, and strawberry bubblegum (note: it must be bubblegum; chewing gum is not the same!). I realize that this may sound a bit silly to some of you, but it really proves the conclusion we made: Many of the things that make us happiest in this world are the simplest things around. This lead to our new blog concept: Digital Life Simplified.
We began thinking about how using computers and other technology is meant to make our lives easier. Unfortunately, things have been getting more and more complicated in some ways. For example, as an expat living in the big city, every time I leave the house, I need to have three things with me: my phone, my camera, and my mp3 player. It’s a real pain to have to carry all that around everywhere; even worse for guys because most have to try to fit everything in their pockets! Fortunately, Apple came out with the iPhone. Not only is this a phone, media player and camera in one, it has the capability to download translators, dictionaries and taxi cards in the native language. Having all these conveniences in one hand-held device is much easier: less to carry, less to remember when you leave the house, less to learn how to use.
This concept is exactly what we aim for at meshtop. Social Networking has become a huge part of the business world. Many of us rely on social networking concepts such as Twitter, Facebook and MSN to communicate with our customers and build leads. By merging the information from these sites into Outlook, you can quickly see status updates from your friends from all sites in one place, without logging into multiple websites and juggling several tabs or windows. meshtop matches the email addresses in your Inbox with your Facebook/Twitter contacts, so you can quickly check someone’s recent updates before replying to an email. Meshtop also automatically searches for an email address on Facebook to see if the contact has a profile if you aren’t already linked to that person (Note to Ye: does it do this with Twitter and MSN too? I only noticed Facebook before, but I think it probably checks them all. Please confirm.), helping you remember who you have forgotten to add as friends. As our new tag-line indicates, meshtop truly is Digital Life Simplified.
Over the next few months, we will be introducing some new products to make your lives easier. We will also bring you information through the DLS blog. We will tell you about new products and articles to make your life simpler through technology. We hope you like our changes, and as always your comments and questions are welcome.
