Blogger Gadgets

I made a huge mistake last week when I was editing my blog Every Single Thing. I changed the template, and as a result lost any customization I created in the blog. This meant my Links list that ran down the right hand side of the page. Frustrated, I left it alone for a while, but yesterday decided it was time to put the links back. That was when I discovered that Blogger finally allows adding elements to a blog without having to do any fancy HTML. Gadgets allow users to add a slideshow, videos, news headlines, and yes, a list of links.

Safari

I downloaded and installed the Safari browser a couple of days ago. It's an Apple product, and was offered to me when my iTunes was ready to update. The layout of web pagses look very clean, and as promised, fast-loading. I haven't played with it enough yet to do a thorough comparison with IE and Firefox, which are my two browsers of choice. The main thing I can tell thus far, is that it is quite streamlined and simple. Safari is available here.

Muxtape

Yesterday, I discovered Muxtape. It is a music social networking tool that allows users to create a "mix tape" of 12 songs, that can be accessed and listened to by anyone else using the service. Some of the rules include only uploading one song per artist, and having permission to upload the songs (as if that one will be adhered to strictly by users). The songs stream online and can't be downloaded, but links to Amazon's MP3 store is available for each song, so that they can be purchased. Muxtapes can be favourited for easy access. There is no obvious way to stop and re-start the music, but I discovered that by clicking once on the song it will stop, and clicking again will re-start it. Songs can also be scrobbled to Last.fm, re-organized, and deleted. I created a Muxtape. I think it is a great way to introduce others to different kinds of music, plus have a way of listening to some of my favourite songs at remote locations if I don't happen to have my iPod handy, or if I want to hear the songs out loud. Here's my Muxtape.

New Look for Del.Icio.Us

Bookmark sharing site Del.Icio.Us launched its new look today. It's a lot more sleek than the previous. Users have to log in again, even if the login info was previously saved. Here is a look at my bookmarks.

Bringing it All Together

Two of the most frustrating parts of having so many social networking applications, are:

1) Keeping them all updated
2) Keeping them organized in such a way as for others to know what you have been up to.

Ping.fm is a solution to problem #1. It allows you to update a number of status messages and blogs at once. However, it is in the beta stage right now, so in order to sign up, you'll have to pinch a code from someone.

FriendFeed is a like a blog/status stream. It presents updates to blogs, photo and video sharing, Twitter, and a host of other sites all on one page. Want to see how it works? Check out my FriendFeed.

WiFi and Blogging

When I look at people sitting around coffee shops, cafes, and other places with wireless connections, I wonder how many of them are actually blogging rather than working. Myself, I do quite a bit of blogging abroad -- meaning away from my home office. I do enough work there, that sometimes I don't feel like being chained to my desk to engage in a hobby, even if it is one of my favourite ones. Viva WiFi, bringing making blogging possible from almost anywhere, any time.

Twitter

I'm hooked on Twitter. My tweet-stream grows by about half a dozen posts per day, on average. In 140 characters or less (not words - characters) I have a change to express myself quickly, while learning the art of being succinct. It's almost like a Facebook status update, except with more personality. It's not quite social networking, and it's not quite a blog - it's an effective communication tool that reflects the fast-paced world in which we live. But certainly it is no substitute for a blog, even though I like it.