Wednesday, May 21, 2008

The happening world of web2.0 services

Web2.0 seems to be the buzz around for many new services mushrooming all around the web (on a daily basis). These cater to the needs of people volunteering to fill the gap for things that range from bare necessities in a web-enabled PC user's life to just plain what if's...
Here, I've just put some of those websites I've hit (thru search or referrals or ads) recently.
EyeJot: what could be the next in emailing! Don't tell me all that Google, Yahoo and M$ have to offer with integrated search and schedulers and what not!
Well, Eyejot is different. A client-free online video messaging platform for personal and business communications.
Offers: The ability to create and receive video messages in a self-contained, spam-free environment.
Client-Free: With no client to install, start using Eyejot immediately with any browser, on any platform.

Yugma: If you're a MS LiveMeeting or WebEx user and still want more, then Yugma is the one killer Web2.0 app for ya.
It's free, and you can use it for Desktop Sharing, Teleconferencing, Presentations, Shared File Space and Session Recording.
Share your computer screen in real-time so that everyone sees what you see - regardless of the application, software or operating system you are using. With Yugma, you can accomplish any task you can in a traditional meeting.

Box: Ever thought how storage has become so important for us that now we need it on the fly, wherever we go and all the time. My laptop or an external drive can promise me some but not all the features that a web app dedicated to storage and collaboration gives us and yet again, free ;)
Box.net is an online Web storage provider. Users can store 1GB of whatever they want.
Pro Features: It provides slick-looking file-sharing widgets. Users get instant previews of images, music, and text documents. The files reside in your Box.net storage area, and as the widget owner you can even upload files through the widget.
Box.net has also launched a development platform for 3rd party sites and services to tap into it's file systems to run applications right within the file browser. Users can add these services to their Box.net accounts free of charge, and tap into them by right-clicking on files. There are more in this category out there like sugarsync that provides more sought after features like Multi computer data (music, text, video and wat not) sync and Automatic online backup (but it's a paid service app)... And the options are growing ;)

Google Reader: One of the greatest web2.0 hits from Google's stable of online apps, this one has simplified and popularized the single-window concept of getting abreast with information. Not just that most of the websites now have an RSS/Feedburner option for you to get the latest w/o re-visiting the site. With this app, users can subscribe to as many RSS feeds as they want, then browse them in a lean and simplistic two-pane story browser that feels a little bit like Gmail. Other than photos and text, Google Reader can display embedded video clips from several popular services.
It provides you features like: sharing the RSS feeds/stories with others. It even integrates your list of shared stories with buddies on Google Talk.
Works on any browser, versions available for mobile phones, the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. Google offers iGoogle, a personalized page that can set up an RSS startpage for you and your colleagues. Netvibes is another one that offers similar features.

Mint: Don't worry, there has to be a web app for financial management services and that's where this one fits in, free.
Pro features: Interfaces directly with your bank and credit card companies to keep your accounts up to date. Not just a budgeting tool, but also a way to keep track of accounts w/o going to a bunch of different sites.
E-mail or mobile alerts. Caters to alerts like accounts dropping to critical levels, bills due, or when large purchases are made on credit cards you're tracking. Mint makes money for itself, and for you, by analyzing your spending habits and your accounts and recommending offers that will save you money. Got a high-interest credit card? Spending too much on mobile phone? Mint's advertising network will match offers from its partners to your particular situation.
Although this works only for people managing their stuff in the US currency it won't take much time for other such web apps (do I hear moneycontrol) to provide similar or better features for your localized needs.

As I write this review, there are hundreds of new web2.0 apps coming up to enable you with essential and good-to-have tools for productivity, entertainment and information search and analysis. Explore some of the best rated ones too.

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