Meryl.net has quite an exhaustive list of data visualization tools. We have written before about a startup that is competing in this space but the linked list from Meryl has 175 tools. Impressive.
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From the category archives:
web apps
The Microsoft Office team has done a fantastic job in recent years. Their launch of Office 2007 is biggest benchmark for their success. Install rates are high and so is customer satisfaction (wish the Microsoft Vista team could say the same).
With the success of Microsoft Office comes that awkward stage in technology when some of us are using Docx files and others are using the tried and true Doc file. What’s the difference? Docx files are generated by Office 2007 and Doc files are generated by older versions. This isn’t an issue unless you are still running an older version in which case you cannot open Docx files with a handy double-click of the mouse.
Here are your options:
1. Install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for 2007 File Formats. Here are the instructions from Microsoft. Good luck with that.
2. Using an online converter. There are plenty of them out there. Here is an example Google search. One that pops to my mind is Zamzar. Clean interface. Quick conversions. Move on with your life.
So, while we sit in technology limbo with half of us using Office 2007 and half of us using an older version of Microsoft Office we will have to deal with file compatibility issues. Make your life easier and use one of the options detailed above if you find yourself in a jam.
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We made a few changes on CTRL + SHIFT + K today. Most notably, there is now a Flickr photostream on the right hand side. But that’s not the cool part!
Using a jailbroken iPhone (Don’t tell Steve, ok?) I have added the Snapture, Capture and iFlickr applications. Snapture enhances the camera on the phone and provides a few extra features geared towards increasing photo quality. Capture allows me to take screenshots of anything being displayed on the phone. Both are easy to use and incredibly handy. iFlickr allows me to send photos directly to Flickr (and subsequently to the new photostream on the right hand side).
Very nice! Now….if I could only figure out how to stream live video from my iPhone using Qik. That would be perfect.
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I’ve always been a bit confused about the rise of MySpace during this time of all things Web2.0. To be honest, MySpace completely baffles me. Not from a “Why would people sign up for this service?” perspective but more from a “Rupert Murdoch paid *what* for this?!!?” perspective. Don’t believe the hype.
Now, Facebook is a different beast altogether. You have a generation of college students out in the workforce who spent a good portion of their college careers hanging out on Facebook. They are still visiting the site regularly but their lives have shifted to the business world.
Enter Twitter. This short messaging phenomena has had a solid 1.5 to 2 years of growth and even Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have an account. Evan Williams strikes again.
OK…still with me?
Enter Qik. This one was a point of no return for me. Buy a Nokia phone (more will be supported as this product moves out of Alpha) and stream *live* (fairly decent quality) video to the internet. An impressive service indeed…
So lets pull it all together.
You are a real estate agent (for example). You build a network of prospective buyers on Facebook (immediate notification is not key but staying in the loop for your clients is a must). You build a network of real estate professionals on Twitter (immediate notification in short message form is a must for this group). Then you stream live video of properties for sale via Qik.
Qik sends an automatic update to Twitter (immediate notification for real estate professionals). The whole thing is eventually archived on Facebook (to keep your prospective clients in the loop).
Your cost for these services? Currently they are all free but require that you painstakingly build a network of individuals and groups that are interested in what you have to say.
I hope you’re still with me.
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I have only mentioned Microsoft Sharepoint once on this site. It’s an amazing tool and really deserves more attention on CTRL + SHIFT + K. After participating in a week-long “power users” training session I have a few more comments to make about this technology:
- If you ever have the chance to visit Belgium, take it. I was only able to see Brussels but am told that Brugge is an amazing place.
- While there might I recommend a fantastic group of folks over at U2U. Kevin is an amazing trainer and I’m pretty sure that he knows what he is talking about.
- The new version of Sharepoint has been re-written practically from the ground up. This is version 3 of the product and, historically speaking, when Microsoft really hits their stride.
- There is almost no need to engage an IT resource for creating a powerful collaborative environment using Sharepoint. This is a big step forward for knowledge workers. If you can point and click your way through the interface then creating business applications is within your reach. Remember though….I said “almost” no need.
Seeing this product in action and thinking about the possibilities really does show how far we have come. Rapid deployment of sites complete with features such as intense security permissions, business workflow and document management are now all within your “point and click” reach. Take this opportunity and your competitive advantage could be huge.
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