1. Most Useful application - ImageWell, for OS X, is the best image editor for grabbing and posting images to the web for inclusion into my blog. You just grab an image, resize it, add a shadow if you like and then send it to your host. Imagewell then automatically pasted HTML code onto your clipboard that you can use to paste into your blog post. It's sweet! I took the image of me as Superman that Chris just edited and posted it with ImageWell.2. Best Web site - Bloglines is my favorite website for keeping track of blog posts. It's an application that lives on the web. I like that since I can switch computers and still stay up to date on recently updated blog. I really like the improvements that let me see real time updates.
3. Worst Web site - The Boston Globe - This is an easy one. The Boston Globe website is the worst website. I've been complaining about this site for years and even went sown there to meet with them in person to explain how to make it better. They haven't implemented any of my suggestions.
Here are a few things the the Boston Globe must do to improve their website:
Add links to websites - When an article's main subject is a website, you must link to that website. This is a simple request. As I understand it, all the reporter needs to do is include the URL in the story, and the content management system will turn the URL into a live link.4. Hottest Trend - The hottest trend for 2006 was Main Stream Media jumping on the online video bandwagon. The challenge for 2007 will be for individual video bloggers to be seen amongst all the noise. We're already seeing many video aggregation sites neglect to offer a people category. Well some bloggers don't always blog about sports, politics, or humor, they blog about it all. I still subscribe to people and I hope there's going to be room for them in the 2007 video landscape.
Allow comments - Your own reporters want comments enabled. Business Filter writer Maura Welch writes about wanting comments. Just add comments. Please.
Use Creative Commons - When you ask people to send in photos, don't require that they hand over ownership to you. That's so lame.
Boston.com vs. www.boston.com/news/globe/ - Can't we just get along. There's no reason that I can see to have the online version of the paper different from the Boston.com website. Merge them.
5. Favorite Gadget - My favorite gadget is the Nokia N93 cellphone that Nokia sent me for a trial earlier this year. It's become my main video camera because of it's portability and amazing picture quality. I've still got to get cell service on it, but I'm reluctant to leave Verizon because I hear that T-Mobile and Cingular aren't as good. I've also got to test out more of the N93's WiFi capabilities.