Hello all. You may be wondering (and some have been asking) when reneepearson.com will receive an update. New content, etc. Well, I'm happy to say that I'm preparing an update for this week. It could be as soon as tomorrow...if all goes well with tonight's testing.
The +more part of this post is a nice little tip. scrapNfonts is offering 13 free CK fonts...no strings attached. Enjoy and stay tuned here. I'll post a little something when the updates are done.
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Free coffee! Free slippers! At reneepearson.com.
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Oh! I almost forgot. Free video tutorials, too.
I'm all giggly today because the new site's sneak peek video is posted on the site. So "get to gettin" on over and grab a...ummm...sneak peek!
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Have you noticed how many web apps are out there? It's amazing to me how many tasks that used to require specialized software running on your computer are now available in web apps. And so many of them are free! Here are a few that intrigue me. Tell me which web apps you like and why?
Scrapblog!
I've been calling Scrapblog "next generation" digital scrapbooking since I first saw it in action. That's because I believe more and more of us will be using applications like Scrapblog to express ourselves creatively and to share our creations. I had a chance to meet the founder, Carlos Garcia, at last year's summer CHA. He's a guy with big ideas who happens to "get" what we do. So I expect exciting things from the Scrapblog team in the future.
Jott
If you're like me, some of your best ideas come while you're driving or otherwise occupied with no paper handy. That's where Jott enters the picture. You can call Jott to capture thoughts, create to-dos and set reminders with one phone call.
New York Times technology columnist David Pogue calls it "your personal transcription service." Who doesn't need that, right! As if capturing brainstorms wasn't enough, with Jott you can also post to web services like Twitter, Facebook, Blogger or even Typepad, all from your phone.
Jott seems like the answer to my prayers. My great ideas almost never come when I'm sitting in front of my computer. Now I don't have to worry about losing them.
Google Apps
This list wouldn't be complete, of course, if I didn't include the granddaddy of them all...Google. There are so many apps under the Google umbrella that I can't even list them all here. The ones I use: Alerts, Docs, Calendar, Gmail.
What did we do before Google?
I'll keep scouring the web for more useful apps. In the meantime, do tell me about your favorites.
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On this Christmas Day, it seems appropriate that my final recommendation is not a gift for digital scrapbookers, but a couple of gifts digital scrapbookers can give.
The first is the one laptop per child program. For $199 you can donate a laptop to a child in a developing nation. For $399 you can donate one laptop and receive another for a child you know. The program has been so successful that hundreds of thousands of children use their laptops everyday.
The XO laptop was designed especially for children. It has built-in wireless and software for children to encourage exploration, creativity and collaboration.
There are XOs in over thirty countries from Peru to Rwanda. When the laptops arrive, school attendance goes up, and kids begin teaching each other how to use the machines.
give a laptop. get a laptop. change the world.
The next idea requires no money, just a little of your time.
It's a simple idea, really, that's worth a lot. Freerice is a website where users play multiple-choice games in order to raise money to fight world hunger. For every correct answer, Freerice donates 20 grains of rice to an impoverished country through the United Nations World Food Program. One month after its start, users of Freerice had earned enough points for one billion grains of rice. That's enough to feed 50,000 people for one day.
My favorite is the vocabulary game. Imagine doing good while you're learning. So, next time instead of killing time with freecell, go over to Freerice and make a difference.
Happy holidays and God Jul from Sweden!
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Apple Macbook Pro
Apple bills the new Macbook Pro as "the world's greenest family of notebooks." Each new MacBook is designed with features to reduce its environmental footprint. Apple has worked hard to eliminate many of the toxins that are a common part of notebook manufacturing. They've also made it highly recyclable, more energy efficient and reduced the size of the packaging. Because of Apple's commitment to the environment (and because it's a gorgeous machine) my first pick is the Macbook Pro.
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Sony VAIO
When it comes to style, Sony's VAIO gets my vote hands down. It comes with all the bells and whistles you'd expect from a notebook, including a built-in 1.3 megapixel MOTION EYE camera and microphone and an electro-static touch pad.
A user writes:
"This computer is absolutely amazing, i plugged it in and everything worked perfectly. There were no hassles, it was so easy and of course the best part, it's pink! I think this was the overall a wonderful selection."
Pros: clear screen, soft keyboard, and stylish design
So, if you're in the market for a brand new PC notebook, I'd say the Sony VAIO looks like a very good choice.
But the VAIO isn't the only PC laptop to catch my eye...
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Dell Studio
Even though Kent uses a Dell, I don't visit their website very often. So I was blown away (and pleasantly surprised) when I saw their Studio line of laptops.
They have the widest variety of colors and designs of any laptop maker I've seen. Over 100 (that's right, 100) different designs are available. As a designer, of course I was duly impressed.
With a single click you're inside their design studio where you can choose from their entire collection until you find one that perfectly reflects your style.
I know a laptop is about more than looks. There's speed, capacity, reliability and durability to think about. But since this is a device I'd be spending a lot of time with, being easy on the eyes is a definite plus. Dell has definitely moved away from that boxy look of the past with the Studio family of laptops. And I think that's a very good thing.
Tomorrow is the last day of my gift-giving posts. In the meantime, here's wishing you a wonderful Christmas Eve. Here in Sweden, Christmas is celebrated on Dec 24th. So I'll sign out with a very God Jul!
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After searching high and low for a stylish rolling laptop bag, I gave up and now I use a standard roll-aboard that fits under a seat. To accommodate and protect my laptop, I use a padded sleeve. It's about time for me to replace the worn and simple black number I currently use. Any one of these would be an eye-pleasing alternative.
For overnighters or international travel (for keeping essentials in the cabin with me) I like the Trolley Hybrid by Hideo Wakamatsu. It sports a casing in the front for up to a 17" laptop and fits snugly in the overhead bin.
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"Everything in the world exists in order to end up as a book." ~ Stephane Mellarme
If Mellarme's right, then every digital designer needs her own binding tool. My pick is the Zutter Bind-It-All system.
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A National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) membership comes with all kinds of benefits including a subscription to "Photoshop User" magazine. In fact, the only way to subscribe is via membership.
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Imagine being able to travel with a single adapter and a small bag of tips for all of your electronic devices. It's space saving and saves you the trouble of having to keep track of adapters for your laptop, phone, iPod, and PDA. You can do it with iGo.
(I should say that all of these gift recommendations are my own. I receive no compensation from the companies I recommend.)
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When it comes to camera bags, comfort is my most important requirement. That's why I love my Tamrac Velocity sling bag. I can comfortably carry my DSLR with an attached zoom lens plus an extra smaller lens or flash and accessories. It's comfortable on my back, slides around easily for accessibility and has turned out to be a great little price performer.
If I didn't have the Tamrac, I'd give serious consideration to the pricier Customary Barge from Crumpler. While I prefer slingpacks, the backpack styling still works for travel. And it's a lot roomier than my Tamrac. With the airlines' limited carry-on baggage allowances, it's nice that the Crumpler has room for a small book and a couple of magazines.
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Let's face it. While we love the results that come from our digital SLRs, sometimes it's just not practical to carry one around.
A high-end compact camera can serve as an excellent alternative. If money was no object, the new 14.7 megapixel Canon PowerShot G10 would be my pick. For style and size, I'd be quite happy toting an 8 megapixel PowerShot SD1100 IS in my purse.
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A subscription to Before & After design magazine. I've been a subscriber since the very first issue. It comes in both print and PDF versions.
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I couldn't survive without my portable external hard drive.
You can't go wrong with Seagate's FreeAgent or Western Digital's MyPassport.
Hey! What's on your digi-scrappers gift lift? I'd love to know, so leave me a comment.
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