Plan Your Life with Online Calendar Jotlet

A new addition to the online calendar space is Jotlet, self-funded by its two founders Adam Wulf (responsible for coding and development) and Matt Wilson (UI and design). Jotlet joins Google Calendar, HipCal, 30Boxes, and the much-debated sellout Kiko. In development for the past 9 months, Jotlet opened its doors to beta testers two weeks ago and are now accepting new users. When I was first pitched about Jotlet, I have to admit I was quite excited in trying it out - and for a product in such a tough, competent space, it doesn't disappoint one bit.

Overview
Since I'm sure anyone who reads this blog knows about web-based online calendars (or at least Microsoft Outlook) I won't spend time on describing online calendars. Basically, Jotlet aims in bringing this function, or rather this new and starting craze, into the lives of regular people. Aimed at the very average non-techie user, Jotlet focuses on providing a simple and straight-forward interface, along with a hassle-free user experience. Their tagline 'the simple web calendar' summarizes their focus quite well.

The Jotlet
What I love about Jotlet is that every aspect of the application is on one page itself, so this avoids any complexity. Once you have your Jotlet loaded, everything else pretty much comes along with it. The Jotlet has 3 parts - a sidebar with a list of actions, calendars, and tasks; a view changer which allows you to select if you want to view it by day, week, or month; and the main display which corresponds to your view. The default view is monthly, although specific views fit to specific needs. Also, to help you visually, Jotlet darkens the days where there are more tasks and events.

Additionally, I don't think I need to mention that every item in display has the function to be dragged and dropped seamlessly (and manipulated accordingly). A cool feature they've implemented is that you can also go into 'settings' and enter in your zip-code (for US-only as for now) and it will show predicted weather for the next two days in the appropriate dates.

Tasks & Events
Jotlet has two different types of things you can input into it: tasks, for example 'laundry' and 'dishes,' and events, like 'meeting with the CEO.' Adding these is a reasonably simple task, and Jotlet only requires you to provide a title, and optionally you can input a specific date, time and a description. Also, you can set tasks and events that repeat themselves (for example a 'daily visit to the gym' or a 'weekly board-meeting') and it takes care of that. A neat feature they've added is the ability to get reminders via e-mail and SMS - this is certainly a must for any calendar or life-managing application.

Multiple Calendars
Jotlet also gives you the option of having multiple calendars to colour-code and differentiate types of tasks and events. For example, I can create two calendars, 'work' and 'personal.' Both will be displayed on the same page (i.e. my Jotlet) together, however if I need to see all the work-related events I've lined up, I can toggle calendars - all I have to do is deselect the 'personal' calendar from the sidebar and it goes out of display. With the magic of Ajax you can bet this to be a fast process.

Sharing
Lastly, a neat feature they've incorporated is the ability to share, synchronize, and manage across multiple users. For example, to show me the power of this feature Adam created a calendar on his side, and by swapping buddy-invitations, he was able to essentially 'stream' a calendar from his to my Jotlet. This is an extremely handy feature for companies and teams and such, and to manage and keep updated a group of people with a set of tasks and events. Also, it's amazing how seamlessly this worked.

Conclusion & Future
Jotlet seems to have an extremely promising future ahead. When I questioned Adam as to their intentions to growing out and seeking funding, he did say it was something they were considering but they were quite keen on owning 100% of the company to themselves to give it away. Also, he mentioned that they don't have a plan to expand the team in the near-term. I think it's amazing how far literally just 2 people have got with a fantastic mindset, 9 months of development, and a little bit of self-funding. As I've said before, Jotlet is an extremely competent product in a tough growing space. As for the revenue aspect, in the future they plan to grow out and customize the product for businesses to fit inro their specific processes — using the current free version as a proof-of-concept. They're also working on a feature called MagiCals which they state will truly bring Jotlet to the end user. In any case, I think Jotlet has a good future ahead and they've so far had a better start than any.

by rev2.org

LifeTango attempts to help you reach your goals

If you are feeling a little short on affirmation, or you feel the need to share the fact that you can’t cook with the rest of the world, head on over to LifeTango. You’ll be able to create a list of all the things you have been meaning to do, and never have, and then find other slackers who are just like you. Maybe you can even get together and figure out how to finally accomplish your goals, or at the very least, have a good time living vicariously through other people’s successes.

Although LifeTango has tried to bring in some social networking aspects, I just can’t find what will make people want to come back. Yes, it’s nice to put down your goals and work towards them, but what’s wrong with a pen and some paper? Do people really feel the need to share personal goals with the rest of the planet? Apparently, at least for some people, the answer is yes.

The “invite friends and family to support you” aspect is an interesting one. As if having Aunt Sally email you a couple of times a week to ask why you never settled down isn’t annoying enough, you can send her to your LifeTango list where she can continue to bug you. You can even have complete strangers nudging you to get on the ball, if you are so inclined. LifeTango is sinking simply because I do not see any staying power here. People set goals and break them all the time, it is just part of life. Building a site around something that may last as long as this year’s New Year’s resolution is not, in my opinion, a way to make a great service.

Posted by Aneil Weber in Web 2.0, Sinking

Webwag Takes on Netvibes and Pageflakes

Webwag, another new ajax startpage, has announced its US version. The French company, founded by successful businessman Franck Poisson, joins Netvibes and Pageflakes - making for a trio of European start pages. Webwag has opened headquarters in Palo Alto, but the R&D will remain in France. The site got downed by heavy traffic from Digg earlier today, but seems to be stabilizing now.

Webwag’s layout is nice - very minimalistic with plenty of ajaxy drag-and-drop elements. It’s very similar to Netvibes, but they’ve prettied it up with some fades and rounded corners. By default, it includes YouTube videos, iTunes tracks, Google search, weather, your email and the latest news from Digg. You can also create new tabs and spawn as many modules as you like. Most importantly: the vast majority of the features are available without signing up - like Netvibes and Pageflakes, it seems to drop a cookie in your browser and remembers your layout when you return. Another neat feature: registered users can change the Webwag logo into a title for their page. There are a bunch of hidden features, too - for instance, clicking the logo pulls up the feed directory (Webwag guys: you have the wrong Mashable feed!).

This week the company launched the Webwag toolbar - they’re the first startpage to do so. This allows you to go straight to Webwag, bookmark sites to appear on your Webwag page, create a new Webwag widget for any site, export your browser bookmarks to Webwag and adjust your account settings. They released an API this week, too, and they’re inviting developers to get involved. The company plans to make money through affiliate marketing, B2B deals (perhaps white label versions) and through the search bar on your Webwag page.

Webwag is a solid attempt, but they’re entering a crowded market - Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and others have their own versions, while Netvibes, Pageflakes and Protopage are among the few successful independents. Of course, it all comes down to execution in the end - it’s remarkable that the independents have done so well when faced with competition from some of the web’s biggest companies.

by Pete Cashmore

The YourMinis Do-It-All Flash Homepage

YourMinis is a Flash-based customizable homepage product that will compete for users with a number of similar products that use Ajax - Netvibes, Pageflakes, Google, Live.com and more. This was launched by a startup called Goowy, which created a flash-based productivity suite (email, calendar, IM, etc.) last year - see here for our Goowy coverage.

Goowy CEO Alex Bard gave me a demo of the product at the Web 2.0 Summit this week. YourMinis is a solid product, offering completely customizable modules like RSS feeds, Flickr photos, YouTube videos, POP Email, etc. Users can create multiple tabs to better organize information, and any tab can be turned into a public URL and shared with friends. They have also published an API and allow third parties to create modules which will be available to all users.

YourMinis also has a browser extension that makes it easier to add information to the site. Videos, photos and RSS feeds can added to a user’s YourMinis page by simply clicking on a button added to the browser. This is particularly useful for subscribing to RSS feeds - a module is automatically added to YourMinis based on the auto-discovered feed.

There are other interesting features on the site as well that are worth exploring, and YourMinis is certainly a showcase for what can be done with Flash.

Jamendo : Open your ears

jamendo is a new model for artists to promote, publish, and be paid for their music.

On jamendo, the artists distribute their music under Creative Commons licenses. In a nutshell, they allow you to download, remix and share their music freely. It's a "Some rights reserved" agreement, perfectly suited for the new century.

These new rules make jamendo able to use the new powerful means of digital distribution like Peer-to-Peer networks such as BitTorrent or eMule to legally distribute albums at near-zero cost.

jamendo users can discover and share albums, but also review them or start a discussion on the forums. Albums are democratically rated based on the visitors’ reviews. If they fancy an artist they can support him by making a donation.

jamendo is the only platform that joins together :

• A legal framework protecting the artists (thanks to the Creative Commons licenses).
• Free, simple and quick access to the music, for everyone.
  
• The use of the lastest Peer-to-Peer technologies
• The possibility of making direct donations to the artists.
• An adaptive music recommendation system based on iRATE to help listeners discover new artists based on their tastes and on other criterias such as their location.

Jamendo

SnapPages

The goal of SnapPages is to make people rethink how they view online applications and to redefine the term "user-friendly".

Rethink Online Applications
A new wave of online applications are making their way onto the internet, fueled by "technologies" like AJAX and Flash, that act more and more like desktop applications rather then web-based applications. This new "wave" of applications has been coined "Web 2.0".

The problem with most of these new applications is that although they are a huge leap ahead of what used to be on the web, they look and feel more like something that might have been a desktop application 10 years ago. Many of the lessons that have been learned about usability and the importance of overall user experience in the software industry are not being applied to these new online applications.

We hope to change all that with SnapPages and raise the bar for what an online application should be. Our plan is to create a suite of applications that are just as functional and visually impressive as any desktop application out there while taking full advantage of all the added benefits the internet has to offer.

Redefine "User-Friendly"
The biggest problem with the statement "user-friendly" is that it depends on who the developer defines as a "user". It seems that most applications today are created with the idea in mind that the people who will be using their application have used something similar before and therefore it will be very "friendly" to the "user". But what about the millions of other people out there who haven't used a similar application before? Is it friendly if they happen to be the "user"?

The majority of people out there want to use online applications like they use their microwave. Meaning, they want it to do exactly what they need to do and they don't want to spend a lot of time doing it or have to read a manual first. That's why we are going to great lengths to make each one of our applications as intuitive as possible for the real average user. All the SnapPage applications are created with a user interface that makes all of the core functions easily visible and obvious to use.


SnapPages

Money from air

Hey. Came across with an interesting web lottery – www.newyeardraw.com . May sound strange but it’s a free draw, as the site says.. Don’t know, I just signed up there, see if I win something.. Lol :) By the way, like the count down there..

Ten Rules for Web Startups

#1: Be Narrow
Focus on the smallest possible problem you could solve that would potentially be useful. Most companies start out trying to do too many things, which makes life difficult and turns you into a me-too. Focusing on a small niche has so many advantages: With much less work, you can be the best at what you do. Small things, like a microscopic world, almost always turn out to be bigger than you think when you zoom in. You can much more easily position and market yourself when more focused. And when it comes to partnering, or being acquired, there's less chance for conflict. This is all so logical and, yet, there's a resistance to focusing. I think it comes from a fear of being trivial. Just remember: If you get to be #1 in your category, but your category is too small, then you can broaden your scope—and you can do so with leverage.

#2: Be Different
Ideas are in the air. There are lots of people thinking about—and probably working on—the same thing you are. And one of them is Google. Deal with it. How? First of all, realize that no sufficiently interesting space will be limited to one player. In a sense, competition actually is good—especially to legitimize new markets. Second, see #1—the specialist will almost always kick the generalist's ass. Third, consider doing something that's not so cutting edge. Many highly successful companies—the aforementioned big G being one—have thrived by taking on areas that everyone thought were done and redoing them right. Also? Get a good, non-generic name. Easier said than done, granted. But the most common mistake in naming is trying to be too descriptive, which leads to lots of hard-to-distinguish names. How many blogging companies have "blog" in their name, RSS companies "feed," or podcasting companies "pod" or "cast"? Rarely are they the ones that stand out.

#3: Be Casual
We're moving into what I call the era of the "Casual Web" (and casual content creation). This is much bigger than the hobbyist web or the professional web. Why? Because people have lives. And now, people with lives also have broadband. If you want to hit the really big home runs, create services that fit in with—and, indeed, help—people's everyday lives without requiring lots of commitment or identity change. Flickr enables personal publishing among millions of folks who would never consider themselves personal publishers—they're just sharing pictures with friends and family, a casual activity. Casual games are huge. Skype enables casual conversations.

#4: Be Picky
Another perennial business rule, and it applies to everything you do: features, employees, investors, partners, press opportunities. Startups are often too eager to accept people or ideas into their world. You can almost always afford to wait if something doesn't feel just right, and false negatives are usually better than false positives. One of Google's biggest strengths—and sources of frustration for outsiders—was their willingness to say no to opportunities, easy money, potential employees, and deals.

#5: Be User-Centric
User experience is everything. It always has been, but it's still undervalued and under-invested in. If you don't know user-centered design, study it. Hire people who know it. Obsess over it. Live and breathe it. Get your whole company on board. Better to iterate a hundred times to get the right feature right than to add a hundred more. The point of Ajax is that it can make a site more responsive, not that it's sexy. Tags can make things easier to find and classify, but maybe not in your application. The point of an API is so developers can add value for users, not to impress the geeks. Don't get sidetracked by technologies or the blog-worthiness of your next feature. Always focus on the user and all will be well.

#6: Be Self-Centered
Great products almost always come from someone scratching their own itch. Create something you want to exist in the world. Be a user of your own product. Hire people who are users of your product. Make it better based on your own desires. (But don't trick yourself into thinking you are your user, when it comes to usability.) Another aspect of this is to not get seduced into doing deals with big companies at the expense or your users or at the expense of making your product better. When you're small and they're big, it's hard to say no, but see #4.

#7: Be Greedy
It's always good to have options. One of the best ways to do that is to have income. While it's true that traffic is now again actually worth something, the give-everything-away-and-make-it-up-on-volume strategy stamps an expiration date on your company's ass. In other words, design something to charge for into your product and start taking money within 6 months (and do it with PayPal). Done right, charging money can actually accelerate growth, not impede it, because then you have something to fuel marketing costs with. More importantly, having money coming in the door puts you in a much more powerful position when it comes to your next round of funding or acquisition talks. In fact, consider whether you need to have a free version at all. The TypePad approach—taking the high-end position in the market—makes for a great business model in the right market. Less support. Less scalability concerns. Less abuse. And much higher margins.

#8: Be Tiny
It's standard web startup wisdom by now that with the substantially lower costs to starting something on the web, the difficulty of IPOs, and the willingness of the big guys to shell out for small teams doing innovative stuff, the most likely end game if you're successful is acquisition. Acquisitions are much easier if they're small. And small acquisitions are possible if valuations are kept low from the get go. And keeping valuations low is possible because it doesn't cost much to start something anymore (especially if you keep the scope narrow). Besides the obvious techniques, one way to do this is to use turnkey services to lower your overhead—Administaff, ServerBeach, web apps, maybe even Elance.

#9: Be Agile
You know that old saw about a plane flying from California to Hawaii being off course 99% of the time—but constantly correcting? The same is true of successful startups—except they may start out heading toward Alaska. Many dot-com bubble companies that died could have eventually been successful had they been able to adjust and change their plans instead of running as fast as they could until they burned out, based on their initial assumptions. Pyra was started to build a project-management app, not Blogger. Flickr's company was building a game. Ebay was going to sell auction software. Initial assumptions are almost always wrong. That's why the waterfall approach to building software is obsolete in favor agile techniques. The same philosophy should be applied to building a company.

#10: Be Balanced
What is a startup without bleary-eyed, junk-food-fueled, balls-to-the-wall days and sleepless, caffeine-fueled, relationship-stressing nights? Answer?: A lot more enjoyable place to work. Yes, high levels of commitment are crucial. And yes, crunch times come and sometimes require an inordinate, painful, apologies-to-the-SO amount of work. But it can't be all the time. Nature requires balance for health—as do the bodies and minds who work for you and, without which, your company will be worthless. There is no better way to maintain balance and lower your stress that I've found than David Allen's GTD process. Learn it. Live it. Make it a part of your company, and you'll have a secret weapon.

#11 (bonus!): Be Wary
Overgeneralized lists of business "rules" are not to be taken too literally. There are exceptions to everything.


by Evan Williams

Test ))

it is super test. Did you give me money?