Tired of Your Usual Mostly Text Blogs? Scrapblog!

I've just discovered a great web app. Check out Scrapblog.com and I'm sure you guys will like it too. This isn't an endorsement and I'm not being paid to say this, but I really like Scrapblog's concept.

Instead of the usual text-based blog apps, Scrapblog allows you to create scrapbook-like flash blogs that almost literally pops out of the page. You can post pictures and text like you would on a scrapbook using an very intuitive interface.

They also have loads of templates to choose from. Or if you're really creative, you can create your own designs from scratch. You can even post your creations to your flickr accounts.

The only problem I have with it is that it's a tad slow on my dsl connection. I expected the web-based app to be a bit quicker that it actually is. I really don't know if it's their server or my internet connection but it seemed like I was staring at the screen waiting for it to render more often than I would have liked.

Despite this, I would still recommend this service. Try it!

2 Great Web Apps

In these times when websites are all integrated and everyone's crazy about Facebook, YouTube and Digg, finding these two great sites gave me a huge breath of fresh air. Both are very useful and painfully simple to use. Check these out...

• drop.io - This is a file-sharing service minus all the complications. Just upload your file, type in a name for your "drop," add an optional password, set an expiry date, and "drop it." Its that simple. No sign-ups, no registrations.
  
• Vector Magic - This is an online tool that creates vector graphics from your .gif or .jpeg files. Everything is done on the site, there are no software downloads and no required sign-ups. But the best thing about this site is, the conversion results are surprisingly accurate.

Jaiku Acquired By Google

Jaiku, the Twitter-like web start-up that's not even open to new user sign-ups yet (you can only join if you're recommended by a current user) has just been acquired by Google. Wow, I personally think that Google is slowly taking over the world. But I think that's a good thing, as long as they use their power for good. Haha.

Anyway, according their FAQs about the acquisition...

We are excited to welcome the Jaiku employees into Google. While it's too soon to comment on specific products and development plans, we'll be working with the Jaiku team over the coming months to expand their technology in ways we hope you'll find interesting and useful.

Lucky Jaiky employees, I wonder if they got a pay rise... hmm, technology that's interesting and useful huh... I'm intrigued. What's also interesting is how this is going to impact the simpler but more popular Twitter. I guess only time will tell, but I'm 70 percent sure that this will bring Twitter down. Let's wait and see.

My Mashable.com Top 5

I love lists and compilations. That's why I totally get Mashable.com. I could probably spend all day reading and just absorbing post after Mashable post. Although I haven't done that yet, I have already compiled a personal Mashable Top 5. These aren't in any particular order and subject to change at any time (haha)... enjoy.

1. 80+ Free 2-Column Website Templates - I'm a web designer and this is a great source for inspiration. Yup, I admit it, I've been to the point where I just can't get a move on a project due to the lack of a mind spark. Scrolling through this post gets my creative juices flowing in no time.

2. Download YouTube Videos - Let's face it, YouTube rocks. It's not just a repository of corny home videos and hilarious Japanese tv shows. Everyone is using it nowadays and it's virtually an unlimited resource for informative videos including gadget reviews, tutorials, even podcasts. However, it's biggest limitation for me is the lack of a built-in download feature. To the rescue are more than a handful of third party apps that do just that. Stan Schroeder from Mashable has made things easier for us by compiling a list of YouTube downloaders. Handy.

3. 50 Great Widgets For Your Blog - These are all great widgets for your blog. Keep it in mind though, it's great to have a few widgets on your blog, but don't overdo it. Choose the most relevant ones for your sites content and practice moderation.

4. 30+ Tools to Turn Wordpress into a Personal Hub - Although I'm using Blogger, I won't deny that Wordpress is a great blogging platform. It's very flexible and easy to use. These tools allow you to make your Wordpress blog into a virtual souped-up social network profile page. In this case, contrary to my advice for #3, I'd say go all out with the add-ons and have fun.

5. TWITTER TOOLBOX: 60+ Twitter Tools - By itself, Twitter is a simple microblogging tool. With these add-ons and tools however, Twitter becomes a messenging powerhouse. I personally didn't get Twitter when it first came out but as these tools slowly trickled out I realized that you control how powerful it can become.

Tafiti Brings New Light To Searching

If you love pretty graphics and shiny interfaces you'll probably love Tafiti. It's an experimental search engine tool that was built on Silverlight, Microsoft's version of Flash. It works on any browser that supports Silverlight and provides the user a somewhat cosmetic solution to generic, boring search engine results and gives it a more stylish interface. Ironically, I would compare the experience of navigating Tafiti's interface to doing so on a Mac GUI. I got the same clean, shiny experience.

However, despite how nice it looks, I still think that it lacks the practicality and efficiency of a Google search. Keep in mind that Tafiti is backed up by Microsoft Live Search which I think is the crappiest search engine of the whole lot. It does have some potential though, as long as Microsoft keeps the interface quick to navigate and the seaches relevant.

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Leaked Torrents from Warner Bros.

Looks like some media execs. are starting to realize the value of torrents as a means of publicity for their shows. Torrentfreaks reveal that a number of pre-air tv shows appearing on Bittorrent might have been inside jobs done for publicity. Apparently, these torrents are doing a good job creating buzz for these new shows that people would otherwise ignore. Hmmm, so is this a case of hipocracy on the media side? It looks like they want the best of both worlds. They use torrents when it benefits them and call it piracy and stop it when it threatens them. Hypocracy, indeed.

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