Google Flu Trends

I saw this story last week, and meant to put up a post about it, but alas it was lost in the shuffle.  Having sorted through said shuffle this morning, I thought I would go ahead and put up a brief “better late than never” post anyhow.

Google.org has now added the ability to track search patterns on the Flu.  This is extremely useful, as in the internet enabled age in which we live, many people who have flu-like symptoms turn to Google to see what is wrong.  If an area has a large increase in search for specific search terms that are associated with the flu, Google can assert that there might be an outbreak taking place.

According to the site, this method of tracking flu outbreaks can save weeks in determining that an epidemic is in process.  While this can’t eliminate the risk of catching the flu, it can inform citizens and medical professionals to be more cautious and better prepared.  Who would have dreamed that search could actually save lives?

We live in amazing times.

Google Flu Trends

LinkedIn Offering Cool New Tools

LinkedIn is a great tool for research, networking, and keeping tabs on professionals you know.  Some recent additions to the platform have made it even better - applications and company information.  These new features have been out for a couple weeks now, and they are very easy to utilize and can deliver some great results.

Applications - From placing an Amazon.com list of book you have read to placing a widget featuring your latest blog posts, LinkedIn has added the ability to use external applications to further differentiate your page and add value to using the LinkedIn platform.  The Slideshares and Google Presentation widgets allow you to easily embed slideshows within your page, while other applications like box.net allow you to upload files and collaborate with connections directly through LinkedIn.  While there are only 9 applications available now, the list is sure to grow soon.  Still, those that they have added are absloutely worth taking a look at implementing into your profile.

Company Pages - Have you ever used Hoovers Online to research a company?  This is a similar concept, but approaches it from a completely different angle.  While Hoovers offers up the view of a company from the top, LinkedIn provides a much more bottom-up view of a firm.  You can see where people who work at a company tend to go to school, where they used to work, what popular job titles are, and on and on.  LinkedIn takes the data attached to each individual profile and aggregates it into a very interesting and meaningful profile of an organization and its employees.  Thinking of calling on company XYZ for some business?  Seach for them on LinkedIn and see what you can learn.

So go get on LinkedIn, update your profile, add some books to your reading list, and build your personal brand.

Gmail Now Comes in a Can?

I am an unabashed lover of Gmail, the free email service offered by Google.  This week the Gmail team introduced a new feature that has some real value - Canned Response.  The feature allows you to “pre-write” standard email messages that you can then call up with one click and send as a response.

My first gut reaction to this was “email for the lazy.”  I thought to myself how impersonal to not take the time to write out each and every response in detail to the person on the other end of the message.  But then it hit me.  You could use this for numerous applications as a way to save time and improve the quality of your responses.

Here is one example.  Directions.  Suppose people are often asking you for directions to your workplace, directions to your home, or directions to your favorite coffee shop.  By typing the directions to these places up ahead of time, you can easily send people a detailed map with proofed instructions as to how to get to the desired location.  This might include where to park, landmarks, the name of the receptionist, a description of yourself, or any number of other relevant details that do not frequently change.  When someone needs directions they are not seeking out a personal response or opinion, they just need function information.  Thus, a canned response helps everyone.

Now, should you use this feature as a response to personal thank you emails, comments on your blog, or other specific responses?  I would caution against it.  Once someone gets a few of the same message from you, it can be annoying.  Like anything else, there is a right time and place for it.  Used correctly, this feature can be really helpful.

Official Gmail Blog: New in Labs: Canned Responses

Shiny Metal Objects - Google Chrome

Count on Google to invent yet another great product.  From the Search Engine to Gmail to Google Docs to Goog-411, the folks at Google continue to make my life better.  Enter Chrome - the new web browser from Google.  Now those who know me, know that I am a loyal Firefox user.  I love the extensions, and the ability to customize my browsing experience.  That said, Chrome is amazing.  It screams.  The browser was designed from the ground up with the idea that the way people use the web has radically changed in recent years.  Now, the web is more of a platform for what we do, and not just a collection of static pages.   

Thus, Google Chrome is designed to manage video, dynamic web pages, multiple processes, and browser memory much better than its counterparts.  The experience of using it is noticably better from the first instant. The only drawback that I have encountered to date is that it does not work on a Mac, and thus I had to dust off the PC to test drive the product.  Apparently they are working on versions for the Mac and for Linux.   I can’t wait until they do, because it is such a superior product.  If you have a PC, you owe it to yourself to download it and take Chrome for a test drive.  

As someone who spends an increasing amount of time utilizing the web as my primary workspace, I look forward to making Chrome my browser of choice.   It is faster, more secure, more stable, handles video better, manages online applications more effciently, has a great interface, and is FAST.  

Oh, and another thing that makes Chrome cool…. Google used a comic book to help promote its release.

 

Google Chrome

Whatcha Talkin Bout Willis?

By this time you have probably heard about Twitter.  If not, here is a quick summary.  Twitter is a site where you, and the rest of the world get 140 characters to answer one question “what are you doing?”

Now the common first reaction by someone who discovers Twitter is to scrunch up their face, tilt their head to the side and scratch it, sigh, tilt their head back again, shrug their shoulders and say “huh?”  “What is the big deal?”

Well shortly thereafter you begin to discover that on Twitter people are sharing thoughts and opinions on everything under the sun in a very concise and easy to understand format.  Better yet the format is constantly evolving.  Twitter also makes it possible to follow brilliant thinkers like John Moore, Pete Blackshaw, and Guy Kawaski, as you follow “what they do.”

Still, the whole thing can seem a bit overwhelming and disjointed.  That is where the new Twitter Search (formerly Summize.com) comes into play.  Simply type in a term and you can search in real time what people are talking about.  Search Dayton, or Obama, or McCain, Pizza, Reds, Apple, whatever - Twitter search will aggregate the results so that you can begin to make sense of it all.  Better yet, it is equipped with an RSS feed so that you can track the conversation as it evolves.  Track mentions of your name, your employer, your friends, and on and on.

So do you wonder what Willis is talking about?  Well I am not sure if Willis (Todd Bridges) uses Twitter, but you can find a whole bunch of people talking about him and darn near anything else by using Twitter Search.  Give it a try, and share the interesting things you find with your comments.

Twitter Search

Xpenser + Jott = Expense Reporting Made Easy

Let’s be honest, filling out expense reports is horrible.  They are a necessary evil, often put off until the last possible minute.  When I finally get around to filling mine out, I usually find myself removing a mountain of crumpled receipts from my “George Costanza like” wallet and then trying in vein to make sense of it all.  Hours later I finally get the whole mess put in order, plugged into a spreadsheet, copied, and submitted - cursing all the while as I vow never to put this off until the last minute again.  Of course I do put it off, and monthly the process is repeated.

I believe that I have found the answer in the form of xpenser.com

Xpenser.com is a web based tool that allows you to easily track your expenses.  It features a very simple interface, and a few very powerful features.  There are four fields for entry of expenses - Type, Amount, Notes, and Date.  It is clean and easy.  It will convert miles into dollars automatically and the information can be downloaded in numerous spreadsheet formats.  For me, it took all of about 2 seconds for me to see the value of this tool, and hence it was added immediately to my firefox toolbar. It will email or text updates, and you can enter to it via email, text, twitter or directly through the site itself.   It could not be more easy… or could it?

As it turns out, xpenser.com integrates with another one of my favorite web based tools jott.com.  Thus, when it comes to expense reports you can now literally just phone it in.  Call Jott (number 9 on my speed dial), say the name of your expense, the amount, and any notes, and you are done.  Jott will plug everything into xpenser and send you a confirmation verifying your entry.  This is a great way to make windshield time more valueable - calling in the day’s expenses and mileage as you make the drive home.

This combination of free, web based tools is a simple way to make your life easier.   Give xpenser and jott a try and let me know what you think.

Xpenser - Mobile Expense Tracking and Reporting

If I Was In Charge of Verizon…

If I was in charge of Verizon, the first thing I would do would be to take the large group of people, known collectively on TV as “the network,” - seen following around the “can you hear me now?” guy in the commercials - and reassign them to work in Customer Service.  In fact I would make the core focus of the company customer service. I would make going to the Verizon Store something you love to do - not loathe to do.

Note to Verizon.  I can hear you.  Great job on the network thing.  Now that we have established that fact, let me hear you be nice, thoughtful, and helpful.  Make me feel like bypassing the iPhone and AT&T (who could also benefit from this) or Sprint, or whomever, was the right choice because you actually care about your customers.

From the billing process, to telephone help desk, to the in store service and sales experience, there is huge opportunity for you to improve what you do, while setting a new industry standard for excellence.  Be the first to own this space and make service the cornerstone for your future growth.  Can you hear me now?

What would you do first if you were in charge of Verizon?

Mr. Speaker, Welcome to the Blogosphere!

Ohio’s Speaker of the House,  Jon Husted, has launched a blog (using Wordpress of course.)  I think this is great, and I hope that other public officials take note.  I have met Representative Husted a few times, and he seems to be a great person.  Jon is a young man, but carries himself with a calm that many seasoned politicians never achieve.   He is very passionate about his job, and very focused on improving the economy in Ohio, and in Dayton. Don’t be surprised to see his name mentioned as a future candidate for Governor.

While I disagree with him on some issues, I have a deep respect for his approach to the political process and his accomplishments. I have heard him actually say several nice things about Governor Strickland, who is on the opposite side of the aisle from him, and when Jon speaks he regularly talks about the need to find common ground and use common sense.

I look forward to reading his posts and watching him engage with the public in this forum.  Well done Mr. Speaker.

Jonhusted’s Weblog

3 Free Tools for Great Music on the Web

I love music.  I have spent a good portion of my life writing, singing, playing, and listenting to it.  Regardless of the genre, great music is something I value highly.  So, discovering new music I enjoy and rediscovering long forgotten old favorites from earlier in my life makes me happy.

When I was a young college student, many moons ago, I would spend hours flipping through the racks at CD Connection, searching for that little known Pearl Jam bootleg, or the side project that Mark Arm did, or the CD with Phish jamming with Santana, etc…  Most of my friends did the same thing, and as a result life was filled with great new tunes.  Time was more abundant, and music was a central part of my daily life.  However, with work, family, and the other responsibilities that come with adulthood, it is not as easy as it once was to find great tunes. The internet makes all of that easier.  Here are 3 sites that can help you find great music in a flash.

Pandora - I have written about this site before, but it is worth mentioning again.  Pandora is amazing.  To begin using it, you name your “radio station” (you can have several if you like) and you enter the name of a band or a song you like.  From there Pandora will play that song or artist, and others with similar musical characteristics.  You can rate them based on your preferences, and as you do Pandora learns about you.  Using something called the music genome project, Pandora determines what characteristics you like about music.  It is not just who you like, but what you like and why.  This allows Pandora to regularly surprise you with new music you enjoy, as well as giving it an eery ability to pull classics from the archives that at one time would have been in your favorites.  You can share your station with others, read information about the bands and songs, and link directly to itunes and amazon to make purchases.  I have been using Pandora for several years now, and I am still amazed by its ability to surprise me with great new discoveries.

Songza - Songza is a search engine for music.  Go there, type in a band name or a song title, and it returns numerous results of music tracks.  This is great for the times when you hear that song, but can’t remember the name exactly.  Or, when your nephew or niece, being young and still cool, is kind enough to drop the names of some cool new band they just saw in concert.  Songza is a great tool for researching potential new favorites.  It is also great for when you have a particular song stuck in your head, or the guy in the cube next to you says “no I’ve never heard that song,” and you are desperate to hear it.  Songza puts specific titles right there at your fingertips.

Musicovery - This is a recent find for me, as my brother in law Chad forwarded a link to me.  Musicovery gives you the ability to choose the genres of music you feel like hearing, the time frame or era in which it was recorded, the mood you are in (positive v dark) and (energetic v calm), and the relative popularity of the music it chooses.  This allows you to build a very customized radio station on the fly, based on how you feel at that specific time.  It has a great catalog of tracks, and was amazingly in-tune with what I “felt like listening to.”  It has a very cool interface, and delivers a very engaging user experience.  It is different from Pandora, in that it is more malleable, but it offers less surprise as a tradeoff.  I see it as a great compliment to Pandora, depending on how engaged you want to be in the selection process.  Musicovery also links directly into Amazon, making it easy to buy tracks that you want to own.

Give these sites a shot, and let me know what you think.  Know of other great sites?  Share your knowledge with us by leaving a comment.

Leverage LinkedIn with RSS

What if your number one competitor took away your number one client?  How much would you pay to know that they might be in conversation with one another?  Well, if you use LinkedIn and combine it with RSS you can discover a wealth of information about your friends, your clients, and your colleagues that might have otherwise gone unnoticed - and it will cost you nothing.

Sure, you read the latest updates part of your LinkedIn home page when you visit, but what about the rest of the time.  Certainly much is transpiring while you are away - some of which is important to know.  Here is an easy solution - RSS.  You can very easily use an RSS feed, which is built into LinkedIn, to track each and every change that takes place in your LinkedIn network.  Then you can review and catalog everything at your leisure.

It is as easy as this.

• Go to reader.google.com and sign up for an account
• Go to your LinkedIn homepage
• Look in the address bar and click on the little orange (blue in Firefox 3) box with the dot and 2 lines.
• Subscribe to the RSS feed.

Now, every time someone makes a change you will receive an update, which will appear as an unread item in your RSS feeds in Google Reader.  Now, you can quickly scan through the entire list of updates in one or two minutes.

As you proceed through them, you can mark items of particular interest with a star.  This might apply for people who have been promoted or changed jobs - at which time you might want to send along a nice note of congratulations.

This aggregation of information makes it simple to generate intuitive information from your LinkedIn Network.  Whether you seek competitive intelligence, personal information, or just want to make sure who are keeping up with who knows who, RSS makes it easy.  Did your #1 competitor just connect with your #1 client?  Using this method would let you know.  Is your best employee looking to leave your company?  Again, this might give you some clues if that is the case.  Best of all, you might find out early enough to actually do something about it.  Personally, I can tell you of several people currently in the job market simply based on watching my connections.  They have not contacted me saying “I’m looking” but it does not take much to connect the dots when you pay attention.  This give me an opportunity to help them without having been asked, and to discover more about what is going on in the market in the process.

RSS has so many uses, and using a feed reader like Google Reader, Bloglines, or others can save you valuable time and deliver important information to you that would have otherwise been missed.  Give this LinkedIn tip a try and see if you feel more connected to your network.  I hope this helps.

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