It seems like everyday there is a new app released that claims to help us manage our days, increase our productivity or simplify our lives in some way. Most of these apps only deliver hype, but every now and then I’ll find something that truly works.

Here’s a short list of six apps that have earned a place on my iPhone home screen, without which I wouldn’t be able to stay organized:

1. Things – This is my most used app and the best to-do list currently available in my opinion. I’ve tried many of the others, from OmniFocus to Remember The Milk and nothing worked as well. OmniFocus is too complicated for anyone other than a power user and Remember the Milk is just too simple. I am a firm believer in the GTD methodology and Things works perfectly within this framework. It is easy to learn and their “Things Cloud” feature actually does what it is supposed to. If I had to recommend just one app out of this entire list, it would be Things by Cultured Code. Having a to-do list is a must if you’re ever to get all of your tasks out of your head and organized in a meaningful way.

2. Evernote – We’ve all heard of Evernote and their goal of helping us “remember everything, communicate effectively and get things done.” Well, this app certainly lives up to that promise. I put all kinds of information into my Evernote folders, from receipts to messages scribbled on scraps of paper to class notes. And since it is all saved on the cloud and searchable, I can find what I need on any device at any time. There are so many ways to use Evernote, I would need to write a separate blog post to begin explaining its usefulness. Furthermore, since having an organized reference file is an important part of the GTD methodology, this app works great in conjunction with a to-do app such as Things.

3. Dropbox – What Evernote does for notes, Dropbox does for files. The beauty of cloud storage is that you never have to worry about losing a hard drive, since your documents are always backed up. With plenty of free storage and some low-cost options to upgrade for more space, I believe Dropbox is the best cloud storage solution on the market right now (Sorry Google Drive and Microsoft SkyDrive).

4. Pocket – I do a lot of online reading, but I don’t always have time to finish what I’m reading the moment I find it. With Pocket, I can save articles and web pages for later. Pocket is super easy to use on pretty much any device and it works flawlessly. Also, since it is so popular, it works with many other apps, such as Feedly (discussed below). Some of the competitors such as Instapaper and Readability are nice, but just not on the same level as Pocket in my opinion.

5. Feedly – Speaking of online reading, an RSS reader is a must-have tool. With Google Reader on the way out, it appears that Feedly will be the new king of RSS. Their iOS apps for the iPhone and iPad are both stunning and provide a great user experience. Since Feedly integrates with Pocket so easily, I find myself scanning through my feeds throughout the day whenever I have a few spare moments and saving articles to Pocket for later. Then at the end of the day, I try to make a habit of getting through all of my articles in order to clear out my Pocket feed. That’s one way to stay current with the news.

6. Fantastical – Having an easy-to-use calendar app is an important part of a digital productivity suite. While the standard iOS calendar app is pretty good, I find Fantastical to be just a step above. It is very intuitive and understands how to parse a single sentence such as “Meeting with John at 10AM tomorrow at Denny’s” into a calendar appointment. This makes it easy to dictate events when the app is open using Siri’s speech recognition functionality. I have always said that there are three basic elements to personal productivity: Tasks, Files and Events. With Things for tasks and Dropbox/Evernote for files, Fantastical brings together the final piece of the puzzle with their excellent event management solution.

There are a couple more apps that I’d love to mention, such as Mailbox and Drafts, but I don’t want this post to go on forever so I’ll leave that for next time. I do hope you find some of these apps useful and if so, please leave a comment letting me know how they have worked out for you (or what apps you believe should be on this list). Good luck!

Wow, I haven’t posted since last October! Time sure flies, because it seems like I wrote my previous article, “The Battle for Relevance” just the other day.

Interestingly enough, I just read it again and noticed that it does sort of predict the new Google “Search plus Your World” feature, as one commenter pointed out.

Regardless, I have something to say about that type of article. I’m switching things up a little bit. There won’t be as many social media stories here in the future. What?

Yes, you read that right. I’m going to shift the focus of this blog away from social media posts to more random thoughts about my other diversified interests.

As for the social media stuff, I’m still going to post a lot about it, but it’ll be on my company blog over at FastBlink.com. You see, social media marketing is what I do for work and that can be better represented on my social media marketing website. So be sure to check it out for my latest ramblings about social media marketing.

I want this blog to be a little more personal and a little less businesslike. Hopefully you’ll understand and hopefully you’ll just decide to read both of my blogs! That would be the ideal circumstance for you and I.

So, there you have it. Catch ya’ on the flip side!

Both Google and Facebook offer free services to their users. Google allows you to find what you’re looking for online as efficiently as possible, while Facebook allows you to stay connected with friends wherever you are. What do both of these services have in common? Well, both have no direct cost incurred by users.

Neither Google nor Facebook charge users for access to their main offers, nor does either company have any public intent to start charging in the future. However, neither company does this to be charitable; after all, they are in the business of making money. That’s where you come in.

A while back, I wrote about the various ways Google and Facebook make money off of you and the information you provide. I’d now like to elaborate on that topic, to cover some important differences in that revenue model.

In Google’s case, what you search for helps determine what advertisements to display, with the hopes that such ads will be extremely relevant to your search query. In this sense, Google is targeting you in the moment. They know you’re looking for something right now, so the want to help you find it. Such targeting is focused on your immediate needs, which are tied to your search query.

On the other hand, Facebook looks at the user and advertiser relationship in a more long-term approach. They care more about who you are demographically and what your interests are. Then, they use this information to offer up relevant ads that interest you based on these rather permanent unchanging factors.

Do yo see the important differences here? Facebook wants to know who you are and what you like in order to bring you the most relevant advertisements based on your overall makeup. On the flip side, Google simply wants to know what you’re looking for right now, with the hopes that you’ll find their sponsored links more relevant than their organic search results.

Why is this important? For starters, it is vital that we understand how these companies view us, as either a search query or a bucket of interests and connections. These days however, with Google’s venture into social networking and Facebook’s relentless quest to move beyond the walled garden of their website, the lines are quickly becoming blurred.

At this stage of the game, we can probably say that both Google and Facebook have nearly perfected their own advertising methods. However, no entity has perfectly combined the two strategies. In my opinion, that is where the future of online advertising is headed. It will consist of a world in which advertising offers will be perfectly balanced between our demographics, interests, connections and what we are searching for or talking about online in the moment.

What does this all mean for us as users? Obviously, we will see more relevant ads than ever before, but what will we lose in terms of privacy to make this possible? Your guess is as good as mine.

Someone once asked, “What business is FedEx in?” Most would assume that they are in the shipping business. Some would say they are in the logistics business. However, if you think about it, Fedex is really in the peace of mind business.

One of their early slogans was, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight.” This alone hinted at what they were truly delivering. It had more to do with assurance than with moving boxes from here to there.

So, what can we learn from this example that can be applied to social media marketing? Well, we see the importance of acknowledging the benefits rather than the features of whatever it is we are promoting.

We don’t want to hear about the lastest software updates regarding your flagship productivity software. Rather, we want to hear about the time people are saving when they use your product.

We don’t want to hear about the innovative ways Reebok sews together leather to make running shoes. Instead, we want to hear about how our running will improve if we wear those particular shoes.

The very best part is that social media offers the perfect avenue for this type of dialog. Moreover, since social media is a two-way street, you can immediately get positive feedback from those already using (and benefiting) from your product or service.

This is a timeless strategy which must be mastered by everyone in a sales position. It also needs to be heeded by anyone attempting to engage an audience using social media.

Think about every status update, every headline, every tweet and every blog post with this notion in mind. Benefits are what get people in a buying mindset. Benefits impact their lives and answer that question lurking in the back of every buyer’s mind: “What’s in it for me?”

Our job is to help them find an answer. Do you agree?

What if I told you that kids didn’t have to sit inside a classroom to learn? Well, all over the world there is a revolutionary phenomenon taking shape; it is a phenomenon of true education and it is called unschooling.

Wikipedia defines unschooling as “a controversial range of educational philosophies and practices centered on allowing children to learn through their natural life experiences, including play, game play, household responsibilities, work experience, and social interaction, rather than through a more traditional school curriculum.” Wow, you mean parents actually let their children learn from natural life experiences? Shocking!

Whatever your opinion is of unschooling, I can tell you that it works. Maybe not for everyone, but for the many, unschooling seems to be one of the best ways to embrace the natural intelligence that we are all born with. Why? That part has to do with the way our compulsory school system has become corrupted.

If you think back to childhood, most kids learn by asking questions about the world around them. They’ll ponder, “Why is the sky blue? What is the name of that flower? What is your favorite food?” and other endless questions. Interestingly enough, this is unschooling in action. Small children are naturally curious about the world and they seek to satisfy their curiosity with lots and lots of questions. Oh, but along comes school, which teaches children not to “ask stupid questions.” School forces children to “learn” about things they have no interest in. The system focuses on rote memorization rather than intellectual curiosity. Unnecessary questions are frowned upon and the “students” spend more time staring at sheets of paper than at the world around them.

We are built to learn. We are built to soak up knowledge from anything and everything. There is no need for such a process to be forced upon us. When it is however, the result is usually a severe weakening of our sense of curiosity. Why is it that a large number of high school students often hate reading on their own free time? Could it be that they have been forced to read so many books that do not interest them that they’ve become burned out? If left unaltered, I believe there is evidence to show that reading is naturally enjoyable, for the simple fact that it plays upon our curiosity.

Those few people who know that I graduated from a state university with a perfect 4.0 GPA sometimes ask me how it was possible, especially while holding down two jobs and serving in various organizations. In response, I tell them that I’ve been preparing for college all my life, from the day I was born, by learning to love learning. While not as bad as our compulsory education system, college faces its own set of roadblocks to natural learning. Nevertheless, college can be fun and it offers unschoolers the opportunity to succeed in new ways. You just have to want to be there for the right reasons.

In conclusion, I’m not an extremist when it comes to unschooling. In fact, I was only unschooled from the fourth grade onward. That means I learned how to read and write and how to multiply and divide in public school (blame the typos on that). So there is hope for our school system, if only we embrace the unique learning style of each student. In that case, teachers have the toughest and the easiest job on the planet. On one side of the coin, they must work to identify those learning styles and build upon them. However, they must also step back and allow our world to become the greatest teacher of all. For there is a teacher all around us, moving at the pace of our individual curiosity, never focusing on memorization and never testing us without a good reason. That is what unschooling is all about.

Just five years ago, some would argue that the best feature search engines had to offer was spell check. Now, among other things, they are able to filter results based on our geographic location at any given moment. We’ve only just begun to realize the potential of these location-based searches, both from a consumer and business standpoint.

The new level of richness that location data provides to a search query is incredibly valuable, because it is based around immediate action rather than passive browsing. For example, when most users use their GPS-enabled smartphones to conduct a location-based search, they are probably looking for information on-the-go which would be useful at that very moment. In other words, they are ready to buy.

With that being said, brands are just starting to take advantage of these searches, by offering coupons and other promotions based on location or proximity. Foursquare is leading the charge in this area. They offer users special offers based on their patronage with certain places. For instance, some restaurants offer free appetizers for “checking-in” on Foursquare while others rewards those who check-in on a regular basis.

The bottom line is that search technology is continually evolving and with each advancement, we are moving further and further away from basic text searches. As more factors contribute to our search results, such as location, search history, personal demographics and more, we will hopefully be able to find what we’re looking for with even greater efficiency and accuracy.

As for businesses, well, this is an opportunity of a lifetime to create a new type of relationship with customers based on their location. But as with every change that has come with the social media revolution, geolocation is just another tool in the marketer’s bag of tricks. The principles of great customer service and superior products and services are still essential if you want to ensure brand loyalty.

What would happen if you combined E.T. with Cloverfield? Well, you’d get Super 8 which is directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Steven Spielberg. While it wasn’t horrific, Super 8 certainly doesn’t live up to the hype and this is mainly due to the fact that the styles of Abrams and Spielberg just don’t mix well here.

Set in a very realistic 1979, Super 8 tries to act serious most of the time, but then interjects some rather unbelievable elements such as an extremely drawn-out train crash which is much too over the top.  Also, the entire story is based around something so improbable and underdeveloped that it is almost funny. Don’t expect to be scared and don’t expect to find much in the way of a decent science fiction storyline.

Yes, the special effects are great, but they aren’t enough to give this film substance. In the end, I’d say Super 8 would have been much better if Abrams and Spielberg weren’t working together. You can clearly see where they each tried to make their mark on the film and the outcome was an unorganized mess. Sometimes you just can’t have the best of both worlds.

But then again, maybe you loved it, so let me know what you think.

Yet another burger restaurant opened up in Boca Raton a few months back, called Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries. I decided to check it out the other day, and I must say, it’s a pretty good place. If you’ve ever been to a Five Guys Burgers and Fries you’ll feel somewhat familiar at Boardwalk, as they are remotely similar. While Five Guys is rather bare bones on the inside, Boardwalk is a bright and colorful place with a nice atmosphere.

As for the food, the burgers are huge, even the single. I ordered the Bacon Bleu Signature Burger and couldn’t finish it. The fries are also served in massive quantities, but they are excellent. However, the greatest thing about Boardwalk has to be the variety of the menu. Not only can you order burgers and fries, but hotdogs, chicken sandwiches and shakes too. Oh and for those vegetarians out there, they even have veggie burgers.

All together, I’d give Boardwalk two thumbs up for having a nice variety of classic American diner food served in a festive atmosphere. Check them out when you’re in the area. Of course, leave your own review below! Their address is 21077 Powerline Road, Boca Raton, FL 33433. They’re located between Glades Road and Palmetto Park Road, just minutes from Florida Atlantic University.

Just the other day, I heard about this strange new website called Fiverr. Apparently, people would list things they were willing to do for five bucks, such as complete a three-minute voice over, wear your t-shirt for a day, make an intro for your video, draw a cartoon, write a short article and so on. This sounded like a great idea for those small business tasks that could be outsourced, so I decided to check it out.

I was amazed at the variety of work offered on Fiverr, all for five bucks. There is a good mix of talented workers, from all over the world. The site is regulated extremely well, with a feedback and comment system similar to eBay which helps weed out any scams. So, in order to see how the process works firsthand, I decided to take someone up on their offer to write a one-page article for $5.

What I requested was that the writer answer some basic questions about working on Fiverr. So, here are my questions and the answers I received from a Fiverr user all for five bucks:

1. What is your first name?

Hi, my name is Bryton, and I make a hobby out of proofreading and writing articles on Fiverr!

2. How did you get started writing articles on Fiverr?

Venturing into article writing is not and has never been a major aspiration of mine, but I came to the realization one day that there are many people who may need their topics or ideas expressed but may be too lazy or may not have the time to do it themselves.  Personally, I also despise picking up pen and paper, but typing is a different story.  So I decided that I would use my Fiverr account to help out those who I could while making a little money for myself.

3. Is it possible to make a full-time living writing articles like this?

Honestly, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that writing articles on Fiverr will make anyone enough income to live off of.  However, if you have a gift and passion for writing then there’s no reason I wouldn’t encourage you to endeavor into article writing on Fiverr for a little extra cash!

4. How long does it take you to write a full page article?

For me it only takes about an hour average, give or take, to type up a topical report, depending on the difficulty of the theme.  The fastest I’ve been able to complete one was about 20 minutes and still have a 100% satisfactory review!

5. What advice do you have for others who want to be successful on Fiverr?

My advice for anyone that plans to be a successful client on Fiverr would be to think of something that many people may need but don’t want to do themselves and to accept as many requests as possible, especially the more arduous tasks, as this could possibly lead to repeat customers or very positive, enthusiastic feedback.  Also, it’s good to keep yourself enthused and to find a personal encouragement in your work, as mine is the pursuit of further random knowledge!

6. How much time do you spend working on Fiverr projects and what else do you do for work?

On a regular basis I probably spend about 3-5 hours of my day checking up on my Fiverr work, maybe up to 8 on a busy day.  In my free time I simply relax and stay deep in my studies to pursue my objective career.

Pretty cool, eh? The concept of the site from a business perspective seems like pure genius and their implementation is fantastic. On a side note, payments are handled through PayPal, so the buyer never has to give their financial information to the seller. Check it out and let me know what you think about Fiverr!

Just the other day, I stumbled across a pretty interesting video with a simple idea. The speaker, Eli Pariser, argues that as the web becomes filled with more and more content, websites such as Facebook and Google continue to algorithmically filter our news feeds and search results.

When two people of different demographics, different geographical locations and different search histories search for the same topic online, their results are beginning to look completely different thanks to this type of automatic personalization. Moreover, what you see in your Facebook news feed is based upon your previous interactions on the social network, your interests, your likes and so on. There is no more one-size-fits-all approach for the web. This is largely due to the fact that we have so much information available and according to some folks, we’d never have time to sift through it all on our own.

The giants of social networking and search, such as Facebook and Google, realize that personalization is something that can be accomplished technologically and they are reinventing the way we see the world with these algorithms. But is it fair? Is this where we want to go? As Eli Pariser puts it,

We really need . . . to make sure, that these algorithms have encoded in them a sense of the public life; a sense of civic responsibility. We need you to make sure that they’re transparent enough that we can see what the rules are that determine what gets through our filters. And we need you to give us some control so that we can decide what gets through and what doesn’t.

So then, to some people, these filter bubbles surround us with an artificial sense of reality, while locking everything else out. Tech giants say just the opposite, that without these filters, data would become meaningless. In the end, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. While I see the usefulness of filtering and personalization on the web, it can easily be taken to an extreme.

After all, I thought the web was supposed to be about freedom of information without the gatekeepers and censors of traditional means of communications of the past. Fifty years ago, the gatekeepers were newspaper editors and classroom teachers. Along came the Internet in the 1990s which promised free information and communication for the masses. Congrats, we’ve successfully turned the filtering process over to machines. That doesn’t sound like progress to me.

Oh, and in case you want to watch the original presentation by Eli Pariser, here it is: