Crenk » Web application

Streaming Music Online Via Browser

Luis Sandoval — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:30:21 +0000

I’m a huge fan of music. I’ve got several versions of the iPod for a variety of occasions, I’ve got streaming music players all over my computer, I’ve got sites bookmarked that stream audio from overseas; for me, there’s just nothing better than paying music for inspiration, clarity, and nostalgia. To increase my music listening abilities I’ve used plugins such as FoxyTunes to give me access to my music straight from my browser, but what if I’m not home or on my laptop. There’s a good chance I’ve got my mobile on me and I can stream from there, but for those of us always changing computers, or using public computers, there’s now an interesting option that we can participate with.

Stereo8 is a new stream audio web app that streams straight from your browser. No downloading, no installing, no problems. Just about any browser should work (I tested on Safari, Firefox, IE6 and IE7, Opera, and Chrome). Simply select a genre of music you want to listen to, and let the music play. You can interact with the music by voting on what you like, and those votes determine what’s played. Stereo8 calls it self a true internet radio with a twist. That twist is that listeners can vote and share music with one another making it a social community of sorts.

As I write this article I’ve picked the video game category and have listened to some of the biggest games from my present and past. In some of the other categories I was listening to songs that perhaps I was not a fan of myself, and some more obscure songs that I never even knew existed, which is not always a good thing. But if you’re looking to be introduced to something new and unique, far from the beaten path you’re used to traveling, then perhaps Stereo8 is for you. A few stations I found really solid, and just now they started playing the Terran theme from Starcraft, so that’s just an idea of the kind of music you’ll be listening to (at least on the game channel).

Online Collaborative Workspaces with OfficeMedium

Luis Sandoval — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:36 +0000

I’m not quite sure when things in the office changed, and why all of a sudden there’s been such a rush to do online collaborative tools for offices. While for some it screams efficiency, for others it screams TRAINING!!! Sadly no matter how much you “train” people to learn the new ways, someone always fumbles and things fall apart.

Nevertheless, this drive for online tools has driven companies like Google, Zoho, Microsoft, and many others to create online office tools that go where you go, and are accessible from anywhere in the world…provided you have an internet connection. So heavily used are these tools that even while on the go, your mobile devices are capable of accessing these tools which allows you to never miss a step.

While the above mentioned are great, and provide a level of collaboration that standard desktop office software does not, there is one that offers an all inclusive internet office for online work, OfficeMedium.

Nope, I’m not talking the crazy office worker who claims to see dead people, not that type of medium. I’m talking about the actual suite of online collaborative office tools that give you more than the standard faire. Aside from the typical presentation, word, and spreadsheet portions, you’re also given access to content management tools, events/tasks/calendar tools, social networking tools for your intranet, file sharing and storage, along with enhanced security to keep what’s happening within the company private.

This online web application is not free, there are minimal costs attached, and from I see, the cost is extremely affordable. But it still begs the question, what companies truly need this type of depth? I think it will come down to the size of your company and the needs it needs to serve. Google and Zoho seem appropriate for what I do, but perhaps a more enterprise level company would turn to OfficeMedium to help keep communication a little tighter within a company.

[Disclosure: OfficeMedium is a sponsor for Crenk]

Web App Buffers Timely Online Communication

Luis Sandoval — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 03:53:50 +0000

Heard of Twitter? Sure the whole world has by now. Lone tribes on far islands have heard about Twitter. This massively immersive and widely used micro-blogging network has become a staple for both our personal and professional lives. The world seems to still be feeling the “Twitter effect” as industries adapt their existing messages to fit the fast paced world of this social network.

But do you ever feel like you’re being left behind? Perhaps not enough time to get the right message in a timely fashion? Now there’s a solution to that.

Twuffer presents itself as the buffer between you and your timed messages. By using the web application, you are able to preset messages on a timed schedule to be released on your network at the times you think most important. The possibilities of this type of functionality are as endless as your creativity.

The web app is easy to use and can serve you to better time your announcements, set reminders for yourself or others, engage in timed online activities, or, as the site suggests, make it appear as if you never sleep. The practicality of this app seems pretty straightforward.

The application is currently in beta, but your able to explore what it has to offer pretty seamlessly. I suggest you give it a try to announce regular days when your podcast or blog post will go live, or perhaps some other similar campaign to see if Twuffer is right for you!

Internet Music Innovation with Songbeat360

Luis Sandoval — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:41:11 +0000

Today finding the music you want, when you want it has been channeled to using sites like the Amazon store or iTunes. Sometimes, when looming for an obscure song that is not mainstream, you’d be lucky to find it. This frustrating experience paired with the perceived greedines of corporate music labels has forced many of us to find our music on peer to peer networks or bitorrent sites such the Pirate Bay.

Songbeat360.com is an amazingly innovative way of integrating a music player with a music search. Now you can listen to your favorite songs while searching for more. You are essentially still building your own station, much like Pandora or Last.fm, but on this music player you have the ability to download your music immediately.

Bypassing the need to go to the likes of Amazon or iTunes may please some, but does the pricing compare? Based on the site, the application is an Adobe Air app, and comes with 25 free credits. Credits are used when a search is done, and searches are supposedly capable of returning up to 500 results, ensuring you will fond what you need. For further credits, those can be purchased via a stored credit card. For $15 you receive 1000 credits for more music, which breaks down to a whole lot less than $.99 per song on the iTunes store. This is of course assuming you find what you want in one search.

Is the next revolution to your music search? I’d say know, but it’s definitely interesting. The pricing alone is attractive, and if the quality is the same, I can see this web app becoming extremely successful.

Review: EyeOS Provides File Accessiblity Anywhere

Luis Sandoval — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:21:52 +0000

Image via Wikipedia

EyeOS has been developed with the multi-computer user in mind. If you find yourself using computers at home, at the library, at the office, at a cybercafe, or a friends house, EyeOS is the desktop web application for you.

While I feel the desktop web application market is a bit watered down, EyeOS is not without its definitive features. EyeOS is literally an entire operating system built inside a web application and more. Through this web application you have access to sophisticated file management protocols, an entire office suite with compatibility across any computer you are using, a fully featured PIM application system as fully functional as having MS Outlook, and finally your own internal neworking services to include email, bulletin board services, and RSS Reader.

Like other desktop applications you have the ability to configure the web app to your liking. The tools are fully customizable and easy to use. Being an open source platform, users are encouraged to participate in making EyeOS better, if not more functional for yourself. The ability to link to your mobile devices is also a feature that few will want to pass up.

The EyeOs team states they want to center work and entertainment all in once place to avoid OS compatibility issues across the varous computers we use. What puzzles me is how this is actually functional in a world full of laptops and key chain drives. I welcome the EyeOS team to comment because I fail to see the relevancy of this web application.

Nevertheless, if you are a frequest user of desktop web apps, and are looking for something bigger and more in depth, experience EyeOS. In the time that I used this web app, it definitely stands out from the rest with its bevy of offerings.

Review: Invotrak, Web-Based Invoicing

Luis Sandoval — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:37:53 +0000

Working as a freelancer or running your own business with a fired up entrepreneurial spirit can be difficult when it comes to tracking your time and income on multiple projects. One of two things will happen eventually. You will either limit yourself in terms of projects and make just enough money to keep track of or you’ll end up losing money due to inability to properly and effectively keep track of your invoicing. Neither are suitable outcomes for someone starting out on their own.

To avoid such pitfalls, we have discovered a web application that is user friendly and informative, that application is Invotrak by Draconis Software. As a freelance writer I was able to utilize the software for an experiment in keeping track of my personal invoicing and time tracking needs, and I found this application to stand heads and shoulders above the others that I have used.

The Practical
Getting paid on time is important right? Correct invoicing is vital for the integrity and success of your business, so why complicate things any more than they should. Invotrak is a web-based invoice application that was specifically made with freelancers and small businesses in mind. In their words it’s difficult enough to work with clients and do the actual work that invoicing should be as simple as possible without having to hire someone else to do it.

When you sign up for an account, you are taken through several easy steps to get you started. Once on their home interface, you will notice that the smooth and easy to follow design is intuitive. There is no confusion in the labeling system so tabs are easy to find and easy to click. Again, why should invoicing be so difficult, Invotrak wants to make sure their application is as easy to use as possible.

The application does have a FREE option, but there is also a tiered pay structure ranging from as low as $9/mo to as high as $45/mo, depending on your needs.

The Features
Invotrak is full of features which make this free web application one of the more robust around.

Invoicing – naturally the strong point of this application meant to keep track of all your clients and monies
Client Database – keep track of everyone that you work with and never forget a name
Timesheets – very important to keep track of time spent on projects to accurately invoice your client
Create/Upload Invoices – have an invoice in a different format, no worries, the ability to upload ensures that you don’t have files laying around different programs.
Reports – keep track of how your business does monthy, quarterly and yearly

These are just a few of the features that are made available to you. Here is a more comprehensive list of the features Invotrak offers.

The Analysis
Invotrak is a heavy hitter in the invoicing market. Rarely have I seen a web application so well put together. My only concern is their hierarchy. In the Free category you are only offered the ability to have up to 2 invoices a month and don’t get an unlimited number of invoices until you pay into the $45/mo plan. Seems like they’re selling the FREE aspect a little short for businesses that want to try the application for the first time. I believe the whole hierarchy is a little lopsided, but with over $3 million US dollars being tracked across Invotraks database, what do I know? Apparently freelancers and businsess worldwide are happy with it.

I highly recommend you give Invotrak a try and follow them on their blog.