Favorite Web Services 1

So when it comes to home based business owners like myself, we really tend to feed on the coolest of the internet services. Especially the free ones. Today I just wanted to highlight a few of those. (No surprise any of these are google services).

IGoogle:
Customized Home pages aren't anything new but Google has made a huge innovation in personalized home pages. With bazillions of different “widgets” you can add to your site there is almost little need to even leave you home page anymore.
Google Reader: Now that I'm into blogging and more importantly keeping up on other people's blogs I love this program that alerts me every time anyone on my list posts a new blog entry. Because I have a Google reader “widget” on my Igoogle home page I know immediately when family and friends post. I love it.

Skype: Instant Messaging isn't really new either but Skype has changed the way we do this. They have integrated a full feature video VOIP phone. Fancy way of saying you can make phone calls for free via the internet to anyone anywhere in the world who also has the free software installed. Turning on the video is an option and we generally only use it for family who want to see the baby but still… Super Cool.

Plaxo: Plaxo does a lot of things but the coolest is its ability to synchronize your contacts and calendar between your Google, Yahoo, MSM, Hotmail, excite, email services in addition to MAC, Outlook, Express, etc. HOLY COW this is amazing. The premium services are cool too, but the free account does about everything I need it to do.

Ok. I'll stop for now. No doubt I will rave about more programs in the future.

Jacob S. Paulsen
skype: jacob.paulsen