I am sure there are many who use iGoogle to centralize information that relates to them. Although many use it to add unnecessary gadgets and games, if used properly it can be quite effective to stay up-to-date on things. I have been using it to subscribe to some of the best social media blogs out there and wanted to share my tab with you. This allows me to keep up-to-date on social media without having to open my feedreader or having to visit that particular site.

Since iGoogle is set as my home, I keep it open on my second screen and as things happen it just pops up, without me having to do any extra work. The cool thing about it is that you don’t just get headlines, you can read the article within iGoogle by simply clicking the “+” button next to each link.

Since I’ve already done all the work, I thought I would share this tab with the rest of you. If you are like me looking to see what’s new on social media space, I can assure you this is quite handy way to stay up-to-date. If you want to add the “social media” tab to your iGoogle, all you have to do is click on the link and click on Add to iGoogle : Add the ultimate iGoogle Dashboard for social media enthusiasts.(note : you need a google account)

If you want to learn how to create iGoogle tabs that fits your needs, be sure to check out this tutorial on FreelanceFolder.

What do you think? Did you find it useful? Share your thoughts.

I bought Droid the day it launched and I am quite happy with it. I have never owned an iPhone so I can’t really say whether it’s an iPhone contender or not. All I know is it’s better than my Palm Treo 750x and has everything I need in a phone and then some. Here are 10 apps that I am currently using on Droid. To download them on your Droid handset, just go to “marketplace” and type in the app name (in bold).

1. Twidroid for Twitter
2. Qik for live video streaming
3. mAnalytics to check google analytics
4. eBuddy to chat with contacts on various platforms without having to sign in individually (MSN, Yahoo, AIM, gtalk, Facebook)
5. GDocs Notepad to create documents on the go and it syncs with Google Docs
6. Barcode Scanner for comparison shopping
7. Advanced Task Killer to kill applications that are not in use
8. Thinking Space, a mind mapping app for Android platform
9. NBA Game Time Lite for live scoring from the NBA
10. CNN, NYTimes, BBC and TED for news

I also use Facebook and YouTube but those are out of box apps so you don’t have to download them. And I am also using Skype Lite to chat with my Skype contacts.

What apps are you using on your Droid?

And the navigation on Droid totally rocks

I’ve been playing around with Google Wave for quite a bit and personally, it didn’t live upto the hype. Anyways, I have 8 invites to give out and I would like to get rid of it as soon as possible. So go ahead and leave a comment saying how you would utilize google wave (or tell me I am good looking, awesome, etc.)  here with your email address in this format : email(at)ritubpant(dot)com.  I will choose 8 people and send invites out tomorrow. Please note that you may not get the invites right after I hit send.According to the wave team they’ve got quite a few stamps to lick so give it some time. However, I will send the invites out tomorrow. Now tell me how awesome I am errrr I mean why you think Wave would be useful to you.

Once again, leave your email address so I know where to send the invite, duh . Try and leave your email address in this format email(at)ritubpant(dot)com.

Hold on a minute, let me quick crack my knuckles before I get ready to write.

I am ready, are you? Cool.

One thing that has become quite a phenomenon on the web is the desire to be known. This phenomenon has swept almost all social media platforms from Digg to Twitter to Facebook, you name it and there is a race to reach the top. I have myself been a slave to the number game and have surrendered myself to the numbers. However, after I changed my game and I find myself climbing the ladder faster than I thought I would. So how is it possible to hide and still be able to get your name out and make enough to make a living? I will share a few of my secrets, well they are not really a secret but you might want to try them out if you haven’t already.

Moderation Fellas, Moderation

Everything is good in moderation – this saying is as true as it can get. Whether you use Twitter, Facebook, Digg, Reddit, whatever platform that you utilize, use it in moderation. I am an active twitter user but I don’t go out of my way to tweet. If I am working on the computer, I just have tweetdeck open and reply or catch a glimpse on anything that interests me. If I feel like taking a quick 5 minute interval during work, I might as well update my Facebook and quick digg a few links I find interesting. Besides that I have no desire to really be on top (don’t be a perv, you know what I meant).

So why even bother updating if being on top doesn’t really matter? Cause you need to be seen, but you don’t need to be seen as someone who is obsessively using a platform clearly giving an impression of what it is that you are trying to achieve. Make sure any platform that you use, you are active, but being active doesn’t mean you have to set 5 hours a day to get your name out. Do it in moderation and keep your name floating on different social sites so people get a glimpse of who you are, what you do and such. Remember moderation is the golden key to success. Work smart, not hard.

Filter Your Online Contacts

If you want to succeed online, your contacts are your golden gate to opportunity. Seriously, don’t ignore them and stay in touch. But there is a catch. I follow quite a few people on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. but are they all meaningful contacts? Not really. Some might even be bots, who the heck knows. So why do I follow them if they are not meaningful? Well, I don’t care about the numbers, but I do care about my smiling face being seen on as many people’s list as possible? Why? Well, it helps me get my name out to potential clients, it’s one of those sneaky ways that most people don’t think of. I am not shooting for the number game or the fame game, I am shooting for exposure by just being there without really having to put extra effort into communicating with everyone. Seriously, you think I could manage replying and talking to every contact that I have on different platforms? I have a life too you know.

Anyways, the key is to filter your contacts. If you know someone who can be helpful down the road, stay in touch. Please do not run out asking for help. Build a relationship as a friend and not as a beggar. Don’t go begging. Now give it a few months for this relationship to mature and bloom to spread it’s wealth your way. That’s what I have done over the years and the last time I went looking for a client was in December of 2007. Since then, every client, yes every client I have had have been referred to me. And whether or not you like it, nepotism exists on the internet just as it does in the real world. Filter your contacts. Figure out where you just want to exist and where you want to put the effort and then build your online contacts so you get to reap the benefits.

Your Shit Stinks Just Like Mine

The internet has made many grown up adults act like 14 year old boys. The web has turned men into boys and it is really sad (that goes for you too, you over bragging woman, I feel bad for your hubby). You know what people hate the most – people who can’t stop bragging about themselves. Many people, especially on the web seem to have forgotten the meaning of confidence. If you take a shit and say “My shit don’t stink cause it’s mine,” guess what? You might piss someone enough to throw your shit back at you. Be careful not to brag yourself. I am a power user on digg, active twitter user who gets mentioned quite a few times on many lists and what not but you know what? It doesn’t matter. All they do is fill up the ego gap, that’s it. And I am sure you know that filling ego gap doesn’t fill your pockets. So stop tooting your own horn. If someone is tweeting how awesome you are, have some freaking decency and say thank you to them rather than retweeting it. It just makes it worse.

Don’t brag about yourself, it’s no point. You want to show me or others how awesome you are, a tweet or a facebook update sure as hell won’t do it. Lay me the facts and the things and ohh yeah tons of referrals whose words I would believe in.

It’s been pretty frustrating seeing everyone tooting their own horn and bragging what they can do. Stop it. Just forget being on top for a minute and stay under the radar. Filter your contacts and use the ones that will prove to be valuable and trust me, you will see much more of the day light instead of the bright computer screen. Now go out grab a beer, wine or whatever it is that you drink and relax. Your updates, tweets, diggs, votes, thumbs up can all wait until later. Plan your future. Lay off the “web celeb” juice and think how you can fill your back account by using these platforms not your ego. If you are 14 year old, this post wasn’t meant for you cause no matter how much we tell you, you guys think your shit don’t stink. But that’s ok cause you are only 14.

note : I don’t proofread once I am done writing, not on this blog. This is my home and I write what’s on my mind. Think of it as sleeping on the couch with my shoes on cause I can . If you find typos , please grab some rock and throw them at me.

image