Recommended Applications

Recommended Applications

The following is a short inventory of several key applications and tools that the GLIN Labs Development Team has identified as invaluable and, for the most part, user-friendly resources for data, mobile and internet publishing.

Leading Information Technology Tools

Google Maps API

Description: Based upon various map layers and high-resolution satellite images, Google Maps provides web map services, directions, and embedded maps for third-party websites. Its Maps API is a popular tool to leverage Google's map service to build customized maps and map services.

Uses: Create customized map services. Example: http://glos.us/obs

Link: http://code.google.com/apis/maps/

Google Earth

Description: Their website says it best: "Google Earth lets you fly anywhere on Earth to view satellite imagery, maps, terrain, 3D buildings, from galaxies in outer space to the canyons of the ocean. You can explore rich geographical content, save your toured places, and share with others."

Uses: Build 3D-view map services. Example: Huron-to-Erie Corridor Flows

Link: http://earth.google.com

Google Calendar

Description: A web based calendar service to produce your private calendar or make a shared calendar with your friends and your collegues.

Uses: Make individual, group, and orgizational calendar. Example: http://www.glfc.org/sealamp/mastercal.php

Link: http://calendar.google.com

Google Visualization API

Description: A collection of Google's charting tools, mostly written in Javascript.With a few lines of javascript, it makes interactive charting a breeze.

Uses: Create your web charts fast and easy. Example: http://glos.us/obs

Link: http://code.google.com/apis/visualization/

Google Custom Search

Description: Google's custom search engine brings powerful Google search directly to your websites.

Uses: Customized site search(es). Example: http://www.glc.org/search.html

Link: http://www.google.com/cse/

FeedBurner

Description: Google FeedBurner serves as a centralized application to manage all your feeds, the functions include analyzing feed audiences, optimizing the feed publicization and monetizing your feed services.

Uses: Publich and manage any user feed. Example: http://feeds.feedburner.com/GLINnews

Link: http://feedburner.google.com

Public Data Explorer

Description: Still in Google's lab testing, this online tool greatly improves the visualization of publicly available datasets, such as "population in the U.S." and "unemployment in the U.S." The public data explorer normally breaks down large data to related categories and provide interactive comparison charts.

Uses: Bring comparision charts to your sites.

Link: http://www.google.com/publicdata

Yahoo! Pipes

Description: Yahoo! Pipes is a masterful aggregation tool that lets you readily add, manipulate, and mashup content from multiple sources and data types and customize output.

Uses: Build web mash-up tools. Example: Environmental news on the map

Link: http://pipes.yahoo.com/pipes/

Yahoo! Widgets

Description: A collection of desktop applications offers a varity of information services. Default widgets include a weather widget, a digital clock and a calendar. It also provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) for users to develop their own widgets.

Uses: Install or build useful desktop widgets.

Link: http://widgets.yahoo.com

Social Networking

Facebook

Description: Currently one of the hottest social netwokring websites. It provides a friendly cyberspace for individuals, groups and businesses to publish personal or organizational profiles. Users are connected by a "friend" list. Friends can send messages, post comments to each other's web profile. Facebook API allows external web sites, mobile devices and other informational platforms to communicate with the main Facebook website.

Uses: Publicize your business, connect to related parties, facilitate cross-promotion. Example: GLOS on Facebook.

Link: http://www.facebook.com

Twitter

Description: Leading social networking site features a 140 character updates about happenings in people's life and events around the world. Twitter API further facilitates its integration with other communication devices and platforms.

Uses: Make news announcements/notices/RSS feeds that allow people to readily cross-promote.

Link: http://www.twitter.com

Ping.fm

Description: Social media aggregator. "A simple and FREE service" to update all your social network profiles with status updates all at once.

Uses: Easily update your Facebook and Twitter status. Downside: heavily branded.

Link: http://ping.fm/

AddThis

Description: A social bookmarking service that can be added to your websites using a web widget. Equipped with this simple tool, you can not only share your web contents across several major social netowrking sites, but also track how your users are sharing the contents.

Uses: Let your web contents reach more audience.

Link: http://www.addthis.com

Content Management Systems (CMS)

Drupal

Description: A PHP-based, free, open source content management system (CMS). In addition to the common features of most other CMS, it uses a modular approach to easily extend its support for functions such as blogs, forums, RSS feeds, etc.

Uses: Framework for building your web 2.0 sites. Example: GLIN Labs site.

Link: http://drupal.org

WordPress

Description: Also a PHP- based, open source CMS, WordPress is among the more user-friendly blog applications that has sophisticated extensibility options for broader CMS applications.

Uses: Blogging; framework for building web 2.0 sites.

Link: http://wordpress.org

Mobile

NOAA Buoy Data Reader(iPhone)

Description: New iAPP made by Verona Solutions, LLC to identify NOAA weather buoy locations near you and bring buoy data to your iPhone.

Uses: Read advanced weather data from your iPhone.

Link: http://itunes.apple.com/

Pingie

Description: Free online service of converting RSS feed to SMS (or email).

Uses: Read any RSS feed, such as weather data, from your cell phone without needing advanced smartphone technology.

Link: http://www.pingie.com

Other (Development, Strategic Planning)

SIMILE Widgets

Description: Another free open source data visualization widget library developed by MIT.

Uses: Create timeline, timeplot and other charts easily for your web sites.

Link: http://www.simile-widgets.org

Social Signal: Social media strategy workshop

Description: As part of their "Open SoSi" Concept Jam series, Social Signal has made available their agenda and workshop script that can help you facilitate your own strategy session(s).

Uses: Learn from the trials and errors of the pros at constructive techniques for strategic planning.

Link: http://socialsignal.com...

Social Signal: How to create budget estimates for proposals and project management

Description: Also part of their "Open SoSi" Concept Jam series, Social Signal has provided an internal budget estimate spreadsheet and an Open SoSi project estimating worksheet to help walk you through intial planning and funding strategy.

Uses: Why re-invent the wheel? This is an especially useful starting resource for new initiatives that don't have a guiding sponsor framework.

Link: http://socialsignal.com...

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