Google Reader Feed Preservation

With Google Reader expiring soon, I wanted to capture the URL list and port it to Flipboard. I have yet to find a PC alternative, but I'm set for the iPhone. 

While looking around Reader Settings, I discovered two new (to me) Google Apps:

  • Google Takeout - easily download Google data, from Reader, Picasa, Drive, Contacts, etc. - sweet!

In the end, I grabbed a Takeout download, but what I think is more helpful for porting is the Subscriptions tab in Google Reader settings. It lists each feed with the URL - just what I was looking for!

Apps Report

New apps I'm loving:

  • Toggl, a time tracking app that keeps my worklog organized by date, time and project; the reporting feature (Pro version) makes invoicing clients a breeze
  • Two mail apps, different platforms
    • Mailbird, a PC app that groups mail, calendar, cloud storage and (a few) key websites; much more efficient than opening multiple browser windows
    • Mailbox, an iPhone app that's just plain fun, it makes it easy to get to mailbox zero (for all my email accounts!)
  • Pencil Project, a Visio-like app that's good enough for most of my flowcharting needs, plus, it's free

Enjoy!

What I'm doing now: Josh Kaufman's Personal MBA, a two-day free webinar

Halfway through Day 1 of Fundamentals of Business: The Personal MBA, I can say it's a great session, and well worth taking two full days away from work. As an independent contractor, whenever I'm not working, I'm not getting paid, so this is a big investment of my time. 

So far, we've covered a lot of material in a fun way, with lots of tips and business insights. Delivered via CreativeLIVE, they  offer a great training model: watch the session for free, or pay to get the video. So, if you have the time, or can make the time, you get a valuable experience, learning from an industry leader.

Josh is an engaging speaker, offering many real-world examples. The studio audience and the internet viewers feel like they're part of the conversation.

I just have to give props to the CreativeLIVE folks for designing a platform that makes delivering training easy. Just imagine if you wanted to give an online course - how would you do it? Think of all the awful training videos out there, with talking heads that drone on, or the opposite: a far-away view from the back of a lecture hall? 

Instead, see how CreativeLIVE has designed a space where webinars are visually interesting with multiple camera views, alternating focus from the lecturer, audience and the video screen, all set in an inviting, comfortable living-room setting.

The CreativeLIVE team directs the video, swapping to different camera views, managing timing/breaks, and moderating multiple chat windows (on-topic, off-topic and questions for Josh).

If you have a chance, you should definitely check out Josh's sessions, and the other offerings at CreativeLIVE.

p.s. No, I'm not paid to promote the site or the webinar, I just like what I see!

And this makes three...

From Blogger to Posterous to Posthaven, I'm now into year six of posting random thoughts to the universe. So many cups of tea...

 

Not sure what this blog will become. It's nice to have the option to load past Posterous entries, but I probably won't bring them over, at least not as a whole. There are a couple of stories I still like, so maybe a few will become "best of" posts. We'll see. 

At heart, I'm still a curator, keeping the good and endlessly tweaking the old.