What it does

Plurk is a new social network that utilizes timelines to allow people to update their status and view the status of others. The site is like Twitter with incorporated timelines and a few other bells and whistles. When viewing someone’s most recent update, you have the ability to click on their photo, which will show you all of the “plurks”, or updates they have made and clicking on their name will take you to their profile. Getting started is simple, just sign up, add your profile and then post new “plurks” to let people know what you are up to. Follow others by clicking on the “add friend” button within their page and create “cliques” for easy group status notifications.

In their own words

“A really snazzy site that allows you to showcase the events that make up your life, and follow the events of the people that matter to you, in deliciously digestible short messages called plurks.’

Why it might be a killer

Part Twitter and part Facebook, Plurk is a well thought out social network that could become popular amongst those looking for more control of their online life.

Some questions

Are there enough distinguishing factors to persuade people to use Plurk instead of Twitter? When will the mobile version be ready? How do they plan to market this site given their late entrance to this already saturated market?

Updates


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What it does

First came tinyurl, the site that allows you to shorten URLs for easier sharing, and now you’d better make room for tinysong, the site that converts songs to URLs for easier listening. Simply go to tinysong.com, type in the name of the song you are looking for and tinyurl will return multiple results quickly. Click on the most accurate result and it will be instantly converted into a URL that you can take with you wherever you want and share with whomever you please. Click on the link, and you will be taken to the site of web-based media player Grooveshark, which will start playing your selection. Absolutely no registration is needed.

In their own words

“TinySong allows you to quickly share music links with your friends.”

Why it might be a killer

This is a great tool and it works perfectly. There doesn’t seem to be any lag at any point of the process and the Grooveshark media player works well too. Look for this site to become an extremely popular location for people to convert songs to URLs and share.

Some questions

What do they get out of it? There isn’t even a registration process so they won’t get your email and there is no advertising on the page. Has this been developed in order to introduce people to the Grooveshark player? Where do the songs come from and will they be expanding the selection? They are currently lacking such major groups as U2 for example.

Updates


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What it does

Trackthepack is a quick and easy way to check the status and track multiple packages from multiple shipping companies. With support currently including UPS, FedEX, DHL, and USPS, Trackthepack allows you to track all packages on one simple list and it even shows you each place your package goes to on a map before arriving to your house. Registered users can choose to receive updates via an RSS or iCal notification feed and SMS updates are also supported. Trackthepack is also suitable for business clients seeking a more robust solution and for these users, a Firefox extension can be downloaded that allows easy tracking with the click of the mouse. Finally, Trackthepack is also available on your favorite PDA.

In their own words

“TrackThePack is a way for you to not only keep a handy list of the various tracking numbers you may have, but also is a lovely way for you to actually track all of your packages in one place! Yep, TrackThePack ties in directly with your favorite shipping services and displays your tracking status right here!”

Why it might be a killer

This is a very easy-to-use site and the multiple company support is definitely a big bonus. They seem to have thought of everything while at the same time keeping the user experience incredibly simple. Look for this to become an increasingly popular tool.

Some questions

Will they be rolling out support for other small shipping companies? How about a local courier version?

Updates


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What it does

DIYBizPlan.com is dedicated to providing entrepreneurs and startup companies relevant startup business articles, business planning tools, business plan software reviews and even a free online business plan program. Capital Business Plan Basic is a free business plan software designed for startup businesses. The free business plan program has an easy to use interface that is accessible online from any internet enabled computer in the world. The free planning software program covers the six basic sections of a business plan and includes a 12-month financial projection program with balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. Strategic planning and projecting financial statements is one of the most important steps to starting a business.

In their own words

“DIYBizPlan.com was created by Donovan Wadholm to help entrepreneurs start their own business. Over the years our team has helped thousands of people start their journey into business ownership. We have Startup Articles, a free basic business plan program and advanced business planning software from the industries biggest and best software producers.”

Why it might be a killer

They provide all the tools necessary to help small businesses and entrepreneurs get started. They provide a lot of value added content for start-ups including: articles that focus on providing simple explanations to complex startup problems with strategies for implementation, business plan reviews of the major software on the market including which program is best for your type of business and at what stage it works best. Thousands registrants have used this free online business plan to get started today with no waiting.

Some questions

Are people aware of the benefits that this site provides? Will they continue advertising themselves?

Updates


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What it does

BizAg.com is a search site that lists businesses for sale. This website consults numerous online sources to collect and centralize the information for this site. Businesses available are listed by U.S. state or Canadian territory. Searchers have the capability to refine their search by specifying their maximum and minimum prices, as well as the specific city in which the business is located. Listed businesses range from tanning salons to eye glass shops to lumber companies. Site users can read each business’s profile to find out important information about the possible investments, such as gross income and competition.

In their own words

“BizAg.com aggregates business for sale listings from multiple classifieds sites into a single comprehensive search solution. We are a vertical search engine of businesses for sale. Searching businesses for sale is inefficient and difficult. Listings are everywhere, making it hard to compare listings and make informed decisions. BizAg.com improves that experience by offering the largest database of business for sale listings. Advanced search tools and market information enables buyers to find their perfect business.”

Why it might be a killer

BizAg.com is a site loaded with potential business purchases. The inventory of possible sales is extensive, as several of the most heavily trafficked exchange sites are listed. Postings are frequently updated and added, making for a current and detailed list of available businesses.

Some questions

How could a search field by industry enhance the site? What additional sites can be partnered with? How may BizAg.com diversify and attract different types of businesses?

Updates


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What it does

The newly launched Veewow allows you to create musical video playlists. Users can create an unlimited number of playlists which can be edited, shared and copied for friends and family. The music videos are all pulled in from YouTube, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that there’s a wide range of stuff to suit all tastes. Getting started is a simple matter of finding videos on Youtube and copying and pasting the URL onto Veewow. Sign up is required if you intend to make multiple playlists. On the homepage, you’ll find lists created by other users. You can watch these and add them to your own favorites if they suit your fancy. Lists can also be shared via email. All members have a profile where you can also see their lists.

In their own words

“Veewow is a new online video playlist site that has been launched today.


It is a free to use service that allows users to create and share video playlists from YouTube.





Users can create an unlimited number of playlists and the site can be fully browsed without the need to sign-up. Playlists can be edited, re-ordered and tracks can be added as favorites.





Veewow operates like a video jukebox playing each video in the playlist one after another.”

Why it might be a killer

Veewow has a slick interface and it’s a very straightforward concept. It’s simple. Sites like these often attract a viral sort of popularity especially as it’s really easy to get started plus it combines music and videos. Could very well succeed.

Some questions

As with most new sites, their isn’t much content to search through—how will it attract more users? Will Veewow add a search tool for searching Youtube from within the site itself?

Updates


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What it does

Desktop clutter getting to be a problem? Of course, some people don’t care if they have junk strewn across their virtual desktop, but others are obsessive about orderliness. For the second lot, Launchy is a key stroke utility for Windows that will get their desktops looking pristine. With Launchy you can forget about your start menu and your desktop icons. Launchy basically catalogues your start menu programs and lets you launch everything in their with a few keystrokes. Once you’ve downloaded it, it won’t appear unitl you call it out by pressing alt and space. From there, start typing in the name of the program you need and Launchy will autosuggest possible matches. Launchy can even be used to search google, check the weather, and to search other sites. It has built in calculator and it can be used to index your music and your bookmarks. You can change the skin too.

In their own words

“Launchy is a free windows utility designed to help you forget about your start menu, the icons on your desktop, and even your file manager.



Launchy indexes the programs in your start menu and can launch your documents, project files, folders, and bookmarks with just a few keystrokes!”

Why it might be a killer

Launchy works wonders. It’s a really handy and convenient tool which will make you completely forget about your start menu. It is lightning fast and its uses are quite varied—you can program it to work with GTD web apps such as Remember the Milk and even Twitter. Once you start using Launchy, you won’t be able to live without it.

Some questions

Does Launchy work for Vista? How easy is it to configure for the average user?

Updates


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What it does

QWizard is a free distance learning tool for students and educators. Teachers can sign up to create interactive activities, quizzes and projects for their students. The site comes with ready made learning modules which teachers can easily integrate into their curricula. These run the gamut from solar system and planet match up games to multiple choice quizzes about natural disasters. Each module is scored for level of difficulty. Students can log into the service to see their grades and test scores and to communicate with their instructors. For those looking for a more customized experience, there’s the Qwizard Unlimited package. With this plan, users will get their very own dedicated Qwizard server for a low monthly fee. Teachers can customize their course content and deliver to an unlimited number of students.

In their own words

“Sign up now and create free e-learning / distance learning activities for your students. If you've already signed up, log in to update or add activities.”

Why it might be a killer

Qwizard appears to be an affordable distance learning alternative. It offers basic course modules and seems easy to manage. For those who haven’t a huge budget, this could work well.

Some questions

Qwizard seems weak. Half the links don’t work. The design isn’t appealing and the example modules are somewhat silly. How much does the Unlimited plan cost? How easy is it to import material? How reliable is this?

Updates


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What it does

One consequence of the web’s growth is very, very long urls. Not only are the things everywhere, they also happen to be rather annoying. They tend to break and are, more often than not, hard to paste. ZipMyUrl’s one goal is to fix that. It tidies up those windy web addresses and turns them into neat, crisp, short things which you can handle with ease. To use it, just enter in any web address and hit the zip button. You can even zip multiple urls at once, simply by leaving spaces between each address. The resulting url will look something like http://zipmyurl.com/wtjsm. Zipped addresses can be made private and they can be password protected. You can even add tags to your addresses. Besides that, if you sign up, you’ll be able to publish your urls directly to Twitter or delicious. Most recent zips are displayed on the homepage.

In their own words

“Cut those annoying web addresses down to size”

Why it might be a killer

So there are tons of url shortening services out there, but Zip has got style. The design and execution are noteworthy. It’s also got more functionality than other services. For instance, you can directly send your urls to Twitter, and you can password protect them too. Works like a charm.

Some questions

How will people find out about this service? How is it maintained?

Updates


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What it does

There are many music services on the web, which means newcomer LaLa will have a time rising above its peers. The new music social experience has put together a set of features however, that may make it stand out. Lala combines a social network, a music store, and an online music library. Users are able to listen to full length songs, not mere clips, and buy them for a dime. Each song bought is housed in your Lala music collection; right now, the first fifty songs you download are absolutely free. For those who’ve already got their music stored on iTunes or another music service, they can make use of Lala’s MusicMover app, which works on Macs and PCs; the app will move any playlists you have to your Lala account too. DRM-free songs are available as well.

In their own words

“Lala.com is a venture funded group of software engineers with the single mission of making the Web a better experience for music. More details to come when we complete our beta.”

Why it might be a killer

Lala does look promising. It gives users a single interface to manage and collect music from any computer. The MusicMover tool seems to work at a fairly quick speed which means users won’t have long lag times. Overall, although, simple yet, it could prove successful.

Some questions

How much music can you store on your Lala account? Will the MusicMover be available for Linux? How diverse is Lala’s own music database?

Updates


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