Sarah's Faves

How does Zappos find out if people like pickles or string cheese better during a live event? With Wedgies. Yep. Wedgies. It’s a simple survey tool. One question, two choices and real-time responses.

You know me. I like things that are easy to use. If a web tool, app or platform challenges my brain too much I’m lost. A tool like Wedgies (great name) is beyond simple and serves a purpose. It’s a browser-based survey tool and it allows you to create a question and share it via text-sharing and social platforms.

It’s as simple as signing in with Twitter or Facebook or just using the “share with friends” feature.

You can even add pictures to your Wedgies.

Here’s what it looks like when you send your question as a text:

And, you can view (or share) your results real-time. That’s one Wedgie I want to pick!

Easily manage all your social network settings without giving access to your log in and password with newly launched Bliss Control.

It’s kind of like IFTTT, but not. Bliss Control simply links to the page(s) you actually need in order to manage your social network profiles. Thanks to founders Ben Lang and Alex Wolkov you can bookmark this page to streamline social minutia.

The best part? You don’t need to share your login details. With all the (valid) concern about online privacy, I’m thankful for a resource that doesn’t require the rites to your first born child. I’m kind of fond of mine.

You might still be wondering what it ACTUALLY does. Bliss Control helps you by providing access links to any settings page on the top social networks.

You can:

• Change profile picture
• Change bio
• Delete account
• Change 3rd party permissions
• Change connected accounts
• Change password
• Change design
• Change username
• Change email
• Change mobile settings
• Change email settings
• Recover password

Their future plans? Quoting Lang, “Get more people to use it.” Well, there you have it.

Have a question? Email Ben at: benmaxime [at] gmail.com.

Craftmonkey is a free web application that lets you crafty mc-crafterson Etsy sellers connect your shops to your MailChimp accounts to send out sweet email newsletters.

Looking for ways to boost your sales on Etsy or just stay in touch with current customers? Building up your email database and regularly communicating with them doesn’t hurt. I’m not talking about hourly email spam that eventually makes people want to hunt you down. I’m talking about useful, thoughtful content sent to people who like what you’re peddling.

You don’t have to create and manage an email list you say? I say rubbish (I must be channeling British Sarah today). There’s a (web) app for that. With Craftmonkey all you need to do is connect your Mailchimp account, drag and drop images and throw in your (thoughtful) copy. It doesn’t hurt to have a few email addresses on hand in order to send your latest work of art.

Made by the nice people over at Social Glu, they make creating and tracking newsletters as exciting as your crafts.

Here’s how it works:

• Create a MailChimp account (or use your existing one)
• Connect with Etsy shop using Craftmonkey
• Pick a template, add photos of your products, write a bit of text and send away!

They’re also on Twitter:  @hiCraftMonkey.

ParkatmyHouse lets property owners (residential and commercial) rent out their private parking spots to drivers in need of a convenient place to park.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve driven around and around (and around) Chicago neighborhoods looking for a place to park. When I finally find a place, sometimes 30 or 40 minutes later, it costs me. Royally. Something needs to be done about this.

<insert dramatic music>

ParkatmyHouse to the rescue! Launched first in the UK, they currently rent out the spots of more than 25,000 property owners generating users more than five million dollars (collectively). Now, Anthony Eskinazi and team are ready to take on the U.S.

How does it work?

First, they need people willing to rent out their parking spots. As soon as they have the “right balance of property owners and drivers signed up” they’ll go live. Want to rent out your parking spot? Go here. Need to find a parking spot? Go here.

The entire process is managed through their secure website where people accept and pay for parking space bookings. Private spots on ParkatmyHouse typically are 50 to 70 percent cheaper than meters or parking garages. It’s free to list a parking spot, and, according to ParkatmyHouse, ” in some cases churches and other organizations with large lots have made in the tens of thousands of dollars.”

Going to try it out? Let me know what you think.

(via GeekWire)

The American Red Cross and Dell today launched a new Digital Operations Center, the first social media-based operation devoted to humanitarian relief, demonstrating the growing importance of social media in emergency situations.

So, what does it do? It will help:

• Source additional information from affected areas during emergencies to better serve those who need help;
• Spot trends and better anticipate the public’s needs; and
• Connect people with the resources they need, like food, water, shelter or even emotional support.

How can people like you and I help? Glad you asked.

Also announced today is the digital volunteer program. Digital volunteers from across the country will be trained to respond online to questions from the public, distribute critical information and provide comfort and reassurance during emergencies.

The digital volunteers will play a critical role in working to verify and curate an incredible volume of data during disasters, notifying Digital Operations Center staff of online trends and situational information that can inform disaster-response efforts Equally important, they will engage with people affected by disasters, providing them with critical safety information, resources and comforting messages.

How can you become one? A spokesperson from the Red Cross told me you can contact socialmedia@redcross.org as they are in the process of finalizing the certification process.

This is a great use of Storify to easily document your upcoming SXSW adventures (or any vacation for that matter). Automatically publish your social experience in one, interactive story.

Headed to Austin soon? That means you’ll probably be tweeting, Instagramming and checking in all over the SXSW stomping grounds. Wouldn’t it be nice if someone could pull together all your social posts into one, simple story for people to read? Yah, someone did it. It’s Storify. Check it.

Here’s all you need to do:

1. Sign in with your Storify account
2. Connect your social media accounts, like: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Foursquare, etc…
3. Enable automatic publishing



Each night at midnight they will send you an email with a link to your automagically created story. Boom! It will look a little something like this:



Well done, Storify. Love this.



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Calling all cartographers!  Can I tell you how excited I am to FINALLY get to use that word in a post? Pretty excited. On a scale of one to 10, I’m at an 8.5. Alright, I’ll get to what you came here for.

You don’t need to be a cartographer to use BatchGeo, just copy and paste your data and magic, there’s a map. No, really. BatchGeo creates fast, embeddable and interactive Google Maps from your data. This is a huge timesaver, beneficial for consumers and aesthetically pleasing feature.

Picture this–you’re a journalist for a rrrrrrrreally big news outlet. You are on the verge of a breaking story linking hundreds of illnesses together in what is now an epidemic. To show where the heaviest areas of the outbreak are, you want to use an interactive map. Get it?

How does it work?

1. Copy your data in a spreadsheet program or table (ctrl+c)  If you are starting from scratch use their Spreadsheet Template to do your data entry in, then copy over to BatchGeo.
2. Paste your data into BatchGeo Step 1 (ctrl+v)
3. Click “Map Now”
4. You’re done.

It’s a freemium model, so you do get more features with a PRO account (e.g. enhanced security, faster geocoding, PDF output, ongoing software improvements…), but you only need it if you’re going to be a hardcore user.

h/t @arikligeti

Send private info that self-destructs? Sign me up. Anything that makes me feel like a super secret agent is tops in my book. OneShar.es lets you indulge your inner Inspector Gadget and send an encrypted message (via a link) that disappears after the recipient reads it.

And, you guessed it, it’s extremely easy to use.

How does it work?

• Click the “create one now” blue button. (Or just visit the “create” page.)
• Type or paste something private.
• Receive a unique URL that you can share in email, instant message, Twitter DM, etc…
• Once the recipient clicks on the link the information is no longer accessible. Your encrypted message is deleted from our system. (Find out how, here.)

I tested it with both my desktop and iPhone and it worked perfectly each time. For one scenario, I used my husband’s ancient HTC Snap (that he affectionately calls his Blackberry). I sent the message via my desktop to his email. It arrived in his inbox almost immediately. Once he clicked on the link, it required a bit of scrolling on the mobile browser, but anything sent to him via email on that phone requires it. If it worked on his phone, it should work on any smartphone with internet access.

Why might you need OneShar.es? How about for:

• Usernames, passwords, PIN numbers, etc… Ever need to send these to co-workers when you’re on the go? Never worry about it getting into the wrong hands again.
• Drafts or proofs of a project. Maybe you don’t want the client to save the uncompleted version and just need a quick review.
• Embargo. Have a story that isn’t quite ready for the masses? Use a one and done approach.
• Create a sense of urgency or exclusivity. If you have a message that needs an interesting way to reach your customer/viewer, send and let people know they can only view it ONE time.

We (should) all know that NOTHING sent or posted on the web is 100 percent safe from prying eyes, but OneShar.es sure makes it a bit safer.

Have a question? Email them at hi@oneshar.es.

Download for iPhone.

Download for Android.

FUN INSPECTOR GADGET FACT from  wileyk209zback: We all remember how Inspector Gadget would get an exploding message from his boss Chief Quimby at the beginning of most episodes, right? Well, in the first season in order to save money on animation, they often recycled the same clip of Gadget reading the message, beginning with “The Pharaoh.”

h/t @Mashable

Hey @marianslibrary (yah, that’s my Mom). You know how you want me to call or text you when I’m safely on the ground after being 30,000+ feet in the air? I can promise you I’ll never forget again.

The folks at #mom (hashtagmom) must really love their moms because they created a service that automates this: a Foursquare check in with the #mom calls or texts your mom. That means anytime mom is worried about where you are, you can let her know you arrived safely. Mothers around the world REJOICE!

If you’re a Foursquare user and you like your mom, there’s no reason not use it. Simply go here, enter your mom’s phone number, select whether to send her a text or call, connect Foursquare account. Done. Aren’t you a good son/daughter?