The StyleSheet - For businesses that use the internet

Google Font API

Posted August 10, 2010 By Rudy Pena

Is Google SkyNet? Well before we start running for the hills, screaming to the heavens, we should take a deep breath and realize what they are offering. Throw away (not literally) those Cufon or SiFR includes within your sites and allow your site to breath a tad bit easier just by using the Google API Directory for fonts.

Billing Manager

Posted August 10, 2010 By Janis Gonser

Billing Manager is a web-based invoicing tool made by Intuit, the company behind TurboTax and QuickBooks.

With the free version, a user can choose between six different invoicing styles, track clients in the address book, and send out invoices via email. Payment due dates and reminders help to ensure that you receive your money on time without having to send out your cousin Eddie with a baseball bat. The option to receive payments is only available with the paid version.

Overall it’s a solid tool with the needed functionality at no cost.

WhatsOnWhen

Posted June 16, 2010 By Gina Hollis

Looking forward to traveling abroad this summer and want to find out what kind of music or nightlife there is in Lisbon, Portugal or Oslo, Norway during your stay?  Frommer’s world events calendar website called whatsonwhen.com is a great guide that gives you information on anything from music festivals, sports and outdoors events, attractions, and kids and family activities.  And, if you are feeling really adventurous during your travels, they even have a section called “Weird & Wonderful”.

Dropbox

Posted June 16, 2010 By Sarah Buser

Dropbox is an application that allows you to access files across multiple computers seamlessly – just by dropping them into a shared folder. Download Dropbox to share documents between your Mac, PC, and most smartphones – it syncs automatically so you can have your most important files accessible from multiple places at once. You can even link your Dropbox to your friends’ Dropboxes so you can share files without having to email them or put them on a USB drive. You get 2GB free to start or you can use this referral link and we’ll both get an extra 250MB!

Suggested Reading: Confessions of a Public Speaker

Posted May 16, 2010 By Janis Gonser

Scott Berkun’s Confessions of a Public Speaker is a great roadmap for anyone who is a public speaker of any level, including the elementary school teacher battling daily for the kids attention. The chapters come in perfect bite size chunks for easy reading. He covers a variety of dos and don’ts supported by some of his personal experiences. Throughout the book, Scott keeps a humorous tone which adds an additional layer of entertaining to this read.

Prism by Mozilla Labs

Posted May 16, 2010 By Nick Weynand

In the spirit of cloud computing, I’m introducing Prism by Mozilla Labs. Prism is a desktop application that allows you to run Web applications in their own window, just as if they were applications running on your local computer. Prism gives you the feel of running a desktop application with all the benefits of running a Web app. Give it a try!

Gowalla

Posted April 12, 2010 By Mike Wisian

The name reminds me of koala, but without the fuzzy ears and a love for eucalyptus. Gowalla is a mobile web application that allows its users to check into places they’ve been. You can find friends, comment on events, search for prizes, go on trips, and meet mysterious gorillas. Gowalla works on many popular smart phone platforms such as iPhone, Android, Blackberry, and Palm.

Google SketchUp

Posted April 12, 2010 By Janis Gonser

Ready for your personal Extreme Makeover Home Edition? Google SketchUp might be just what you need. This 3D modeling program has been around under the Google brand since 2006. Download the “non-pro” version and jump right into designing your next flower planter, log cabin, or your favorite firefighter. It’s all possible as the extensive 3D Warehouse reveals. The Pro version comes with a heavy price tag of $495, but does enable useful features, including a larger variety of file formats when importing and exporting. Plenty of video tutorials are available, but don’t be fooled, Google makes using SketchUp look very easy.

Vimeo

Posted February 11, 2010 By Nick Weynand

Looking for an alternative to YouTube? Give Vimeo a try. Vimeo is a video hosting platform that lets you upload, organize, share and embed videos. It takes most popular video file formats and can even stream your video in high-definition. Need more? Vimeo offers their Plus account with more files storage and other options for a small fee.

Howcast

Posted February 11, 2010 By Jean Conover

Have you ever needed to know how to do something, but just didn’t have time to read the manual? Now there’s a handy new Web site that features professional videos on how to do everything under the sun. You can search Howcast for any topic and learn how do anything from changing the oil in your car to making corn chowder to being a great boss.

This is like a specialized “how-to” version of YouTube, and of course, the site is complete with a downloadable application of Howcast for your iPhone and Android. Check it out, and learn something new today, or bookmark the site for when you need to figure out how to do something fast!