Have you ever tried looking backwards in Twitter or Facebook? It’s not easy. There was that funny conversation, link, or photo that one time that you suddenly feet the need to take a look at again, but when you tried to find it, you were faced with over a year’s worth of scrolling, waiting, scrolling, waiting, and then yet more scrolling? That’s one of the downsides of a world run by micro-updates — there are a lot of them. You could try using the built in search, or even Google, but it’ll probably be a chilly day down south before you find that elusive memory. That’s where Memolane comes in.
Memolane is a new web app that allows you to view content from multiple social media services in a single timeline that is easy on the eyes, and easy to search through. The timeline is scrollable and broken down into days, with the tweets, photos, updates, et al, that you posted online each day listed vertically in expandable memo bubbles. You can connect Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, Last.fm, Trip.it, and more — and you can even add in RSS feeds to pull in custom content. I found that I was able to access Twitter updates as far back as February 2010, and Facebook updates, especially photos, all the way back to 2007. Clicking the timeline bar on the bottom of the window made for quick trips to the dates I was looking for, and the search is actually pretty powerful, so long as you don’t enter hash-tag symbols (#).
An easy way to find your old online memories isn’t all that Memolane is good for, however. You can also embed lanes into web pages (see it in action below), and connect with friends to create stories together around shared experiences. It’s a bit like an online scrapbook, really. In fact, Memolane may be adding a print aspect that will allow for real scrapbooking — digital life making it full circle back to the real world.
I like Memolane. It’s easy to set up and use, it allows me to find things that I may have never found otherwise, and it has per-memo and per-service privacy settings that make the sharing bit worry-free. I did find that, the further I went back in time, the more sparse the updates became, but it is entirely possible that that has more to do with the connected services than with Memolane itself. Also, it’s free — and awesome. That’s a good combination in my books.
http://vimeo.com/16474788What do you think of Memolane?
What Are Your Go-To Tech Sites?
Way back in the wilds of 2009, Evan wrote a post naming his top five tech sites for every geek. But 2009 is ancient history in the world of the web — that was way back before I even started writing for 40Tech! My kid was only barely a one year old, and Twitter was still a novelty that allowed people to talk about their lunch. Ancient times, I tell you!
This vast expanse of time and change got me to wondering: what are your top tech sites in this new — and obviously technologically superior — decade? Where do you go these days for all of your tech-related news, reviews, and tips? I’m looking for a top 10 here, ordered or not, so hit the comments, Twitter, Facebook or email, and get the word out!
Here’s my list to get us started:
Lifehacker – These guys cover everything, even things I had no idea I could be interested in. Their feature posts are helpful and informative, and their short posts have lead me to some other very cool blogs.
Mashable – I’m a nut about the social web, both due to my work and my geeky curiosity and need to consume new techy info. I’m also fascinated by the way Mashable has managed to infiltrate and influence mainstream news, including local, national, and even worldwide television stories.
ReadWriteWeb – Some of the topics on this site can be a bit heady or politically charged, but the quality of the work and the range of interesting topics keep me coming back. I’ve found a lot of really great information here, some of which I’ve linked to from 40Tech.
Make Magazine – This site continuously blows me away with the stuff people cobble together. Some crazy DIY and experimental tech (and other things) here!
Twitter – Specifically, my Twitter account (@bobby_travis). This may seem like an odd choice, but I get a lot of my tech news and info from here. Some of it is from the sites in this list — but I get it from Twitter before I ever hit the site — and much of it is from other sites that are linked in the posts of those I follow and retweet or otherwise share.
40Tech – Yeah, I know, I’m biased because I write here, but this site remains one of my most frequent reads — and not due to vanity. The fact is, I was a reader, like you, before I started contributing to the site. The information I get from Evan and our commenters, not to mention guest posters, is, and always has been of the best quality.
MakeUseOf – I like MakeUseOf because of the huge amount of how-to posts, general tips, and guides that I’ve found there. It’s a great place to find everything from how to build your own PC, to how to jailbreak your iPhone, and find out how to shop better online. Something for everybody, really.
Joystiq – This is probably where I get most of my gaming info. I could have said Facebook, I suppose, because that’s where I often start before I get to the site, but that is only because I liked their page and have been interested enough that I haven’t muted them.
Web.AppStorm – In a world focused on/obsessed with cloud computing, getting all the goods on the new and fancy web apps is a necessity. WebAppStorm is one of the best places to learn all that you could ever want to know and more, and there are several other AppStorm sites attached to it. It’s not bad to look at either. Downright pretty, even!
Digitizd – Formerly known as The 2.0 Life, Digitizd is the baby and brainchild of David Pierce (Assistant Editor of PC Mag Digital Networks and 40Tech reader). The site broadcasts thoughts, tips, news, and neatness related to the digital world and living in it, and is an all around good read.
There are several other sites that I read regularly which are also tech-related, such as a multitude of other gaming sites, social media and business sites, and more, but these are the ones that I probably end up at the most.
Now it’s your turn!
Hopefully, this conversation will bring out a few gems people have never heard of, as well as a sense of what our world in general finds to be the cream of the geeky crop. And please don’t feel pressured to rank 40Tech up high on your list. We are very much aware of and comfortable with our smallish stature among the tech-site juggernauts. We still know we’re awesome — because you all keep telling us so! Thanks for that, by the way… You’re awesome too! :D