Real Estate Blog Pro

When Will Flickr Webimager Get an Update?

The Pro really likes the Flickr Webimager and its about time it got updated. Its a great tool for saving bits of the web and info without having to download entire web pages or copy and pasting text.  Real Estate bloggers could find it very useful for things like keeping track of one's personal linkages, if only it worked the way it was intended. Remember several months back when i mentioned it as a cool hacking tool? Well, despite the numerous other screen shot grabber gadgets and gizmos out there these days, Flickr Webimager still remains as my favorite for many reasons. I'll tell you why:

• Its lite and rests in your systems tray (unlike most others which are embedded in your browser)
• it can be used to create bitmaps of images on the web (which you can turn into jpegs in photoshop)
• you can adjust the size of your captured image right within the window
• you can modify the image using Microsoft Paint by exporting it

I'll even go as far as to say that I use it every single day, for all sorts of things!  The problem that I have with it is that you can't find who created it, its never updated and worst of all, it doesn't even do what it was created and intended to do. Namely, allow you to upload screenshots consistently to your Flickr account. The process usually goes like this:

1. Create a screenshot
2. Attempt to upload the screenshot
3. Go through the whole process of allowing WebImager access your Flickr account
4. Upload one screenshot
5. Then get error after error stating that your Flickr account can't be verified.

I can hardly believe that the creators of WebImager intended for us to only be allowed to upload one damn image.  In order to upload more than one image these days, you have to actually save the photo to a folder (which subsequently requires you to press a button which reads "Open" instead of "Save" when attempting to save it) then open it with photoshop or similar program and save the image as .jpeg, .gif  and the like, then upload it to Flickr.  Too much work for a Web 2.0 tool.  Its impossible to track down a forum, it hasn't been updated since its creation (i don't believe) and the Pro thinks it should be.  Has anyone else had the same or similar problem?


Technorati Tags: Flickr WebImager, Flickr, problems, Web 2.0, tools

Keep Track of Your Real Estate Life with Jott

 
Looking for a quick way to keep track of yourself?  Sure, all Pros need little help finding themselves from time to time.  In the world of Web 2.0, taking care of yourself is the name of the game!  Well, today this Pro stumbled upon a new tool that is sure to keep you in check.  Its called Jott and its a voice powered, hands-free way to send messages and to do lists to yourself.  Every real estate agent at one time or another gets the cart before the horse....well, with Jott, this actually works to your advantage. 

Ways that i think this application will prove useful:
Reminders
-call important clients
-leads that you acquire in passing
-important addresses that you want to remember
-deadlines
-paperwork
Information
-phone numbers that you shouldn't forget
-important details about property
-keeping track of new listings
-epiphanies while in the field (ahh...i didn't know Mr. SoandSo owned that too!)

The possibilities are endless....that's why this Pro felt it might be a good productivity related tool to pass along.  Got any cool tools or tips you'd like to pass along to real estate pros such as yourself?  Do so...there's a big blank comment area below, just waiting for your insight!  Good Luck Pros!

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Viewr Adds a Lot of Updates

Remember way back (last July) when Viewr was coming on the scene?  Well, Pro just received word that there's been yet another hefty update over at Viewr and this one is HUGE!  The site now can now do Rentals, Vacation Rentals, Holiday Apartment Complexes (European term) and Multi Family.  The site is geared towards a global view of real estate- or as they put it, "People, Places and Property."  Viewr is becoming more and more customizable, allowing an agent to express as much or as little of their personality as they see fit.

There's very little limitation to what this site can do- and where it can cover!   For example, there are Cave Houses in France, Spain, Turkey, Greece and others. Many of them are associated with a kind of peoples called Troglodytes.
Check these out:
  http://www.viewr.com/search.property.html?vlsn=1000731
  http://www.viewr.com/search.property.html?vlsn=1000725
  http://www.viewr.com/search.property.html?vlsn=1000729

  As with all Web 2.0, the user determines. Everyone gets a My Viewr account management interface that allows the user to customize many aspects of how their listings are presented.  Agents can upload a picture of themselves (if they wish) and a branded logo of the company which they represent.  Give it a whirl, Pros!  Lemme know what you think!

Coming soon:  Pro will let you in on a secret regarding a certain Viewr contest that you're sure to digg!


Technorati Tags: Viewr, real estate, tool

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Anothr is Another way to get your RSS Feed Fix- this time via Skype

For those of you Pros that use Skype [free internet telephony program], there's now an RSS feed aggregator called Anothr which is yet another way to get your RSS feed fix.  As RSS has become the real estate rage, those of us/ you who are ahead of the game (and are using Skype for your business) will appreciate being able to use the program as an instant messenger and RSS feed reader as well.  Time is money! Save some...


[DownloadSquad] Anothr: RSS aggregator for Skype

Technorati Tags: Skype, RSS, Anothr

20 things that the Average Person Doesn't Know About Windows XP

There were a few of these that I was completely unaware of.  My guess is that the same wlll be the case for many of you real estate bloggers.  Check this out from Real Tech News


Technorati Tags: Windows XP

Print from Anywhere with um, PrintAnywhere and Geographically Ground your Instant Messenger

Alright Pros....here are a couple of Realtor friendly tools for you to check out.  The first is PrinterAnywhere, from DownloadSquad Blog.  It does exactly what the name suggests!  Download it for free and stop putting yourself through the pain in the arse process of installing printers and trying to get them to work throughout your network.  Now you can share between network components.


The next tool is geographically oriented instant message program similar to Meebo and Meetro, called RadiusIM .  Its an AJAXy IM solution that will allow you to talk across several instant message programs such as Google Talk, AIM, and Yahoo! Messenger.  Pretty cool if you are a realtor who uses IM for client relations and leads.  RadiusIM will help you to connect to IMers in your proximity.  [link via Lifehacker]


Good Luck Pros!  Lemme know what types of problems that I might be able to help you with.


Technorati Tags: printers, downloads, tools, tips, network, instant messenger

Clients can send you text messages with TxtDrop- even on your MySpace page

If you maintain a MySpace profile, TxtDrop may be a good way for potential clients to reach you.  More and more people are using MySpace for business and this is just one more way for small groups of people to stay connected.  Just add the widget, but be aware of a few security issues.  This type of technology can make real estate very interesting!

[via MobileCrunch and  TechCrunch]


Technorati Tags: text messaging, SMS, MySpace, widget, txtdrop

Textcasting: Podcasting for text will be BIG for real estate listing syndication

Almost a year and a half ago, LoftNinja began to maintain an all text blog for strictly listings-at the time, the blog was called Ninjalistings.*  He chose Blogger as the platform because its ownership (Google, duh) and began to use Talkr (a text to speech feed reader) so that his subscribers could download the listings to their iPod.  Just a few days ago, Library Clips Blog posted an entry about Textcasting (which is essentially the same thing) and confirmed further speculated that syndicating text via podcast could be the next thing!  Today, you can still recieve listings from the LoftNinja on your iPod...its still somewhat of a guerilla housing operation, but that's what makes it fun i suppose.


Today's Paper on your iPod [Slate]
Podcasting Listings are we? Hmmmm...sounds mighty familiar, don'tcha think?[Urbanfoto]
The fotoUR BLogger of the Day on iBlogthere4iM [Urbanfoto] (provides a bit of background and links to an interview with LoftNinja's friend- The fotoUR)

* its probably important to note that while one becomes a Pro [ie. zero experience---->learning process through self teaching], sometimes you will run into roadblocks such as getting hacked by outside entities.  In the case with LoftNinja and Ninjalistings (version 1), he hotlinked an image by permission from another blogger's site and one day that blogger's little brother thought it would be funny to insert a pornographic image in place of the original image (on like this: ) and all of a sudden the oh-so innovative real estate blog turned from respectable to smut.  Luckily he caught it right away, but had to delete the entire thing and start over....thus, the Typepad turn.  I tell you thins so that you will learn from the mistake.  1) Make sure your images are hosted safely in a place under your control and 2) Remember that there is always someone out there smarter than you- and if they aren't, thier little brother or sister will most certainly be.


Technorati Tags: textcasting, blogging, ipod, technology, real estate, housing, innovation, guerilla housing

Some helpful sites for you aspiring Pros: Free File host list, Photoshop tutorials and Google Calender Mobile

An amazing blog for gmail and google-type hacks, Ghacks posted a fat list of sites that offer free file hosting and even went so far as to tell us the following for each site:

Reg: Does the site require a registration before you can use their services ? Registration means free registration of course.

Filesize: Is there a maximum size for a single file, in Mb ? No res = no restrictions

Space: How much diskspace is allocated for the user
? If there is no registration the max filesize has been taken as max
space allowed. No res = no restrictions

Bandwidth: Are there bandwidth limitations ? no res = no restrictions, d=max downloads, h=per hour

Filetypes: Are certain filetypes not allowed to be uploaded ?

Hotlinking: Does the site allow hotlinking ?

Expires: Are the files auto-deleted after a time,
if yes the number of days are shown. If the number is unknown yes will
be shown. Sometimes files only get deleted after inactivity for a
certain time, if thats the case a “i” is added to the
number. Sometimes file get deleted after a certain number of downloads,
if thats the case a “d” is added to the number.

Very helpful!

Google Operating System Blog told us of the new features for Google Calender that lets you check your schedule from anywhere via mobile phone.

* if you're in the US, you can access your calendar from your mobile
phone. You just have to send a SMS to 48368 (GVENT) with the text
"next" to see the upcoming events. Send "day" to get all of your
scheduled events for the present day and "nday" to get all of your
events for the following day. You can even create events, just send the
details in a format similar to this: "Go to dinner at Chef Cafe
tomorrow at 9pm".

Total Tutorial -a fantastic resource for those interested in learning everything that there is to know about Photoshop, Flash and PHP.   This may be a tid-bit much for the average real estate agent, but it never hurts to try dive right in!

Technorati Tags: tips, tricks, Photoshop, tools, google calender, hacks, Flash, tutorials

Wikipedia + Google Maps = Wikimapia and one hell of a real estate resource

So.....soon to be Pros, here's a new tool for you to add to your belt:  WikiMapia
Wikipedia (one of the most useful reference pages on the net) mashed up with Google Maps this week. The site is intended to be a Wikipedia-like reference for the planet earth (we all know where that is) .Wikimapia uses a feature similar to the 'notes' feature on Flickr, called "call-outs" which you can add on top of the area of the map you are referencing. You can search for information about an area without even leaving the crib!

LifeHacker WikiMapia - The geographical wikipedia
Digg Wikimapia = Wiki + Google maps

ALSO...Last week, Microsoft (we all know who that is) released a similar map program called Map Cruncher

Have fun with these...and, map something!


Technorati Tags: maps, mapping, wikipedia, wikimapia, google maps, tools, web2.0