11 Free Websites and Apps to Simplify Life

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2.  Twitter – I am a huge fan of Twitter. I think it allows us to share ideas, information from regular folks as well as celebrities and public figures very quickly. In fact, I recently asked Suze Orman a personal finance question and got it answered in about an hour. 

3.  Dropbox – Ever get tired of clogging email accounts with big files like pictures and MP3s? I sure do! Dropbox is an application that allows you to instantly share files with whoever you want without the hassle. Anyone can sign up for a free account (2 GBs). You can upgrade to a paid account for more storage space.

4.  Alltop – I used to go to Barnes and Nobles to read the latest magazines on the rack every week. Now, Alltop is the same thing but on the internet. It’s a collection of great sites and blogs categorized by topic. In fact, check out Men’s Playbook in the Relationships, Life and Men sections!

5.  Skype – Got a webcam and a mic? Why not use Skype to conduct business calls or even stay in contact with family across the country. I use this at least 4-5 times every week. Saves me a ton of gas money for my business.

6.  Tokbox.com – Tokbox is very much like Skype but with two key differences. It’s web-based so you do not have to download any software and your can video chat with up to 20 people. Great right!

You can also record video messages and send them to your friends.

7.  Dealnews.com – Ever want to find an easier way to get the lowest internet prices. Dealnews is the best place to find the lowest prices on anything ranging from electronics to clothes. This is what I use for gift-buying and especially Christmas.

8.  Consumersearch.com – I always want to get reviews on products before purchasing. And if you don’t want to pay for Consumer Reports, Consumersearch.com is a great alternative.

9.  Orsiso – If you’re a social media butterfly, it can get daunting to keep up with all of you and your friends’ activity. Orsiso is an application that puts your social media accounts in one spot. Facebook, LinkedIn, Friendfeed, Twitter, Yahoo Messanger plus other accounts can be managed from Orsiso.

10. Tweetdeck – Tweetdeck is a lot like Orsiso with the ability to combine Facebook, MySpace and Twitter into one place.  The thing I most like about Tweetdeck that Orsiso doesn’t offer is the ability to see comments on Facebook status updates, wall posts and photos. You can also respond to all three right there in Tweetdeck vs. having to log in to Facebook. 

Plus there is now a tweetdeck app for iPhones! 

11.  Google - Many people don’t realize how much they can get done with google besides using the search engine. Whether for my businesses or personal usage, I take full advantage of their email, calendar, address book and tasks applications and even sync them to my Blackberry. Who needs Microsoft Outlook?

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