So Emma and I were talking and she wanted to know what RSS aggregator viewers of her site are using. What is an RSS aggregator you ask? RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a term that describes a somewhat new Internet technology that allows supporting web sites to post RSS feeds. What does that mean? Well, typically when you view a website you type the URL (http://www.SomethingAtSomething.com) and then you examine the page for what has changed since your last visit. If you are like me, you probably check out several different sites a day to see if there is an update. Determining what has changed requires you to examine the page in detail and make a decision based on memory. Not a very efficient or optimized approach to web surfing.

Bloglines is a web-based service that allows you to subscribe to sites that support RSS feeds (pretty much any site of any worth these days). Subscribing to a site in this manner allows you to browse the web in a more efficient manner. Instead of “pulling” content as you do when you browse to a site now, an RSS feed “pushes” content to you. That means that you receive updates to a subscribed website with only the stories, articles, and content that has changed since the last time you looked. Trust me, it’s a real time saver and Emma swears by it. In fact, you can even subscribe to Emma’s Webpage (Links at Bottom Right) which will allow you to receive updates when I update it, relieving you of the task of checking back daily. Now that’s value.

There are plenty of RSS readers out there, but what makes Bloglines the aggregator of choice is its web-based service implementation. Essentially it is a website that you can access from anywhere. So say you check out some sites at work on your work computer, and then when you come home you want to see what has changed on those same sites from your home computer, a client based solution would force you to manage two independent lists. Being web-based, your RSS feeds are managed in one place eliminating the need for you to acknowledge what you have read twice.

Do you have a really big file you need to email someone (say 42 Mega Bytes of pictures) but your email program won’t let you send any more than 4 Megabytes worth of attachments? Enter Pando to the rescue. Pando is a free file sharing application that allows you to send up to 1 Gigabyte worth of attachments in a single email. The tool integrates nicely with programs such as Microsoft’s Outlook and is simple to use. Pando accomplishes this apparent miraculous feat by sending your files to a server and automatically attaching a link to their location in your email. The recipient simply clicks on the link to retrieve the content. It’s fast, it’s simple, and solves the problem of email size limitations once and for all.

Note: Because your files are sent to Pando’s server you should use caution when using this service. They do claim that your files will be encrypted and privacy is maintained, but as with anything in life, you never know. If security is an issue for the file in question, then don’t take chances with any Internet service.

If you like to stay organized but struggle to keep your Microsoft Outlook work calendar synchronized with your home calendar, Google has a solution for you. Google Calendar allows you to record all your important events in one place online, allowing you the freedom to add and review appointments anywhere you have an Internet connection. Better yet, since the application is web-based, you don’t even have to use your computer. Any old machine will do. Just log in with your username and password and viol-la, your information is available at your fingertips. Google Calendar even allows you to configure it such that reminders can be sent to your cell phone minutes before an event’s start time. There are also a host of other neat features like calendar sharing, localized weather forecasts, and Microsoft Outlook integration. Best of all access is free. So what are you waiting for, create your Google Calendar today and start the year off on task!

For more information about Google Calendar click here.