Wufoo Review

Quick Summary
Wufoo is an online service that allows you to build webforms, online surveys, and invitations so that you can collect data, registrations, and payments without having to write any code. The service is aimed at people with no coding experience. The service is free, but has a tiered pricing plan to get much more functionality. They have some extra functionality that allows you to sift through your data, graph it, and export it to Excel of CSV. You can embed the forms/surveys through HTML of CSS, if you know how.

Things I Like

• Remove all complications from the form/survey building process. 
• Has more functionality built-in than google forms.
• Looks nice. 

Things I Don't Like

• If you have much experience with web stuff, this doesn't entirely work from a customizable standpoint. 
• Much like google forms, just have more functionality right in the same place.

Tinychat Review

Quick Summary
Tinychat allows you to create video chat rooms with as many people as you want. It allows video and audio. It is a free service, which means there are ads. It's all through their website so you don't download any program. There is an ability to have a group whiteboard. There is also a text chat too that can be used. You can also join a random chat room, although I'm not in need of that sort of people connection some people might like it.

Things I Like

• Login using FB, Twitter, or create an account with them. 
• Currently this is the only service I know of that allows you to create a large video chat room. I can't do it with skype, you can do four people in iChat, but nothing quite like this.
• Simple site, doesn't try to be a social network in the same way that FB or Twitter do. 
• All through their website, I don't have to d/l anything.

Things I Don't Like

• Because of the technology involved with chat and video, the site is a little slow and wonky at times. 
• Banner ads are large and distracting.
• No search option to find a chat room (at least I couldn't find it).
• By allowing people to join random rooms, you get some pretty lewd stuff (think Penis on your computer screen)

GoodGuide Review

Quick Summary
The GoodGuide is a website that provides a reliable source on information on the health, environmental, and social impacts of the products within your home. The help you to do the following:

• Find save, healthy, and green products
• Search and browse tons of products to figure out what is under the label
• Read expert advice and recommendations
• Make better purchasing decisions based on what's important to you
• Create a favorites list

Essentially, the GG helps you to learn about a product and "greenify" your life. 

Things I Like

• Allows you to learn about products, food, toys, household chemicals, and other stuff in ways that you cannot from the manufacturer. 
• They have a mobile application (currently only on the iPhone).
• Real tips on how to increase your life's environmental conscience

Things I Don't Like

• Somewhat hard to cull through all their information. I mean we use so much stuff, its just not possible to learn about all your things. 
• No wiki format that allows you to contribute information that you find. While this might cause problems with fact checking, it would also help to increase the information. 
• Only iPhone mobile app.

Fluid Review

Quick Summary
Fluid is a free application (for mac) that allows you to create a site specific browser. Essentially, you are able to take the tabs that you always have open in your browser, like email, calendar, pandora, or what have you. What this allows you to do is make a window that is devoted to a specific application and makes it easy to find something rather than find your tab when it is one of forty.

Things I Like

• Makes specific windows. 
• Easier to find tab than when its open in a browser. 
• Highly customizable. See their website for more information on how to configure it. 
• Can install growl scripts. 

Things I Don't Like

• Still has some bugs. 
• New interface options to get slightly used to.

Flavors.me Review

Check out what I made using the service: http://flavors.me/jeffpatzer

Quick Summary
Flavors.me just sprung into existence a few days ago. Essentially it is a system that allows you to create a personal webpage in literally, about 5 minutes. You sign up for an account (free) and then are given a dashboard that lets you build your site by pulling in information from multiple other services like facebook, twitter, etc...So  you can have a quick blurb about yourself and then all the services that you link to the page are listed under that. It allows you to pool all the various sites that you use into one place fast and easy.

They have a paid version that allows you to have some extra features like a personal domain, analytics, and a contact page. Nothing to really write home about, but I guess the have to make money somehow.

Things I Like

• Super easy, quick, and customizable.
• Pulls everything from different sites into one place.
• Makes a pretty site.

Things I Don't Like

• Doesn't really allow you to expand your site. You are limited to the information that you can pull in from other sites. 
• The site might be the best for bloggers and social networkers, but doesn't really provide much other functionality. 
• To get their main function, analytics, I'd have to pay 20$, but google analytics is free.
• Kind of like a simplified myspace without the social networking.

Shoes of Prey Review

(This ones for the ladies!)

Quick Summary
Shoes of Prey (SOP) allows you to create women's shoes, designed online by you. You choose the heel, toe, fabric, color, and embellishments (I don't know what those are, but I'm sure they are important). Then they make the shoes and ship them straight to you. That's it!

They ship internationally. Pay for shoes to be altered to fit your foot is they are a little off once you get them. They make all the shoes by hand.

You can check out the shoe gallery here:
http://www.shoesofprey.com/gallery

Things I Like

• I don't have to go to a store (with the GF). 
• She can make what she likes. 
• Seem to have a great emphasis on customer service and quality.

Things I Don't Like

• Expensive: 150 for the cheapest shoe, 25 for shipping (flat). 
• Only do flats and heels. 

Bumptop Review

**As a quick disclaimer. This was a research item that I read about last spring in one of my classes. It is awesome to see a company that actually implemented the system and ideas behind it. I'll try it out for a while and get back to everyone on how well it works.

Quick Summary
Bumptop is a new way to organize and interact with your computer's desktop. Essentially bumptop is trying to enhance the metaphor between your real desk and your computer desktop. It uses concepts like piles, walls, throwing items around, and so on. It runs on either Macs or PCs. If you buy their pro version you get some extra features, but they do have a free version. Their free version runs great and only lacks a few features.

Its a pretty awesome way to think of using your desktop. Check out the video explanation below.

Things I Like

• Really awesome concept and implementation of a desk metaphor on your computer.
• Allows for organization as humans organize things.
• Customizable.
• Allows you to organize similar file types into piles

Things I Don't Like

• Completely visual based. Could make it somewhat harder to potentially find what you are looking for.
• Its a new way of thinking about my computer, requires a new workflow adjustment.