Statwing

Briefly, Statwing takes information on any topic, breaks it down and provides statistical analysis on the data. Think of it as the Excel you wish you had. Where Excel is simplified enough for the most novice of users to input data and track the results, the advanced cross-sheet, formula inclusion, graph creation and chart tracking can be a bit overwhelming for even experienced users.

Statwing automatically reads the data from any spreadsheet (Excel, Google docs, etc.) or .csv file and returns an interface from which users can quickly track, analyze and compare the data.

Intuitive Data Analysis

Statwing’s approach is solid. It reads files accurately and in a rather simple form delivers a summary of the data with count, percentage and chart to visualize the data. Along those lines, users can manipulate which data should be excluded with filters (created by the user) as well as change the category assigned to each data segment.

Data handling is done on what’s called a Workspace. Workspaces can be saved and renamed as needed, though saving is best served for those who purchase one of Statwing’s premium packages as they are saved indefinitely. Free account data remains available for 24 hours, a rather short amount of time if you intend to pour over some detailed data.

Real World Testing

Like others, we examined the demo version of Statwing and found that the presentation and potential are outstanding. The possibilities in terms of time savings alone make Statwing a definite tool worthy of making it into any data analyzers toolbox.

We decided to create an account and test Statwing out with our own data and pre-formatted spreadsheet to examine the results in a less controlled way. The results were definitely different than the demo.[blockquote style=”style5″]Disclaimer: I’m especially particular about my spreadsheets and format them heavily for all-on-one-screen aesthetics. I hate to scroll in any direction if I can avoid it, but will always avoid horizontal scrolling.[/blockquote]

The disclaimer is mentioned because that’s likely where things went off the rails. Statwing read the data correctly, even accurately summarized it, but relating the data (comparing it) was less than representative of what the original spreadsheet depicted. Eventually Statwing sorted it out and provided more valuable information as the data related to each other. An adjusted spreadsheet with more generic layout and data was also used. The results were more predictable which indicates formatting may have been an issue in the first attempt.

* For purposes of full disclosure, the spreadsheet in question was that of a fuel expenditure with varying amounts, dates of purchase, totals and separation by month and day.

Overall, the statistical analysis wasn’t able to provide me with the data I was after, though as noted earlier (see disclaimer), the formatting may have been part of the issue.

Interface

If you’re going to stare at numbers and data all day, the presentation better be easy on the eyes or else one migraine later you’ll be wishing you never started. Luckily, Statwing’s interface is aesthetically pleasing. Mostly white with subtle shades of blue for functionality.

Navigation is clearly visible and uncomplicated with most essentials located in the same general area of the screen.

Statwing Workspaces can be shared via direct link sharing and recipients are not required to have a Statwing account to view shared Workspaces.

We’d like to see a built-in print function available to quick print charts and statistics. Standard printing through the browser was troublesome at best and unusable at worst. Saving is awesome and while we applaud the idea of 100% cloud functionality, users can often benefit from having a printout of things likes charts where they can highlight, circle and scratch notes on.

Plans & Pricing

There are three pricing plans available. The free account will grant you access to a saved file for 24 hours with a maximum file size of 1mb. Statwing’s premium packages offer higher size limits and unlimited life span on files.

Statwing Future

We aren’t sure where Statwing is heading, but with some small tweaks to the interface and more advanced graphing of data coupled with the existing, basic inner guts, they have the potential to become a standout resource.

Something worth considering moving forward would be a demonstration of how Statwing reads the data for a layman. The goal being to better describe to users how Statwing interprets formatting and where it expects data to be in relation to how it delivers results.

Final Thoughts

Having seen what Statwing is capable of in the demos, it’s hard not to question whether formating spreadsheets differently in the future should be considered in order to take advantage of this outstanding free service. While the statistics retrieved didn’t fully reach expectations, Statwing did demonstrate how intricately it reads files and interprets the data. We expect further enhancements which will expand on results output and broaden the analysis.

Statwing should be in your resource kit if data analysis is important and must be in your kit if it’s part of your livelihood.

Our advice is to create a free account with Statwing and see just how accurate the results are from your own spreadsheets and .csv files. Share your thoughts here to give others another point of view.

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The post Statwing – Make Your Data Come To Life first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Typically our Nifty Website choices focus on the smaller, up and coming websites that are on the verge of success. Yola is a bit different in that they are already well established and for the most part successful. However, their website builder offers something that many don’t in the form of business tools and merchant integration options.

The Basics

Basic site building and hosting services are free although users will get the most from Yola by utilizing one of their monthly plans. Features such as custom domains and phone/email support are included in all three packages dubbed Bronze, Silver and Gold.

A Silver plan unlocks more customizable settings such as CSS editing along with Facebook and mobile publishing. The mobile site feature is especially useful because these days you can’t possibly move forward if your website isn’t viewable on mobile devices. The Gold plan adds SEO (search engine optimization) analysis to your site and is definitely worth the step up if you don’t have a clue what SEO is.

Beyond the Basics

Many of those basic features can be found on a number of other site builders. What strikes us as a successful step above many of them are the tools available for integration within the site.

Merchants can incorporate inventory management, payments systems, tracking detail and mobile sales directly into a Yola site. Typically a daunting task, Yola turns selling online into a more reasonable experience for merchants.

Business tools can be utilized as well. With standard features like contact forms and Google Maps, Yola sites are comparable to other expensively built websites. Advanced tools include mailing lists, site stats, appointment scheduling, Facebook commenting and more. Setting up mailing lists alone can be a source of frustration so having the option at your fingertips is a huge plus.

Behind the Scenes

As many already know, a website is merely the front face of a much larger machine. Yola employs cloud hosting with a claim of 99.9% uptime (we have no reason to doubt that figure) as well as DDoS protection. So although you’re paying a monthly fee to Yola, the built-in protection they provide is something you may not get going it alone, which makes the price more of a value point.

Yola does provide some basic tutorials to guide new users along and actually displays a phone number on the main page for anyone that needs assistance. Two things that a less established site builder might not offer.

Summary

Yola is well established with over 7 million users and counting. They have a simple system in place to get new users up and running with a basic template from which they can make the site their own.

Yola stands apart from some others with business tools and merchant features that normally require some additional coding or plug-ins. The features can help build a truly complete business website or organizational online presence.

Overall, users will need to invest in one of the premium packages to benefit from Yola, though we think it’s a wise investment if it’s a serious project. If you’ve been looking for an easy way to get a website off the ground and want a source that’s trusted and reliable, then Yola is a great place to get started.

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One of the more common aggravations about social interaction and networking online is that there is just so much of it. Think about the websites you visit everyday and undoubtedly there are a handful of social websites on the list. Plainly put, our identities are scattered all over the web and with them our connections. In an effort to simplify and organize all those social places into a centralized digital form, Follr has created a business card type presentation for all your personal spaces.

The Follr Idea

Follr calls their gathering of social information, “personal profile sites”. Translated, that means that users establish an identity on Follr and add all their online addresses to create contact details for every social handle they use. Essentially creating a digital business card.

Personal profile sites are more than just a gathering of Facebook, Twitter and social network handles. They’re an identity description accompanied by a bio section with skills, professional title and stream incorporation.

Features

Linking social profiles to Follr is the immediate draw, but the service provides some other useful tidbits as well. We’ve already touched on the bio section which can be used to list all sorts of information about yourself, your business, skills, achievements or whatever and the information can be as small as a single sentence or include detailed information.

Beyond social contact details and handles, users can add more direct contact information to their profiles such as Skype, Google Voice, Instant Messenger and a number of others. By adding them all to Follr, it ensures others can contact you without bouncing between sites in search of other contact means.

Feeds are another great way to enhance a Follr profile. Twitter and RSS feeds can be incorporated into Follr for a continual stream of information. The updates are a great way for others to see just what you’re all about beyond a bio.

The Follr appeal comes from the single web address which can be shared with everyone and contain all user social handle data in one place. It’s akin to sharing your website, but instead of reaching a page with a large amount of other information, a Follr page delivers your social hangouts.

Bottom Line

Follr is not a website replacement. It’s not even a LinkedIn replacement in terms of showcasing professional skills. What it is though is a place where users can compile a complete list of their social handles and hangouts with an emphasis on contact options.

The service is free, it’s visually appealing with profile customization options, it offers a bio section along with blog feeds and it just plain works. Not bad for a digital business card. Give it a try and see if you don’t find yourself giving out your Follr address as opposed to a half dozen social handles.

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A popular topic covered in the Nifty Websites Collection is website creation. We’re on a mission to make sure everyone who wants an easy way to create a website, knows the options. With that in mind, Flavors.me is another outstanding way to take advantage of point and click website creation.

Why Flavors?

For starters, creating a gorgeous web presence or personal space shouldn’t take less than 10 minutes, with Flavors it does. Combine that with zero coding, personalized domain, content inclusion from 35 services, mobile view, statistics tracking and an unbelievably low cost and you’ve got a remarkably full featured aggregator.

Flavors offers two packages, Free and Premium. A free account delivers access to 5 services, 222 fonts and 7 layout options. The free plan offers users a simple effective way to create their own personal space. A premium account provides 10 more layout options, access to all services, mobile site view, statistics, contact forms, custom URL and content. The premium account is $20/year. In our opinion, $20 is a fantastic value.

Why Not Flavors?

Experienced webmasters and those familiar with coding and/or those comfortable with servers and databases might see Flavors as a bit limiting. Flavors isn’t a likely choice if you’re designing a business website or merchant outlet. Instead, Flavors is targeted towards individual web spaces or perhaps those looking to promote a cause.

Flavors is a personal portal designed to be simple and concise while at the same time elegant and beautiful. They succeed, but because of that nature users shouldn’t expect a robust selection of interface manipulations.

Final Thoughts

After reviewing sites like Flavors, we’re always left wondering what the web would have been like a dozen years ago if these types of site creators had been around. Not everyone can be a coder and even webmasters can’t be every kind of coder necessary to create wonderful websites. Flavors removes all that trouble and provides a point and click way to design a personal web space for even the most green of novices.

Flavors is an incredible value at $20 a year and although the free account is limited in terms of content possibilities, it’s more than adequate for those just getting started.

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The post Point, Click And Create Websites From Flavors.me first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

One thing humans can never seem to get enough of is lists. We make them for just about anything and there are a lot of ways to create them. The current drive is towards mobile integration with list and note-taking apps in high demand. Wunderlist is a way to organize tasks through lists and works everywhere.

More Than An App

Wunderlist isn’t just a mobile app it’s also a fully accessible web based app and software title. Cloud access is available through a web interface and Wunderlist software is available for use on Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems.

In order to be truly cloud, a service has to be accessible everywhere at any time. Wunderlist seems to have every angle covered with a multitude of apps and software for various platforms. The best part is they actually work!

Wunderlist Goods

Making a list doesn’t have to be complicated and Wunderlist understands that. The interface is designed to illicit task injection without jumping through category hoops or other unnecessary hurdles. Here’s a rundown of Wunderlist’s features:

[list style=”square” color=”cobult”]

• Group tasks into lists.
• Share tasks with other Wunderlist users and/or through email with others.
• Reminders, to ensure tasks are attended to.
• Prioritize important tasks.
• Cloud syncing for access on all devices.
• Note addition for added detail on a task.
• Personalize your Wunderlist theme for individual comfort.
• It’s free!

While we expect the web interface to be responsive, we were surprised at how responsive the mobile app (Android tested) was as well. The menus were complete, touch controls functioned properly and accurately and overall we experienced zero problems with the app.

Summary

Wunderlist is nearly perfect. The melding of concise task management with an attractive interface combines to deliver a solution users will enjoy. Task and list creation are smooth and precise with plenty of extras to make a task more than a simple note.

With all that Wunderlist offers, we’d like to see two things in particular addressed. The first deals with functionality. The back button on mobile devices exits the app from any main area so we’d like to see an exit option or exit menu that’s triggered by the back button instead of an immediate exit. The second is more of a feature, Tags. A tag library would be an outstanding way to quickly access tasks and maintain organization.

Regardless of your task managing needs, Wunderlist is a viable, quality option that should be one of your cloud and mobile resources.

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This message will self destruct in 3..2..1.! At least that’s the premise of Burn Note, a cloud based message service that sends messages between parties and deletes them after they’re read.

Burner Messages

Each message sent through Burn Note can be read only once. After which the message is deleted and essentially burned out of existence. Similar to burner phones where they can be discarded after single use, Burn Note messages are definitely deleted after a single read.

Notes are deleted either manually by the recipient or immediately upon navigation away from the message page. Senders have the option to set a timer on messages to further control the burn time. Burn Notes which go unread are automatically discarded after 72 hours.

Features

Burn Note is clearly meant as a security tool for sending sensitive and secure information between parties. To that end, other features are in place to ensure Burn Note remains as secret and secure as possible.

Short Phrases for example, makes copying and pasting of message contents impossible and makes taking screenshots of the message unbelievably troublesome, especially if the message has a short timer. Messages are broken down into snippets which appear individually on screen and rotate in order, every couple seconds.

The Spyglass feature hides the message entirely. Recipients can view the note by clicking and dragging a simulated flashlight across the screen to reveal the contents of the message.

Senders also have the option of placing their own password on the message for added security. Pending messages are stored encrypted on Burn Note servers and communication with Burn Note is done through 256 bit SSL encryption.

For the exceptionally security conscious, Burn Note provides detailed technical information about their storage and encryption methods on their website. Burn Note seems to have every angle covered aside from screen recording which is somewhat out of their control.

Summary

While not everyone will need Burn Note services, there is certainly a need for it. The internet is a wild west environment with unknowns around every corner. Sending information can be a somewhat unnerving process, but through Burn Note users can feel confident every precaution is being taken to protect their message data.

Aside from the obvious sharing of information between parties, we found this cloud tool to be somewhat fun which is hard to accomplish when utilizing security measures. Burn Note is great for spies or friends who just want to have a private undocumented conversation.

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The post Burn Note Messages Self Destruct To Maintain Privacy first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

When I started out as a small business owner, one of the most unexpected difficult items to nail down was a logo for my company. The services were in place, the company name was set, even the catchphrase was picked, but that logo drove me nuts. Eventually everything worked out, but coming up with ideas was incredibly difficult. GraphicSprings free logo design maker would have been a huge help to me and is a great resource for others struggling to get their logo right.

Free Logo Design

The logos are crafted from a database of 500 existing images. Users then manipulate the graphic and font to personalize the logo. Customizations include size, color, font style and effect.

The color picker auto generates corresponding colors when used with the logo icon. For example, if a logo has a triple color palette which is primarily blue and a user changes the color to primarily red, then the accent colors will compliment the red. The built-in feature alleviates any trouble users might have with coordinating colors.

Most of the editing is performed on the font with styling options, font choices, spacing and color. Font effects such as 3D and calligraphy can be applied to the text portion of the logo design and GraphicSprings supplies font types which match the effect. The process makes choosing a font more straightforward so that users don’t have to scroll through endless amounts of fonts.

When complete, users can download the file in jpg, jpeg and png formats.

Summary

For small businesses and freelancers just starting out, a logo can seem like a ludicrous waste of time and resources. The fact is though, that a logo is important, it can describe a brand or product and needs to be memorable to consumers. GraphicsSprings helps nudge the process along by offering a huge catalog of free options so that focus is on service and product instead of logo design.

GraphicSprings is on the list of must check resources for anyone that’s creatively challenged.

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Small businesses are still trying to understand and properly use social media to expand their brand and market their products and services. To that end, management of social media accounts can seem like an overwhelming task with the number of social channels continually rising. Postling is a social media management tool for small businesses with an emphasis on simplicity for brand marketing.

It’s no secret that social media is currently the most pronounced way of garnering attention for your brand or business. Facebook alone is like its own ecosystem with likes, shares, apps, surveys and other features. Individuals don’t have to worry about their Facebook presence or Twitter re-tweets, but businesses do. A lot of time and money go into building brand pages on social media channels, which means businesses need results to justify the commitment of resources.

Results come from regular participation, sharing and promotion. To manage all social media outlets equally is an enormous task for small businesses. Personnel doesn’t exist for such promotion while marketing and advertising for small businesses is still an area that is addressed in house and outsourced on a per case basis.

Postling’s social media management interface allows small businesses to share and promote through their social channels from a single platform. Postling can manage Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, WordPress, Tumblr, Yelp, Bit.ly, CitySearch, Blogger, Squarespace, Typepad, Drupal and Flickr. The wide range of choices allow small businesses a chance to focus their efforts instead of dividing their time between social media outlets.

Features

The brilliance is in cross posting to eliminate the need for multiple posting across multiple sites. Through Postling, users can publishing their content in one centralized location to all their social media sources. Posts can be scheduled to further save time and manage targeted messages. Comments can also be monitored through Postling to help businesses and brands react quickly.

Tracking social conversations is part of the Postling package with enhanced threads to breakdown comments and follow their flow at any time. Additionally, Postling provides a recap of daily activity across social accounts, which provides information that would otherwise require navigation to each individual website.

Since Postling is focusing on small businesses and brands, additional account users can be added to help with posting and overall management. There are a number of other features Postling offers to improve a small business’ dedication to social media as well as their performance.

Final Notes

Postling is a well rounded all in one solution for social media management. The tracking features for comments, reviews and interactions is of particular interest and helps to justify this non-free solution. Postling is $5/month (for first 5 accounts, +$3/month for additional accounts). There is a trial period of $1 for the first 30 days to allow for testing of the service at a minimal charge.

The Postling interface offers a variety of social media outlets for publishing content and the iPhone mobile app makes it convenient for on the go management. Overall, Postling is a decent service that is definitely targeted towards small businesses that are limited on time and need to manage all social content from one location.

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The post Postling Is Social Media Management For Small Businesses first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.

Quality in photos isn’t natural. In fact most popular photographs are in one way or another edited to enhance image quality or hide imperfections. That’s why photo editing tools are so plentiful. Citrify is another such tool focused on imperfection correction.

Why Citrify?

Many photo editing tools are large packages of both complete photo manipulation and image touch up tools. Citrify focuses on the latter with features for blemish correction, wrinkle correction, lighting adjustments and other practical photo touch ups which can improve the quality of the subject itself.

By focusing on the content of the photo, Citrify brands themselves as a quick touch up solution. Specifically, users who want to correct face and head shots will find Citrify easy to navigate and manipulate with their tools.

The interface is clean and very simple to get the hang of. Images are uploaded from a user’s computer and from there the image is ready to be edited.

What Citrify Is not

Citrify is not an all in one solution for photo editing. Users cannot manipulate the image itself as with many other online photo editing tools. For instance, the crop tool isn’t available. Additionally, there are a limited number of filters, though Citrify does provide some fun stickers for adding character to photos.

Citrify is also not a social hub or sharing platform for your images. That means there are no automatic sharing features or options.

Summary

If you’re looking for a full fledged photo editing tool, then look elsewhere. If what you want is a very easy, quick photo editing touch up tool, then Citrify is the right choice. The touch up and photo correction tools are sufficient though the lack of basic crop tool is inconvenient.

Overall, the website performed the task as expected and functionality of the tools was accurate. While not a complete online photo editing software option we do recommend it for anyone who wants to quickly make face and head shot photos more appealing.

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If you’re a user who spends more than 12 hours a week online, then you likely need to create new passwords fairly frequently. With so many new cloud services, social websites and online gaming, new account creation is a regular activity for most. Password Generator is a super quick way to help make the sign up process a little easier.

Usage

Let’s face it, we all hate creating passwords for new accounts. In many cases the same password is used over and over again to make it easy to remember. On top of that, the password is more than likely less secure than it should be. While preaching about security isn’t the point of this article, it is important to apply strong and yes, hard to remember passwords to your accounts.

Creating strong passwords is easy, but can be problematic for some people. Some websites allow the use of special characters (*&^ etc.) and others don’t. Sometimes password lengths are limited which means using the same 12 character password won’t work if a system only allows a 10 character password.

Password Generator lets you set the parameters of the password, but creation is done by the generator itself to save you the hassle of putting a password together. Options include letters (uppercase and lowercase), numbers, special characters or symbols and password length.

The process is easy, even for novices and super quick. After a password is generated, simply copy and paste the result into any website form or sign-up area.

Final Thoughts

Password Generator does offer a less secure, but easier to remember generator though we recommend sticking with stronger password creation. Having strong passwords is a must and Password Generator is a quick way to get a strong password with results that can be used long term if need be.

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The post Create Secure Account Passwords With Password Generator first appeared on GeekITDown Computer Services & Technology Solutions.