When I think of a search engine, I think of a website where I can go to simply enter some keywords and get results back of sources that relate to my keywords. When Jeteye thinks of search engines, they think about everything! You have your basic search with Google results, but then you also get the ability to signup and create a personalized areas called a Jetpaks (Below is a small screenshot of this) and for free. You can have as many Jetpak’s as you wish and can share them with anyone at any time. A Jetpak allows you to save any search result links you come across, save notes if you find something interesting or need to remember something, attach images, or even link to another Jetpak that someone else has made!

Now, you need to visualize the beauty of this is. It is like creating your own personalized mini website of information that you can easily keep private or share. Create a list of links, notes, images, and Jetpaks and have it very easily accessible with each Jetpak having its own permanent link. You can see an example of someones Blogging Jetpak below by clicking on the screenshot. When you enter the example, you will be presented with a listing of 26 links. Now, can you see the power that you have with a Jetpak? This could easily include images and notes for each link, or even more Jetpaks to make a subcategory type of a.. pak.

(Note: this will bring you to an example Jetpak)

Think that’s a lot? There is more. You also are given an Inbox and a Contact list. The Inbox allows you to receive a Jetpak from a friend or any Jeteye user. It is like an Email Inbox, but for a search engine. You also have your contact list. You contact list allows you to add Email Addresses and Jeteye users. When you have contacts, you can easily send your Jetpak or someone elses Jetpak to them!

Did I forget to mention that Jeteye uses AJAX as well? You will see the benefit of this when you make a search on Jeteye. On the top are a few Jetpaks that match your search and below this is a list of results from Google. Your results come up with checkboxes on the sides of every link or Jetpak that allows you to easily add to your Jetpak by clicking on the checkbox. You won’t use your spot either because it will update with the use of AJAX and let you know that it was added so you don’t loose your spot.

Now how about that for a search engine! This certainly will help out with saving information for research

View Jeteye: Search, Package, and Share.

FtpDropper is a neat FTP application that makes uploading as easy as possible with the use of dragging and dropping of files. What it does is simple. You create a shortcut on your computer (which I recommend using the desktop) for a FTP Connection. With the shortcut icon on your desktop, just take any file(s) from your system and drag them right on to the desktop icon! It will then upload them right to the FTP.

Above is a screenshot of the top of the FtpDropper application. To get this working, what you want to do is go to Connection and then choose, New Connection. You will then need to fill in the form on the bottom with your FTP information and when you are done, click on “Save Connection.” You will then see this connection appear in the list under “Connections” located at the top. Select the connection and click on “Connection” again, but this time you want to go over Create Shortcut and then select a location. I prefer to use Desktop so it is simpler to access. That is it, get dropping!

Now, you may be wondering what the Create General Shortcut is. Create General Shortuct is a great addition that will allow you to create a shortcut without having to have a connection selected. When you drag-n-drop a file on it, it will then ask you at that time what connection you wish to use. This makes it a whole lot easier to upload! So fast and simple.

FtpDropper is currently in beta and requires the .NET Framework for Windows. If you meet those requirements, you should be good to go.

View FtpDropper: Windows Drag & Drop FTP.

You know what I’ve been having trouble with lately? Scheduling. I used to have all the time in the world to just do anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. But now, this is not the case because I have a job, college, and a blog. So when it comes to scheduling a meeting with someone, it is hard to just pick out the best available time for everyone. This is where services like Pointment comes in. Pointment, in beta, is a service that allows you to signup for free, make an event, and send invites to all of your colleagues to come up with the best time that everyone is available to meet. When everyone submits what time they prefer, you can then choose the time that works the best.

I like the idea and I can see it being very helpful for anyone in need of scheduling a meeting. I do, however, feel that the readability could be improved by making the text atleast a point larger and adding some padding. Other than that, it seemed to work out well.

When logged in, you can view an archive of your past scheduled meetings or add a new meeting. When you add a meeting, you fill in the email addresses, each seperated by a space, that invitations would be sent to. You then enter a description and choose the dates. Above is a screenshot of where you would add all the dates and times that you are available. You are able to add as many dates/times as you need by simply clicking on the “Add” link that is below the last date selection and then filling in the date and time with the form or the built in calendar as you see above. Once you finish those three simple steps, you are ready to wait for your colleagues to respond.

Cool service. Hopefully I will have to schedule a meeting soon so I can try this service out with more people. If you give it a run, let me know how it turned out!

View Pointment: The faster way to schedule meetings.

This is probably the best looking Flickr tools I have seen yet that allow you to make cards and slideshows with their very simple to use flash interface. myKards has two creation tools on the main page to choose from: Static Card Creator and Slideshow Creator. The static card page is very simple. Once you are on the page, fill in either a Flickr user name or tag. It will then bring up a one row listing of photos. You can view more by clicking on the arrow on the right. I feel that that should have the photo choosing a little easier by maybe showing album names, if any, to choose from, or maybe an option to select a page number to skip through all the photos easier. Once you have your photo. You then will see the background color fade to the average color in the photo and then a tool panel on the top. First, choose the layout that you wish to use. You also can change the background, add text anywhere you want, draw with a brush, rotate, crop, and soon the ability to add clipart. Very easy, works very nicely.

The other option to choose is the slideshow creator. Now this is pretty slick. Just like with the card creator, search for a user or tag from Flickr. The search is on the bottom, by the way (took me a second to notice it because it almost looks like Firefox’s find on page, heh). You will then get a list of the photos. Bow, if you look at the bottom, you will see a box called, “Timeline.” Find the photos that you like and click and drag them down onto the timeline or select a photo and click add. This will create the order in which the photos will be presented. Great job there. When you are done with your timeline, go through the preferences box on the top right and send!

View myKards, Static Card and Slideshow Creation.

I am not sure if this is supposed to be seen yet or not because the link is not available on the main page, but it sure is very cool. This is an automatic album like slideshow creator. This is my favorite tool out of the selection. You go to the main page and fill in a user name. I went to Flickr Explore to try out some really nice looking photography with myFrame. Once you search the name, a list of available albums from the user will be listed. Choose an album, wait for the document to load, and enjoy the show:

(Note: clicking this will bring you to Paul Watson’s album)

The above photo in the slideshow is from the beautiful work of Paul Watson. Make sure to take a look at his work, excellent. If you love photography and want a great way to present it, this is it. The background color also fades with each picture to the average color in the photo to give it an amazingly great look. Love it.

View myFrame, Automatic Flickr Albums.

As a designer, you know that photography can play a huge role in the designs that you make. Sometimes you have to buy commercial photographs, take your own, find free stock photography, and other methods to get photographs to use. And if you are the type, like me, that tries to find free photography for personal or commercial use, you know that it is sometimes very hard to find the right photograph. Recently, I have come across a photo reference site that is called, morgueFile. morgueFile is a free achrive of photography available for personal, commercial, or any other creative pursuits.

A place to keep post production materials for use of reference, an inactive job file. This morgue file contains free high resolution digital stock photography for either corporate or public use.

The term “morgue file” is popular in the newspaper business to describe the file that holds past issues flats. Although the term has been used by illustrators, comic book artist, designers and teachers as well. The purpose of this site is to provide free image reference material for use in all creative pursuits. This is the world wide web’s morguefile. (mourgeFile)

When you go to the website, you will want to view the section, Image Archive. The archive is where you find all the photographs categorized. Select a category and begin your searching! When you are in a category, you will get a listing of all the photographs (and there are many) along with the details of the photograph. Also, these photos are high resolution and the quality is usually great.

The interface for the website is very nice and organized and provides methods for registered users to save photos in their “lightbox” so you can access them easier at any time. You are not required to register, although it is free. If you don’t register, you will also miss out on the ability to add comments to the photographs or to save to the lightbox’s.

morgueFile is an excellent service that has amazing photography that is completely free for commercial and non-commercial. The website is a collaborative effort by Kevin and Michael Connors. I will definitely be using morgueFile for when I have to use photography in a project. You do not have to give credit to the photographer, but I feel that it is the more respectable thing to do. So, if you do use the service, keep that in mind. Now view those archives!

View morgueFile: where photo reference lives.