Is just days away. Seriously!

I had originally set out to give instructions as to how to use Windows Movie Maker to show all the ‘PCers’ the easiest way to get video online. That is, I was going to do this even though I usually use Sony Vegas to edit and render my vids.

And then Lisa informed me via email that she isn’t able to render her video small enough (<100 MB) to be uploaded to YouTube. So, before I try to figure out the magic formula in Windows Movie Maker (I can hear you all laughing by the way), perhaps someone would like to recommend a web-based app that I can demo for all of the folks?

Has anyone tried Jumpcut? They have a cool little demo, here. If no one has a better suggestion, and the Windows app can’t make it happen, then maybe this is our tool. By the way, all we’re looking for is a suitable, easy-to-use editing/compression program.

Apologies again to Sean, who is also waiting patiently for my the rest of my series.

John of Obviousness.net tells us of his favourites, and I’ve been meaning to do this for a long time, so here’s mine:

Like John, I couldn’t get on without:

• Gmail– Email me for an invite: jordanbehan[at]gmail.com

• Bloglines– Although I hype Netvibes for its simplicity, I’ve been monitoring my favourite feeds in Bloglines since the beginning.

• WordPress– She drives this site, and many client sites as well. And we love her. Code is Poetry, after all.

• YouTube– for the same reasons John gives. (Except the part about the kids) It’s the most widely used, and it has everything.

• Flickr– If you don’t love Flickr, then I’m not sure you and I can get along. Just kidding. Or not.

Also, I’m rather dependent upon:

• Basecamp– For project management, to do lists, etc.

• Pandora– So I can rock out while I work!

What are your favorites? The ones you just can’t live without…

Well, wouldn’t you know it? According to Read/WriteWeb, Yahoo spent a cool $10-12 million to acquire MyBlogLog, the latest social media web 2-point-whatever tool that all the cool kids are using.

I first mentioned MyBlogLog a few months back, and since then I’ve started to make use of the widgets, stats counters and even messaging that it offers. Fellow blogloggers, hello! For fun, why not click through to the site to have a look at your own smiling avatar in the sidebar? I love that feature, it reminds me of some of the cool people that come by to have a read, and it makes me feel happy. No, really. And if it sounds like I’m gushing over MBL, it’s because I am. I like it, almost as much as my brother likes MySpace. But not quite ;).

Update: Duh! Here’s me on MyBlogLog.

The surprising thing to me is how good Yahoo is at acquisitions. Such a big company, with such an epic history on the net (relatively, of course), and yet they still have the wisdom to secure great web services like Flickr and the former example; ones that actually have a certain amount of genuine cachet among the early-adopting-power-user set. And they’re not afraid of spending some dough to get them either. (Update: Later, in the shower, I realized how funny that line must sound, considering what Google paid for YouTube) So, although I was starting to think that Google would always provide me with all of the tools I needed for absolutely free, I find myself migrating away from the big G, and oddly content with a handful of Yahoo products. Have you used Upcoming.org lately? It’s wicked good (Italics represent poor impression of a Boston accent) for events and networking, in case you didn’t already know.

I don’t mean to sound as if I don’t still use about a half-dozen Google products that I am just “chuffed” with, (Google, I am heartily sorry if I have offended you…) I just can’t help but notice that Yahoo is always upping the coolness factor too.

On a related note, I just finished re-reading Michael Gerber’s E-Myth Revisited, and I’m starting to build operations manuals as to “How we do it here” at Tell Ten Friends. You know, just in case someone were to one day make me an offer of 10 mill or so to buy this here small but thriving firm.

I would want to keep the chair, of course.