Image via CrunchBase

Today’s Bulletin is on a mixed bag of helpful sites no one knows about.  Want to test a phone before you buy it? No problem. Tired of reading instructions? Look at the video. (Or make your own vid and teach others your skill or craft!).  My personal favorite is Knowem.com – a site that checks all of the social sites you are listed on, domains…  I ran myself twenty ways from Sunday and it’s very accurate. Give the below suggestions a try – you’ll find your life going a lot more efficiently.  (Most of the information on this post was garnered from toptenz.net.  If you are looking for Top Ten lists on many and varied subjects please visit their amazing site.)

1. Tryphone

You can test drive a car, why shouldn’t you be able to test drive a phone? Friends suggestions are nice but you know you need to try it yourself. Use Tryphone’s fully interactive online virtual headsets and try out the buttons, applications, services, content, and more. Every phone’s in crystal clear quality and literally, what you see is what you get. There are also helpful user reviews, phone specifications, and other information on the site as well.  Why waste time going to stores when you can test drive your new phone from your desk? http://tryphone.com

2. Newsmap

Google News is an amazing source of news.  Immediate, consistently updated and reliable.  Let’s rethink these advantages.  The news is well presented and represented but there is no real order of importance or categorization.  That’s where Newsmap comes in. Newsmap is a graphical representation of Google News that makes it easy for you to find the news you actually care about. Basically, more popular and important stories appear larger, while the lesser stories are smaller. Stories are also arranged by theme and represented by different colors.  Take a look for yourself. http://newsmap.jp/

3.  Tripit

Traveling is a hassle. You have to keep track of all your transportation, reservations, and if you like to play it safe, your receipts. Well Tripit collects all those pesky little details and makes it into an easy-to-use master itinerary. Not only that, Tripit throws in maps, some local attraction suggestions, a few weather reports, and much more. You can access this itinerary online or from a mobile device like a cell phone, so keeping track of it couldn’t be easier. Don’t plan a trip again without Tripit. http://www.tripit.com/

4. Knowem

This tool will check the availability of your personal/corporate name or username on over 400 popular social networking and bookmarking platforms. Knowem is a good way to discover if someone is posing as you or if it’s just a coincidence. Checking usernames is becoming essential also for trademark protection and to protect yourself and your business from identity theft.  http://www.knowem.com

5. 5MIN

Forget Ehow, Wikihow, or any other how-to website out there. 5min is your “one-stop shop for instructional videos and DIY projects.” It’s always easier to learn watching someone do it rather than reading about it. It’ll only take 5 minutes of your time and contains a wide range of videos. Or you can become a teacher, create an account, and upload your own videos.  http://www.5min.com/

BNI Operatives: A step ahead.

As always, stay safe.

Related Articles

• Travel Organizer TripIt Sold To Concur For Up To $120 Million (paidcontent.org)
• 4 Social Web Apps for Making and Sharing Your Travel Plans (mashable.com)

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