Technology is supposed to help make your life less stressful and more organized.  The problem is that there are so many different systems, software, and websites out there that it’s hard to sift through all the options.  Here is a list of software and websites that can help make your life easier.

• Software
  • Portable Apps
    • This is a website that offers free open source software that you can take with you on the go and use on any computer.  Instant messaging apps, games, office suites, and browsers are just a few things this site has to offer.
  • Comodo
    • This is one of the best firewalls out there and it’s free.
  • Avira AntiVir Personal
    • A lightweight, effective, and easy to use Anti-Virus program that is also free.  PC Swizz covers the Top 5 Free Antivirus Programs in more depth.
  • Media Monkey
    • An iTunes killer.  This software is free and has way better tools to help you tag and organize your big collection of music.
  • Songbird
    • This is another great program for music that is made by Mozilla.
• Personal Finances
  • Mint.com
    • It is a free tool to keep your finances organized.  Mint.com helps to keep track of your checking account, savings, investments, retirement, credit cards, real estate, loans, and much more.  It is safe and secure.  Intuit, a major financial and tax software company owns this operation.
  • Credit Karma
    • This free service helps you to monitor your credit score.  Each year you’re only allowed to receive one credit report from the three reporting agencies Experian, Equifax, and Transunion.  You don’t receive your credit score though.  Credit Karma gives you a good detailed picture of your credit health, score, credit mix, on-time payments, and a wealth of other information.
• Staying in Touch
  • Facebook
    • I’m partial to Facebook over MySpace, simply because of its ease of use and simple interface. 
  • Google Voice
    • If Big Brother Google doesn’t bother you, then this is a great resource.  You can use your current number or get a new number from Google.  Some features include voicemails converted into text that you can read, one central number that never changes, and lots of customization and control over how you interact with others on the phone.
• Product Reviews
  • Consumer Search
    • I like this site, because it is the review of all reviewers.  In other words, Consumer Search reads through all the product reviews there are on a particular type of item and reports to you the summary of findings.  This site does all the legwork and reading for you so that you don’t have to read a dozen different reviews.
  • Cnet
    • This is one of the first sites I go to when I need reviews on electronics.  There are many other great sites that do reviews out there, but this one is widely respected and trusted.
• Food
  • SeamlessWeb
    • Seamlessweb saved me when I felt too lazy too cook.  They are a central system to see a bunch of restaurants in your area that deliver.  This tool works best in major cities.
  • OpenTable
    • You can make reservations online at your favorite restaurants.
• Video
  • Hulu
    • Hulu is one of my favorite resources.  They feature full episodes of most of the major television series.  The quality is great, the selection is huge.  Best of all?  It’s free.  My dad spent over an hour on this site the other day when I gave him the introduction.
• Travel
  • Kayak
    • This free site searches all the major airlines as well as sites like Priceline, Orbitz, Expedia, and the like, to look for the best travel deals.  It has a cool “Buzz” feature that shows you what the cheapest flights are within your specifications.
  • Bing
    • Believe it or not, but Bing is actually somewhat useful.  The travel section has red and green signals with arrows, to indicate whether now is a good time to buy the flight or not.  It tracks prices trends very well.

These were just a bunch of sites and software that I have found to be very helpful and useful.  Please feel free to leave a comment if you have any other great resources to share with everyone.  Thanks!

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