Some end-of-week links

It’s a work-at-home day, catching up with a long to-do list across a host of topics.  Hopefully the weekend will be relatively quiet, I head back to the SE-US for a week on Monday, and have to organize thoughts and goods ahead of the trip.

WiseStamp:

I’ve written about the need to have dynamic content in blogs and web pages, keeping them fresh and up to date.  Now you can do the same for your e-mail signature.  This tool allows you to create a custom .sig with elements for status, tweets, news, random quotes, whatever, from a large array of applets and templates.  I already aggregate my dynamic content into my FriendFeed on Facebook; this allows me to do something similar (but more limited) for my email.

And, in passing, I’m getting pages rolling on Facebook and LinkedIn for each of my businesses, arranging for news and updates to be piped into the subscriptions. And, for frivolity, there’s the page for Random Road Art as well.

Rapportive:

On the subject of email apps, a quick plug for Cambridge University Entrepreneurs alum Rahul Vohra, who has founded and funded Rapportive in Silicone Valley.  It’s a tool to merge contact information with e-mail, dynamic and static content, in a single mail-reading page.

Yoono:

This is a social network aggregator, allowing status, link, and image updates across social networks, like Ping.FM, and combining feed streams out of the various services.  I’m experimenting with it to see if it makes my life more- or less- confusing, but the concept in interesting.

TEFAF:

Time to make the pilgrimage to The European Fine Art Fair (TEFAF) at the MECC south of the city next to the University, March 17-27.  Admission is a bit steep at 55 euro, but once inside you have full run of the huge private art exhibition.  Many of the works are by ‘name’ artists of all styles, and there are antiques, clocks, and jewelry also on exhibit.  This is all exchanging hands between private collectors, so there is one chance to see these works as they get a rare public showing.

Sam Welie’s mailing list:

If you’re expat in the Maastricht area, Sam sends out a weekly newsletter of events and happenings.  It’s a nice summary, an eclectic mix of big items and smaller ones.  He’s at the International Service Desk of LIOF and you can be added to his mailing list(or add your event to his list) by writing him at international @ maastricht.nl

Online Marketing:

I’m reading Lorrie Thomas’s book, the 36-hour course to online marketing success.  It’s up to date and has good meaty questions and recommendation throughout.  I know about all of the tools, but this is helping me to see how to use them together more effectively.  It’s still a toss-up as to whether I’ll seek out a publicity group geared towards micro-business awareness or do it myself, but this text helps either way.

And finally,

I’ve been watching the images and video feeds from Japan, charting the destruction caused by today’s earthquake and tsunami.  I have expat-friends living with their families near the quake area: They all checked in safe in broadcast e-mails to friends.  The areas look devastated, though: hopefully the loss of life is much less than feared.

Disclaimer: these links and products are used without encouragement or compensation of any kind from their creators or vendors.