Got tasks you need Teux Deux?

There are a variety of To-Do list management tools out there. Most of them started out as a To-Do list application anyhow.. Only to later suffer an overhaul of overwhelmingly redundant features – for someone who simply wants to manage a list of things to do. And that is where Teux Deux steps in to save the day.

I enjoyed the minimalistic design, along with their promise to keep it like so. Also, how clear everything is, and how easy and fast I can use this to keep track of things to do. I really couldn’t care less about whether a to-do list management tool can brew coffee. Teux Deux helps you note, and keep track of the tasks you have planned in style. Just about that. How brilliant is this!

Accounts are free to set up and it only takes a couple of seconds. Another benefit in my book of.. beneficial things I guess. Give it a try here.

The Smart.fm website

Every so often I stumble upon a website which makes me feel like a child that’s been given a shiny new toy. And this certainly was the case with Smart.fm. A social learning network, which claims to help you learn faster and remember better. And these are not just empty promises, they have the science in place to deliver results. Although they started as a language learning tool in Japan, Smart.fm is now a platform which accommodates practically every learning goal you set.

I don’t get (too) easily excited, but the tools available to users, and the bustling community of eager learners, really made me say “wow” out loud. And of course, no matter how good an online service is, it would only go so far without a catchy video explaining what it’s all about (remember twitter’s early days). Watch the video below to get a better idea of what Smart.fm is all about. Registration is free and only takes a sec.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I cannot guarantee how much time it will take you to reach your learning goals. However, after having explored the service, I would easily believe them in that it would be one of the faster methods around.

It was developed by Getalime as an entry to the Rails Rumble 2008 contest, which is an annual competition for web applications programmed in Ruby on Rails.

You simply tell it what you want to be reminded of, when, and how. Reminders can be sent as e-mail, mobile text message, or to your jabber or twitter account.

Remindr has earned a place in my list of favorite web applications, and you can try it out and see for yourself by visiting here. No registration required, and it’s free.

This is an online community of travelers who offer and request free accommodation to and from other members. Which essentially means if you plan to travel to Rome, there is probably a fellow CouchSurfing member with an extra bed or couch you can crash on.

Quite unconventional way of traveling, skeptics might say. Having browsed through several member profiles and reading through testimonials of people who have chosen to travel this way, I am convinced “unconventional” is not bad at all.

This international hospitality exchange is catching on so fast, there are members in practically every corner of the world.

Many hosts may take the time to show you around their hometown, or give you insider’s advice on the best things to do and see while there. And whether you’re hosting or surfing other people’s couches, you will be a part of a vibrant, multicultural, community of world travelers.

CouchSurfing operates as a non-profit organization, with a worldwide reach, and has several safety measures and advice in place for members. You can read more about the project, and how it works by visiting their website here.

I’m not saying this type of globe trotting is for everyone, and I really would not recommend it when it comes down to planning your honeymoon, but it now has my attention and I’ll be telling everyone about it when the conversation rotates around traveling.

Copyright laws wouldn’t allow for real magazine titles to be used, so the magazines you’ll be on are called things like “National Geography” and “Vague”, but still it’s a fun effect and saves you a whole lot of photoshop work. Try it out and see what you think!

It makes use of Google Maps, and there’s lots of cool stuff you can do there. These include embedding your favorite spots on your blog, writing reviews on spots and events, bookmarking, adding friends, sharing photos and videos on the places you bookmark.

Nomao’s user interface is about as web 2.0 as they get. Without sacrificing usability. In reality, it’s one of the most simple to use and effective user interfaces I’ve seen on a web service in quite some time. Well, at least according to my liking.

I think I’m going to like using this

Magnolia lets you add more information about every new link you add to your collection, making it easier to find later. Also, it stores a copy of the text on the page you bookmark, so you can still access the content if it moves or shuts down.

Privacy controls allow you to set just how much of your favorites you’d like to share or not. Community features allow for contacts and user groups, making link sharing all the more fun and easy to do. Check it out here.

Wonderful Jaiku users,

Exciting news, Jaiku is joining Google!

While its too soon to comment on specific plans, we look forward to working with our new friends at Google over the coming months to expand in ways we hope you’ll find interesting and useful. Our engineers are excited to be working together and enthusiastic developers lead to great innovation. We look forward to accomplishing great things together.

In order to focus on innovation instead of scaling, we have decided to close new user sign-ups for now. But fear not! All our Jaiku services will stay running the way you are used to and you will continue to be able to invite your friends to Jaiku.

We have put together a quick Q&A about the acquisition at http://jaiku.com/help/google

Jyri Engestrom and Petteri Koponen, Jaiku Founders

They seem to have closed new user sign-ups until they figure things out, which I hope won’t last too long. Jaiku is a vibrant, developing online community, and shutting out new users is NOT something wise right now. Especially with readily available competitors offering similar services online.

In any case, good luck to them!

Imagine my excitement when I came across Pownce. A new micro-blogging, social networking type of site that promises a lot more than the competition and far as I can tell – it delivers as much.

The produce of the labor of four dedicated individuals, one of whom happens to be web-pioneer and Digg founder Kevin Rose, Pownce allows users to exchange notes, messages, pictures, links and files. The privacy controls allow how much of what you publish is made public. You can send staff to just one person off your friend’s list, a select few or everyone on it. I guess it depends on how big the space will be where you plan to throw your next parteeeeyy!

There is also a “pro” version of the service, which offers more features, but personally I am quite content with what I can get for free. Well done to Megatechtronium (how did they come up with this name for a company – I don’t know) for the brilliant work they’re doing, and from the looks of it Pownce will just keep growing in features and goodies for everyone, users and developers alike. Check them out here.

The user interface is very easy to get used to and everything is self explanatory. Besides, you can experiment with all the different tools and styles available, or make your own theme. Customization being the key word in any traditional scrap book, so it remains here. You can tailor your Scrapblog to whatever your personal requirements are, and to how far your imagination reaches. And if you’re out of ideas, there’s an active community of users to explore and jolt your inspiration.

Get creative now and have fun while at it, visit them over at Scrapblog.com