So, I’ve tried almost all the “To Do List” apps out there and there are some pretty good ones - Clear, Wunderlist, Reminders, etc. but only one has actually retained me as a user for more than 2 days. Typically, I fall by the wayside and don’t update - literally, after 1 day.

I stuck with Cheddar because it sinks across all devices (iPhone, iPad, Web App, Mac Beta App) immediately and having a web app in addition to the iPhone and iPad is key for me. What I also find useful is being able to tag tasks. For example, I tend to tag a day to certain tasks that have deadlines - I then sort by tapping on the linked tag and it gives me a quick snapshot of things to do for the certain day. Tagging works just like twitter. Using markdowns is also very useful - you can bold words, italicize, link, etc. It’s a fantastic app and worth a download. Your first 2 lists are free. I don’t see myself using more than 2 lists…one for work and one for me. 

By the way, the design is simple yet beautiful. I’m also a sucker for their use of the Proxima-Nova font.

I recently discovered Dustin Curtis and started reading his twitter feed and blog. I was immediately hooked and trusted anything this guy said. Sometimes, I can tell right away if I should trust someone’s opinion or not. Dustin Curtis’s is certainly one I trust.

Dustin is a designer who is widely followed and is working to create an alternative blogging platform called Svbtle. Svbtle focuses more on the writing aspect of blogging and will have such benefits as copy editing, automatic fact checking, etc. Basically, it’ll be a content producing machine where you can watch your mind blowing ideas go from start to finish. 

Blogging isn’t about design, it’s about content. If good content is produced, there will be a following. That’s what Dustin is working on. That’s not to take away from the design features of Svbtle though. Check out his site at dcurt.is. It’s beautiful in my opinion - very clean.

Dustin says that:

We aren’t necessarily journalists (although some of us are), but we aim for journalism quality standards.

Let’s hope it’s released to the public soon because I certainly will be trying it out. Right now it’s by application only.

P.S. I’m sure there are ways this blog post could have been improved - perhaps with Svbtle, we’ll see those improvements…

09/07/2012 UPDATE - My first impressions were that Svbtle would be an alternative blogging platform but it’s more of a “news” site bringing together a collection of posts from some of the best internet contributors out there. Amazing. Bookmark it. 

Sometimes it’s not necessary to think of “the next big thing”. So many times I see people wasting their time thinking of new inventions that they will never take action on. 

Why? Because they don’t have the means to produce. For example, if you’ve never been involved in smart phone production then how are you going to come up with the next great phone?

So, let’s talk reinvention. Merriam-Webster defines it as:

to make as if for the first time something already invented

There are 2 companies out there that I have noticed that simply reinvented something that needed reinvented.

1. Warby Parker -  Have you ever gone to your optometrist and bought glasses on your insurance? It’s actually a pretty decent price but what happens when you get tired of those same glasses or they break, before you’re up to get a new pair at your discounted rate? Happens quite often actually.

Without your discounted insurance rate, glasses can cost upwards of $300. Ludicrous right? Well, Warby Parker is making a splash by offering prescription designer glasses for $99 any time. You can have 5 pairs shipped to you, select your favorite and then ship them back to complete your order (all shipping free). Or, if you don’t want to wait, they have a fantastic virtual try-on. Best of all, each pair they sell, they give another to someone in need.

I call this reinvention.

2. Simple Bank - I’ll try to crunch as many details as possible but I’ll miss a few on this innovative idea. Many banks charge you start-up fees, overdraft fees, and fees for anything in-between. Not Simple Bank. Many of the major banks have some of the worst websites for viewing your finances. Not Simple Bank. Simple has what looks like a stunning website for not only viewing but managing your finances. You can actually search your transactions. They also have a feature called “Safe-to-Spend which takes into account your upcoming payments and tells you what you actually have to spend. They also have the most accessible ATM’s in the country.

Simple Bank goes beyond the normal banking concept. They provide personal customer experience, no fees, aesthetically pleasing designs and a new approach to the banking industry.

So, when thinking of the next big thing, consider thinking of some service or product that could be improved and not some hard-to-reach idea.

As Seth Godin may say:

You need to think along the edges of the box, because that’s where things get done. That’s where the audience is, that’s where the means of production are available, and that’s where you can make an impact.

Sorry for the absence on my blog. A month and a half ago I was offered a position at Victoria’s Secret in Columbus to become an Internet Metrics Analyst. I accepted the offer and moved down to Columbus 1 month ago. It’s been a wild/fun month so far. Please note, all my opinons are mine and mine alone.

So, with that said, I’d like to list a few of things I think are worth noting:

1. The Domino Project (Seth Godin’s Publishing Company) have come out with several new books. The latest one (The Flinch) is free at Amazon right now. All the books they publish are great reads. I will start reading The Flinch shortly
2. I am currently reading The Four Agreements - so far so good. If you are interested in a different perspective on life, check this out.
3. I now have an iPhone - Amazing.
4. If you are looking for an Email Service Provider to send out bulk creative emails to lists then I suggest using MadMimi. Very easy to use. Expect a whole post dedicated to them in the near future. I’ll explain in more detail.
5. If you don’t have Dropbox, you should definitely give it a go. You can store documents in the very famous cloud. I use it to share music with friends and family.

That’s all for now! I’ll make sure I update this thing more often!