From what we can gather from online buzz, 2017 looks set to be more “tech-chic” than ever… tech products, mobile apps, and productivity tools are being created in all parts of the world today, making our lives easier to tackle in this golden digital age.
Whether you are a web developer, website designer, online writer, graphic designer, startup founder, creative professional, and more, we welcome you to follow our monthly roundups where helpful tech tools are the order of the day. It’s the first month of a new year, and you bet we have a list of exciting tools to share with you, so let the fun begin!
WebSlides
Are you still counting on Microsoft PowerPoint to create your business presentations? Don’t be behind the times; it’s time you try HTML slides where your presentations can run in your browser.
When you use WebSlides, all you need to have is just very basic knowledge of CSS and HTML. Simply choose and customize a demo (downloadable within the zip file that is offered on their official site), and you will be wielding the beauty of clean code and hypertext to tell your stories.
Now, that’s a great way to make a big impression during your next sales presentation!
Official site: webslides.tv
Want to read an external review on WebSlides? Check this page out.
Founderkit
If you are starting your very own startup, then Founderkit is a resource gem that you will not regret knowing. As its essence, it is a superbly curated list of startup resources that experienced founders are sharing with the newbies.
These established founders write reviews on the startup tools that they have used in the past, helping the new entrepreneurs learn about top-notch startup apps and tools that are worth using.
Just think of it as a way to rank the different startup products and services out there in an unbiased way; what’s there not to like?
Official site: founderkit.com
Want to read an external review on Founderkit? Here’s what TechCrunch has to say about this tool!
Notify
We are sure that you have heard about Slack, a cloud-based team collaboration tool that is wildly popular among the tech savvy.
Now, there is a new tool called Notify that notifies you in Slack whenever your startup name is mentioned anywhere online. How cool is that?
Whether it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, blogs, or more, you will be scoring a social media success when you follow up on the word being spread about your startup.
With Notify, it’s easy to check on your press coverage, perform competitive analysis, pick up new customers who are looking for your services, and much more. Note that the notifications can be sent through HipChat too.
Official site: notify.ly
Want to read an external review on Notify? Hear the buzz right here!
Unsplash 5.0
In one of our previous roundups, we have introduced one of the earlier versions of Unsplash. This time round, it’s apt that we highlight Unsplash 5.0 because it’s the first major update that this platform is getting since its launch.
For those who don’t know, Unsplash is one of the fastest growing photography sites in the world, where you can have access to free high resolution images and use them for any type of creative work.
No attribution is needed when you use the images founded here, making it a breeze for all kind of work from website design to blogging to sales presentations.
For Unsplash 5.0, this website is changing itself into a social platform where many new features are added. For example, you can now pen a short story for the images you upload to Unsplash, follow your favorite users on this platform, receive notifications about Unsplash activities, and more.
If you have been a fan of Unsplash in the past, then you will surely love the new direction this website is moving towards!
Official site: unsplash.com
Want to read an external review on Unsplash 5.0? Here’s a detailed writeup for you.
Comma
Comma offers creative people a beautiful platform to share their stories or ideas. The key feature of this platform is that you can use a combination of text, images, and GIFs to showcase your story.
On Comma, you can find stories and ideas that originate from poets, writers, bloggers, and more in this arresting format, and these creations are only limited by your own imagination.
Don’t dismiss this as only a fun tool – in fact, we have seen examples of how people use Comma to showcase their products, and they look really eye-catching! Just imagine that you have written a blog post to showcase your latest product, and you use a featured image as usual.
Now, think about how Comma allows you to use a GIF and text to attract attention from your potential readers. That’s going one effective step further!
Official site: commaful.com
Charlie
What if we told you that you can make the best ever impression on anyone that comes into your path? Would you want that? With Charlie, you can certainly do that!
This tool is extremely smart; helping you do the research on someone you are going to meet – whether it’s a new client that could possibly give you your next million-dollar deal or a tough interviewer who might be your new boss.
Once you enter a name and the company your target works in, Charlie will send you a profile of this person alongside critical insights about his or her company. That means you will know the topics that this person is interested in hearing, common connections between you both, how his or her company is performing against the competition, and more.
Just imagine the solid impression you are about to make when you know exactly what to say!
Official site: charlieapp.comWant to read an external review on Charlie? Here is one from CNET!
Collapsed
As the cliché goes, failure is the mother of all successes. At Collapsed, this adage is extremely true because this website contains case studies on how other startups have failed, and the lessons you can derive from their failures.
Although we all like to celebrate successes, we will never know the true essence of a success without knowing what it is like to fail.
Learn to celebrate failure today at this startup graveyard today, and use the lessons learnt to grow your own startup!
Official site: collapsed.co
Want to read an external review on Collapsed? Here’s what the users have to say.
dev.to
Are you a budding programmer looking for a community that can help you grow your technical skills or let you learn from fellow programmers and more?
dev.to is a platform where programmers come together to share ideas and help each other grow. There are tutorials, podcasts, and stories shared by programmers, and you can also ask pertinent questions in this community where you can get support for your work as a programmer.
Whether you plan to look for mentors here or simply want to impart some of your coding experiences, dev.to is a community that can make your day.
Official site: dev.to
Want to read an external review on dev.to? Listen to the discussion on this page.
Refly
Are you a content writer looking for a smarter and faster way to write? With Refly, you can optimize your content with the help of an AI powered smart editor.
Besides the usual help with avoiding grammar and spelling mistakes, you can use Refly to stay ahead of the industry standards, and use keywords that will make you look good in front of the search bots and spiders.
What’s more, Refly provides you with a set of tools to write in an organized way by helping you track your writing goals and achieve them.
Official site: refly.itWant to read an external review on Refly? One quick read for you here!
Well, it has been an interesting round of tech tool spotlights, hasn’t it? We are off to a great start in 2017, and these productivity tech tools will certainly deliver new insights for your creative work. Do remember to share this article with your social circle, and introduce these tech tools to more deserving users!