Tumblr

Tumblr is a really neat service that my buddy Jim told me about a few months back. Basically, a tumblelog is a micro-blog of sorts that allows you to provide quick 'n dirty updates throughout your day in the form of photos, videos, text, chats, and links for others to view. Unlike a traditional blog, where you might be tempted to write a longer, more thought-out post, tumblr is an avenue for split-second updates with a very streamlined dashboard. There are some really nifty features about tumblr that make it incredibly fun and intuitive to use. Notable features include:

• Remote posting - If you have a camera phone(which most people do nowadays), when you create your account at tumblr you're provided with a unique email address specific to your account. If you send a picture message to this address from your phone, whatever you put in the subject line will be posted as the caption to whatever image you send and it will be published automatically.
• Browser integration - After creating your account, in the 'Goodies' section of your dashboard, there's a button you can drag to your bookmarks folder(or your toolbar in Firefox) that will allow you to quickly open a small window that lets you post at will without navigating to the actual tumblr site. This is a really nice feature if you just come across a quick blurb or youtube video that you wouldn't mind sharing with friends.
• Mac Widget - For you Mac addicts out there, tumblr now offers a tumblet Dashboard Widget for you to quickly post text from your desktop.

Why I like it

At first I was put off by the idea, believing that quick blurbs about what I'm doing should be reserved for an actual blog. However,My tumblelog quickly grew on me not just because my friends could check it out easily, but also because of its structure in serving as a timeline of your life. I really enjoy navigating it and just seeing what I was up to a few months ago and reminisce a bit. Not to mention, posting from your phone is incredibly satisfying and it's a blast taking a picture when you're out at a party or wherever and you can immediately showcase that moment on the web without fiddling with an ftp server or worrying about finding a computer to log into and having to manually transfer the image.

Who's it for?

• Socialites
  
• Frequent Travellers/Vacationers (again, on account of the remote posting capability)
• Basically, anyone who wants a no-nonsense interface and an approachable way to publish their life activities

Where can I get one?

You can set up your own brand-spanking-new tumblelog by heading over to http://www.tumblr.com. Tumblr is completely free and a breeze to set up, so get out there and start tumbleloggin'!