5 Handy Internet Apps You Can Use In Zim!

Dropbox

So it’s that time again when, for your health, you’re supposed to take a break and stay away from your PC and your always-buzzing mobile phone.

If you’re like me, you tried that the whole Saturday. You tried to do the other real social (not talking about Facebook here) stuff you’ve been putting off for a while now. It worked. But only for a day.

Or maybe you’re back early from a holiday. Hell, maybe you couldn’t even afford a holiday away in these hard times. Or maybe you’re one of those selfless men and women that have to work during such times.

Whatever your reason, you have some time to kill today so you’re just browsing around.

We’ve listed some services you might want to check out – if you haven’t already. You might know some of them but your usually very busy schedule may have kept you from these net goodies!

We’ve chosen only those you can use locally. In other words, free and narrowband-friendly!

1. Dropbox

We’d rate this one of the most convenient online file storage and sharing services to grace the net in the past 5 years or so. And that’s an understatement. Dropbox seamlessly enables you to store and share files and folders with other users across the Internet using file synchronization.

All you need to do is open an account (2GB free and more if you pay) and install a client on your computer. When you save file to the Dropbox folder on your computer, the files are automatically synchronized to your online Dropbox space and any other computer you have installed the client on.

Why we like it so much: In one word, seamless. You install it and it does its job in the background without you ever interacting with it. Its synchronization function doesn’t hog down your bandwidth.

2. Digsby

Digsby is a desktop client instant messaging aggregator i.e. it pulls all your popular instant messaging services into one neat platform. It supports Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, Facebook Chat. Digsby also does your, Gmail, MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, you name it!

Its web-based friend we like is Meebo. You might want to check it out too.

Why we like it so much: Has every online social media service you can think of and it’s not intrusive.

3. Brizzly

Brizzly is basically a web based twitter client. Despite being the terrific tool it is for real-time link sharing and updates, Twitter’s not catching up as fast as Facebook did among Zimbos. Brizzly also fronts your Facebook profile. Brizzly allows you have more than one Twitter profile logged in.

Why we like it so much: A very clean simple interface and the ability to have more than one Twitter profile logged in at the same time.

4. Animoto

Animoto is a service that produces high quality videos from your selection of photos and music. The interesting thing is how it does it: Animoto analyses the contents of the photos and the music you provide to produce a trailer-like video synchronized to the beat of your music.

If you don’t want to part with any dollars, you can only make 30 second long videos. More length and other features if you pay.

Why we like it so much: it’s a lot of fun and you can share the videos right from Animoto.

5. Free Rice

Ok, this is not exactly a free internet goodie, but something to help you improve your vocabulary while contributing to a good cause.

FreeRice is an English vocabulary quiz where you score 10 grains of rice for every answer you get right. The rice is donated to the United Nations World Food Program to feed hungry people world over. You get a harder question if you get the answer right and an easier one if you get it wrong.

The website is run by the United Nations World Food Program in partnership with the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University..

Why we like it so much: Learning new vocabulary has tremendous benefits! Simple to use too. Warning: can be addictive!

We’re sure there are a dozen more nifty apps out there that we didn’t mention here. If you’ve used any that have proved quite handy, please share in the comments section below.

4 comments

  1. Nyasha

    When are we going to see locally developed apps? Well this is not an app but its a start: http://www.podiumcomedy.mobi

  2. Syba

    this article is fantastic. let me check on the apps. May you please add more 🙂

  3. Kabweza

    thanks @Syba. What would the internet be without stuff like Dropbox! we’ll definitely add more as we find ’em.

  4. Syba

    I am using Digsby for IM and its really cool, talk about dropbox its a convinient way of sharing information on the internet. I also tried free rice and animoto they are awesome. it makes the internet more fun.;)

    Keep it up!!!

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