Resources | Monetize Your Life

Currently viewing the category: "Resources"

Really Simple Syndication: What is RSS? Why use RSS feeds? How to use RSS?

By Michael Fletcher On August 14, 2011 · 17 Comments

So you visited my site or another blog and would like to pop in more often and keep track of the content on the site. So you add the site as a bookmark and Bob’s your father’s brother. Except what if you wanted to be notified when new content is added or existing content is updated. Well you can by subscribing to the RSS feed but what the heck is an RSS feed?

What is RSS

RSS feeds are the answer to the modern internet. The internet is all grown up and with the growth of broadband across the planet we have as a planet access to more information faster than at any time in history. We are no longer limited by our technology but by time we have available. RSS feeds are a result of the change in the face of technology allowing content on the internet to change constantly. The internet as you know it will not be the same in 5 minutes time and has probably changed fairly drastically in the last 60 seconds. RSS feeds were designed with this in mind, the dynamic web a web in constant flux. A static bookmark is no longer sufficient for a website who may add and update content many times an hour. We need content as and when it changes RSS delivers your internet right to your browser in real time.

RSS means Really Simple Syndication

The syndication bit simply means the delivery of media and the really simple is what RSS is.

Now you:

No Longer need to check for updates when a site is updated your RSS feed gets updated automatically
No longer need to navigate to each site you regularly read the content is right there when you open your RSS feed reader
Can receive breaking news as and when it happens
Drastically reduce the time you need to spend on the internet
Drastically increase the amount of media you can consume

I have included an additional video as well as text guides on how to use RSS feeds all of which are quite comprehensive, in the resources at the end of the post should anything still be unclear.

How to use RSS

Get an RSS reader there are a plethora of RSS readers on the market for sale and for free I suggest starting with a free reader like Google Reader
Once you’ve found a RSS feed you’d like to subscribe to click on the RSS icon.
If there is a drop down select your reader if not you should see a screen similar to the one below where you’ll be able to choose your preferred RSS reader.
Go back to Google reader and you should see the latest posts from the RSS feed you’ve subscribed to in Google Reader

That is as they say is that. Rinse and repeat for every site RSS you’d like to add and a come back daily and keep track of your important sites as and when they change.

How to Use RSS Feeds More Resources:

What is RSS? by Darren Rowse – a great look at why and how to use RSS feeds
Getting Started with RSS by Paul Stamatiou – A great guide to using RSS from PaulStamatiou.com (found via LifeHacker)
How to Explain RSS the Oprah Way

Everything you need to know about RSS feeds and feed readers is included in the this guide on how to use RSS.

Internet: Useful Tips:
RSS In Plain English

Subscribe to my blog via RSS now

Incoming search terms:

nsinvalidargumentexception While using Evernote on iPhone and iPad

By Michael Fletcher On January 4, 2011 · 8 Comments

I’ve had a number of questions about the nsinvalidargumentexception error message from subscribers using the Evernote application on their iPhone. I’ve had a scan around the web and essentially the nsinvalidargumentexception is an error message more common on the Mac OSX operating system indicating something is unhealthy in your application or runtime environment. Which is geek speak for “it’s busted”.
Getting the nsinvalidargumentexception error message on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch during syncing seems to be the most common problem I’m seeing reports of around the web. Despite my best efforts to find out more there is very little on the net about the nsinvalidargumentexception problem. Your best bet as it stands should you get the nsinvalidargumentexception when using Evernote on your iPhone or iPad is:

Restart your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch
Make sure you have the latest version of the Evernote iPhone or iPad application loaded
If you have the newest version of the iPhone or iPad Evernote app and it’s still not working try completely uninstalling the application and re-installing it
In the event that all else fails Contact Evernote support

Edit: After scanning the twitter I’ve noticed a few twitter users are reporting that uninstalling and then re-installing the application has fixed the nsinvalidargumentexception problem on iPhones.

If anyone has had this nsinvalidargumentexception problem while using Evernote on their iPhone please let us know what’s worked for you to get your Evernote back up and running.

Check out this must have guide to using Evernote

Incoming search terms:

Evernote Tattoo anyone? Evernote Essentials Author Brett Kelly wears his heart on his sleeve

By Michael Fletcher On December 23, 2010 · 6 Comments

Brett Kelly, author of Evernote Essentials the unofficial Evernote manual, has owned the “Evernote tips” niche for almost as long as Evernote has been around. His Unofficial Evernote manual, Evernote Essentials is the seminal text for squeezing all the power you can use out of Evernote. Whether you’re a novice or an Evernote wizard you must own Evernote essentials, because Brett Kelly knows more than you. That’s why the guys over at Evernote gave him a job in 2010. Brett consulted with them during the writing of Evernote Essentials. The Evernote brains trust were so impressed with the way in which Brett was able to demystify Evernote in Evernote Essentials and make Evernote’s full power available even to novices who have never used evernote before.

When the Student is ready, the master appears
Buddhist Proverb

Evernote sucks

I had do my what I can to find the best ways to use Evernote. Lots of people have contacted me trying to convince me that Evernote sucks or that Evernote is only good for bookmarks or Evernote is no good as an offline tool or that Evernote can’t be used for fitness or goal tracking or capturing reciepts or this or that. I don’t really waste my time responding, the guys complaining that Evernote can’t Manage their projects or park their car for them have missed the point completely. Evernote is simply a tool. A very powerful and flexible tool but a tool nonetheless. I can use the butt of a saw to knock in a nail but it’s probably not the best way to do it. If DevonThink or Springpad or remember the milk works better at certain tasks by all means use them for those things you don’t win any extra points for using Evernote for Everything. (though I’m becoming more and more convinced that you can)

Incoming search terms:

Evernote Essentials torrent (89)
Evernote Essentials ebook download (25)
Evernote: The Unofficial eBook (14)
evernote essential (13)
evernote ebook torrent (13)
evernoteessentials pdf (7)
evernote essentials by brett kelly (7)
Evernote: The Unofficial eBook download (6)
evernote ebook download (6)
torrent evernote (6)

Evernote Trunk full of applications

By Michael Fletcher On July 14, 2010 · 5 Comments

During the press conference arranged on the 14th of July Evernote delegates gave a breakdown of the success of their freemium business strategy, with the near-fully featured free version of Evernote winning over more than 3 Million users since it started out 2 years ago.

This morning Evernote announced the Evernote Trunk, a full featured online application showcase that will allow users to enhance their Evernote experience with add-on applications from 3rd party developers. As it stands it looks like more than a hundred apps will be available to extend your evernote experience, including everything from to-do’s to calender solutions.