Go Visual! Spezify!
Words Candy Villanueva-Lykes

If you're searching for something, you need to be more specific to find what you're looking for. In cyber-speak, you need to Spezify.

Spezify (www.spezify.com) is a fun search engine that doesn't just give you the results in text links; it shows results in different visual ways, making the search more interesting but still functional and effective. Because the display is more visual, you can get a better overview of a subject. For instance, curious about the origins of my alma mater's cheer, I typed in the word "Rektikano." The results came back in boxed text, videos, micro blogs, images, and site previews. These items are culled from a number of search APIs (Application Programming Interface) that include social and multimedia content presented as a mosaic, showing the big picture. The big picture can consist of anything from eBay to Flickr, Wikipedia to Twitter, Amazon to YouTube, and even Yahoo! and MSN search.

"Web search has looked more or less the same since 1994," says one of the founders, Per Persson. "We were missing a place generating an instant and appealing overview of a certain subject, regardless of media. In addition to finding the expected, Spezify gives you new associations and lets you discover things you didn't know were out there."

My "rektikano" search offered me several YouTube videos that I could examine from the search page itself. This visual presentation saves me time from wandering into useless or irrelevant sites. Spezify also suggests related terms for search. Just to be more thorough with my research, I compared search results with Google and found out that Google gives a more in-depth and exhaustive result. Spezify, however, is more intuitive and fun. Oh, and in case you're wondering, "rektikano" means "right to rule" or "straight up."

Wazzup with Wakoopa

Do you know that Firefox is the most popularly used application in the intarwebs today? Wakoopa says so. Do you know that aside from the browser that you are using now, there are ten other browsers that you can consider that can cater to a specific or special need? Wakoopa says so. Do you know that the most favorite game played right now is World of Warcraft? Wakoopa says so. But then you're tired of playing the same game over and over, aren't you? Well guess what? Wakoopa can tell you the newest games available.

Wakoopa updates you not only about the newest games or browsers-it is a social network that monitors the software applications its members use. This way, users can discover the best software, games, and Web apps in the market whether it be audio and video players, instant messengers, anti-virus programs or office tools. Upon sign-up, a small tracker will be installed on your desktop. Automatically, Wakoopa creates an online software profile for you, which you can share with your network or to the entire Wakoopa community.

With the Wakoopa interface, you can write reviews, give descriptions, and tag software. You can even form teams and display your usage to the world. You also get a software tracker that monitors the software or applications that you use. The tracking feature takes note of how long you've been using a certain application. You'll also get updated whenever a new version of that software comes out or when a comment or review about

it has been released - CVL

Amplify your tweets

While you're tweeting, you may as well tweep, beep, and twellow. With Twitter making so much noise in the Web, new applications are being developed to make the tweeting experience even more melodic. From TweetDeck to Tweetie, there's an app for almost everyone whether you're Rush Limbaugh, Ellen DeGeneres, or a middle-aged nobody who thinks people actually care about what you think. Thanks mostly to Twitter's open APL applications.

Want to amplify your tweets? Check out the following apps that can enhance your tweeting experience:

• TWEEPSEARCH allows you to find other users based on keywords found in their bios.


• TWEETBEEP sends you email when specified keywords, such as your name, is mentioned somewhere on the Web.


• HOOTSUITE gives you the capability to run your whole Twitter life from one place. It gives you the flexibility to have multiple accounts, shorten your URL links, reply, retweet, and set up groups, among others.


• LISTORIOUS lets you find, manage, and access Twitter lists.


• TWEETDECK offers flexibility by allowing you to retweet, reply, shorten URLs automatically, add people to your group, add more than one Twitter account, and broadcast one tweet to multiple accounts, among others.


• TWITPIC gives you the capability to upload and share photos.


• TWEETIE is an Phone app that lets you follow Twitter feeds, search, and save keywords and hash tags.


• TWELLOW offers extensive search capabilities, the capability to add an extended bio with 2,000 characters, and the ability to add links to other social media profiles. - CVL


• TWEETBEEP sends you email when specified keywords, such as your name, is mentioned somewhere on the Web.


• HOOTSUITE gives you the capability to run your whole Twitter life from one place. It gives you the flexibility to have multiple accounts, shorten your URL links, reply, retweet, and set up groups, among others.


• LISTORIOUS lets you find, manage, and access Twitter lists.


• TWEETDECK offers flexibility by allowing you to retweet, reply, shorten URLs automatically, add people to your group, add more than one Twitter account, and broadcast one tweet to multiple accounts, among others.


• TWITPIC gives you the capability to upload and share photos.


• TWEETIE is an Phone app that lets you follow Twitter feeds, search, and save keywords and hash tags.


• TWELLOW offers extensive search capabilities, the capability to add an extended bio with 2,000 characters, and the ability to add links to other social media profiles. - CVL