About a year ago, I discovered an iPhone application in the iTunes App Store called “Idea Generator“. I haven’t bought the app, but it’s concept seems pretty cool.

I want to explore using this methodology in my own creative thinking – if only just for fun.

The way the application works is that it will randomly shuffle three columns of words. The words available in the left column are different than the words available in the middle column are different than the words available in the right column. Once the word in each column is randomly selected, they are put together to form a 3-word phrase. The example given on the app’s preview images is:

automatic | tubular | toy

Once you have that abstract phrase, you can let yourself run down a road of imagination because your brain is working with a new concept altogether.

Looking through the pattern of this app, there are two key things that make it work:

1. The words must come out in a left-to-right order. Meaning, the placement of all the words is not random, just the words in each column.
2. It looks like the words in the left and middle columns are all adjectives (including participles).
3. The words available in the third column are all nouns.

Experimenting

Humans think in and through words. We are language-crazy. To discover a new concept, we need to have new words, or new word orders. That’s why education is largely about developing a vocabulary, and expertise is largely based on knowing the jargon (only to then gain wisdom when you can describe concepts simply).

What I would like to do is put hundreds of words in hats. One hat would be nouns. Another would be adjectives. Another would be adverbs. Etc. Then, by picking out words from hats, we could construct any new concept following any phrase order. We could also play with the structure of these phrases. Something like “adjective-noun-verb-adverb” could be used with as much gusto as “adjective-adjective-noun”.

Of course, software makes this easier. If someone were to develop thematic sets of words that you could add or remove from the mix of options, that would add some scope to our possibilities.

Regardless, the take away is this: when stuck for ideas, let’s rearrange our language to spur us on.

This is a video from Google about using Google Applications (Google Apps) as part of an organization’s workflow.

Boring video, but they’re right on.

Using the Gmail interface for email (while keeping you@yourdomain.com) is smart. So is using Google Calendar (gCal) as a shared calendar application. There are other great capabilites as well.

The best part: you don’t need to spend money on IT to keep your email working right.

If you need help using Google Apps to improve your organization’s workflow, Wordswell can help.

A friend just bought an iPod touch and asked me for suggestions on “essential apps”. I’ll copy and paste my email to him here for your enjoyment and info.

If you need help getting your Apple hardware (macs, iPhones) up and running – and working for YOU – let me know.

hmm… Something for twitter. Tweetie is most popular. I LOVE Twittelator Pro.

Google

Some RSS reader if you read blog/content fees. NetNewsWire is great – it syncs with your desktop to know what has/has not been read already.

Wall Street Journal has good news in their “what’s news” and “editors picks” sections. The rest of the standard crap I just go to cnn.com through mobile safari.

Facebook app is great.

Sportacular (my favorite) or SportsTap (Lisa’s) for scores, standings.

Trapster for on-the-fly speed trap warnings.

HUGE ONE+++++: Easy Wi-Fi for logining into WiFi at Starbucks without having to enter UN/PW in web browser.

There are some good free/cheap workout programs

Radio stuff:
Speakers (plays your computer iTunes through your iPod touch – which I guess you could wire to a stereo in another room)
Pandora
AOL radio
IHeartRadio

Flickster for movies.

Wi-Fi Finder for knowing what Wi-Fi is around.

Banner (Free) for projecting a message across a crowded room.

ICanHasCheezburger for a good laugh (LOL Cats, Fail, etc.).

The Weather Channel (live radar, etc.).

Skype

Some file-sharing program. I haven’t used these yet, but I hear Air Sharing is good. There’s also box.net, Briefcase Lite, Files Lite, and many others…

The only apps on here that aren’t free are the Twitter ones (and maybe Air Sharing).

Hope that helps.
brody

Spam “Best Practices”

Step 1: Include the 20 Words to Get Your Email Marked as Spam.

Step 2: Blind carbon copy (Bcc:) as many people as possible.

Step 3: Write in all caps. If you want to be a varsity-level spam creator, type some of the 20 Words in all caps.

Step 4: Attach large images and files. Use HTML tags not meant for email.

Step 5: Don’t honor opt-out requests.

Are you interested in good email marketing?

Wordswell can help you send emails that:

• bust through spam filters
• look great
• offer measuring tools such as open rates, click-through rates, and forward rates
• are easy for you to manage

Here are some more short pieces you should read:
•An Intro to Email Marketing
•Features of Our Email System
•What Makes Our Email Services Unique?

If you’d like a free demo of how all this works, please call me at 443-804-0108.

Can spam,
brody

Want to try to get your email into someone’s spam folder?

Blind-carbon-copy as many people as possible and include these words:

1. amazing
2. cancel at any time
3. check or money order
4. click here
5. congratulations
6. dear friend
7. e-mail marketing
8. for only ($)
9. free (including toll-free)
10. great offer
11. guarantee
12. increase sales
13. order now
14. promise you
15. risk free
16. special promotion
17. this is not spam
18. to be removed
19. unsubscribe
20. winner

Thanks to this post by Alexandria Brown at Business Know-How for the research

It’s faux pas to leave a lot of people in the regular “To:” and “Cc:” fields. Lots of “Bcc:” names will send your email to spam filters. So what do you do? Check out the next Wordswell Communique or call us if you’re in a rush for help.