Tools

  • Mar 4 2013
    <a href='http://www.shutterstock.com/pic.mhtml?id=103839458'>Image via Shutterstock</a>

    How to keep a speadsheet organized

    If your spreadsheet has a column labelled "name," you're probably doing it all wrong, Phillip Smith writes in an exhaustive post on the PBS Idea Lab: "How often have I stared in dismay, dumbfounded even, and grumbled to myself, 'You didn't really put all of that into one column, did you!?'" Smith explains what's wrong with that, and how it ought to be done, He also lists principles to keep in mind when building spreadsheets, and best practices for working with them.

  • Feb 26 2013

    A pen that's more than just a pen

    Helen Fields sure likes her Livescribe pen and she writes about it for the Science Writers' Handbook. It costs $120 to $200, and to use it, you have to write on special pads that cost $25 per pair. But for that, you get a pen that automatically synchronizes your handwritten notes to your audio recordings: "I find the pen particularly useful for checking quotes," Fields writes. You can pre-order the NASW-funded Handbook from the NASW Bookstore.

  • Jan 19 2013

    A gigantic Google cheat sheet

    Need a word's definition? Just type it into Google, preceded by the string "define:" and Google will look it up on dictionary.com, which also has an audio clip showing how to pronounce it. That's among the tips in this large graphic from hackcollege.com. Also included are tips for searching Google Scholar, as well as some common keyboard shortcuts for zooming in and out, cycling through windows and applications, and making screenshots of the whole screen or a part.

  • Dec 24 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/Helena Lovincic

    What's in Santa's bag for journalists?

    Chip Scanlan at the Poynter Institute has some thoughts on what the big guy should leave under the tree for aspiring multimedia reporters this season: "Technology has filled the journalistic toolbox with an array of innovative gadgets that enable journalists to gather and deliver the news with speed and sophistication. But which ones does a multimedia journalist need?" Top of the list: A smartphone. Most audacious choice: A remote controlled helicopter video camera.

  • Dec 5 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/Alex Slobodkin

    Eight research databases for journalists

    Google is only a first step in doing research, and it may not be the best one, writes John Wihbey, who lists his "go-to" research databases in a Poynter post. Wihbey says “conventional Web searches — just Googling it — won’t necessarily turn up the best research materials; search algorithms don’t always prominently highlight studies and reports that are seldom linked to or visited. There’s also the problem of increasing 'personalization' of search results.”

  • Nov 22 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/mipan

    Unlocking the secrets of domain names

    If you want to learn who is behind a web site, use Whois, Meranda Watling writes on 10,000 Words. Her tech tip on the web tool says: "If nothing else, it’s another place to look for potential sources and data. It’s also something I’ve seen mentioned a few times in news stories of late about memes taking off from political flubs. How long did it take for someone to register 'BindersFullOfWomen.com' for instance (and while you’re looking it up, who registered it)?"

  • Oct 23 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/Konstantin Inozemtsev

    A new tool for journalist code geeks

    The Knight-Mozilla OpenNews project's Source feature is perfect for reporters who want to venture into programming but aren't sure where to start, Ryan Lytle writes on 10,000 Words. It includes an index of contributed code samples, but Lytle says: "Where I think most journalists will get the greatest benefit ... is getting some background information on how some of these projects were put together, from the initial idea to site implementation."

  • Oct 16 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/dimdimich

    Some must-have tools for reporters

    Ann Friedman lists old favorites like Dropbox but also some new apps and gadgets in this Columbia Journalism Review post from reader suggestions. "For recording in-person interviews, I am in love with my new Echo Smartpen, a James Bond-ish invention that allows me to take notes on actual paper and then syncs those notes with my audio," Friedman writers. "My white whale? I have yet to find an app I love for recording iPhone calls. Drop me a line if you’ve got one."

  • Aug 27 2012

    Has Twitter moved past manageable?

    Three recent stories focus on the same challenge: harnessing the power of Twitter. First, an update from Nieman Journalism Lab on plans by the Library of Congress to build and maintain a Twitter archive. In short, it's moving slowly. Second, the New York Times explains how Twitter's new rules make it harder for outside developers work with it. Finally, Reporter's Lab on the obstacles to building a Twitter tracking tool.

  • Aug 20 2012
    © iStockphoto.com/cogal

    Popular online tools for freelancers

    It's not exactly an exhaustive survey, but BestVendor.com polled 97 independent workers for their favorite gizmos and compiled the results into an elaborate online graphic. It includes familiar ones like Google Docs but also up-and-comers like Expensify: "One observation: Freelancers are all about the cloud. Not one piece of desktop software made the top 25, with the possible exception of QuickBooks, which has both a web and desktop version."