The multimedia tools I actually use (and you should too)

I wrote a post about two years ago about the tools I actually use and realized the list could use some updating. The following are a list of tools I use on a daily or weekly basis.MultimediaPhotoshopProbably my most used and most essential tool for multimedia and online work. I use it for everything from editing photos to creating web graphics and interactives.FlashThe premiere tool for creating interactive stories on the web. You may have heard about HTML 5 taking over Flash, but it can't create multimedia the way Flash can.Adobe AuditionAudacity is a popular and useful tool for audio editing, but when you're ready to step up your audio editing game, check out Audition.Final Cut ProAn advanced but easy to learn video editor. The industry standard.UMapperAn incredibly versatile tool for creating all kinds of embeddable maps. Very simple to use and creates highly customizable maps.Map BuilderI use Map Builder for most map-based projects that have a lot of data or require heavy customization, including this one and this one.DipityAn easy to use timeline tool recently used by the Seattle Times in its Pulitzer Prize-winning story.Flickr/Creative CommonsWhen I'm looking for a photo of something and I don't have time to shoot it, I sometimes look to Flickr for publicly available photos I can incorporate into my work.iPhoneThe reason you don't see a lot of posts about BlackBerrys on this blog is because I love my iPhone. Check out this post and this post for apps that can be used for multimedia production.Social NetworkingTwitterTwitter is such an integral part of my professional and personal life that I require several tools to keep track of it all...Twitter Tim.esAn invaluable tool for finding out what people are talking about on Twitter. It searches your friends' Twitter feeds for content they are sharing. I receive a fresh batch of popular content in my RSS reader using the site's RSS feature.SocialOomphI use this primarily for the California Watch Twitter account to schedule tweets to publish throughout the day. It works much better than a service like Twitterfeed that simply pulls from an RSS feed and makes the Twitter stream look robotic and cold.EchofonA Firefox extension I always keep running that shows an alert when I receive new tweets.TwitterfallI use TweetDeck a lot for work but when I just want to view a continuous stream of tweets that I can stare at for hours on end, I use Twitterfall.LinkedInI use LinkedIn perfunctorily the same way you accumulate a stack of business cards. I know the site has great community features, but I can't say I ever use any of them.StumbleUponThe unsung hero of social networking. A great way to find new and interesting online content with people who share your interests.ProductivityGoogle DocsI use Google Docs for everything, including sharing documents with colleagues and keeping track of upcoming 10,000 Words posts. I recently became especially intimate with Google Docs after using it to write my entire book.DeliciousI have a Delicious account that I use often, but do not share publicly because I use it for bookmarking both professional and personal online content.SkypeUsed for making internet calls (especially long conference calls) without running up the phone bill. Especially useful for video conferencing.PandoraI recently upgraded to the free music player's premium service. Listening to a continuous stream of music helps the day go by faster.cl1p.netIf I just want to share a quick bit of text or note between two computers or with another person, I use this simple tool.Google CalendarI use the calendar tool to keep track of upcoming events (mostly conferences and birthdays) and use the work calendar to share upcoming meetings with coworkers.Google ReaderWithout this RSS reader I would be lost. I use it to subscribe to the more than 150 blogs I use for research and inspiration.Also on 10,000 Words:• 7 Essential multimedia tools and their free alternatives• Steal This Blog!• The 99 Greatest blogs you aren't reading

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The multimedia tools I actually use (and you should too)

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