Thing 17

I explored four different web 2.0 tools:

1. Evernote: This application allows you to take notes and download them to multiple browsers, platforms, etc. for universal access.

2. Present.ly: This is a micro-blog (similar to Twitter) that has been designed for businesses. It has more advanced features, such as the ability to attach files.

3. Pidgin: This feature allows you to communicate with anyone through IM, regardless of which service provider someone has.

And finally, I looked at Farecast in more depth. This is a travel website that predicts the best time to buy airline tickets. I chose this tool because I enjoy traveling and feel that I would go on even more adventures if I could find the perfect ticket price.

The site is set up through Bing, and it can be found at www.bing.com/travel. The interface is easy to use, as it is set up like most airfare websites (such as Travelocity and Orbitz). No log-in is required; I simply put in my departure/arrival dates and cities.

The results are easy to read. The site has simple graphics (arrows and colors) that indicate if a fare might go up or go down. The site also includes a confidence level about those predictions.

Other positive aspects about this site include the ability to simultaneously search multiple travel sites. For example, which I searched through Bing, another window popped up that searched the same airfares through Hotwire. The tool is also useful because it includes hotel and car prices (although these do not include the price prediction tool).

My one critique of the site is that it has multiple cities for which it can not/will not predict fares. While these are easily marked (the cities available for fare prediction are in bold), many international cities are excluded. Because these are often the most expensive tickets, I feel that this is a major issue for the application.

In the end, however, I have found another useful web 2.0 tool, especially for domestic flights.