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Almost everyone has heard the amazing stories of small entrepreneurs who have made it big, but for as many of these high-profile situations, there are many more smaller successes that go unnoticed. Entrepreneurs fill society with their pluck and determination to bring their vision to reality. At the same time, there is also a huge number of people working hard to earn their MBA from business schools around the globe in an effort to make it to the top in the business world. While many entrepreneurs have MBAs and have worked hard to achieve success in both education and business, there are people who believe in basic differences between the two sets. Here are ten big differences seen by many to distinguish between entrepreneurs and MBAs.

1. Born, not made. This old adage explains one of the most commonly-held differences between entrepreneurs and those with an executive MBA. While entrepreneurs typically have a drive and ambition that may also be present in those with an MBA, they usually are willing to take risks in order to succeed that stands them apart from others, and this risk-taking character trait is typically not something that can be taught.
2. Causal reasoning vs. effectual reasoning. According to Dr. Saras D. Sarasvathy, a leader in the researching and teaching entrepreneurship, the difference between entrepreneurs and MBAs lies within the way they reason. According to Dr. Sarasvathy, MBAs gather information about the environments and markets, then make decisions based on what they can control within a situation. On the other hand, entrepreneurs approach decisions with the idea that they can control the situation, and they invoke creative decisions and problem-solving techniques in order to maintain their control over a situation.
3. Knowing the nuts and bolts. MBAs may gain more knowledge to help them to grow or maintain a business’ success whereas an entrepreneur may excel in how to get the business off the ground, but might benefit from what is learned in school to know about finance, marketing, and strategy.
4. Non-conformist. According to research, entrepreneurs are non-conformists. Not only do they want to forge ahead when told they can’t do something, they even take a certain amount of pride in the fact that they do not meet up with set standards. While there are most certainly non-conformists among the MBA set, most people choosing to earn their MBA are embracing what is not only seen as a socially acceptable method of achieving success, but one held in high esteem.
5. Adaptability. While MBAs learn how to create and implement solid business plans, successful entrepreneurs usually rely on a large amount of adaptability to keep their ideas going in the right direction. Good entrepreneurs learn to recognize when their original ideas may need fine tuning or when they might need to take a completely different path to achieve their goals.
6. Willingness to fail. While no one wants to fail, entrepreneurs who experience failure (and that is usually quite a few), learn from their experiences and keep moving forward. MBAs can and do as well, but the basic structure of school is that you succeed. Failing several classes will certainly result in no longer being a part of the program when working for an MBA, but the same can’t be said of entrepreneurship.
7. Security. For many, the goal of getting an MBA is to secure a good job and achieve success in the business world. Achieving success in this manner is much safer than the goal of many entrepreneurs, which is to obtain the same success in business, but without safety net of security. Entrepreneurs may risk their time, energy, and savings to reach a goal that may or may not materialize. For most graduates with an MBA, especially if it is from a top-tier school, landing a good job after graduation is much less risky.
8. Belief in their dreams. Entrepreneurs are well known for following their dreams even, and maybe especially, in the face of adversity. While MBAs also have goals and aspirations, theirs are usually more down-to-earth, such as graduating and securing a good job or becoming CEO of a company. For entrepreneurs, they may be holding on to a dream that seems crazy to others yet they believe fervently has potential.
9. Learning to learn. The business school experience can teach you how to learn. More than just listening, preparing to learn by having a solid baseline of knowledge from which to start, that can come from business school, will eliminate any wasted time getting up to speed when learning from peers and mentors alike. Additionally, getting to know professors and learning about what impassions them can deepen the amount and quality of what is learned. Entrepreneurs can still gain the ability to learn how to learn, but it may not be synthesized into such a short amount of time.
10. Create the future. According to John Elkington and Pamela Hartigan in their book, The Power of Unreasonable People: How Social Entrepreneurs Create Markets That Change the World, entrepreneurs create the future by developing and communicating a clear vision of the future as they see it based on, sometimes, years’ worth of thinking about that vision. While MBAs frequently have insight to what can make a business successful, the entrepreneur typically relies on a type of insight that can’t be learned via accredited degrees but rather is created specifically from the vision within.

The Internet is full of smart tools these days, but only if you have the patience to go out and find them. So what if you could turn your browser into a little black book of awesome shortcuts, organizers, alerts and blogging assistants? Well, you can. Read on to learn about the 100 Firefox add-ons you need to create a truly brilliant browser that will make your life oodles easier.

Alerts

Stop forgetting birthdays, eBay deadlines and more when you use these smart alert systems that also notify you of things you never thought to consider.

1. WeatherBug 2.0.0.4: Get severe weather alerts and more weather support here.
2. WorldCoolers 1.002: With this add-on, Firefox will keep you updated on global warming news and more.
3. ReminderFox 1.9.1: ReminderFox organizes your date-based reminders and task lists and alerts you when deadlines loom.
4. Ghostery 1.4.0: With this alert, Firefox will tell you when web sites are watching your activity online.
5. eQuake Alert 3.0.1: If you live in an earthquake hotspot, use this alert to notify you of impending natural disasters.
6. Yapta: Get updates on falling air fares with Yapta.
7. Price Protectr Toolbar: Monitor prices and find coupons with this little add-on.
8. Coupon Digger 1.3: Coupon Digger 1.3 alerts you of coupons and deals as you shop.
9. Amber Alert 0.4.2: Let your Firefox browser track Amber alerts with this tool.
10. eBay Sidebar for Firefox: Stay on top of your choice eBay bidding with this alert.

Blogging

Get one-click blogging support with these add-ons.

11. ScribeFire Blog Editor: Sync Firefox and ScribeFire to more quickly post to your blog.
12. Apture Editor Plugin: Use this add-on if you’re a Blogger or Typepad user who wants to easily embed multimedia into your site.
13. Mahalo Share 4.0.3: With this add-on, you can quickly share your blog posts across 12 different services.
14. Zemanta 0.5.7: Get ideas for what to write on your blog when you use this add-on that works with Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Blogger, WordPress and more.
15. easyComment 1.1: This tool lets you automatically fill out blog comment forms.
16. monkiri 1.0.1: Grab and post content from the web to your blog.
17. Clupedia Toolbar: Tune in to what people think about different topics so that you can more effectively comment on them.
18. LinkSensor 1.0.2: Amp up your page views by adding this tool to your account. It refers readers to similar posts on your blog via a pop-up balloon.
19. StumbleUpon: Quickly add your posts to StumbleUpon with this button.
20. Javascript Command: For more sophisticated sites, use this add-on to test out Javascript on web pages.

Photos

For photo sharing, organization and uploading, check out these fun add-ons.

21. FacePAD: This add-on downloads your Facebook friends’ photo albums quickly.
22. Canvas: Canvas is a smart add-on that lets you add photos from your files or the web to your browser theme.
23. Flickr: Search Flickr right from your Firefox toolbar.
24. GPhotospace 1.0.16: Store and share photos by syncing Firefox and Gmail.

Music and Video

This list of Firefox add-ons will make it easier for you to find and share music and videos.

25. FoxMediaCenter 2.0.1: This Linux add-on features an integrated TV recorder, media and playlist manager and more.
26. TV-FOX 1.1.3: Watch TV from your Firefox browser here.
27. musicbasket 1.1.1: Manage and search audio downloads from mp3.baidu.com and music.yahoo.com.cn.
28. Song.ly 1.1: Share music links on social sites like Twitter.
29. Video Bookmarks 0.7: This multitasking add-on lets you share, backup, organize and download videos from any site.
30. LastVid Search: With LastVid Search, you can search music and music videos by artist, track or album.

Information and RSS

Catalog all of your news sites, RSS feeds and favorite websites with the help of these tools.

31. TidyRead 0.3.2: Ignore all of the ads and junk on the side of websites when you use this add-on, which extracts the articles and important content.
32. Read It Later: Save pages you’d like to read but don’t have time to until later.
33. RSS Ticker 2.0.3: View your RSS bookmarks and feeds like a stock ticker.
34. NewsAddict: NewsAddict adds the latest news stories to your status bar.
35. Brief 1.2: With Brief, your Firefox displays feeds seamlessly and with one-click tagging support.
36. Sage: This streamlined RSS feed reader works with Firefox Bookmarks, supports various languages, reads RSS and Atom feeds and more.
37. In the News: This truly awesome tool finds related, updated news stories according to the text you highlight in Firefox.
38. NBA Scoreboard 2009: Get the latest NBA scores in your browser.
39. Politics and news, brought to you by The Huffington Post 1.1.1: Keep up with news from The Huffington Post.
40. NowPublic: Highlight newsworthy content on the web to get first-hand, eye-witness accounts of the story.

Networking

Network directly from your browser on sites like LinkedIn.

41. warichu bar 1.1.00: This social annotation tool lets you jump in the conversation and meet other social-minded surfers.
42. LinkedIn Companion for Firefox: View profiles, bookmark profiles and search LinkedIn from your browser.
43. Yoono: Use Yoono to keep all of your social networking accounts in one spot.
44. SynergyShare: Share websites with any of 50 different social networking sites.
45. Headup: With Headup, you can highlight and click to find content related to your interests and friends.

Favorites and Bookmarking

Manage and share all of your favorite websites with these toolbars and sidebars.

46. LiveClick 0.3.4.0: Use LiveClick to add feed reading, notifications and more to your Live Bookmarks.
47. Shareaholic for Firefox: This tool lets you share links across Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and more.
48. Clipmarks 3.5.1: Use this version of Clipmarks to save text, images or video on clipmarks.com and then post it on your blog or share it on social media sites.
49. My Portal 1.0.7: Prioritize your bookmarks with this tool.
50. reKommend: This sidebar makes it easy to recommend favorite websites and pages with friends.
51. Enhanced Bookmark Search: Weed through your bookmarks list with this tool.

Contacts and Communication

Stay in touch with friends, family and colleagues when you have these add-ons nestled in your browser.

52. Email the Web 2.12: E-mail any web page to any person you want with this add-on.
53. A Contacts Manager: Manage contacts in your Firefox browser here.
54. SMS Sidebar: Send SMS messages from any web page with this sidebar.
55. HelpCaster Click to Talk: Use this tool to use voice communication from your PC to registered phone numbers.
56. Firefox 123 FlashChat: Live chat securely and quickly from Firefox.
57. Laurenson UC Plugin: This experimental plugin features highlight-and-dial and click-to-dial capabilities.

Convenience

Make the web even easier to navigate with these tools.

58. URL Fixer 1.5: This button fixes your URL typos.
59. ReloadEvery 3.0.0: Automatically refresh web pages every so many minutes or seconds.
60. Easy DragToGo 1.1.2.3: Now you can do more with drag-and-drop features, like view images, open new tabs, and more.

Reference

Access dictionaries, calculators and other reference tools right from Firefox.

61. United States English Dictionary: Install this add-on to check the U.S. English Dictionary. Nearly 21,000 weekly downloads.
62. Graphing Calculator Toolbar: Turn your browser into a graphinc calculator that can manage up to 5 equations.
63. Dictionary Lookup Extension: This tool looks up highlighted words from web pages.
64. Bible Refalizer 0.1.4: This smart tool finds Bible references on a web page and then adds the hyperlink to an online Bible.
65. Cite This! 0.13: Your Firefox browser will generate Harvard Reference System-style citations for websites when you use this add-on.
66. See on Dictionary.com: Here you can see definitions in a new tab after highlighting an English word on a web page.

Finance

These tools will let you manage your budget, look up stock quotes and more.

67. Firebux: Firebux links with Buxfer to give you alerts on spending and budget tracking, lets you track IOUs, automatically downloads transactions, and more.
68. Ticker Tool 1.23: This tool connects you to Google Finance, Yahoo! Finance and sec.gov.
69. Stock Mashup 1.0: This tool combines charts, news and more from Yahoo! Finance and Google News.
70. Exch 1.4.4: Compute currency conversions here.

Organization and Productivity

Let Firefox help you stay completely organized and on the ball with these add-ons that leave just enough room for fun.

71. The Browser Highlighter: This add-on points out the important stuff on a web page.
72. e Information Organizer: Here you can add notes, to-do lists, appointments, bookmarks and more to your organizer, from any web page.
73. GTDInbox: Turn your Gmail into a GTD machine.
74. MyCalendar 0.5: Manage your own reference calendar with this tool.
75. Panic 0.3.6: Panic opens up a responsible-looking tab so that you look like you’re working, even if you’re playing around.
76. MyLog 0.1: MyLog lets you save, comment and tag web content.
77. Procrastato 0.7.0: Procrastinate for only a specified amount of time when you use this tool, which "checks up on you" after you spend too much time on certain kinds of websites.
78. Email Discipline: With this app, you can block yourself from checking e-mail or social media sites too often.
79. Foxden: Tile multiple web apps on one page so that it’s easier to multitask.
80. Gmail 3.0.2.1: This app organizes and tags your Gmail.

Business and Jobs

Look for jobs and access business tools with just a click or two.

81. Craigzilla 0.9.8: Sync up Firefox and Craigslist.
82. Business.com: Quickly access all the tools and resources on Business.com.
83. Search4Jobs 1.0: Here you can collect Monster Jobs feeds.
84. YellowBot Locl Search: Look up business hours of operation, phone numbers, maps and reviews.
85. WiseStamp: Customize your e-mail signatures to include or exclude all kinds of information.
86. Indeed Job Search: Search Indeed Jobs here.

Travel

When you take Firefox on the go, use these tools to find businesses, maps and more.

87. TripSync 3.0: Book travel from your browser with TripSync.
88. Multimap Toolbar Button: Quickly access maps of any local businesses.
89. Lonely Planet: Get reviews, vacation ideas and more from Lonely Planet’s Firefox add-on.
90. Ultimate Guide to Driving in Europe: Learn about driving rules, insurance requirements and more for European driving.

Searching and Surfing the Web

The Internet is all about searching, after all. These add-ons will enhance your search and surf experience in ways you never thought possible.

91. A PurpleBunny!: Use this add-on to read and write comments about the web page you’re on.
92. KnowMore Extension: Learn more about the environmental and social impact of the companies you’re searching for online.
93. LinkExtend 1.0.1: Get more information about websites for the sake of online safety and company ethics.
94. UltraBar 0.1: Add your own search engine to your toolbar with UltraBar.
95. SmarterFox: Browse Faster: This tool speeds up actions like searching, visiting favorite sites and more.
96. CustomizeGoogle: Customize your Google search experience with this add-on.
97. SaveURI 0.3.2: Save current URLs and not the general URL for the page.
98. Notefish: Organize and share notes and clips from the web.
99. Twitter Search: Access the real-time Twitter search with one click.
100. Select Search 3.0: By right clicking on selected text, you can conduct searches for Google Maps, jobs, compare prices, find movies, search health information, and more.

It’s easy to say that you’re ready to change the world, but how do you get started? Even if you don’t have a specific cause or mission in mind, expanding your education and understanding of the world will give you a solid foundation for your ultimate adventures. These 100 awesome open courses, ranging from health and medicine to engineering to religion to policy making to media will get you on your way.

Health

Learn about public health issues, the culture of mental health care, and more.

1. Health Issues for Aging Populations: Understand the factors that make us age, and the social factors of aging itself. [Johns Hopkins]
2. Global Tobacco Control: This course wonders what a world without tobacco addiction would be like. [Johns Hopkins]
3. Challenging ideas in mental health: This course asks tough questions regarding mental illness, including the boundaries of mental illness, risk factors and how the business of mental health operates. [The Open University]
4. Population Change and Public Health: Understand how population dynamics impact public health issues, reproductive health, and more. [Johns Hopkins}
5. Ethics of Human Subject Research: As medical research becomes more advanced, make sure you know which lines can be crossed and which are controversial. [Johns Hopkins]
6. The boundaries of care: Become a better caregiver when you learn about the culture and ethics of residential living care. [The Online University]
7. Sexual Health, HIV/STI, and Human Rights: This course covers everything from STI prevention to reproductive health rights. [Johns Hopkins]
8. Quantitative Physiology: Organ Transport Systems: Use this course to help you develop new systems for transplanting and transporting organs. [MIT]
9. Family Planning Policies and Programs: This course isn’t just health related: it takes into consideration social, economic, educational and business factors as well. [Johns Hopkins]
10. Case Studies in Terrorism Response: Learn how to prepare communities and companies for a quality response program to a terrorist attack. [Johns Hopkins]

Environment

Discover how innovation, public health, economics and politics shape our view of the environment in crisis.

11. Food Production, Public Health and the Environment: Learn about the different food production systems that result in malnutrition, obesity, toxic food items, and more. [Johns Hopkins]
12. Environmental Conflict and Social Change: Discover the different perceptions of nature around the world. [MIT]
13. Environmental Policy and Economics: Find out how the government can get involved in environmental issues. [MIT]
14. Managing Coastal Environments: To protect the coastlines from erosion, pollution and natural disasters, you’ll first have to understand how these ecosystems operate. [The Online PHD Universities]
15. Design for Sustainability: Change the world through eco-friendly, sustainable design. You’ll learn about two basic methodologies here. [MIT]
16. Environmental Health: Discover the causes of major environmental health issues. [Johns Hopkins]
17. Role of Science and Scientists in Collaborative Approaches to Environmental Policymaking: This course highlights the ways in which scientists are working with government to change the world. [MIT]
18. Working with our environment: an introduction: Here you will learn how to work with, instead of against, nature. [The Open University]
19. Nature and the Built Environment: In this course, you’ll learn how nature is perceived in different societies, and how today’s globalization movement affects natural resources. [Notre Dame]
20. Sustainable Energy: Learn how renewable energy is harnessed and used in this course. [MIT]

Science and Engineering

From aerospace engineering to introductory chemistry, these science and engineering classes will broaden your knowledge of how the world works.

21. Aircraft Stability and Control: This aerodynamics class teaches fundamentals in aircraft design. [MIT]
22. Statistical Physics I: Learn how to record and compute probability for magnetism and other phenomena. [MIT]
23. Introduction to Bioengineering: With a foundation in bioengineering, you’ll be able to contribute to projects in systems biology, cellular biology and more. [MIT]
24. Introduction to Experimental Chemistry: This freshman-level class introduces students to hands-on chemistry experiments and experiences. [MIT]
25. Science: Superheroes to Global Warming: This physics course aims to explain how science plays a role in many mysteries. [UC Irvine]
26. Infant and Early Childhood Cognition: Study how the brain develops in this course. [MIT]
27. Protein Folding Problem: Anyone who’s interested in DNA or cell systems will benefit from this course. [MIT]
28. Physics of Atmospheres and Oceans: Study the mechanics and systems that form atmospheric winds, ocean currents and more. [MIT]
29. Climate Physics and Chemistry: In this class, you’ll learn about the factors that determine climate and climate change. [MIT]
30. Gene therapy: Learn more about this controversial study from this course. [The Open University]

Politics and Economics

You can’t change the world if you don’t understand its driving forces. These political science and economics classes cover identity and race, terrorism, policy making, law, and more.

31. Law and Society: Learn how these two forces affect one another. [MIT]
32. Globalization, Migration and International Relations: Discover the different ways in which our global communities are intertwined. [MIT]
33. Ethnicity and Race in World Politics: This course teaches students how to think, plan for and react to opposing notions of identity. [MIT]
34. Terrorism, Peace and Other Inconsistencies: Consider the nature of peace and terrorism in this course. [Notre Dame]
35. Yochai Benkler on the new open-source economics: This lecture by Yochai Benkler uses open source technology platforms as an example for how human organization is evolving. [TED]
36. Special Topics in Economics: The Challenge of World Poverty: Discover ways to solve the poverty problem from an economist’s point of view. [MIT]
37. Ashraf Ghani on rebuilding broken states: This talk first discusses the general principles that need to be explored to mobilize capital, and then branches off to consider how Afghanistan is being rebuilt. [TED]
38. Economics and Psychology: Consider how economic emotions and thought processes like fairness, rationality and loss-aversion are intertwined. [MIT]
39. Sustainable Economic Development: Here you will go over the applications that could possibly lead to sustainable economic growth. [MIT]
40. Climate Change: Economics, Science and Policy: Uncover the policies, scientific research and economic factors involved in the global climate change controversy. [MIT]

Society and Culture

In order to help people change, you have to understand what motivates them. Review these course materials for insight into materialism and consumer culture, communication, sexuality, business culture, and a lot more.

41. American Consumer Culture: Discover the motives for, impact of and future of American materialism. [MIT]
42. Foundations of Western Culture II: Renaissance to Modernity: Review the movements of the Renaissance through modern times to gain some insight into our world today. [MIT]
43. Anthropological Theory: Learn how to study the past and influence the future of society through this class. [MIT]
44. Communicating Across Cultures: Learn how to be an effective and persuasive activist, manager, political figure or traveler in this course. [MIT]
45. Cultural Anthropology: Study the evolution of language, ancient civilizations and human institutions here. [Utah State]
46. Identity and Difference: Study the ways in which a person feels connected to and independent of society. [MIT]
47. An Introduction to Modern Indian Culture and Society: India continues to grow as a powerful economic, business and political force. Take this course to understand its history and modern culture better. [MIT]
48. An introduction to business cultures: Study the unique dynamics of business institutions. [The Open University]
49. Introduction to Asian American Studies: Literature, Culture and Historical Experience: Better understand this influential, growing population in the United States. [MIT]
50. Gender, Sexuality and Society: Consider how sexuality is a driving force in social identity. [MIT]
51. War and American Society: Examine the psychological, cultural, economic and identity-driven responses to war in America. [MIT]
52. Islamic Societies of the Middle East and North Africa: Religion, History and Culture: Economically, politically and socially, an understanding of Islamic and Middle Eastern culture is vitally important today. [Notre Dame]
53. Human Origins and Evolution: Here you will consider human biological evolution as well as cultural evolution. [MIT]
54. Media in Cultural Context: Popular Readerships: By examining book clubs, mass-produced fiction and popular magazines, you’ll be able to study low-brow and high-brow culture. [MIT]
55. Violence, Human Rights and Justice: Understand how the modern world reacts to political violence. [MIT]
56. Individuals, Groups and Organizations: This theory and applications class explores organizational behavior, performance and adaptation. [MIT]
57. Personal finance: Debt and borrowing in its wider context: Examine the factors that have made debt "become a part of everyday life." [The Open University]
58. ‘Shrinking’ the economy: Is it really just mind over matter? Dr. Robert Hoffmann discusses the possibility that we may have "talked ourselves into recession." [University of Nottingham]
59. Does prison work?: Consider whether or not alternative rehabilitation options would be worth it. [The Open University]
60. Introduction to Latin American Studies: Discover how influential Latin American culture is in a global context and within the U.S. [MIT]

Religion and Philosophy

Learn how religion and philosophy continue to evolve and shape our view of how society should operate.

61. Anthropology of Religion: Discover religion as a cultural phenomenon. [Utah State]
62. Medicine, Religion and Politics in Africa and the African Diaspora: This course examines opposing perceptions of illness and medicine, as Western applications interfere with traditional African philosophies. [MIT]
63. Religion today: themes and issues: Discover the religious and spiritual issues that are predominant in today’s culture. [The Open University]
64. Politics and Religion: Consider how politics and religion impact one another. [MIT]
65. Jonathan Haidt on the moral roots of liberals and conservatives: Discover the moral, ethical and spiritual values that drive liberal Americans and conservative Americans. [TED]
66. Myth, Ritual and Symbolism: After taking this course, you may understand why traditional religious practices are so important to certain groups. [MIT]
67. Latino Theology and Christian Tradition: Here you will study the development of Latino Christianity and its place in the U.S. [Notre Dame]
68. Ancient and Medieval Philosophy: In order to understand more modern philosophies, you need to have a solid base in ancient and medieval studies. [Notre Dame]
69. Problems of Philosophy: This course cultivates each student’s own ability to critically analyze philosophical considerations. [MIT]
70. Philosophy: the nature of persons: Consider notions like freedom, resentment, free choice, and more. [The Open University]

Media and the Arts

From music to photography, these media and arts classes offer up important information in research, identity and development.

71. Jose Abreu on kids transformed by music: Understand how music and the arts are vitally important to the development of intelligent, independent, responsible kids. [TED]
72. Writing and Experience: Exploring Self in Society: This course examines the process of creating a sense of self in writing. [MIT]
73. Modern Art and Mass Culture: Consider how modern art effects progress and change in advertising, consumerism, caricature and more. [MIT]
74. Photography and Truth: In Photography and Truth, you’ll consider photography as a medium for recording anthropological research data. [MIT]
75. Understanding Television: Study the TV as a cultural form in this class. [MIT]
76. Depiction of terrorism in film and television: This podcast explores how people form their point of view of terrorism by watching movies instead of the news. [University of Nottingham]
77. Producing Films for Social Change: Learn the process for creating a film that aims to change the world. [Tufts]

Technology

Technology is one of today’s most vital tools for progressing into the future. Understand how technology impacts daily life here.

78. Philip Rosedale on Second Life: The founder of Second Life talks about how virtual reality is moving technology and society. [TED]
79. Ray Kurzweil on how technology will transform us: Inventor and entrepreneur Ray Kurzweil predicts that by 2020, our brains will be controlled by nanobots. [TED]
80. Technology Dynamics for Sustainable Innovation: Learn how technology is leading the charge in innovation. [TU Delft]
81. Information Technology and the Labor Market: Plan for a reconstruction of the labor market after taking this course. [MIT]
82. Learn and Apply HTML: You can’t change the world without knowing how to build a web page. Let this course teach you the basics. [Utah State]
83. New Media Literacies: In New Media Literacies, you’ll learn about social media networking transmedia navigation, and more. [MIT]
84. Internet Technology in Local and Global Communities: Learn how an Internet connection can transform a community. [MIT]
85. Understanding Online Interaction: Learn how to create effective, communicative web pages and resources. [Utah State]
86. Information Law and Policy: Take this class to understand technology ethics and legal issues, like copyright protection, misappropriation of data, and more. [UC Berkeley]
87. Ambient Intelligence: Discover the nature of human-computer interaction. [MIT]

Education

These education courses consider the future of learning.

88. Liz Coleman’s call to reinvent liberal arts education: Listen to Bennington president Liz Coleman praise the idea of a cross-disciplinary education. [TED]
89. Michelle Obama’s plea for education: First Lady Michelle Obama speaks to a London girls’ school about the importance of education. [TED]
90. Why teach art?: Learn why it’s important to teach art in school. [The Open University]

Miscellaneous

From rhetoric to corporate ethics to wealth, these engaging courses will help you better understand how to change the world.

91. Foundations of Language and Communications: This course covers rhetorical awareness, writing and reasoning, reading comprehension and other skills necessary for someone interested in effective communication. [Western Governors University]
92. Alex Tabarrok on how ideas trump crises: Economist Alex Tabarrok believes that globalization isn’t causing rifts–it’s actually causing us to be a more reconciled world. [TED]
93. Human-Animal Relationships: Study the various intriguing relationships that humans and animals share, from an ethical, cultural, public health and familial context. [Tufts]
94. Doing the right thing: corporate social responsibility in a global marketplace: Study the unique ethical dynamics of corporate culture. [University of Nottingham]
95. Managing Innovation and Entrepreneurship: As the business world continues to foster entrepreneurial pursuits, learn how to manage smaller institutions and big ideas. [MIT]
96. Tim Ferriss: Smash fear, learn anything: Learn how to ignore fear and take risks. [TED]
97. Communication for Managers: Learn how to effectively communicate messages to all kinds of people. [MIT]
98. Resolving Public Disputes: Gain valuable skills for conflict resolution on a large scale. [MIT]
99. The Art and Science of Negotiation: This class teaches strategies for negotiation and persuasion. [MIT]
100. Food and Power in the Twentieth Century: This interesting study of wealth and power in the 20th century also explores the development of food storage and production techniques. [MIT]

Twitter has exploded into a must-track resource for news, rants, consumer reports, public health, shopping deals and emerging trends. But if you’re looking for something or someone specific, how can you expect to carve out a niche and listen in on just a single thread of conversation? Our list of 100 tips, tools and resources for Twitter research will help you keep it all together.

Directories and People

Expand your network and locate specific tweeters using these directories.

1. Twitterholic: Find out who the most popular Twitter users are at any given moment.
2. Social Brand Index: Use this directory to find competitors and potential clients on Twitter.
3. WeFollow: This directory categorizers users by tagging.
4. Twellow: Twellow is a popular people directory for Twitter users. Search by location, friends, followers, keyword or by category.
5. Who Should I Follow?: Let this tool help you find new friends on Twitter.
6. Tracking Twitter: Discover which Twitter feeds are the most popular in media, entertainment and consumer products.
7. Just Tweet It: Find people to follow by clicking on industry categories like education, domainers, aviation, filmmakers and more.
8. twibs: With twibs, you can look up businesses who tweet.
9. twittervision: Find random tweeters whose conversations pop up on a Google map.
10. Twemes: Twemes is another word for hashtags, and this site follows popular subject matter and keywords.
11. Tweeter Tags: Declare your tweets by tagging yourself on this site. Then, find other like-minded users to follow and research.
12. Twitter Fan Wiki: This research source finds conversations, non-person Twitterers, feature requests, fakers, media and more.
13. TwitterPacks: Find people according to their "pack" or interest group, like coaching, baby boomers, or organizing experts.
14. Twubble: With Twubble, you can find more friends and popular Twitter users.
15. GovTwit: Find Twitter names for government agencies and people here.

Conversations

Search for keywords, buzzed-about topics and more to direct your attention to the conversations that matter.

16. Twitter Search: Twitter’s official search page looks for keywords in current conversations.
17. Tweet Scan: Search Twitter conversations by category or keyword.
18. TwitterScoop: Find friends, search buzz-worthy topics, and more.
19. Tweet Volume: Find out if the subjects you’re searching for are popping up in Twitter conversations or are yesterday’s news.
20. Tweetmeme: Tweetmeme is a social bookmarking site for popular Twitter conversations.
21. Twitterment: This simplified search engine brings up conversations for all kinds of keywords.
22. Twitter Forge: Twitter Forge in TwitTown has 10 different directories and search tools.
23. Tweet Congress: Use Tweet Congress to find tweets from Congressmen and women.
24. LegalBirds: LegalBirds is a Twitter directory for the legal crowd.
25. Geofollow: Add yourself, update your Twitter feed and search for others on this site.
26. Twitterectory: Twitterectory features a search engine, tag cloud and directory of Twitter profiles.

Organization

Keep your notes, replies, surveys and research organized so that all your hard work isn’t lost forever.

27. Twhirl: This social software platform connects to Twitter, displays notifications of new messages, shortens URLs, cross-posts updates to other sites and more.
28. Twitter Karma: Quickly paginate through your friends listing. Sort alphabetically or by another system so that it’s easier to view your friends.
29. Tweet Clouds: View your tweets as a word cloud.
30. Twitter Notes: Take and tag notes from Twitter using this tool.
31. My Tweeple: Better organize all your friends and followers with this tool.
32. Foamee: Keep up with who owes who how many drinks with this tool.
33. Twitterator: This script will help you stay organized while monitoring groups of people.
34. GroupTweet: Privately tweet with your project group members using GroupTweet.
35. Twickie: Archive and organize Twitter response threads here.

Add-ons and Tools

Add these tools to your Twitter experience to make researching and indexing even easier.

36. Twitt Poll: Create polls to find out what your Twitter friends think on a particular subject.
37. Twitter Answers: Send out questions into the Twittersphere to get answers and opinions from your followers.
38. Twitter Snipe: Use this tool to auto follow users based on your niche.
39. TwitPic: Use TwitPic to share, browse and upload photos to Twitter.
40. Trazzler Buzz: Use this tool to research deals and news for travel, museums, music and more.
41. Twit Bear: Keep up with all the replies regarding a particular conversation or subject matter.
42. Google Search with Twitter integration: This script combines the best of Twitter and Google.
43. TBuzz: When surfing the web, discover each site’s tweet history.
44. PicFog: Conduct a Twitter image search here.
45. peekr: Check out Twitter backgrounds before opening up the whole page.
46. Twitter Toolbar for Firefox: Download this toolbar to quickly access Twitter or your favorite Twitter feeds.

Guides

Let these guides help you become a master tweeter.

47. Twitter as Target Market Research Tool: Find out how you can use Twitter to grow your business, attract clients and stand out.
48. 33 Reasons to Use Twitter - a Guide to Finding Value in the Service!: Here you’ll get tips for using Twitter for business and personal gain.
49. The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter: Learn how to set up a profile, find things to tweet about, decide when to tweet and more.
50. Mastering Twitter in 10 Minutes or Less (Version 2): Quickly learn how to navigate Twitter with this download.
51. Using Twitter ‘the Smart Way’: Get tips on choosing a user name and staying organized here.
52. How to Search Twitter - the Advanced Guide: This guide outlines the steps needed to effectively use Twitter’s official search function.
53. 6 Twitter Search Services Compared: This guide compares Twitter Search, Twazzup, Tweetzi, and other search tools.
54. Twitter Research: Why and How to Do It: Twitip.com has tips for using Twitter for historical research and more.
55. Using Twitter for Market Research: Grow your business by taking note of these research tips and tools.

Filters and Niche Search

Block out all the miscellaneous Twitter noise and use these tools to focus on the conversations and research you’re interested in.

56. bkkeepr: This tracker keeps up with reading lists and more.
57. FoodFeed: If you only want to research tweets related to what people are eating, head to this feed.
58. Localtweeps: Filter tweets by zip code using this tool.
59. Commuter Feed: View traffic reports for Houston, Boston, Detroit, Philadelphia, LA, New York and other top metro areas.
60. Twitter Job Search: Research job openings here.
61. Twitter filter: This Greasemonkey script lets you filter out any kind of annoying tweets.
62. Omnee: Filter your list of people to research or follow by first checking this site. Omnee categorizes users by the ones with the most social capital, most reach, least centralized, and more.
63. Stop the tweet spam! Two ways to filter Twitter into Facebook: Streamline your updates and social media research here.
64. TwitZap: Keep your Twitter page open and active without having to refresh it.
65. Cursebird: Keep track of the latest posts that contain curse words.

Analytics

Analytics is a vital part of any research project. These tools will help you get the stats on your account, other users’ influence, trends, website popularity, and more.

66. TwitterCounter: Get stats for other users here.
67. TweetStats: View Twitter feed stats in bar graph form.
68. TwitterSpy: Keep an eye on the most recent tweets coming from a particular location.
69. TweetBeep: TweetBeep alerts you via email when preferred conversations and keywords are tweeted.
70. MyTweetMap: This tool displays tweets by location on a Google Map.
71. SiteVolume: Find out how often a phrase, word or website is tweeted about.
72. Tweetburner: Track URLs as they appear on Twitter.
73. Twist: Twist lets you compare the stats for keywords, topics and more.
74. Twitalyzer: Use Twitalzyer to discover the influence of different Twitter users.
75. Twitstat Mobile: Look up analytics from your mobile phone using this tool.

Trackers

Track trends, follows, conversations and people using these tools.

76. tweet140: This tool tracks the length of your tweets.
77. Twitt(url)y: Track popular URLs that appear on Twitter to find out what people are talking about.
78. Does Follow: Organically expand your network by following people your friends follow.
79. twAITer: Schedule tweets for a future release and track your overall feed here.
80. Friend or Follow: Quickly double check who’s following you with this tool.
81. Tracking Twitter: Track brands, celebrities, media and TV tweets using this tool.
82. Twistori: Hover over an emotion like love, hate, think, believe, feel or wish and read the upcoming posts that incorporate that feeling.
83. Tweetizen: Use Tweetizen to create groups and track stories and posts that are meaningful to you.
84. Twitterfall: Filter trends or do a custom search to see upcoming posts in a free-fall format.

Tips

For better research through Twitter, follow these tips and suggestions.

85. Tweet during peak hours: Many people are tuned in to Twitter during the work week and during work hours, so you’ll have a better chance of reaching your subjects then.
86. Use a Twitter management tool: Use a tool like TweetDeck to easily organize your groups, updates and more, so that your research doesn’t get lost.
87. Use Advanced Search: Try Twitter’s Advanced Search tool to find people, places, dates and more.
88. Follow the competition: Market researchers should follow their competition on Twitter to learn about any deals or tricks they have going on.
89. Tweet about what’s hot: Join buzzed-about conversations and stories and find a way to relate your project to the mix.
90. Update your subjects: Keep your Twitter subjects up to date on your progress so that they know how they’ve helped you.
91. Ask lots of questions: Keep asking questions through Twitter to get a broad range of responses from everyone who follows you.
92. Use a variety of Twitter directories: You’ll encounter some repetition, but by using several different Twitter directories, you’ll also stumble across new people who can help you that you may have discounted at first.
93. Follow experts: Follow the tweets of an expert in your field to get routed to sensible, quality information.
94. Stay organized: It can be hard to keep up with all the tweets, replies and updates from everyone you’re following, so use groups, alerts and other tools to organize it all.
95. Put it all into context: Tweetree displays your Twitter stream as a tree with all replies organized by context.
96. Use different accounts: Don’t confuse your subjects or yourself by managing different research projects from a single account. Manage different accounts with a service like Hootsutie
97. List your credentials: Don’t freak people out by asking for their information without providing your own credentials.
98. Post a photo and your real name: People will be more likely to help you out if you present a valid name and photo.
99. Conduct surveys: Use survey tools to find out how your followers feel about a particular subject.
100. Back up your Twitter: Use a service like Tweetake to make sure your research and notations are safe.

If you run your own business or are just incredibly busy, you probably wish you had your own personal assistant to boss around and do all of your boring chores for you. But instead of abusing an actual person, turn to your iPhone, and our list of 100 apps to turn your Apple device into the ultimate personal assistant.

Scheduling and Calendars

Keep holidays, vacations, work schedules, meetings and more organized with these tools.

1. Days Till: Add events and then view how many days you have to wait for birthdays, vacations and more.
2. Pocket Informant: This GTD and calendar tool will keep you organized and on-task.
3. iPeriod: Keep track of your monthly cycle privately with this calendar.
4. Holidays Calendar: This calendar includes U.S. holidays and lets you configure which days you plan on taking off.
5. Toodleoo: This task manager and to-do list features folders, due-dates, prioritizing and more.
6. Text Later: Write text messages when you remember to, and then set up a later time for them to be sent.
7. Schedule Reminder: Set alerts along with your calendar.
8. My Schedule: Color code events for optimum organization on this calendar.
9. Clean Freak: Break down and schedule your chores with this tool.
10. Met2Bus New York: Follow the New York bus schedule here.

Alerts

Rely on theses alerts apps to remind you of meetings, follow-ups, weather and more.

11. FollowUp: FollowUp reminds you to follow up on conversations with your contacts.
12. Easy UP/down Timers: Use this app to time various tasks, including workouts, breaks and more.
13. Twitter Alerts: Get e-mail alerts whenever someone tweets one of your specified terms.
14. Weather Bug Elite: Get weather alerts and predictions here.

Personal Psychologist

Sometimes you just need a personal cheerleader to help boost your mood and relieve stress. Use these apps to get back to your happy place.

15. iPsychologist: Diagnose yourself according to detected patterns and associations.
16. Bubble Wrap: Calm your nerves by virtually popping bubble wrap.
17. iMood Detector: Figure out your mood with the touch of your thumb.
18. A Rorschach Inkblot Test: Get a psych evaluation from this ink blot test.
19. Color Personality Test: Determine your personality based on color preferences with this app.
20. Stress Shaker: This simulation game will help you relieve stress in a constructive way.

Utilities

From gas logs to alarm clocks to customer support directories, these apps are responsible for managing all of your most annoying tasks.

21. 1-Click iPhone: Call or text contacts with one click using these customizable "buttons."
22. Gas Log: With the Gas Log, you can track how much gas you use per day.
23. Siesta Smart Alarm: This smart alarm starts to wake you up a few minutes earlier so that you’re more refreshed when you actually do get up.
24. Top Customer Support: Look up customer support phone numbers for stores, credit cards and more.
25. Flashlight: Turn your iPhone into a flashlight with this free app.
26. Mover: Quickly transfer your contacts and images to another iPhone via wi-fi.
27. Dog whistler: If you’re too lazy to call your dog, make your iPhone do it for you.
28. Speller - Free Spell Checker: Use this tool to spell-check messages.
29. Apartments: This apartment guide tool looks up real estate by city, state or zip.
30. Fake a Call: Use this tool to fake calls so that you can jet out of meetings early.

Shopping

Find shopping deals, maintain grocery lists and keep your budget organized here.

31. BookBargain: Monitor online book deals here.
32. Shopping List: Keep a running shopping list on your iPhone.
33. Save Benjis: With Save Benjis, you can compare product prices at places like Wal-Mart.com, Sears.com and more.
34. iPromDress: This shopping assistant app helps you find and organize the perfect dresses.
35. iNeedStuff Shopping Assistant: This app is a little pricier, but it generates shopping lists based on recipes, lets you add units and notes, and features optional price tracking.
36. Shopping Coupons - The Best Deals Online: This free app connects you to coupons for baby and beauty products, electronics, books, clothing and more.
37. Grocery IQ: This smart grocery list app saves your history and has a huge database so it’s easy to generate new lists.
38. mobiQpons: Find local shopping coupons here.
39. Consumer Reports: Look up product information before you buy.
40. Frugal: Compare grocery prices with Frugal.

Travel Organizer

Store flight itineraries, maps, translators and more on your iPhone so that you’re always connected when you travel.

41. FlightTrack Pro: Organize your itineraries and track flight status.
42. GPS Eat-Shop-Travel and More: Use this app to locate coffee shops, bars, pharmacies, shopping and a lot more when you’re out of town.
43. Travelocity Travel Tools: Access Travelocity from your iPhone here.
44. Babelingo Travel Phrases: Categories in this app include conversation, time, getting around, money, eating out, medical and lodging. Eleven languages are supported.
45. Barfly (Travel Guide): Find local hot spots when you travel.
46. Pocket Workout: When you’re traveling but still want a workout, use this app to guide you through exercises.
47. iXpenseIt: Keep track of what you’re expensing for business while you travel.
48. Currency: Convert currencies with this app.
49. Free Translator: This app helps you translate text into languages like Hindi, Polish, Danish, Portuguese and more.
50. Packing: Pack better with this assistant.

Information Gatherer

From virtual bartenders to newspapers to reference materials, these tools keep a wealth of information at your fingertips.

51. LA Times News: Keep up with the news from the West Coast here.
52. 6500+ Cool Facts: This trivia assistant has over 6,500 cool facts.
53. Survival Pocket Reference: Get tips on first aid, creating a shelter and building a fire.
54. Drinks: This bartender’s assistant will help you mix up yummy cocktails.
55. Dictionary.com: Access all the resources of Dictionary.com here.
56. Business Reference Library: Get charts, a browseable dictionary and more for business needs.
57. Newsstand: Newsstand is an RSS reader for news and magazine stories.
58. AOL TV Listings: Find out what’s on TV using the AOL TV Listings app.
59. Byline: Byline works with Google Reader to send you the latest posts and stories from your favorites.
60. White Pages Mobile: Access White Pages on your iPhone with this app, which also keeps your history.

Organizer

Download these iPhone apps for ultimate organization when managing tasks, files and folders, contacts, and more.

61. A Task Organizer: This BlackBerry organizer is now available for the iPhone and helps you create to-do lists.
62. Stick It: This app lets you create sticky notes to put on shopping lists on your iPhone.
63. Files: Store PDF, Word and Text files on your iPhone with this app.
64. Little Black Book: Keep your personal contacts locked on your iPhone with this app.
65. Groups: Drag and Drop Contact Management: This creative, highly functional Groups contacts manager is colorful and customizable.
66. Wallet Pro: This password manager features military-grade encryption.
67. Note2Self Audio Recorder: Record your own notes instead of making your poor PA write them down.
68. Resume PRO: This app helps you generate and store a professional PDF resume.
69. Super Index Cards: Organize notes and lists with this index card app.
70. Goal Tracker: With Goal Tracker’s Limeade platform, you can organize and list all your long term and short term goals.

Social Planner

Find friends, schedule parties, log on to social media sites and find fun things to do on your iPhone.

71. Loopt: Find out where you can meet your friends with this social app.
72. Social Butterfly: This app lets you quickly access multiple social sites, like MySpace, Twitter and hi5.
73. Borange Social Availability: This assistant pours through your contacts to find someone who’s open for a meeting or play date.
74. BreakkUp: Get relationship advice from this app.
75. Local Concerts: Get dates and ticket information for local concerts.
76. Whrrl: Whrrl is another app like Loopt. It finds your friends on a Google map and shares recommendations for cool things to do.
77. sStitch: Smart tag photos you took with your iPhone.
78. Flickr on iPhone: Search and share photos easily using Flickr for the iPhone.
79. ExitStrategy: This app can send you a phantom SMS or phone call to get you out of an awkward situation.
80. TweetGlobe: Find your Twitter friends according to their spot on the globe.

Personal Chef

Turn your iPhone into your own personal cooking consultant with these apps.

81. iFood by KRAFT: Easily find recipes, cooking tips, cooking videos and more with this app.
82. Pantry: Keep stock of what’s in your pantry.
83. Gluten Free Diets: Get information on gluten-free eating and find recipes.

Local Directory

These city guides and maps perfectly sync with the iPhone and your on-the-go schedule.

84. iTrain NY Subway: Find NYC subway maps here.
85. Coffee Buzz: Find local coffee cafes with this app that also integrates with Twitter.
86. Mashspots: Find the four closest places of interest when you click anywhere on a map.
87. LocalEats: Find new restaurants to visit in your area.
88. Local Radio Finder: Find radio stations in your area using this app.
89. Urbanspoon: Urbanspoon helps you pick restaurants in your city by price range, type of food and more.
90. iRecycle: Find recycling locations in your city.

Financial

Manage your budget, invoices, investments and savings here.

91. Checkbook: Balance your checkbook on your iPhone here.
92. Mint.com iPhone: This favorite budget tracker also works on the iPhone.
93. Tip Ref Chart: Calculate an accurate tip here.
94. Time 2.0 Service: This time tracking assistant manages billable hours.
95. QuickBank Checking and Personal Finance: Organize bills, invoices, mortgage payments and paychecks.
96. DailyFinance: AOL’s free finance app provides daily financial news, stock quotes and more.
97. Billing Manager: Organize invoice folders here.
98. Finance Glossary: Review accounting and finance terms with this app.
99. Stock Watch: Stock Watch keeps you connected to market reports.
100. ATM Hunter: Find nearby ATMs using this app.

By Tiffany Davis

Twitter is an excellent resource for learning, especially those who are building a business. You can learn about marketing, finance, and business lessons that you won’t learn in school, as well as see what other successful young entrepreneurs are up to. Check out this list to find 100 feeds young entrepreneurs should watch on Twitter.

Groups

These groups on Twitter cater to young entrepreneurs.

1. Mediabistro: Mediabistro is a great community for news, opportunities, and more for media professionals.
2. @yeos: If you’re a young entrepreneur in Sweden, be sure to follow @yeos to learn about networking, inspiration, and idea exchanging.
3. @texasventures: Texas Ventures is an entrepreneur network and student organization for Texans.
4. #yep: Tweeters taking part in #yep are young entrepreneurs and professionals on Twitter.
5. the_pitch: You can learn a good deal about pitching from this contest for entrepreneurs.
6. @thestartupeu: @thestartupeu represents a group that supports startups, entrepreneurship, venture capital, and more.

News & Advice

Follow these Twitter feeds to find news, advice, and more.

7. @EntMagazineAmy: Amy Cosper is the editor in chief of Entrepreneur Magazine.
8. @guykawasaki: Check out Guy Kawasaki for news in business and more.
9. @digg_frontpage: Find out what’s on the Digg front page from this Twitter bot.
10. @smallbusiness: Follow @smallbusiness to get updates on small business news.
11. @entrepreneurpro: Follow Ben Lang’s Twitter to learn about teen entrepreneurs.
12. @JohnChow: John Chow is a great person to follow if you’re interested in learning how to make money blogging.
13. @WebWorkerDaily: Follow WebWorkerDaily, and you’ll learn about better using the web for work.
14. @ginatrapani: Gina Trapani is the founder of Lifehacker, and guru of all things productivity.
15. @JasonCalacanis: Jason Calacanis shares news and more about social media, blogs, and online entrepreneurship.
16. @StartupGuru: Brian Tsuchiya’s feed is full of useful startup news links.
17. @IncMagazine: Follow @IncMagazine, a magazine for entrepreneurs.
18. @College_Mogul: @College_Mogul reports on startups, entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology.
19. @EntMagazine: Follow Entrepreneur Magazine on Twitter here.
20. @barefoot_exec: Carrie Wilkerson aims to educate, empower and encourage entrepreneurs young and old.
21. @wiredmag: Get the official news feed of Wired magazine here, especially useful if you’re a young entrepreneur into technology.
22. @onstartups: Read about startups from the founder and CTO of HubSpot.
23. @teenbizcoach: Check out Shonika Proctor’s feed to learn how to use your talents for business.

Marketing

If you’re interested in learning how to better market and brand your business, be sure to check out these Twitter feeds.

24. @zappos: Follow @zappos to learn a thing or a thousand about good customer service and marketing.
25. @missrogue: Tara Hunt is a great person to follow if you’d like to learn about marketing that works.
26. @mashable: @mashable will help you make sense of the social web.
27. @chrisbrogan: Chris Brogan is the president of New Marketing Labs, a social media agency and education company.
28. @adbroad: Helen Klein Ross shares information about social media and more.
29. @WillieCrawford: Willie Crawford is an excellent resource for learning about Internet marketing.
30. @eMarketing_Tips: Get tips for emarketing, social media, and more from @eMarketing_Tips.
31. @problogger: Follow Darren Rowse to learn how you can more effectively use your blog as an entrepreneur.
32. @nichelady: On @nichelady’s feed, you’ll learn how to make payday come every day.
33. @smmguide: Social Media Guide shares information about social media marketing.
34. @darrenmonroe: Darren Monroe shares lots of tweets about leadership and web marketing.
35. @marketingwizdom: Follow Robert Clay to learn about low risk/high return marketing strategies.
36. @adhustler: @adhustler is all about affiliate marketing.
37. @wbaustin: Bill Austin shares news from Internet marketing and beyond.
38. @oudiantebi: Oudi Antebi is a social marketing expert and entrepreneur.
39. @MrSocial: Mr. Social is a marketing guru and social media expert.
40. @ScottAllen: Scott is an expert in social media, and loves to help entrepreneurs.
41. @TYSONtheQUICK: Tyson is a marketing student and COO of Meisab Labs.
42. @Debbas: Check out Debbas to learn about promotional items and printing from a professor of marketing.
43. @brianadrian: Read Brian Adrian’s tweets to learn about social media and web 2.0 marketing.
44. @DiyanaAlcheva: Diyana is a marketing specialist and Internet network marketing business coach.
45. @danschawbel: Dan Schawbel of Personal Branding Blog will help you brand yourself and your business.
46. @BrandKarma: Check out @BrandKarma to learn about branding for your business.

Coaches

Follow these business and life coaches who can help you get a better handle on what you’re doing.

47. @sacca: Christ Sacca offers advisement to startups.
48. @mariaandeos: Check out Maria Anros to learn how to attract a following and new clients.
49. @socrates_soc: Socrates is an Internet marketing expert and coach.
50. @MariSmith: Mari Smith is a friendly social media trainer that loves to help others grow their business.
51. @RonDavies: Follow Ron Davies to get coached in making the most of Twitter.
52. @AndrewWindham: Andrew Windham is a professional speaker, entrepreneurial and business coach, and more.
53. @GabeStrom: GabeStrom is a coach inspired to help you reach your full potential.
54. @Rob_Moshe: Rob Moshe is a life success coach that can help you with attraction marketing.

Entrepreneurs

Get inspiration, ideas, and more from these entrepreneurs on Twitter.

55. @randfish: Rand Fishkin is the CEO of SEOmoz, a search optimization and Internet marketing firm.
56. @richardbranson: Chairman of Virgin Group, Richard Branson is one of the most recognizable and successful entrepreneurs on Twitter.
57. @boutiquegirl: Maiken Jepsen is a work at home mom, designer, and the owner of a boutique clothing shop.
58. @RobMcNealy: Rob McNealy is full of inspiration for new entrepreneurs.
59. @tferriss: Tim Ferriss is the author of #1 NY Times bestseller The 4-Hour Workweek.
60. @kevinrose: This founder of Digg is full of random ideas.
61. @r27: Rajesh Pancholi owns and operates the creative UK studio known as R27 Creativelab.
62. @TEDchris: Chris Anderson and his organization share ideas worth spreading.
63. @tonyrobbins: Get inspired by @tonyrobbins.
64. @teenceo: Patricio Quezarda shares the details of being an emerging teen CEO and digital media mogul.
65. @StaceyMonk: Stacey Monk is an entrepreneur and dogooder.
66. @calbucci: Marcelo Calbucci is the founder and CTO of Sampa.
67. @IncSpring: Wes Wilson’s IncSpring is a social marketplace for entrepreneurs.
68. @stanleytang: @stanleytang is a 16 year old internet entrepreneur and best-selling author.
69. @davesnyder: Check out Dave Snyder to learn about search and social media marketing.
70. @sumaya: @Sumaya is a founder of The Cultural Connect, and has been recognized by Business Week as a top young entrepreneur.
71. @nlw: Nathaniel Whitmore is the founder of Assetmap.org and a founding organizer of Change.org.
72. Jeremy Schooley: Jeremy Schooley is the COO at Digital Labz.
73. @gotmelik: Melik Yuksel is a 14 year old blogger, web and graphic designer, and entrepreneur.
74. @sundaycosmetics: Beverly Davis is the entrepreneur behind Sunday Cosmetics.
75. @rseanlindsay: Sean Lindsay wears the hats of entrepreneur, creator, connector, technologist, and builder.
76. @darbydarnit: Petri Darby is the "Chief Darn Officer."
77. Joann Sondy: Joann is a seasoned entrepreneur and owner of Creative Aces.
78. @netgeek06: Thomson Chemmanoor is the founder of Digital Labz.
79. @chrispund: Chris Pund writes a blog for young entrepreneurs and even manages two web-based companies of his own.
80. @RickM: Rick Myers is the founder and CEO of Talent Zoo.

Finance & Venture Capital

These Twitter feeds will teach you the economics and finance lessons you weren’t taught in college.

81. @freakonomics: Get more of the goodness found in the Freakonomics blog from @freakonomics.
82. @mintdotcom: Learn about finance, money tips, and more from Mint.
83. @turbotax: Check out Turbo Tax to get the tax help every young entrepreneur needs.
84. @planetmoney: @planetmoney will help you get a handle on the global economy.
85. @vctips: Get a look into the minds of venture capitalists from @vctips.

Blogs & Writers

Check out these Twitter feeds to find excellent advice from bloggers and writers concerned with young entrepreneurs.

86. @YoungGoGetter: @YoungGoGetter will keep you up to date on the latest for young entrepreneurs.
87. @Retireat21: This blogger is all about helping young entrepreneurs make money online.
88. @TPEntrepreneur: The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur will help you go from aspiring young entrepreneur to industry leader.
89. @socialentrprnr: If you’re an entrepreneur focused on social change, be sure to check out @socialentrprnr.
90. @yarostarak: Yaro is a professional blogger full of advice for bloggers and Internet marketers.
91. @garyvee: Check out @garyvee to see how social media can improve your business.
92. @shoemoney: Jeremy Schoemaker is a blogger that can help you learn how to make money with your blog.
93. @Gladwell: Malcolm Gladwell’s Twitter will have you always thinking about success.
94. @venturehacks: @venturehacks aims to be a business school for entrepreneurs.
95. @MattWilsontv: Matt Wilson supports entrepreneurs under 30.
96. @doshdosh: @doshdosh is a great resource for Internet marketing and making money online.
97. @copyblogger: Brian Clark will teach you about new media content.
98. @thebizguy: Find tweets from Adam, a cofounder of YoungEntrepreneur.com on @thebizguy.
99. @penelopetrunk: Follow Penelope to learn about the intersection of work and life.
100. @ramit: Ramit Sethi of I Will Teach You to Be Rich and PBWiki is a goldmine of knowledge for young entrepreneurs.

The social web is an often overlooked resource full of excellent information. Whether you’re a student working on a research project, building your brand, or just trying to find some information, look to social media sites to find what you’re looking for. Here, we’ll take a look at 100 tips and tools for effectively researching the social web.

Tips

Use these tips to make the most out of social web research.

1. Set up alerts: Use various services to create tracking and alerts for industry keywords, your name, and any other information that is relevant to your research.
2. Filter your feeds: Monitoring social media can be time consuming, so set up your feeds to only deliver content that’s relevant to you.
3. Pay attention to demographics: Be sure to pay attention to the demographics of the social media users you’re using for research.
4. Monitor your reputation: Researching the social web will allow you to find out when others are talking about you and allow you to respond.
5. Use Google Search’s site: operator: By adding "site:yoursocialmediasiteofchoice," you can delve into the depths of just about any social media site.
6. Set up feeds: Save yourself some time when researching-instead of occasionally checking for alerts, news, and other pieces of social web information, set up an RSS feed that will collect it for you.
7. Regularly assess subscriptions: Make sure you’re only following feeds that are helpful to your research by doing a review every month or quarter.
8. Perform market research on your connections: In Facebook, Twitter, and other social media tools, you can turn to your own connections and learn about their interests just by monitoring the videos, images, and information they post.
9. Use a dashboard: Create your own social media monitoring dashboard in order to keep all of your research in one place.
10. Seek out authorities: On Facebook, Twitter, and other sites, get connected with users who will provide you with excellent information.
11. Look beyond who you already know: Check out your contacts’ contacts to find people that can offer you quality knowledge as well.
12. Just ask: Make use of your social media connections, and simply ask the people you know on Twitter Facebook, LinkedIn and other social sites what you’d like to find out.
13. Use "best of" features: On FriendFeed, you can use the "best of" feature to only check out the best posts of the day, week or month, so you can just skip to the good stuff.
14. Find out what’s buzzing in your niche: Use social media to track ideas and see what’s going on in your niche.
15. Check out popular posts: Use tools that will allow you to see the most popular posts on the web.
16. Research your competitors: The social web is a great place to learn about what your competitors are putting out there, and what others are saying about them.
17. Stay on top of breaking news: Use social media research to keep up with the important events happening in your niche.
18. Always check out the comments: On blogs with a good following, the comments are often as valuable as the blog post itself.
19. Get networked: Find out who is talking about issues that are relevant to your niche through social web research.

Social Media Goldmines

Check out these sites for the most reliable research information on the social web.

20. Delicious: Delicious is the biggest collection of bookmarks online, and can point you to educational resources for just about anything.
21. Wikipedia: This excellent online encyclopedia offers information on just about anything you’d like to know about.
22. Digg: Digg highlights top stories and breaking news across the web.
23. Facebook: With a large enough network, you can use Facebook to crowdsource information and perform your own market research on connections.
24. Yelp: Research local businesses through the information found on Yelp.
25. Twitter: Build your Twitter follow list to include sources that can provide you with the ongoing information you seek.
26. Flickr: Find images and photographs of people, events, and more on Flickr.

Polls, Q&A

Ask questions and get answers with these tools.

27. BuzzDash: Using BuzzDash, you can create a poll and get community members involved.
28. LinkedIn Polls: With LinkedIn Polls, you’ll be able to find answers to your research questions by asking your network and other professionals.
29. WikiAnswers: On WikiAnswers, users can edit answers to questions anyone asks.
30. IKnowTweet: This site monitors Twitter for questions and answers.
31. Research Aid: Use Research Aid to get information via questionnaires on Facebook.
32. Ask MetaFilter: Use MetaFilter’s tags and search to find the information you’re looking for on Ask MetaFilter.
33. ToAnswer: Ask a question to @toask, and you’ll get answers through your Twitter account.
34. Answerbag: On Answerbag, you’ll be able to post questions and receive answers that others can vote on.

Trends

Monitor what’s popular on social media sites using these tools.

35. TweetVolume: Find out how much your keyword is discussed, and its stats to similar terms.
36. Facebook Lexicon: Check out Facebook Lexicon to see what’s being discussed on Facebook walls.
37. Technorati: Blogger Central: Check out rising links, top blogs, and more in Blogger Central.
38. Social Radar: Social Radar offers the Ultimate social media marketing with an overview of content from blogs, social networks, feeds, news, and forums.
39. TweetScan: TweetScan will tell you who is currently talking about the keywords you subscribe to.
40. eKstreme: eKstreme shares blog data from Technorati and social bookmarks from del.icio.us.
41. Google Trends: Google Trends shares some of the hottest search trends in social media and beyond.
42. Twendz: Stay on top of Twitter conversations and trends through Twendz.
43. BlogPulse: Nielsen Buzzmetrics’ BlogPulse offers automatic trend discovery on blogs, and what’s going on in the blogosphere.
44. Trendpedia: With Trendpedia, you can see charts that show the volume of topic discussion.
45. PostRank: Using PostRank, you’ll be able to find the most talked about posts on any RSS feed.
46. Omgili Charts: Through Omgili’s Buzz Graphs, you can measure and compare the buzz of different terms.

Search

These tools will make it easy for you to go straight to what you’re looking for.

47. Technorati: Use Technorati’s search to find out what’s being said in the blogosphere.
48. Google Custom Search: Google Custom Search will make it easier for you to get results only from the blogs and social media websites that you’re interested in.
49. Social Mention: Social Mention searches all over user generated content to find the information you seek.
50. compfight: compfight will search Flickr for inspiration, research, and more.
51. Yahoo! Pipes: Using Yahoo! Pipes, you’ll be able to better wrangle information on the social web and beyond.
52. Keotag: Use Keotag to tag multiple search engines and generate social bookmark links.
53. BlogCatalog Social Media Search Engine: This search engine seeks out information from the BlogCatalog directory as well as more than 20 other social media sites.
54. Addictomatic: Addictomatic makes it easy for you to create your own custom page with buzz on any topic.
55. Icerocket: Icerocket will allow you to search blogs, the web, Twitte, MySpace, and more.
56. FlickrStorm: Use FlickrStorm to find related and relevant images on Flickr.
57. WhosTalkin?: This social media research tool will allow you to find topics on more than 60 popular social media sites.
58. Google Blog Search: Find recent blog posts in your keywords to get ongoing insight.
59. BoardReader: Using BoardReader, you’ll be able to search multiple message boards and forums at once.
60. Alltop: Alltop’s "online magazine rack" will help you find information about popular topics being discussed in blogs.
61. Omgili: Omgili offers a search that focuses on user generated platforms like forums, discussion groups, and other social media.
62. Twitter Search: You can search to see current conversations on Twitter.

Tracking & Alerts

With these tools, you can conveniently get updated whenever your keywords are mentioned on the social web.

63. Tip’d Social Tickers: SocialTickers on Tip’d will allow you to track stock tickers all over the social web.
64. ThreatTracker: Using ThreatTracker, you can identify and assess online threats to your company, brand, or product.
65. Google Alerts: Get email updates on the latest Google results for your keyword from Google Alerts.
66. TweetDeck: TweetDeck is a Twitter application that offers grouping and notifications for keywords.
67. Technorati Watchlist: Set up a Technorati Watchlist to find out when certain URLs or keywords are mentioned in blogs.
68. Wikiscanner: Wikiscanner will help you learn about anonymous Wikipedia edits from well known organizations.
69. Monitter: Set up keywords in Monitter to keep an eye on keywords on Twitter through RSS as well as live monitoring.
70. Backtype: Backtype is an excellent tool for monitoring blog comments.
71. The BuzzMonitor: Use this open source application to listen to what people are saying on blogs and other social media.
72. BoardTracker: Track words in forums with BoardTracker.
73. Yacktrack: Through Yacktrack, you can follow comments from a variety of sources all at once.
74. Filtrbox: Use Filtrbox to track your prospects, brand, competition, and investments on the social web and all over the Internet.
75. TweetBeep: TweetBeep is a reliable tool for getting alerted when someone tweets about your selected keywords.

Analytics & Information Gathering

Analyze and gather information with the help of these tools.

76. Adonomics: Use Adonomics to get analytics for the Facebook platform.
77. UGC Finder: Check out this tool to get information from citizen journalists.
78. SocialToo: Get daily updates on social media analytics, create surveys, and more through SocialToo.
79. Twitter Grader: Check out Twitter Grader to learn more about a Twitter user and discover related users as well.

Organization

Use these tools to get your social media research conveniently organized.

80. iLeonardo: iLeonardo is a social utility that can help connect people with notebooks of information.
81. PeopleBrowsr: PeopleBrowser will allow you to keep tabs on all of your most useful social networking sites at once.
82. ThinkFold: ThinkFold makes it easy to create outlines for sharing and collaboration online.
83. Netvibes: Netvibes is an excellent tool to use as an RSS social media monitoring dashboard.
84. Google Docs and Spreadsheets: Organize your documents and spreadsheets online, and keep them open for collaboration with Google Docs and Spreadsheets.
85. Bubbl.us: With Bubbl.us, you can get your thoughts organized online.
86. Zoho Notebook: Use Zoho Notebook to keep your research notes online in a handy place.
87. Zotero: Add Zotero on to Firefox, and you can collect, manage, and cite your research sources right in your web browser.
88. WebNotes: Using WebNotes, you’ll be able to highlight text, make sticky notes, and organize them all in folders.
89. Flowchart: Flowchart makes it easy to create organized charts for your notes and research information.
90. UberNote: UberNote’s tool lives where you do your research-in your browser, email, IM, mobile device, and more.
91. Backpack: Keep all of your research information together online using Backpack.
92. Google Notebook: Use Google Notebook to keep notes, clips, and more handy, with the option to access notes from your mobile device.
93. Connotea: With Connotea, you’ll be able to organize and share research information.
94. EverNote: Research and take notes both online and on the go with EverNote.
95. Google Reader: Make Google Reader your base for collecting research information from various RSS feeds.
96. Notecentric: Notecentric will allow you to organize your notes online and share them with others.
97. ClipMarks: With ClipMarks, you can save bits and pieces of any webpage, and even share them with others.
98. Remember the Milk: Remember the Milk is a great tool for project checklists and more.
99. openonmy: Use openonmy to store files up to 1GB online, so you can access them from anywhere.
100. iLighter: Highlight portions of a webpage and save them to your notebook with iLighter.

By Tiffany Davis

When you think of Facebook, it’s not likely you consider it a productivity tool. But the truth is that there are a variety of ways students can use Facebook for both learning and productivity, and a number of apps that can help you do so. Read on, and you’ll find some wonderful Facebook apps for productivity and learning.

Social Connections

Make connections with others who can help you through these apps.

1. FriendFeed: Use FriendFeed as a convenient and time saving way to keep up with all of your friends’ online activities.
2. Professional Profile: Use Professional Profile for business networking on Facebook.
3. SocialCalendar: Get your social life together and share it with your friends using this calendar.
4. CampusBuddy Courses: With CampusBuddy, you can connect with other students on your campus.

Documents & Sharing

Use Facebook for documents, and even share them with the help of these apps.

5. Zoho: Use Zoho in your Facebook profile, and you can use it to create and edit documents, spreadsheets, and more.
6. SplashCast: Share multimedia on Facebook through the Splashcast app.
7. Books iRead: With this app, you’ll be able to share the books you read and find out what others are reading as well.
8. Divshare: Divshare makes it easy to send and share files on Facebook.
9. Files: Use your Box.net account on Facebook with Files.
10. Last.fm: Use the Last.fm app to share your Last.fm stations with friends on Facebook.
11. Ma.gnolia: Ma.gnolia will allow you to save and share links to websites on Facebook.
12. Scrapblog: Using Scrapblog, you’ll be able to create multimedia slideshows from your Facebook photos and post them to your profile.
13. Notecentric: Take notes and share them with your classmates using Notecentric.
14. Webinaria Screencast Recorder: You’ll be able to record and share video using this app.
15. Documents: You can share, create, and collaboratively edit documents using the Documents app.
16. Visual Bookshelf: Visual Bookshelf will allow you to catalog your books on Facebook.
17. Mathematical Formulas: You can find and share mathematical formulas and solutions with this application.
18. Netflix: Stay on top of your Netflix queue and view others’ lists with this app for Facebook.
19. SlideShare: SlideShare offers an easy way to create and share presentations on Facebook.

Photos

Make working on and sharing your photos a snap with these Facebook apps.

20. Picnik: This application will let you edit photos within Facebook.
21. Picasa: Picasa makes it easy to upload, resize, and share images on Facebook.

Ratings & School Information

Use these apps to research your schools, professors, and more.

22. College Planner: Research colleges on Facebook with this app from Embark.
23. SkoolPool: SkoolPool highlights the best schools on Facebook.
24. Courses: Courses will help you organize your courses, find reviews, classmates, and more.
25. Pick-A-Prof: Pick-A-Prof makes it easy to get professor reviews, grade histories, and more.
26. Gradzilla: Find rankings, information, and more from US News and World Report on Gradzilla.
27. Course Profiles: Course Profiles will help you learn about courses available through The Open University.
28. Rate My Professors: Rate My Professors offers a great way to share your opinion of your educators, and learn about professors before you enroll in a class.

Information & Research

With these Facebook apps, you’ll be able to dig up lots of information.

29. JSTOR Search: JSTOR Search allows you to find full text research articles on Facebook.
30. MyRSS: You can share your RSS feed, and read your favorites on Facebook with this app.
31. Translations: Translate, review, and vote on translations on Facebook using this application.
32. DoResearch4me: Get an easy way to find information with this app on Facebook.
33. Quotes: Find interesting quotes, and have a place to keep them all with this app.
34. Dictionary.com Word of the Day: Learn a new word every day by using this application.
35. Zen Habits: Get the Zen Habits app on Facebook, and you can share posts from the blog on your profile.
36. Wikiseek Search: This app will help you find Wikipedia articles and other information through Facebook.
37. Heritage & Flags: You can learn about and share your heritage on Facebook through this app.
38. WorldCat: The WorldCat app will help you perform research and search your library’s collection from within Facebook.
39. Goodreads: Goodreads will help you organize your reading, discuss literature, and more.
40. Google Reader: Show your shared items to friends on Facebook with the Google Reader app.

Groups

Manage your study group, projects, and more with these apps.

41. MyOffice: With MyOffice, you’ll be able to easily work together in groups.
42. Study Groups: Study Groups makes collaborating on group projects a snap.
43. Polls: Take quick and easy polls among your group with this app.
44. CourseFeed: CourseFeed will help you keep everything together in your course, with class sharing, notifications, and more.
45. Blackboard Learn: This app offers updating from your courses and a great way to connect with classmates.
46. Get Stuff Done: Use Get Stuff Done to get organized and get things done with people in your network.

Organization

These Facebook apps will make your life and learning more organized.

47. 30 Boxes: Keep your calendar on Facebook for convenience and sharing with the 30 Boxes app.
48. MyLists: Create lists using this app, and you can share them on Facebook.
49. BookTag: You can loan books out and keep track of them easily with BookTag.
50. kwiry: Remember everything using kwiry for Facebook.
51. To-Do List: This application will help you stay on top of your to do list within Facebook.
52. fbCal: fbCal offers integration with a variety of different calendar applications outside of Facebook.
53. Books: Books will help you track your current reading list, rate books, and more.
54. GCal: Using the GCal app, you’ll be able to view your Google Calendar events in Facebook.
55. Notely: Notely will make it easy for you to organize your calendar, assignments, notes, and more on Facebook.
56. Upcoming.org: You’ll be able to stay on top of events with the Upcoming.org app.

Integration

These apps make Facebook play nicely with other tools that are great for learning and productivity.

57. Twitter: This app will automatically update your Facebook status from Twitter.
58. Digg: Use the Digg app to share your five most recent Diggs on Facebook.
59. del.icio.us: You can view and share your bookmarks on del.icio.us on Facebook as well by using this application.

Learning Sources

You can learn a lot from these Facebook apps, and even share knowledge, too.

60. Teach the People: Teach the People is an educational platform that uses Facebook.
61. Dojo Learning: Dojo Learning offers a great way to learn and create resources for learning on Facebook.
62. Learn: In this community app, you’ll find Addictive Learning.
63. Supercool School: You can learn whatever you want, whenever and how you want using Supercool School.
64. KnowledgeBook: KnowledgeBook allows you to find and share skills and knowledge on Facebook.
65. HeyMath!: Watch the mini-movies in the HeyMath! app to learn difficult math concepts.
66. Podclass: Podclass offers a course management system from within Facebook.
67. Big Brain Answers: Big Brain answers makes it easy for you to get answers to your questions, and even earn money for answering others’ questions.
68. Teach and Learn: Teach and Learn offers a 3D learning space on Facebook.
69. NutshellMail: NutshellMail will send you updates from Facebook on your schedule, so you don’t have to keep going back to check.

Language

Learn a new language through Facebook by using these apps.

70. What language should you learn?: Answer these questions to find out which language best suits you.
71. Learn Spanish: Get new conversational phrases in Spanish from this app.
72. Learn German: This app offers a German Sentence of the Day and more.
73. JapanesePod101: Make use of this app to learn Japanese.
74. Language Exchange: Find language partners to study with through this application.
75. Learn Russian Verbs: This app offers a new Russion verb to study every day.
76. Advanced Swedish Word of the Day: Get a new Swedish word every day from this Facebook app.
77. Learn a Spanish Word a Day: Improve your Spanish vocabulary with this daily word resource.
78. Learn French: Get French sentences, flash cards, and more from this Facebook app.
79. SpanishPod: This podcast on Facebook will help you learn Spanish.

Studying

These Facebook apps will make studying a snap.

80. Flashcards: This application will help you create flashcards for studying on Facebook.
81. Get Homework Help: Use this application to get connected with students and tutors for help with your homework.
82. Class Notes: You can find notes from your classes on Facebook with the help of this app.

Buying & Selling

You can save money by selling your books, finding deals, and more through these Facebook apps.

83. SwapRoll: Trading textbooks through SwapRoll will help you save money.
84. Upromise Deals: Stay up to date on the latest deals through Upromise with this app.

Games for Learning

Use these Facebook games to build your brain power.

85. There/Their/They’re Test: Find out if you’re using There/Their/They’re properly by taking this test.
86. Capitals of the USA: This game will help you find out how well you know the US Capitals.
87. Mind Games: Play Sudoku, Bejeweled and Concentration with this app.
88. Wordscraper: Play Wordscraper to boost your word skills.
89. What French philosopher are you?: This game will help you learn more about French philosophers.
90. US Citizen Test: This test will tell you if you could pass the US citizen test.
91. Fifth Grade Test: Are you smarter than a fifth grader? This test will tell you.
92. SCRABBLE: Here you’ll find the official Scrabble game for Facebook.
93. BrainBone: Get a smart new question every day with BrainBone.
94. Bubble Words: Play Bubble Words, and you’ll score points for quickly forming words.
95. Mahjong: Stretch your brain with this ancient Chinese game.
96. Endless Crossword: Get your fill of brain boosting crosswords from this application.
97. Fun Trivia: Learn fun facts about the world through Fun Trivia.
98. Geo Challenge: Put your geography knowledge to the test with Geo Challenge.
99. IQ Test: This application will help you find out just how high your IQ is.
100. What are they thinking?: Play this game to learn the fine art of reading faces.

Making the decision to attend grad school is an important one and one to be carefully considered. In the same way, preparing for the GRE to get into grad school will take plenty of forethought and preparation. The following resources will help you do just that and won’t cost you a penny. From sites that offer a wealth of GRE information to vocabulary builders to practice tests, you’ll find everything you need to prepare for the GRE and succeed on test day.

Information about the GRE

Get to know the GRE and what to expect so that you will not have any surprises when it comes time for test day.

1. Introduction to the GRE. Read the five parts of chapter one from GRE Prep Guide here for free.
2. The GRE Computer Interface. See screenshots of the computerized GRE and become familiar with how to use this test before the big day.
3. About the GRE. Learn what the GRE measures, and get information on format, pacing, guessing, and more.
4. How to Study for the GRE. This simple overview provides the basics emplaning what the GRE test is like and how best to prepare for taking it.
5. How to Ace the GRE. Follow the practical advice offered in this About.com article to do your very best on the GRE.
6. Tackle the GRE Verbal Section. Learn what parts make up the verbal section, how to prepare beforehand, and what to do during the test to maximize your score.
7. GRE Analytical Writing Section. Find out what the analytical writing section assesses and how it does so with this article.
8. GRE–Complete Information–Test Tips. Get the breakdown of the GRE as well as interesting facts about the GRE.
9. The GRE Scoring Scale Explained. This article does an excellent job of describing the scoring scale and helping you understand what your scores mean.
10. When to Take the GRE. Find out what this article suggests for timing your GRE test-taking.
11. Institution Codes. This listing of includes every school that accepts GRE scores and the codes necessary to get your scores to them.
12. What’s the Score?. This article discusses how important time management is to your score, looks at the scoring method of the GRE, and more.

GRE Study Sites

These sites all offer multiple resources for preparing for the GRE.

13. ETS.org GRE - Graduate Record Exams. Get an overview of the test, sign up for bulletins, find test dates and register, plus much more with this official GRE resource.
14. Peterson’s GRE Central. Find quizzes, word of the day, a practice test, tips, and more to help you prepare for the GRE.
15. Kaplan GRE Free Events. Among the free offerings from Kaplan, you can find a sample class, seminars, a GRE practice test, personal statement workshop, and more.
16. TestMagic The GRE. Map out a study plan, find helpful books, get online study help, and more here.
17. Yahoo! Education GRE Test Prep. You will find practice verbal and math questions as well as helpful articles here.
18. My GRE Tutor. A great site with plenty of resources, My GRE Tutor offers tutorials, practice tests, vocabulary builders, and study plans all designed around the GRE.
19. Online GRE Preparation. This blog provides GRE study resources, many of which are free.
20. majortests.com Prepare for the GRE. Find practice exercises and lots of tools to help with problem solving, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and more.
21. The Test Prep Center. Under the GRE section, you can find information about the GRE as well as about the different sections of the test. Sample questions are included.
22. Sparknotes Free GRE Test Prep. You can do everything at this site from register for the GRE, read an online copy of their study book, take both mini tests and sample tests, and connect with others on the message boards.
23. Happy Schools Blog GRE. Get study help with vocabulary, find out information about the GRE, learn what you can do if your GRE score is lower than you expected, and more at this site.

Vocabulary Tools

Many claim that knowing the appropriate vocabulary for the GRE can make a significant difference on your score, so take advantage of these resources to boost your vocabulary skills.

24. Number2.com. Get a word of the day, question of the day, vocabulary builder, and a free tutorial here.
25. Top 100 Words for GRE and TOEFL. This list includes 100 words to study as well as their definitions.
26. GRE Antonym Test. Improve your vocabulary by testing yourself on these 1208 antonyms.
27. GRE Vocabulary Builder. Download these wordlists as flashcards or printable lists to practice your vocabulary.
28. Wordhacker Free GRE Word List. With over 3200 commonly-used vocabulary words from past GRE tests, this site will surely help you expand your vocabulary.
29. GRE Test Vocabulary and SAT Test Vocabulary High Frequency Words. Study these words and their definitions to become familiar with many common vocabulary words from the GRE.
30. GRE Word List. Scroll through this huge list of vocabulary words and click on them to get definitions.
31. GRE_Vocab. Download this freeware to get a customizable word list specifically for studying GRE vocabulary.
32. Vocaboly. Take these vocabulary tests where you can select from 10, 20, or 40 questions and choose whether you find the definition or the word.
33. English-Test.net GRE Prep. Choose from the many vocabulary tests and exercises here to improve your vocabulary for the GRE.
34. Vocabulary Games. Take these 15 vocabulary quizzes, and don’t forget to check out their tips for improving your vocabulary.

Resources for Sharpening Skills

Strengthening specific skills such as logic, math, and test-taking can help improve your performance on the GRE, so spend some time with these resources to work on your specific area of need.

35. Sample Logic Game. This game is designed to practice analytical skills for the LSAT and GRE.
36. University of Oregon Academic Learning Services. Get links to several resources to help practice your study skills, writing, and reading.
37. Amby’s Work Site - Test Taking Skills. Scroll through all the resources here that can help you prepare for taking any sort of test, including the GRE.
38. Logic Puzzles. Practice doing these logic puzzles to sharpen your critical thinking skills.
39. gre math games software. Download these math games to help prepare you for the GRE. Some are free, but others are available for a fee.
40. VocabKing. Work your way from white belt to black belt as you gain vocabulary skills in this game.
41. GRE StudyStacks. Choose from the many GRE games, quizzes, and vocabulary builders to help prepare for all the elements of the GRE.
42. Virtual Math Lab. Texas A&M University provides online help for anyone needing math help, including those studying for the GRE.
43. GMAT and GRE Math. This blog offers answers to readers’ questions about GMAT and GRE Math.
44. Analytical Section: Analytical Reasoning. Practice with these sample questions to help sharpen your reasoning skills.

Practice Tests and Exercises

After all that studying, take some time to measure your progress and get accustomed to the format of the actual test with these practice exercises and tests.

45. GRE Practice General Test. This is a full-length paper test and also includes strategies, sample analytical writing topics, scored samples, and more.
46. Sample GRE CAT Download. Try this free sample from the GRE Math section that replicates the computerized version of the test.
47. Free Online Demo and Practice Test. The Princeton Review offers this free test to get familiar with the computerized GRE.
48. GRE Practice Test. Find 26 different practice tests at this site.
49. GRE Test Preparation Practice Exercises. Get exercises for vocabulary building, comparison tests in quantitative ability, and analytical writing prompts.
50. GRE Test Online Course. Take the practice questions provided here to test your knowledge in everything from analogies to algebra to writing.
51. EnglishMaster. Download the free version of this program to help you practice for the GRE.
52. GRE Timer. Time yourself with these sample questions to see how your pace stacks up.
53. GRE Quantitative Ability. Broken down by arithmetic and number theory, algebra, geometry, and data analysis, find out how well you are prepared with these 34 questions.
54. GRE Verbal Ability. Complete the four sets here to see how you are progressing in sentence completion, antonyms, analogies, and reading comprehension.
55. Analytical Writing. Get prompts to present your perspective and analyze an argument, then follow the tips to score yourself.
56. GRE Sample Verbal Test. Answer these 30 questions to practice sentence completion, reading comprehension, and analogy.
57. 4Tests.com Practice GRE. Take this free test that covers analytical, qualitative, and verbal questions.
58. Free Online GRE Test!. This site offers a verbal sample test with results provided in the same format as the actual GRE.

General Subject Test Resources

If you are preparing to take one of the subject tests in addition to the general test, then check out these resources for information and practice tests.

59. GRE Subject Tests Overview. Get the latest information on all the subject tests from the official site of the GRE.
60. GRE Subject Tests: An Overview. Take a look at the breakdown of each of the eight subject tests here.
61. GRE Subject Tests: Overview and Content Material for all 8 Exams. Read this comprehensive article to better understand the subject tests.
62. The GRE Subject Tests at a Glance. This overview of the subject tests explains what they are and helps you determine if you need to take one.
63. GRE Subject Tests. This site offers a detailed look at exactly what types of questions and how many will be offered on each of the subject tests.

Specific Subject Test Resources

Find help studying for your subject test from these resources, whether you are taking the Psychology, Literature in English, Physics, or one of the other subject tests.

64. GRE Subject Test in Psychology. This page offers information about what is on the GRE psychology subject test as well as some helpful advice for taking it.
65. Preparing for the Physics Subject GRE Test. OSU offers this resource, and while some of the information is specifically for students there, at the bottom of the page, you will find four physics sample tests.
66. Physics GRE Resources. Get tons of useful information about taking the physics subject test from this Harvard resource.
67. PhysicsGRE.com. Visit this forum for students studying for the physics subject test and graduate students in Physics as well.
68. Mathematics GRE - Math Subject Test Preparation Advice. PhysicsGRE.com has provided this information to help you prepare for your math subject test.
69. GRE-Subject-Tests.com. Join a forum for your specific subject test to learn from others.
70. Approach to Studying for the English Literature Graduates Records Exam. Visit this page for a wealth of information on taking the Literature in English subject test.
71. How to Prepare for the GRE Literature Subject Test. This article offers suggestions for specific materials to read in preparation for this test as well as other helpful information.
72. GRE Subject Biochemistry. This blog, while not being currently updated, provides plenty of helpful information from what to study to how to study for the biochemistry subject test.
73. How to Pass the GRE Chemistry Subject Test. Get the breakdown in percentages of what will be covered as well as suggestions for what to study in this article.
74. How to Pass the GRE Computer Science Subject Test. Learn what will likely be on this subject test, how to prepare, and more with this resource.

Strategies for Success

Follow these useful strategies offered by professionals and past test-takers to make the most of your GRE testing experience.

75. GRE Test Tips and Techniques. Learn test-taking strategies here with sections on the overall test as well as verbal, math, and analytical sections.
76. Test-Taking Strategies. Check out these Do’s and Don’ts to find out how best to take the GRE.
77. Useful GRE Preparation Resources. This blog post offers tips and a few resources for preparing for the GRE without enrolling at a fee-based test prep company.
78. GRE Test-Taking Tips and Techniques. Find tips that range from the practical to strategic on this list.
79. Quick Tips–GRE Quantitative Comparison. Get the edge on the quantitative ability section with these helpful strategies.
80. GRE Essay Section. This article offers solid tips and strategies for approaching the essay section of your GRE.
81. All About the GRE Essays. Not only can you get tips and strategies for writing the essays, you can also get practical advice on using the GRE word processor.
82. Suggested Approach to the GRE’s Analytical Writing Section. This advice from CliffsNotes provides clear suggestions to formulating and writing your essay.
83. Tips for GRE takers. Read the suggestions on this blog post from a recent GRE taker.
84. CBT GRE. Under GRE Details, you can find tips, suggestions, and strategies for each portion of the GRE.
85. GRE Analytical Writing Tips. Follow the suggestions here to help create well-thought-out and well-constructed essays.
86. 10 Steps to Earn a High GRE Score. From relaxing on test day to ample preparation beforehand, take this advice to ensure success.

Test Day Tips

You’ve worked hard to know as much as possible to excel on the GRE, so don’t let a few simple mistakes make you stumble on the actual test day. Follow these suggestions to give yourself the chance to show what you know.

87. Breakfast. Before heading out the door for your test, make sure you eat a healthy breakfast with plenty of protein.
88. Be comfortable. Wear comfortable clothing and consider dressing in layers in case the temperature at the testing site is too warm or cold.
89. Back up plan. Have a back up plan in place to cover any unexpected events such as car trouble or oversleeping. Set an extra alarm and put friends on notice for any help you might need in case of an emergency.
90. Arrive early. There is nothing worse than getting lost and realizing you are running late for your test. Avoid this scenario by arriving early to your testing site.
91. Bring ID. Remember to have your ID with you and be prepared for other forms of identification which may include thumbprinting or videotaping.
92. Breathe. If you start feeling overwhelmed or panicky, take several deep breaths and let them out slowly. Slow down your thinking and refocus in order to stay calm and on track.
93. Read carefully. Read through each question carefully. If the question seems confusing, trying to re-word the question in a different manner may bring clarity.
94. Answer before looking at options. See if you know the answer to the question before you look at the options given. You may find your answer more easily this way.
95. Take advantage of your breaks. There is an optional ten-minute break after the analytical writing section of the general test. Take advantage of this time to stand up, stretch, and get your blood flowing. There are also one-minute breaks after each additional section. Stretch your arms and hands, take some deep breaths, and relax your eyes for a moment before starting up again.
96. Celebrate. After the test is finished, do something special for yourself. Indulge in a professional massage, go to dinner at your favorite restaurant, or just kick back with some movies knowing you don’t have to worry about studying.

Resources for Graduate School Preparation

All that studying for the GRE is just the beginning. Find out what you need to do to prepare yourself for graduate school after you complete the GRE.

97. Testing the Water: Are You Ready for Graduate School?. This article provides important points to consider before deciding if graduate school is for you right now.
98. GradSchools.com Get Informed. The resources on this site range from what you should do before applying to grad school to the grad school road map.
99. Is Graduate School for You?. Ball State University offers several informative articles to help you choose the best time for grad school and to understand what you need to do to make it happen.
100. Make Your Target Graduate Program a Reality. From evaluating graduate programs to submitting applications to financial aid, you’ll find plenty of information on making grad school work for you with these resources.

These days, it’s hard to get motivated enough for anything. The economy is down, your savings–if you had any to start with–have probably dwindled, and it’s still easy to get depressed about the housing market, the environment, foreign policy, and even the possibility of sending your kids to college. But that’s exactly why we need inspiration and mood boosters at any cost. Luckily for you, these are free.

Environment

Get inspired to help the environment and tune in to your own lifestyle habits.

1. NPR: Environment Podcast: Get reports on environmental news from Morning Edition, All Things Considered and more.
2. The Environment Show: Learn about environmental issues like emissions trading and climate change from this collection of Australian environmental talks.
3. Nature’s Voice: The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds delivers these talks about the Sumatran rainforest, bird migration, birds of prey, and more.
4. Nature Stories: Listen to talks about the environment and nature. This collection is sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and the Public Radio Exchange.
5. the H2O podcast: Learn about vegan-vegetarian options for creating a sustainable environment here.
6. Earth and Sky Radio Show: Learn about all areas of sustainability and science, particularly Earth and environmental science, here.
7. Sustainable Living Program, Environment 185: This UCLA lecture series is all about sustainable living.
8. Animal activist Joanna Lumley on giraffe conservation project: This talk from BBC Wildife explains the giraffe conservation effort.
9. Global Climate Change: This Carnegie Mellon panel aims to come up with solutions for global climate change.
10. How to Compost: Learn Organic Garden Composting Online: Learn the basics of DIY composting here.

Health

Get tips for finding affordable health care and taking care of your health after listening to these talks.

11. Kinsey Confidential: Listen to professionals answer sex-related health questions.
12. MD Anderson: Listen to talks and lectures from the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
13. The World’s Global Health Podcast: This archive of global health talks focuses on public health.
14. Autism and Asperger Syndrome: Learn more about these conditions from an academic, scientific point of view.
15. On Health: Tune in to this NPR podcast for the latest consumer medical news.
16. Health and Wellness Among Older Adults: Challenges and Strategies: Get tips for healthy living as you age.
17. Sleep and Dreams: Better understand your brain’s ability and tendency to dream.
18. Strength and Conditioning: This series of talks shares tips for better running workouts and conditioning practices.
19. Live Yoga Class with Alanna Kaivalya: Listen to this 90-minute class to learn yoga poses like the wheel pose.
20. Cleveland Clinic Podcasts: Get podcasts and talks from doctors at the Cleveland Clinic, on healthy eating, ADHD, Parkinsons, and more.

Arts and Culture

Become a more educated individual by learning about art, classical music and design.

21. KCRW’s Design and Architecture: Understand how design and architecture "shape our world," not just our spaces.
22. How to play piano: The basics, Piano Lesson #1: This talk will help you learn the basics of piano.
23. Classical 90.5 Theme and Variations Podcast: Learn about classical music and classical musicians on this podcast.
24. Painting Lessons: Learn how to paint after watching these talks.
25. Western Movies: Myth, Ideology and Genre: Consider western movies on a deeper level by studying films like The Wild Bunch and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
26. In Character: This podcast explores fictional characters in American literature and pop culture.
27. Art 020: Introduction to Drawing: Practice drawing basics here.
28. Introduction to Theatre and Drama Arts: Talks in this series cover musical theatre, structure, the audience, and more.
29. Art and Love in Renaissance Italy: Consider the imagery of love in Italian Renaissance art.
30. Screenwriting and Script Breakdown: Get tips on screenwriting here.

Business and Vocation

These talks are filled with practical tips as well as support and advice for succeeding in school or work.

31. Secrets of the Job Hunt: Get support and encouragement, plus practical networking tips, here.
32. Business Story of the Day: Get inspired and become informed by listening to the top business story of the day.
33. 3D Modeling and Animation: Learn techniques for web animation and 3D modeling here.
34. CareerStrides Podcast: Archives from this podcast include "Job Interview Lessons" and "What is your greatest weakness."
35. How to Deal with a Difficult Boss: Find realistic advice for building a healthy professional relationship with your boss.
36. Entrepreneurs-Journey: Listen to inspiring talks about entrepreneurship and successful small businesses.
37. Career Development: Listen to these talks to learn about careers in law and philanthropy. You’ll also find tips for negotiation.
38. Principal Leadership: Resources from the Center: Get coached on basic leadership skills when you listen to this series.
39. Writing: Whether you aim to be a professional writer or better communicator, listen to these talks for tips.
40. Graphic Design: Learn the basics of Dreamweaver and PHP here.
41. Confronting the Insurmountable Opportunities of Online Education: After listening to this lecture series, you may be swayed to go back to school.
42. The Challenges and Opportunities Facing Business and Society Today: Get ahead of the competition by understanding the elements that affect your business, but on a grander scale.
43. Green Rush: Eco-Business: Learn how eco-businesses are blossoming these days.
44. Business Talks: Lou Dobbs, Jack and Suzy Welch, Edgar Bronfman, and Bruce Wasserstein explain how they became so successful.
45. Insuring the Future in a Changing World: Learn about sustainability efforts for the future.
46. Lessons Learned as an Entrepreneur: Get advice from someone who’s already been there.
47. Entrepreneurs and Business Development: Get real-life tips on how to expand your own business.
48. Ethics and Corporate Responsibility: Really consider the importance of ethical standards in the business world.
49. Modern Grad Guide to Interviews: Find out what to wear to an interview.
50. Career Planning: Listen to these talks to find out what it’s like to work in advertising, product design, and the technology industry.

Relationships and Society

Nurture healthier relationships with your family, friends, co-workers, and community after getting inspired by these talks.

51. Spirituality of Parenting: Better understand your role as a parent.
52. Ripples of Genocide: Journey Through Eastern Congo: Angelina Jolie and John Pendergast of the International Crisis Group narrate this series about genocide in Eastern Congo.
53. Social Exchange: Romantic Economics: This MIT lecture may help you understand the basics of romantic relationships.
54. Conflict Resolution: These talks will help you become a better manager and communicator.
55. Slice of Life: Listen to personal essays from everyday people.
56. Community and Culture: Understand how different people react to events, both as individuals and as a community.
57. Ethnic Relations in the U.S.: Consider minority history, race relations, and more in U.S. culture.
58. Muslim Voices: Get a feel for the different cultures and viewpoints of the Muslim world.
59. It’s REAL! Racism, Discrimination, Color Blindness, and the Future of Racial Stratification in America: Tackle the issue of racism head-on after listening to this talk.
60. Latin Pulse/Pulso Latino: Consider political, social and economic issues in Latin America and the Latino American communities.
61. Roots of Humanity and Civilization: Understand the factors that determine new cultures and communities.
62. New America Now Radio: This collection of talks features minority Americans discussing current issues and events.
63. The World is Flat 3.0: This lecturer argues that the world is starting to flatten, due to "digital interconnectivity."
64. Civil Rights and Liberties: Here you will learn about the advent of the civil rights movements in American history, and why civil liberties protection is important today.
65. The Changing World: These four talks focus on completely different topics: Latin America, Zambia, Second Life, and tax havens, but they all explore society’s evolving nature.

Finance and Wealth

Learn how to be more responsible and efficient with your money.

66. Real Life Real Estate Investing: Get tips for investing and managing real estate.
67. Financial Management: These talks explain the basics of financial management.
68. Retirement and Investing: Feel better about how you’ll spend your life savings by listening to these tracks.
69. Homeowning: Learn homeowning terms and find out what owning a home can do for your financial status.
70. Bankrupt: Maxed Out in America: This series considers bankruptcy from a practical financial standpoint and from a social aspect.
71. Understanding the Financial Crisis: Try to consider the financial crisis from a legal viewpoint.

Personal Development

From learning how to study better to learning about real estate law, these lectures and talks can help you learn new, valuable life skills.

72. Who Are You? The Psychology of the Self: This lecture comes from MIT’s Introduction to Psychology curriculum.
73. Dynamics of Leadership: Find out how you can become a more effective leader.
74. Family Literacy Initiative: Here you will learn how to help children with learning disabilities, reading trouble and math trouble.
75. Study Smarter: Here you will get tips on better essay writing, note taking and more.
76. Detox Your Domicile: Get inspired to turn your house into a more environmentally safe and healthy home.
77. Learning to Change: Get inspired to make a life changing decision, like going back to school or starting your own business.
78. MindSpaces: Learn how to free your mind of anxious thoughts in order to be more productive.
79. True to Yourself: Leading a Life of Service and Fulfillment: Find out how to live a more meaningful life.
80. Living in a Global World: Get ideas for adapting your lifestyle–professionally and as a consumer–to the global shift.
81. Focus on Flowers: Focus on Flowers features lessons on gardening.
82. From the Bookshelf: Become more educated on books, culture and current events when you listen to these talks.
83. Drinking Matters: This series actually studies the effect of public houses and public congregation on mass communication and community.
84. Famous Americans: Besides getting a lesson in American history, you’ll also learn about the country’s earliest success stories.
85. Property Law: Study the basics of property law to protect yourself when signing contracts and standing up for your rights.
86. Social Activism: Learn about privacy and more.
87. Exploring Psychology: Become more insightful after listening to these talks on creative thinking, imagination, and influence.
88. Current Events: Brush up on the stories that determine future policies in 2009.

Religion and Spirituality

Find hope and spiritual fulfillment by exploring religion and philosophy while listening to these talks.

89. Religion and Family: This series tackles issues like divorce and adolescence, which can affect the way family members react to one another and accept religion.
90. Learning/Faith in English Studies: Consider English literature and poetry as a vehicle for exploring faith.
91. God and Caesar in America: Analyze how politics and religion intersect in the U.S.
92. Christian Doctrine: Find out what principles make up Christian doctrine.
93. Introduction to Philosophy: This lecture series considers consciousness, reality, the organization of human communities, and more.
94. The Church and the World: Here you’ll learn about secularization and other social and political issues regarding Christianity.
95. Intro to Theology: Study Christian theology, including church history, here.
96. Islam: Get an introduction to Islam: the religion and culture.
97. Living Buddhism: This series analyzes Buddhism in the Western world, and how it is applied to public life.
98. Gay Marriage and Divided Church: Listen to these talks to better understand the issues that the Christian church takes with homosexuality and gay marriage.
99. Diplomacy and Religion in the 21st Century: Here you’ll learn about religious extremism, the efforts of traditional diplomacy, and the Muslim world.
100. When Law and Religion Meet: Consider your own views and values when you listen to these talks on the death penalty and other issues.