Blog Awards

Once a month in our Stevie® Awards Update email newsletter we like bring your attention to several best websites, apps, and blogs that we think will help to make your work day a bit more productive and enjoyable.  Here are this month's recommendations:

1. Bento                   
   A flexible organizational app that can get your business or your everyday life in order courtesy of 25 ready-to-use database templates. Bento is available for $4.99 on the iPhone, the iPod touch, and the iPad. 
2. Turtle or Soup                  
   An International Business Awards Gold Stevie Award-winning mobile video game app for marketing pros, created by The Borenstein Group. Turtle or Soup is available on the iPhone, the iPad, and the Android. You can also find it Online.
3. Voices.com                        
   An IBA Gold Stevie Award-winning online marketplace for voice-over talent and voice-over jobs.
4. Wajam               
   Another IBA Gold Stevie Award winner, Wajam gives you search results based on what your friends share, on top of your normal search results, all for free. Wajam is TRUSTe and VeriSign certified.

Know of other great apps, blogs, or websites? Nominate them for one of our blog awards, website awards, or app awards. The 2013 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., will begin accepting entries later this month. (Join the mailing list for the 2013 ABAs - you'll receive the entry kit when entries open.)

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer business awards; we also like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting and enjoyable. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:

1. Datasift           
   DataSift creates filters to deliver the Tweets you need from Twitter's Firehose on keywords, location, sentiment, influence, and other meta-data attached to each Tweet.
2. Gnip                     
   Gnip delivers a variety of volume and coverage products to meet customer's needs for raw Twitter data.
3. Pearl.com           
   Pearl.com, a winner in The 2012 International Business Awards, provides a one-on-one online conversation with a verified professional to get the information you need. Save time and money on doctor’s visits, trips to the mechanic, tech support, and more.
4. PolitiFact                             
   Baffled by all those random statistics thrown out by US politicians during the run-up to the elections in November?  This Pulitzer Prize-winning set will help to clear the air.
5. FactCheck.org                  
   Another useful site for those baffled by political bombast, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center.

Have a favorite app, blog, or website? Nominate it for one of our app awards, blog awards, or website awardsin the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. (The final entry deadline for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, is September 28. Request your entry kit today.)

Once a month we like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites in our Stevie® Awards Update Email Newsletter to help make your day a bit more productive. Here are this month's "Apps, Websites and Blogs of Note:"    

1. AT&T Translator               
   AT&T Translator--a Stevie Award Finalist in The 2012 American Business Awards--provides real-time, accurate translations of the spoken or written language in English, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, French, German and Italian. AT&T Translator is an iOS and Android-based free app.
   
   
2. SlideShark          
   SlideShark is a free app used to view and share PowerPoint presentations on an iPad. Users can play PowerPoints properly with animations, fonts, colors and graphics intact. Simply upload a PPT file to a secure online account, where it’s automatically converted and then downloaded to the iPad for viewing.
   
   
3. AutoMD Mobile            
   AutoMD Mobile provides fair auto repair information that can help car owners save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on repairs--anywhere, anytime. This free app is available on the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad.
   
   
4. SugarSync                          
   SugarSync puts data from ALL computers right at your fingertips ... from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. With SugarSync, you get cloud backup that you can use to sync files, share folders, and access your data directly from your device, all for free.
   
   
5. Adobe EchoSign
   The Adobe EchoSign mobile application for iOS allows users to securely sign electronic documents directly on their iOS devices--reducing the electronic signatures process from days and months to just minutes. You can download this app on the iPhone and iPad for free.

Have a favorite app, blog, or website? Nominate it for one of our app awards, blog awards, or website awards in the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. (The entry deadline for the 2012 Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's premier business awards for women executives, entrepreneurs, and the organizations they run, is August 29. Request your entry kit here.)

Once a month we like to highlight blogs, apps, and websites in our Stevie® Awards Update Email Newsletter to help make your day a bit more enjoyable. Here are this month's "Apps, Websites and Blogs of Note:"                         

1. GateGuru                           
   GateGuru is an app that transforms any airport environment into a more satisfying experience before and after flights, or during layovers, by locating the best food, shopping, and service options. Available for iPhone, Android, FREE.
2. Todo
   Todo® Task Manager is a powerful set of tools that makes task management simple and fun. Use Todoon your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to keep tasks synchronized using Todo Online, a cloud sync service for tasks, or access tasks on your desktop in iCal or Outlook. $2.99.
3. Urbanspoon                      
   All The News That's Fit to Eat, blog and website Urbanspoon describes itself as the world's leading provider of time-critical dining data, and a player in the multi-billion dollar restaurant information industry.
4. OmniGraffle
   With OmniGraffle, an iPad touch screen becomes a canvas, graph paper, whiteboard, or beer mat, allowing users to draw shapes, drag in objects, and style using simple multi-touch gestures. The finished creations can be shared via PDF export, or opened in OmniGraffle for Mac. $34.99.

Have a favorite app, blog or website? Nominate it in The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition. (The extended final entry deadline is 18 July, request your entry kit here.)

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer blog awards, website awards, and app awards; we also like to highlight apps, blogs, and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting and enjoyable. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:

• The Audacity of Despair                               
  The blog of David Simon, creator of TV series "The Wire."
• ScoutMob          
  ScoutMob puts the power of local discovery in the palm of your hand.  A free app available for iPhone, Android & Blackberry.
• Smashing Magazine                       
  An online magazine for professional Web designers and developers, with a focus on useful techniques, best practices, and more.
• Word Lens                         
  Translate foreign signs from your iPhone.  Coming soon to other platforms.

Have a favorite app, blog or website? Nominate it for a Stevie!  The 2012 International Business Awards, the world's premier business awards competition, are now accepting entries. (The final entry deadline is 27 June, request your entry kit here.)

The Stevie® Awards don't just confer blog awards, website awards, and app awards; we also like to highlight blogs and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting and enjoyable. Here are this month's "Apps, Websites, and Blogs of Note:"

• Buzzword Bingo            
  Take one of this site's bingo cards with you to your next meeting.  Five in a row wins!
• Grumpy Old Accountants                            
  Blog on corporate finance from two college professors.
• GlobalPost                         
  This Boston-based international news website recently won a Peabody Award for its "On Location " videos.
• The Cool Hunter                              
  A global hub for culture and design since 2004.

Have a favorite blog or website? Nominate it for a blog award. Wednesday, April 25, is the final entry deadline for The 2012 (10th Annual) American Business Awards, the top business awards competition in the U.S.A. If you haven't yet received your 2012 entry kit, you can download it online here and you will receive it right away. 

The entry deadline for The 2012 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., is tomorrow, Wednesday, March 28. You can request your entry kit here and you'll receive it right away.

Here are four tips to help you make the most out of your blog awards entries:

1. Review all of the blog award and website awards categories.
   We have dozens of awards to highlight your favorite blogs and best websites.
   
2. Download our 10 Tips for Winning Web Awards in the Stevie® Awards tipsheet.
   Our tipsheet will provide useful tips and tools for submitting winning entries.
   
3. Use the 2011 Stevie-winning entries as models.
   We post all Stevie-winning entries as examples to help you get inspired on your submissions. We recommend that you emulate their style, tone, and structure.  Click here to go to the list of 2011 Stevie winners and Finalists.
   
4. Submit entries in one of our other communication awards categories.
   In addition to our web site awards, we have several other award categories that may be of interest to communications professionals including app awards, video awards, corporate literature awards, annual report awards and live event awards.

Don't panic if you're not going to make the March 28 deadline; entries can still be submitted through the final deadline of April 25 with a late fee of $35.00.

Once a month we like to highlight websites, apps, and blogs in our  Stevie® Awards Update Email Newsletter to help make your day a bit more interesting and enjoyable. Here are this month's "Apps, Websites and Blogs of Note:"

• Image App Store                             
  A store that enables app users to interact directly with images, from Luminate.
• brainpickings                     
  A site that styles itself as "a modest, curiosity-driven exercise in vision- and mind-expansion."
• ImageThief                        
  A blog on life and business in China from Will Moss, Director of Communications Asia-Pacific, Motorola Mobility.
• Quora                  
  An information network that delivers answers and content from people and professionals who share interests or have first-hand knowledge of a topic.

Know of other great websites, apps, or blogs? Nominate them for one of our blog awards, website awards, or app awards. The 2012 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A., are now accepting entries. (The entry deadline for the corporate awards program is March 28, download your entry kit here.)

The Stevie Awards don't just confer blog awards, website awards, and app awards; we also like to highlight blogs and websites once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter that we think will help make your work day more interesting. Our latest "Blogs & Web Sites of Note" include:

• Brazen Careerist              
  Advice at the intersection of work and life from entrepreneur and career guidance counselor Penelope Trunk.
• Drew's Marketing Minute                           
  How to create a happy customer, from marketing agency veteran Drew McLellan.
• Gist                       
  Gist brings your contacts into one place, allowing you a full view of your network and making it easy to find anyone, anytime.  They even offer FREE Blackberry Smartphones.
• MyLeadResponder                        
  MyLeadResponder makes it fast and easy to close more leads quickly by combining the flexibility of email with the immediacy of a phone call. MyLeadResponder even gives you instant, organized lead response that you can access anywhere. From $49.95 per month.

Have a favorite blog? Nominate it for a blog award! The 2012 American Business Awards, the premier business awards program in the U.S.A. are now accepting entries. (The entry deadline for the business awards program is March 28, you can download your entry kit here.)

The Stevie Awards don't just confer blog awards, web site awards, and such.  We also like to point you to notable blogs and sites that we think might be of interest to you.  Once a month in our Stevie Awards Update email newsletter we summarize "Blogs & Web Sites of Note," and here's what we offered in our January 6 edition.

StickK.com: The website designed to help you stick to your New Year's Resolutions …
Yahoo's Worst Videos of All Time: An enjoyable way to waste half-an-hour boggling at the excesses and self-indulgence of the pop video industry's top turkeys.
LeaderBlog: The blog of LeadershipNow listing the top leadership books of 2010.
My Three Cents: PR guru Ken Makovsky's favorite new words of the year.