Zeus of the ‘NetReviews of the Coolest Sites on the Net

Similar to Flipboard in terms of aesthetics, Zite is different in that content is compiled using automated algorithms that find & deliver articles that have “buzz” (i.e. pieces of content that are being discussed on websites, blogs, and social media).  According to their website Zite “is a free, personalized iPad magazine that understands what you like and gets smarter every time you use it.”

Since content isn’t chosen by a person on Zite, personalization plays an important role.  This means that when a user engages with a piece of content, shares it on Twitter, and/or (most importantly) when they give it a “thumbs up”, that user will be more likely to see similar content in the future.  On the flip side, when they don’t engage with certain pieces of content or when they give content a “thumbs down” they will begin to see less and less of that type of content in the future.  This personalization based on user interaction is what differentiates Zite from all of the other news reader apps (very similar to what Pandora does in the music space).

So if you’ve got an iPad, I’d recommend downloading Zite to test out for yourself.  And as always, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

*Update* Yesterday (12/9) Zite released their new app for the iPhone. After downloading it I definitely recommend checking it out if you’re an iPhone owner!

This is actually the first time I’ve done a post on an app (although it can also be played on Facebook) and not a website.  With the explosion of smart phones and Internet capable mobile devices, I thought it was time that I started sharing cool, interesting, and/or fun apps that I come across as well.  I’ve always been a big trivia buff myself (Trivial Pursuit is hands down one of my favorite games) and so one day I decided to see if there were any good, and free, trivia apps out there (for the iPhone).  Out of the dozens and dozens, one in particular called QRANK stood out.

The graphics and interface are easily the best I’ve seen from a free app but what put it over the top was the original idea of the game itself (format, etc.) and then of course the questions too.  Now let me talk about the questions for a minute.  I would say this app is geared towards someone who is into trivia games and considers themselve a trivia buff.  I say that because most of the questions are on the medium to difficult side.  That being said though, I think the ‘Play Live’ feature makes it enjoyable for all audiences.

All around this has been the best (graphics, content, interface, & ease of use) free app I’ve come across.  If you have an iPhone and like trivia, I highly recommend downloading this app!