Keep this blog post short and sweet since we all have much better things to do than read this blog.

Top 10 Movies of 2011

22 movies made my shortlist for the top 10. Not much movement happened, but had to reconsider the order after watching Moneyball last night for the first time.

1. Drive
2. Attack The Block
3. 50/50
4. Win Win
5. Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 2
6. Moneyball
7. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
8. The Ides of March
9. Crazy, Stupid Love
10. Rise of The Planet of The Apes

Some observations: Hey Girl....yeah, the Gos shows up an amazing 3 times in my top picks. Drive was hands-down my favourite film, while Ides of March beat out CSL for next best Gos film.

Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

In no order of excitedness:

• Project X
• 21 Jump Street
• The Hunger Games
• American Reunion
• Five Year Engagement
• The Avengers
• Men in Black III
• Snow White and The Huntsman
• Mirror Mirror
• Prometheus
• Brave
• GI Joe Retaliation
• Amazing Spiderman
• The Dark Knight Rises
• Neighbourhood Watch
• Bourne Legacy
• The Expendables 2
• Argo
• Looper
• Skyfall
• Gravity
• The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• World War Z
• Django Unchained
• Great Gatsby

2011 was the year that mobile finally shook off its laptop and desktop big brothers and carved a name for itself in the minds of consumers. Android pushed out its Ice Cream Sandwich platform which gave its first unified platform among its various new devices; iOS continued to gain market share and steam with improvements to iOS 5.0, and Windows Phone 7 is starting to gain major headway with developers and consumers. RIM...well...we all know how bad its going for them.

Below are my picks for top mobile apps. How did I come to judge the merits of these apps? I used them all the time and they are pretty much the reason why I can't move from iOS to any other platform. It's totally subjective, but I can't judge the app ecosystem any other way.

In no particular order:

Evernote (iOS, Windows Phone, Android, PC/Mac, Web)

Evernote has become my daily brain dump of all things. Its perfect for storing meeting notes, grocery lists, potential purchases, among many other things. I have notebooks for pretty much everything, and tags coming out of the wah-zoo. I even bought a small Doxie scanner that works amazingly well at scanning in receipts and important old-school paper docs so that I always have access to them. I should also mention that it can scan the text in documents and make them searchable terms.

Mint (iOS, Android, Web)

I was an early early adopter of Mint (I have a US account with CDN finances, so my recommendations tend to not apply), but I wont change it because of the crazy budgets I have set up. Mint tracks my progress towards financial goals, but also allows me to categorize my purchases into pre-set or custom categories. Highly recommended for those who need help sorting out their money.

Due (iOS)

If I had to rank all my apps in category of keeping me out of trouble with friends and family, Due is #1. It's premise is simple: Enter what you need to know, a time you need to be reminded, and that's it! Due bugs you every minute until you check off that you have done it. Integration with Dropbox is included so I have a constant backup of my tasks.

WhatsApp (iOS, Blackberry, Android)

Some history: My buddies and I always had an issue with getting 8 people on the same page for weekend plans. People heard different things from different people, and no one could come up with a group plan. Hello WhatsApp and group chat. We quickly solved that one issue, but so far it has snowballed into something much more. Constant group chat is basically Twitter on steroids. We talk about EVERYTHING all day. It gets out of hand, but also provides an afternoon pick me up.

Social Apps (Too many to name, but use em all)

I use all of these apps all the time (as you know, I tend to be pro social network), so i'll just list them out:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Tweetbot ($0.99 but the best Twitter app out there)
• Foursquare
• Google+
• Facebook Messenger
• Oink (needs more people in Toronto to provide true social recommendations on items)
• Flipboard

ScoreMobile (iOS)

The Score's recent update has made this the best sports app on the App Store hands down. Intuitive and beautiful interface, more precise push notifications, and fantasy player and team updates. Let's me follow all the Toronto sports teams without being intrusive.

So this is my top app list. What apps can you not live without?

Next Post: Best Movies of 2011 

Following up last years post, here are the 2012 New Years Resolutions. But first, let's take a look back on the progress made last year:

1. Learn how to snowboard
2. Learn how to play the guitar
3. Learn how to cook healthy meals
4. Run a 10K race
5. Add yoga into my workout routine
6. Attend a social media/mobile marketing conference
7. Travel to Europe
8. Travel to San Francisco.

For the past couple years, I always wanted to learn how to snowboard. Finally decided to just put the cash out on a board and lessons. Was always a skiier, but snowboarding is an entirely different (and painful) beast. But I love the pain, and am addicted to it.

Europe came totally out of the blue for me as I was not expecting to go with my parents at all. It really was a life-changing experience and I can't wait to go back.

2012 Resolutions

• Travel to San Fran
• Develop a website
• Develop a mobile app
• Learn how to play the guitar
• Learn how to surf

Lofty goals as a) where the heck do you learn how to surf in Toronto b) Just learning how to develop a website so....there will be some difficulty there.

If anyone has any tips or tricks, let me know!

Today I was invited into Google Schemer beta, so I had the opportunity to try out Google's attempt at providing tips and to-do's. In a nutshell, it is a way to see what other people are doing, and add it to your "Schemes".

The way this service works is that users create things they want to do. It can pretty much be anything that you want. You want to learn how to play the guitar? Add a Scheme. You want to be a part of a flash mob? There's a Scheme for that. Looking for six-pack abs? Check it off. You select the "+" button to add it to your list. When you complete that Scheme you select the checkmark beside it, and it gets logged on your completed list. A key feature is people leaving comments on the Schemes. For the most part user's leave words of encouragement, and tips on how to complete them.

You can filter by customized location (Home, Work, etc.), and can filter by type (by land and sea, do it yourself, feel better, kid friendly, etc.). As well, all schemes are tagged with any sort of information you want, and there are sponsored Scheme Lists by National Geographic, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly and IGN. Some of these Schemes are niche and interesting and hilarious to do. Entertainment Weekly has Schemes such as:

• See Will Ferrel get serious for once
• Watch Modern Family on ABC
• Watch actor's who have co-starred...with themselves

My thoughts on this? I absolutely love this...and have become slightly addicted to adding things to my list. I've added Schemes such as:

• Read Game of Thrones
• Watch Mission Impossible (sponsored by Entertainment Weekly)
• Blog regularly
• Learn C++

As mentioned before, just the feature of seeing comments and how people are completing schemes is genius. Easy to use, simple quirky design and tight Google+ integration makes this a winner. The real test is to see how often I come back to checking new Schemes, completing schemes and contributing to the community. I'd love to see a mobile app that allows me to search for Schemes around my current location, notify me when I'm near a scheme I can complete, and upload photos or videos.

I have 20 invites to give away, so feel free to add me on Twitter: @jordansaxe, @reply me for an invite, or message me on Facebook, or Google+.

What once was supposed to be a blog has now manifested itself into a full blown social site I am trying to work on. If you want to follow the updates for this, follow either myself on Twitter (link should be on the right), or follow this brand spanking new Twitter handle specifically for it http://www.twitter.com/blrrbs. You can pretty much expect to just hear about design, and development updates.

Yeah, I know....I need someone to help make a logo...

If you are/you know anyone who can help out with some design help/consultation/smacking the backside of my head that would be awesome. Also if your nimble fingers can code with skilled expertise, please reach out to me on Twitter.

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I have acquired about 3 domains in the past couple days for various things. One domain is for a future un-named project that has been floating around my head that brings together mobile and social. Another domain is for a product that I am currently attempting to work on around time management and productivity that I hope to be able to share with all of you sometime soon. And lastly, the newest domain acquried is for another side-project which I am happy to share with you now. 

I have decided to split my current blog in two. This will be my personal blog featuring articles that are sometimes random, with observations, and generally stuff that I wish to share on social sites, but need some extra typing real-estate to get my message across. This new blog (that might turn into a product) is focused around short "blrrbs" (pronounced blurbs) related to mobile applications, social media sites, news about the two, and opinions on all things mobile and social. If you know/work with me, you know I can't stop talking about anything related to mobile and social media. I love it, and it fascinates me to no end.

The site is not up right now (working out some kinks) but should hopefully be up within a couple days. Hope there are some people out there who care about what I talk about, and if not, please don't let me know that no one is listening.

Age doesn't matter now in 2011 when it comes to your professional life. And if it is happening to you right now, it shouldn't be.

I was recently in a conversation with a friend who told me my career ambitions were too high for someone with my age and experience. I was told that I don't know enough to build out my idea, and don't know what it takes.

We are not too young to do anything we want. Just ask Mark Zuckerberg, Biz Stone, and Chad Hurley. Our generation is not content in playing with the status quo. We want to challenge the status quo, build, and break down things until we can put them back together how we see fit.

We are not afraid. Outcomes in our professional life really go in two ways. We do it right, learn and get rewarded. This is what companies expect us to do. In the rare occasion, we fuck up and learn from our mistakes so that it doesn't happen again. We get better either way. And if they fire you...well, it must not have been that great of a company to work for in the first place if they treat you this way.

We are loyal if you are loyal. If companies trust us, and will help us not matter what, we return the favour. If you help us get to where we want to go, we will stay. If you show us that the investment in us is worth it, we will hustle for you. We may be young, but show us respect.

We have more ambition than we know what to do with it. Look around and find the average age of the founders of the products that you use 24/7. I'd make a strong bet that they are at least 35 and under, if not younger. We want to be challenged, and we are not afraid to move on to find that challenge. Dare us. Throw us in the fire, and see if we come out unscathed. We learn by doing, not by watching. Ask us our opinion, and we'll show you what we know.

Don't ask what where we see ourselves in 5 years. Ask us where we want to be next year, and put us in the position to get there.

This post has been on my mind for quite some time. If you follow me on Twitter (and decide to pay attention to what I talk about for some reason), then you know I have been subtly hinting about going back and forth on whether to make a certain post. Well, I finally decided to put fingers on the keys, and type this bad boy out. Grammar be damned if this makes any sense to you.

This past year has without a doubt been the most challenging and life-changing year I have ever had. I'd like to take some time and reminisce about the year that was, and maybe shed some light on the year that will be.

The Year That Was

The biggest change has been my move out of the safe, suburban confines of Thornhill, and into the urban jungle that is Toronto. I had the opportunity to move out with one of my best friends and his girlfriend and have had a great time with them. I have learned so much from them (pretttty much everything to do with not burning the apartment down with my lack of cooking skills).

Sad Jorodon

I also started a new job at what once was a small, scrappy young company called Vortex Mobile. I started off as a quiet QA Analyst, and have moved on up to "that kid in the corner who everyone keeps calling Jorodon or Jordon" aka The Mobile and Social Coordinator. We got acquired, became Transcontinental Interactive and moved on to bigger things. Needless to stay, it has been quite a ride. I also work with some of the best Account Managers, Developers, PMs, and Marketing folk. Seriously, I will fight you if you disagree.

I have picked up snow boarding and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences. Just something about constantly falling down with pain, but always getting back up is something I will carry with me. I've also picked up a guitar, gone rock climbing, visited Disney world for the 5th time at the age of 23 (it's still awesome), and finished a 10K in under an hour. In terms of accomplishments, this has been a year of firsts. I don't think I have accomplished more.

I have met all kinds of awesome people this year through mutual friends, work, and even a small social media site called Twitter. Trust me when I say that Twitter is not simply a site where you post updates about what food you are eating, but a place where those strangle, online people you have conversations with are genuinely nice people that share similar interests with you. 

The Year That Will Be

Copyright - Pavel PchelintsevIn just under 2 weeks, I move out into the single bachelor life of a 1 bedroom apartment. I am all sorts of excited and nervous. I'm planning a Mediterranean Cruise with my family as one big trip in October and going to New York for the first time on Labor Day Weekend. There is also plans for a big Euro trip with friends later in 2012.

For everything else, there will be another New Years Resolution post later in the year. If my last year was anything to measure by, I have no clue how 2012 and turning 25 will be. It will be an exciting year with a lot of changes, and I can't wait to share everything with you.

Today Facebook launched their long-rumoured integration with Skype to allow video calling over Facebook Chat. Many critics have talked about how this new feature is merely playing catch-up with the recently launched Google+ Hangout feature. I'm not going to comment on who does it better, or what feature I think will be the killer app; however when I was watching Zuckerberg ramble on about the Social Graph and the Law of Social, I did realize one thing. In order to successfully build an app or website where the inherit functionality is to share content, that accessibility and ease of setup are more important now than ever.

My thinking is this: I have never used Skype before because I didn't already have an easy way of getting my friends and contacts into the service. I could import my Gmail contacts, but had a lingering feeling that I would just be spamming people who didn't want to use Skype. As well, I never had a real reason to do video conferencing. It was never something I needed to do to talk to someone. But with Facebook, it's different. It's what I believe is a game-changer in video conferencing because now when the service turned on, I already had hundreds of people on my contact list to set up a video call.

With so much information publicly available online whether through the use of existing social networks, or APIs; there is no excuse for a new service to not have an easy way of letting myself and my contacts easily use their network or application. Instagram does a wonderful job of already having your Twitter contacts and building a new social network over this existing data. Applications have to be built with accessibility in mind and to limit the thought process of having to set everything up (this is currently the issue with Google+ for inviting people who are not social media nerds).

I do realize that some of you will say "Well, this isn't anything new. Of course you need to think of accessibility". However, I'd argue that with the vast majority of services, that this is merely an afterthought.