Last week was one of those weeks where I came across a few things that I read, installed, considered using, or thought was cool. Rather than writing a full-blown post about any of them, I decided to just share my thoughts on each of them in a quick rundown here.

First up: Wubi. I installed Wubi on my little Windows XP laptop yesterday. In case you missed it, I briefly mentioned Wubi in my last post, Ubuntu Newbie Guide: First 24 Hours With Ubuntu, in which I said:

You can install Ubuntu via Windows using Wubi. This is more of a one-click solution where you install it like you would any other Windows application and uninstall it just as easily. Great solution for anyone squeamish about dual-boot installations.

I’d considered doing some screenshots of the installation process, but that would have been ridiculous, because it’s just too easy to install, so screenshots would just be overkill. If you really want to see some screenshots, check out the Wubi FAQ. When they say enter a password and click Install, they mean it. Spend some time watching the system download, reboot a couple times, and you’re all set. The install was flawless for me. The point? Simple, flawless install, with the ability to easily uninstall – just like any other Windows application – except it’s not a Windows app. Run Windows or run Ubuntu on one computer, painless install, no worries. Sweet.

Next up is Calibre. This cool little open source, cross-platform app is a genius at organizing your ebooks and pdfs. But the extra cool bit is that it can also convert them so you can also read them on your portable reader, like the Kindle or the Sony PRS or even your iPhone. Love it. Now I can easily put all those PHP, Linux, Apache and other pdf books on my portable reader and have them with me all the time.

This next lovely open source app, which is also free, is for any of you who have your own web sites. It’s Piwik, and it looks like a great alternative to Google Analytics. I haven’t had a chance to install it on either of my servers yet, so I can only judge it by what I read on the site, and the demo itself. Looks cool. The main advantage? Control, baby. It’s all about control. Control over your data, so that you aren’t just handing it off to the big bad Google wolf (or any other hosted analytics company) who already knows more about you than you’d feel comfortable sharing with your best friend. I’m definitely going to give Piwik a try and I’ll let you know what I think after I’ve used it for a while.

This last one is an ebook that an acquaintance of mine wrote. It’s called Directory Marketing Reborn by IrishWonder, and although it’s not free, it’s a good solid education in using directories as one method of marketing your site. And yes, you’ll hear time and time again that directories are no longer useful for search marketing, but don’t listen to everything you hear. Done RIGHT, it can still be useful. IrishWonder shares some very nice insights into finding the right directories that will make a difference. Not sure you believe me, or someone who is selling an ebook? Ok, fair enough. Would you believe the link queen herself, Debra Mastaler? Here are a few of her articles that mention directories. Check out A Link Building Stimulus Plan, Foundational Links Don’t Split, Crack Or Get Dugg Up, and Link Smart Or Die In 2009. Debra knows the right ways to use directories, but she isn’t sharing all of her secrets, although I do wish she’d put out an ebook. She hasn’t, but IrishWonder has, and he’s got some great insights in his Directory Marketing Reborn.

That’s the roundup of the cool stuff I ran across last week. Hope one or more of those is something you found interesting.

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