Web applications are basically software programs that you use on the Internet. You don't have to download them to your computer. 

There are "webapps" that can: keep you from getting lost, keep you on task, keep you organized, find you great deals, and just about everything in between.

One very popular application is the photo sharing site, Flickr. Flickr is extremely easy to use, free, robust, and extensible.

What I mean by "extensible" is you can actually use Flickr and other webapps (in simplistic terms) as building blocks to make other even more useful and powerful webapps.

Here's an example of this extensibility, Microsoft recently acquired an application (PhotoSynth) that "takes a large collection of photos of a place or an object, analyzes them for similarities, and displays them in a reconstructed three-dimensional space." That "large collection of photos" is... you guessed it, at Flickr.

What makes PhotoSynth such a big deal? Well do you remember that trip you took to DisneyWorld last year? You will be able revisit the trip, on any particular day of your vacation, and in it's full 360 degree glory. You will be able to zoom in and see extreme detail (you may be able to see faces-- quite possibly even your own).

Why I get so hyped about it is it's developers used a simple idea (shared photos), expounded on it and made an incredible tool.

Here's another, less grand "MashUp" I found tonight, it's 123FLICKR.com. This application simply allows me to show you a gallery of my latest "not work related" images on Flickr. 

I recently began using Aperture to manage and edit photos. The program makes working with large quantities of photos much easier and faster. It's not intended to replace Photoshop, but does offer a nice set of photo editing tools 

One of the nice things about Aperture is the growing number of plug-ins available. Plug-ins add features to the program, and most often help it connect with other programs or web services. 

Many of the plug-ins for Aperture focus on making it easier and faster to move photos to the web. Before the plug-ins were available, I'd have to export a batch of photos to a folder (choosing the size needed for uploading) then either use another application for uploading, or the website's upload interface. That's a lot of steps.

Then I discovered that plug-ins existed for many of my favorite photo sharing sites. With the plug-ins, I could select the photos, choose "export to Flickr," choose a size for the photos, and click "upload."  Four steps became one step... much better.

I've grabbed plugins for Smugmug , Flickr , and Google's Picassa photo-sharing service. There's even a plug-in for sending photos your Facebook page. Once installed, these plug-ins appear in the "export" menu.

If you use Aperture and would like to check out the current list of plug-ins (and download them -- most are free), zip over to  Aperturepluggedin.com and enjoy.