ONA 2012: The best technology tools for journalists

Back from the Online News Association annual conference, my head is spinning with a few key topics — augmented reality, data visualization, possible resurgence of audio, reporting on the go, data visualization and the role of social media directors. (And did I mention data visualization?)

Here are resources I’m taking back to my Gannett newsroom after hearing from ONA panelists and participants.

Some are new and have piqued people’s interest. Some still have people buzzing months or even years in.

What should we add? Comment here or tweet me at @kjmcginty.

After the Deadline This plug-in or add-on speeds up the editing process by checking your story for grammar, spelling and style.

Buffer Easily schedule articles, pictures and links to move out via your social media accounts.

Census.IRE.Org IRE led this project to make the 2010 U.S. Census data more manageable for journalists. Next up, they’ll be creating guides to help journalists and will allow you to browse the American Community Survey results.

Chartbeat Chartbeat promises real-time analytics, including how long your audience is actively engaged and how far they’ve scrolled down the page. (Paid service. Free 30-day trial.)

FilterStorm Dessigned specifically for photojournalists, you can edit your photos and send them in via email, FTP, Dropbox or SFTP. ($3.99 in app store)

Gopano Create, share and view 360-degree photos and videos with any camera. (Free in app store)

HyperMac HyperMac is an external battery for any USB-driven device — your iPad, your iPhone, your laptop. “This is a life saver,” Robert Hernandez (@webjournalist) promises.

iTimeLapse Create time lapse and stop motion videos from iPhone or iPad. Options include selecting how often to snap photos and how long the video should be. ($1.99 in the app store)

Meograph ”Four-dimensional story-telling” This is video meets infographic — combining maps, timeline, links, and multimedia to tell stories “in context of where and when.”

Mobile Reporters’ Field Guide Developed by UC Berkley Graduate School of Journalism, this free PDF or iBook promises to be everything a reporter needs to know when reporting from an iPhone. Search Mobile Reporting Guide in the app store.

Overview “Visual document mining for journalists” Developed at the Associated Press, Overview analyzes the complete text of every document, extracting keywords and sorting documents into categories and sub-categories. Email info@overviewproject.org or tweet @overviewproject for your “preview login.”

Podio “An online workspace for everyone” Social work platform for basic project management tasks — calendar, contacts, activity stream — that helps teams collaborate and communicate. (Free and paid versions.)

Reddit “The front page of the Internet” Site tracks what’s new and what’s popular online. Submit your own links, or vote on others to drive what’s appearing on the front page. (“I think Reddit is on the rise,” said Liz Heron.)

Reporters Committee First Aid mobile app Free guide gives reporters in the field immediate access to legal resources, particularly in situations where access or news gathering may be stymied. Search “reporters committee” in App Store.

Scribble Live Create, curate and publish content to provide real time coverage and storytelling.

SpliceApp A video editing app that works with music, photos, text or video clips. ($3.99 in app store)

Spundge “Smarter curation, genius content.” Read, save, filter and annotate content from the web — Facebook, Flickr, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube included. (Free and paid versions)

Spotify Digital music service gives you access to millions of songs. Consider creating and sharing music playlists from your local music scene.

Storify Take the best of what people post on social media — photos, tweets, videos — and easily publish it into a compelling story.

Topsy Search content published on Twitter and the web, and sort it by date or relevance.

Ustream Broadcast (free) live video to the world from a computer or iPhone in minutes, or watch thousands of shows.

Vyclone Record a video at the same time and place as another person, and this app will automatically synch your videos into a single, multi-angle masterpiece (based on GPS). (Free in app store)

Watch Up Tap the news videos you want to watch, creating your own playlist. Then sit back and watch. (Free iPad app.)

Want more? Links to other sources