invite

Evite added mobile capabilities yesterday to speed up the party-planning process. Its QuickVite features let you send invitations in one step from an e-mail account or mobile phone, and handle RSVPs the same way. Of course, you can also juggle the details at Evite.com.

This could help to make managing a party less exhausting. Even picking a design for an online invitation can waste time, especially for a last-minute get together. For instance, Evite offers 57 templates for cocktail parties alone, not to mention options for dozens of events from anniversaries to weddings.

The painless sign-up process requires adding … Read more

There's something to be said about Web services that have been set up to help people coordinate things in the least stressful way as possible. I dig sites like CircleUp (coverage) that offer a way to set up polls, or to solve quick logistical questions within a group, without requiring the creator or the users to agonize over the interface and execution. That's why MyPunchBowl's new checklist feature is pretty much the best addition to a party-planning service yet.

The idea is simple: you, as party creator, make a list of things you need for the party. … Read more

Want to try out Xobni, which I reviewed live from the TechCrunch 40 conference? The company has opened up 25 invitation slots for Webware readers. Go to the beta sign-up page and enter the invitation code, "Webware." Act fast if you want the bits.

Fair warning, though: I have uninstalled the Xobni add-on from my system. I found that it slowed down my Outlook performance so much that it became unusable. The company knows that the current beta code has performance issues for people with big e-mail stores (mine is about 7GB, which is probably not uncommon). I … Read more

Phonevite is a new free invitation and RSVP service that turns your Web browser into a personal assistant of sorts, letting you call a large group of friends, family, or contacts without having to spend all day on the phone. Instead Phonevite provides an asynchronous solution, giving you an easy way to record a personalized invitation message using your computer's microphone, and send it out to a list of hand-picked phone numbers. From there you can send out the "invitation" right away, or schedule it in for a later date.

When an invitation goes live, Phonevite will … Read more

The guys at TechCrunch have been thinking the same thing we have been over here: With all these invitation-based Web 2.0 betas flying around, someone could do the world a service by building an exchange for them.

Hence, InviteShare, a site that does just that. If you want an invite to a service (such as the current darling of the digerati, Pownce), you can put your name on the list and someone with passes to spare might help you out.

Many sites, once you're invited, also give you invitations you yourself can give out. Thus InviteShare can keep … Read more

MyPunchBowl, the party planning service I covered in January, has added some neat new features, including publicly viewable RSVPs--one of the few things I griped about. The service has also added YouTube integration to let party goers share videos of the event.

Like competitor Evite, MyPunchBowl's new RSVP options let you see who has been invited, along with whether or not they're coming. You can also turn the visibility of the party's guest list on and off at any time, which is a nice touch if people start nagging you about wanting to see who's coming, … Read more

Anyone who has planned a party before knows that one of the hardest parts is making a cool invite and sorting through your contacts to figure out who's coming. A new party collaboration tool called MyPunchbowl launched this morning, aimed at making invitation creation and guest lists a little bit easier. It has Google Maps and directory services built in to help your guests find the party, and to help you find local stores to buy streamers, pirate hats, and silly string to your heart's content. Most important, it's just easier to use than Evite, the most … Read more