How With 3M downloads, MLB app hits it out of the park

0 comments


Just a week into Major League Baseball’s 2012 season, the league’s official mobile app is breaking records. MLB.com At Bat 12, which lets fans check scores and highlights and stream their favorite games live to a mobile device, passed 3 million downloads on Wednesday, the league’s Advanced Media office announced Thursday. Last year’s version of At Bat didn’t reach the same mark until more than four months into the 2011 season.
The 3 million downloads are spread across most major smartphone platforms: Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Windows Phone. But still, those are impressive numbers. Not Instagram-on-Android kind of numbers (1 million downloads in a day), but Instagram is free.
One of the more fascinating things about At Bat’s success this season is that we’re talking about an app that costs $14.99 if you want it to do anything other than show you game scores. And if you want to use it to its full potential — live stream out-of-market games to your phone or tablet — you need to also pay for the MLB.TV package, which costs $110 or $125 per year. (Those who sign up for the pricier package get the mobile app for free.) And, of course, this is an app that essentially expires when the last out of the 2012 World Series is made.
MLB’s office of Advanced Media has had the video streaming and mobile game figured out far longer any of its American peers in professional sports. But why is this season off to such a hot start? There are a few things users will notice that are different: a more polished look and feel, and the in-app purchase option to upgrade to a variety of different packages.
But At Bat’s success is a great example of what can happen when you combine in-demand content with a fan base that has access to high-speed mobile networks and who carry smartphones and tablets.
A few more stats from MLB about At Bat:
  • Since baseball season officially began April 5, MLB’s mobile apps have seen an average of 800,000 live streams — that’s audio and video combined — per day.
  • At Bat is the top-downloaded iOS sports app ever.
  • At Bat 2012 been the top-downloaded sports app for Android devices for 43 straight days.

New Barnes & Noble’s new Nook is for reading in the dark

0 comments



http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/
If you are one of the 64 percent of people who read in bed, do you need a dedicated e-reader? Yes, says Barnes & Noble, so that you don’t disturb that special someone sleeping beside you.
The company’s newest Nook is the $139 Simple Touch with GlowLight (leaked Wednesday by The Digital Reader). It has a front-lit screen and it is aimed at the person who likes to stay up late reading while her partner snores beside her. B&N says the “number-one request from e-ink customers is the ability to read in the dark to avoid bothering a significant other.” (See more slightly hilarious statistics from Barnes & Noble’s “bedtime reading debate” survey below.)
Nook with GlowLight looks similar to the existing $99 Nook Simple Touch, until you turn the LED GlowLight on. Then you get “uniform light across an E Ink display, creating a better nighttime reading experience than LCD.” (The eBook Reader Blog explains a bit more about how this technology works.) The adjustable GlowLight is designed to behave more like a bedside lamp or sunlight and less like a computer, iPad or TV screen, so it shouldn’t affect users’ sleep patterns.
Specs At 6.95 ounces, Nook with GlowLight is a bit lighter than the 7.48-ounce original Nook Simple Touch. If the Nook with GlowLight has the light turned on continuously and Wi-Fi off, its battery life is supposed to be over a month. With GlowLight off, the battery life is over two months, the same as the original Nook SimpleTouch.
Availability Nook with GlowLight is available for pre-order today. It ships and will be available in stores in early May, in time for “moms, dads and grads.”
Competition Amazon may be working on its own front-lit Kindle; TechCrunch reported last week that “a new generation of glowing Kindles will be coming our way sometime this year.”
Barnes & Noble says the $139 for the Nook with GlowLight is a bargain. The device ships with a power adapter and “revolutionary built-in screen protector.”  To get a similar experience from Amazon, B&N says, you’d need to buy the ad-free Kindle Touch ($139) and separately purchase a power adapter, reading light and screen protector.
Now for those funny sleep stats B&N polled 1,358 adult readers in early March and found:
West Coasters, take note: “For couples in the Bay Area, reading in bed with the light on may be a hidden source of relationship distress. San Francisco respondents are more likely than those in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston and Chicago to say reading with a light in bed is something their partner does that interferes with their sleep [or] be annoyed by their significant other using a light to read while they are trying to fall asleep.” Also, “More than 1 in 3 say that instead of accommodating a sleepy bedmate by turning off the light, the partner who wants to sleep should simply roll over or cover his or her eyes.”
This reminds me of the type of argument my parents would have You better believe that’s intentional. Over 70 percent of Nook buyers are women between the ages of 25 and 45 and B&N is not necessarily trying to win over the iPad-in-bed crowd here (though that would be a nice bonus). Instead, the company hopes the Nook SimpleTouch with GlowLight is the kind of device that your mom (or, well, your wife…or yourself…yikes) will stack on her bedside table alongside the cough drops, hand lotion and Kleenex.

Startups walk the line between serendipity and creepy

0 comments



http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/The app world is getting a reality check, thanks to apps like Girls Around Me, Placeme or even Highlight. So far, when it comes to sharing data the benefits still outweigh the momentary gut check when your aunt references a party photo or your friends unexpectedly check you in to a place while you told your boss you were home sick. But in the past month one word has kept popping up to describe the current direction of social apps: creepy. Instead of SoLoMoCo or another dumb acronym, this one is an uh-oh.

The rise of creepy

I first heard someone describing an app as creepy when a friend of mine was referencing Highlight. After some older guy she didn’t know popped up as a connection and started eyeing her up at a bar, she quickly uninstalled it. Then at our Structure:Data conference in March I was sitting with an entrepreneur who dropped the word at least four times in a conversation about how people can use the data his firm is providing, “We have to make sure it doesn’t come across as creepy,” he said again and again.
It also popped up onstage and in the Q&A a few times. Then there’s the furor over how much people could see using the Girls Around Me app that has since been pulled from the App Store. And yesterday at the TechStars Cloud demo day in San Antonio, I had an entire conversation with a few founders about how creepy apps have become and how they are trying to steer clear of that creepiness themselves. The same day Placeme came out — the app Robert Scoble declared both “freaky” and “very cool” — I couldn’t help thinking, wait, What happened to serendipity?
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/But serendipity, or the unforeseen discovery of a pleasant moment, object or interaction, can be creepy’s good twin. Creepy is when the normal, humdrum minutiae of everyday takes a turn for the ominous, while serendipity strikes when it takes a turn for the best. All that stands between the two is . . . well, what? Is it better privacy controls? Smarter algorithms? Smaller social networks composed of real friends?
Amid the optimism and fun of sharing a location on Foursquare with your social networks, possibly getting a few coupons, and maybe bumping into a person you’d like to see just by popping into a nearby coffee shop is the same social and human dynamic that we have had to adapt to for years as we have moved from small villages to big cities. Now we live in one giant virtual metropolis. And thanks to cheap computing, a phone that can keep tabs on your current and future location, larger social networks, and commercial focus on sharing, we are having to figure out new social and ethical norms.

Where do you draw the line between serendipity and ewww?

So what makes an app creepy? And because the line from serendipity to creepy is different for everyone, how fat a line do I need to guard against? Or should I just step over that line and assume the masses will join me? Here are a few things we should be thinking about in this debate.
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/
Transparency. Telling users the data you collect is a good first step. The next thing a company should do is tell users who it shares that data with. Just letting folks access your API may become the moral equivalent of operating a day care and hiring teachers without a background check. Yeah, I know it happens, but it kinda freaks people out, and the government tends to get involved when the worst happens. Since an app developer might not know how people will use its data, the question is, How should it react when people use that data maliciously? And how do developers even track for malicious use?
Consent. Consent is a difficult thing, especially because a person’s data gathered by one app can end up in a variety of places. Developers can then mash that data up to create a site like Please Rob Me or the Girls Around Me app. Once the data is out there it’s hard to know what people might do with it, so consent is closely tied to transparency. There can be no content without users’ knowing what they are consenting to.
The social element. This can be anything from giving people clear and easy ways to categorize their friends so only certain people can see their late-night spring break pics to making it clear or preventing others in a user’s social network to out them. I hate being tagged in photos, and I also hate when friends check me in places. Yes, there are ways to avoid those things showing up, but right now the needle keeps moving and it’s hard for a user to keep track of the ever-expanding effort by social networks to share your data to generate more activity on the network or just provide value.
Additionally the social element is expanding by connecting you with people who know people. For example, Highlight comes across as creepy in part because it shares your physical location with friends of friends. A friend of a friend might be another friend, or it could be the creepy physical trainer your BFF friended under duress.
Let your users go. Some apps and services are better at this than others, but if users uninstall the apps, delete their profile, or sunder that relationship, what happens to their data? What do you tell them happens to their data versus what really happens? For most users the expectation after an app deletion is that like an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend, you two are done. Everybody’s stuff (including their data and old pictures, etc.) are returned (or destroyed), and you don’t go around telling others that y’all are still together by leaving information on the site.
Fundamentally the problem is people. The apps just give those who are already creepy tools to become better creeps. But having the discussion about limits on applications or APIs, educating users, and creating easy-to-use-and-understand privacy policies is essential. Much like people learned to lock their doors as their social spheres got bigger and the government began intruding more in people’s lives if they wanted to hold certain types of jobs, we will adapt to the changes SoLoMoCo is bringing to our culture, and apps will deliver more serendipity and less creepy. But we do have to start talking about it.

New Sprint replacing Nextel network relic with LTE in 2014

0 comments


http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/For the last year Sprint has been talking up how it would replace its old Nextel iDEN systems with a shiny new LTE network, but until today it hadn’t revealed when. On Thursday, Sprint network operations president Steve Elfman provided that critical detail– 2014 — FierceWireless reported.
Speaking at an event at Sprint’s corporate HQ in Overland Park, Kan., Elfman said that the 800 MHz spectrum the iDEN network uses has already been named an official LTE band by the 4G standards powers, and Sprint fully expects to get Federal Communications Commission approval shortly to use the frequencies for 4G, according to Fierce. The only thing left for it to do is to shut down the old Nextel network.
iDEN is ideal for the walkie-talkie-style push-to-talk services that made Nextel so popular circa mid-2000, but it’s awful for delivering data services, which is the direction the wireless industry is charging toward with wild abandon. So Sprint’s answer is to move its push-to-talk over to its
LTE
 CDMA data networks, shut down iDEN and harvest its frequencies for more LTE networks.

The process has already begun. Sprint has started scrapping iDEN base stations and towers in many markets, basically weeding out extra capacity as it continues to shed Nextel customers. It’s even begun posting site-by-site maps of the sunsetting process.
The major take-down work won’t begin until 2013, at which point Sprint will begin a wholesale conversion of its iDEN push-to-talk customers to CDMA and LTE, and start shutting down the Nextel service in whole cities. And as it revealed Thursday, in 2014 it will begin filling up those dormant 800 MHz airwaves with LTE.
Sprint won’t get an enormous amount of capacity out of the Nextel band. It owns an average of 18 MHz nationwide, plus the odd configuration of the band may mean it won’t be use all of its frequencies for LTE. But any bit will help. The LTE network Sprint is deploying this summer over its PCS frequencies measure only 10 MHz in width, compared to the 20 MHz used by Verizon and most of AT&Ts’ 4G systems.
Plus, Ma Bell and Big Red have a lot of unencumbered spectrum to expand their 4G networks into, while Sprint will be forced to cannibalize its CDMA systems to get more LTE capacity. But Sprint is counting on getting a big boost in 2013 when its current mobile broadband provider, Clearwire, hopes to turn on its own LTE network, supplying Sprint with reams of cheap bandwidth. The only drawback with that plan is that Clearwire, so far, only plans to launch LTE in its current limited WiMAX footprint.
Sprint has revealed only a few of its LTE launch markets, but blog Sprint 4G Rollout Updates has gained access to plenty of proprietary information about the full extent of Sprint’s Network Vision plans and has even identified the first 47 cities scheduled to receive the 4G upgrade this year.

How To Google still having to prove it’s ready for mobile

0 comments


Google Play Android PhoneOne year into the second coming of Larry Page, a lot has changed but one thing hasn’t: Google  is still making boatloads of money off its core search product and still having to face questions about whether or not it is really prepared for its world to take a mobile turn.
By the numbers, Page and Co. did well during the first quarter of 2012: revenue and earnings were up sharply. The most interesting thing that emerged from Google’s first-quarter earnings announcement was a stock split that’s not exactly a stock split: Google has proposed the creation of a new class of non-voting stock that will double the number of shares held by shareholders without diluting the number of people who actually get to vote on the future of Google.
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/In some ways, it’s classic Google: an unconventional solution to a conventional problem that big public companies with high, slow-growing stock prices can face. The nature of the split means that Google’s top executives: Chairman Eric Schmidt, co-founder Sergey Brin, and Page — will retain control of Google for years to come, rather than seeing their stakes in the company dilute over time as new shares are issued through acquisitions and other shares change hands. So it throws investors a bone while ensuring that Google will always be a Page and Brin production.
But on a conference call following the earnings release, financial analysts were mostly concerned about Google’s ability to make the transition from a desktop-oriented world to a mobile-oriented world and Google+ usage than the stock announcement. (See Janko’s take on the Google+ discussion.)
As desktop PC growth slows amid a transition to mobile, investors are a little worried about two straight quarters of declines in Google’s cost-per-click metric: the amount that Google advertisers are paying the company per user click on their ads. Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette urged analysts to stop worrying about this metric.  ”Our business is healthy,” he said.
In many ways, Google is well prepared for this shift. It (more or less) controls the marketshare leading mobile operating system, and “we don’t get many new operating systems, there’s only been a few in my lifetime,” Page said. Its share of mobile searches is even higher than its share of desktop searches, although we’re still in the very early days of mobile search habits.
Obviously, however, there is a lot of debate as to how much money Google is actually making from its mobile efforts.
Without revealing any new numbers, Page felt compelled to point out that he expects the cost-per-click figure on mobile ads to be larger than what advertisers pay for clicks on traditional Google ads, given that mobile allows for so many other possibilities like location-based advertising and integration with mobile wallets. “We’re where search was in 2002 or 2003,” Pichette said, referring to the maturity and sophistication of the mobile opportunity.
And Page continued Google’s pattern of dropping clues about its mobile strategy in hinting that Google will likely launch a low-cost Android tablet later this summer, saying “we believe there is going to be a lot of success at the lower-end of the market.” Android may be a smartphone powerhouse but it is an afterthought in the tablet market, which is hurting sales of PCs and changing the way people interact with Google products.
Google is a young company by most measures, but it has been fielding questions about its plans for a post-search world for a very long time. The conversation surrounding the company is still not based on what it continues to do well — search — but around whether or not it can successfully grow into the future if search becomes a less important part of our computing experience.

Everything that’s wrong with Nokia in one blog post Tips

0 comments


I just stumbled across this post on Nokia’s Conversations blog, timed to coincide with the launch of the Lumia 610 NFC.
It proudly details the history of Nokia’s near-field services, going back nearly a decade:
If you want to swap data wirelessly, pair an accessory, make a payment or check-in by just tapping your phone against something else, it’s the new technology called NFC that makes that happen. Although, this isn’t actually all that new. Nokia has been working with NFC since the early to mid 2000s.
Nearly a decade!
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/The company’s obviously proud of its heritage. “Hey,” it says. “This NFC thing you’re hearing about? We’ve been doing it for ages.”
And yet the post had precisely the opposite effect on me than it clearly intended. Far from showcasing Nokia’s heritage of success, it simply made it clear that the company has consistently been unable to turn expensive research into a product that real people want — a malaise it still can’t shake off.
After all, remember that despite this long history of working with NFC, the Lumia 610 is joining a meager parade of Nokia handsets sold with NFC on board.
The point isn’t that NFC itself has failed — though you can argue about the technology will ever make it to the mainstream. It’s that Nokia, despite leading the way in at the research end of this system, has never built NFC into a product people care about. This history ends up feeling more like a catalog of failures, missteps and misunderstandings that simply encapsulates everything that Nokia’s got wrong over the past few years.
And the fact that the company doesn’t even realize this? That’s what’s even more painful.
I remember seeing a demo of almost exactly the same system at the company’s offices in Finland maybe six years ago. By that point, millions had already been spent designing, developing and testing NFC. Spin forward to today, and the amount of cash thrown into this money pit is unimaginable.
It makes me think of a company like Xerox, which was once really at the cutting edge of technology, developing so many things critical in the world of modern computing — the first graphical user interface, ethernet, the modern text editor. Yet while Xerox could look proudly upon its achievements, it was Apple that took the ideas and turned them into real products. Sure, Xerox may be a $10 billion company, but it still sells photocopiers and printers while Apple sells the future.
Sometimes adding another criticism of Nokia just feels cruel — like piling on another layer to a house of cards that will eventually come crashing down. But it’s little moments like this that make me wonder whether the company can ever really understand the problems it has.

Free German ban on Apple’s iCloud, MobileMe push email upheld

0 comments


Updated. Motorola’s quest to ban Apple’s push e-mail notifications from its iCloud and MobileMe services was upheld in a Germany court Friday. This is a victory for Motorola: Not only did the judge agree that an earlier injunction granted should be upheld, Apple was also ordered to pay Motorola unspecified damages in the case, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/Update: In a statement, Apple said, ”This is the same case Motorola already brought against another Apple entity and the court’s decision does not impact product availability. Our customers in Germany should have no problem finding the iPad or iPhone they want. However, we disagree with the court’s decision and plan to appeal the ruling.”
Motorola sued Apple over the way iCloud and its predecessor MobileMe send “push” emails, claiming the method used is a violation of “multiple pager status synchronization system and method patents” — basically technology Motorola once used in pagers. Apple said following the initial ruling that Motorola’s “old pager patent is invalid.” But a judge disagreed and forced Apple to come up with a workaround in early February. Apple did that: The overall services of MobileMe and iCloud still work in Germany, but users have to check their email manually, rather than it being automatically pushed to them.
While it’s a win for Motorola, it’s just one battle in the all-out mobile patent war that has engulfed most of the world’s major mobile device and software makers. For a visualization of who’s suing whom, don’t miss this helpful graphic illustrating the global patent suit mess.

Forget Google Glasses; check these dual-focus contact lenses Tips

0 comments


http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/The U.S. government has ordered a prototype contact lens that will help military members see virtual information directly on a pair of glasses while still viewing their surroundings. The contacts could improve HUDs, or heads-up displays, currently in use that show troop information, enemy locations, target ranges and more.
According to the BBC, the Pentagon has asked for the working prototype from Innovega, the company that has created the lens. iOptik, as the product is called, was partially funded through the U.S. Department of Defense. Unlike the current HUDs that are worn by troops, the iOptik allows for a wide field of vision; up to 120 degrees, per the product’s webpage.
http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/The iOptik solves a key problem because the human eye can only focus on one distance at a given time. So when looking at a HUD, for example, a soldier can only see the data it transmits and not the environment around them. The special filter on the iOptik lens allows for dual focus: Seeing real objects far away while also viewing augmented reality data close to the eye. I suspect Google’s Project Glass, a similar solution, won’t have this same ability. Here’s a video explanation of how the product works.
The iOptik won’t solely be for military purposes. Innovega says the lenses are currently undergoing trials with the FDA here in the U.S. and could be available to the general public by 2014. In as little as two years then, you might be walking up to someone and see their Facebook profile before you even talk to them. To get an even better view of what it looks like being able to see both near and far using the iOptik lens, here’s a demonstration that uses a digital camera to simulate the human eye.

New Low-cost MVNO, Ting, will offer LTE through Sprint

0 comments


http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/Ting, the innovative startup that resells Sprint’s cellular service in consumer friendly plans, will soon be adding  4G LTE service to its lineup. In a blog post, the company notes that in addition to supporting WiMAX services until Sprint winds down that network, it will begin to carry new LTE handsets in mid-2012. That coincides with Sprint’s plan to launch LTE in its first six major cities. Sue Marek at Fierce Wireless reminds us of Ting’s innovative service plans, complete with shared minutes, messages and data across multiple phones on the same account. Even more appealing is how Ting will credit back for unused services if a consumer’s monthly needs fall into a low-priced plan. When I looked at Ting’s February launch, I noticed that mobile hotspot features were also included at no additional charge and I priced service for three handsets sharing 500 minutes, 2,000 text messages and 3 GB of data. Total cost for the trio? $95 per month.
The addition of LTE handsets and support could give Ting a nice boost in customers as Sprint quickly transitions from WiMAX to LTE for its 4G service. Ting hasn’t yet revealed pricing details on the LTE handset costs or for LTE service, but if it can keep the price down, it should be able to undercut other carriers and MVNOs. And even if the 4G data pricing is the same on a per gigabyte basis, the shared component and ability to easily scale up or down in usage would still appeal to those in Sprint’s LTE coverage areas.

How To CTIA offers the most confusing wireless stat du jour

0 comments


http://earningmoneyjobs.blogspot.in/The CTIA wants you to know that Americans used 123 percent more wireless data in 2011 than 2010, but the wireless industry’s lobby apparently doesn’t want you to know exactly how that translates in any way a normal person understands. Instead the folks decided to use an overly complicated real world example to make the 866.7 billion megabytes used in 2011 meaningful. They turned it into songs. Check it out.
From the release:
To put the wireless data traffic of 2010 compared with 2011 into perspective, if you were walking and listening to five songs per mile and each song lasted for four minutes:
  • In 2010, you would walk 77,601,961,033 miles, or the equivalent of 3,116,419 times around the world for 2,952,890 years and listen to 97 billion songs.
  • In 2011, you would walk 173,364,056,929 miles, or the equivalent of 6,962,132 times around the world for 6,596,806 years and listen to 216.7 billion songs.
Wait, what? If you were confused about your data usage when it was measured in megabytes (how many emails can I send?) wait till CTIA puts it into song. All mocking of the CTIA’s efforts here aside, it does include valuable stats about the industry, including the fact that average monthly wireless bills dropped to $47 in 2011 from $47.21 in 2010. Other stats include the fact that the industry has achieved a penetration rate of 104.6 percent when it comes to wireless connections, suggesting that tablets, cellular hotspots and other devices are still picking up users. CTIA notes there are now 20.2 million wireless-enabled tablets, laptops and modems, a 49 percent increase from 2010.
The number of active smartphones also rose significantly (43 percent) to 111.5 million up from 78.2 million. And despite worries about a loss of texting revenue, folks still increased their texting by 12 percent, sending 2.304 trillion texts and 52.8 billion MMS messages. In fact, the number of MMS (picture) messages actually dropped by 3.8 billion suggesting that online photo-sharing services such as Instagram are also cutting into carriers’ revenue.

How To Are You A Slave to Your Email

0 comments



When did you last check your email?

I'd bet it was within the last hour. Quite possibly within the last ten minutes. You might well have your inbox open right now, with message alerts jumping up at you.

Almost everyone I talk to feels that email takes up too much of their time. If you work for an employer, in a traditional office environment, you might have your email open from the moment you get into the office until the moment you shut down your computer at the end of the day.

(And you've probably checked email after hours or on the weekends, too.)

If you're self-employed or work from yourself, it's probably even worse. You might find yourself worrying about emails during dinner, or when you're supposed to be having some family time.

The problem isn't knowing what to do. You've read plenty of advice telling you to close the inbox, to avoid checking emails first thing in the day, and to get on with your key tasks first. But are you doing it?

If not, you're probably making one (or more) of the following excuses:

"Something urgent might come in"
This is the biggie. You tell yourself you need to check your emails just in case. What if that client gets back to you, and needs a response in a hurry? What if the server goes down? What if your kid's school needs to get in touch?

The truth is, if something is genuinely super-urgent, people will find another way to deal with it. They'll probably phone, or email someone else.

If you really, truly, have to respond to certain emails within minutes, then get set up with a service like Away Find – so that you can work in peace, knowing that you'll get a text (or other notification) if a particular person emails you.

"I use my email to store my to-do list"

Some folks keep their email inbox open constantly because their email forms their to-do list (with lots of emails-to-self), or because they need the calendar or the chat feature or some other function.

If your incoming emails are a constant distraction, find a different system for your to-do list. Alternatively, change your email settings so that new emails only arrive at occasional intervals – instead of checking for emails every 5 or 10 minutes, set this to every hour or two.

"How will I keep on top of my messages?"
If you get a lot of emails, you might resist the idea of dealing with them in a batch towards the end of the day. You're worried that there won't be time – because at the moment, it feels like you spend half your day (or more) just dealing with emails.

The truth is, the added efficiency from working through your emails in a focused, systematic way will save you a lot of time. Just think about how quickly you can get through a backlog when you're back at work after a vacation, compared with how long you can take over just a handful of emails on a typical day.

"I'm being really productive."
Although answering emails might feel productive – you get the quick win of watching that "unread" number go down – it probably isn't the best use of your time.

Instead of thinking about the amount you get done, consider the value. Wouldn't it be better to let some emails go unanswered, or send very brief replies, in order to get that big project done instead?

"People expect a quick response."

If you're used to responding to emails within an hour or two, you might worry that people will object if they don't hear back for a day or more. The truth is, most people won't be at all bothered. They'll get used to the fact that it takes you a day to get back to them, and they won't email expecting an instant reply.

"But if I'm not doing emails ... what will I do?"
Although not many of us would say this out loud, it's often lurking in our minds. When we're feeling stuck at work, not sure what to do next, it's easy to turn to emails. There's almost always something in our inbox that requires action – and it's often easy to see what action is needed.

New Sir, Please Put the Phone Down. 5 Tips to Free You From The Shackles of your Phone

0 comments



Are you similar to many other people and a little too attached to your cellphone? Does it seem only appropriate that when your cellphone rings you should answer it the vast majority of the time regardless of who you are with or what you are doing? Are there Twitter or Facebook alerts popping up every three seconds? Is there really anything wrong with multitasking and taking the occasional call during dinner, or checking e-mail while you are in a meeting?

Believe it or not, your cellphone is possibly causing you more harm than good. The majority of us probably need to take a look and change how we manage our cellphone use. Honestly, how many people can you see right now? How many are nursing their iPhone like it's a newborn?

Don't get me wrong, I am just as attached to my cellphone as anyone. My Droid literally changed my life; e-mail and texts are an essential part of my day and I honestly don't remember how I existed without instant access to the internet.

But, have you noticed how cellphones have a tendency to just take over and constantly demand a significant part of your attention? You can go through life on autopilot jumping from one e-mail to the next, responding to voice mail messages, and not really ever paying enough attention to the experiences happening right in front of you. It is not that you are totally oblivious to what is going on, but let's face it, if you are continually being disrupted by your cellphone, you are just not nearly as engaged as you could be.

Cellphones are literally masters of distraction and they can take your attention away from just about anything instantly and consistently.

The Negatives to Being "On Demand"
The ability to instantly connect with anyone has its advantages, but it also has its costs if not managed properly. Don't underestimate the damage caused by allowing your cellphone to constantly require you to multitask.

Research has proven that workers distracted by email and phone calls suffer from many issues, even including a fall in IQ during the period of distraction. "Those who are constantly breaking away from tasks to react to email or text messages suffer similar effects on the mind equivalent to losing a night's sleep." The same study also found multitasking has a negative physical effect, prompting the release of stress hormones and adrenaline.

And, the usual justification that multitasking allows you to accomplish more also doesn't really stand up to scrutiny. Another study confirmed that people who multitask actually end up being less efficient.

Stop Being Used By Your Cellphone
Stop allowing your cellphone to hold your attention and mind hostage. It is time to reclaim your attention span.

Now, this doesn't mean that every once in a while you can't make an exception and take a call or check an e-mail while you are doing something else. The problem is when switching back and forth from one task to cell phone management is your standard operating procedure. And, if we notice this is one of our bad habits, we need to start work on changing it.

5 Tips to Help Free You From Being Held Hostage By Your Cellphone:
  1. Turn off the ringer from time to time.
    As scary as that may sound, there are just sometimes you shouldn't be interrupted. Reserve blocks of times to devote your complete attention to things you need to get done, your kids, your spouse, your driving! Turn your ringer off during holidays and other family or alone time so you can really engage and enjoy those experiences.
  2. Turn off your notification light.
    Make a leap of faith and realize everything will not explode just because you don't instantly know when an e-mail or text message comes in. Yes, this may take some getting used to, but, it really is liberating and allows you to decide the best time to read e-mails and texts instead of always checking your phone every time you notice the notification light flashing.
  3. Use your cell phone; don't let it use you.
    It's great that you can do just about everything on your cellphone, but when you pick it up to use it, decide what you are going to do, use it, and get out. If you are going to return e-mails, then don't end up surfing around the internet. Have a plan every time you pick up your cell phone and stick to it.
  4. Screen your calls and e-mails.
    Prioritize paying attention to who you are with or what you are currently doing. Take a look at who is trying to contact you and decide if you really need to respond right away. No one really knows whether or not you are available so you can decide to not answer your cell phone unless it really is necessary.
  5. Reserve blocks of time to check your messages and respond.
    Take periods of time to check and return all your messages. Perhaps you have a block of time you take every morning, afternoon, and evening. This way your messages don't accumulate and you can be fairly confident you are not going to miss anything really time sensitive because you are checking your messages regularly. If you are a heavy user, you may need to have more check-ins throughout the day. Figure out what works best for you, but the key is to not consistently and continually check messages throughout the day.

New Why You Should Take a Digital Break (and 6 Steps To Do So

0 comments



We live in a highly digital world today. Our work requires us to use the internet in one way or another. We readily turn to emails, social media and chat messengers for daily communications, sometimes more so than face-to-face contact. Not only that, with 3G and wireless technology, we can now be connected even when we're on the go.

I'm probably a good example of what you'd call a web junkie. I'm connected to the web almost all the time, whether I'm at home, working or on the go. For one, a lot of my work is based online. I run a personal development blog which I update regularly; I do 1-1 coaching with international clients via Skype and recently I started courses online too.
In my leisure time, I surf interesting sites, watch online videos and chat with others. When I've nothing to do, my first instinct is get on the web to see what's available.

Counter-productive effects of being connected
While I found this 24/7 connectivity useful initially, after a while it felt more distracting than helpful. For example, when I'm online, I'd catch myself checking my emails, Twitter, Facebook, blog stats, etc., for updates every 10-15 minutes, even though I'm in the middle of other work.

The excessive connectivity has created false urgency where I feel the need to know what's happening lest I miss something important. Not only that, the web is so vast that it's easy to get lost in the surfing. In reading a site, one link leads to the next, and the next, and before I know it I've already spent a good chunk of time surfing sites that are not related to what I'm supposed to do. This would happen several times throughout the day.

It was counter-productive - While it seemed like i was very busy switching between checking/replying websites and doing my work, I wasn't getting much done. Administrative and micro-work yes, but not the important stuff.

Taking breaks from the digital world
So lately I tried an experiment to take a break from the digital world. Rather than work online, I disconnected and went to a quiet spot to work. There was a huge difference. Interestingly, these short, 45-60 minute breaks easily became my most productive hours for the day. My thoughts flow much easier; I’m not thinking about anything except about what I’m working on; I’m more big picture focused, and there’s just nothing distracting me.

Today, I make it a point to take digital breaks several times a day. I encourage you to try it for 30 minutes and see how it works out for you. It doesn't matter even if your work is online-based - mine is and I'm able to disconnect with no problem. Here are some tips on how you can do that:
  1. Know what exactly you want to do online.
    Without setting this intention clear, you can be easily distracted by the barrage of things online once you log on. Write a list of things you want to do that can only be done online. For example, say you're writing a report and you need to research on the topic. You also want to check your mail for updates from clients. Then, follow this list and strike each item off once it's completed. If you come across something online that's not in your list, that's a distraction and you should ignore it.
  2. Disconnect when you're done.
    Once your work online is done, you can disconnect and work on your priorities. While some of us may feel uneasy disconnecting, remember you do that every day. Think about how you go to sleep daily and things are fine when you wake up. That’s 5-8 hours of dis-connectivity right there! So don't worry about missing out on things when you go offline.
  3. Get away from your desk.
    If you want, get a change in environment. I enjoy working in quiet cafes, my living room, and recently I'm trying out quiet spots in my neighborhood. I realize different environments trigger different ideas and these are helpful for my work.
  4. Work on your priorities during the break.
    This is a great time to read on the books you’ve been meaning to read, work on those Quadrant 2 goals, brainstorm on ideas and think about the long term plans you've been putting off. It can be that upcoming vacation plan, your goals for the next 3 months, some pending issues that need to be addressed, the big project that’s coming up, etc.
  5. Go with the flow.
    Since there are no distractions you'll find ideas emerging readily. Explore each of them. Chances are you’ll get some really amazing ideas that you’ve never considered before. Some of my biggest breakthrough ideas come when I'm away from the web. For example last week, I got a great idea for my next book, and came up with the outline and content idea all during a 30-minute break.
  6. Wrap up with clear action steps.
    After you are done, pen down your next steps before you get back online. This way, you’ll be going in with a clear direction on what to do next. You might get bombarded with other messages when you go online, but follow this list to a tee and you'll be fine.

How to Make Powerful Connections Through Social Media

0 comments



Last year Facebook passed up Google for the most visited site in the world. What an interesting trend we are seeing, where people are searching for connections more than answers. Yet, for many, the full potential of social media eludes them.

One of the most impressive benefits I’ve found from social media has come from making powerful connections with my idols, mentors, and people I looked up to. We live in a remarkable time where the barriers to reaching those people are now lower than ever.


How I Met Brian Bendis From Marvel Comics
Ever since I was little, I have been a fan of superheroes. At the age of 8, I was fighting Leukemia and spent many days at Phoenix Children’s Cancer Center. One of the distractions I took advantage of was painting the hospital window of my room with whatever lit on my imagination. With my mother’s help, Spider-Man and Wolverine would watch over me as I underwent chemotherapy, surgeries, and any other cancer treatment. Those images stuck with me as I looked back on the successful life I’ve had from over a decade in remission.

Coming out of cancer survival, I had one person I always wanted to meet, Brian Michael Bendis.

Very few people outside of the comic book industry probably know who Brian M. Bendis is. However, he happens to be one of Marvel’s top writers. He’s won 5 Eisner Awards (picture Oscar’s for Comics), 9 Best Writer of the Year Awards, and many other nominations.

Thanks to the power of social media, I’ve now met with Brian Bendis, as well as made connections with other writers, artists, and industry giants. Furthermore, it has led to amazing opportunities where I’ve received autographs, read scripts, and more. All from following 6 essential steps.

6 Steps to Make Powerful Connections
Even though I use the writers, artists, and creators of one particular hobby as an example, these same steps can be used to make connections with future employers, your inspirers, business leaders, authors, more.
  • Identify Those You Want to Connect With
    Do you remember how it felt when you were a kid at Disneyland the first time? You were excited for the rides, but you also were probably excited to meet the different characters.

    Our grown up lives are not much different. We all have those people who if we happened to see on the street we’d die to go up and get a picture with, ask some questions, or get lunch together.

    Before you can make connections through social media you have to know who you want to connect with.
  • Listen
    Ever go to a book signing when you haven’t read the author’s book? Interviewed for a job without researching what the company did? Of course not, so why would you expect to start building a new relationship with someone without knowing more about them on a personal level? This may be one of the most crucial steps to connecting with others, so do it right.

    The other part to this step is knowing what to listen for. It’s quite simple, PASSION. Just because someone is a movie star, a Grammy winner, or a National Best Seller, doesn’t mean they don’t have their own personal passions.

    When I found out Brian Bendis was going to be in town I prepared. I listened to detailed hour long interviews he gave to special niche bloggers and friends. I found out from listening that his daughter at only 8 years old was co creating a new graphic novel with him. What could a father be more excited for? When I got to meet him in a crowd of hundreds, I knew what to really ask. Bendis answered question after question about all the popular books and characters, Iron-Man, Spider-Man, and The Avengers. I then asked him, “Can you tell us about your daughter’s involvement with Takio, the book she is co-creating.” He smiled and went on to share a great story. Afterwards, when I spoke with him one on one, he thanked me for asking thoughtful questions, signed some books, took a picture with me and then followed up with me on Twitter. All this because I had listened.
  • Interact
    Once you have identified and listened to what your connection is passionate about and where you can connect, the interaction becomes easier.

    See if they have a Facebook fan page, Twitter account, or LinkedIn profile. Google them to see if they have a blog or site as well. Once you have an avenue to interact, make a positive first impression.

    Another important note is to interact with the people they communicate with as well. So if you have a leader in a particular field you want to get in touch with, see who they follow, friend, and share information from. Then put yourself in their circle by taking the next step.
  • Contribute
    Possibly one of the reasons Facebook was able to pass Google in ranking was because of its ability to contribute what people wanted. We didn’t have to search for that funny video or topical article, because “so and so” on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter is already finding those things for me.

    If you want to make strong connections, you need to be recognized as a contributor as well. Find ways to add to the industry of those you want to connect with. If you know what they are passionate about, keep an eye open for any fascinating articles, videos, or content that they would love to see.

    For instance, I made a twitter account just for comic book related matters so I could contribute to that industry and therefore make connections with those involved as well. One person I wanted to reach out to was Johnjay Van Es, a popular radio dj who has 10’s of thousands of followers he might be able to send my way. Asking him directly to do that would never work, so I thought of a clever way to get his attention. After listening, I knew he always had a strong self-image. I thought he carried a resemblance to Chris Hemsworth’s Thor, so I took five minutes to edit a side by side image and sent it to him saying I saw a mighty resemblance. Two seconds later he was sharing it with all of his own followers and sent me his own comments.
  • Be Interesting, Relative, or Entertaining
    Making connections requires work, but it can be a lot of fun as well. I’ve found if you want to get the USEFUL attention you need to be interesting, relative, or entertaining.

    Even though comics carry such a negative connotation and are seen as a very small niche, I gathered many mainstream followers by commenting on current events and pop culture from a superhero perspective.

    The tweet below on Don’t Ask Don’t Tell beat out Barak Obama’s tweet on the same topic.

    “All this #DADT talk makes Thor really excited. Finally Batman and Robin can enlist in thee army without fear!”
  • Be Consistent
    The last thing to help you connect through social media is to be consistent. Just as a NBA pro has to keep making baskets or a pilot needs to land airplanes, to thrive in social media you need to be consistently interesting.

New 10 Useful (and Innovative) Windows 7 Productivity Tips

0 comments


Windows 7
I've already talked about why you should switch to Windows 7 if you haven't yet (Mac users, spare me the sarcasm). Windows 7 is without a doubt the best Windows version yet, and hence the sooner you get started with it, the better.

Now, for those who are reading this post on a browser that's installed on a Windows 7 machine, I'd like to share some neat tips and tricks that could skyrocket your productivity while working on your PC.


Yes, I have already written about how you can work productively on your Windows computer, but these tips are different and cater specifically to Windows 7 users. So, if you own a Windows 7 PC or someone in the family who has one, these techniques are for you. Check them out.
  1. Windows 7 Shortcuts
    Keyboard shortcuts can significantly enhance your productivity. Even if you love using the mouse and can't even dream of dumping it altogether for that bland keyboard, there's no harm in getting yourself acquainted with some shortcuts to speed up certain daily tasks. Here's a list of some relatively unknown, and really cool Windows 7 keyboard shortcuts.
  2. Customize Jumplists
    I love the jumplists feature in Windows 7. It allows me to quickly open the folders and windows I use frequently. Here's a guide to further customize jumplists to boost your productivity.
  3. Use Reliability Monitor To Fix Issues
    The Reliability Monitor in Windows 7 helps you analyze and troubleshoot problems that are preventing you from getting the most out of your machine. Learn how to use this tool to fix errors and other issues in Windows 7.
  4. Use Ninite to Install Multiple Software
    Ninite as such has nothing to do with Windows 7, and it works in other versions of Windows too. But I just couldn't withhold myself from mentioning it in this list. Why? Because it's awesome! You can install a huge number of popular software at one go with this tool. Super useful.
  5. Disable Aero Snap or Aero Shake
    Both Aero Snap and Aero Shake are nice features introduced in Windows 7 to help you quickly alter the placement of program windows on your screen. While the intention is to make people more productive, some of you might find them irritating. In that case, disabling aero snap and aero shake is the best option.
  6. Customize Notification Area
    Windows 7 brought along an overhauled notification area (or the system tray) to help people better manage those tiny icons. If you want to enable or hide certain icons there, check out this customizing Windows 7 notification area article to get yourself acquainted with the steps.
  7. Using Checkboxes
    This is a simple, yet innovative new feature in Windows 7 that can go a long way in enhancing your daily productivity. You can enable checkboxes for files and folders in Windows 7 so that selecting them in bulk becomes easier and quicker.
  8. Pin Any App or Folder to the Taskbar
    The new taskbar was the first thing that attracted people towards Windows 7. It was a big improvement, and the ability to pin programs to it came as a godsend for many. But do you know that you could pin just about any app or folder to it? This tutorial will teach you how to get that done.
  9. Multiple Monitors
    Windows 7 also proved to be a better option for people using multiple monitors. Check out this guide to make the most of your multiple monitors in Windows 7.
  10. Taskbar
    Yes, I already told you how good the Windows 7 taskbar is but forgot to mention that there are a ton of things you could do with it apart from pinning any app or folder. This Lifehacker guide demonstrates some of those tips and tricks.

New Top 13 Tools For Efficiently Running Your Online Business

0 comments



If you own a business, especially one that's entirely online, it is likely that you’ve got a distributed workforce. That means your employees (and contractors and partners) are located in different countries around the world.

Running an online business efficiently--and productively--requires the use of various tools and apps that can help you properly communicate with your employees, collaborate easily on multiple projects and hence compensate for the lack of everyday face-to-face interaction that happens in a real world office.

Following are ten tools that every web based business owner should consider for greater efficiency and productivity. All of these general tools that can come in handy irrespective of the type of business you run.

Basecamp
Basecamp is without a doubt the most popular web-based project management tool. Its interface is simple and easy to use, lets you create multiple projects with various customizations, share files, create to-do lists and milestones, and do much more.

Zoho Projects
Zoho Projects is usually considered ahead of Basecamp for online project management in terms of features. However, it's viewed as slightly more difficult to use. Zoho Projects has been surging in popularity since it was launched, and you should take a look at it too.

Google Apps
Google Apps is a package of popular Google tools like Gmail, Google Docs and all, allotted specifically for your domain. Needless to say, it is must-have for any online small business owner, at least for Gmail on your domain if nothing else.

Zoho Suite
Zoho Suite also offers an impressive suite of online tools for businesses (Zoho projects, discussed above, being a part of it). Ranging from docs to wiki, reports to CRM and planner to invoice, there’s a huge number of applications to choose from.

Hipchat
Hipchat is a cool group messaging service that is multi-platform, helps you share files, create chatrooms and lets you collaborate quickly with multiple people in real-time. It replaces the back and forth emails and hence saves time.

Yammer
Yammer is another tool that aims to foster better communication among a group of people. It is a private social network for your business, and has an interface similar to popular social sites (like Twitter).

Skype
Any list that talks about tools for collaboration and conducting business can’t be complete without Skype. Skype remains the defacto method for making audio and video calls online, helping people save tons in phone bills and communicate with friends and colleagues around the world.

Dropbox
Dropbox is a brilliant online backup and synchronization tool that has a host of features to suit individuals as well as small online business owners. It’s easy to setup and has a decent free plan too.

Mozy
Mozy is another popular online backup service and has a product called Mozypro that’s meant for businesses wanting to do a secure data backup on the cloud.

Freshbooks
Most of the online businesses require some form of invoicing and there’s no better tool than Freshbooks. It helps you manage invoices, track time and even manage your accounts. If you are a freelancer or a service provider who manages a team of freelancers, this is an invoicing tool you should consider using.

Pingdom
Unless you are freelancer and don’t own a site or a blog, chances are that your web business is centered around a website (or websites). Pingdom is a monitoring tool that alerts you via emails and SMS when your site goes down. This ensures that you know immediately about downtimes and can take swift action.

Evernote
Evernote can take notes on the desktop, browser and mobile, enables quick capture of anything on the screen and serves as an organization tools for random ideas, text, images and more.

Nowdothis

Last but not the least, we’ve got Nowdothis. This is the simplest of the tools mentioned so far, and yet extremely effective. It helps you get rid of the myriad to-do lists and lets you focus on one thing at a time. And that’s the best way to actually get things done. :)

New Top 12 iPhone Apps That'll Increase Your Productivity

0 comments



The best thing about iPhone is the incredible world of apps its users can access and use. But it's easy to get lost in those hundreds of thousands of apps. That means finding the right apps to enhance your productivity could in itself be an immensely unproductive exercise if you don't know what you are looking for.

Thankfully, you've got Dumb Little Man and myself to lean upon. This list will show you 12 iPhone apps that could significantly enhance your daily productivity. Like most of the lists published on this blog, this one too is diverse with all kinds of good and innovative tools.


Oh, and before I forget, if you are Android user, worry not. The next list will be for Android users. So stay tuned.

Simplenote
Simplenote is a note taking solution that has received rave reviews from various corners of the tech world. Hence it's iPhone app can be safely considered as one of the best when it comes to quickly jotting down text notes and keeping them organized.

Mint
Mint's iPhone app is a must-have if you intend to be productive with your personal finances. It's free to use and has a ton of features like easy budgeting, investment tracking, nice and detailed graphs, and many more that let you know what's going on with your hard earned money.

Lucyphone
Don't you feel frustrated when you are kept waiting for a long time in the call queue of a customer service department? Who wants to hold that long, right? Well, get Lucyphone on your iPhone and get rid of that problem. You just need to give them a number to call you back on. The app will do that when it can get a customer service rep on the call. Cool, isn't it?

Remote
Apple's remote app for iOS devices could come in extremely handy when you don't want to manually shuffle songs in iTunes on your computer again and again. You could use it on occasions like a party at home, to quickly change music. Here's a detailed guide on remote controlling iTunes using the iPhone Remote app. If you have Apple TV, you can use your iPhone as the remote to access your iTunes account on your TV.

Instapaper
Instapaper is undoubtedly one of my favorite services that I use every day. That makes its iPhone app one of my favorites too. It can make your daily dose of reading so much more productive.

Twitter's iPhone App
For a long time I thought that Twitter's official iPhone app is inferior to the other third-party Twitter apps out there. Turns out I was wrong. I discovered two months back that the official Twitter app has features that can make you much more productive while using Twitter on your iPhone. Make sure you give it a shot.

Dropbox
You've heard about Dropbox, haven't you? Well, this online backup service has a pretty cool iPhone app too. It lets you easily access important files on your iPhone and also do a lot of other things. Do check it out.

ReQall
The ReQall iPhone app does many things but it's mainly focused on reminders. And it's really good at organizing the reminders and helping you know what you need to do at the right time.

Evernote
Evernote is without a doubt the most popular note-taking organizational tool out there. It has got some amazing features for sure, and it recently gave a complete overhaul to its iPhone app to make it better. It's a must-have app for your iPhone.

TripDeck
When it comes to efficient and productive planning for your upcoming trip, the Tripdeck iPhone app really stands out. Be it organizing your travel itinerary, managing hotel reservations or flights, finding phone numbers that matter....it just has a lot to offer for the traveler.

Bump
Bump is one of the most innovative tools I've ever come across. If you are at a conference or a party, and want to share stuff like your contact details or photos with someone there who also has an iPhone, then using this app you could just bump your phones together and the sharing is taken care of. Cool and easy.

Jott
Finally, we've got Jott for iPhone that can quickly convert voice to text. You can send emails, take notes, post to Twitter and do much more, all using your voice. There are many more features that you'll come to know once you start using the app.

New Top 12 Android Apps That'll Increase Your Productivity

1 comments



So, as promised in my previous article on iPhone apps that make you more productive, here I am with a similar list for Android users.

There are no two opinions on the fact that if there's any other mobile operating system that can surpass the mighty iOS, it is Android. It has surely come a long way since it was first introduced 2 years ago. With major mobile handset manufacturers like HTC and Samsung backing it, one can now choose from a variety of Android phones that are available.

Android's app market, like the iTunes App Store, is huge. Hence checking out this list before hunting for productivity apps there would make sense in my opinion. Rest, I am sure there are good apps that I might have missed. And that's exactly why we have the comments section. Make sure you list your favorite apps there after you are done checking these out.

Slide Screen
Slide Screen is the perfect replacement for your dull Android home screen. It displays information like SMS, Google Reader, Gmail, phone calls, calendar and much more on the home screen, all in a neat and easy to navigate interface. Saves time for sure.

Dolphin Browser HD
Android's default browser is ok but not great. Hence you should try out Dolphin Browser HD that has advanced features and enhances your phone browsing productivity. Check out these awesome Dolphin browser tips to know more about the tool.

Springpad
Springpad can help you quickly save and organize products, places and notes. Even things like movies and recipes can be organized in neat lists and referred to later when needed.

Evernote
Evernote, the formidable online note taking solution, is available for Android too. Like its iOS counterpart, it is free, integrates seamlessly with your online Evernote account, and is hassle-free to operate.

Jorte
Jorte is pretty nifty personal organization app for Android devices. It is calendar based and has custom styles to suit every user. The intention is to give the feel of a paper organizer, and make it easy to use.

Dropbox
The popular online backup and sync tool has an Android app that lets you quickly access your My Dropbox folder from your Android phone. Photos and videos can be directly saved to it so that you don't lose them if you lose the phone.

Time Recording
Time Recording isn't an app that every Android user would know about. It lets you efficiently manage your timesheet, and I feel that each of us, whether or not we go to an office every day, can make use of this tool. Try it out.

PageOnce Travel
PageOnce travel is a travel itinerary manager for Android. It can check details like weather, flight information, reservations, car rentals, routes and much more, all in real-time. The interface is nicely designed too.

Advanced Task Killer
Just like it happens in a computer, a lot of tasks or programs running in the background can make your phone sluggish. Advanced Task Killer can quickly kill applications and tasks that shouldn't be running at the first place. The app is extremely popular, and chances are that you use it already. If you haven't yet, you may give it a shot now.

Expensify
Need your Android phone to record and generate quick expense reports? Expensify can do that for you. Cash transactions can be entered manually, and you can use the phone's camera to take snaps of the receipts which could then be uploaded to this app.

Lastpass
Lastpass is probably the best password management solution out there. It's Android app is a good one but available only for the premium customers of the service. Good news is that its premium subscription costs only $1 per month. Worth it if you ask me.

The New World versus the Old World: Are You Being Left Behind

0 comments



The second or third question in virtually any introduction is, “So, what do you do?” What’s your answer to that question? For most people it has something to do with their career, job title, or the company they work for. It makes sense. Our identity is tied to the value that we bring into the world and historically that value means our profession.

Back in the day our profession was actually a part of our name - George the Barber,
Bob the Builder, Dora the Explorer...that’s how a lot of last names were first created.

In earlier generations, people tended to have the same profession and work at the same company for their entire working life. For many people, their profession and company weren’t just a huge component of their identity, but also a real source of pride.

But that was the old world. Things have changed.

Are you Familiar with the New World?
In the new world it doesn’t really matter where you went to school, what your major was, what your profession is, what company you work for, or what job title is on your business card. Seriously. Unless you're a doctor, college majors mean less then ever. People switch careers more frequently than ever. People change companies about every three years. Everyone has an impressive-sounding job title (“Account Executive” can mean anything from entry level telemarketer to an executive in charge of a major business account). No one really takes resumes at face value...they tend to be meaningless.

Even though everyone knows that these things basically mean nothing, it still winds up being the main way we introduce ourselves and communicate our value. Whether we want our identity to have a lot to do with our job or not, we still introduce ourselves as “I’m [name] and [description of job].”

There is a disconnect here because in our hearts we don’t want our value to be tied to something so uncertain and meaningless as our company or career. We want our value to be tied to something that we own. Something that can’t be taken from us. Most of us don’t want someone else to hold our identity hostage…we want the freedom to define ourselves and the control of our own identity.

But many of us are stuck in the old world thought process.

The New World is Full of Risk and Opportunity
A special few have noticed this new world and taken full advantage of it. They recognize that careers and companies have limited security and give little real value. They’ve decided that they need to make their own value, their own identity, so that the “what do you do?” question takes on a completely different meaning.

As the world is moving toward this intense individualism, the barrier to entry in business and mass communication has almost disappeared. A guy with a laptop can build a multi-million dollar business with nothing more than high quality advice and really solid marketing skills. A girl with a desktop can deliver news, information, and advice and build a following without having to climb a corporate ladder at a newspaper, magazine, or television station. An actor can produce a show watched by millions without getting a television deal.

This combination means that anyone with motivation has the means by which to create their own value and their own identity. Everyone has an ability to create proof of their talent, knowledge, and skills. We no longer have to rely on our resumes, references, companies, or work experiences to define our value. We can set off and create something that offers tangible proof of it.

That idea can be a bit scary. Many of us actually rely on the fact that no one really knows what anyone is actually worth. If no one really has proof then corporate success is up to the person who talks a good game or networks the best. If we were required to prove our worth we wouldn’t even know how to do it. We’d probably fall back and describe a past work challenge that we may or may not be exaggerating. If you actually have to put something out there to prove your value then what happens if it’s not good enough? Putting yourself on the line in that way can be terrifying.

Because it might not be good enough…yet.

The artists have the right start in this new world. For an artist it rarely matters where you studied or where you’ve worked, it matters what you can create. Resumes mean little. Portfolios speak volumes. The conversation is less “this is what I will be able to do” and more “this is what I’ve done already.” That’s how artists have to demonstrate their value because people demand visual proof.

Good salespeople have the right start in this world. They can point to sales data to show results in graphs and percentages that aren’t easily exaggerated. And of course those with successful online businesses or blogs can point people to their website and traffic/conversion data to demonstrate their value.

What These Changes Mean For You Today

Now this isn’t just a call to arms about becoming an online entrepreneur or a blogger (although both those things are certainly strong starting points), but I am saying that if you cannot easily prove your value to the world and to the marketplace by pointing to something that you’ve created or accomplished, then the new business world is leaving you behind.

If you do have a blog, or a business, or a portfolio, or anything like that then you should have the mindset that it equals your value. It’s not enough to put out interesting articles or optimize your opt in rate or any of that kind of stuff. What you do is your value. What you say is your value. Your impact in the lives of others is your value. It is no longer just a hobby or a side project or a money-making scheme. With Google, Facebook, and the rest of social media connecting everything to everyone, what you put out there defines you.

Now this article is a pretty heavy/serious one, which I typically avoid. In fact, I’m normally the guy who shows people how to stop taking themselves so damn seriously when it comes to their online business or blog or life. But I feel strongly that anyone who is not actively proving and improving their value in a public way will be missing out in this new world. I also feel strongly that anyone already out there who isn’t looking at their venture as, at least partially, a demonstration of their value to the world will be left behind by those who do.

New 9 Free Programs That'll Help You Build a Side Business

0 comments



The traditional view of a small business is changing.

There was a time when building a business involved joint ventures and angel investors. It involved asking the bank for a big business loan to cover overhead costs until you turn a profit. If you had the dream to start a business, you needed to invest a lot of money.

No more – today's business, particularly a web-based business, has very little overhead. Want to start writing for a living? Have a service that you wish to offer? You can build a business presence with free software that has all the features you need to get started.


Here are 9 different software alternatives to “brand name” software that can get your business up and running quickly, with no financial investment:
  • LibreOffice/Google Docs (replaces Microsoft Word/Powerpoint/Excel)
    First, if you need to work with documents, you need software that can handle them. Unfortunately, while Word is the standard, Microsoft has priced it out so that any business looking for the latest software with no money is left in the dust. LibreOffice (formerly OpenOffice) is a powerful, free desktop office suite that can handle virtually all types of documents. With LibreOffice, you won't miss Microsoft Office for a second.

    If you want to go even lighter on your desktop, you can use Google Docs, which lives entirely within your Web browser. Again, you can use these tools to replace Microsoft Office pretty easily, and if you don't need to do any ultra-fancy formatting, they are more than adequate.
  • Gmail (replaces Microsoft Outlook)
    If you have separate business and personal email addresses, the last thing you want is to have to switch back and forth between them. Many people use Microsoft Outlook to handle all of their email addresses, so that they only have one place that they have to look. Instead, try using Gmail. Gmail makes it easy to handle multiple email addresses, and it runs light and quick. So if you need to search through your vast backlog of email, you have the speed and power of Google behind it. Gmail offers a number of other great little tools, but the ability to easily handle multiple email addresses is at the top of the list.
  • Evernote (replaces OneNote)
    Brainstorming is a valuable practice in a business. Whether you are keeping track of your latest ideas or just fleshing out your latest campaign, having a centralized place to store your thoughts is valuable. Microsoft OneNote is a handy piece of software, but it is expensive. Instead, sign up for Evernote, and store your thoughts online. There, you can access them from anywhere so if you are out and about and have that great business idea, you can pull out your phone and get it into Evernote (via an Evernote app or by texting through Twitter) so that you will not forget it. Their excellent notebook/tagging organizing scheme makes finding any of your thoughts as efficient as possible.
  • Spreadsheet/ClearCheckbook (replaces Microsoft Money/Quicken)
    Tracking all of your expenses and income is a hassle, especially if you have separate business expenses. While many choose to use Mint for their finances, I much prefer handling the transaction record keeping myself. Set up a spreadsheet in LibreOffice or Google Docs (Google Docs even has a great template for it), and you can keep track of your finances on your own. Or, you can use a service like ClearCheckbook, which gives you a few more reporting options. Either way, the bloated price of dedicated financial software just isn't worth it.
  • MailChimp (replaces Aweber)
    The power of your business is in your email list. You need subscribers that are interested in hearing from you on a regular basis, so put a sign-up box on your home page and encourage people to sign up to receive updates, free reports, etc. The industry standard seems to be Aweber, which is a very powerful tool, but it comes at a cost. Instead, MailChimp offers free emailing for a large number of subscribers, so you can keep your overhead low while you build your list (their interface is a little more pleasant, too, in my book).
  • Google Voice (replaces a separate phone line)
    If you are dealing with clients, you don't want to be passing out your home phone number or your personal cell number, either. Who has the money to afford a separate business line? Instead, sign up for a free phone number from Google Voice and have it routed to your cell phone or your home phone. Then, you can block numbers, set up special voice mail messages, and do a ton more without having to pay for a separate line or service.
  • Gimp (replaces Adobe Photoshop)
    One of the “necessary evils” of graphic design has been Photoshop. A powerful and useful tool, Photoshop is also incredibly expensive. If you are looking to save money, Gimp is a free tool that works very similarly to Photoshop. The interface is slightly different, but once you use it (and search around for a few tutorials), you can use it for plenty of graphic design and desktop publishing purposes.
  • Scribus (replaces Adobe InDesign)
    Creating a publication, whether it is a magazine or a newsletter, can be a pain without the right software. Again, Adobe claims the standard with InDesign, but Scribus is a free tool that offers much of the same functionality, allowing you to create elegant and beautiful PDFs and printed documents with little hassle (and no cost).
  • Ubuntu (replaces a new computer)
    Finally, if you want to run a business but worry that your old computer can't handle it, you may be looking at getting a new computer. But instead of wasting hundreds of dollars on a new PC or Mac, try installing Ubuntu. Ubuntu is a version of Linux that feels and acts a bit like Windows or Mac OS X, but without the bloat. You may be able to give that old computer new life and save yourself an expensive purchase
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...