Posts Tagged ‘iPhone’

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Review: Byline for iPhone

Friday, July 16th, 2010

My regular readers know I am big on aggregating content and taking it with me on the go.

I use Google Reader to manage all my blogs, and the mobile version of Google Reader is okay for reading blogs on my phone, but it didn’t really do it for me. I like being able to load content and access it even if I’m not connected (like on the Metro).

I’d read review of several RSS reader programs for the iPhone, and none of them excited me until I found Byline.

I’m using the free ad-supported version, and I don’t find the ads intrusive at all. Here’s a screen shot of the preview page. The ad at the top isn’t intrusive. There is one ad per 10 items, so in this shot, I have 9 items and only one ad.

What is really nice about Byline is that it caches longer articles for later reading. See the little blue arrow at the right of an article? That indicated cached content.

Open the abstract version of the article to see if you want to read more.

If you do, tap the arrow in the upper right corner, and it takes you to the expanded version of the article.

Caching can be done over WiFi for those who downgraded their iPhone data plan and no longer have unlimited data.

My usual procedure now is to sync Byline before I leave the house and catch up on blog posts throughout the day. A good use of time and technology, in my opinion.

Anyone else have a mobile RSS reader to rave about? I’m always willing to try a new iPhone app.

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Posted in Time and Task Management | 1 Comment »

Updated: When I Blog

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Last month, I wrote a post on when I write my blog posts. Ironically, that post was obsolete the day after I posted it. Because that’s when I decided to change my writing schedule.

I can write blog posts anytime. I can only work on my book in the morning. So I was using my time inefficiently. I’ve been working on my new schedule for about a month now, and I’ve decided it works. Hopefully, I won’t change it again the day after I post this.

Having a number of posts in the can still doesn’t work for me. I need the sense of urgency to write every day. One or two written in advance works well, but I don’t keep consistent if I have more than that.

What has changed is when I do my daily writing. Previously, I wrote each day’s post that morning. What I do now is write a tomorrow’s post in the late morning or afternoon, depending on the rest of my schedule.

As soon as I get up, I review, publish and schedule my tweets about the post. That is always done before 9:00. Then later in the day, I find/make time to write the next post. Rinse and repeat the next day.

This preserves my morning creative time for my book while still getting my blog post written. I still do most of my blog writing on my phone, using Evernote. When I get back in the evening, I sync Evernote, and I’m ready to cut and paste into Wordpress.

I used to write in Wordpress for iPhone, but I’ve started using Evernote instead. Wordpress for iPhone gave me some problems, and Evernote is more stable.

Moral of this post? Just because something has been working for you, don’t hesitate to change it when it stops working.

Anyone else want to share when you write your posts? Or something that used to work but doesn’t now?

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iPhone 1 Year Review

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2010

I recently passed my iPhone one year anniversary, and I thought I would reflect on what, if any, changes it’s made in my life and business. And no, downloading iOS4 yesterday didn’t influence this at all.

Let me start by saying that the iPhone has made bigger changed in both areas than almost any other piece of tech I’ve owned. Arguably, my first Palm OS device was bigger because it launched me from an analog and paper world to primarily digital, but in practical application, I still think the iPhone was bigger.

My old Blackberry introduced me to mobile email and frustrated me because it couldn’t cut it as a solo device. I still had a Palm organizer, an MP3 player and a stand-alone ebook reader.

Then I got the iPhone. One device does it all, and it does it all well. I can walk out the door with wallet, keys and my phone and manage my entire day. I’ve never been able to get away with so little.

Lots of people are writing about simplifying their life by getting rid of smartphones and other tech. Frankly, I think they are nuts. By having everything I need in one small package, my life is simpler. One thing that makes this possible is “Airplane Mode,” where I can disconnect completely while still having access to my productivity tools. My old Blackberry was much harder to disconnect from.

I’m almost completely paperless now. With a really good way to manage my calendar and tasks, I don’t need a paper organizer. Evernote allows me to take and keep quick “notes to self.”

But it’s not just lack of paper. My netbook could have allowed that. The iPhone allows me to have everything I need with me at all times. Oops! I can’t remember exactly where my next meeting is? No problem, I have the email where we set up the meeting in Evernote. Do I have time on the Metro to work? No problem. I’m actually writing this post on the train to a meeting in Bethesda

I don’t even wear a watch anymore. The iPhone fulfills that function too.

Plus books, music, movies and, don’t forget, Plants vs. Zombies! I use it for work, and I’m more productive. I use it to relax. It goes with me on vacation (in Airplane mode, of course). I kind of can’t remember what life was like before it.

I don’t think Blackberrys can do everything my iPhone can. ‘Droid phones probably can. I have mixed feelings on the iPad. One of my friends uses it more than his iPhone now. I think it’s a great device. But the portability factor of the iPhone can’t be beat.

And now off to play with my new OS. And dream about my future upgrade to an iPhone 4.

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Posted in iPhone | 1 Comment »

Disconnect or Not?

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

Yesterday, I read @ariherzog’s post on “Why Social Media is Dangerous for Your Brain.”

I agreed with some of what he said, but not all, or even most of it.

I completely agree that we can’t multitask. We think we can, but we can’t. Can we do multiple things at once? Sure we can. But we don’t do either (any) of them as well as when we do one at a time. I used to think I could, but over time I’ve realized I was wrong. About the only multitasking I can do is listen to music while I do something else. I do write better with music in the background. But that’s it.

Where I don’t agree with him is on his minimalist approach with social media and mobile devices. If you know me even a little bit, you know I don’t go anywhere without my iPhone. But it doesn’t control my life. I control it. If I need to concentrate, I put it in Airplane Mode. Then I can use it for music and tracking my tasks, but I can’t be distracted by phone calls, email and texts.

Lots of people are writing about the dangers of technology and the over abundance of information. I don’t think they are inherently dangerous. I do think we give up control to technology. But that’s our choice.

I do choose to keep my phone with me most of the time. But I also choose when it is allowed to distract me.

I do choose to engage in social media. But I also choose when and for how long.

I love having access to information, in just about any format I could want. Again, I choose when to connect and when to disconnect. Yes, I love to surf the web. I also very much like curling up with a good book and losing myself in a page. (Okay, in my case the page is electronic too.)

Technology can be used for good. It can also be used incorrectly or in ways that are harmful. I’m not going to disagree with that. I believe it’s our responsibility as human beings to know the difference and make better choices.

Government and society can’t protect us from ourselves. And we’re fooling ourselves if we think they can.

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Posted in social media | 3 Comments »

Review: Twitter for iPhone

Friday, May 28th, 2010

I’ve used a bunch of Twitter clients, both for my PC and my iPhone, so I wasn’t really interested in trying yet another one. I’ve been very happy with Tweetdeck for my PC and iPhone for several months now.

But when the new Twitter for iPhone came out and one of my friends was tweeting about it, I decided to give it a try. And I like it!

It’s a very clean interface. Nothing to get in the way of reading tweets.

Tapping a tweet gives you the option to tap links. It also previews pictures from many of the Twitter picture sites.

@jarehart might not be too happy with me over this one :)

Tapping to the user information gives you a nice screen with lots of information, including, as you can see, whether the other person is following you back. Not every Twitter client gives you that, and I think it’s a nice feature.

Yay! @jarehart is following me back

One of the things I really like is the nested DM conversations.

@ccooks3 and I having a nice chat over #ngagedc

Makes it look like a chat screen or the messages screen in iPhone.

What’s the thing I like the best? It’s fast! Tweetdeck is great for scrolling between columns. In Twitter for iPhone, you have to go to another menu and pull up lists one at a time, which is kind of a pain. But, with Tweetdeck, you have to wait for all the lists to load before you can do much with the program. I spend most of my time on Edge (for battery life). That means I sometimes have to wait for a couple of minutes before I can do anything with it. Twitter for iPhone is up, loaded, and I’m tweeting within seconds, even over Edge!

What do I dislike the most? Retweeting only works using the new style retweet (no editing). I figured out a workaround by using “Quote Tweet” and then editing to remove the quotes and add the RT, but it’s not as easy at tapping “Retweet” in other apps.

This is the screen to quote a tweet

It’s the Twitter app I’ve been using the most for the last week, and I definitely think it’s a keeper!

What did you think of all the pictures? Call me slow, but I finally figured out how to take iPhone screen shots!

Have a great weekend. I won’t be blogging on Monday (Memorial Day), but I’ll be back on Tuesday.

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Posted in social media | 1 Comment »

Working On the Go

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Time management is tough. Believe me, I know. As business owners, we have a lot of demands on our time and not enough hours in the day.

As a result, I hate to waste any time, especially time when I’m out of the house. So I make sure I always have something to do. If someone is running late for an appointment, I don’t fret about the time I spend waiting because I’ve got something productive to do.

What kind of work can you do on the go?

Email is the obvious one. If you have a smart phone, netbook or iPad, you can check your email almost anywhere. It’s possible to burn through a lot of messages in a short period of time if that’s all you’re focused on.

Are you working on a writing project? Again, a netbook or smartphone can keep you writing on the go. I do all my content creation in Evernote. It doesn’t matter where I am. I can always pull out my iPhone and write something. What I work on is automatically backed up, so when I get back to my computer, I can seamlessly pick up where I left off.

What about all those books you intend to read? Have one with you at all times. Then when you have a few minutes between appointments, you can catch up on your reading. I do set reading boundaries. Because almost all of my reading is on my iPhone, I always have both fiction and non-fiction with me. I use my time during working hours to keep up with non-fiction, and I leave the fiction for off hours.

Maybe you’re editing something? You can either print it out and work on it by hand or bring it with you electronically. You can do the same with forms or other paperwork you need to complete. Keep a sample with you at all times.

Those are my suggestions. Anyone else have their on-the-go working ideas to share? Talk about them in the comments. Looking forward to learning more tips.

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Posted in Time and Task Management | 1 Comment »

Video Email–I’m Not a Fan

Wednesday, April 28th, 2010

Last week, I received a video email. I’ve gotten a few of them in the last year or so, and I don’t like them.

Yes, they are very personal. You can see expressions and context completely lacking in the written word. And I admit they do have a “geeky cool” factor to them which really should appeal to my inner tech nerd.

But I had to spend several minutes to come up with two (pretty weak) things to like about them. Which I guess says it all.

Why do I not like them? Keep in mind that some of what I will say dates me. I am in my forties, after all.

The biggest thing I didn’t like was that I couldn’t view it on my phone. The service used by the sender converted the video into Flash. I can’t view Flash video on my iPhone. The email was an RSVP for an event, and that day was the deadline to respond. I received the email in the morning, and I couldn’t “read” it until I got home in the evening. That was annoying. And not a minor annoyance considering the popularity of the iPhone.

The other thing I didn’t like was that it was video. I read very fast. In the time it took me to watch the video, I could have read and responded to the email.

Maybe this is just me, but it’s why I don’t like video blogs or video news. I like to skim a paragraph or two and decide if the rest is worth reading. I might have the patience for a 2-minute video. Any longer than that, and I probably won’t watch it.

After watching the video email, I thought about what it would be like to get most of my email that way. A very terrifying thought. Email would take 2-3 times as long if it were primarily video.

So I guess my position is pretty clear. Not a fan. It probably won’t come as a surprise that I haven’t embraced the video phone concept either.

Anyone else want to share an alternate view?

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Posted in General | 3 Comments »

Review: Opera Mini for iPhone

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Last week, Opera Mini for iPhone was finally approved by the App Store. It was a long-awaited app, and many had been concerned it wouldn’t be approved by Apple.

The response to the new browser was so overwhelming that it was downloaded over one million times on its first day of release. Clearly there was significant pent-up need and a general dissatisfaction with Safari, the native iPhone browser.

I was one of those one million folks who downloaded, and I wanted to write up a quick review of the app after using it for a little less than a week.

In a word. Wow!

It is an improvement in almost every way over Safari. Its biggest selling point is speed. I was never particularly unhappy with Safari’s speed. I would even sometimes wait patiently for a web page to download over Edge. I took it as the price of mobile browsing.

I’m delighted to say that patience is not a price we have to pay any longer. Last Wednesday, when the app was released, I had a meeting with a client who also has a iPhone. At the end of our session, we did a speed test.

Full disclosure. The test was not completely fair. One of us was running an iPhone 3GS and the other was running a 3G. The 3GS is a slightly faster phone, even over Edge, which was the network setting we used. Figured the best test was to use the slowest of all the options. It also minimized the 3GS’ slight advantage.

We both opened our browsers and did a Google search on my website. Once we both had it in our search screens, we started the clock and tapped the links.

The results? 12 seconds to completely load the page in Opera Mini. 35 seconds in Safari!

Remember the 3G vs. 3GS difference? The phone running Safari was the 3GS, the slightly faster machine.

So yeah, Opera Mini is fast.

But is speed really everything? What about other features? Opera Mini wins hands down on those as well.

When you load the program, you get a very nice splash screen grid with slots for quick bookmarks. Some are pre-loaded (weather, etc), but you can customize. Saves tapping for the bookmark menu for the sites you use the most.

Opera Mini prompts to remember user names and passwords. Safari does not. Even when there is a box “Remember me,” and I click it, Safari never remembers. Obviously, I don’t use this for really sensitive stuff like financial information. But if someone steals my phone and can hack my Google Reader account, I’m not going to lose too much sleep.

The only drawback I’ve seen so far is that I don’t like the way Google Reader looks in Opera. I like the look a screen layout better in Safari. Not sure why it’s different, but it is.

And of course there’s no way to set Opera Mini as the default browser, so you’re stuck with Safari if you click on email links or links from your Twitter or Facebook client.

But I can live with those. Opera Mini is now on my first screen. Safari has to live with being on the second one, and it may eventually move farther back.

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Posted in iPhone | 1 Comment »

Social Media Time Schedule

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

I get asked all the time, “What is your schedule for checking in with social media?” I guess if enough of you are interested, it’s worth me writing about.

My typical day looks something like this:

1. Wake up and pummel brain into activity with reading light fiction (works better for me than coffee)

2. Read blogs in Google Reader and check Twitter (if I have time)

3. Write blog post for the day (and maybe tomorrow if the next day looks particularly crowded). I check my @1to1Discovery mentions at this time and respond if needed. Some days, this is my only Twitter check-in.

4. Head off to a meeting (client or one to one)

5. Eat lunch (preferably at home) and catch up on Twitter or blogs

6. Race off to afternoon meetings.

7. Exercise after meetings and before any evening networking events

8. If there’s no evening event, touch social media again, this time mostly fun stuff. It’s important to catch up on the latest Doctor Who news and fanfiction.

I do try to get to meetings early and check Twitter on my iPhone. In 15 minutes, I can catch up on the important stuff.

Since social media is part of what I do for a living, I probably spend more time on it than many. And even I’m not on it all day.

By the way, you’ll notice I didn’t mention Facebook. I do check Facebook, but it comes in through Tweetdeck with my Twitter stream, so I don’t always think of them as separate.

I do try to space out my social media activity, but if you follow me on Twitter, you’ve probably noticed I tend to tweet in bursts. That’s because I’m on in bursts. I’ve started to use Hootsuite to schedule some of my tweets, especially ones that aren’t time sensitive. But I never delay retweets. Those go out as I see ‘em.

One thing that helps me from spending too much time is to check social media between other appointments. If I know I have only 15 minutes, I’m a lot more efficient than if I have two hours in front of me.

I hope this was helpful. Social media is an effective way to grow your business. And you can engage in the media without it becoming a second life.

Anyone else have good tips to share?

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Posted in Time and Task Management | 3 Comments »

Updated Evernote Review

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Several months ago, I wrote a review of Evernote, and I very much liked the program. In fact, I like it so much that I’ve discovered new ways to use it, and I wanted to share my observations.

First, if you didn’t read the earlier review, Evernote is a cross-platform program that allows you to capture and access information in multiple places and across multiple devices. Captured items can be tagged and organized into different notebooks.

When I was writing the social media proposal for my restaurant client, I did some research on how other restaurants were using social media. I organized all my research in Evernote. I clipped web pages, imported .pdf files and wrote my notes. When I finished the proposal, I imported it into Evernote. When you sign up for an Evernote account, you even get an Evernote email address. This allows you to forward or bcc your Evernote account on emails. Truly you can keep everything associated with a project in one place.

You can tag notes as To-Do items, which allows you to use it as a task manager as well. If I didn’t love Action Lists for my iPhone so much, I would use Evernote as my task manager. But imagine being able to aggregrate everything from a project: emails, notes, websites, task lists, etc in one place. No more fumbling from one folder, computer, etc to another.

Your on-line account syncs to every device using Evernote, so I can get to all my files from both computers and my iPhone. Evernote works on most smartphones, so you can have it with you all the time.

I use it to jot down blog post ideas, clip and save websites, write reminder notes and keep work-related documents. If I’d really been thinking on my last trip, I would have saved my itinerary and other electronic trip documents in Evernote. Next time!

I’ve been meaning to keep a journal for years. Everytime I start, I end up stopping because I haven’t found a good way to keep the journal up to date on my portable device and computer. Not a problem any longer. I set up a “Journal” notebook in Evernote. Now I can write at my computer or on my phone, and the same information is in both places.

Anyone else use Evernote and want to share your experiences? Any questions for me about how to use Evernote to better manage tasks and documents?

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