Check out this video by Ryan Carson, a super-organized guy who often blogs earnest explanations of his work methods. For his to-do list, Carson uses a combination of OmniOutliner and Hipster PDA. His method requires quite a bit of dedication on a daily basis, but it’s simple enough for us mortals to imagine giving it a whirl.
Every Monday morning Carson spend a half an hour reviewing his list of tasks and moving items to a “This Week” folder. Then, each day, he culls items from the week for a “Today” folder. At the end of each day, unfinished tasks go back in “This Week.” And while on the go, Carson takes notes on future tasks using pen and paper, and makes a point of inputting them into OmniOutliner upon his return to his desk.
Chris has reviewed Todoz and Stikkit for WWD. Anne is a steadfast devotee of pen and paper. Me? Well… I don’t have a favorite to-do tool at the moment. After watching Carson’s testimonial, I just downloaded OmniOutliner, though. Suffice to say I’d take any suggestions under careful consideration!
Microsoft launched its new Vista operating system, Office 2007 suite, and Exchange Server 2007 today, for corporate customers. The consumer version is scheduled to be offered in January of 2007. Even if this were the consumer launch, would it matter to web workers? Is Microsoft still relevant to those of us who spend increasing amounts of time within the browser?
For the subset of web workers who use Mac or Linux operating systems, a new version of Windows won’t make any difference at all. Those who use Windows might look forward to the Flip and Flip 3D window management feature that’s part of the UI improvements and the security upgrades that should reduce malware infections. Vista includes Internet Explorer 7, so if you’re an IE user and haven’t already upgraded, that will certainly change your online life.
As new web services come online, I move more and more of my work off the desktop and into my browser of choice: Firefox. What about you? What desktop software and operating system capabilities still matter to you? What parts of your work life have totally migrated into the cloud?
There has been a recent shift in this Web 2.0 world that has seen a move from garage startups to cafe startups. Could it be the price of renting office, or garage space vs. hanging out in cafes? Recent reports have garages renting out at $100/month in the valley.
Compare that to three lattes, two coffee’s, a few biscuits a day at Starbucks and obviously price cant be the main determining factor can it? So what has stemmed this move? The biggest factor might be associating with like minded individuals, and the opportunities that lye within.
Cafe’s are a great place to not only work comfortably, and a little cheaper, but a place to strike up conversations with individuals that could quite potentially have complementing products or services, or lead you in the right directions to improve, or sell your offerings.
What are your views on this new shift. Do you see this as a good move by entrepreneur’s to hang out in coffee shops building their businesses? Maybe you use a local cafe as your office to make deals and do business? How is it working out for you?
With the holiday season approaching, you might be making your own wish list or planning your gift shopping for a favorite web worker. Perhaps you just want to make your office or cubicle as comfortable and productive as possible. Here are six ideas to get you started.
Read the rest of this entry »
BlackBerry Pearl, Cingular 3125, Cingular BlackJack, and T-Mobile Dash
These devices, and the new Samsug BlackJack by Cingular, have definitely taken us by surprise. Suddenly our full featured smartphone does not have to weight a ton, look like a brick, and require a belt piece to carry it around.
By Pierre Khawand
Beware, the BlackBerry Pearl can sweep you off your feet!
The first of these devices that I used was the BlackBerry Pearl from T-Mobile which I got on Sept 12, 2006, the day it was released, and used it for 9 days. I have to say that I fell in love with this device right away. The trackball, which is the trackwheel replacement, makes so much sense. The menu and return buttons next to it make even more sense. This coupled with the BlackBerry interface that is full of clever shortcuts, especially when it comes to typing, makes the device a pleasure to work with and plenty of immediate gratification as you roll your way through the menus, and click, and escape to your heart’s content.
Read the rest of this entry »
When you work from the confines of your home office, is there really any time off?
In many cases our ability to make a decent living is directly correlated to the amount of work we can done, which more often than not means that there is never an off switch. Even if you take a break or a vacation, the business (and its problems) are always on your mind. Those who work in an office, get to leave their problems/work behind when on vacation.
But for web workers, work comes with them. Or at least for some of us!
If business is on your mind, how do you really disconnect – leave the Blackberry behind, get off the WiFi and just soak in the sun. What are your tips and tricks for taking a deep breath, and disconnecting? More importantly, how do web workers’ really take a vacation?
Being a web worker, or a self employed individual, the time to do any accounting might not always be in the mix. Concentrating on work, and sales are number one. Investigating and trying out the available software on the market can be extremely timely and shifts your focus away from the core of your business.
Accounting does have to get done, and there are software packages out there that make it easier and fit nicely into your daily routines. The top accounting software package out there seems to be QuickBooks. This powerful application may have very easy to use billing, invoicing, payment and reports. It does seem a bit of an overkill, so we decided to ask you what are your feelings about Quickbooks? Are there other packages out there that you would recommend to fellow web workers?
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving today in the U.S., but even if you’re not, any day’s a good day to feel thankful. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can make you happier. So join with me in thinking about how your life is made better by web work.
Read the rest of this entry »
