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Distraction-free Writing Is Distracting to Me

November 24th, 2009 (4:00pm) Will Kelly 3 Comments

Like over 300,000 other Mac users who downloaded the MacHeist nanoBundle (as covered by Simon), I received WriteRoom as part of the package’s bevy of software. This lightweight word processor promises distraction-free writing. Having read about it and the productivity concepts underlying it in the past (here’s an old WWD post from Leo about distraction-free writing tools, for example), I was interested in giving it a spin to see if it could help me.

In a word, I found WriteRoom distracting. Here’s why: Read the rest of this entry »

Capture Ideas On the Go: Idea Organizer for the iPhone

November 24th, 2009 (11:00am) Darrell Etherington 2 Comments

There’s one thing I can count on having on me at all times, and that’s my iPhone. It stands to reason, then, that in a pinch, my Apple wonder device is what I turn to in order to keep track of stray ideas and thoughts that might otherwise go unrecorded, lost forever to the ether. Imagine where we’d be if the Snuggie inventor hadn’t been able to record that gem.

Idea Organizer is an app for the iPhone that I recently discovered that makes logging those ideas incredibly easy. There are other ways to do what it does, some via built-in tools offered by Apple itself, but no other solution brings all the features and functionality together in the same place. Read the rest of this entry »

Must-have iPhone and iPod Touch Apps For Newbies

November 23rd, 2009 (1:00pm) Charles Hamilton 15 Comments

It’s WebWorkerDaily’s fault that I’ve bought an iPod touch (s aapl). (That’s my excuse, anyway.) As I looked at potential subjects to write about, I kept seeing cool apps, and I need to be able to test them, right?

But why not buy an iPhone, or a Palm Pre, which I’d had my eye on for several months? The Pre seems to be a good phone, but it doesn’t yet have the apps that the iPhone does. And the monthly fees for Pre service are considerably higher than what I’m paying now. The iPhone’s monthly fees are even higher, and many folks I’ve talked to don’t find it to be a very good phone.

So, keeping my current phone and buying an iPod touch seemed like a good compromise. I can get good Wi-Fi coverage in most areas where I live, so I’ll be able to go online, even without the phone function.

Many of my WWD colleagues already have iPhones. Aliza has recently written about good apps for web workers. Dawn’s shared her favorites, too. But with the holidays coming up, here are some of my ideas for apps to put on that brand-new iPhone or iPod touch: Read the rest of this entry »

Trillian For the iPhone: Mobile Multiprotocol IM Goodness

November 23rd, 2009 (11:00am) Will Kelly 1 Comment

I came to instant messaging (IM) late by many web worker’s standards. Spending time on some locked-down client sites meant that IM was never part my communications toolbox. However, when I started working with ISP and telecom clients, everybody wanted my IM details. At the time, I settled on Trillian because it supported multiple IM protocols, so I didn’t have to keep switching clients to communicate with clients and project team members.

Now that I am getting to grips with my new iPhone 3Gs, I have been looking for an IM client for it. The good news is that Trillian for the iPhone is now available ($3.99 from the iTunes App Store) — and it’s good enough for me to come back to Trillian, at least on my iPhone. Read the rest of this entry »

Chrome OS: Cheaper Netbooks on the Horizon?

November 23rd, 2009 (10:31am) Simon Mackie 3 Comments

Google last week took the wraps off its brand-new lightweight operating system, Chrome OS. Optimized to work with web apps, it makes the browser the center of the computing experience.

Over on GigaOM Pro (subscription required), Ed Gubbins is pondering whether the new OS could usher in a new era of super-cheap netbooks:

“Google is in a unique position to set the price at whatever point will lure consumers to its new model. After all, the company makes money almost anytime someone uses the web. So when it offers free Wi-Fi in dozens of airports over the holidays to promote its Chrome browser, as it’s doing this year, it’s not just eating that cost as a marketing expense; it’s monetizing most of those eyeballs through ad revenue. Similar math could justify netbooks at prices drastically cheaper than today’s, especially if Google leverages the closer relationship it would have with these netbook users.” Read the rest of this entry »

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WorkingPoint Upgrades For Tax Season

November 21st, 2009 (6:00am) Thursday Bram 2 Comments

Invoicing application WorkingPoint is continuing to add to its offerings. Since we first reviewed the web-based application, the team behind it has been busy. The focus of the new features is simplifying tax season for small business — and as we’re all starting to think about what we need to do to close the books on 2009, these new features will come in handy. Read the rest of this entry »

SlickPlan: Easy and Free Flowcharts

November 20th, 2009 (7:05am) Thursday Bram 1 Comment

A flowchart can be crucial for explaining certain tasks or ideas. SlickPlan’s goal is to make sure that you can put together a flowchart quickly, no matter where you are. The web-based application also enables you to put together site maps and interact with your existing designs. It was created with web designers in mind, but anyone can quickly learn to use SlickPlan’s flowcharts. Read the rest of this entry »

WWD Screencast: 280 Slides

November 19th, 2009 (1:00pm) Simon Mackie No Comments

280 Slides is a free presentation web app that’s a bit like having a a version of PowerPoint right inside your browser. It makes it super-easy to create and share presentations online. You can also import and export PowerPoint files from within the app. It’s powerful and simple to use, and as it’s based on the Cappuccino web framework, it doesn’t require any browser plug-ins to work.

I am very impressed with it, and have made a quick screencast showing how it works:

If you need to create a presentation, it’s well worth giving 280 Slides a try.

Have you tried using 280 Slides to create a presentation?

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