SMS from Email ....

I have been looking for this for awhile and noticed today on makeuseof.com a great piece on sending free sms messsages to a mobile phone ... the article gives you the links and instructions for sending the sms messages, so I tried this today ... works great and without a hitch ... there is even a list for smaller carriers and international carriers in this article ... I use gmail, so I tried sending an sms to some phones and it worked just like a regular sms ... the neat thing though is the reply came back to the gmail account from which you could continure the conversation by replying back ... this could be handy internationally while travelling and it is great for quick exchanges without the normal thumb typing associated with most mobile phones ... handy too to keep up with the younger group who prefer texting to phoning and prove it by sending more text messages than voice calls ....

Phone Your Mind Map ...

As another extension to MindMeister was highlighted today in the mindmapping software blog ... it describes how to use Jott to send ideas and maps to Mindmeister ... I forgot to mention that other things you are able to due is to add things in a flash by utilizing both email and browser extensions that will send quick branches to your maps ... I have used these methods and they are effective as you think and browse in their ability to keep you in the "flow" and capturing the thought ...

MindMeister Thanksgiving Promotion ...

Note: Promotion ran out in December ... watch for other offers as they come ...
One of my favorite web apps, MindMeister gave me a limited number of 3 month free subscriptions to their Pro service ... on top of the regular features, the Pro subscription allows you to import and export to MindManager (also a top app), add file attachments, and create AND edit while offline .. the last item is one of significance as those of you with netbooks or laptops will still have the utility of a desktop app (non cloud computing) without connection to the net.

Subscriptions range from free, $4 per month for the pro, $6/mo for business where you can brand the site and an academic for $15 per yr. If this will work for you, this can be an invaluable resource for quick mind maps as you need them ... leave a comment with contact info and I'll email you the code for your 3 months free ...

Profound article ...

It is not often that I read and article slowly as to digest everything and then go back and reread it again .. today I stayed glued to the monitor and waded through this article on Ray Ozzie who is now the CSA of Microsoft ... it was a wonderful trip down memory lane and set the stage for what I feel will be a profound shift in the company and portending what direction the 900 lb gorilla is headed ... take some quiet time and sort through this information as it may give you a glimpse into the future ....

Browsing in a Map ....

I saw some really good screenshots illustrating the browsing capability of the new version of MindManager 8. This really shows how easily it is to work within the map window, no more creating another window and having to switch ... this will allow seamless workflow and make for more and better integration of your ideas ... I find this feature extremely important as for years I would switch and switch and switch again ... now you can even search and browse and create new links all in the same window ... isn't this the way computing was supposed to be ???



The top shot is of a browser into a net session. The second shot is an open pdf file .. you can do the same with a word doc and actually work on it right in the window ... this represents a giant leap for productivity ... try it out for free at the mindjet website ...

Active Pdf Export ....

Here is a particulary useful new twist added to the MindManager 8 list of useful features ... you can now export a map in a pdf file that allows for viewing and links to the net ... this is a shot of a quick map I created last night from yesterday's RSS feeds that I follow ... these illustrate and link to the web items of interest to an iphone user, the first map is the overall pdf that was created and you can see the topics.

The second shot is after clicking on the small plus on the pdf for MindManager 8, it expands the topic and shows an insert of new feature screen shot and then underneath it active links that you can simply click on and it will take your browser to the web location specified in the hyperlink. Imagine the possibilities, you could create a mini brochure to your website with targeted marketing efforts and also a view of current research, background info, and ordering link. This could be done like an active handout targeting a specific interest or product. That way the customer would be directed specifically to his interest rather than having to sort through an entire website.

One could also create and active document that you could continually add to as you get feedback or more links ... like a grand knowledgebase that could be built interactively ... with this new export feature, an entirely new process has been opened ... great stuff ...

Interesting New Web App ...

I got wind of this one from one of my favorite read "feeds" WebWorker Daily, it gave a good explanation of a new beta service called SpringPad, app is still in beta but as I was watching the tutorial and thinking about this, this could easily serve as a down and dirty way to track and maintain multiple projects ... I envision a lightweight task tracker type of use, but it actually lends itself to some other very interesting ways of open ending the process rather than being constricted with applications that are designed for project management ...

Springpad will sync with gcalendar, so I can use either the alerts from the app (email and phone) or simply go to the google setup that I already have being fed to my blackberry. It takes the folder as being a seperate page and then files would contain items with notes, flags, and reminders ... so many ways to configure this blank pallet of application ... I think because of the way you could actually configure different ways of looking at projects or tasks this too add to "thinkability" on the web ... it is open registration on the beta, so just drop by and register and play ... being connected in the cloud just got fuzzier ...

MindManager 8 ... thinkability tool

This is part II of the new MindManager 8 commentary ... as in the first browser in the map, the extension allows you to work and EDIT office files (word, excel and powerpoint) in the mindmanager window ... by allowing your access and edit of files this opens up a whole new utility to the map ...

I use the map as a repository of information for projects and research .. ie, you have a project that you have files and web links associated with and you are putting together a combined white paper or project summary ... by working in the map metaphor you have at once ALL your information at your fingertips and the ability to continually update and work on your paper or summary ... by keeping all links current and with the ability to upload new ones as simply as hitting the enter button, your task has been made more efficient and visual ... both keys to continuity when you are thinking through your project ...

The other really big help is the ability to drag and drop your thoughts or files into any sort of order or hierarchy that will enhance the "thinkability" or the project ... you can drag and drop, delete and add, chop and dice until it all makes sense to your mind ... "thinkability" ....

Windows 7 feature now ...

I have been watching the development of Windows 7 and it really appears to be a great fix to on ongoing problem ... it essentially is the Vista engine in new clothes. It works better with less bloat and there appears to have been lots of cleanup of things that really were not necessary and in some cases may have interfered with simple operation of the OS ... that being said, one of the new features referred to as windows "shake" has been making the rounds from the beta views and appears to give you a really intuitive way to control putting windows up on a workspace ... enter some beta software from Germany called AeroSnap BETA ... click on the link and there is an embedded you tube quickie showing the software in action ...

I have run into the sizing problem too many times to mention as I was attempting to multitask and this appears to be a way to control things, especially on a wide screen where the additional real estate is useable, but sometimes hard to configure ... it seems it is now only a click and drag away ... as the company says this is a beta version, so use carefully ....

MindManager 8 ... truly redefining a workspace

MindManager 8 finally went live yesterday for the world to see ...

I had been on the beta test and watched as my favorite mapping tool has been taken to a new level by the fine people at Mindjet ... just a refresher for those who have not followed a lot of my posts, MindManager is my most used app other than a browser and the MS Office suite ... I have used it for many presentations and to create repositories of ideas and facts and importantly to get a handle on projects and items that needed to be taken care of.

That being said, let me tell you what I personally found to be a game changer with the new iteration of this software ... first, take a look at the screenshot of a map and notice in the bottom right corner .... one of the biggest roadblocks to efficiency previously had been the need to go in and out of the application when I had web links or files ... with this new embedded browsing ability, you can do things right in the application and thus your work flow is unimpeded by the functioning of the map ... this alone is huge as the time switching back and forth remained problematic until now ....

Notice too how the dependencies on the task windows are now an integral part of the map and no longer something as an afterthought ... this along with a smart functioning to allow you to visually see the overdue items by color all allow far better utilization for quick and dirty project management. There are so many changes and items that may prove valueable to others that I have links to the campaign home page, a download link to a trial version of MM8.

I would be remiss in passing if I did not mention the new web collaborative space, I had worked with the earlier Connect product ... the new MindManager Web is the next generation of collaborative space that is based on the map and will allow multiple parties to engage on the workspace .... there is a great amount of buzz surrounding this release and it really does appear that we have raised the bar again with the Mindjet MindManager 8 product .....

I have seen the future and it is ...

Wow, one of my favorite blogs is the Alpineinker and it is a blog by Ken Hinkley of Microsoft Research Labs specifically dealing with a unique software product called Inkseine which is a really great application made for tablet pc's ... it takes inking to a new level.

Anyway Ken was musing about his project "CODEX" this screen shot says it all ... by allowing the flow of two screens, you can suddenly do what you would normally do with a notebook but suddenly so much better ... you can search and markup ideas .. paste them on a master screen and then start a naturally flowing thread ...

As if on cue, another of my favorite daily reads jkOnTheRun pointed out a dissertation that highlights the cognizant benefits of pen and paper ... extend this idea to the tablet pc, look at the above screen shot and see the future ...

Mobile Configuration ....

I think I have finally hit on my working solution to mobility ... let me backtrack and set the equipment stage ... I have a Thinkpad T40 as my desktop replacement that is my base machine and a Thinkpad X61t as my mobile companion and ink solution ... the problem has always been and remains how to ensure that I have all my files and work that I need on a consistent basis. Those of you who have followed by quest know that this has been the source of much trial and error with success close to becoming reality in recent months.

Here is how I am now implementing this mobile situation .... I was using Foldershare until seeing in several blogs the new kid on the block Dropbox ... well Dropbox just came out of beta and this is a killer app as far as I am concerned ... early on in the beta process it proved itself, as I accidently deleted an essential file and I went up to the web application and got back my file with a simple click .. not only can you retrieve a file, but you can retrieve an earlier version if you accidentally save as we all have done ... anyway, I have dropbox on both my machines and put all my files in the directory that is dropbox, so all my files not only are synched automatically on both computers but also reside on the web. There have been times that I needed to work on something and I could get into my folder on the web and work the file I needed ... one other great thing to realize is that you are now backing up to two other sources automatically in the background as you work ... doesn't get better than this ...

A couple of other things I use daily is Evernote to which I will post ideas and website and photos .. it has the same utility as all data is stored in real time on both machines and on the web. This utility allows me to actually set up a new machine rather easily as all my critical data resides and can be gotten by a simple download and the new machine can then be brought into synch. The web based notes are presented in a thumbnail representation that I find really good to use and quick to find pertinent and necessary data.

Lastly, I bookmark into google notebook that you can get from google.com ... I use the firefox add in and it leaves a simple little plus in bottom right corner of the browser with which you can get to your notebooks ... once that is open, just get to the right notebook and hit the clip button, voila ... you are now bookmarked ... these three items are my configuration to keep a seamless workspace on all my computers and on the net ....

My Day Job ...

Here is a link to my day job ... Envir.us ... I am in the environmental consulting area and have included a couple of new features on our website that I will be adding to periodically. Our technologies and commentary are designed to implement environmentally friendly technologies and solutions to solve persistent problems globally ...

The blog will be a commentary on news and developments while the Concepts area will deal with implementation of unique technologies and processes ...

Diagramming Tool ...

I have a constant need to put ideas into sketches that are useable for conceptual presentations and engineering mockups that can be translated into design features. I had posted earlier several posts using Gliffy and it remains a very visual tool for this need.

I just discovered and exceptional program for diagramming that resides on the web and can be used for light duty design work ... great stuff ... Autodesk labs has a great app called Project Draw that allows most light duty diagramming work to be done quickly and efficiently. Notice the export menu showing all of the file types that makes this extremely flexible for diagramming purposes. Another great app in the "cloud" ....

A New Paradigm ...

I have just realized something that may be obvious to a lot of people, but hit me upside the head today .... let me give you a little background .... this past weekend I was anticipating watching the Olympic Basketball gold medal game between the US and Spain ... being here in Hawaii, the schedules of the live broadcasts were all over the map ... kinda like the game, anyway I happened to go to the olympics on NBC website and noticed a live feed of the game ... I downloaded the obligatory Silverlight by MS and proceeded to watch the game unfold ... I noted the quality was so much better than I was used to on the net and how enjoyable it was ... in fact, I called a couple of other people and they did the same .....

The significance of this was lost on me until I read this morning a great blog entry on TechCrunch by Steve Gillmor that talked of the move from downloaded to streaming as the next model of entertainment distribution ... now is makes all the sense in the world ... with recent news that Comcast is proposing to limit download amounts and all the music efforts to quash P2P sharing .. this makes all fits ... the era of streaming is now riding the wave of ubiquitous broadband. Media and events will be streamed live and recorded and we will be able to view on an entirely different model ... like Netflix changed the model on video rentals and Google changed the model on mail and office apps, the era of streaming enterainment represents another shift for consumers ...

Being mobile may take on an entirely differenct meaning with this and the other new shifts into the "cloud" ...

I have a new backup plan ....

For those of you who have followed my posts, I am a longtime advocate of Foldershare who was acquired my Microsoft and continues to be a solid choice to keeping things in sync on multiple computers ... the process was not without it's flaws, but more than served it's intended purpose that of keeping me from catastrophic failure without backup of current data .. the biggest plus was the real-time backup of changing and new files ... this was flawless and I kept 3 computers as my redundant array of backup.

Enter the new kid on the block ... Dropbox ... discovered this as initial buzz on the net was largely positive and I picked out some things that were clearly superior and items that I had always yearned for in the Foldershare app ... Dropbox did the same things and appeared to do them quicker (simply an observation with no actual data to quantify the statement) ... the one big item was the data was synched to the web rather than computer to computer, so as long as I had internet connection, the backup was being done in the same real-time manner ... now early on this proved itself to be an invaluable item as I mistakenly changed a file and saved the wrong iteration ... well the second big item was saving revisions, so I simply went to the web, brought up the old version of the item and restored it on my computer ... saved my you know what and made me look like a genius all be accident as I had just switched over.

Another nice feature is the ability of my tablet pc to be synced up to my latest data whenever I turn it on. My tablet is my remote and travel companion and data must be up to date to make the work flow for me. Up to this point with the older method, I would either have to leave my desk machine on and perform the synch by having both available on the net or have both on at my desk, let them synch and then go .... not a good flow pattern, especially if you are in a hurry or you simply forget (senior moments) ... with the dropbox, you get to just turn it on with a connection and the synch is done from the net ... way better for my purposes ...

Dropbox is a killer app and takes the pain out of backup for work or critical files, it has other items in it's design that can be explored by going to the website, the app is in beta, but you can leave your address for beta testing and I didn't have to wait when I did it, so drop over and look at the video and leave your name ... just a final note, the dropbox team, in particular Jon Ying are super responsive and a pleasure to work with ... highly recommened app that is used now on my machines

My Bad ....

Been super busy as we have formed a new company and things are about to bust loose (hopefully) ... anyway, in the next few days I will attempt to catch up on a lot of things ... I have changed up my use of technology and changed a few of my basic parts, so these next posts will be highlighting the evolution of the mobile methods from mobile musing .... lol ... full of m&m's stay tuned ....

New Application, New Idea, New Process ... PotF

PotF ... Presentation on the Fly ... literally ... I have been super busy in the last few weeks so sorry for not posting, but here is something that I used that may be very helpful to those who might need this ... I have been preparing for a presentation today and did not have everything I needed till I was about to catch my plane a day ago ... I am writing this from 50 km south of Beijing from my hotel in Lang Fang getting ready for a meeting in a couple hours .. what I was presented with was having to create a very technical and intricate presentation to a group where many did not speak english ... I find in this sort of thing, the more visual the presentation the better and the fewer words the better (actually that goes for any presentation .....) When I got on the plane from Honolulu yesterday I started sketching out my ideas on my notebook and then arrived at what I was going to do and started working ... well enter the new application by Microsoft Research ... Inkseine (like insane ..) it is dynamite ... go to the link to explore as it is really a must have if you work on a tablet (only inking ...)


Here are two shots from my presentation ... a little crude, bad handwriting, but I think you get the picture ... it really works ... I am ready for a meeting with all my data linked on a personal brain for the meeting so I can go to any full doc ... the presentation I printed to a pdf and will use that instead of a powerpoint .... for those of you with NICE Handwriting (easy to find better than my efforts ..) a very good presentation could be assembled and it would stand out ... great stuff .. I will use this again .... took me a total of probably 8 hours of total work to get it done, but very critical meeting ... that is really fast in developing this and it allows you total control and speed ... try it ....

Update on an old favorite ....

It has been a long while since Microsoft has updated Foldershare ... so it was with great excitement and anticipation that I read this this morning on jkOnTheRun ...

"One of the most useful tools for owners of multiple mobile devices is the free Windows Live FolderShare. A good thing gets better today since FolderShare gets an update that promises:

• A new website designed to makes managing your FolderShare libraries and computers even easier.
• A new FolderShare with a better setup, a better system tray menu, and better performance on Windows Vista.
• Improvements on the backend to keep FolderShare running more smoothly and reliably.

FolderShare is great way to keep files and folders in sync between computers... even a Mac and PC. Yup, you can download FolderShare for either OS right here and start keeping files in sync today. I keep most of my data in the cloud, but once my Samsung Q1 Ultra Premium arrives, I'll be testing out some file synching between it and my MacBook Pro."

I have since downloaded and installed on my desktop and tablet and am a happy camper ... the tablet is running Vista Ultimate and the desktop is an XP Pro machine, so the new Foldershare promises to play better with Vista ... seems to be up and running without skipping a beat, so all you syncers out there ... go over to the new Foldershare and try it ...

Great Old Tool ...

I always read newsletters from my favorite apps and today I got the SnagIt newsletter and it reminded me of a really handy link between snagit and my favorite mapping application, mindmanager when you combine the power and speed of snag it and a simple export to a mind map, you have a magical tool for adding visual impact to a map ...

How does it work?

1. Perform a screen capture with SnagIt.
2. Output to MindManager. You can then insert SnagIt captures into your maps as new main, selected, or floating topics, as well as subtopics, notes, and callouts.

You need to have both apps and you need to download the output addin , once done, it is as instructed ... see the screen capture of a map using snag it outputs ... slick ...

Fostering Innovation ...

One of the problems of collaboration and by extension innovation has been barriers between people, groups and thoughts put up by language, geographical location, time zones and budgets ... from the very inception of the cloud (internet) the promise of escalating the process of innovation by enabling groups has always been there ...

I am thinking out loud and have put up in the Assn of Virtual Worlds Group a group to discuss and nurture this idea. The group has just recently been started but is creating a quickly growing community of like minded individuals who have the power to add life to this initiative. If this idea at all interests you, I suggest you visit the site, poke around and join our group discussion.

The future is now, and I believe this will become the facilitator to accelerate getting innovative ideas into the light of day to help all of us ....

Ultimate Mobility, the Virtual World ...

Many many exciting things happening almost daily .... yestereday I noticed that Cisco had created a virtual hospital to showcase technology and design for the future ... the virtual world is exploding as the utility of this environment is now not only accepted, but it becoming the singular point source for interface of the global population ... we are evolving from the industrial age to the information age and the change as always is disruptive and only clear through a rear view mirror .... you may be wondering how this has anything to do with mobile musings, well, I feel we are at an inflection point and enabling the next wave is being sorted out rapidly ... to be mobile now and in the future, I think the term mobility has to be broadened to encompass not only in the real world, but the virtual worlds of the future ....

Witness this excerpt from a press release today from the Association of Virtual Worlds ... "Jacksonville, Fla. (PRWEB) February 28, 2008 – The new Association of Virtual Worlds announces plans to launch a virtual business and social world for its members.
“The brand new Association of Virtual Worlds has as its mission to provide a leadership environment for companies and individuals passionate about the future of virtual worlds and as such it makes perfect sense to be the first such association to offer its members an exciting virtual world of their own,” says founder Edita Kaye.
Dave Elchoness, Executive Director explains “providing a virtual world environment is the next step—beyond Web 2.0 with its signature social networks—into Web 3-D. Why create a virtual world for members? To provide a real-time environment for meetings, conferences, collaboration, and social interaction and engagement with less cost, disruption, and environmental impact than physical travel. It doesn’t matter if you want to meet someone from around the world or the office next door, the Association of Virtual Worlds will help make it happen in a setting that feels ‘in-person’.”
The virtual world environment planned by the Association of Virtual Worlds is being designed for both the virtual worlds veteran as well as the new-comer to the virtual experience. It will be web-based, user-friendly, requiring no special download or strain on bandwidth, just web access.
“If a member can use the Internet, that member will be able to use the virtual world currently on the Association of Virtual Worlds’ drawing board,” adds Elchoness.

The Association of Virtual Words is a global industry association for the rapidly growing virtual worlds industry. It serves as a resource for those wishing to experiment and explore virtual worlds for work or play. The Association’s mission is to educate, network, recruit, and further the membership’s collective goals.

For more information please contact:edita@associationofvirtualworlds.com or dave@associationofvirtualworlds.com

Visit Association of Virtual Worlds at: http://www.associationofvirtualworlds.com

I will be blogging later a new concept I am developing to harness the power of the Virtual Worlds to collaborate and innovate ..... more to follow

Handy Paperless Replacement ...

I have been a big fan of Post-it notes since the first time I saw them ... have consumed many trees worth ... I have also been looking for replacement ePost-it solution that I would use ... I bought the Post-it software and kept it through many iterations and tried all sorts of alternatives, but they were either cumbersome to use or lacked something ....

During my morning Lifehacker read I happened on a post by Kevin Purdy that seems to have led to a great solution. Hott Notes ... this freeware application captures notes in the familiar metaphor and will create and keep them on your desktop immeidately available with a hot key combo ... I has multiple types of notes, of particular interest is the ink note (the Post-it software was the only one earlier that had this feature), this is particularly helpful to me as my portable office is a Thinkpad X61 tablet PC ... so having a quick ink note is nirvana for a tablet user ...

The list feature for the note template is also super useful for mini reminders of things to do and get or buy ... you know all you out there that keep lists of everything ... so far so good on this as I have downloaded to both my XP and Vista machines it works great ... now lets go out and save more trees ....

Post #100 .. Productivity Bonus ....

In honor of the 100th post I thought I would revisit how I use some of the highlighted apps that I have mentioned over the course of this blog, and how they are now integrated into my daily flow ...

These screenshots are of my actual desktop now and are the evolution of many stabs at creating a well integrated and simple flow (KISS method of evolution ...) The first one up is the use of StartAid a very efficient bookmark app this is web based ... as you can see by the highlghted buttons ... it is always available in my browser window. The three buttons stand for functions, the first for a normal bookmark, the second for a rapid bookmark (I use this one and later file) and the third calls up the side panel that you see in the shot. By simply hitting the second button I have my bookmark ready to go . The side panel I bring up once a day or so and it is there that I categorize my bookmarks ... so far this has been an extremely valuable addition as the speed and ease of bookmarking have made it a great tool.

The second is one I recently installed the gmail plugin for ... it is the old web favorite Remember the Milk (this link has downloads of various synch items including off line, iphone, twitter, mobile, etc) ... RTM is a great todo list that can be as structured as the best of them, but in this incarnation, functions as a quick and dirty way of keeping tasks under control and functional. RTM is also web based, so no matter what machine I am using, the current list and information is availablel. By simply entering information in the task box right at the top or setting the mail as a task will create an item ... you can add date and time, priority, notes, recurrences .. etc all of this adds to the flexibility and useful nature of the application. This, by the way, allows me to stay in my gmail window and manage items that I need to get done or schedule things as I need to ... very handy in the KISS world ...

The third item is one that was suggested on an earlier post re productivity tips and it questioned why not use Google Notebook which can be found under google apps on their services ... well, I do use it and this shot shows how it is implemented on my desktop. If you look on the bottom right corner of the screen, you will see the close notebook icon, well obviously when it resides unused it is open notebook and I pressed it and this popout window will come up ... the beauty of this is that you can write things to yourself, copy info in a cut and paste mode or simply capture the full address to refer to it later ... lots of flexibility and the smooth flow of capture and review follows the essence of the Flow ...

The last item would be one of my favorites ... see the little clipper button that is highlighted ... this is the magic copying machine to evernote .. Evernote is one of those incredibly powerful programs that will take every bit of info that you want to throw into it and hyperlink every word with a lightning fast search ... It also has inking capability and the wild abilty to search images (if you photograph or scan an image, putting it into the evernote app will allow whatever is written in the image to be searchable) ... this application has been around a while and I do believe that a new upgrade is approaching soon ... they have this one at a very reasonable price now that a new version is coming .. anyway, once you highlight what you want (notice the pc world article in the background) click the button and it takes whatever you have highlighted and transfers into a note - the metaphor is a long sheet of notetaking paper, thus the date ribbon on the side to give you a sense of chronology on your captures ... anyway, this note is now searchable for any key word or combinations you may wish, you can also tag as you see on the left, but with being able to search for any words, this may prove to be a timewaster ... the final quick trick with this one is that I print to a pdf file which allows me to attach for mail and also file for reference within my normal file system ..

Enjoy these tips and thanks for checking in at Mobile Musings ....

Mapping the Notes ...

Here is the last in the Post-it series ... I took a simple map using the template "corkboard" template included in MindManager ... here is where the visual meets the board ... you now have the visual Post-it all nicely laid out on your screen ... take all the chunks you want, braindump or brainstorm .... then you use the simple drag and move to create order from the chaos of the original board ...

This second map was the simple reorganization of the above map and allows for the order from chaos that you will be able to employ ... taking random ideas and organizing and making connections .. that is the beauty of the mapping tool ... it is a powerful way of approaching problems and allows for use of the Post-it metaphor ... have fun and play ... colors , connections, highlights, notes ... let your creativity run wild .....

Identifying the Problem ...

We have all come across problems and situations that seem out of control, people going around in circles trying to resolve something that seemingly is unresolveable .... notice that in real life problems do not emerge in neat packages that say solve me ... thus, the introduction to the system must at the core realize that these problems are nearly always made up of individual pieces or chunks that are somehow related and need to be put into their place in the answer to the problem. Whether the problem is to solve an organizational nightmare or take a product from idea to market ... it is at the very core an exercise in identifying the parts to the problem and connecting them in a way that leads to the solution ....

The book takes the process of this identification and allows that the chunks of information should fit nicely on a normal Post-it note. The ability of the note to be placed on a board and then moved and rearranged allows for the integrity of the piece but yet the ability to mobilize it to its proper place in the grand scheme of things. Thus emerges the beauty of the method to take Post-its and create novel solutions to seemingly unsurmountable problems ... kind of like examing the trees and creating the forest ....

Straker identifies six tools in his method:
1) Post-up - evolved from brainstorming, brainwriting, brain dump
2) Swap Sort - prioritization matrix, paired comparisons or bubble sorts
3) Top-down Tree - tree diagam, process-decision program chart, cause effect diagram
4) Bottom-up Tree - Affinity diagram, Set Theory
5) Information Map - relations diagram, Mind Map
6) Action Map - Process flowchart, data-flow diagram

He brings up another interesting distinction in information chunks .. he calls it FOG for Fact Opinion or Guess ... be sure to somehow distinguish your chunks for additional clarity. It will be the aim of the process to eventually create nothing buy Facts to have the most relevance.

Describing methods of discerning solutions ... you practice divergent thinking to chunk as much into possible solutions ... divergent thinking is easiest if you let your mind flow and associate freely .. no matter how ridiculous this seems or how outside the box it goes ... chunk to your hearts content ... then comes the critical distillation of the process ... convergence, let the framework leading to the solution dictate the convergent path to the solution ... in the next installment I will make the leap to computer driven processes and how to implement this ....

Melding Post It Notes and Maps ....

Like the mind meld that Spock would do in the old Star Trek ... getting information to then get to logical solutions has always been a task that is more an art than a science ... rather an odd statement as art and science seem at odds and yet the melding of the processes can often lead to the best of the solutions ... so much for philosophy ... on to the task...

I read a book a while back, Rapid Problem Solving with Post-it Notes by David Straker ... in this book from 1997 he outlined a way to solve problems using the tool that everyone has on their desk ... the yellow notes that seem to have a home on virtually every flat surface available ... his book outlines methods of getting solution sets by chunking information and drawing associations within groupings, etc .. to eventually solve a defined problem. Since originally reading the book and actually processing information in the manner prescribed I have migrated to MindManager as my tool and the computer screen as my post it board ... I remembered the utility that the original methods had on my skill set and decided to revisit the book and bring it current with the new technology ... I will present this in a short series of posts so you can absorb the information in chunks (love the metaphor ...) more to follow ....

My Heart Skipped a Beat ....

When I first got up this morning it was all over the web .... Starbucks was ditching T-Mobile for AT&T .... wow, this was sure a left turn in a right turn world for me ... my "office" service provider appeared to be changing and there was not a thing I could do about ... talk about picking the old jaw off the floor ... I kept rereading the articles and couldn't believe what a seismic shift this would be to myself and then I thought of all those souls that I see sitting at our local Starbucks and Borders locations ... what a crazy move that would be ...

To the rescue our all seeing Kevin over at jkOnTheRun who correctly ferreted out the answer, no T-Mobile is not on the outs, in fact, no extra charge you will be able to use the AT&T network to get your wifi fix at Starbucks like normal ... not quite clear at this time will be other piggybacks onto the network ... not really important though to the sanctity of my "office" ... whewwww ...

A Great Solution ...

While browsing my morning reading I noticed an intriguing post by the Web Worker Daily site ... this scenario plays out a lot while travelling and this may be the answer ... let me set the stage ... you have need of some items out of a pdf brochure that you don't have the text for or you have a doc that you need to translate to pdf for distribution ... I have programs on my desktop machine that handle these chores, but when travelling with my tablet pc I see this as a better alternative ...

The application highlighted is Koolwire and I played with a couple of conversions this morning and it works like a charm ... I had a brochure with pics and text and I sent it to: doc at koolwire dot com and voila in a minute or so, I had an rtf doc with the photos and diagrams and test all neatly in an rtf doc. This makes it easy to get the pieces out of the brochure or easily makes additions to the brochure simple work. The other way is as fast and simple, just send a doc up and the pdf file comes back. Short and sweet .. it is great to have something as simple and effective to use (note on the screen shot that you can also convert mp3 and wav files too) ...

I saw a couple of other things this morning that I will explore later today ... be back if they work ...

Easing the Path ... the Flow ...

Long time readers will know how I like to refine things to add to the flow of my work ... well I got to thinking yesterday after my last post on the idea incubator and that this is such a good idea but I wanted it not to be isolated but integrated into a flow for my workspace ... well, after searching through my older maps, I came up with one I called TOM or Top of Mind map ... I started playing with the idea and it is not far away from the dashboard idea that may use, but I think these little tweaks suit my work style far better than what I have seen out there ...

The GyroQ application that Gyronix produces has some neat features that I highlight here in the map ... notice the reference to tag feature .. well, you can customize the tabs that the app has and it simply inserts into my new TOM map the ideas ... once they are there, it is simple to move it to another section (see the item I moved to the Idea Incubator) ... notice that I have the little mind map icon there ... that is a hyperlink to the map I presented yesterday ... once I open that hyperlink, I can copy any good ideas directly to the incubator for further work down the line ... one last aside, the GyroQ will allow a lot of configuration, not the least of which is the ability to send the output to maps of your choosing, so thus I have the TOM mindmap as my basic brain dump ...

The beauty of this system is that it can be made to fit your flow and highlight those things that your needs will dictate ... I am always considering ideas, some of them need to be added to ongoing projects, some need to be sent to the incubator, some simply become action items to come back to, some .... you can see how to tailor the map to your flow and make it as innocuous a capture process as I have found ...

Great Concept ... an Idea Incubator ....

Another of my daily reads is Lifehacker and today Gina featured a link to a posting on the 3rd by LifeDev which is a personal productivity site ... the article featured a great read on the use of an idea incubator and used the parallel to watching a chick incubator and how life is life whether viewed as a chicken or an idea (lol ... my attempt at humor for the day ...) ... as I went through the discussion I could see how this parallels a lot of my efforts and it gave rise to an old tool that I could use to make the capture of the idea almost spontaneous ... I subscribe to the idea that the best work needs to flow ... like a stream, the flow is best where it is unimpeded, so disturbing thoughts as they are flowing are like putting stones in a stream, disturbances at best, dams at worst ...

I typically rely on MindManager to capsulize all of my thoughts, but after reading this, I configured it to be the catchment or incubator ... here is a quick screenshot of the map ... the trick is how to implement the system ... I have Gyronix GyroQ loaded in my computer and resides in my tray so I can call it up at any time ... well, it is a simple one line entry that I have configured to go directly to my map ... see the entry posted as an idea today ... I simply typed the idea in and sent it to the map ... the map shows another idea in the current section, I had sent that earlier and so as a review function, I simply moved it to the current branch ...

The settings for what you send are configureable, so this is really an open ended capture mechanism ... you could have ideas, refinement to ideas, additional info to ideas, etc ... you then simply move things to the proper branch or idea as part of the review process. The culmination is to hatch the idea. Simply create a new map and cut and past the branch into it to turn it into a project ...

Back to My Roots ... Keeping It Mobile ....

When I originated this blog, I had intended to pass on experiences and tips for the new bedouin lifestyle ... one of my favorite blogs, jkOnTheRun posted today on a piece of equipment that has become an essential and innocuous addition to my personal baggage ... in fact, it is so ingrained into my work flow that until I read the posting it was always so everyday ....

Well, the little sd card that I use in my camera is really a piece of stealth wizardry .... it is a usb equipped sd card that can do duty in your camera, hook directly to a computer, function as a file transfer device .... and on and on ... I keep one in my bag as it beats the size of just about any flash drive and of course I use it in my digital cameras to download photos without a reader ... such a great design and such utility ... as noted in the enclosed pic, they are introducing 8Gunits, pretty awesome stuff ... I get away with a lowly 1G card which can get pretty cheap if you search ebay or the usual outlets ....

Visually Conveying Opportunities ....

Our project portfolio is a very fluid animal .... ie, ideas and concepts are in constant flux and evolution, so conveying them to partners and marketing opportunities is a matter of consequence. Since being up to the minute is essential in the environmental area, I created this mindmap to serve as an executive summary to serve for all these purposes. I have frequently used the pdf export of this map to simply convey what is on the radar at this point in time and also to ensure that all parties in the chain are on the same page.

Taking this example a step further, by creating notes rather than attachments, when you export to word you have a diagram and information ready to use as a finished handout. By carefully creating your notes with an eye to this purpose, you can constantly update and use your most recent iteration. You can archive your efforts at any point in time by exporting to word and saving as a document ... this can serve many purposes and this can be used as a template for all sorts of uses ... how about a handout of a talk that also can be exported to powerpoint (notes in this use should be to the point and not wordy) or a knowledge base to capture ideas and document in the map or ... ??? let your mind flow with this one, typical of using mindmanager and mindmapping to visually convey opportunities ....

More Variations on a Theme ...

Had a little time on my hands today and was inspired to try a couple of ideas ... I loved the look of Cayra that I showed you earlier today ... but I still love the MindManager display .... I was thinking out loud that it would be really great to accent a mindmanger presentation with the cayra visual representation ... so here goes ....

The corkboard is a great visual and is part of the mindmanager package ... what a great look to make a visual point ... so normal as far as on office metaphor, yet unique in a presentation ... the grey presentation is a visio type of presentation ... I used the mindmanager to put in the items outside of what I had earlier today put into the Cayra, thereby creating a focus or highlight to the object ... I put the jpg that I created earlier into a branch of a mindmanager branch and added the details in mindmanger ... in the corkboard shot I simply used the whole structure ... in the visio shot I used the F4 key to focus on a node and voila, simply isolating one of the branches and adding detail for emphasis ...

This was fun and I think will be very useful for presentations ... a variation on the use of these programs ....

Interesting Blend of Tools ...

I happened on this app while reading The Mindmapping Software Weblog by Chuck Frey which is required reading for any of you who are interested in mind mapping .... in the link he highlights a new application called Cayra that appears to be a blend of two of my favorites ... MindManager and The Brain ... it has the organic appearance of the original Buzan type mind maps, but the ability to visualize complex relationships in a more associative manner ... take a look at the two screenshots ... the first shows the home view of one of their demo maps ... the second shows the expanded view with clear paths and associations established .. I think there will be a definite learning curve to this one ... I will play as I have the time, but so far it appears very promising ... there is not too much documentation, but going to the help file is essential to taking in all the features and ways to implement ... the maps are visually appealing

One feature that is immediately appealing is the simple creation of jpg files ... there is a camera icon on their toolbar, hit it and it creates screen shots of the map ... this really quick feature is very handy for inserting maps into docs or using it to blog like I did here ... give it a whirl .. free at this time ...

Creating A Psuedo Concept Map ...

Many a time I have had to try and create a concept map .. one of the better tools I have used is Gliffy that is a web based application ..... today I needed something like a concept map, but simpler ... although as I went through the exercise, it could be used to create fairly complex representations ... here is the finished item ...

As you can see, it is pretty illustrative and now I can see how to make things and represent ideas using my old favorite, MindManager ... the trick is actually two fold using SnagIt to get and manipulate jpg files ... I captured the diagram and then annotated using the snag it editor ... then I saved the second image ... opened the trusty mindmanager 7 and started to make a map by inserting the jpg into the branches ... then the magic occurs ... you take hit the shift key after selecting the branch and move it, it becomes a floating topic without the branching ... so you can see the possibilities ... a hybrid map showing off some concepts while retaining structure in a map ... by blending these two applications I created a quick representation that I am presenting ... the picture (map) is worth a thousand words ...

Creating a Map Slide Show ....

I had an interesting problem today and found a good workaround ... I use mindmanager to create maps that are sometimes related when I like to hyperlink ideas ... this is useful as I use the mapping to create concepts and present them ... today I needed to put all the projects together into a Portfolio of Projects ... well it is easy in mindmanager as you simply hyperlink the different projects to your master overview ... notice the little mindmap icons that signify the hyperlinks ... this was all well and good, but I wanted to create a pdf to hand out and send to clients that would give them the detail as if we were drilling down on the map ...

Well, here is where another program I use to save paper comes in ... fineprint is a program that I have been using for years .. it allows you to take print jobs and collate, combine, send to different media, etc .. .just a great all around utility (I particularly like to print 2 or even 4 up to cut down on paper) ... it also allows you to print and then defer doing the job, so you have all of the printouts in one file ... SO ... I first printed this map, then hit the links in order and printed each as I deferred the job ... when I got all the maps printed, I then sent the job to my pdf printer and VOILA ... maps and the drill downs just like having the map and opening the details just like on my desktop ...

Managing Info Overload ...

The daily struggle to keep up with reading and info may have finally met its match ... after years of trying to get to a good system, I think I have gotten to a workable solution for my needs ... let me highlight the use of several products that are now in the arsenal ...

I start with Evernote as my basic capture and store mechanism because of the speed and ease .... by using the universal clipper that resides on my windows tray, I can call up the clipper function and create a new note with whatever I am reading ... this is the start of the process and can sometimes be the only capture necessary ... the notes are completely hypertexted so I can call up any and all things that are related simply by typing in a broad topic ... the clipper allows you to capture either the full screen or area as defined by you or I like to highlight text from a window and then just hit the clipper button to nicely put the info including the links right in the searchable note ...

The second item is my print of the note to OneNote .. I like to back the info up to a second location for reference later ... actually, this is the place that I go to when I have downtime or on trips while travelling ... it is a storehouse of tips and processes that I like to reference time and time again ... by using the print to onenote function, I easily put the note now in onenote ... I also use the onenote pages to annotate (by annotating and highlighting in color the emphasis is easily shared with others) and further flag for putting together papers or ideas when I am researching something ... my onenote and Evernote are backed up to my X61t through Foldershare so I have current info always when I leave to go out or travel ...

I will sometimes also use my onenote notes then after annotation and highlighting by printing to a pdf file for sending out to my colleagues .... this system works well and is super fast ... by simply storing in evernote and then sending info to onenote later, your flow is barely interuppted and you can make sure you always keep your info available ... works for me ....

More Productivity, Less Hassle ...

In a recent thread I showed how I am using Remember the Milk items (one of the best web apps) to create a todo list right on my gmail interface ... Kevin over at jkOnTheRun picked up on this and continued the thread (I have them on my RSS feeds and read diligently EVERY day .. a must read for all) ...

Well Kevin found another great tip today ... to add the gCal to the sidebar on Firefox ... well that is one that I also use, but I do keep the two items separate, the todo or task list and appts, and that seems to work best for me .... so I looked at the writeup and it indeed is sweet and quick so that got me thinking .... I started using a great app, StartAid, which is simply a web based bookmark system ... quick digression, the other thing I need is basically a real time synch so when I go out with my X61t I will always be good to go (I previously discussed how I use Foldershare as it keeps all my work files up to date on both computers in basically real time) ... anyway, startaid gave me a basically updated bookmark system that I find far easier to use than other schemes I have been trying, so I was thinking what if I took the insrtuctions and just modified the use to startaid ... first pic is of the startaid side bar that pops up ... I just dragged the link to the bar and voila ... I bookmarked it ... now when I hit the bookmark .... drumroll please .... an agenda and quick way to add events, etc .... this is really slick and quick ... thanks all, this was where I was trying to get to ... I like the igoogle page, but my calendar and tasks seem to lose their focus when surrounded, these tricks really allow you to focus, post, and get back to where you were ... keys to better productivity ...

Variations on a Theme ....

In thinking through where I started, I have come back to the notion that mobile can also mean being able to not only move in physical space ... the idea that work can be done practically while at your desk, but your presence is in cyberspace and with the interactions there has always been of interest ...

We have been thinking of implementing a collaborative workspace ... the first thought was of wikis or spaces on the net, then I happened on the concept of a meeting place in Second Life ... this configuration in a virtual world gave rise to an entirely difference experience and opened a new world for possible collaborations. I use LinkedIn and put out a question that was answered by Dave Elchoness, CEO of VRWorkplace ... see the linked press release. Dave has been instrumental in opening my eyes and accelerating the process. It is an incredibly rich operating environment where interactions take on a similarity to physical interactions and where the lines tend to blur as you go into the virtual environment. There you will find a whole microcosm of opportunities that are rapidly being embraced and furthered.

We started exploring and here are a couple of screenshots from his virual offices ... this is a mind opening direction that I feel is being embraced throughout many large enterprises who are gaining utility from this form of collaboration and exchange. Explore the avenue, as I think with the rise of the younger, more savvy, workforce .. this sort of interchange and utility is second nature and a normal extension of the real world. A new variation on a theme ....

Associative Thinking and Flow ....

I earlier promised a followup to using the Brain and its amazing paradigm that enables associative thinking for a more natural flow or thought processing ... ie the naming as The Brain for the software package (it is pricey, but there are download demos and a free edition) explore the website as there are fascinating examples and the actual navigation of the site really gives you a glimpse into the power.

Here are a couple of shots of my brain that I have set up in about a month of hard use ... you create the ideas and link it to as much or as little of the rest of your brain, the more associations the better so you can see how one thought leads to another and the path to one can come from many sources. This is associative recall that a linear package does not have, I have used it now extensively in meeting situations to call up bits and pieces that I needed almost instantly. The first shot is of a lightly expanded look at interlinked ideas, folders, docs, appts ...etc ... looks complicated, but actually it is this chaotic look at knowledge that makes sense ... all of your significant thoughts have come from so many sources and them from the same, it is this picture that mirrors associations of thoughts that we actually use.

The second shot is of the folder that I had in the lower left corner of my brain "plex" as it is called. I clicked on the work folder which is actually my main work folder on my computer, the program instantly created the sub folders for me, which is the regular folder structure in the work system, you can click on any and the list of files comes up that you can then click and work on ... this really quick and intuitive, but only a glimpse of the power ...

One last example, I went into meetings to present a proposal ... before going, I linked the people who were to be in attendance, the background papers, etc ... while in the meeting, a question arose and I simply pulled the main item up in the plex and the associated thoughts took me right to the information that I needed ... like anything else that is valuable, it is your insights and work that leads to the value of a tool like this ... I urge you to play with this application and explore situations where it may be of value to you ... constructed properly, it becomes a second brain that will not forget thoughts or items, devoid of senior moments, unlike my standard issue that has a tendency to lapse into them more frequently now ... ;-)