My Reading Highlights 10/21 - 10/27

This week was full of new technology releases, Apple and Microsoft, and numerous financial quarterly reports.  These reports flooded the net but there were some other things to note in my web reading.  Here they are:

Jeff Bezos:  People Who Are Right Are People That Change Their Mind A Lot

I saw this from Business Insider and really like the perspective that Bezos has about thought leaders.  It is an interesting view about how changing your mind a lot shows you are iterating on the problem at hand and producing a better outcome.

6 Keys To Delivering A Powerful Elevator Pitch

This was a good run down on delivering a short pitch that is more effective.  The key here is to really know what you are all about, what you offer and why you want it.  This is something we discuss and refine at work all the time.  It is a good exercise to revisit regularly.  

Lessons for Data Driven Businesses

This is a great read and highlights an opportunity for start-ups and established businesses.  This is an area that I have been working for almost a decade.  The combination of analytics and large data mining is a game changer for intelligence driven operations (Military usage) or decision management systems design (for corporations and government).

Yammer’s Cindy Alvarez: Five Types of People I Should Have Fired Sooner

Anyone that has started a new business has been in this situation.  You need to plan for putting your start-up in the next gear for either growth or to pivot in a new direction.  Alex Williams lays out comments from Cindy Alvarez on the workplace behaviors of people that need to be addressed when considering shifting to the next gear.  Sometime is is better to release them and more forward with better talent - that said it is a hard call to make.

My 2010 Productivity App Lineup for the iPad

This is an update to my post back in May when I had my iPad for only a month.  Now I’ve got over 8 months of time working with the iPad in my daily work life.  I have come to use it exclusively over my laptop.  As you know I’m also experimenting with the Samsung Galaxy Tab as well; more to follow on that later.  Here is an update to the list of Productivity Apps that I currently use the most.  I’ll be updating the other categories of apps in a later post.

This is my essential workhorse throughout the day.  It allows you to type a text note, clip a web page, grab a screenshot, organize into notebooks, search, and synchronize it all across the cloud with all of my computers and mobile devices.  This is the number one app that I use in every meeting.  www.evernote.com

GoodReader.  This is really my local file management system for the iPad.  It allows me to open .doc. .ppt .xls, and PDFs, download them into folders and have them available even when offline. http://www.goodreader.net/goodreader.html

Penultimate.  When you need to draw a picture or collaborate with someone on an idea this is my go to app.  It works with a stylus or finger stroke and is very accurate and easy to get started quickly.  One thing to note is that drawings can be shared directly into Evernote via email as a multiple page PDF document for later access. http://www.cocoabox.com/

DocsToGo.  As much as I try to use Google Docs these days, you just can’t get away from Microsoft completely.  DocsToGo is my go to app for creating and editing .doc, .xls, and .ppt on the iPad.  The editing of .ppt is really limited and I rarely use it but it does do some simple stuff.  It has a feature to allow you to save to Dropbox which I’ve linked to my ZumoDrive – which I’m a heavy user of these days.  There are two versions of this app; I’ve selected to us the premium one costing a whopping $14 when I bought it making it my most expensive app to date.  It does make you wonder why everything having to do with Microsoft is so expensive. http://goo.gl/1lgd

I’ve made a complete move into the Cloud and ZumoDrive is my go to storage location. ZumoDrive keeps me synced up across all my different devices thereby eliminating the fragmentation problems of yesteryear when I had files stored on multiple hard drives.  Today, I can access files on my iPad, Macbook Air, Dell Precision at work, Samsung Galaxy, etc… On the iPad I find the file I need on the ZumoDrive app and open it into GoodReader or DocsToGo without any issues.  No more fragmentation. http://www.zumodrive.com/

We’ve recently rolled out Yammer into our enterprise at work and it has taken off.  Yammer is an enterprise microblogging capability meant to make organization more productive through the exchange of short frequent answers and discussions.  It is really Twitter for the enterprise.  I’ll post later on our experiences using Yammer at work. www.yammer.com

I started using Google Voice back prior to the Nexus One being release.  A single telephone number that I own really appealed to me, especially when I usually change cell phones once a year or more.  GV is a go to app for me to help manage my voice mails.  It allows me to triage the inbox as well as listen to them on any one of my mobile devices or computers.  Their transcription lacks a lot to be desired but you can get the jest from it most of the time. http://goo.gl/1LLSg

When you travel as much as I do you need options when the unexpected arrives.  Kayak has a great user interface allowing me to play “what if” scenarios when traveling. http://goo.gl/OX7vv

Two other apps that I get a lot of use out of and should be in the productivity category for me are Reeder and Instaper.  Both of these are used throughout my day but are really classified as News within the iTunes store.

Reeder.  Over the last few months I’ve tried NewsRack, Pulse, and Flipboard for linking into my RSS feeds.  I’m a heavy user of Google Reader on the desktop and having that synced with all my mobile devices is a must.  Although I like Flipboard’s interface on the iPad a great deal, Reeder has become my go to app for reading my feeds.  Its offline capability is a must when sitting on an airplane and it syncs well with my Google Reader account. http://goo.gl/VuQW

Instapaper.  How many times do you start reading an article on the web and don’t really have the time to finish it.  Instapaper is the solution.  When you find something of interest and don’t have much time to read it, just send it to into your Instapaper que.  Instapaper has a bookmarklet available for your desktop browser and syncs great when on the go with you iPad.  Also the ability to read when disconnected on an airplane is a key as well. http://goo.gl/lSYH4

So there you have my line up of key productivity apps for my iPad.  I’m sure there will be more to come in the next year.

24 Hours with the Galaxy Tab

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front):  I'm really liking the device with its seamless integration of the critical apps that I use, as well as the form factor size.  It is really more convenient to carry around and use.  That said, it is easier to read long articles on the iPad 10" screen.

Most people would say that I'm a huge fan of my Apple iPad.  I've fully integrated into my work life using it at every meeting to help with productivity and keeping me organized.  It is the first item removed from my briefcase before taking a seat on an airplane and the last item I put down before turning out the lights. My MacAir Laptop isn't getting much use these days.

I would have to say that I was a little skeptical about a 7" pad; but I'm a heavy user of Google products such as GMAIL, Calendar, Docs, Reader, etc.  An Android device can make a lot of sense in my world, so I pick up a Samsung Galaxy Tab from Verizon 24 hours ago to check it out.

Taking it out of the box and getting the configurations setup were a piece of cake.  No more than 5 min before I was using it with key apps such as GMAIL , Contacts, Calendar, Talk, Reader and of course Google Voice.  Then came the next level of apps:  Evernote, ZumoDrive, Yammer, Twitter and Pandora.  All key to my day.  There was no difference in the performance of the apps on the Galaxy Tab vs the iPad.  All worked perfectly from the start, and BTW I'm liking the Verizon connection and performance.

I've read that there were issues with the resolution of the screen and that apps were not ready for a 7" form factor on Andriod.  From what I've experienced I cannot see any issues with their use.  The only drawback that I can see is the reading of articles such as the Economist magazine or PDF papers that just seem more practical on a larger 10" screen. 

My plan is to substitute the Galaxy Tab into my work routine over the next week and really kick the tires.  I'll be back with an update on how it performs.