Updated: SPIGEN SGP Slim Armor view Case for Samsung Galaxy S4 Review

There is no worse feeling for one that is a hustler/go-getter than to have their money line drop to the floor and shatter into a million pieces. As your phone slips out of your hand in slow motion , you think of all of he calls that you are going to miss.  That job that you interviewed for , that new client who's calling you about that $10,000 deal , that new vendor that is going to charge you 20% less than your current one. Yes, they are all calling today! "The phone looks so  pretty without a case on it" , you recall as your Galaxy S 4 makes a crashing sound that makes the people around you say "Ouch "!

This is why people that are productive NEED to have good quality cases. There is a balancing act that you have to engage in.  It looks ridiculous for you to pull a jumbo rubberized case out in a business meeting.  However, with all the things you must do, you have to secure your phone in anticipation of you inevitably dropping it . 

The SPIGEN SGP Slim Armor view Case for Samsung Galaxy S4 strikes that balance between the a rugged case like the Otter Box but is sleek and professional looking.

Pick this up up here . 

Update: Pick up the black version here

Use Cloudii to Upload Files to the Cloud

As great as the Galaxy Note is there had always been a small issue that I have had with them.   The lack of ability to back up S Note.  The S Note software becomes much more valuable when you feel safe that the data that you place in it will not be lost.  Cloudii is a cloud service that allows you access to your many cloud storage services such as Google Drive, Box.net, and DropBox.

The way that Cloudii is different is that it allows you to back up files from your phone from any folder to any folder in the cloud.  The software also allows you to back up automatically.  This is great for the S Note users as you now can rest assured that you important notes are recoverable. 

Resources:

Link to Cloudii in the Play Store 

Remote Meetings and Training: Helpful Tips

In this economy, a business needs to watch every penny that goes out, and make sure that it is utilized properly. One of the big drains of profit are the expenses to fly your employees to different places to receive training or give training. The solution for this, is to provide training through the use of an online conferencing software such as webex , gotomeeting, or zoho meetings. The concept of online conferencing is nothing new, so I wont go in depth on what they do , but here are some tips to properly utilize these software packages:

1. Run a dress rehearsal - Avoid scheduling a meeting before you have had time to run through a "rehearsal" .  Go through each slide you are going to be presenting and each program to make sure that the flow of the meeting will go as expected.

2.  For large meetings use chat - Voice conferencing with over eight people can be really unproductive. For large meeting use the chat feature.

3.  Use prerecorded videos - If you present something to many people that that you have to repeat often, prerecord the section so that you maintain consistency.


Resources:

Webex
Zoho Meetings
Gotomeeting

Cloud Computing Series: with the Zoho Office Suite

There are a great deal of cloud applications out there that can run your office.  The most popular is the Google Office Suite, but there are more that are out there.  A much lesser known Suite of Office applications is Zoho.  Zoho has been out for years and has one of the most solid feels to their Web Apps.  Unlike the Google Suite , Zoho has been able to make their apps feel more like the desktop Microsoft Office Suite that it's resembling.  The only thing missing is a good mobile counter part, they have an Android app but it needs a lot of work to be usable .

Below are a list of some of the Office Applications that Zoho offiers:

Zoho Sheet

A very capable spread sheet program that resembles  Microsoft's Excel.

Zoho Writer

Zoho's version of their word processing software.

Zoho Show

This is a very basic version of the Powerpoint.









These applications will fit the need of most small businesses.  This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Zoho's software.

Which cloud-based business software packages have been essential to your business?  Please comment below.

Resources:

Zoho 

Using Google Voice with Magic Jack for your Small Business Phone Lines

When you see an infomercial about a product, nine times out of ten the product will not do what it says.it will. One exception that I have found is the Magic Jack.  I probably don't need to explain what the Magic Jack is , but it is a small device that gives you phone line service through the Internet.  The technology is called Voice Over Internet Protocol or VOIP.  I have found that the quality is great and is perfect for a business phone when used with Google Voice.

Google Voice is Google's phone system that offers:

• Phone relay services that allows you to use one number for multiple phone lines.
• Visual voice-mail that is accessible from a web app , Android or iOS.
• Free texting .
• Integration with gmail contacts.

Using these services together is a great way of building a relay system.  If you have a company that have a number of representatives that are scattered in different areas, you can use the Google Voice number to relay to all the Magic Jack units of your representatives.  This solution alone can save you thousands.  Your welcome! 

Resources: 

Magic Jack 

Google Voice

Turn Your Android Device into a PDF Scanner with Cam Scanner

There are some technologies that the convenience factor is so great that the shortcomings are often ignored.  Cam Scanner is a piece of software that turns your Android device into a scanner .  The results that you get are not as good as a conventional scanner, but since it's in your pocket you can have a scanner available at all times.

Here are some common uses :

•  Receipt, Bill, Tax Roll
•  Business Card, Membership Card, VIP card
•  Agreement, PPT and Whiteboard
•  Note, Memo, Script, Letter
•  Books, Magazines, Newspaper, Poster, Coupon
•  Courier Sheet, Resumes,

Resources: 

Cam Scanner for Android

MetroPCS to get the Galaxy S3

I am a big believer in having full control and choice.  The current model that the Cell phone carriers have are not for freedom loving people.  The early termination fees have reached up to $350.00.  This makes it not very feasible to move to different carriers on a dime..

MetroPCS has steadily stepped up their game by providing 4G service and mid-grade Android phones.  They have been able to see big gains without increasing their subscriptions.  They are making the changes needed to increase their subscriptions by adding a bunch of new phones by Christmas, the highlight of the list is the Galaxy S 3.  I am not going to go into what the Galaxy S 3 can do, ill just say that it's the Ferrari of the phone world.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the people waiting for MetroPCS to just get a high end phone.  My guess is that, line myself, people are going to run toward MetroPCS.  What do you think?

Source:

Android Authority

Keep up with your Favorite Business Podcast with BeyondPod

As I build my small business , I have focused on a few things to discipline myself to do on a consistent basis.  These things I feel will eventually benefit me as I go forward as an entreprenuer.  Some of those things are :

• Working out 3 times a day.
• Writing this blog.
• Listening to podcasts for entrepreneurs.

Of the three , I have found that consistently listening podcasts about business has contributed to keeping me focused.  As a result, my podcasts manager app of choice , BeyondPod has become the number one application that I use on my Android device.  Some of the highlights of this apps are:

• You can schedule podcasts to download at specific times of the day.
• You can import and sync you podcasts with Google Reader.
• It includes it's own internal media player.

Once you have purchased the app , here are some must-have podcasts for the entrepreneur: 

Rise and Grind

A straight talk (Rated R) podcasts that focuses on the mentality that is needed to make money.  The host is Daniel Freeman, a business owner and author of " How to Make a dollar out of 15 Cents", who preaches the urgency of financial independence.   It's clear that his goal is to not be a motivational speaker , but a source of actionable information.   Click here to subscribe to the Rise and Grind Radio show

Dream Chasers Show

Hosted by Will Lane , I found his podcast very inspirational.  He has a number of different guests on his show that give different perspectives on starting a business. Subscribe to the Dream Chasers show by clicking here. 

Help Start my Small Business

Hosted by brothers Joel and Neil , this pod casts bring together both information packed episodes and guests that motivate.  I found this podcast yesterday and went through several while working out.  I found that some of the things they talked about like a one page business plan and building a profile of an ideal customer, were so valuable I felt bad that it's free.  I highly recommend you go here to subscribe!

Free Website Templates with Zoho Sites

In the early years of the Internet, many people would spend loads of many to develop a website.  For a simple website , it would not be a shock if you spent over a $1000 for a basic site that just gave information. Today there are many low-cost options that are available to the entrepreneur.  One that I found very useful is Zoho Sites.

What sets Zoho Sites apart from other Website template / hosting solutions are the following:

• Very cheap , you can get a great webpage with a number of tools for $35 a year.
• A free option that provides you with a full website, with lesser features (which will be adequate for many).
• Easy to use tools that allows you to build a site without a developer.
• Free mobile site! (for Android and iOS) 

Zoho has been in the web app game for a while and they create some very stable business tools.  This Website design tool is no different.

Finance Management , the Mobile Way

To properly manage your business and take your hustle to next  level, aggressive money management has to be a priority. Money management is not sexy but can be made bearable by using the right tool to fit your needs.

The best place to start , is your financial institutions. All the big banks have a website and most have a Android app that you can do the main functions from the site.  I use Chase, here are some examples of options I have found useful from their mobile solutions.

1. Text notifications can be set for many thing that happen on your account .  Set it for daily balance updates and a text for each transaction.
2. The Android and iPhone app both allow you to scan checks and deposit them on the go.

Money Management Apps 

Mint.com is a feature rich program for managing personal finances.  It also has a Android app that syncs the information from the website to your device. This program can give you an overview of financial situation and provides graphs to

PageOnce is also a money management system with both a web an Android app.  The strength of the application is it's notification system that will let you know when bill due dates are coming up.   This application also allows you to pay bills within the app, making it a must have money management app.

Become an Android Supreme Multi-Tasker

The world is a fast and furious place. The global market-place has made things so competitive, that it is necessary for you to do multiple tasks at once. Knowing this, Google has baked in multi-tasking features , but developers have taken it a step further and made it possible to do a number of tasks in slick ways.  Here is a list of the top three apps that I have found:

1. Swipepad Free - Swipepad is app that allows you to launch apps by swiping your finger on specific regions on your device. I find that it is the best because it allow a lot of flexibility on how you want to initiate it.

2. Dock4Droid $1.79 - Dock4Droid is very reminiscent of the dock on the Mac Operating System.  I find that it is very visually pleasing but not as feature-rich as SwipePad.

3.  QuickDesk $0.99 - QuickDesk is a very simple application that locks on to the home buttn double click function.  It is the most simple of the three but also the most limiting.  Use this if you are new to Android and not looking to be overwhelemed with features,

Must Have App for Job Seekers - Clapp for Craigslist Notifications

Being the first to know is a great tool for the hustler. Being first to know will get you that product at a great price before anyone knows about it.  It will get you that job before a thousand people have applied.  Having information fast is a big deal to keeping the money flowing.

Craigslist is the hub for local transactions and knowing about posts that have been made can allow you to get a step ahead of your competition.  I found a great suite of apps for your Android device that will give you notifications each time something that is relevant to what you need is posted.  To set it up you will simply create a search criteria that you will create a scheduled search for.  These searches can be set to be done as frequently as every 10 minutes.  When a new item that is posted under your search criteria, you will receive a notification.  

This set up requires two peices of software for your Android Device:

Clapp .

Clapp Hunt

Read all Your Favorite Sites Like a Magazine with Currents

If you are a person that is busy and money-minded , you will have websites that you frequent for your daily information.  Some are heavy into stocks so they hit cnbc.com , or you may have more underground sites that you use to guide your hustle (riseandgrind.com) .  Regardless of the site you can view them in a consistent magazine-like format using currents.  Currents is a rss feed reader just like Google Reader , but this brings a much more readable interface to the table.  It is a free app and needs to be experienced to understand how awesome this app is.  Get it now from the link below.

Currents on Google Play 

The Tablet You Know - The New Microsoft Surface Tablet

There is a lot going on in the world of tablets.  I posted previously on how Google wants to gain your business by giving you an affordable option for tablet computing.  Windows is what you more than likely are using for your business or at work.  This makes Windows more accessible to most people as it comes to business.  This is the tablet that is going to allow you access to all the programs that you use at work and  will allow for the intuitive functionality of a touch screen.

The combination of the "cool factor" and the familiarity that people have with the Operating system, offers an opportunity for a big seller for Microsoft.

The winner with all these moves in the tablet world, are the consumer, as they will have a choice of a quality tablet on every income level and all use cases.


Resources:

Surface Tablet

Ways to Incorporate the Google Nexus Tablet into your Business

The tablet world is about to make a big leap in the coming months.  The up and coming release of the Nexus Tablet, with it's current specs and fair price tag of $200.  The pricing of their tablet is nothing new , the Amazon Kindle priced at $200 at launch as well.  Where Nexus Tablet will differ in its impact is that it is running the native Android 4.1 "Jellybean".  This matters because the developers will now have a device that will sell very well and it becomes and incentive for them to create more applications.  For most, the lack of great programs has been the missing piece with Android ,  with this new tablet that will all be rectified.

The business minded will benefit greatly to this lower price tablet.  Here are a few ideas for how to incorporate this tech into your businesses:

Restaurants - When someone is in your restaurant wants to know the special, a great way to do this is to give your waitress/waiter a tablet and show the customer a video of the food.  Video of a sizzling steak is much more powerful than any picture of one.

Doctors/Dentist offices - Showing patients health information and x-rays on a tablet can really keep a patient's attention and drives your points home.

Car Service - One of the most unsettling thing about getting your car fixed is that you never really know if the people servicing your car are telling the truth or robbing you.  Take a video of how damaged that engine is and show them the video.  This will increase your credibility with your clients and separate you from your competitors. 

Resources : 

Gizmodo

Droid-life

How To Make a Dollar Out of 15 Cents - Book Review

The book store  is overloaded with business books that focus on feelings.  It makes sense if I purchased a book with the expectation that it is going to somehow help me get more money, that I am not looking for a warm and fuzzy feeling.  I just want the information!  Sadly, what I am left with is a stack of books that spend a great deal of time wasting my time.  This is not the case with Daniel Freeman's debut book "How To Make a Dollar Out of Fifteen Cents".

This book is organized in a very consistent manner.  It is broken into three parts : Foundation , Building , and Building the Empire.  Within these parts Freeman details things from buying the right car to building a business.  What makes this book different , is that he comes at each item debunking common misconceptions then giving sound advice.  What also makes this advice so valuable, is that it is something you can put into action right now.  A good example of this is how he gets into savings bonds. One can, at this very moment buy $25 dollars in bonds just to get started.  Most books about money all seem to have a punchline.  At the end they either just gave you a good feeling , or they are directing you to their website to buy their "90 step plan to prosperity".  This book is a complete guide on how to get started and what you need to do once you have started.  This is one of those dangerous books that backs you in a corner; because once you have the information, the only road block is you! I give this book a 10 out of 10!  Buy it now at www.dollar15.com.

More info:

Rise and Grind (Freeman's Website) 

The Go Software Suite

Using an Android device for most can be a very confusing thing.  This is because there is no single Android experience on an Android platform.  This is because the Android platform is open source.  What that means is that multiple manufacturers can  make their own custom Android experience.  Companies like Motorlola, LG, Samsung, Sony, and HTC all have their own Android experience.

These experiences are fine, but they can be very heavy and unappealing visually.  There are many alternatives out there that will give you a custom experience, but there are none that are as complete and functional as the Go Software Suite.  The developers at "Go " have a suite of software from a launcher, keyboard, and even a lock screen app.

The benefit to the productivity fiend is that when you use multiple devices or you switch devices frequently, you can always depend on having a consistent experience.  These also have the added benefit of being FREE!

Go Launcher from the market
Go Keyboard from the market
Go Locker from the market

Evernote, Not Just for Recipes

I think if you have any experience with the Internet at all, then you have some familiarity with Evernote.  Evernote is the do it all program that is available for any platform you can think of Web, Android, iOS, Honey Comb, etc. The great thing about Evernote is that there is a lot for the busy man or woman in you.

Some of the uses are :

For students:

• If you are a student on campus use the HP View tablet has a pen enabled Evernote that will allow you to take a digital note writing on the tablet like a notepad.
• If you are an online student, use Evernote to start your discussion topics. 

For Business Owners 

• Use your mobile Evernote program to take pictures of business cards , which are then searchable in Evernote.
• Keep notes of things done for a client , this is a great way to keep time stamped notes for future reference. 

For the Home Administrative Engineer (House Wife/Husband)

• Using the mobile app , scan receipts to keep up with expenses and stay organized.
• Create a recipe book with pics and organize them with tasks for easy the reference. 

This is truly just a few things that can be done with Evernote, spend some time playing with it on all your devices so you have access to your notes everywhere.  

Resources:

Evernote Website

Evernote Android App

Producteev + Astrid The "Getting Things Done" Marriage

This is the first post that I will be making on this blog and I wanted it to represent what this blog is about. The goal that I had when thinking of creating a blog was to empower the "Go-Getters".  I want to make sure that the tech that people use everyday, are used to their fullest potential. I also want to inform people of new technology that will help them run their business, go through school , or navigate their careers.

The program (or programs) that fit this bill, are Producteev and Astrid.  These are two programs but they work together as a great task/to-do management system. I have spent hours researching a task management system and this one by far brings the most features and the cleanest interface.

Producteev is a web based program at www.producteev.com, it uses a very colorful interface and is very flexible.  The best way to use this is by using the GTD methodology by David Allen.  If you are not familiar with the GTD methodology, and to get a walk through on how to use it with Producteev, check out this article here for more details.

Astrid is an Android app that has been out since the early days of Android.  This means that it has been developed to be very stable and feature rich.  The interface can be modified to light , dark or transparent so you have enough options there to make it visually pleasing.

The power of these systems are from the pairing of the two programs.  The key to making this work for you is to get very familiar with the Producteev program, spend time setting it up, and sync the tasks with Astrid.  This is a seamless process and makes your Android device your reminder for all of your tasks.  When used properly, it can really make a difference in your productivity.   I have used these programs for school and my business for the last four months and I have found that I am getting more done and wasting less time.

These are free programs so there is no excuse for not getting that long list of objectives done and putting more money in your pocket as a result!

Resources:

Producteev Website
Astrid Program
GTD Methodology with Producteev
Getting Things Done by David Allen (Book)