Evernote Power User Volume 7 - Evernote Web Clipper

Doing research on the Internet can be a messy, unproductive thing. I have seen people take a pencil and paper to their computer and write down links and resources from the different websites.  Others, that are more advanced, will open a Word document and create a document for researching.  I find that both of these methods are flawed for researching as they are not good with some of the key things that make research useful, the ability to organize it and reference it.  The Evernote Web Clipper is an extremely powerful tool as allows multiple ways to capture the information from websites. Once you have it captured, you can use the power of Evernote to manage the information. 

1. Article - The article option recognizes the relevant portion of the web page and allow you to take a snapshot of it. 

2. Simple Article - This will place the webpage in a readable mode where all the ads and buttons are taken off the page and the all you are left with are the relevant content in a more readable page. 

3. Full Page - This is will take the full page that you are looking at without cropping anything out. 

5. Bookmark - This will simply place the bookmark of the current page into your Evernote with a small picture from the site and a heading. 

4. Screen Shot - The Screen Shot option pulls up a grid based pointer that allows you to select an area in the web page and take a picture of it. 

Get the Chrome extension here . 

Over 30 School Tools

For thirty somethings that are in school trying to add to their resume and move to higher income brackets going for more schooling is the answer for many.  Making the school experience successful  for an adult with obligations such as work, house duties, a spouce and children is a hard thing to do.  As I finally received my degree at 35 , I took a hard look at what it took now, versus what it would take someone fresh out of high school.  There is a significant difference, so the approach that adding school to a busy adult's life, needs to be handled in a very special way.  I will detail some of the tools that I used to manage my school life in a way that I could still take care of some of my home duties.

The first would be a Phablet (phone /tablet) .  Not an iPhone not a regular smartphone. When the girls need to get to dance , the boy needs to get to football practice and the wife's van needs servicing, time is a premium. The key to this is to use google docs so that you do your homework where ever you are. Having a   large phone can  a parent it is hard to nail down open windows of time during the week.  The key is to be able to work on tasks in those stolen moments.  Some examples of stolen moments:

- Waiting for kids to get out of extra coricular activities like dance or sports.
- Waiting in the grocery checkout line.
- In the bathroom (yep). 
- Pretty much any time that you would normally play candy crush saga, replace it with homework.

The next thing that I would suggest is to buy a tablet.  A tablet can be very useful as you can use it for reading most text books and access your schools website.  The benefit I have found over a laptop is the speed of access.  Since accessing your tablet is no different than waking your phone from sleep,  you can get to work quickly.

Finally I would purchase evernote premium.  Evernote is a note program that becomes your hub for all of our information.  I am going to go more into this in later blogs, but the true benefit of the software is the flexibility of it. This makes managing the information overload that comes with being in your 30s and in school more manageable. 

 
 

$59 for a tablet! Business People Rejoice!

It's time for the business community to rejoice.  Tablets have now reach the point of an easy expense.  A California company is now offering a reasonably powered tablet for only $59.  I will open your eyes by giving you an example of what the smart entrepreneur can do:

You have a small restaurant with 10 servers.  Pay $600 for each of them to have a tablet and place videos of each item on the menu on the tablet.  You cannot imagine the impression to a customer that you will be able to give off  when you show a sizzling steak on the 7 inch screen of this tablet.

This is just one idea, let your imagination tell you how you may incorporate them into your business.

Resources:

MatrixOne

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

The Future of Computing is in the Clouds - Free Cloud Based Business Apps

If you are starting a business, an important aspect to consider is saving money.  A great way to save is to use business tools that are free.  There are number of free business tools out there that are all free or very inexpensive.  An added benefit to these free business tools are they are cloud based, so there is no way to lose your important documents and they can be shared on multiple platforms.

It is important to get use to these cloud services , because the future of computing is going to be cloud computing.  Google is on the forefront with their Chrome browser.  Below are list of free business tools that you can find in the Chrome "web store":

Evernote -

The note taking giant that is the perfect cloud app.  It works just as well as the Windows full app , but it is much lighter , and you don't worry about the constant syncing.

Google Drive Office Suite -

I have spoken on the benefits of Google Drive as it relates to the storage benefits.  What I failed to mention is that Google Drive is upgrade of Google Docs.  Google Docs is online productivity suite that offers Microsoft Office-like programs ie. Word , Excel , Access , and Powerpoint, in an online form.

Pixlr Image Editing


Why pay load of money for Photo Shop when you may just need to create a logo for your business or edit some product photos?  Pixlr is a great , light alternative for minimal image editing needs.

Gain Total Control of Your Android Device

The biggest difference that you find with the Apple's iPhone and the Android Operating System is control. I always find it weird to call a device that has more power than my first desktop computer a phone.  Since these devices are so powerful , making sure that you are control and manage your device at a deep level, ensures that you can leverage that power to its greatest potential.

Here are some tools to help you gain a great level of control over your Android device (short of rooting your device, I will talk about that in a future post) :

SystemPanel - Your Android device is truly a computer ,so having a tool that will help you manage things like the device's temperature, system storage , system performance and much more is essential.  

ES File Explorer - Just as your computer uses Windows Explorer ES Explorer does the same thing for your Android device.

Plot out Your Empire with Mindmeister

People process information in many different ways.  For those that process information easiest by creating diagrams, Mindmeister can help you visualize your empire.  Mindmeister is a web application that has an Android component which allows you to do tree-like diagrams where one item braces to the next.  This is great for me when planning businesses, as it gives me a visual representations of how the business needs to be set up and the and the details that relate to it .

The service is free for a limited amount of diagrams.  The Android application is also free, and stays consistent with the look and feel of the web application.

Resources:

MindMeister Web App
MindMeister Android Application

Using the Asus Transformer as a "Dumb Terminal"

For years, a great way that IT professionals have saved money was to purchase a very powerful server computer and very low end client computers.  They would then set up the client computers to use a virtual environment that was powered by the server.  This allows for a company to only have to focus on investing in a high-end server and the clients can be relatively cheap.

This same idea can be applied to using a Asus Transformer tablet while connected remotely (using Teamviewer) to your high-end desktop computer. This way you can leverage the speed and storage of your desktop with the functionality  and portability of your Asus prime.

This is one of the many areas that a tablet is useful as we find a place for it in our productive lifestyles.

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,

Make your Smartphone Smarter with MyProfiles

Have you ever been in a meeting and your phone rang?  Depending on the circumstances, it can either be no big deal , or one of those moments where you wish you could disappear.  There are options that you have on your Android device that will ensure that you don't have to explain why "Teach me How To Dougie" is your default ringtone!

Relying on your memory to turn off the ringer on your phone is a losing battle for most. The best way to tackle this issue is with the MyProfiles app.  MyProfiles is a program that can automatically set your phones settings based on certain circumstances.  A good example is if you are near your job your wifi, ringer, and GPS will all turn off and your note taking program will open.  This can be really handy for the busy person because it can increase your battery life and make your phone work the way you want , when you want.

MyProfiles has a clean and easy to understand user interface.  They use icons that are vibrant and simple to distinguish.  

MyProfiles has a free and a paid version which is $1.80 .  I suggest to get the paid pro version as you will get all of the features that it includes.  The link is below: 

MyProfiles in the Play Store

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 Wars - Which One is Right for You?

As consumers, there is nothing more beneficial to us then when companies war for our dollars.  This is a huge reason why we have seen so much competitive pricing in gaming and why innovation has been pushed so far.  I guarantee you, if there were only one video game console out there, it would be $500 and the experience would not be nearly as good. Similar to the console wars the Tablet wars have emerged with four essential players, the iPad, the Microsoft Surface, the Nexus 7 and the Asus Transformer line.  I will not go deep into the specs on each , but my goal with this post is to match which consumer should be purchasing each tablet. 

The iPad

This is the tablet that started the new generation of tablets.  This one is the most easiest to use and are great for the non-techie and people who are elderly... (I'm just keeping it real).

Microsoft Surface


The surface has yet to hit the streets, but this is obviously a tablet made for the corporate world. If you spend a lot of time in Outlook and live by your Office suite, this will be the tablet for your work/business life.

Nexus 7


The Nexus 7 has a smaller form factor than the previosly mentionsned and smaller price tag at $200 (starting).  The Nexus 7 will be a great tablet for students and techies.  The customization and speed makes the techies happy and the book-sized form factor is a great text book replacement for students.



Asus Transformer Line

Asus' Transformer line are very powerful and were the first to master the integration of a keyboard. This is going to be for those who are techie and are also business minded.  










Regardless of which tablet you choose, you have a good amount of choices that ensure that your needs are met.  The hardware for all of these are fast and efficient enough to rely on. So now is the time to add one of these devices into your life, you can't go wrong with any of these.


Resources:

Asus
Nexus 7
iPad 
Microsoft Surface

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

Hustle Tip: Using Go SMS to Schedule Text Messages

The name if Google mobile Operation System is called Android.  The definition of Android is "A robot with a human appearance.".  The idea is to put the power of a robot in your hands.  One thing that people miss when it comes to tech, are automated tasks.  Go SMS (a free SMS client for Android) has a number of features, but my favorite by far is the ability to schedule when I want to send a SMS message.  Here are some examples for when this comes in handy:

Reminding a employee that he needs to inventory products before closing.

Telling a client that you enjoyed the meeting and are looking forward to doing business.

Checking with a client to make sure that they are happy with your service/product. 

When you start using this tool , you will instantly find a bunch of ways it can work for you.  Go SMS is free so go over to the play store and give it a try.

Resources:

Go SMS in Play Store

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

Hustle Tip:Using a Navigation Shortcut

If you have an Android device , you also have the most advanced navigation technology on the market. There are a number of reasons why there will be NO navigation system that will beat the one that is in your pocket a few are:

1. The sync between the Internet and GPS allows for a number of online service to be available.
2. Google Maps includes street view that will allow you to see destinations up close.
3. The integration with Google services like Latitude makes it easy to find friends.
4. Google continues to make it better with over-the-air updates.

So since you have this great technology, a great way to utilize it is by using navigation shortcuts.  From your device's main screen, hold and select "shortcut".  You will then select "Directions and Navigation".  

Once you have your directions shortcut box up you can place any address in with a relevant name and icon. 

Situations that a navigation shortcut comes in handy for the hustler:

1.If there are a number of stops that you need to make in a day.  Prior to the going out on your mission plot out all of the stops and make a shortcut for each.   Place each stop from the first to the last in top to bottom order so you can get to each destination in a timely fashion.

2. Quickly gaining traffic reports for places you go frequently.  It is a benefit to know how fast you will be able to get back to your office from where ever you are.  This will allow you more clarity to on how far you can stretch your most valuable resource .. time.

The Paperless Lifestyle - Starring the Xerox Mobile Scanner

There is no reason for people to have to fumble around with paper nowadays. Innovations with cloud computing and scanners has brought a level of convenience that helps us save time.  The things that you need to go paperless:

1. A good scanner (oh and I am selling one on eBay at right now.. what a coincidence :) )

2. Scanning management software, PaperPort is the best for scan management (which also comes with the scanner I am selling)

3. A good plan for first scanning all existing documents and all upcoming documents.

Update : Sold

Scanner eBay listing click here 

Do It Well with Doit.im - Sub-tasks Done the Right Way

Your son's football practice, getting ready for the big meeting, getting ready for the real estate exam.  All of these tasks can have multiple tasks within .  There are a great deal of tasks management programs that will help you organize your life , but they all had one big flaw, and that is the way that they handled sub-tasks. 

The advantage of the managing tasks using sub-tasks, is that you will separate your tasks into projects.  This , for me , has been very powerful because I can easily group my tasks and focus on details that I may miss otherwise.  There is only one system that that I have found available that is both an Android application and a web application.  The application is called Doit.im.  

This powerful application gives you the ability to create tasks just as your simple tasks managers like Tasks (yes the application is called tasks) , but it goes much further with powerful subtasks options. The subtasks are used through projects.  Each project can have several subtasks.

Doit.im also has a powerful online application that is very consistent and works very well.  This application are for those that are highly productive and need to manage their lives like a business.  Doit.im is the perfect companion for the hustler in you!

Doit.im android application

Doit.im web application

Previous blog on Astrid with Producteev 

Verizon's Robbery vs. GhettroPCS

If you have not been paying attention lately, your cellular provider is robbing you!  I have been with Verizon going on 4 years now and have paid them more than I'd like to admit.  Just the thought of all the fee hikes, changes to data, and changes to policy , just gets me mad thinking about it! The last nail in the coffin was this new policy called "share everything plan". Check out the blog at droid-life.com for the details, the bottom line is higher prices.

There is a trend brewing that most who aren't nerds like me wont catch.  The pre-paid companies have been uping their game. The big problem that people have when it comes to the pre-paid route for cell phones are three things:

1. Pre-paid service is not as good.
2. Pre-paid phones are not as good 
3. Pre-paid plans are for poor/ghetto people.

Service can vary depending on where you live.  If you are in a city like Sacramento, Oakland , Atlanta etc. you will have great service with a pre-paid carrier.  I had MetroPCS before I got locked into this Verizon contract, and my service was 100% better!

The phones in the early years of pre-paid were junk.  This has ALL changed:

Phone:  HTC Evo V 4g  &  iPhone 4s

Carrier: Virgin Mobile

Phone: HTC Evo Design

Carrier : Boostmobile

Phone: LG Connect 

Carrier: MetroPCS

The stigma that  pre-paid companies have will change soon.  I know this because as the phones get better, people will be more accepting to go the less expensive route.

Bottom line

The freedom that not having a cell phone contract, is similar to not having to pay a car note or not having credit card debt. Without these weights you can hustle more effectively and take advantage of opportunities more frequently. Break the shackles and get yourself a Ghettro!