Evernote Power User - Volume 1 - Evernote Reminders

I am a productive tool junkie.  I have the need to find different applications, books , and videos on making me more productive and efficient. In this journey, I have tried to find the best note application to dump all the crazy ideas that I have on the daily . There are no applications that came even close to Evernote. There is way to much in Evernote to cover in one blog , so I am going to address specific parts of the application that I will explain in small snacked sized portions. Your Welcome. 

Evernote reminders is a great place to start with this series. Evernote reminders are simply that, they are a setting in Evernote that allows you to make a note a reminder. The reason that this is powerful is the mobile component.  Since the Evernote reminder syncs with any and all platforms you place it on, you will get your reminders where ever you are. Another benefit is that you can create a widget that will show just the notes with reminders. This makes it easy to make Evernote your task management program as well as notes. 

Simply making a note of what you need to do is not enough to stay productive. Evernote reminders are a great way to make your notes actionable.  

Resource:

Evernote.com 

School is a Forever Thing, Lynda.com

Being in the technology field, I have found that there is no way to get away from continuous learning.  The minute that I stop building on my skills, is the minute that I become less competitive and reduce my opportunities to get money.  I stumbled upon Lynda.com which is an online the site where there are quality instruction videos from everything from video editing to program coding. 

There are a number of Youtube channels that provide some great video tutorials on the same subjects.  The difference that I see is that Lynda.com has a layout of the videos that are the much easier to navigate through.  This makes it easy to get to a specific topic.
 

The site gives me confidence that I can keep up with the trends of my industry.  Take a  look at Lynda.com and keep your skills sharp.

The Killer App S Note on The Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0

There are a number of reviews that talk about the Note 8.0. Often the reviews all come from people with a certain perspective. They have either used the Note in a very limited capacity, as it is with people that are tech reviewers. They have the privilege of using a number of different devices that they use for a short amount of time and they treat every device the same.  The Note 8.0 should be set apart from all these other devices because of two specific things: S Note and the S Pen.  

In my opinion there is no better device for the hustler!  The Note 2 is a great device and works as a great companion with the Note 8.0 , but the size of the Note 8.0 extends it's functionality to a high level.  The pairing of the powerful hardware of the Note 8.0 with the S Note software creates one of the most productive platforms that you will find.  It goes far beyond just doodling down a phone number . It allows you to input information how ever you like.  Either by typing it through the the keyboard, placing in a picture, clip art, voice dictation , and some of the best handwriting recognition that you are going to find.

This may not be the device for everyone , but for the hustler, this is a must have.  

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

MetroPCS Leading the Way Again with Voice Over LTE

MetroPCS are contually showing that they are a force to be recond with.  They have been able to have a number of notable "firsts" that have made them leading even the big carriers like Verizon. Some of the notable things that they pioneered:

• The first to offer true unlimited everything.
• The first to offer 4G LTE in the US (yes they beat Verizon)
• Now the first to release (voice over LTE) VoLTE.

Most may not understand the significance of VoLTE , but essentially it is similar to the move from beepers to cell phones.  VoLTE will greatly improve the stability of calls and the quality. By making the calls over the Internet there will be a lot more ways to innovate.

The first compatible phone will be the very capable LG Connect!

Read the press release below:

MetroPCS Launches World’s First Commercially Available Voice Over LTE Service and VoLTE-Capable 4G LTE Smartphone

DALLAS, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) today reached another innovation milestone by announcing the world’s first commercial launch of Voice over LTE (VoLTE) services, availability of the world’s first VoLTE-capable handsets and the first sale of a VoLTE-capable handset at one of the company’s Dallas/Fort Worth store locations. MetroPCS is selling the new VoLTE-capable LG Connect 4G Android™ smartphone at select U.S. stores and will continue to roll out VoLTE services and phones in the coming weeks.

“Being the first operator globally to reach this industry first speaks volumes about our company’s innovative spirit and passion to achieve goals that we believe will have long-term benefit for our customers and for the company,” said Roger Linquist, chairman and chief executive officer of MetroPCS. “The initial move to LTE and this move to VoLTE allow us to achieve significant spectral efficiencies and will increase network capacity so that we can enhance the 4G LTE experience that our customers have today at a tremendous value. VoLTE also provides a foundational capability for future Rich Communication Services (RCS), which we plan to launch later this year.”

The addition of VoLTE capabilities to MetroPCS’ 4G LTE handsets will be transparent to consumers as they continue to enjoy all the voice and 4G LTE data services with which they are already familiar. Calls to and from the handset will use VoLTE, regardless of the handset or network used on the other end of the call.

MetroPCS was the first U.S. carrier to deploy a commercial 4G LTE network in September 2010 and has since built out its 4G LTE network to cover roughly 90 percent of its CDMA footprint.

About MetroPCS Communications, Inc.

Dallas-based MetroPCS Communications, Inc. (NYSE: PCS) is a provider of no annual contract, unlimited wireless communications service for a flat rate. MetroPCS is the fifth largest facilities-based wireless carrier in the United States based on number of subscribers served. With Metro USA(SM), MetroPCS customers can use their service in areas throughout the United States covering a population of over 280 million people. As of June 30, 2012, MetroPCS had approximately 9.3 million subscribers. For more information please visit www.metropcs.com.

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

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.

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.

Google Drive , the Daddy of Cloud Storage

There are many cloud drive services out there.  These services have a number of different pluses and minuses.  My focus on this blog is for the individual entrepreneur so for those purposes the best I see is Google Drive.  I call Google Drive the "daddy" when it comes to cloud storage, because it is not only one of the cheapest ($2/ month for 25 gb of storage ), but it also brings integration with Google services.  With the option of a folder that is on your computer that can be synced with your Google drive folders, it is the best I've seen.

ES file explorer on Android has a great cloud browsing feature for Google Drive and many other services.  Using this app will allow you to share files from your Android devices to all of your computers!

Resources:

Google Drive on Android 
ES File Explorer

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.

Your Next Million Dollar Idea is in Jeopardy

Ideas are the fuel for the hustler. The bad thing about some ideas, is that they don't usually come when you're sitting at your desk, ready to jot them down in Microsoft Word.  They often come while you're on the toilet , in the shower, in bed or driving.

Capturing your next million dollar idea is important , so here are some ways for you to get those ideas saved FAST :

1. Hovernote -Hovernote is a note taking program like many others , but what sets it apart is that it (as its name implies) hovers over your screen when using it.  This comes in handy because you can open Hovernote and  leave it open in your notification bar until you need it.  When you want to jot something down , you simply pull down the notification bar and start typing.

2. Google Search "Note to Self" feature - Native in the Google search utility is a little known feature that allows you to take quick notes.  To activate it you simply have to hold down the search button on your Android device.  The voice prompt will come up and you will dictate your note by starting with the words "note to self".  After your note is taken, you will be placed in an interface allowing you to send the text of the note that you just too plus the audio to your email.  Make sure you create a filter and note label to organize these messages and you are good to go.

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

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.

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 

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)