Productive Organizer

I think I won’t get into details as most people will know that Apple this week announces their yearly changes to their iPod Shuffle, Nano and Touch. But What I would like to bring to readers attention is the iPod Touch 4G.

I own an iPod Touch 3G 32GB and used to own an iPod Touch 2G 8GB. The iPod touch to me is a great organizer because

1. You can get many productivity apps off the App Store to enhance you.
2. It makes a great music player. Its DSP is comparable with many of today’s portable devices sans those produced by Cowon
3. It’s a great video player
4. It’s a great youtube video player
5. Its an on the go browser that is very responsive
6. It’s a great game player

But the thing is that many competitors are always trying to gain market share at the expense of Apple and all this while their products are cheap and work just as well.

Archos just released 5 Android Devices with the cheapest 2.8 inch going for USD99.

My take is only for the 8GB because that is the entry level iPod I feel matters most to budget conscious consumers. In the past, the 8GB segment have always been the segment that Apple did not upgrade to the latest generation’s technology. Not anymore.

Great Screen Resolution and Retina Display

If you are going to stare at something for a lot of time a day, you would want something that makes what you look at pleasing.

The retina display  at 326ppi will make most of the things you view on your iPod Touch 4G to be fuller than without it.

The resolution on the 4G is also increased to 960×640 from 480 x 320. This is gonna be a wall of difference in terms of details that developers can size their images and texts.

For a user, you can expect more high quality applications compared to the Tablets or PMP players from Android or webOS.

You will see that there  are many tablets that offer big sizes such as 7 inch or 5 inch yet their resolution stays at 480 x 320 or at most 800 x 600. This is not making full use of the screen size.

Perhaps the cost of producing LCD at high resolution is much higher and they would not be able to hit this pricing point.

Very good performance processor

Compare to other webOS or Android devices, it is imperative that the processor is good so that normal interaction with the gadget does not irked the user.

A lot of China made Android devices ran off poor processors such as the Rockchip 2808 or the Telechip and it just shows off how good the iPod Touch in experience is much better than these gadgets.

The A4 Cortex A8 is the same chip used in the iPhone 4G and iPad. For that pricing we got a really good processor here to handle great gaming and intensive processing applications.

Very Reasonable Pricing

What Apple does well is to test the full user experience and sell it to you. At times we complain that their price is expensive. Like those of the Mac Powerbook and Desktops.

But USD229 for the 8GB is a great price to gain access to a lot of great applications, portable media player, camera and gaming console.

Yes it is more  expensive then some other device but when you compare the user experiences, they just don’t measure up.

… And now for the factors that don’t

Small Display

For a gaming and media playing device, 3.5 inch is so small! Perhaps that is why they are able to keep their price points.

The right screen size could be 5 inch. That to me is the sweet spot.

Battery Life

The battery life for the ipod have always fared worse then their iPhone brothers. The problem is that you are still doing much intensive things over WIFI.

My iPod Touch battery can be drain in 1-2 hours if I use 1-2 intensive applications.

Greater battery life increases the production cost as well. And many china manufacturers knows that.  Many of them may have good specs but the battery life just make the whole experience degrading.

Unable to use in Secured Sites

One of the main reason for getting the iPod Touch is that it serves as a good organizer in areas where we cannot bring camera devices.

With 2 cameras, a lot of folks will not look to the iPod Touch as a PDA to bring to these places.

Conclusion

So the big question is whether I will be upgrading. The answer is a firm no because its got not one but 2 cameras.

The 8GB devices is very attractively priced at USD 229 which comes up to SGD 318. No different then the price when I first bought my iPod Touch 2G

I must say I am really dissappointed with the move to include camera but that can’t be help as most consumers want that and only a small minority of us doesn’t want that.

This week’s most useful application comes from Logitech. Touch Mouse is quite a cool program. If you want to control your computers away from it like a remote control, be able to type and use it like a mouse pad, Touch Mouse from Logitech is the solution for you.

I tried it and it works. You need to download the application from the App Store.[Link Here >>]. At the same time, install a service component by downloading it from Logitech’s site.

When you start the application, you will be able to find your computer if your iphone or ipod touch is on the same WIFI network as the comp. if the desktop service component [Link Here >>] is install you can control your desktop from your iphone!

Very good if you are watching a video away from your pc!

Cost: FREE

In the world of mobile computing you would have come across many apps that allow you to keep your Ideas organize.

The most common on the market is free and it’s called Evernote. Evernote let’s u compose notes and tags it and this Is where u can collect your ideas and store it in the cloud.

But not everyone uses that and if you prefer something simple and meets this needs then Idea Organizer is just for you.

General view

The general setup for Idea Organizer is simple and clear cut. It tells you what you can do for this app and how you can carry them out.

Idea organizer enables u to collect your thoughts using 3 means. Text, voice and pictures.

Entry by text

Entry by pic

One of the aspect I like about mobile computing Is platform like iPhone and android allows the user to capture notes, ideas and tasks wherever they are.

Consolidated view of ideas

This app is really very presentable and straight forward and does what you are looking for well. Do not expect any bells and whistle like that of cloud syncing in this app. Ideal for people who are more particular eith their thoughts and ideas.

It will be a good platform for the developer to incorporate more ideas into future versions. Thumbs up.

I have blogged about this iPhone Mindmapping software that is really good and how you can use it to incorporate into your GTD system.

Their Version 2.2 is currently in the approval stage and what i like about them is that they don’t rest on their laurels but are coming up with more and more ways to make this mind mapping software as functional as the desktop applications.

Here is a video showing how you can map relationships between related nodes.

What i really hope to is that they can come up with Tagging and Tag filtering of nodes. That will be awesome

Also check out:

GTD Series Part 6:Project Review through iThoughts Mind Mapping Software

Mind Mapping Software for iPhone:iThoughts Review

Introduction

eToDo have in recent weeks zoom to the top of the productivity category on app store. So what makes etodo so appealing?

eTodo as a late comer to this task management and to do list space have to really distinguish itself from the competition.

What it offers is to carry out task management GTD way in the simpliest way. but that doesn’t mean that it is shitty, rather I see that it appeals to users who aren’t thY big on gtd and just want a simple way of managing tasks

The Presentation

eTodo have the nicest to do list interface I have ever seen, but you may disagree with me. Take a look at the screenshots below and you will see that it’s high on the colors and funky icons.

eToDo Front End

let’s be frank here. I am an engineer by training an while I like to prefer functionality for my todo list over beauty, it will turn me off if it’s really ugly. thankfully I don’t see many of those at the app store. at the configuration you can change the background wallpaper as well.

The Front end

eTodo provides task bins much in the Gtd way. If you guys are familiar with my post on Appigo Todo you will know that Appigo provides lists which houses projects and tasks. these task bins are like this list, only thing is it’s fixed based on what is required by Gtd.

• Inbox- basically your starting point. any thoughts that is vague will go here. you should have one daily or weekly mind sweep to add to your inbox.
• All- all your tasks whether it is anywhere will be here.
• Actions- all your actionable tasks (which to me is almost everything). the key distinction here is between Actions and Someday. This is where your tasks in your Inbox that are actionable will be shifted to.
• Someday- tasks that do not have a definite start date. pending tasks. If your Inbox tasks are nit gonna be carried out anytime soon and might be a project or task next time, shift it here.
• Next- the tasks that should be carried out next. The next task from your actions bin that u will carry out next.
• Completed- your completed task will be housed here. More for review purpose.

Task Creation

Touching the cross will bring you to the task creation screen.

Main Task Creation

This screen to me is freaking colorful and I think it’s a bad thing as the user have a hard time perceiving if this is a textfield.

You can enter the standard stuff:
Due Date – A joy to enter. The developer took note to include frequently used reference dates such as Today, Tomorrow and Next Week. I feel people should stop using the date roller tool. Its really sickening to roll for far reaching dates!

Due Date

Repeat

Repeat - Great here. The standard outlook level recurring tasks options Days, Weeks and Months. The developer also includes standard reference recurring options as well: Day, Week, 2 Weeks, Month, 3 Month and Year.

Tags – You can tag each task with multiple tag contexts so you can better filter your tasks during review or do phases.

Multiple Tag/Context Selections

Priority – None,Low,Medium,High,Urgent. Personally i think priorities don’t work haha.
Images – You can append images that will be shown describing what task this is. The range of images is limited, they look good and imo it clutters the screen.

Task Filtering for Review and Do

How you use eToDo to carry out your task in an efficient manner differs from person to person. If i were to use this, I would reference the All List quite alot.

No of Tasks are shown next to the Tags

One thing that you would really appreciate about eToDo is really the number next to the titles that tells you the number of tasks in there. I mean, If there isn’t any tasks in there I wouldn’t want to bother reviewing it and doing it right?

You select tasks that are Overdue and are Errands

Touching the Filter Icon allows you to filter not just by Starred,Overdue,Today,Tomorrow,Next 7 Days and Future Tasks but also by the Tags. The filtering is eToDos strong point and it is a very important aspect of Getting Things Done as
- You need to Tag your tasks with the right context during Organize
- You need to filter and do tasks when you are at the right Context/Environment
- You need to filter well to make Reviewing of your Actions easy

The Filter is shown Here for Concise reviewing

This gets an A+ for me as this is where Appigo ToDo lacks. The number of tasks in each category is very useful!

Search

eToDo has a search as well. Not Sure when i will need this really!

Mailing Actions List

I love this option! What  you can do is that you can use Task Filtering to Filter
-Specific Tasks meant for Certain Colleagues
-List of Tasks You are Waiting for
-List of Tasks Tag with a certain category for others to review

and then send it out. Another A feature.

Touch Mail Button to bring up this functionality

You can filter then email this list of tasks to your colleagues

Conclusion

Overall, at USD 0.99 cents this application is a winner. It still won’t pull me away from Appigo ToDo as
- It does not have Sub-Projects
- No Sync backup to online server
But for folks that is looking for a flexible, well thought out to-do list 0.99 cents is a small price to pay.

Best iPhone apps at AppStoreHQ

Overview

iPhone and iPod Touch have access to 100,000 application and the strength of this platform makes applications developed to be very user friendly and effective.

In this page, I will list out applications and how-to guides that will help a mobile worker increase his productivity and make life easier with his iPhone or iPod Touch

On the Go Reading/Reviewing/References

How to Read PDF books/references/magazines on your iPhone or iPod touch with [GoodReader]

For me by far the best thing to do on the go using an iPod Touch or iPhone have been reading and GoodReader is a cheap and very enjoyable way to read your favorite books. Endorsed by Productive Organizer.

Fast PDF Reader for your iPhone and iPod Touch [Fast PDF]

Here is an alternative to good reader that makes browsing PDF a breeze.

Reading Mobipocket,PDF,LIT,EPUB, DRM free Kindle books for free on your iphone or iPod with [STANZA]

The best reader on the App Store. FREE and enables you to read all your existing books. Endorsed by Productive Organizer.

Wordprocessing, Spreadsheet and Presentation

Office Word and Excel on the iPhone:[QuickOffice]

If you are looking for a Word processing and spreadsheet application then perhaps QuickOffice suite is for you.

Note Taking

Note Taking Software that Syncs to your Desktop OneNote Application: [MobileNoter]

If you are a die hard OneNote user and would like to have an application that syncs with your desktop OneNote Notebooks, and access it offline, then you should give this a try.

To Do List

[Appigo ToDo] Getting Things Done To Do List Review

By far one of the more expensive to do list software but its well worth the money you paid for this. Syncs with Remember the Milk or Toodledo, or Mac Desktop and follows David Allen’s Getting Things Done methods. Endorsed by Productive Organizer.

Simple Cheap GTD To Do List: [eToDo] Review

If Appigo ToDo is too complex or expensive for you, you can always go for the cheaper option eToDo. Just as good and great workout for a Getting Things Done beginner.

Nested GTD To Do List: [Action Lists] Review

A good competitor to Appigo ToDo. This does NESTED Subprojecting, Contexts and sync to ToodleDo.

Smart Calendar GTD To Do List: [2Do] Review

Here is an alternative to Appigo Todo for the iPhone and iPod Touch. What is great about it is that the Smart Calendars make executing tasks daily a breeze.

Others

Turn your iPhone /iPod Touch into a wireless keyboard mouse with [Touch Mouse]

Want to control your pc away from it through your iPhone and iPod Touch? Install this app. its FREE!

Keeping Passwords,logins and Key Information securely with [SplashID]

SplashID have been securing your vital information for a long time and here is a review on it.

I just updated my  GoodReader for iPhone to version 2.4 and man its so fast! The rendering on my CCNA 18MB reference book is noticeably faster.

Other improvements includes support for power point documents, bug fixes.

GoodReader at USD 0.99 is the best PDF reader for the iPhone. To read more about what goodreader can do take a look at my past review below

[How to read PDF books and files on your iPhone:GoodReader >>]

Introduction

Are you looking for a software that enables you to access Microsoft OneNote on your iPhone? If you are then, MobileNoter is probably what you are looking for.

I think alot of folks out there really like to use Microsoft OneNote for note taking. For folks that want to keep research materials, or information pertaining to a project or a business object that they are working on, OneNote is the closes software you get to a real note book.

I personally think its one of the best products release by Microsoft and it should be bought as a stand alone application.

Best thing next to a physical note book

If you currently already have much information stored in OneNote and would like to access them from your iPhone or iPod Touch, MobileNoter can do the job.

Pricing

This is a subscription based service. The desktop and iphone application is FREE. But monthly subscription comes up to USD 1.25 per month.

iPhone Version reviewed

1.0

What does it do

MobileNoter is bascially a service that, for a small fee per month, allows you to sync selected notes to MobileNoter Server and enables 2 way sync with your iPhone Mobile Noter Software.

How to setup and how MobileNoter looks like after the break

[Read the rest of this entry...]

I never have been a big follower of the development for the Zune HD, but since discovering this video, i realise that Microsoft might have a serious product to compete with the PSP and the iPod Touch in the gaming arena here.

Its got better graphics and touted to have better sound quality (not hard to beat, Apple have some really bad sound chips) But the screen size is so small! I wonder how you are gonna enjoy it without speakers as well.

I think this might be an infant step but get more developers on board Microsoft. Then we can start talking

Introduction

I gotta give a shout out to Dominique from CalenGoo for facilitating this review. I would say out of all the intriguing software on the app store CalenGoo interest me the most.

I am big on planning and scheduling in a Getting Things Done kind of way and i make use of Google Calendar as my main calendar so it is natural that i would make it a criteria in choosing my GTD device.

In this review i would break down why this would rock more than the native Google Calendar sync and where it will not be that good in.

Why you would want to sync your calendar to google

Ubiquitous Calendar Assess

A good reason other than Appigo ToDo that sways me to the iPod Touch 2G was due to its ability to sync google calendars and contacts via exchange protocol from Google  to my iPod Touch.This means that you can assess to your events and schedule offline, you don’t need  a constant internet connection.

What this means also is that you make your google calendar your base where you house your events and schedule. If you are using an iPhone your calendar synchronize with it. If you are using an Android phone your Android phone calendar gets synchronize with it.

When you get home or in the office and want a better view of your calendar, you can view the same events and schedule from your desktop internet browser.

Auto-Backup of Calendar via web synchronization aka Offline Mode

Remember those windows mobile days where you need to put your windows mobile phone into a cradle and sync your contacts and calendars to your desktop through ActiveSync? Well in web 2.0 you don’t have to rely on that any more.

Offline mode for iPhone,Android and Adobe Air for desktop allows you to assess your calendars when you do not have an internet connection and automatically or manually synchronize your events and schedules when you have one.

In each device the application will make use of the local database in your iPhone. If there is an internet connection, the application will invoke a sync request to sync your data with the web database. What this means is that should you lose your phone, you will still have assess to your data as it is last sync this morning to the web.

Thus for this concept to work well your software must periodically poll to see if you have an internet connection, if it has, it will sync it.

Through iPhone Exchange services you are able to sync your calendar to google and will periodically update. It works very well and i am satisfied with it.

Continue after the break for review of CalenGoo with screenshots

[Read the rest of this entry...]