hits counter

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Metro search = Traveling light

metroAccording to today's Washington Post, security officers on the city's subway system, Metro, are beginning immediate random searches of backpacks, purses, and bags. Metro officials say that next week's election and the upcoming inauguration are prompting them to take additional security measures.

While it sounds like a major hassle and time-sink for many Metro riders, for those of us who are paperless, mobile, and a little organized, it should be no big deal. Armed with my PDA phone and a tiny key-chain wallet, I'm usually set for the day for meetings and visiting clients. With a few extra pockets in my coat, I can even avoid carrying a bag or briefcase completely, if need be.

This is a paperless time-saving advantage I'd never even contemplated before...

Welcome to the Vista 64 world

My long-serving Compaq (circa 2001) desktop -- which I'd moved to "semi-retirement" in the kitchen last summer -- finally gave up once and for all the other day.  Since I've come to like having a desktop in the kitchen, I decided to replace it with the smallest, cheapest desktop I could find at the neighborhood Best Buy. 

Enter the $479 Acer AX3200, a 12-pound, 3-inch wide desktop, with 4GB of RAM,  a 320GB hard-drive, and 2.2 GHz triple-core processor -- pretty good specs at the price.  what me worry_edited-1

One hitch:  It comes loaded with Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit version.  But I wasn't planning to load many programs on it and I work virtually on my other desktop through LogMeIn, so, as Alfred E. Newman used to say, "What, me worry?"  

I hit my first problem on the very first thing I tried to install, when I inserted my two-month-old D-Link DWA-130 USB network Wireless N adapter.  The D-Link setup program had a few hiccups running, but it appeared to finish and instructed me to plug in the adapter.  As soon as I did, the D-Link software crashed and told me to reboot the machine.  When it came back up, Vista informed me that the D-Link software isn't compatible with 64-bit architecture and it wasn't able to find a the right driver.

So, I grabbed my laptop and checked the D-Link site for a 64-bit driver.  No luck -- they don't have a 64-bit driver and apparently don't intend to make one for this model, although their website says it is "certified for Windows Vista."  As several other users had noted in various forums that they hadn't been able to use their DWA-130 with Vista 64-bit, I figured I was screwed, uninstalled the D-Link software, and deleted the DIR-130 from my Device List. 

Now, here's the odd part.  I'd forgotten to unplug the adapter, so a little while later when I re-booted after installing some other programs, Vista tried to "reinstall" the adapter on start up.  Through some weird Microsoft magic, this time, without any D-Link software,  it managed to recognize the device and find a 64-bit driver for the DWA-130.  The adapter now works flawlessly.

I'm still scratching my head over that one.  (D-Link users, take note and don't give up!)

Here's how other programs have stacked up so far:

No luck: vista_logo

  • The Weather Channel Desktop Weather
  • Photoshop Express 4 or 5
  • Family Tree Maker

No problems:

  • Firefox (and most add-ins)
  • MS Office 2007 (Outlook, OneNote, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  • Pagemaker 11 (had to download version 11.2)
  • PDF Create 4
  • Slingplayer 2.1
  • Logmein Hamachi
  • MS Money 2007
  • MS IntelliPoint and IntelliType 6.3
  • Foldershare

I was a little nervous the first evening I had it when it randomly crashed and re-booted a few times, but it has been running solid since Saturday.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

PowerPoint and Multiple Monitors

Speaking of PowerPoint, here's one other trick I learned recently.  Unlike the other Microsoft Office programs, PowerPoint won't let you open two instances of the full program so you can have different presentations on different screens.  For those of us who use multiple monitors and are accustomed to having different Word documents (or Excel, OneNote, Outlook, PDF, etc.) open simultaneously on different screens, having to revert to ALT-tab to toggle between two different PowerPoint presentations can be very frustrating.

I could squish everything onto one screen:

split screen

 

But, why do that when I've got a whole empty screen next to it?

sidebyside

 

Anyway, I haven't found a solution, but here's a workaround:

First, click on the restore down button (the one just left of the red exit button), grab a handle on the PowerPoint window, and drag it across to a second (or even third) monitor.  Here's what that looks like as I drag the PowerPoint window across two of my monitors:

pull screen

 

Then, once you have both screens filled with the PowerPoint window, go to View>Arrange All.  You'll have one presentation open on one monitor and one on the other.   Although the PowerPoint controls will sit only on one screen, you'll at least be able to work with two full-sized presentations simultaneously, without having to toggle between them.

twomonitors

 

BTW, those of you who are detail-oriented and click on the screenshots to see larger versions of them will notice that the two presentations show on the taskbar for the monitor where they're displaying.  That's thanks to a program called UltraMon, which adds several features that are great add-ins for multiple monitor users.

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

OneNote and PowerPoint

Just wanted to pass on a quick tip I found for streamlining the process of collecting notes related to PowerPoint presentations. Rather than going into PowerPoint and trying to edit a slide, trying to make notes about particular slide numbers and jotting down comments, or marking up a paper printout of the presentation, I realized the other day that I could print a "handouts" version of the presentation to OneNote.

Here's a sample what it looks like, using a Microsoft presentation I downloaded and scribbled on:

image

I've found several benefits to doing this:

  • Quicker than opening PowerPoint and trying to insert comments or edit slides, especially on the fly in meetings or on a phone call
  • Faster opening -- I generally keep OneNote open on my desk on tablet PC in meetings, so I don't have to wait for PowerPoint to fire up
  • Easier to edit slides later -- I can open my notes in OneNote on one screen, open PowerPoint in another screen, and edit a presentation without having to flip between presentations in PowerPoint

P.S. -- Apologies to the people to wrote the MS presentation -- comments made as a "simulation," not an actual recommendation on your presentation!

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Using OneNote for GTD Project Tracking

In working with OneNote, I realized that it offers a great solution for people using GTD with Outlook who want to see the status of all their next actions on a specific project, regardless of context.  In fact, it makes a great Project Notes (and project inventory list) resource for anyone.

I created a sample project to show how it could work.  (FYI, I've collapsed a lot of menus, notebooks, and lists I normally keep expanded for privacy's sake.)

First, say I've just been on a call with Bob.  With his permission, I've recorded it in OneNote, which can search audio files for key words.  I've also typed a few notes.  If I click on these notes, it will play the audio that was being recorded when I wrote down any specific word.

My OneNote page might look something like this:

image

 

So, I process the call.  First, I highlight the due date and add it automatically to the "hard landscape" of my calendar in Outlook as an all-day event.  (In OneNote:  Tools>Create Outlook Item>Create Outlook Appointment).  An Outlook appointment window will open automatically that I can add more info to:

 image

 

Then, I go through the rest of the notes in OneNote and process them.  By tabbing as I type, I can automatically create a table of next actions and due dates, if any:

 image

 

I can do the first four steps immediately, so I turn them into Outlook Tasks, adding them to my Next Actions lists.  By inserting a cursor just before the text on each item and pressing Control-Shift-K, OneNote will open up an Outlook task that I can customize, adding whatever category/context or additional info I need.

Here's the task I created for Research Acme Industries.  I've added the @computer category, but OneNote and Outlook created the rest automatically.  Clicking on the link in the notes section of the task will automatically open my Johnson briefing page in OneNote.

  image

 

As I create the tasks from OneNote, the program flags each item that has a task associated with it.  If I left-click the flag, it will mark the task as complete in both OneNote and Outlook.  If I right-click the flag, I can review the status, delete the task, or open it it Outlook.  If I hover over the flag, it will show the date started/date due info. 

Here's what the list looks like once I've added tasks to all the actions I can take right now:

 

image

 

Meanwhile, my Next Actions list in Outlook looks like this.  (I've filtered out all my other NAs for these screenshots.  Normally, all my NAs from all projects would appear in their contexts. ) 

 image

 

So, I get to work doing these next actions, checking them off in Outlook like any other tasks as I finish them.  The next time I do a project review, I go back to my project page in OneNote, and I can see at a glance that I've completed two of the actions, but I still have two on my next actions list.  If I want to change the status of any of these -- converting something from complete to incomplete, for example -- I just have to right-click on the icon next to the task.  That will also update my Outlook Task list automatically.

 image

 

If I want to add more tasks to the project, I can go back into my table in OneNote and add rows or columns, just as in Word or Excel.  Or, I can simply click in the last box of the table and press Enter to add a new line at the bottom. 

I could also create a subproject within a task by indenting within the same box, or move existing tasks into other boxes to create hierarchies.  (Unfortunately, there's no way I know of to link these hierarchies within Outlook's tasks automatically.) 

Within the list, I can create check lists of things that don't need to go on my Next Actions list.  For example, in the list below, I've put check boxes next to the things I want to take with me on the trip.

Once I get into the project and get more of a sense of the steps and dependencies, my list in OneNote might evolve to look something like this:

 image

 

Meanwhile, my next actions list in Outlook still reflects the context view of things that I actually work from:

image

 

That should provide an idea of the extent to which OneNote and Outlook can integrate to support GTD.  Using notebooks, lists, and sections, as well as multiple lists on the same page, those who need a little more project planning and review than a straight list option offers may find what they're looking for.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Thin clients and virtualization

I guess I'm not the only one who is thinking about the benefits of virtualization and "thin clients." The New York Times ran a long story this week looking at how thin clients -- computers that rely on remote processors or other computers for much of their work -- are growing in popularity.

James Kendrick at the wonderful jkontherun blog touched on a similar idea this week when he described how he uses LogMeIn to control his Mac from netbooks and systems running entirely different OS.

A few years ago, I would have said that cheaper, big local data storage was driving the trend toward more digitally based lifestyles, as people put more music, movies, photos, and data on their home systems. Now, I'm beginning to think that remote access will power the next wave.

It's interesting to imagine where this will go, especially in terms of software and licensing. The other day I was thinking that as my options for accessing one computer's resources with another computer -- through programs like LogMeIn -- become more robust, I could eliminate my need to install updates on multiple systems or even buy additional copies/licenses for more than one machine. The cost and time savings could be considerable.

At the same time, I could (in theory) extend the functional life of my equipment. As long as I had a powerful, fast "main" system running my software, any additional systems would need little more than a good browser, fast network access, and whatever minimal software I might need without a connection.

Some platforms could change dramatically -- or even go away entirely. The other day, I was using LogMeIn on my Windows Mobile phone to control my desktop. It's a little like peering through a keyhole to try to operate a system with three 19-inch monitor on a 2.8-inch screen, but it's not utterly futile. I was able to use Outlook and Money quite easily, and working with Internet sites like Google Reader and Wikipedia was MUCH faster -- well worth the scrolling around.

Another vote for dropping security

The people over at  are really getting into the idea of dropping firewalls and other security measures.

Aside from the article I mentioned last month, today Wired notes that dropping a firewall and other virus/malware protection is a good way to speed up Internet access. 

Meanwhile, one big threat (and annoyance) may be on the way out: The Federal Trade Commission won a federal court order to shut down one of the largest U.S. spam rings. According to the New York Times, these particular spammers may account for one-third of all spam.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Micro Place-shifting

I've been home with a cold, and it's had me shifting around the house all day: I've been too tired and achy to sit at my desk for long, and too restless to stay glued to the bed or couch. But, thanks to the beauties of "place-shifting," I've been able to keep working (and enjoying the other benefits of digital access) wherever I plop down.

The Set-Up: I keep the desktops in my office (at home) and kitchen running 24/7, plus I have a Tablet PC and an old laptop. First thing this morning, I grabbed the old laptop to use in bed, then later I fired up the Tablet PC when I was hanging out on the couch. That gave me four live, networked "stations," wherever I went -- five, if you count my PDA phone.

The Apps and Uses:

  • Virtual computing -- My old laptop is getting REALLY old and slow -- it's a 2001 Toshiba with just 256MB of RAM. Although I have Outlook 2007 on it, most of the other apps are a couple of versions behind. So, rather than trying to update it or deal with slow programs, I "went virtual" -- I shut off everything except Firefox and connected to my desktop through LogMeIn. That let me take advantage of the speed and updated programs on my desktop, and, in full screen, it looks and acts exactly as if I'm working on the desktop. In essence, LogMeIn lets me turn my old laptop into a "slim client" -- and that extends its useful life.

 

  • Newsreading -- I can't function without checking out the news on my various feeds through Google Reader first thing in the morning. Everything stays synced through Google -- stories I scanned and "starred" first thing this morning on my laptop show up on the other systems when I'm ready to read later.

 

  • Email and PIM data -- I use hosted Exchange, so all the data stays synced automatically and instantly available on every computer. Aside from email, this also keeps my action lists, calendar, and contacts updated and synced.

 

  • Active documents -- I've been working on several projects throughout the day , but rather than using Word, I've been using OneNote to create, draft, and edit them. Because OneNote synchronizes (and saves) data in real time, the latest version of every document I'm working on is always available on every computer. I can type half a sentence on the tablet pc on the couch, walk into the kitchen and finish my thought on the desktop there, then wander into my office to edit it, all without saving or syncing manually.

 

  • Reference documents -- Thanks to Foldershare, all the other documents I've saved are also synced to all my computers. It's not quite as automatic as OneNote -- I actually have to save them to trigger a sync through Foldershare -- but it's great for keep resources accessible everywhere.

 

  • Entertainment -- For much of the day, I didn't even feel like working -- I just wanted to watch TV and rest. Thanks to Tivo and Slingbox, I've even been able to move my entertainment around with me. This morning when I was still in bed, I started watching a movie I'd Tivo'ed there. When I went to the kitchen to eat breakfast, I kept watching it via Slingbox, which sent the signal to my desktop computer. After breakfast, I streamed the movie from the Tivo in the bedroom to the Tivo in the den, where I watched the rest of it from the couch. This afternoon, I even streamed a movie to my PDA phone, while I took a long bath.

 

The Outcome:

This certainly hasn't been my most productive day ever, but thanks to my "micro place-shifting," I've been able to take advantage of every second I've felt like working, without having to save, recopy, or search for data. I've also enjoyed entertainment wherever I've lighted.

Almost every day, I find another benefit and advantage to automatically synced and "cloud-based" computing. When I got hosted exchange service two years ago, it was a revelation to watch data synchronize automatically across machines -- now, I want EVERYTHING to work that way.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Going digital: Barriers to Entry

j0386302I'm always amused to see how people react to the idea of using digital technologies or "going paperless." They all say that it sounds great, shake their head in wonder at the idea of going "off road" from the paper trail, and then say, "But…"

The "buts" are remarkably consistent:

  • "I'm not technical, so I don't want a complicated system…"
  • "I don't have time to create one…"
  • "I need to be able to access info/take a note/enter data quickly…"
  • "I don't like reading off a screen…"

The first three are easy to address with a little quick info. Most already have the tools they need to shift most work and processes to digital, so they aren't facing complicated, time-consuming, or tedious processes. In fact, going "digital" usually amounts to expanding and streamlining the processes we're all using already. I find that people are surprised -- and a little skeptical -- when I explain this to them.

The fourth one, "I don't like reading off a screen," is a tougher nut, because it's ostensibly a matter of personal preference -- it's not like you can respond, "Yes, you do!" But, the more I hear it, the more tempted I am to respond just that way.

Take last week, for instance.

One day last week during a long meeting, a colleague sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I had a copy of a document we were discussing. I looked up from my Tablet PC where I was taking notes, clicked on a tab in OneNote where I'd pre-loaded all the documents we'd be using in the meeting, immediately found the info she wanted, and handed her the computer to read it.

hp_tx2000Rather than reading it, though, she handed the computer back and said, "Never mind. I don't like reading off a screen."

Now, here's the funny part: She then pulled out her BlackBerry and spent the next four hours reading through emails and who-knows-what-else as the meeting continued.

Later, I asked her if she liked reading stuff on her BlackBerry. She said she did, because it's so convenient and quick. Then, I asked her if it bothered her to read off the BlackBerry's screen. "No," she said, "this isn't really a screen."

Amazing, huh? I think it's telling, too. Looking at something that she knows will give her the information she wants the way she expects it -- on paper or a BlackBerry -- works well. But, looking at a screen that seems more tecblackberry88001hnically complicated or unexpected is undesirable, even if it is aesthetically "equal" to the other options.

I wonder where the tipping point is that makes the fact and experience of reading off a screen invisible.

Sunday, October 12, 2008

eBooks through Publishers

The other day, a colleague recommended the book The Grid: A Journey through the Heart of Our Electrified Land, by Phillip F. Schewe, so I decided to check it out. Not finding it on eReader or Mobipocket, I looked on Amazon to see if it was available as a Kindle book. (I don't have a Kindle, but availability for Kindle often indicates that an ebook is available somewhere.) But, no luck there, either.



Just out of curiosity, I decided I'd take a quick look at the publisher's website. Paydirt! Turns out Joseph Henry Press is an imprint of the National Academy of Sciences, which makes PDF etexts of its stock available online. They even offer "bundled" prices, where you can get an ebook and the hardback at a discount rate.


Congratulation, Joseph Henry, you're now my official favorite publisher!


(I wish they hadn't put website headers and other identifying footers on the texts -- makes them a big PITA to read.
I ended up pulling the PDF into Omnipage and deleting all that (although with page numbers), so I could have a clean text to read in eReader or Mobi.)


This is the third time recently that I've found ebooks through their original publishers, rather than through the usual channels.I commend the publishers on their vision for this -- it's a good way to avoid going the way of music publishers
.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

On the Road, Part 1

Being on the road this week has demonstrated to me again just how convenient having a paperless, digital world can be. One thing that continues to amaze me is how much of "home" goes with me wherever I came, thanks to digital access. For road warriors, having a sense of consistency and routine can make things a whole lot easier on the run.

I'm always trying to refine my tools and approaches, so here are a few "new tricks" I've incorporated into things recently that change things on the road:

  • Personal VPN for access to my home desktop -- Since I'm using OneNote more, I've also started using LogMeIn's free Hamachi VPN service so I can keep my tablet and desktop OneNote files synchronized via the Internet. As an added benefit, this also gives me access to my desktop's files and folders -- no risk of forgetting to sync some file.

  • Remote desktop control through LogMeIn -- Another free service from LogMeIn gives me the ability to see and control my desktop (or other computers) through Firefox or IE. I found a great use for this today when I needed to use Photoshop -- a program I don't have on my Tablet. I fired up Firefox, logged onto my desktop at home, and made my changes on that computer, just as if I were sitting in my office. The file I changed synced instantly to my Tablet via Foldershare. (Not quite working "in the cloud," but pretty darn close.)

  • Slingbox -- Technically not "new," since I've had it since last Christmas, but I still marvel at having the ability to watch my home Tivo from anywhere, on my laptop or PDA phone. It's not exactly "enriching" amusement, but it's nice to be able to watch the shows I actually like when I'm relaxing in some hotel room.

  • Laptop lock -- For years, when I stayed in hotel rooms that didn't have in-room safes, I ended up dragging my laptop with me when I went out to dinner (or wherever). Then some clients turned me on to a much better solution -- lock it up in the hotel room.

  • iGo charger -- Rather than traveling with separate chargers for my PDA phone, laptop, and wireless headphones, I bought an iGo multiuse charger. Right now, I'm charging all my devices off one cord simultaneously.

  • PDA phone as my alarm clock --Spb Time turns my PDA phone into a great alarm clock -- even has the same ring as my home alarm clock.

  • Streaming radio -- I've created a shortcut to the radio station I normally listen to in the mornings at home, so, assuming I'm in the same time zone, I get the same shows as always.
Where possible, I even try to set things up the way I have them at home, with clocks, water, and other "essentials" just where I always look for them.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

DIY Ebooks, Part 3: Clean Up

The cool thing about scanning text pages is that it frees text from the confines of the page. You can take the raw text and use it the way you want -- convert it to ebooks or other platforms for reading, index it for future reference, or even grab long passages for citations.


But, there is one complication that's easy to overlook in the initial rush of utility: Individual pages provide a fundamental organizational unit for books. References are organized by page -- lose the page and the text of the original index is useless. Footnotes sit relative to text on paper pages. Even endnotes sometimes reference the page of their citation.


Not only that, pages contain lots of information the eye can easily filter out, but scanners and OCR software doesn't.


I don't have a perfect method for handling these issues -- yet -- but I can offer some advice about how to work around them.


Before OCRing:


1. Make a copy of all image files before you start editing, in case you must up or decide to try something else in the future.


2. Remove page numbers, headers, and footers -- Although OmniPage OCR software can you templates that ignore information on certain parts of each page, I've never had much luck using this, since my scans aren't always uniform in size and position. Instead, I remove this stuff using PaperPort, either erasing or deleting it page-by-page. Sounds time-consuming, but actually goes very quickly.


3. Make a decision about footnotes -- Most times, I simply remove footnotes so they don't get OCR'd, but when I see citations I want to keep, I handle it post-OCR. (See below)


4. Check for cut-off text and embedded images -- I often remove stylized initial caps to make OCRing more accurate.


5. Straighten text -- It OCRs better. PaperPort can do a batch straighten on all pages.


6. Remove pictures -- I scan these separately as TIFFs and either OCR or retype captions later. (Most times, it's just as quick to retype captions.)


7. Dump the index (or at least remove page references) -- You won't need it anyway, since you can search by keyword with software.


After OCRing, with raw text in Word:


1. As with original images, I save the raw text before I start making changes to it, so I don't have to OCR the whole thing again, if I screw something up.


2. Remove stray line breaks -- I run a macro on the text that looks for every line break that is not immediately preceded by a period or other punctuation. This removes most stray line breaks.


3. Remove stray hyphens -- PaperPoint (and OmniPage) do a stellar job of deleting printed hyphens that are no longer needed in digitized text, but there are usually a few hanging around. I use a macro to find and delete these.


4. Break out chapters -- I put some extra space in front of each chapter heading, for formatting.


5. Deal with remaining footnotes -- If I've decided to keep a few footnotes, I search the text for them and re-insert them immediately following the paragraph that contains the citation. I typically insert extra line breaks between text and citations to create a break when I'm reading.


6. Save the file.


In eReader's eBook Studio:


1. Paste text into eBook Studio from Word.


2. Find chapter headers, bold them, and create links to the table of contents (automatically created by the software)


3. Decide about end notes. You can create hotlinks to end notes (or anything else) in eBook Studio, although I usually don't bother. It seems needlessly time-consuming to me, but it is possible for those who want it.


4. Place photos. Since I've already converted the photo TIFFs to PNGs (247px high by 147px wide max), I drag and drop the pictures wherever I want them and insert the appropriate captions. Embedding them in the appropriate positions in the text is nice, although it also can be time consuming to find the right reference/location. Instead, most of the time I just create a photo section chapter at the end of the ebook.


5. Press "make book" and you're done. Read it on your PC, laptop, or PDA phone.


And that's the whole process. Using macros -- and, if possible, OmniPage's masking capabilities -- can make the effort pretty simple. I would estimate that it takes me maybe an hour to do all these steps on a book of about 500 pages.


Key thing to keep in mind: As long as you have the original images, don't worry too much about the details on things like endnotes and footnotes. It's quicker to look those up in the original images (or the book itself) than it is to handle all that stuff in an ebook.